JP2008023042A - Washing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a washing machine capable of inclining a dewatering tub at an optional angle and to provide a washing machine in which a hanging rod and a vibration isolating part are prevented from being in contact with the dewatering tub regardless of the inclination angle of the dewatering tub. <P>SOLUTION: The washing machine 100 comprises: a case body 10; the dewatering tub 20 hung and housed inside the case body 10; the plurality of hanging rods 30 for hanging the dewatering tub 20; movable unit parts 31 and 32 for supporting the hanging rods 30 and moving the hanging rods 30 in a vertical direction; a joint part 50 provided at the dewatering tub 20 for receiving the hanging rods 30 and linkably connecting the hanging rods 30 and the dewatering tub 20; and the vibration isolating part 34 fixed to the hanging rods 30 on the lower side of the joint part 50 for resiliently supporting the dewatering tub 20 through the joint part 50. The joint part 50 is provided with a rotation part 53 through which the hanging rods 30 are passed and which is rotated according to the movement of the hanging rods 30. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a washing machine that tilts a dewatering tub in a housing at an arbitrary angle.

  Conventionally, there is a fully automatic washing and drying machine (hereinafter simply referred to as a washing machine) of a type in which a dewatering tank is suspended from an upper part of a housing via a hanging rod. In general, such a type of washing machine is always arranged in a housing in a state where a dewatering tub is inclined at a predetermined angle in advance. Advantages of tilting the dehydration tank include easy loading and unloading of laundry and improvement of washing efficiency and drying efficiency of the laundry.

  As such an example, “the case and the inside of the case, the front upper side portion is attached to the front side of the case inclined at a certain angle, and is provided in the outer tub for storing washing water and the inside of the outer tub. In the washing machine having an inclined washing tub, the opening provided in the rear surface portion of the case, the washing tub comprising an inner tub for washing laundry and a driving means for rotating the inner tub And a washing machine having an inclined washing tub that includes a bulging portion formed outside and a back cover that covers the opening has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2004-160259 A (Page 4, FIG. 1)

  What should be noted when tilting the dewatering tank is to prevent the dewatering tank from coming into contact with the suspension rod and the vibration isolator (suspension, damper, etc.) provided below the suspension rod. This is because unexpected vibration and noise are generated when the suspension rod or the vibration isolator comes into contact with the dehydration tank. This vibration and noise not only make the user uncomfortable, but can also cause the washing machine to malfunction.

  The washing machine described above is configured to share the casing of the washing machine in which the dewatering tank stands upright by removing the front protruding portion of the casing. However, in such a structure, the dehydration tank must be inclined in a normal housing, and the dehydration tank is inclined at a certain angle in advance so that the dehydration tank does not come into contact with the suspension rod and the vibration isolator. It will have to be designed to be. That is, there is no degree of freedom in the inclination angle of the dewatering tank. Further, if the dehydrating tank is forcibly inclined without taking any measures, there is a high possibility that the dehydrating tank comes into contact with the hanging rod and the vibration isolator.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and provides a washing machine in which a dewatering tub can be inclined at an arbitrary angle. In addition, the present invention provides a washing machine in which the hanging rod and the vibration isolator are not brought into contact with the dewatering tank regardless of the inclination angle of the dewatering tank.

  The washing machine according to the present invention supports a housing, a dewatering tank suspended and accommodated in the housing, a plurality of hanging bars for hanging the dewatering tank, and the hanging bars, and moves the hanging bars in the vertical direction. A movable unit, a joint provided in the dewatering tank, receiving a suspension bar and connecting the suspension bar and the dewatering tank so as to be interlocked with each other, fixed to the suspension bar below the joint, and via the joint And a vibration isolator that elastically supports the dewatering tank, and a rotating portion that rotates through the suspension rod through the suspension rod is provided in the joint portion.

