JP2010051561A - Drum washing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a drum washing machine allowing both an outer door and an inner door to be opened/closed by the same opening/closing operation as the operation of a drum washing mahine with a single door. <P>SOLUTION: The drum washing machine includes: an outer box with an outer box opening formed on the front surface; a water tub resiliently supported within the outer box and having a water tub opening facing the outer box opening; a drum disposed within the water tub; the outer door 6 for opening/closing the outer box opening; and the inner door 20 for opening/closing the water tub opening. The drum washing machine also has a lever body 61 movable in the space between the outer door 6 and the inner door 20. The lever body 61 connects the outer door 6 and the inner door 20 in such a way as integrally openable/closable by moving in one direction, and separates the outer door 6 and the inner door 20 from each other by moving in the direction opposite from the one direction. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a drum-type washing machine, and more particularly to a drum-type washing machine in which doors for opening and closing each of both an outer box and a water tank are provided.

  Conventionally, a front loading (front loading) drum type washing machine is known. A drum-type washing machine generally includes an outer box that constitutes an external appearance, a bottomed cylindrical water tank contained in the outer box, and a drum that is rotatably contained in the water tank. Each of the outer box and the water tank is formed with an opening at the front, and each opening is connected by a packing for maintaining watertightness.

  When clothes are put into the drum of such a drum type washing machine and various setting buttons and operation start buttons are operated, the washing process, the rinsing process, the dehydrating process, and the drying process are performed consistently, or each process. Is controlled to be performed alone and is used for washing clothes.

  However, in each process, particularly in the dehydration process, the aquarium causes abnormal vibrations due to the bias of clothing. Since the door packing connecting between the outer box opening and the water tank opening has high rubber rigidity, the vibration of the water tank is transmitted to the outer box through this door packing. In order to reduce such abnormal vibrations, fluid balancers are installed and imbalance detection control is performed at the beginning of dehydration operation, but abnormal vibrations in the aquarium cannot be completely suppressed, and noise generation due to this can be suppressed. It was difficult.

Providing doors for opening and closing each of the outer box and the water tank and eliminating the door packing can prevent propagation of the vibration of the water tank to the outer box. However, when the outer door and the inner door are provided, it is necessary to open and close both the outer door and the inner door every time the laundry is put in and out. In such a drum-type washing machine, in order to improve operability, the outer door and the inner door are connected by a wire mechanism so that the outer door is opened and the inner door is opened, and an actuator is provided on the rear surface of the outer door. A technique for closing an inner door when the door is closed has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
JP 2006-280401 A

  In the conventional one-door drum-type washing machine, as described above, the door packing for securing the watertightness of the water tank and the outer box cannot be removed, and it has been difficult to ensure silence. Further, if the doors are simply provided in both the outer box and the water tank, both the outer door and the inner door must be individually opened and closed every time the laundry is taken in and out. If the wire mechanism is too long, the wire mechanism collides with the outer case or the water tank due to the vibration of the water tank, and if the wire mechanism is too short, the vibration of the water tank is transmitted to the outer case, causing noise.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and its main purpose is to prevent propagation of water tank vibrations to the outer box by preventing the opening of the outer box and the water tank from being connected by door packing. To provide a drum-type washing machine with high silence and operability, which can open and close both the outer door and the inner door provided at the opening of the box and the water tank by the same operation as the one-door method. .

  The drum-type washing machine according to the present invention includes an outer box having an outer box opening formed on the front surface, a water tank elastically supported in the outer box and having a water tank opening facing the outer box opening, The outer door which opens and closes a box opening part, the inner door which opens and closes a water tank opening part, and the lever which can move the space between an outer door and an inner door are provided. The lever moves in one direction so that the outer door and the inner door can be integrally opened and closed, and moves in the other direction opposite to the one direction to separate the outer door and the inner door.

  Preferably, in the drum type washing machine, the lever is attached to the outer door and includes a connection surface facing the inner door. At a position facing the connection surface of the inner door, a connection portion that is coupled to the connection surface when the lever moves in the one direction is provided.

  Preferably, the connection surface is formed smoothly. The connecting portion is coupled to the connecting surface so as to be slidable on the connecting surface.

Preferably, the drum type washing machine further includes a motor for moving the lever.
Preferably, the lever is attached to the inner surface of the outer door and includes a connection surface facing the inner door. The drum type washing machine further includes a support portion. The support part moves in response to the driving force of the motor, and moves the lever in the one direction by supporting the lever from the side opposite to the connection surface.

  Preferably, the drum type washing machine further includes an outer door latch mechanism that is rotatably provided and holds the outer door in a closed state, and a stopper that is provided to be movable by receiving the driving force of the motor. When the lever moves in the other direction, the stopper engages with the outer door latch mechanism to prevent the outer door latch mechanism from rotating.

  According to the drum type washing machine of the present invention, both the outer door and the inner door can be opened and closed by the same opening / closing operation as that of the one-door method, so that the operability is excellent and the outer door is operated during the operation of the washing machine. By isolating the inner door from the inner door, it is possible to reduce the vibration and noise of the outer box.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following drawings, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will not be repeated.

