JP2009089952A - Washing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To increase the amount of blowing, while suppressing the height of a vent cover without neither the fall of a foreign matter onto vent holes nor the deterioration of outer appearance. <P>SOLUTION: A washing machine case body 5 includes a top cover 4 in the upper part, and the top cover 4 includes a lid 18 for opening/closing a laundry put-in/take-out port 17. A washing and dehydrating tub 8 is arranged in an outer tub 6 inside the washing machine case body 5 so as to be rotatably driven. The vent holes 22 are formed in the lid 18, and covered by the vent hole cover 23 so as to be ventilatable. The whole circumferential area of the peripheral edge part in the vent hole cover 23 is spaced with respect to the lid 18. A communication part 34 is arranged corresponding to the whole circumferential area of the vent hole cover 23 by the spaced part. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a washing machine having a simple drying function by wind.

  In recent years, washing machines having a simple drying function using wind have been provided (for example, Patent Document 1). In this case, an air vent is formed in the rear lid portion of the folding lid provided on the upper part of the washing machine, and the air outside the washing machine is ventilated by rotating the washing and dewatering tank inside the washing machine. The air is sucked into the washing / dehydrating tub through the mouth to generate wind, and the air is blown against the laundry in the washing / dehydrating tub for drying.

In this case, if a small foreign object such as a hairpin falls on the vent, there is a risk of entering the inside through the vent. In addition, since the vent is exposed to the outside, there is also a problem that the appearance is poor.
On the other hand, there is a configuration in which the vent is covered with a vent cover so as to allow ventilation (for example, Patent Document 2).
JP 2003-220294 A JP 2005-329045 A

  In the thing of the said patent document 2, the ventilation hole cover has comprised the substantially rectangular shape, it was set as the structure which spaced apart the one side part (part) and the back cover part, and sucks external air from this space part, The vent is passed through. According to this, there is an effect that small foreign matters such as hairpins can be prevented from falling onto the vent hole and the appearance is good.

  However, in the configuration of the above-mentioned Patent Document 2, since the external air is sucked only from a part of the separated portions, the obtained opening area is small and there is a problem of a decrease in the air volume. In order to increase the opening area, the vent cover needs to be made higher than the rear lid, and the vent cover protrudes from the lid.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to increase the air volume while preventing the foreign matter from falling on the vent or deteriorating the appearance and suppressing the height of the vent cover. It is possible to provide a washing machine that can improve drying performance.

  The present invention includes a washing machine casing having a top cover on the top, a lid provided on the top cover for opening and closing a laundry entrance, an outer tub provided inside the washing machine casing, and the outer tub. A washing and dewatering tub provided to be driven to rotate inside, a driving device for rotating the washing and dewatering tub, a vent formed in the lid, and a vent cover covering the vent, A device provided with a communicating portion that communicates the outside of the vent cover and the vent port is characterized in that the communicating portion is provided corresponding to the entire peripheral area of the vent cover.

  According to this configuration, since the vent cover is provided, foreign matter does not fall on the vent or impair the appearance, and the communication portion corresponds to the entire peripheral area of the vent cover. Since it is provided, the communication area between the vent cover and the lid can be increased, and the increase in the opening area can be increased without increasing the height of the vent cover. As a result, the air volume can be increased while suppressing the height of the vent cover, and the drying performance can be improved.

  According to the present invention, the foreign matter does not fall on the ventilation hole or impair the appearance, and the air volume can be increased while suppressing the height of the ventilation cover, so that the drying performance can be improved. .

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. First, FIG. 1 shows the washing machine as a whole in a longitudinal manner. A base 2 having a plurality of legs 1 on an outer bottom portion, an outer box 3 placed on and coupled to the base 2, and an outer box 3 are coupled to each other. A washing machine casing 5 is constituted by the top cover 4.

  Inside the washing machine housing 5, an outer tub 6 is elastically supported by an elastic suspension mechanism 7 mainly composed of a plurality of suspension rods 7a (only one is shown). A washing and dewatering tub 8 serving as an inner tub is disposed in the interior of the tub so as to be rotatable. Both the outer tub 6 and the washing / dehydrating tub 8 have a bottomed cylindrical shape, and the outer tub 6 has a drain port 9 at the bottom, and a drain valve provided at the drain port 9. By closing 10, the outer tank 6 is made to function as a water tank. A drain hose 11 is connected to the drain valve 10, while an annular outer tank cover 12 is attached to the upper end opening edge of the outer tank 6.

