JP2007330332A - Washing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a washing machine capable of preventing damage of an upper lid to enhance safety of user and infants, etc. <P>SOLUTION: At the upper part of an external box of the washing machine, an upper surface plate 11 provided with a laundry loading port 15 is mounted. The bendable upper lid 16 to open/close the laundry loading port 15 is turnably mounted on the upper surface plate 11. The upper lid 16 is constituted of a first upper lid part and a second upper lid part turnably connected to the first upper lid part. When closing the upper lid 16, a connecting wall part 105 of the first upper lid part and the second upper lid part make contact with the upper surface plate 11. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a washing machine.

  Conventionally, as a washing machine, there is one in which an opening for taking in and out laundry is provided in an upper portion of a main body. The opening can be opened and closed by an upper lid that is rotatably attached to the main body.

  The upper lid is described in, for example, JP-A-8-57191 (Patent Document 1). In Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 8-57191, the upper lid is composed of two lid parts that are pivotably connected to each other, and one lid part is rotatably attached to the main body of the washing machine.

  When the upper lid of the above configuration is opened, one lid component is rotated with respect to the main body, and the other lid component is rotated with respect to the one lid component, so that the upper lid is bent.

  As a result, the height of the open state of the upper lid can be kept low, but the upper lid is composed of two lid parts that are pivotally connected to each other, so compared to the so-called single plate upper lid, The strength is weak.

For this reason, if the user accidentally applies force to the top lid from above while the top lid is closed and the washing machine is used, or if an infant is placed on the top lid, the top lid will crack and the user or infant will wash. There is a problem that an accident that contacts a rotating body in the aircraft can occur.
JP-A-8-57191

  Then, the subject of this invention is providing the washing machine which can prevent damage to an upper cover and can improve safety | security of a user, an infant, etc.

In order to solve the above problems, the washing machine of the present invention is:
The body,
A top plate attached to the top of the body;
An opening for providing and removing laundry, provided on the top plate;
A bendable upper lid that is pivotally attached to the upper surface plate and opens and closes the opening;
The upper lid is
A first upper lid part;
A second upper lid part rotatably connected to the first upper lid part;
When the upper lid is closed, a connecting portion between the first upper lid component and the second upper lid component is in contact with or close to the upper surface plate.

  According to the washing machine having the above configuration, when the upper lid is closed, the connecting portion between the first upper lid component and the second upper lid component is in contact with or close to the upper surface plate. Therefore, when a load or impact is applied to the upper lid from above. The upper plate directly supports the connecting portion.

  Therefore, breakage of the upper lid can be prevented, and the safety of users, infants, and the like can be improved.

In one embodiment of the washing machine,
The upper surface plate is provided with a convex portion that contacts or approaches the connecting portion when the upper lid is closed.

  According to the washing machine of the above embodiment, since the upper surface plate is provided with the convex portion that contacts or approaches the connecting portion when the upper lid is closed, the degree of freedom in designing the upper surface plate can be increased. .

In one embodiment of the washing machine,
The upper surface plate is provided with a recess that contacts or is close to the connecting portion when the upper lid is closed.

  According to the washing machine of the said embodiment, since the recessed part which contact | connects or adjoins to a connection part when the upper cover is closed is provided in the said upper surface board, the freedom degree of design of an upper surface board can be raised.

  According to the washing machine of the present invention, when the upper lid is closed, when the connecting portion between the first upper lid component and the second upper lid component is in contact with or close to the upper surface plate, a load or an impact is applied to the upper lid from above. Since the upper surface plate directly supports the connecting portion, the upper lid can be prevented from being damaged, and the safety of users, infants, and the like can be improved.

  In addition, the upper lid is not particularly thick and does not require a complicated reinforcing structure, and can maintain strength without deteriorating the design, and can be inexpensive and simple.

  Hereinafter, a washing machine of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to embodiments shown in the drawings.