  In the embodiments described below, each component is not necessarily essential for the present invention unless otherwise specified. In the following embodiments, when referring to the number, amount, etc., unless otherwise specified, the above number is an example, and the scope of the present invention is not necessarily limited to the number, amount, etc.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an appearance of a drum type washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view from the side of the drum type washing machine. As shown in FIG. 1, the drum type washing machine 1 includes an outer box 2 that constitutes an outer shell of the drum-type washing machine 1. 6 and a door opening button 8 for integrally opening the inner door 20 are provided. As shown in FIG. 2, a control unit 4 is arranged on the back side of the operation panel 3, and each of a washing process, a rinsing process, a dehydrating process, and a drying process is performed according to a user's setting operation or a preset program. Run the process continuously or alone.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a circular outer box opening 5 is formed on the front surface (left side of FIG. 2) of the outer box 2, and the outer box opening 5 is closed as shown in FIG. A circular outer door 6 is provided, and an outer handle 7 is provided on the right end side of the outer door 6 for gripping when the outer door 6 is opened and closed. Inside the outer box 2, a bottomed cylindrical water tank 18 is inclined by about 10 to 20 ° with respect to the horizontal so that the back side (the right side in FIG. It is provided with elastic support. The water tank 18 is formed with a circular water tank opening 19 facing the outer box opening 5 on the front side (left side in FIG. 2) of the cylindrical shaft, and the water tank opening 19 can be freely opened and closed. A circular inner door 20 is attached.

  The inner door 20 is disposed to face the outer door 6, a lever mechanism 60 is provided on the inner surface side of the outer door 6, and a magnet unit 80 is provided on the outer surface side of the inner door 20. The inner door 20 is provided with a protrusion 42 that protrudes inward of the drum 32, and a seal member 43 made of an elastic material such as rubber is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the water tank opening 19. ing. In the closed state of the inner door 20, the protruding portion 42 of the inner door 20 and the outer peripheral end portion on the back side of the inner door 20 are in contact with the seal member 43 to keep the water tank opening 19 watertight.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a bottomed cylindrical drum 32 is rotatably supported by a bearing 37 inside the water tank 18. A motor 35 that rotates the drum 32 is connected to the drum 32 at the bottom of the water tank 18, and its outer periphery is covered with a motor case 36. The peripheral wall of the drum 32 is provided with a large number of small holes 33 communicating between the inside and the outside, and baffles 34 at intervals of 120 ° in the circumferential direction. Further, the drum 32 is formed with a circular drum opening 38 facing the water tank opening 19, and a throttle portion 39 having a substantially L-shaped cross section is formed on the outer periphery thereof. A fluid balancer 40 is provided.

  A water supply inlet 44 to which a water supply (not shown) is connected is provided at the upper rear portion of the outer box 2, and communicates with the inside of the water tank 18 through a water supply path 46. In the middle of the water supply path 46, a water supply valve 45 and a detergent case (not shown) are provided. A drainage duct 48 connected to the bottom surface of the water tank 18, a drainage hose 49 that communicates the drainage duct 48 and the outside of the outer box 2, and a drainage valve that opens and closes based on instructions from the control unit 4. 47 and a lint filter 52 for collecting lint and the like are provided. In addition, the drainage duct 48 is further provided with a circulation pump 50 and a circulation duct 51 for re-supplying water from the drainage duct 48 during the washing operation to the water tank 18. In addition, a well-known drying unit (not shown) for drying the laundry is provided inside the outer box 2.

  FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view around the outer door and the inner door in a state where the outer door and the inner door are separated from each other. As shown in FIG. 3, the outer door 6 includes a pivot shaft 99 that is a pivot shaft for opening and closing, a latch 11 that is provided near the right end on the opposite side of the pivot shaft 99, and a lever body. 61 is attached. A latch seat 16 and a wall portion 17 are attached to the inner side of the outer box 2, and the outer door 6 is in a closed state by engaging the latch 11 with the latch 11. The latch 11, the latch seat 16, and the wall portion 17 are included in the outer door latch mechanism 10.

  The inner door 20 is provided with a hinge 90 serving as a fulcrum for swinging when opening and closing, and an engagement piece 28 provided near the right end on the opposite side. A latch 24 is attached to the front side of the water tank 18, and the inner door 20 enters a closed state by engaging the latch 24 with the engagement piece 28. Note that the latch 24 and the engagement piece 28 are included in the inner door latch mechanism 23. The hinge portion 90 connects the hinge body 91, the first shaft 92 that is the first rotation center when the inner door 20 is opened and closed, the second shaft 93 that is the second rotation center, and the hinge body 91 to the inner door 20. A connecting portion 94 for fixing the hinge portion 90 to the front surface of the water tank 18. Further, the outer door 6 is provided with a recess 98 at a portion facing the hinge portion 90.

  In the state of FIG. 3, since the lever main body 61 and the inner door 20 are separated from each other, even if the water tank 18 vibrates abnormally in this state, the vibration of the water tank 18 is between the outer door 6 and the inner door 20. It is not transmitted directly to the outer box 2. Therefore, the drum-type washing machine 1 can be provided in which the vibration of the entire washing machine is suppressed and the generation of noise due to this is suppressed by setting the state shown in FIG. 3 during the operation of the drum-type washing machine 1.

  FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the lever mechanism. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of the lever mechanism viewed from the direction of arrow V shown in FIG. The configuration of the lever mechanism 60 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the lever mechanism 60 includes a lever body 61 that is rotatably provided, and a motor 64 that is a driving force source for turning the lever body 61.