On the other hand, the washing and dewatering tub 8 is formed with a large number of small holes 13 (only a part of which is shown) for dehydration and ventilation for almost the entire circumferential side portion. A rotation balancer 14 is mounted on the inner periphery.
Further, an agitator 15 is rotatably disposed in the lower part of the washing / dehydrating tub 8. The agitating body 15 and the washing / dehydrating tub 8 are selectively connected with respect to washing, dehydration and drying. A driving device 16 mainly composed of, for example, an outer rotor type motor that is driven to rotate is disposed in an outer lower portion of the outer tub 6.

  The top cover 4 is provided with a laundry entrance / exit 17 facing the washing / dehydrating tub 8 through the inside of the outer tub cover 12 and a lid 18 for opening / closing the laundry entrance / exit 17. It has been. In addition, the top cover 4 is provided with an operation panel 19 at the front and a back cover 20 at the rear.

  As shown in detail in FIGS. 2 to 5, the lid 18 includes a plastic rear lid portion 18 a and a front lid portion 18 b, and then the lid portion 18 a can be pivoted up and down on the top cover 4. The front lid portion 18b is pivotally attached to the rear lid portion 18a so as to be pivotable up and down by a hinge portion 18c. Thereby, the lid | cover 18 is comprised by the front cover part 18b and the rear cover part 18a so that it can fold back and forth.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the hinge portion 18c is formed at the lower portion of the front end of the rear lid portion 18a and at the lower portion of the rear end of the front lid portion 18b to rotate the shaft portion 18c1. It is comprised from the annular bearing part 18c2 supported so that a movement is possible. The front lid portion 18b is formed of a transparent or substantially transparent member (plastic).

  Concave portions 21a and 21b are formed in a substantially continuous form in a portion from the rear portion of the rear lid portion 18a to the front portion of the front lid portion 18b. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a vent 22 is formed by a large number of small holes 22a at the bottom of the recess 21a of the rear lid 18a. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the left and right falling portions of the rear lid portion 18a and the front lid portion 18b are formed with notched recess-shaped ventilation portions 18ak and 18bk, respectively. The ventilation between the top cover 4 and the top cover 4 is made possible by the ventilation portions 18ak and 18bk.

  The rear lid portion 18a is provided with a vent cover 23 that covers the vent port 22. The peripheral edge portion of the vent cover 23 is separated from the rear cover portion 18a over the entire circumference thereof, and the vent hole 22 and the vent cover 23 correspond to the entire peripheral area of the vent cover 23 by the separated portion. A communication path 34 that communicates with the outside is provided. A mounting configuration of the vent cover 23 will be described.

  The engagement means 24 shown in FIGS. 2, 7 and 8 is for attaching the vent cover 23 to the rear lid portion 18a, and the engagement means 24 is located at the center from the peripheral edge of the vent cover 23. It is provided in the part that is recessed to the side. Further, the engaging means 24 includes, for example, four engaging portions 25 provided on the upper surface of the rear lid portion 18a, and the same four engaged portions 26 provided on the lower surface of the vent cover 23. .

  As shown in FIG. 2, the engaging portion 25 is formed at substantially four corners of the ventilation hole 22 formation region, and includes a cylindrical portion 25a having a rectangular upper surface shape. In addition, a first claw portion 25b and a second claw portion 25c are formed in an opposed state. Each of the claw portions 25b and 25c has a triangular convex shape, the upper side portion is oblique, and the lower piece portion is horizontal.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the engaged portion 26 is formed on the lower surface of the vent cover 23 at four locations that are recessed from the periphery of the vent cover 23 toward the center. The engaged portion 26 includes a protruding piece portion 26a that can be inserted into the cylindrical portion 25a of the engaging portion 25, and a locking hole 26b is formed in the protruding piece portion 26a. The upper edge of the locking hole 26b corresponds to the locking portion 26c.