(First embodiment)
In FIG. 1, the schematic sectional drawing which cut the fully automatic type washing machine 1 of 1st Embodiment by the surface perpendicular | vertical to a horizontal surface is shown.

  The washing machine 1 includes an outer box 10 as an example of a main body. The outer box 10 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape and is molded of metal or synthetic resin, and the upper and bottom portions are openings. A top plate 11 made of synthetic resin is stacked on the upper opening of the outer box 10 and fixed to the outer box 10 with screws. In FIG. 1, the left side of the washing machine 1 is the front (front) of the washing machine 1, and the right side of the washing machine 1 is the rear (rear), which is also combined with the upper surface of the top plate 11 located on the rear side. A resin back panel 12 is overlaid and fixed to the outer box 10 or the top plate 11 with screws. A synthetic resin base 13 is stacked on the bottom opening of the outer box 10 and fixed to the outer box 10 with screws. None of the screws described so far are shown.

  At the four corners of the base 13, legs 14a and 14b for supporting the outer box 10 on the floor are provided. The rear leg 14 b is a fixed leg assembled to the base 13. The front leg portion 14a is a screw leg having a variable height, and the washing machine 1 is leveled by turning the leg 14a.

  Inside the outer box 10, a water tub 20 is disposed on the outside, and a washing tub 30 serving also as a dewatering tub is disposed on the inside. That is, the water tank 20 is disposed in the outer box 10, and the washing tank 30 is disposed in the water tank 20. Both the water tub 20 and the washing tub 30 have the shape of a cylindrical cup with an upper opening, and the axes are vertical. The axis of the water tub 20 substantially overlaps the axis of the washing tub 30. The water tank 20 is suspended by a suspension member 21. The suspension member 21 is provided at a total of four locations connecting the lower outer surface of the water tank 20 and the inner corner of the outer box 10, and supports the water tank 20 so that it can swing in a horizontal plane.

  The washing tub 30 has a peripheral wall extending upward with a gentle taper. This peripheral wall has no opening for allowing liquid to pass through except for a plurality of dewatering holes 31 arranged in an annular shape at the top. That is, the washing tub 30 is a so-called holeless type washing tub. An annular balancer 32 is mounted on the edge of the upper opening of the washing tub 30 to suppress vibration when the washing tub 30 is rotated at a high speed for dehydrating the laundry. A pulsator 33 for causing the washing water to flow in the tub is disposed on the inner bottom surface of the washing tub 30.

  A drive unit 40 is mounted on the lower surface of the water tank 20. The drive unit 40 includes a motor 41, a clutch mechanism 42, and a brake mechanism 43. A dehydrating shaft 44 and a pulsator shaft 45 are protruded upward from the center thereof. The dewatering shaft 44 and the pulsator shaft 45 have a double structure with the dewatering shaft 44 on the outside and the pulsator shaft 45 on the inside. The dewatering shaft 44 enters the water tank 20 and is then connected to the washing tub 30. Supported this. Although not shown, seal members (not shown) for preventing water leakage are disposed between the dehydrating shaft 44 and the water tank 20 and between the dewatering shaft 44 and the pulsator shaft 45.

  A drain hose 60 for draining the water in the water tub 20 and the washing tub 30 out of the outer box 10 is attached to the bottom of the water tub 20 via a water distribution pipe 61 and a water distribution pipe 62. Water flows into the drain hose 60 from the water distribution pipe 61 and the water distribution pipe 62. The water distribution pipe 61 is connected to a location near the outer periphery of the bottom surface of the water tank 20. The water distribution pipe 62 is connected to a location near the bottom center of the water tank 20.

  An annular partition wall 63 is fixed to the inner bottom surface of the water tank 20 so as to enclose the connection portion of the water distribution pipe 62 inside. An annular seal member 64 is attached to the upper part of the partition wall 63. The seal member 64 comes into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the disk 65 fixed to the outer surface of the bottom of the washing tub 30, thereby forming an independent drainage space 66 between the water tub 20 and the washing tub 30. The drain space 66 communicates with the inside of the washing tub 30 through a drain port 64 provided at the bottom of the washing tub 30.