  On one surface of the lever main body 61, a magnetized surface 62 on which a magnetized portion 21 on the inner door 20 side to be described later is magnetized is formed, and the magnetized portion 21 is maintained while maintaining a magnetized state. It is formed as a smooth surface having a predetermined length so that it can slide on the magnetized surface 62. Here, the magnetic attachment surface 62 may be formed with a magnetic material as a surface, or the surface may be covered with a slippery and scratch-resistant material such as a resin so as not to prevent magnetic attachment with the magnetic attachment portion 21. Good. In addition, link levers 67, 69, 72 and a stopper 76 are disposed on the back surface 63 of the magnetized surface 62 of the lever body 61.

  An actuator 65 that is reciprocated by the motor 64 is attached to the motor 64, and the actuator 65 is connected to one end of a link lever 67 via a link portion 66. The other end of the link lever 67 is connected to one end of the link lever 69 via the link portion 68, and the other end of the link lever 69 is connected to one end of the link lever 72 via the link portion 71. The link levers 67 and 72 are provided so as to be slidable along the direction of movement (left and right in FIG. 5) of the actuator 65, and the link lever 69 is provided so as to be rotatable around the support shaft 70. In addition, a support portion 73 is integrally formed on the link lever 67 so as to stand up toward the back surface 63. The stopper 76 is movably provided by the driving force of the motor 64. 3 and 4, the stopper 76 protrudes toward the latch 11 and is engaged therewith.

  FIG. 6 is a side view of the latch for the outer door. As shown in FIG. 6, the latch 11 rotates the latch 11 by engaging the shaft portion 13 that is a rotation shaft, the claw portion 12 that engages with the latch seat 16 and the wall portion 17, and the stopper 76. And a locking portion 14 that restricts the movement. In the state of FIGS. 3 to 5, the latch 11 is in a locked state in which the stopper 76 and the locking portion 14 are engaged, so that the outer door 6 cannot be opened during the operation of the drum type washing machine 1. In this state, since the outer door 6 does not open even if the door opening button 8 is accidentally pressed, various problems such as safety due to the opening of the outer door 6 during operation of the drum type washing machine 1 can be prevented. it can.

  FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the lever body. As shown in FIG. 7, a plurality of reinforcing ribs 61 c and protrusions 74 are formed on the back surface 63 of the lever main body 61. On the side surface of the lever main body 61, a support protrusion 61 a that rotatably supports the lever main body 61 on the lever mechanism 60 and a coupling protrusion 61 b that is connected to the other end of the link lever 72 are formed. The protrusion 74 has a curved surface 74a with a curved surface at the tip, and the lever main body 61 rotates around the support protrusion 61a when the support 73 slides on the curved surface 74a. A spring 75 that is a biasing unit that biases the lever main body 61 is attached to one of the pair of support protrusions 61a. The spring 75 biases the lever main body 61 in a direction in which the magnetic attachment surface 62 is separated from the magnetic attachment portion 21.

  FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the lever mechanism after the lever body is rotated from the state of FIG. FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of the lever mechanism viewed from the direction of arrow IX in FIG. That is, by driving the motor 64, the actuator 65 moves to the left in the figure, and accordingly, the link lever 67 slides to the left in the figure, and the link lever 69 rotates around the support shaft 70. The link lever 72 is slid in the right direction in the figure.

  As the link lever 72 moves to the right in the drawing, the coupling protrusion 61b moves and the lever body 61 rotates toward the magnetized portion 21. At the same time, the support portion 73 moves to the left in the figure together with the link lever 67. Along with the movement of the lever main body 61 and the support portion 73, the support portion 73 that is in a position facing the loose fitting recess 63a in the state of FIGS. 3 to 5 slides on the curved surface 74a of the protrusion 74, The lever main body 61 is supported by the support part 73 by the support part 73 and the protrusion part 74 engaging. As the motor 64 is driven, the stopper 76 is stored inside the motor 64 and the engagement with the locking portion 14 is released. Accordingly, the latch 11 is in an unlocked state in which the latch 11 can rotate around the shaft portion 13, and the outer door 6 can be opened and closed.

  The position of the inner door 20 inside the outer box 2 is not necessarily constant due to the product variation and the displacement of the water tub 18 due to the amount of laundry. For this reason, if the lever main body 61 is rotationally driven until the magnetized surface 62 and the magnetized portion 21 come into contact with each other using the motor 64 as a driving force source, the inner door 20 and the outer door 6 are reliably connected. This is preferable in use. Further, as will be described later, the outer door latch mechanism 10 and the inner door latch mechanism 23 are provided with sensors for detecting the engagement state. After detecting the engagement of both the outer door latch mechanism 10 and the inner door latch mechanism 23, it is preferable for safety to drive the lever main body 61 with the motor 64 to release the connection between the inner door 20 and the outer door 6. From these viewpoints, it is desirable that the lever body 61 is driven by the motor 64 which is an electric actuator.

  FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view around the outer door and the inner door after the lever body is rotated. As shown in FIG. 10, the lever main body 61 is configured such that the magnetized portion 21 comes into contact with the magnetized surface 62 by rotating the lever main body 61 counterclockwise in the drawing, and the inner door 20 and the outer It is connected with the door 6 so that opening and closing is possible. Therefore, both the outer door 6 and the inner door 20 can be opened by the opening operation by the outer handle 7, and both the outer door 6 and the inner door 20 can be closed by the closing operation of the outer door 6. it can.

  FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the magnet unit as viewed from the side. FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of the magnet unit viewed from the direction of arrow XII in FIG. As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the magnet unit 80 includes a case 81 that constitutes an outer shell, a slider 82 that contacts the magnetic attachment surface 62, a magnet 83 that is held inside the case 81, and a back cover 84. With. The slider 82 is formed between the magnet 83 and the magnetized surface 62, and suppresses mutual damage due to sliding of the magnetized surface 62 and the slider 82. The latching claw portion 84a of the back cover 84 is engaged with the mounting portion of the inner door 20, and the magnetically bonded portion 21 is configured.

