JP2007222260A - Washing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a washing machine using a washing method by a pulsator, which has a simple structure, a reduced number of parts, a low price and excellent durability. <P>SOLUTION: An air reservoir is formed at a bottom part of an inner tub 1 by using an annular rib suspended downward so that a cushioning member 20 is enveloped, and that an upper part has a tightly closed structure. A protective cover 32 having an annular horizontal face 31 is provided on the lower end of the rib. A groove part 36 is provided at the bottom of an outer tub 3 so that the horizontal face 31 of the protective cover 32 is enveloped. A drain port 35 of the outer tub 3 is arranged at a position above the groove part 36. Thereby, it possible to prevent lint or foreign matters from entering a sealed part of the cushioning material 20 and to improve durability. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a washing machine capable of washing, draining and dewatering in the same tank.

  In recent years, the market demand for washing machines has been diversified. From a large, fully automatic washing machine that can automatically wash a large amount of laundry at once, a two-tank system that is small in capacity and low in price. Many washing machines have been developed up to the washing machine. Among these diversified market demands, there is a demand for a washing machine that is capable of washing a large capacity in a small space and is inexpensive.

  These are the demands of the consumer group that the living space is relatively small, the space for the washing machine cannot be allocated, the laundry is not particular, and “it should be washable”. Specifically, it is a student living alone. This is a request from a single person or other person.

  Conventionally, this type of washing machine is configured as shown in the longitudinal sectional view of FIG. 3 (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Hereinafter, the configuration will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the inner tub 1 that is a washing and dewatering tub has a substantially bottomed cylindrical shape, has a small hole 2 in the peripheral wall, and an outer tub 3 is provided so as to wrap the outside of the inner tub 1. An annular balancer 4 is attached to the upper part of the inner tank 1. A dehydration receiving cover 5 is attached to the upper part of the outer tank 3 so as to cover the upper part of the inner tank 1. On the bottom surface of the inner tub 1, a coupling 9 integrated with a dewatering shaft 8 that coaxially and rotatably mounts a washing shaft 7 with a stirring blade 6 attached to the upper end is attached by a mounting screw 10, and a brake wheel (connection) A motor (driving means) 13 supported by a suspension 12 is attached via a member 11, and the rotation is transmitted to the inner tank 1 and the agitating blade 6 with the vertical direction as a rotation axis.

  The lower end of the washing shaft 7 is fastened to the upper portion of the brake wheel 11 by a mounting screw (not shown). The brake wheel 11 has a motor shaft (not shown) inserted in the lower part and fastened by a mounting screw (not shown). The upper end contacts the lower end of the dehydrating shaft 8 and is transmitted to the outer periphery of the vicinity of both end faces. A spring clutch 14 having a release function is mounted, and the spring clutch 14 is housed in a clutch member 15. A clutch lever 17 having a clutch pawl 16 that engages with the clutch member 15 is provided. When the clutch pawl 16 is engaged with the clutch member 15 by operating the clutch lever 17 (when washing), When the spring clutch 14 is loosened and the brake wheel 11 and the washing shaft 7 are integrated to transmit the rotation of the motor 13 and the clutch pawl 16 is separated from the clutch member 15 (at the time of dehydration), the brake wheel 11 and the dewatering shaft 8 Are integrated to transmit the rotation of the motor 13.

  The motor 13 with a variable speed function is set to the low speed side during washing, and is set to the high speed side during dehydration, and the rotation direction during dehydration is configured to be the direction in which the spring clutch 14 is tightened.

  The drain valve 18 is provided on the bottom surface of the outer tub 3 to drain the washing water in the inner tub 1 and the outer tub 3, and the drained washing water is drained outside the machine through a drain hose 19.

  The outer tub 3 is configured so as to surround the inner tub 1 substantially concentrically. At the center of the bottom of the outer tub 3 is provided a buffer member 20 made of a flexible material such as rubber that supports the vibration of the coupling 9 while rotating and supports it, and seals the inside of the outer tub 3 with water.