When the engaged portion 26 is inserted into the engaging portion 25 in the mounting direction (the direction of arrow A in FIG. 2), the engaging portion 26c passes between the first and second claw portions 25b and 25c. The first and second claw portions 25b and 25c are prevented from coming off in the direction opposite to the mounting direction by the lower side portions.
In this case, the upper end of the cylindrical portion 25 a corresponds to the position restricting portion 27, and the position restricting portion 27 comes into contact with the lower surface of the vent cover 23 so that the air vent cover 23 is attached by the engaging means 24. After completion, the vent cover 23 is prevented from being displaced in the mounting direction.

  Further, a column portion 28 is formed integrally with the rear lid portion 18a at an appropriate position of the vent hole 22 formation region in the rear lid portion 18c. The column portion 28 is formed in a columnar shape and has a vent hole cover. 23 also functions as a position restricting portion 29 that prevents the vent cover 23 from being displaced in the mounting direction after the mounting of the vent cover 23 by the engagement means 24 is completed. The column portion 28 is also located deeper in the center than the peripheral edge portion of the attached vent cover 23.

Here, the vent cover 23 is formed so as to extend to the rear part of the front lid part 18b, and the auxiliary ventilation comprising a large number of small holes 30a in the front lid part 18b corresponding to the lower part of the extension part 23a. A mouth 30 is formed.
In addition, an eave-like handle 31 for opening and closing the lid 18 is formed at the front of the vent cover 23. In this case, the extending portion 23 a of the vent cover 23 extends to the extent that it does not interfere with the hand-operating operation at the hand-operating portion 31.

Further, a ventilation guide plate 32 is provided in the vicinity of the auxiliary vent 30 on the lower surface of the rear portion of the front lid portion 18b. The ventilation guide plate portion 32 is directed toward the inner surface side of the washing and dewatering tub 8. The ventilation guide plate 32 also serves as a hinge cover that hides the hinge 18c.
In the attached state of the vent cover 23, the entire peripheral area of the vent cover 23 is configured to be separated from the lid 18, so that the gap between the entire peripheral edge of the vent cover 23 and the lid 18 is configured. In addition, a communication portion 34 for passing air is formed.

The operation panel 19 is used for various operations related to the operation of the washing machine, and has an operation unit and a display unit. The operation unit includes a course selection switch for selecting an automatic course for performing the drying operation subsequent to the washing operation and a single course for performing the drying operation alone. Further, on the back side of the operation panel 19, a control device 33 for controlling the overall operation of the washing machine is disposed as shown in FIG.
In addition, although not illustrated, a water supply device mainly including a water supply valve is disposed inside the back cover 20. In addition, although not shown, a charging case for charging a detergent or a finishing agent is provided at the rear part of the laundry doorway 17 so as to be able to be loaded and unloaded.

FIG. 9 shows the control content of the drying operation performed by the control device 33.
It shows the case where the drying operation is started in the automatic course, or the case where the drying operation is started in the single course. In step S1, a drying operation is performed by rotating the washing and dewatering tub 8 at a high speed of, for example, 900 [rpm]. That is, the rotational centrifugal force of the washing / dehydrating tub 8 causes the air in the washing / dehydrating tub 8 to be discharged from the small holes 13 to the outside, so that a corresponding amount of air is discharged from the outside of the machine to the entire vent cover 23. The air is sucked into the washing / dehydrating tub 8 through the peripheral communication portion 34, the vent 22 of the lid 18, and the auxiliary vent 30. Thus, as indicated by an arrow in FIG. 1, a wind is generated from outside the machine into the washing / dehydrating tub 8 and discharged from the washing / dehydrating tub 8, and this wind is located inside the washing / dehydrating tub 8. Contact an object (not shown) and allow it to dry gradually. In this case, the wind exhausted from the washing / dehydrating tub 8 passes between the washing / dehydrating tub 8 and the outer tub 6, and passes between the outer tub 6 and the outer box 3 from the inside of the outer tub cover 12. The air is discharged to the outside through an appropriate gap, an opening at the bottom of the base 2 (not shown), or the vents 18ak and 18bk.