  Here, the magnet 83 may be, for example, a neodymium magnet, a samarium cobalt magnet, a ferrite magnet, or any other permanent magnet. In order to improve mechanical strength and corrosion resistance, the magnet 83 may be subjected to surface treatment such as nickel plating or epoxy resin coating. Further, as the magnet unit 80, an electromagnet may be used. Further, since the slider 82 slides in contact with the magnetized surface 62, it is preferable to form the slider 82 from a material having excellent wear resistance. In addition, when the magnetized surface 62 is formed of a metal material having a magnetic material (for example, JIS SUS430, which is a ferritic stainless steel), the slider 82 is made of a resin material, for example, to prevent damage to the magnetized surface 62. The slider 82 is preferably formed of POM (polyoxymethylene) resin having high wear resistance.

  FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of the outer door latch mechanism. As shown in FIG. 13, the outer door latch mechanism 10 includes a latch 11, a latch seat 16 and a wall portion 17. FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of the inner door latch mechanism. As shown in FIG. 14, the inner door latch mechanism 23 includes a movable part 27 attached to the inner door 20 and a fixed part 26 attached to the water tank 18. The movable portion 27 includes an engagement piece 28 that is formed to protrude from the movable portion 27 toward the fixed portion 26, and an insertion hole 30 in which a part of a surface facing the fixed portion 26 is recessed. The fixing part 26 includes a latch 24 and an insertion part 29. When the engagement piece 28 comes close to the fixing portion 26, the latch 24 engages with the engagement hole 28 a formed in the engagement piece 28, and the insertion portion 29 is inserted into the insertion hole 30. The latch 24 includes a claw portion 24 a that engages with the engagement hole 28 a, an arm portion 24 b that contacts the distal end portion of the engagement piece 28, and a shaft portion 25 that is a rotation shaft of the latch 24.

  FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram showing an outline of a coupling mechanism that couples the outer door latch mechanism and the inner door latch mechanism. As shown in FIG. 15, the door open button 8 and the outer door latch mechanism 10 are connected by a wire 9a, and the outer door latch mechanism 10 and the inner door latch mechanism 23 are connected by a wire 9b as another wire different from the wire 9a. Yes. When the operation of depressing the door open button 8 is performed, the wire 9a is pulled upward (in the direction from the installation position of the outer door latch mechanism 10 toward the installation position of the door open button 8) as shown by the arrow in FIG. Then, a part of the outer door latch mechanism 10 is pulled and moved upward, and the wire 9b whose tension is changed in the middle is pulled. Therefore, the inner door latch mechanism 23 is also pulled, and the inner door latch mechanism 23 also moves.

  Operations of the outer door latch mechanism 10 and the inner door latch mechanism 23 having the above-described configuration will be described. 16 to 18 are schematic cross-sectional views illustrating the process of disengaging the outer door latch mechanism. As shown in FIG. 16, the latch 11 has a claw portion 12 that passes through a through hole 17 a formed in the wall portion 17 fixed to the outer box 2, and is movable relative to the wall portion 17. The latch seat 16 is inserted through the opening 16a. In the state of FIG. 16, a part of the wall part 17 faces the opening 16 a, and a part of the wall part 17 and the claw part 12 face each other, thereby a part of the wall part 17 and the claw part 12. And the outer door latch mechanism 10 holds the outer door 6 in a closed state.

  In the state of FIG. 16, when the door open button 8 is pressed, a tensile force is applied via the wire 9a, and the latch seat 16 moves in a direction in which the opposing area of the wall portion 17 and the claw portion 12 is reduced. This state is shown in FIG. In FIG. 17, the latch seat 16 moves upward in the figure as indicated by the straight arrow in the figure, and the latch 11 rotates counterclockwise around the shaft portion 13 as indicated by the curved arrow in the figure. ing. Furthermore, the state which pushed down the door open button 8 is shown in FIG. In FIG. 18, the latch seat 16 is further moved upward in the figure as indicated by the straight arrow in the figure, and the latch 11 is further rotated counterclockwise around the shaft portion 13 as indicated by the curved arrow in the figure. It is rotating. As a result, the facing of the wall portion 17 and the claw portion 12 is released, that is, the engagement between the claw portion 12 and the wall portion 17 is lost, and the locked state of the outer door 6 is released. When the outer door 6 moves from the state of FIG. 18 in the opening direction of the outer door 6 (the direction in which the outer door 6 moves away from the wall portion 17), the latch 11 comes off from the latch seat 16 and the wall portion 17, and the outer door 6 is free. Can be opened.

  FIG. 19 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the latched state of the inner door latch mechanism. In FIG. 19, the claw portion 24 a is in an engaged state entering the inside of the engagement hole 28 a formed in the engagement piece 28, and the inner door 20 is fixed to the fixing portion 26, so that the inner door 20 is closed. The locked state is maintained. Further, as shown in FIG. 19, the shaft portion 25 is provided with a spring 25 a as an urging means for urging the latch 24 in the clockwise direction in FIG. 19. In the urging direction of the spring 25a, a holding arm portion 31 that abuts on the arm portion 24b and restricts the rotation is provided, and the engagement state between the latch 24 and the engagement piece 28 is maintained.