  The drain pipe 62 is provided with a drain valve 68 that opens and closes electromagnetically. An air trap 69 is provided at a location on the upstream side of the drain valve 68 of the water distribution pipe 62. The air trap 69 is connected to the lower end of the pressure guiding tube 70. A water level switch 71 is connected to the upper end of the pressure guiding tube 70.

  A control unit 80 is disposed on the front side of the outer box 10. More specifically, the control unit 80 is disposed on the lower surface side of the upper surface plate 11 and receives an operation command from the user through the operation / display unit 81 provided on the upper surface of the upper surface plate 11. An operation command is issued to the valve 50 and the drain valve 68. Further, the control unit 80 issues a display command to the operation / display unit 81.

  The upper surface plate 11 is provided with a laundry input port 15 for taking in and out the laundry. The laundry input port 15 is opened and closed by a bendable upper lid 16. An end portion on the rear surface side of the upper lid 16 is coupled to the upper surface plate 11 by a hinge portion 17 and is rotatable about the hinge portion 17. The laundry input port 15 is an example of an opening.

  In FIG. 2, the schematic which looked at the said washing machine 1 from upper direction is shown.

  The upper lid 16 includes a first upper lid component 16a positioned on the rear surface side in the closed state, and a second upper lid component 16b rotatably connected to the first upper lid component 16a and positioned on the front surface side in the closed state. ing. The upper lid 16 is bent to an open state. More specifically, when the upper lid 16 is changed from the closed state to the opened state, the second upper lid component 16b is rotated around the hinge portion 17, and the first lid component 16a is rotated with respect to the second upper lid component 16b. By doing so, the upper lid 16 is opened. At this time, the lower surface of the first lid component 16a faces the lower surface of the second upper lid component 16b, and the first lid component 16a overlaps the second upper lid component 16b. The lower surface of the first lid component 16a and the lower surface of the second upper lid component 16b are surfaces facing the water tank 20 when the upper lid 16 is closed, that is, surfaces facing the inside.

  FIG. 3A shows a schematic view of the first lid part 16a as viewed from above.

  A recess 150 is formed on the upper surface of the first lid component 16a, which serves as a handle for a user to grip.

  FIG. 3B shows a schematic view of the first lid part 16a viewed from the rear side. In FIG. 3B, the upper surface of the first lid component 16a faces downward, and the lower surface of the first lid component 16a faces upward. The upper surface of the first lid component 16a is a surface that does not face the water tank 20 when the upper lid 16 is closed, that is, a surface that faces the outside.

  FIG. 3C shows a schematic view of the first lid part 16a as viewed from the side. In FIG. 3C, the rear portion of the first lid component 16a is located on the upper side, and the front portion of the first lid component 16a is located on the lower side. Further, in FIG. 3C, the first connecting wall portion 106 is not shown.

  As shown in FIGS. 3B and 3C, a first connection wall portion 106 is provided as a rear wall portion at the rear portion of the first upper lid component 16a. A shaft insertion portion 102 having a shaft hole 101 is connected to the first connection wall portion 106. A part of the shaft insertion portion 102 protrudes inward and downward from the lower edge of the first connecting wall portion 106. In addition, the number of the shaft insertion portions 102 is six in the present embodiment, but is not limited to six.

  Reference numeral 109 in FIG. 3B denotes an end portion of the first upper lid part 16a.

  FIG. 4A shows a schematic view of the second lid part 16b as viewed from above. FIG. 4B shows a schematic view of the second lid part 16b as viewed from the front side. In FIG. 4B, the upper surface of the second lid component 16b faces upward, and the lower surface of the second lid component 16b faces downward. The upper surface of the second lid part 16b is a surface that does not face the water tank 20 when the upper lid 16 is closed, that is, a surface facing the outside.