  The outer casing 21 holds the outer tub 3 at the top, and the bottom surface portion is placed on a frame 22 to which the suspension 12 is fixed internally. Further, the dehydration receiving cover 5 having a through hole 23 facing the inner tank 1 and fitted with a pouch 24 covering the through hole 23 so as to be openable and closable is attached to the upper part of the outer tank 3. Furthermore, the panel 26 which equipped the control apparatus 25, and the upper cover 27 which covers the uppermost part are provided.

  In the above configuration, the operation will be described. When washing is performed in the inner tub 1 and water is supplied during washing, the supplied washing liquid is also supplied into the outer tub 3 through the many small holes 2 on the peripheral wall of the inner tub 1. Is done.

  After reaching the specified water level, the controller 25 is operated to rotate the motor 13 at a low speed. At this time, the clutch pawl 16 attached to the clutch lever 17 is engaged with the outer periphery of the clutch member 15 and releases the clutch spring 14 having a transmission release function built in the clutch member 15 (slack side). It is turned to. Thereby, the rotation of the motor 13 is not transmitted to the dehydrating shaft 8 but is transmitted to the washing shaft 7 and the stirring blade 6 via the brake wheel 11, and the laundry is rotated and soiled by the rotation of the stirring blade 6. Remove.

  Next, at the time of drainage, the rotation of the motor 13 is stopped, the rotation of the stirring blade 6 is stopped, and the drain valve 18 is manually opened, so that the washing in the inner tub 1 and the outer tub 3 communicated by the numerous small holes 2 is performed. The liquid can be drained outside the machine via the drain hose 19.

Furthermore, at the time of dehydration, the drain valve 18 is opened, the clutch lever 17 is manually operated, the clutch pawl 16 is disengaged from the outer periphery of the clutch member 15, and the motor 13 is rotated at high speed in the direction in which the clutch spring 14 is tightened. The brake wheel 11 and the dehydrating shaft 8 rotate together. Thereby, the inner tub 1 rotates at a high speed, and the washing liquid in the laundry is discharged to the outer tub 3 through the small holes 2 provided in the peripheral wall of the inner tub 1 by the centrifugal force, It flows with the hose 19 and can be discharged out of the machine.
JP 2002-360979 A

  However, in the above-described conventional configuration, the sealing portion (not shown) of the penetrating portion of the dewatering shaft 8 of the buffer member 20 having a water sealing function is always in contact with the washing water during the washing, and the clothing is put into the washing water. There was a problem that the seal part was damaged by lint and foreign matter generated from the water and leaked. Further, during washing, the water is deformed by the water pressure of the washing water accumulated in the outer tub 3, and in the deformed state, it is subjected to vibration during dehydration in the next process, and is caused by "sagging" due to repeated compression and tension. There is a problem that the buffer performance is lowered, and the inner tub 1 hits the inner wall of the outer tub 3 at the time of dehydration start, causing a problem such as a start-up failure.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention solves the above-described conventional problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a washing machine having a simple configuration, a small number of parts, a low price, and excellent durability.

  In order to achieve the above object, the washing machine of the present invention is provided with an annular tub hanging downward at the bottom of the inner tub and a protective cover having a horizontal surface at the lower end of the rib, and an outer tub in which the inner tub is installed. A groove part that encloses the horizontal surface of the protective cover is provided on the bottom surface, and a drain outlet of the outer tub is provided at a position higher than the groove part.

  As a result, an air pocket is formed inside the protective cover having an annular rib that hangs downward from the bottom of the inner tub. There is no ingress of washing liquid in the vicinity of the buffer member, and lint to the seal portion of the buffer member Invasion of foreign matter is prevented, and durability can be improved.

  As a result, washing, rinsing, and dewatering can be performed in the same tank without damaging perishable laundry, and the number of parts can be reduced by simplifying the configuration. Abnormal vibration at the time can also be reduced.

  The washing machine of the present invention can prevent lint and foreign matter from entering the seal portion of the buffer member with a simple and reliable configuration, and can improve durability.