  FIG. 20 is a schematic diagram of a wire mechanism that moves the holding arm. As shown in FIG. 20, the holding arm portion 31 is provided with a pin 31a on which the wire 9b is hung, protruding from the member surface. As described with reference to FIG. 15, when the door opening button 8 is pressed, tension is generated in the wire 9 b, so that an upward tensile force in FIG. 20 acts on the pin 31 a, and the holding arm portion 31. Moves upward in FIG.

  FIG. 21 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a released state of the latch of the inner door latch mechanism. When the holding arm portion 31 is moved in accordance with the pressing of the door opening button 8 described above and the contact state with the arm portion 24b is released, the latch 24 rotates clockwise around the shaft portion 25, and the claw The part 24a is in an unlocked state that is disengaged to the outside of the engagement hole 28a, and is in an unlocked state in which the movable part 27 including the engagement piece 28 can freely move. By the rotation of the latch 24, the arm 24b presses the engagement piece 28 in the left direction shown in FIG. 21, so that the engagement piece 28 is attached in the left direction (direction in which the inner door 20 opens) shown in FIG. Be forced.

  FIG. 22 is a schematic cross-sectional view around the outer door and the inner door after the latch mechanism is disengaged. In the state shown in FIG. 22, the outer door 6 and the inner door 20 are urged in the direction of opening together by pressing the engagement piece 28 from the arm portion 24 b. As the lever body 61 is rotated, the latch 11 is released from the locked state by the stopper 76, so that the engagement state of the outer door latch mechanism 10 is released by subsequently pressing the door opening button 8, and then the inner door latch mechanism. When the engagement state of 23 is released, the outer door 6 and the inner door 20 are opened together. That is, both the outer door 6 and the inner door 20 are slightly opened by one operation of pressing the door open button 8.

  The opening angle at which the outer door 6 and the inner door 20 are moved from the closed state in this slightly opened state may be any angle. However, if the door is opened at a wide angle, a problem such as hitting a user may occur. Therefore, for example, the opening angle may be set in a range of 10 ° to 30 °. If the outer handle 7 is grasped from this state and the outer door 6 is opened, both the outer door 6 and the inner door 20 can be easily opened. Further, from the state where the outer door 6 and the inner door 20 are integrally opened, the outer door 6 and the inner door 20 are moved by pushing the outer door 6 from the front side and moving the outer door 6 toward the outer box 2. Both can be closed.

  If both the inner door 20 and the outer door 6 are opened and then the hand is released from the door opening button 8 to release the press, the tension applied to the wire 9a is released, and the latch seat 16 and the wall portion are released. 17 returns from the state of FIG. 18 to the state of FIG. 16, and the claw portion 12 can engage with the wall portion 17. Here, when the outer door 6 is closed, the outer door latch mechanism 10 is engaged. Further, since the tension acting on the wire 9b is also released, the holding arm portion 31 moves downward from the state of FIG. 21 and contacts the bent portion 24c. Here, since the latch 24 is held in a rotating state by the urging force of the spring 25a, the holding arm portion 31 is supported while being in contact with the bent portion 24c. Thereafter, when the inner door 20 is closed, a force in the right direction shown in FIG. 21 is applied from the engagement piece 28 to the arm portion 24b, so that the latch 24 rotates counterclockwise around the shaft portion 25, Returning to the state of FIG. 19, the inner door latch mechanism 23 is in the engaged state.

  Here, if the water tank 18 is displaced rearward in the outer box 2 due to product variations or the like, even if the inner door 20 is moved to a predetermined position where the inner door latch mechanism 23 is originally engaged, the inner door latch The mechanism 23 may not be engaged. Therefore, it is desirable that the outer door 6 be movable in the direction of closing the inner door 20 from the predetermined position as in the present embodiment. Specifically, referring to FIG. 16, between the front end surface of head 11a (see FIG. 6) on the right side of latch 11 that has entered inside latch seat 16 and the surface of latch seat 16 facing it. Has a gap G1. Similarly, a gap G <b> 2 exists between the surface of the latch 11 that is opposite to the protruding side of the upper claw portion in the drawing and the surface of the latch seat 16 that faces the same. Accordingly, when the outer door 6 is further moved in the direction in which the outer door 6 is brought close to the wall portion 17, the inner door 20 integrated with the outer door 6 can also be moved in the direction in which the inner door 20 is closed. .

  Further, in order to reliably open the inner door 20 and the outer door 6 together, it is necessary to release the engagement state of the inner door latch mechanism 23 after the engagement state of the outer door latch mechanism 10 is released. . Therefore, the pulling movement length (referred to as a stroke) of the wire 9a necessary for releasing the engaged state of the outer door latch mechanism 10 is larger than the stroke of the wire 9b required for releasing the engaged state of the inner door latch mechanism 23. Need to be set small. For example, when the stroke of the wire 9b for releasing the engagement of the inner door latch mechanism 23 is set to 10 mm, the stroke of the wire 9a for releasing the engagement of the outer door latch mechanism 10 is set to 5 mm smaller than that. Thus, a slightly opened state in which both the inner door 20 and the outer door 6 are slightly opened can be reliably obtained.

  Next, the hinge part 90 used when opening / closing the inner door 20 will be described. FIG. 23 is a perspective view showing a configuration of the hinge portion. FIG. 24 is a front view of the hinge portion. FIG. 25 is a side view of the hinge portion. FIG. 26 is a plan view of the hinge portion.