  The washing machine according to the present invention supports a housing, a dewatering tank suspended and accommodated in the housing, a plurality of suspension bars for suspending the dewatering tank, and the suspension bars, and moves the suspension bars in the vertical direction. A movable unit, a joint provided in the dewatering tank, receiving a suspension bar and connecting the suspension bar and the dewatering tank so as to be interlocked with each other, fixed to the suspension bar below the joint, and via the joint The anti-vibration part elastically supports the dehydrating tank, and the joint part is provided with a rotating part that penetrates the hanging rod and rotates according to the movement of the hanging rod, so the dehydrating tank can be easily tilted at any angle Can be made. Moreover, it is possible to prevent the suspension rod and the vibration isolator from coming into contact with the dewatering tank regardless of the inclination angle of the dewatering tank.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a washing machine 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the side. In the washing machine 100, the dewatering tub 20 is suspended from the top of the housing 10 and disposed inside the housing 20. Here, the dehydration tank 20 is shown in a standing state. The case where the washing machine 100 is a fully automatic washing and drying machine capable of automatically performing the washing process, the dehydration process, the drying process, and the like of the laundry stored in the dewatering tub 20 will be described as an example. . Further, in the following drawings including FIG. 1, the relationship of the size of each component may be different from the actual one. Further, the right side of the drawing will be described as the front of the washing machine, and the left side will be described as the rear of the washing machine.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the washing machine 100 has a form in which a dewatering tub 20 is suspended from a housing 10 by a suspension rod 30. The housing 10 is composed of an upper housing 11 and a lower housing 12. The dewatering tub 20 accommodates laundry such as clothes, and serves to perform washing, dewatering, drying, and the like of the laundry. The dewatering tank 20 is generally composed of an inner tank and an outer tank. That is, the outer tub is supported and fixed in the housing 10, and the inner tub provided therein rotates to perform cleaning, dehydration, and drying.

  A motor 21 for rotationally driving the dewatering tank 20 is provided at the lower part outside the dewatering tank 20. Note that control means (not shown) for controlling the rotation speed of the motor 21 is provided in the housing 10. This control means controls the overall operation of the washing machine 100 (washing process, dewatering process, drying process) based on an instruction from the user, and is configured by a microcomputer, for example.

  The suspension rod 30 is provided at least one each in the front-rear direction of the housing 10, and the upper side thereof penetrates the front movable unit portion 31 and the rear movable unit portion 32 provided on the upper portion of the lower housing 12. It has come to be supported. The number of the suspension rods 30 is not particularly limited as long as at least one suspension rod 30 is provided in the front-rear direction. Moreover, you may change the number of the hanging rods 30 in the front-back direction. Furthermore, you may make it the length of the hanging rod 30 differ in the front-back direction.

  The front movable unit 31 and the rear movable unit 32 are fixed to the lower housing 12 and support the suspension rod 30 so that the suspension rod 31 can be moved in the vertical direction. The front movable unit 31 and the rear movable unit 32 move the suspension rod 30 in the vertical direction, so that the dewatering tank 20 can be inclined at an arbitrary angle. That is, the front movable unit 31 and the rear movable unit 32 move the suspension rod 30 based on an instruction from the control means to tilt the dewatering tank 20 at an arbitrary angle. In addition, the front movable unit part 31 and the rear movable unit part 32 should just support the suspension rod 30, and can drive the suspension rod 30 to an up-down direction.

  A joint portion 50 for connecting the suspension rod 30 and the dehydration tank 20 is provided at the lower part of the dehydration tank 20 so as to protrude from the outer periphery of the dehydration tank 20. The joint portion 50 is provided before and after the dewatering tank 20 and connects the dewatering tank 20 and the hanging rod 30 by penetrating the hanging rod 30 therein. That is, the joint portion 50 receives the suspension rod 30 and connects the suspension rod 30 and the dewatering tank 20 so as to be interlocked with each other. The details of the structure and function of the joint portion 50 will be described with reference to FIGS. On the lower side of the joint portion 50, a vibration isolating portion 34 for preventing the suspension rod 30 from coming off and supporting the joint portion 50 from the lower side is provided.