  As shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, a second connecting wall portion 107 is provided as a front wall portion at the front portion of the second upper lid component 16b. A shaft portion 104 having a shaft protrusion 103 is connected to the second connection wall portion 107. The shaft portion 104 protrudes outward (forward) from the lower edge of the second connecting wall portion 107. The number of the shaft portions 104 is six, which is the same as the number of the shaft insertion portions 102.

  Reference numeral 110 in FIG. 4B denotes an end portion of the second upper lid part 16b.

  FIG. 4C shows a schematic view of the second lid part 16b as viewed from the side. In FIG. 4C, the rear part of the second lid part 16b is located on the upper side, and the front part of the second lid part 16b is located on the lower side.

  The shape of the shaft portion 104 is L-shaped when viewed from the side. Thereby, the shaft portion 104 is stronger than the end portion 110 of the second upper lid part 16b.

  According to the upper lid 16 having the above-described configuration, the first upper lid part 16 a and the second upper lid part 16 b are centered on the axial protrusion 103 by inserting the axial protrusions 103 of the axial part 104 into the axial holes 101 of the axial insertion part 102. And are pivotally connected.

  FIG. 8 is a schematic sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 2, 105 is a connecting wall portion as an example of the connecting portion, and 108 is an end portion of the upper lid 16. The upper lid 16 is symmetrical, and only the left half is shown in FIG.

  The connecting wall portion 105 includes a first connecting wall portion 106 and a second connecting wall portion 107. The end portion 108 of the upper lid 16 is composed of an end portion 109 of the first upper lid component 16a and an end portion 110 of the second upper lid component 16b.

  According to the washing machine 1 configured as described above, since the connecting wall portion 105 has a high wall and has an L-shaped structure, the upper lid end portion 108 (the end portion 109 of the first upper lid component 16a and the second upper lid component 16b). It is stronger than the end portion 110).

  Further, when the upper lid 16 is closed, the connecting wall portion 105 comes into contact with the opening edge of the laundry input port 15 in more detail than the upper surface plate. Therefore, when an impact P is applied to the upper lid 16 from above, for example, the connecting wall portion 105 abuts against the opening edge of the laundry input port 15. That is, the connecting wall portion 105 is directly supported by the opening edge of the laundry input port 15.

  As described above, since the connecting wall portion 105 is strong, even if it comes into contact with the opening edge portion of the laundry input port 15 due to the impact P, it is not easily damaged.

  Therefore, the strength of the upper lid 16 can be increased without particularly increasing the thickness of the upper lid 16, without forming a complicated reinforcing structure on the upper lid 16, and without impairing the design of the upper lid 16. The price of the upper lid 16 can be reduced, and the structure of the upper lid 16 can be simplified.

  Moreover, since the intensity | strength of the said upper cover 16 can be raised, safety | security of a user, an infant, etc. can be improved.

  FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a conventional upper lid 416, where 405 is a connecting wall portion of the upper lid 16, 408 is an end portion of the upper lid 16, 411 is an upper surface plate, and 415 is a laundry input port.

  The upper lid 416 is substantially flat, and even when the upper lid 416 is closed, the connecting wall portion 415 is not in contact with the opening edge of the laundry input port 415 at all.

  Accordingly, when the user accidentally applies a force from above the upper lid 416 while the upper lid 416 is closed and the washing machine is used, or the infant is placed on the upper lid 416, the connecting wall portion 405 is connected to the laundry inlet 415. Since the upper lid 416 is broken, the user or the infant may come into contact with the rotating body inside the washing machine and an accident may occur.