  As shown in FIG. 26, the hinge portion 90 has a first shaft 92 at one end of a hinge body 91 as a connecting body formed in a substantially plate shape, and an axial direction with the first shaft 92 at the other end. Are parallel to each other, and the first shaft 92 is provided with a fixture 96 that can be rotated around the first shaft 92. The second shaft 93 has a connecting portion 94 that is connected to the second shaft 93. It is attached around 93 so that it can rotate relative to it. The fixture 96 is attached and fixed to the outside of the front surface of the water tank 18, and the connecting portion 94 is attached to the back surface of the inner door 20. That is, the inner door 20 is supported by the first shaft 92 and the second shaft 93 so as to be rotatable with respect to the water tank 18. In addition, a plurality of ribs 95 are formed on the hinge body 91 so as to protrude from the surface of the hinge body 91, and sufficient strength is secured to support the inner door 20.

  FIG. 27 is a sectional view of the hinge portion showing a state in which the inner door 20 is closed. The hinge main body 91 includes a flat plate 91a having a linear cross section shown in FIG. 27 and a curved plate 91b having a curved cross section. The flat plate 91 a is disposed so as to face the fixture 96. The curved plate 91 b is bent in a direction away from the fixture 96 (in a direction away from the front surface of the water tank 18 toward the front side), and is disposed so as to be curved in a convex shape with respect to the front surface of the water tank 18. Further, an elastic body 97 is attached to the surface of the hinge body 91 on the side facing the fixing tool 96 so as to protrude and abut on the fixing tool 96 side. Therefore, the collision between the hinge body 91 and the fixture 96 when the inner door 20 is closed is prevented, and the occurrence of problems such as breakage or deformation of either the hinge body 91 or the fixture 96 is suppressed. . Here, as the elastic body 97, for example, a known elastic material such as rubber or a spring can be applied.

  FIG. 28 is a sectional view of the hinge portion showing a state in which the inner door 20 is opened. The range in which the hinge body 91 rotates around the first shaft 92 is limited to the range outside the water tank 18 relative to the first shaft 92, and the space for rotating the hinge portion 90 is the front of the water tank 18. As long as it is secured only outside. In other words, it is not necessary to consider the space for moving the hinge part 90 inside the water tank 18. For this reason, the drum 32 can be arranged up to the front end portion of the water tank 18, so that the product depth can be kept small.

  The aspect which the inner door 20 of the drum type washing machine 1 opens using the hinge part 90 provided with the above structure is demonstrated below. FIG. 29 is a perspective view of the drum-type washing machine with the outer door opened at 45 °. FIG. 30 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the periphery of the outer door and the inner door when the outer door is open at 45 °. Until reaching the 45 ° open state shown in FIGS. 29 and 30, the inner door 20 mainly rotates around the first shaft 92. When the hinge body 91 rotates around the first shaft 92, the inner door 20 and the second shaft 93 are moved toward the front side of the water tank 18, and the second shaft 93 and the rotating shaft 99 are connected to the drum type washing machine 1. Are substantially in the same position in the front-rear direction. Simultaneously with the rotation about the first shaft 92, the inner door 20 also rotates about the second shaft 93 to maintain the outer door 6 and the inner door 20 in a substantially parallel state. At this time, the magnetized portion 21 slides on the magnetized surface 62 while being magnetized on the magnetized surface 62, and the outer door 6 and the inner door 20 are opened in an integrated state. Here, the magnetized surface 62 is formed as a smooth surface, and the magnetized portion 21 slides smoothly on the magnetized surface 62, so that the inner door 20 and the outer door 6 are more reliably integrated. Can be opened and closed.

  FIG. 31 is a perspective view of the drum-type washing machine with the outer door fully opened. FIG. 32 is a schematic cross-sectional view around the outer door and the inner door when the outer door is fully open. The inner door 20 is opened mainly by rotating around the second shaft 93 from the 45 ° opened state to the fully opened state shown in FIGS. 31 and 32. At this time, the magnetized portion 21 further slides on the magnetized surface 62 while being magnetized on the magnetized surface 62, and the inner door 20 and the outer door 6 are opened in an integrated state. Thus, since the inner door 20 rotates with respect to the water tank 18 by the hinge part 90 which has the some rotating shaft of the 1st axis | shaft 92 and the 2nd axis | shaft 93, the outer door 6 and the inner door 20 are made easy. It can be opened as a unit.

  On the contrary, the outer door 6 and the inner door 20 can be moved from the state in which the outer door 6 and the inner door 20 are integrally opened by pushing the outer door 6 from the front side and moving the outer door 6 toward the outer box 2. 20 can be easily closed together. That is, in the drum type washing machine 1 of the present embodiment, both the outer door 6 and the inner door 20 can be opened and closed by an opening / closing operation similar to that of the one door type drum type washing machine.

  In a drum-type washing machine using an outer door and an inner door, when the inner door is supported on the water tank by a single hinge mechanism, the outer door hinge must be removed to open the door at a certain angle. It was necessary to form the inner door hinge on the side of the box or near the center of the outer box in the left-right direction. That is, it is necessary to make the outer door larger or the inner door smaller. When the inner door is made smaller, the workability of putting in and out the laundry into the drum is lowered, and when the outer door is made larger, there arises a problem that the outer door cannot be fully opened in a narrow space. In the drum type washing machine 1 of the present embodiment, the inner door 20 is three-dimensionally rotated using the hinge portion 90 having a plurality of rotation shafts, so that the inner door 20 has a smaller diameter and the outer door 6 has a larger diameter. The problem can be avoided.