  The vibration isolator 34 is configured to pass through and support the suspension rod 30, and includes a vibration isolating spring 35, an upper spring press 36 disposed at both ends of the anti-vibration spring, and a lower spring press 37. (See FIG. 3). The vibration isolator 34 is configured to prevent the suspension rod 30 from slipping upward. That is, the vibration isolator 34, particularly the upper spring retainer 36 thereof, is locked to the lower surface of the joint portion 50 so that the suspension rod 30 does not come out upward. Therefore, the suspension rod 30 is supported by the front movable unit portion 31 and the rear movable unit portion 32 on the upper side and supported by the vibration isolating portion 34 on the lower side, and is connected to the dehydration tank 20 by penetrating the joint portion 50. It is supposed to do.

  In this way, the suspension rod 30 and the dehydration tank 20 are connected. That is, the vibration isolator 34 supports the dehydration tank 20 from the lower side through the joint part 50 and serves to absorb vibration generated in the dehydration tank 20 propagating through the joint part 50. . The vibration isolator 34 is not particularly limited as long as it can absorb the vibration generated in the dehydration tank 20. For example, a damper, a suspension, a coil spring, an anti-vibration spring, an air spring or the like may be used.

  FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a schematic configuration of the washing machine 100 as viewed from the side. Here, the state in which the dewatering tank 20 is inclined at an arbitrary angle is shown. That is, the dewatering tub 20 is inclined toward the front side of the washing machine 100. The washing machine 100 can tilt the dewatering tub 20 at an arbitrary angle according to the driving situation. In addition, when the washing machine 100 is not driving | running, you may make it incline and you may incline the dehydration tank 20 based on the instruction | indication from a user.

  When the dewatering tub 20 is tilted, it is possible to easily take in and out the laundry and to improve the washing efficiency and the drying efficiency of the laundry. In order to further improve this effect, it is desirable to adjust the dewatering tank 20 to an arbitrary inclination angle according to the operation. For example, the dewatering efficiency of the laundry is higher when the dewatering tank 20 is not tilted, so it is better to keep the dewatering tank 20 upright. Further, it is desirable that the inclination angle of the dewatering tub 20 can be adjusted according to the purpose of washing.

  The inclination of the dewatering tank 20 is performed by changing the length of the suspension rod 30 provided in the front and rear. For example, when it is desired to incline the dewatering tub 20 toward the front side of the washing machine 100, the rear movable unit portion 32 raises the suspension rod 30 upward, and the front movable unit portion 31 lowers the suspension rod 30. To lower. That is, the control means for controlling the front movable unit 31 and the rear movable unit 32 adjusts the lifting and lowering of the suspension rod 30 according to the angle at which the dewatering tank 20 is inclined.

  What should be noted when the dewatering tank 20 is inclined at an arbitrary angle is that the suspension rod 30 and the vibration isolator 34 come into contact with the dewatering tank 20. If the suspension rod 30 and the vibration isolator 34 come into contact with the dehydration tank 20, an unexpected vibration is propagated to the housing 10 through the suspension rod 30. This not only makes the user uncomfortable, but may also cause the washing machine 100 to malfunction. Since the washing machine 100 can tilt the dewatering tub 20 at an arbitrary angle, it is necessary to prevent the suspension rod 30 and the vibration isolator 34 from contacting the dewatering tub 20 at any tilt angle.

  In order to prevent the suspension rod 30 and the vibration isolator 34 from coming into contact with the dewatering tank 20, the length of the suspension rod 30, the size of the joint portion 50, the position of the rotating portion 53, and the through hole for the suspension rod The diameter of the portion 56 must be calculated and adjusted. However, merely forming a through hole that is slightly larger than the cross-sectional shape of the suspension rod 30 limits the degree of freedom in the vertical direction of the suspension rod 30 and tilts the dehydration tank 20 only within a narrow range of angles. I can't. Further, if the diameter of the through hole is made extremely large, it is possible to increase the degree of freedom in the vertical direction of the hanging rod 30, but the dewatering tank 20 is largely wobbled and unstable.