  Further, when a load or an impact P, for example, is applied to the upper lid 416 from above, the upper lid 416 bends and the load is applied to the end portion 408 of the upper lid 416. Since the end portion 408 of the upper lid 416 is weak, it is necessary to take measures such as increasing the thickness of the upper lid 416 or providing a reinforcing rib on the back surface of the upper lid 416 in order to prevent the upper lid 416 from being damaged. was there. In particular, in the latter case, the upper lid 416 is an external component, and it is difficult to provide a rib that effectively increases the strength of the upper lid 416 due to design restrictions even on the back surface of the upper lid 416.

  In the first embodiment, when the upper lid 16 is closed, the connecting wall portion 105 is in contact with the opening edge of the laundry input port 15. However, when the upper lid 16 is closed, the connecting wall portion 105 is contacted. May be close to the opening edge of the laundry input port 15.

(Second Embodiment)
The fully automatic washing machine according to the second embodiment of the present invention differs from the first embodiment only in the shapes of the upper lid 216 (see FIG. 9) and the upper surface plate 211 (see FIG. 9). Therefore, in the following, the same components as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals as those of the components of the first embodiment, and description thereof is omitted.

  The upper lid 216 includes a first lid component 216a shown in FIGS. 5A to 5C and a second lid component 216b shown in FIGS. 6A to 6C.

  FIG. 5A is a schematic view of the first lid part 216a as viewed from above.

  FIG. 5B is a schematic view of the first lid part 216a as viewed from the rear side. In FIG. 5B, the upper surface of the first lid component 216a faces downward, and the lower surface of the first lid component 216a faces upward. The upper surface of the first lid component 216a is a surface that does not face the water tank 20 when the upper lid 216 is closed, that is, a surface that faces the outside. The lower surface of the first lid component 216a is a surface facing the water tank 20 when the upper lid 216 is closed, that is, a surface facing the inside.

  FIG. 5C is a schematic view of the first lid part 216a as viewed from the side. In FIG. 5C, the rear portion of the first lid component 216a is located on the upper side, and the front portion of the first lid component 216a is located on the lower side. In addition, in FIG. 5C, illustration of the first connection wall portion 206 is omitted.

  FIG. 6A is a schematic view of the second lid part 216b as viewed from above.

  FIG. 6B is a schematic view of the second lid part 216b as viewed from the front side. In FIG. 6B, the upper surface of the second lid component 216b faces upward, and the lower surface of the second lid component 216b faces downward. The upper surface of the second lid component 216b is a surface that does not face the water tank 20 when the upper lid 216 is closed, that is, a surface facing the outside. The lower surface of the second lid component 216b is a surface facing the water tank 20 when the upper lid 216 is closed, that is, a surface facing the inside.

  FIG. 6C is a schematic view of the second lid part 216b as viewed from the side. In FIG. 6C, the rear part of the second lid part 216b is located on the upper side, and the front part of the second lid part 216b is located on the lower side.

  FIG. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the upper lid 216, 205 is a connecting wall portion as an example of a connecting portion, 208 is an end portion of the upper lid 216, 211 is a top plate, and 215 is a laundry input port. The upper lid 216 is symmetrical, and only the left half is shown in FIG.

  The connecting wall portion 205 includes a first connecting wall portion 206 and a second connecting wall portion 207, and the width in the left-right direction in the drawing is shorter than that of the connecting wall portion 105 of the first embodiment. ing.

  An end 208 of the upper lid 216 is composed of an end 109 of the first upper lid component 216a and an end 210 of the second upper lid component 216b. The direction width is longer.

  At the opening edge of the laundry input port 215, a convex portion 251 is provided to which the connecting wall portion 205 approaches when the upper lid 216 is closed.

  Therefore, this embodiment can produce the same effect as the first embodiment.

  The convex portion 251 is useful when it is desired to adopt a design in which the inner peripheral surface of the laundry input port 215 is substantially vertical.

  In the second embodiment, when the upper lid 216 is closed, the connecting wall portion 205 comes close to the convex portion 251, but when the upper lid 216 is closed, the connecting wall portion 205 contacts the convex portion 251. You may make it do.