  The first invention is an inner tank having a substantially cylindrical shape with a bottom and having a large number of small holes in a peripheral wall, a stirring blade rotatably provided at the bottom of the inner tank, and a water-sealed inner tank by a buffer member. A bottomed substantially cylindrical outer tub that encloses, a connecting member that is connected to the other end of the washing shaft, one end of which is connected to the agitating blade, and the washing shaft is coaxially installed and has one end on the bottom lower surface of the inner tub. A dehydrating shaft connected and having the other end abutted against the connecting member, a spring clutch provided at a lower end of the dehydrating shaft and an outer peripheral portion of the connecting member, and a motor connected to the connecting member; A suspension that elastically supports the motor from below, and a protective cover having a horizontal plane at the lower end of the rib and a ring-like rib that hangs downward so as to provide the buffer member at the bottom of the inner tank. And the protective cover on the bottom of the outer tub. An annular groove portion containing the horizontal surface of the inner tub is provided, and the drainage port of the outer tub is provided at a position higher than the groove portion, so that air is formed inside the protective cover having an annular rib hanging downward at the bottom of the inner tub. Since the pool is formed, there is no infiltration of the washing liquid in the vicinity of the buffer member, so that lint or foreign material can be prevented from entering the seal portion of the buffer member, and durability can be improved.

  Furthermore, the horizontal surface provided at the lower end of the protective cover is included in a groove portion where the washing liquid is stored by providing it at a position lower than the drain port of the outer tub, so that the horizontal surface can touch the water during dehydration of the inner tub. By receiving resistance, it acts as a straightening force that maintains the level, suppresses abnormal shaking of the inner tank, and realizes stable dehydration.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Also, the same part number is assigned to a part having the same configuration as the conventional example. The present invention is not limited to the embodiments.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a washing machine according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of a main part of the washing machine.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the inner tank 1 has a substantially bottomed cylindrical shape, has a small hole 2 in the peripheral wall, and an outer tank 3 is provided so as to wrap the outside of the inner tank 1. An annular balancer 4 is attached to the upper part of the inner tank 1. In addition, a U-shaped protective cover having an opening at the bottom is provided on the bottom surface of the inner tub 1 so as to provide the buffer member 20 therein. The protective cover hangs down on the outer periphery and forms an annular rib having a perforated disk-like horizontal surface 31 at its lower end. The protective cover 32 is held by a coupling 9 from below and a reinforcing plate 34 from above via a water seal 33, and is attached to the bottom of the inner tub 1 by a mounting screw 10 in a watertight manner.

  The horizontal surface 31 is enclosed in a groove 36 formed at a position lower than the drain port 35 provided on the bottom surface of the outer tub 3 with a slight gap in the front, rear, left and right directions.

  Furthermore, a dehydration receiving cover 5 is attached to the upper part of the outer tub 3 so as to cover the upper part of the inner tub 1. The coupling 9 has a structure integrated with a dewatering shaft 8 in which a washing shaft 7 having a stirring blade 6 attached to the upper end thereof is rotatably mounted, and is supported by a suspension 12 via a brake wheel 11 to be vibration-proof. A motor (driving means) 13 is attached, and the rotation is transmitted to the inner tank 1 and the stirring blade 6 with the vertical direction as the rotation axis. The lower end of the washing shaft 7 is fastened to the upper part of the brake wheel 11 with a mounting screw 28.

  The operation and action of the washing machine configured as described above will be described below.

  At the time of washing, when the laundry is put in the inner tub 1 and water is supplied, the supplied washing liquid is also supplied into the outer tub 3 through the numerous small holes 2 on the peripheral wall of the inner tub 1, but in the protective cover 32. Since it is watertightly attached to the bottom of the inner tub 1 by a water seal 33 so as to form a sealed structure, it becomes an air reservoir and washing water does not enter the buffer member 20 portion.

  After the water supply reaches the specified water level, the controller 25 is operated to rotate the motor 13 to perform the washing operation. At this time, the clutch pawl 16 attached to the clutch lever 17 is engaged with the outer periphery of the clutch member 15 and releases the clutch spring 14 having a transmission release function built in the clutch member 15 (slack side). It is turned to.

  Thereby, the rotation of the motor 13 is not transmitted to the dehydrating shaft 8 but is transmitted to the washing shaft 7 and the stirring blade 6 via the brake wheel (connection member) 11, and the laundry is rotated by the rotation of the stirring blade 6. Remove dirt.