  FIG. 33 is a flowchart showing a process of opening the door of the drum type washing machine. Hereinafter, a procedure for opening the door of the drum type washing machine 1 of the present embodiment will be described in order with reference to FIG. The drum type washing machine 1 of the present embodiment is controlled so that the lever mechanism 60 moves to integrate the inner door 20 and the outer door 6 and release the lock on the latch 11 after the operation is completed. ing. First, the user determines whether or not the drum type washing machine 1 is in operation (S101), and if it is in operation, presses a pause button provided on the operation panel 3 (S102), The operation of the drum type washing machine 1 is temporarily stopped. In this state, when a lock release button provided on the operation panel 3 is pressed (S103), as described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 10, the motor 64 operates and the lever body 61 moves to move the inner door. 20 and the outer door 6 are integrated, and the stopper 76 moves to release the lock that restricts the rotation of the latch 11 (S104).

  On the other hand, when the drum type washing machine 1 is not in operation in the step (S101) or the user presses the door open button 8 in the state of the step (S104) (S105), the description will be given with reference to FIGS. As described above, the wires 9a and 9b move (S106), the engagement state of the latch 11 of the outer door latch mechanism 10 is released (S107), and then the engagement state of the latch 24 of the inner door latch mechanism 23 is released. (S108). Here, when the arm portion 24b presses the engagement piece 28 by the elastic force of the spring 25a and an opening force acts on the inner door 20, the integrated inner door 20 and outer door 6 are in the slightly opened state shown in FIG. (S109). When the user stops pressing the door open button 8 (S110), the wires 9a and 9b return to their original positions (S111). When the user operates the outer handle 7, the inner door 20 and the outer door 6 are restored. Rotates as a unit (S112).

  FIG. 34 is a flowchart showing a process of closing the door of the drum type washing machine. Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 34, the procedure for closing the door of the drum type washing machine 1 of the present embodiment will be described in order. First, in a state where both the outer door 6 and the inner door 20 are opened, the user puts laundry into the drum 32 (S201), and rotates the outer door 6 to close the door (S202). ). Similar to opening the door, the inner door 20 and the outer door 6 rotate together as the door is closed. When the outer door 6 is closed, the inner door latch mechanism 23 (S203) and the outer door latch mechanism 10 are engaged (S204).

  In this state, when the washing start button provided on the operation panel 3 is operated (S205), the engagement state of the latch 11 of the outer door latch mechanism 10 and the latch 24 of the inner door latch mechanism 23 are detected. It is detected whether or not all the sensors to be engaged are engaged (S206). At this time, if the engagement state of either one or both of the latches 11 and 24 is abnormal, the drum type washing machine 1 is temporarily stopped and notified to the user by display or sound.

  If both the latches 11 and 24 are in the engaged state, the lever main body 61 is moved from the close contact state to the disengaged state. At this time, since the inner door 20 is mechanically fixed by the inner door latch mechanism 23, the inner door 20 and the outer door 6 are separated from each other. At the same time, the latch 11 is restricted from rotating by the stopper 76, and the outer door 6 is locked (S207). After that, washing is started (S208).

  As described above, the drum type washing machine of the present embodiment is similar to the conventional one door type drum type washing machine, that is, the outer door 6 and the inner door are operated by pressing the door opening button 8 and operating the outer handle 7. Both the outer door 6 and the inner door 20 can be closed by an operation of opening both the door 20 and closing the outer door 6, which is excellent in operability.

  Furthermore, the drum-type washing machine of the present embodiment has a seismic isolation state in which the outer door 6 and the inner door 20 are separated from each other during operation. Propagation to the outside can be suppressed and generation of vibration and noise in the outer box 2 can be reduced.

  Although there are portions that partially overlap with the above description, the characteristic configurations of the present embodiment are listed below. The drum type washing machine 1 according to the present embodiment includes an outer box 2 having an outer box opening 5 formed on the front surface, and a water tank opening 19 that is elastically supported in the outer box 2 and faces the outer box opening 5. The water tank 18 formed, the outer door 6 that opens and closes the outer box opening 5, and the inner door 20 that opens and closes the water tank opening 19 are provided. The drum type washing machine 1 also includes a lever body 61 that can move in the space between the outer door 6 and the inner door 20. The lever body 61 connects the outer door 6 and the inner door 20 so that they can be integrally opened and closed by moving in one direction, and moves the outer door 6 and the inner door 20 in the other direction opposite to the one direction. Separate.

  In this way, by moving the lever main body 61 in one direction and integrating the outer door 6 and the inner door 20, the outer door 6 and the inner door can be opened and closed in the same manner as a one-door drum type washing machine. Since both the door 20 can be opened and closed, the operability is excellent. Further, during operation of the drum type washing machine 1, the lever body 61 is moved in the other direction to completely separate the outer door 6 and the inner door 20, thereby reducing the vibration and noise generation of the outer box 2. Can be made.

  The lever body 61 is attached to the outer door 6 and includes a magnetized surface 62 as a connection surface facing the inner door 20. At a position facing the magnetized surface 62 of the inner door 20, a magnetized portion 21 is provided as a connecting portion that is connected to the magnetized surface 62 when the lever body 61 moves in the one direction. In this way, by moving the lever body 61 in one direction, the magnetized portion 21 can be magnetized on the magnetized surface 62, and the outer door 6 and the inner door 20 can be reliably integrated. Can do.