  When the inclination angle of the dewatering tank 20 is always constant, the length of the suspension rod 30, the size of the joint portion 50, the position of the rotating portion 53, and the diameter of the suspension rod through hole portion 56 are based on the inclination angle. What is necessary is just to set a magnitude | size etc. However, when inclining the spin-drying | dehydration tank 20 by the arbitrary angles in the range which can incline, that is not enough. That is, even if the dewatering tank 20 is inclined at any arbitrary angle, the dewatering tank 20 can be stably held and the suspension rod 30 and the vibration isolator 34 are required not to contact the dewatering tank 20. is there.

  Therefore, the washing machine 100 according to this embodiment is hung so that the suspension rod 30 and the vibration isolator 34 do not come into contact with the dewatering tub 20 in the range in which the rotating unit 53 can rotate, that is, the range in which the dewatering tub 20 can tilt. The length of the rod 30, the size of the joint portion 50, the position of the rotating portion 53, the size of the diameter of the suspension rod through hole portion 56, and the like are set. By doing so, the dewatering tank 20 can be stably held without the suspension rod 30 and the vibration isolator 34 coming into contact with the dewatering tank 20 even if the dewatering tank 20 is inclined at any arbitrary angle. It has become.

Here, the joint part 50 which is a characteristic part of the washing machine 100 will be described.
FIG. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view showing the joint portion 50. Here, the joint portion 50 on the rear side of the washing machine 100 is shown. The joint portion 50 is fixed to the rear lower side of the dewatering tank 20. A suspension rod 30 passes through the joint portion 50 so as to connect the dewatering tank 20 and the suspension rod 30. Further, the joint portion 50 is supported by a vibration isolating portion provided below the joint portion 50.

  FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the joint portion 50 as viewed from above. Based on FIG. 4, the structure of the joint part 50 is demonstrated. The joint portion 50 includes a pair of fixed end portions 51 arranged in parallel for fixing to the dewatering tank 20 and a rotating portion 53 in which a through hole portion 56 for a suspension rod for penetrating the suspension rod 30 is formed. It is configured. That is, the rotating portion 53 is sandwiched between the fixed end portions 51 via the plurality of rolling elements 55. The rotating portion 53 can rotate in accordance with the movement of the suspension rod 30 about an axis 58 orthogonal to the fixed end portion 51.

  Two fixed end portions 51 are provided in the joint portion 50 to sandwich the rotating portion 53. Further, a rolling element groove 52 is formed in the fixed end 51 in a ring shape, so that the rolling element 55 can roll. That is, when the rolling element 55 rolls in the rolling element groove 52, the rotating part 53 rotates about the axis 58 orthogonal to the fixed end part 51. Further, the rotating portion 53 can be inserted into and removed from the joint portion 50, and a rolling element receiving portion 54 is formed on which a plurality of rolling elements 55 that roll on the rolling element groove portion 52 of the fixed end portion 51 are mounted. ing.

  The rolling element receiving portion 54 may be formed according to the size of the rolling element 55 so that the rolling element 55 does not come off. The rolling element receiving portion 54 is filled with oil such as grease as lubricating oil. That is, the rolling element 55 accommodated in the rolling element receiving portion 54 rolls in the rolling element groove portion 52 formed in the fixed end portion 51, so that the rotating portion 53 is rotatable in the joint portion 50. It is. By making the rotation part 53 rotatable, the dehydration tank 20 can be inclined at an arbitrary angle according to the driving of the suspension rod 30. The rolling element groove 52 is also filled with oil.

  The vibration generated in the dewatering tank 20 propagates to the joint portion 50. This vibration propagates to the suspension rod 30 and is absorbed by the vibration isolator 34 provided on the lower side of the suspension rod 30. If the vibration propagating to the hanging rod 30 is large, the vibration cannot be absorbed only by the vibration isolator 34. In this case, the vibration propagates to the housing 10 through the hanging rod 30. Therefore, the vibration is attenuated at the stage before propagating to the suspension rod 30 by the oil filled in the rolling element receiving portion 54 and the rolling element groove portion 52.

  FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a state where the joint portion 50 is enlarged. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the fixed end 51 as seen from above. Based on FIG.5 and FIG.6, the insertion to the fixed end part 51 of the rotation part 53 is demonstrated. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, an insertion guide 57 is formed at the fixed end portion 51 of the joint portion 50. The rotating portion 53 is inserted into the insertion guide 57 from the lower side of the joint portion 50, so that the joint portion 50 is completed. The insertion guide 57 is closed at the top so that the rotating portion 53 cannot be pulled out upward.

  By doing so, the rotating portion 53 can be easily held in the joint portion 50 and can be rotated according to the driving of the suspension rod 30. Therefore, the angle of the dewatering tank 20 can be easily adjusted with a simple structure without making the joint portion 50 a complicated structure. Further, the suspension rod 30 can be prevented from wobbling by penetrating the suspension rod 30 through the suspension rod through hole portion 56. Furthermore, the joint 50 and the vibration isolator 34 can stably hold the dewatering tank 20 regardless of the inclination angle.

  FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a state in which the rotating unit 53 is rotated. Based on FIG. 7, the rotation operation according to the driving of the suspension rod 30 of the rotation unit 53 will be described. FIG. 7A shows a state when the dewatering tank 20 is upright, and FIG. 7B shows a state when the dewatering tank 20 is inclined at an arbitrary angle. As shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, the rotating portion 53 of the joint portion 50 rotates according to the driving of the suspension rod 30.

  That is, according to the driving of the suspension rod 30 when the dewatering tank 20 is inclined at an arbitrary angle, the rotating unit 53 also rotates, so that the dehydrating tank 20 can be stably held at any inclination angle. It can be done. By doing so, the dewatering tub 20 can be inclined at an arbitrary angle according to the operation of the washing machine 100, and the dewatering tub 20 can be prevented from contacting the suspension rod 30 and the vibration isolator 34. Therefore, it is possible to prevent vibration and noise caused by the dehydration tank 20 coming into contact with the suspension rod 30 and the vibration isolator 34.

  Further, the rolling element receiving portion 54 and the rolling element groove portion 52 in the joint portion 50 are filled with oil, and the vibration propagating to the joint portion 50 can be absorbed by this oil, and the vibration is attenuated. This effect can also be realized. Therefore, the washing machine 100 according to this embodiment can incline the dewatering tub 20 at an arbitrary angle according to its operation, and realizes easy loading and unloading of laundry, and improvement of washing efficiency and drying efficiency. Can do it.

  Next, the operation of the washing machine 100 will be described. Here, a case where the washing machine 100 operates fully automatically will be described as an example. First, the user stores the laundry in the dewatering tub 20. Then, the washing machine 100 starts operation by operating a start button provided on an operation panel (not shown). At this time, if the dewatering tub 20 is inclined at an arbitrary angle from the stage before the start button is operated, the laundry can be taken in and out easily. An inclination button may be provided on the operation panel, and the dehydration tank 20 may be inclined when the inclination button is operated.

  The control means controls the rotation speed of the motor 21 so as to execute the cleaning process, and tilts the dewatering tank 20 at an arbitrary angle. The dewatering tank 20 is inclined by controlling the front movable unit 31 and the rear movable unit 32. The inclination angle of the dewatering tank 20 may be set according to the laundry conditions such as the amount and type of laundry, the degree of dirt, the washing time, and the like. The user may be able to adjust the inclination angle of the dewatering tank 20. It has been found that if the washing step is performed with the dehydrating tank 20 inclined, the washing efficiency is improved. Therefore, the dehydrating tank 20 may be inclined at an angle at which the washing efficiency is further improved according to the washing conditions.