  In step S2, it is determined whether the elapsed time t1 of the drying operation has not exceeded the set time Ta. If it has exceeded, the process proceeds to step S3 to stop the rotation of the washing and dewatering tank 8, and the loosening operation in step S4 is performed. Do. In this step S4, the stirrer 15 is alternately rotated in the forward and reverse directions at, for example, 100 [rpm]. Thereby, the laundry in the washing and dewatering tub 8 is loosened. If the elapsed time t2 of the unwinding operation exceeds the set time Tb ("NO" in the determination in step S5), the process proceeds to step S6, and it is determined whether or not the number of executions of the unraveling operation has reached the set number. If not, the process returns to step S1. When the set number of times is reached, the process proceeds to step S7 and step S8, and the drying operation is performed in the same manner as in step S1, step S2, and step S3, and the end notification (for example, buzzer notification) is performed in step S10. End control.

  According to such a present Example, by providing the vent hole cover 23 which covers the vent hole 22, a foreign material does not fall on the vent hole 22 or an external appearance is not impaired. Furthermore, since the communication part 34 is provided corresponding to the whole peripheral area | region of the vent hole cover 23, the communication area | region of the vent hole cover 23 and the lid | cover 18 can be increased, and the increase in an opening area can be increased. 23 can be increased without increasing the height. As a result, the air volume can be increased while suppressing the height of the vent cover 23, and the drying performance can be improved.

In addition, according to the present embodiment, the vent cover 23 is separated upward from the lid 18 and the communication portion 34 is formed by the separation portion. Therefore, the communication portion 34 having a low ventilation resistance can be formed.
Further, according to this embodiment, since the vent cover 23 is attached to the lid 18 by the engaging means 24, the vent cover 23 can be easily attached without using screws or the like. Since the means 24 is provided in a portion deeper toward the center side than the peripheral edge of the vent cover 23, a communication portion 34 corresponding to the peripheral end of the vent cover 23 is formed in the gap between the vent cover 23 and the lid 18. It is not narrowed by the engaging means 24, and the air inflow into the communication portion 34 becomes smooth.

  In this case, according to the present embodiment, the engaging means 24 includes an engaging portion 25 provided on the upper surface of the lid 18 and an engaged portion 26 provided on the lower surface of the vent cover 23, and the engaging portion 25 is configured to have a first claw portion 25b and a second claw portion 25c in an opposed state, and the vented portion 26 passes through the space between the first claw portion 25b and the second claw portion 25c. Since the first claw portion 25b and the second claw portion 25c are inserted in the mounting direction of the mouth cover 23 and have a locking portion 26c that is prevented from coming off in the direction opposite to the mounting direction, the two The opposing claw portions 25b and 25c can reliably prevent the vent cover 23 from coming off in the removal direction. As a result, when the user tries to open the lid 18, the user accidentally touches the vent cover 23. Even if the vent cover 23 is removed, There is no.

Further, according to the present embodiment, since the position restricting portions 27 and 29 for preventing the displacement of the vent cover 23 in the mounting direction after the completion of the mounting of the vent cover 23 by the engaging means 24 are provided, After the attachment by the means 24 is completed, the engagement means 24 can be prevented from being further moved in the engagement direction from the normal engagement state.
In this case, in particular, according to the present embodiment, since the position restricting portion 27 is provided in the engaging means 24, the engagement and the position restricting can be performed at one place with the same member, which simplifies the configuration. Can contribute.

Further, according to the present embodiment, since another position restricting portion 29 is provided on the upper surface of the lid 18 (rear cover portion 18a) so as to be integrated with the lid 18, the position restricting portion 29 is formed when the lid 18 is molded. The part 29 can also be formed, and the number of manufacturing steps can be reduced.
In this case, if the position restricting portion 29 is integrally provided on the vent cover 23 side, the upper surface (front surface) of the vent cover 23 will be thinned and the appearance will be deteriorated. For example, since the position restricting portion 29 is provided on the lid 18 side, even if a sink mark occurs in the lid 18, since the vent cover 23 exists outside, the appearance does not deteriorate.