(Third embodiment)
The fully automatic washing machine according to the third embodiment of the present invention differs from the first embodiment only in the shapes of the upper lid 316 (see FIG. 10) and the upper surface plate 311 (see FIG. 10).

  FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the upper lid 316, where 305 is a connecting wall portion as an example of a connecting portion, 308 is an end portion of the upper lid 316, 311 is an upper surface plate, and 315 is a laundry input port. Note that the upper lid 316 is symmetrical, and only the left half is shown in FIG.

  The connecting wall portion 205 is longer in the left-right direction in the drawing than the connecting wall portion 105 of the first embodiment.

  The end portion 308 of the upper lid 316 has a shorter width in the left-right direction in the drawing than the end portion 108 of the first embodiment.

  The opening edge of the laundry input port 315 is provided with a recess 351 that contacts the connecting wall 305 when the upper lid 316 is closed. Here, the periphery of the recess 112 is formed so that the upper lid connecting wall portion 305 does not come into contact therewith.

  Therefore, this embodiment can produce the same effect as the first embodiment.

  The concave portion 351 is useful when it is desired to adopt a design in which the inner peripheral surface of the laundry input port 315 is inclined with respect to a horizontal plane.

  In the third embodiment, the connecting wall 305 contacts the recess 351 when the upper lid 316 is closed. However, when the upper lid 316 is closed, the connecting wall 305 approaches the recess 351. It may be.

  As described above, the first to third embodiments of the present invention have been described. However, the first upper lid component and the second upper lid component are not single shapes, but the structure is a combination of the first upper lid component and the second upper lid component. Can give.

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of a fully automatic washing machine according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic top view of the fully automatic washing machine according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3A is a schematic top view of the first lid part of the fully automatic washing machine according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3B is a schematic rear view of the first lid part of the fully automatic washing machine according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3C is a schematic side view of the first lid part of the fully automatic washing machine of the first embodiment. FIG. 4A is a schematic top view of the second lid part of the fully automatic washing machine of the first embodiment. FIG. 4B is a schematic front view of a second lid part of the fully automatic washing machine according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4C is a schematic side view of the second lid part of the fully automatic washing machine according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5A is a schematic top view of the first lid part of the fully automatic washing machine of the second embodiment. FIG. 5B is a schematic rear view of the first lid part of the fully automatic washing machine according to the second embodiment. FIG. 5C is a schematic side view of the first lid part of the fully automatic washing machine of the second embodiment. FIG. 6A is a schematic top view of the second lid part of the fully automatic washing machine of the second embodiment. FIG. 6B is a schematic front view of the second lid part of the fully automatic washing machine of the second embodiment. FIG. 6C is a schematic side view of the second lid part of the fully automatic washing machine of the second embodiment. FIG. 7 is a schematic sectional view of an upper lid of a conventional fully automatic washing machine. FIG. 8 is a schematic sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. FIG. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the second lid part of the fully automatic washing machine of the second embodiment. FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the second lid part of the fully automatic washing machine of the third embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Fully automatic washing machine 11,211,311 Top plate 15,215,315 Laundry inlet 16,216,316 Upper cover 105,205,305 Connection wall part 251 Convex part 351 Concave part

Claims (3)

The body,
A top plate attached to the top of the body;
An opening for providing and removing laundry, provided on the top plate;
A bendable upper lid that is pivotally attached to the upper surface plate and opens and closes the opening;
The upper lid is
A first upper lid part;
A second upper lid part rotatably connected to the first upper lid part;
A washing machine, wherein when the upper lid is closed, a connecting portion between the first upper lid component and the second upper lid component is in contact with or close to the upper surface plate. The washing machine according to claim 1,
The washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the upper surface plate is provided with a convex portion that comes into contact with or is close to the connecting portion when the upper lid is closed. The washing machine according to claim 1,
The washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the upper surface plate is provided with a recess that contacts or is close to the connecting portion when the upper lid is closed.

Images