  When the cleaning process is completed, the control means executes a dehydration process. In this dewatering step, it is preferable that the dewatering tank 20 is not inclined. This is because if the dehydration process is performed in a state where the dewatering tank 20 is tilted, dehydration varies. That is, the control means controls the front movable unit 31 and the rear movable unit 32 so that the dewatering tank 20 is in an upright state. And if the dehydration tank 20 will be in an upright state, a dehydration process will be performed. Although the rinsing process is not described, it may be performed in the same manner as the cleaning process.

  When the dehydration process is completed, the control means executes a drying process. It has been found that the drying efficiency is improved if the dehydration tank 20 is inclined with respect to this drying step. Therefore, it is preferable to incline the dewatering tub 20 at an angle that further improves the drying efficiency in accordance with the washing conditions. Then, when the drying process is completed, it is notified that all processes have been completed, and an instruction from the user is waited for. At this time, in order to make it easy to take out the laundry, the dewatering tub 20 may be inclined at an arbitrary angle.

  In this embodiment, the number of the rolling elements 55 is not shown, but any number that can rotate the rotating portion 53 may be used, and is not particularly limited. Moreover, the kind of oil with which the rolling element receiving portion 54 and the rolling element groove portion 52 are filled is not particularly limited as long as it can serve as lubricating oil and vibration absorption. Further, the hanging rod 30 may be a prismatic shape or a cylindrical shape. And it is good to form the through-hole part 56 for suspension rods in the shape according to this suspension rod 30. FIG.

It is a longitudinal section showing the schematic structure which looked at the washing machine concerning an embodiment from the side. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows schematic structure which looked at the washing machine from the side. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which expands and shows a joint part. It is a cross-sectional view which shows the state which looked at the joint part from the top. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the state which expanded the joint part. It is the cross-sectional view which looked at the fixed end part from the top. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the state which the rolling body main-body part rotated.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 housing | casing, 11 upper housing | casing, 12 lower housing | casing, 20 dehydration tank, 21 motor, 30 suspension rod, 31 front movable unit part, 32 rear movable unit part, 34 anti-vibration part, 35 anti-vibration spring, 36 upper side Spring retainer, 37 Lower spring retainer, 50 Joint portion, 51 Fixed end portion, 52 Rolling member groove portion, 53 Rotating portion, 54 Rolling member receiving portion, 55 Rolling member, 56 Suspension rod through hole portion, 57 Insertion guide 58 Axis orthogonal to the fixed end, 100 Washing machine.

Claims (7)

A housing,
A dehydration tank suspended and accommodated in the housing;
A plurality of suspension rods for suspending the dehydration tank;
A movable unit that supports the suspension bar and moves the suspension bar in the vertical direction;
A joint portion that is provided in the dewatering tank, receives the suspension bar, and connects the suspension bar and the dehydration tank in an interlockable manner;
A vibration isolator fixed to the suspension rod below the joint portion and elastically supporting the dewatering tank via the joint portion;
In the joint part,
A washing machine comprising: a rotating portion that penetrates the suspension rod and rotates according to the movement of the suspension rod. In the rotating part,
A through hole for a suspension rod that penetrates the suspension rod and a receiving portion for a rolling element on which a plurality of rolling elements that rotate the rotating portion are mounted are formed.
The rotating part is
The washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the washing machine is sandwiched between a pair of parallel fixed ends fixed to the dewatering tub via the rolling elements. The rolling element receiving portion is
It is formed on both sides of the rotating part so that the rotating part is sandwiched between the fixed end parts,
The rotating part is
The washing machine according to claim 2, wherein the pair of fixed end portions rotate around an axis orthogonal to each other according to the movement of the suspension bar. Inside the fixed end,
The washing machine according to claim 3, wherein an insertion guide with a closed upper portion for inserting and holding the rotating portion is formed. In the insertion guide,
The washing machine according to claim 4, wherein a ring-shaped groove for a rolling element that receives the rolling element and causes the rolling element to roll freely is formed. The washing machine according to claim 5, wherein oil is filled in the rolling element receiving portion and the rolling element groove portion. The washing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein at least one of the suspension bar, the movable unit portion, and the joint portion is provided in the front-rear direction of the housing.

Images