  Further, since the position restricting portion 29 is formed in a columnar shape, unlike the case where the position restricting portion 29 is in the shape of a prism or rectangular block, the flow of airflow is less likely to be inhibited, and the drying effect Can be prevented. In addition, since the position restricting portion 29 is provided at a position deeper from the peripheral portion of the vent cover 23 toward the center, the communication corresponding to the end of the peripheral portion of the vent cover 23 in the gap between the vent cover 23 and the lid 18 is provided. The portion 34 is not narrowed by the position restricting portion 29, and the air inflow into the communication portion 34 becomes smooth.

  Here, when the lid 18 is constituted by a rear lid portion 18a and a front lid portion 18b that can be folded back and forth, the handle portion 31 is usually provided on the front lid portion 18b in consideration of operability, and the ventilation hole Providing 22 on the rear lid portion 18a is a structure without any support in terms of handling operability. Further, when the handle portion 31 is provided at the front portion of the front lid portion 18b, the rear portion of the front lid portion 18b is a portion unrelated to the operation of the handle portion 31. Furthermore, since the vent cover 23 is separated from the rear lid portion 18a, that is, has a floating configuration, the vent cover 23 can be easily extended to the rear portion of the front lid portion 18b.

  In the present embodiment, paying attention to this point, the vent 22 is formed in the rear lid portion 18a, the vent cover 23 is extended to the rear portion of the front lid portion 18b, and below the extended portion 23a. Since the auxiliary vent hole 30 is formed in the corresponding front lid portion 18b, the rear portion of the front lid portion 18b can be used for forming the auxiliary vent port 30 and can contribute to an increase in the air volume and covers the vent port 22. 23 can be used to cover the auxiliary vent 30.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, since the front lid portion 18b is provided with the ventilation guide plate portion 32 located in the vicinity of the auxiliary ventilation port 30, it guides into the washing and dewatering tub 8 without stagnation of the air flow. It can contribute to further increase in air volume.

  Furthermore, in this case, according to the present embodiment, the front lid portion 18b is made of a substantially transparent material, and the ventilation guide plate portion 32 is provided with a hinge portion 18c between the front lid portion 18b and the rear lid portion 18a. Since the hinge cover is also used as the cover, the ventilation guide plate 32 can hide the hinge 18c from the transparent front lid 18b.

In addition, this invention is not limited to the said Example, You may implement as changed as follows.
The communication part 34 may be provided corresponding to the front part and the rear part among the front part, the rear part, the left part and the right part of the vent hole cover peripheral part 23, and corresponds to the left part and the right part. In addition, it may be provided corresponding to two or three adjacent parts. In short, it corresponds to at least a plurality of parts of the front, rear, left and right parts of the vent cover 23. Thus, the communication portion 34 may be provided. Also in this case, the communication portion 34 may be formed by separating the vent cover 23 from the lid 18. Even if it does in this way, compared with the conventional structure, the communication part area | region of the vent hole cover 23 and the lid | cover 18 can be increased, and the increase in opening area is large, without making the height of this vent hole cover 23 high. it can. As a result, the air volume can be increased while suppressing the height of the vent cover 23, and the drying performance can be improved.

  In the above embodiment, the communication portion is formed by separating the vent cover from the lid. However, the peripheral portion of the vent cover is lowered, and a notch, a small hole group, or It is good also as a structure which provides a communicating part by forming opening.

  Moreover, in the said Example, the engaging part 25 is provided with the 1st nail | claw part 25b and the 2nd nail | claw part 25c, and the to-be-engaged part 26 is connected between this 1st claw part 25b and the 2nd nail | claw part 25c. It is configured to have a locking portion 26c that is inserted in the attachment direction of the vent cover 23 through the first claw portion 25b and the second claw portion 25c and is prevented from coming off in the direction opposite to the attachment direction. It is good also as a structure which provides a 1st and 2nd nail | claw part in a to-be-engaged part, and provides a latching | locking part in an engaging part.

In addition, as a configuration for preventing the dent of the vent cover, a first convex portion and a second convex portion that face each other facing the lower surface of the vent cover and the upper surface of the lid may be formed. A configuration may be adopted in which a screw is passed through one of the convex portions, the other is used as a screw boss, and the vent cover is screw-connected to the lid.
Moreover, in the said Example, although the loosening operation was performed on the way in dry operation, you may be made to perform this loosening operation as needed.