  Next, at the time of drainage, the rotation of the motor 13 is stopped, the rotation of the stirring blade 6 is stopped, and the drain valve 18 is manually opened, so that the washing in the inner tub 1 and the outer tub 3 communicated by the numerous small holes 2 is performed. The liquid can be drained outside the machine via the drain hose 19. At that time, the washing water remains in the groove 36 lower than the drain port 35 of the outer tub 3.

  At the time of dehydration, the drain valve 18 is opened, the clutch lever 17 is manually operated, the clutch pawl 16 is disengaged from the outer periphery of the clutch member 15, and is rotated in the direction in which the clutch spring 14 is tightened. 8 rotates together. Thereby, the coupling 9 and the protective cover 32 integral with the dewatering shaft 8 also rotate. At that time, the horizontal surface 31 at the lower end of the protective cover 32 rotates in the washing water accumulated in the groove 36.

  In the dehydration process, the laundry inside the inner tub 1 is not necessarily evenly distributed. Therefore, the unbalanced distribution of clothing causes an uneven load. There are things that can happen.

  At this time, by moving the horizontal surface 31 in the washing water accumulated in the groove portion 36, even if the inner tub 1 tries to fall down due to imbalance at the time of dehydration activation, the movement is attenuated by the resistance of the washing water of the horizontal surface 31 and the groove portion 36, The inner tank 1 is straightened to achieve smooth dehydration, and the washing liquid in the laundry is provided in the peripheral wall of the inner tank 1 by the centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the inner tank 1 during the smooth dehydration process. 2 is discharged to the outer tub 3, flows through the drain valve 18 and the drain hose 19, and can be discharged out of the machine.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, an air pocket is formed inside the protective cover 32 having a rib that hangs downward at the bottom of the inner tub 1, and there is no ingress of washing liquid in the vicinity of the buffer member 20. In addition, it is possible to prevent lint and foreign matter from entering the seal portion of the buffer member 20 and improve durability.

  Furthermore, the horizontal plane 31 provided at the lower end of the protective cover is included in the groove 36 where the washing liquid is stored by providing the horizontal plane 31 at a position lower than the drain outlet of the outer tub, thereby allowing the horizontal plane to be shaken during dehydration of the inner tub 1. When 31 receives and attenuates the resistance of water, it acts as a correction force for maintaining the level, and it is possible to suppress abnormal shake of the inner tank 1 and realize stable dehydration.

  As described above, the washing machine according to the present invention can prevent lint and foreign matter from entering the seal portion of the buffer member with a simple and reliable configuration, and can improve durability. The present invention is not limited to this, and can also be applied to uses such as equipment having a dehydrator or a water seal device.

1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a washing machine according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. Main section enlarged view of the washing machine Vertical section of a conventional washing machine

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Inner tank 2 Small hole 3 Outer tank 6 Stirring blade 7 Washing shaft 8 Dehydration shaft 11 Brake wheel (connection member)
12 Suspension 13 Motor 14 Spring clutch 20 Buffer member 31 Horizontal surface 32 Protective cover 35 Drain port 36 Groove

Claims (1)

An inner tank having a substantially cylindrical shape with a bottom and a large number of small holes in the peripheral wall, a stirring blade rotatably provided at the bottom of the inner tank, and a substantially cylindrical with a bottom that is sealed with a buffer member and encloses the inner tank And a connecting member connected to the other end of the washing shaft, one end of which is connected to the stirring blade, the washing shaft is coaxially arranged, one end is connected to the bottom lower surface of the inner tub, and the other end is A dehydrating shaft abutted on the connecting member, a spring clutch provided at a lower end of the dewatering shaft and an outer peripheral portion of the connecting member, a motor connected to the connecting member, a motor connected to the connecting member, and the motor elastically supported from below A suspension cover that is attached to the bottom of the inner tank, and a protective cover having a horizontal surface at the lower end of the rib so as to be installed in the bottom of the inner tank and the bottom of the outer tank. The horizontal surface of the protective cover Annular grooves provided in a washing machine provided with a drain outlet of the outer tub to the higher groove position.