1 is a longitudinal side view of a washing machine showing an embodiment of the present invention. Perspective view of the upper part of the washing machine Perspective view showing lid and vent cover separately Longitudinal side view of the upper part of the washing machine Longitudinal side view of lid and vent cover part Perspective view showing the lower surface side of the vent cover Sectional view of engaging means and column part of vent cover Longitudinal front view of the upper part of the washing machine Flow chart showing drying operation control

Explanation of symbols

  In the drawings, 4 is a top cover, 5 is a washing machine casing, 6 is an outer tub, 8 is a washing and dewatering tub, 17 is a laundry doorway, 18 is a lid, 18a is a rear lid, 18b is a front lid, 18c Is a hinge part, 22 is a vent, 23 is a vent cover, 23a is an extension part, 24 is an engaging means, 25 is an engaging part, 26 is an engaged part, 27 is a position restricting part, 28 is a pillar part , 29 is a position restricting portion, 30 is an auxiliary vent, 32 is a vent guide plate portion, and 34 is a communicating portion.

Claims (12)

A washing machine casing having a top cover on the top, a lid provided on the top cover for opening and closing a laundry doorway, an outer tub provided inside the washing machine casing, and a rotational drive inside the outer tub A washing / dehydrating tub provided to be driven, a driving device for rotating the washing / dehydrating tub, a vent formed in the lid, a vent cover covering the vent, and the vent cover In a thing provided with the communicating part which connects the exterior and the vents,
The washing machine, wherein the communication portion is provided corresponding to the entire peripheral area of the vent cover. A washing machine casing having a top cover on the top, a lid provided on the top cover for opening and closing a laundry doorway, an outer tub provided inside the washing machine casing, and a rotational drive inside the outer tub A washing / dehydrating tub provided to be driven, a driving device for rotating the washing / dehydrating tub, a vent formed in the lid, a vent cover covering the vent, and the vent cover In a thing provided with the communicating part which connects the exterior and the vents,
The washing machine, wherein the communication part is provided corresponding to at least a plurality of parts among a front part, a rear part, a left part, and a right part of the peripheral edge of the vent cover.   The washing machine according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the vent cover is separated upward from the lid, and the communication portion is formed by the separation portion.   4. The vent cover according to claim 1, wherein the vent cover is attached to the lid by an engaging means, and the engaging means is provided in a portion deeper toward the center side than the peripheral edge of the vent cover. A washing machine according to any one of the above.   The engaging means includes an engaging portion provided on the upper surface of the lid and an engaged portion provided on the lower surface of the vent cover, and one of the engaging portion and the engaged portion is first in a facing state. And the second claw portion, the other is inserted in the attachment direction of the vent cover through the first and second claw portions, and is opposite to the attachment direction by the first and second claw portions. The washing machine according to claim 4, wherein the washing machine has a latching portion that is prevented from coming off.   The washing machine according to claim 4 or 5, further comprising a position restricting portion that prevents displacement of the vent cover in the mounting direction after completion of the mounting of the vent cover by the engaging means.   The washing machine according to claim 6, wherein the position restricting portion is provided in the engaging means.   The washing machine according to claim 6, wherein the position restricting portion is provided on the upper surface of the lid in an upright state integrally with the lid.   The washing machine according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein the position restricting portion is formed in a columnar shape and is provided at a portion deeper toward the center side than the peripheral edge portion of the vent cover.   The lid is composed of a rear lid part and a front lid part that can be folded back and forth, the vent is formed in the rear lid part, and the vent cover extends to the rear part of the front lid part. The washing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein an auxiliary ventilation hole is formed in a front lid portion corresponding to a lower portion of the extension portion.   The washing machine according to claim 10, wherein the front lid part is provided with a ventilation guide plate part located in the vicinity of the auxiliary ventilation hole.   12. The front lid portion is made of a substantially transparent material, and the ventilation guide plate portion also serves as a hinge cover that hides a hinge portion between the front lid portion and the rear lid portion. The washing machine as described in.

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