  The magnetized surface 62 is formed smoothly. The magnetized part 21 is magnetized on the magnetized surface 62 so as to be slidable on the magnetized surface 62. In this way, even if the magnetized part 21 moves relative to the magnetized surface 62, the close contact state due to the action of magnetic force can be maintained, so the inner door 20 and the outer door 6 are integrated. Both doors can be opened and closed while maintaining the state.

  The drum type washing machine 1 further includes a motor 64 that moves the lever body 61. In this way, since the lever main body 61 can be driven by the motor 64 that is an electric actuator, the inner door 20 and the outer door 6 can be operated even when the position of the water tank 18 varies due to the vibration of the drum 32. Can be reliably integrated.

  The lever main body 61 is attached to the inner surface of the outer door 6 and includes a magnetized surface 62 that faces the inner door 20. The drum type washing machine 1 further includes a support portion 73. The support portion 73 moves under the driving force of the motor 64 and moves the lever body 61 in one direction by supporting the lever body 61 from the back surface 63 side opposite to the magnetized surface 62. In this way, the movement of the lever main body 61 can be controlled with a simple configuration.

  The drum type washing machine 1 according to the present embodiment is provided so as to be rotatable, and is provided so as to be movable in response to the driving force of the motor 64 and the outer door latch mechanism 10 that holds the outer door 6 in a closed state. A stopper 76 is further provided. When the lever body 61 moves in the other direction, the stopper 76 engages with the outer door latch mechanism 10 to prevent the outer door latch mechanism 10 from rotating. In this way, it is possible to prevent the outer door 6 from being accidentally opened during the operation of the drum type washing machine 1.

  Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described as above, the embodiment disclosed this time should be considered as illustrative in all points and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the terms of the claims, rather than the description above, and is intended to include any modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the terms of the claims.

It is a perspective view which shows the external appearance of the drum type washing machine which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view from the side of a drum type washing machine. It is a schematic cross section of an outer door and an inner door periphery in a state where an outer door and an inner door are separated from each other. It is a schematic cross section which shows the structure of a lever mechanism. It is the schematic diagram of the lever mechanism seen from the arrow V direction shown in FIG. It is a side view of the latch for outer doors. It is a perspective view of a lever main body. It is a schematic cross section which shows the lever mechanism after a lever main body rotates from the state of FIG. It is the schematic diagram of the lever mechanism seen from the arrow IX direction of FIG. It is a schematic cross section of an outer door and an inner door periphery after a lever body rotates. It is the schematic cross section which looked at the magnet part from the side. It is the schematic diagram of the magnet part seen from the arrow XII direction in FIG. It is a schematic diagram which shows the whole structure of an outer door latch mechanism. It is a schematic diagram which shows the whole structure of an inner door latch mechanism. It is a schematic diagram which shows the outline of the connection mechanism which connects an outer door latch mechanism and an inner door latch mechanism. It is a schematic cross section shown about the 1st process which engagement of an outer door latch mechanism disengages. It is a schematic cross section shown about the 2nd process in which engagement of an outer door latch mechanism disengages. It is a schematic cross section shown about the 3rd process from which engagement of an outer door latch mechanism disengages. It is a schematic cross section which shows the engagement state of the latch of an inner door latch mechanism. It is a schematic diagram of the wire mechanism which moves a holding | maintenance arm part. It is a schematic cross section which shows the release state of the latch of an inner door latch mechanism. It is a schematic cross section of an outer door and an inner door periphery after the engagement state of a latch mechanism is cancelled | released. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of a hinge part. It is a front view of a hinge part. It is a side view of a hinge part. It is a top view of a hinge part. It is sectional drawing of the hinge part which shows the state by which the inner door was closed. It is sectional drawing of the hinge part which shows the state by which the inner door was opened. It is a perspective view of a drum type washing machine in the state where an outer door is 45 degrees open. It is a schematic cross section around an outer door and an inner door in a state where the outer door is 45 ° open. It is a perspective view of a drum type washing machine in the state where an outer door is fully opened. It is a schematic cross section of an outer door and an inner door periphery when an outer door is in a fully open state. It is a flowchart which shows the process in which the door of a drum type washing machine is opened. It is a flowchart which shows the process in which the door of a drum type washing machine is obstruct | occluded.

Explanation of symbols

  1 Drum-type washing machine, 2 outer box, 3 operation panel, 5 outer box opening, 6 outer door, 7 outer handle, 8 door opening button, 9a, 9b wire, 10 outer door latch mechanism, 11, 24 latch, 11a head Part, 12 claw part, 13 shaft part, 14 locking part, 16 latch seat, 16a opening part, 17 wall part, 17a through hole, 18 water tank, 19 water tank opening part, 20 inner door, 21 magnetized part, 23 inside Door latch mechanism, 24a claw part, 24b arm part, 24c bent part, 25 shaft part, 25a spring, 26 fixed part, 27 movable part, 28 engaging piece, 28a engaging hole, 29 insertion part, 30 insertion hole, 31 holding Arm, 31a pin, 32 drum, 40 fluid balancer, 41 suspension, 60 lever mechanism, 61 lever body, 61a support protrusion, 61b coupling protrusion, 61c 62, 62 Magnetic attachment surface, 63 Back surface, 63a Free fitting recess, 64 Motor, 65 Actuator, 66 Link part, 67, 69, 72 Link lever, 68, 71 Link part, 70 Support shaft, 73 Support part, 74 Protrusion part , 74a Curved surface, 75 Spring, 76 Stopper, 80 Magnet part, 81 Case, 82 Slider, 83 Magnet, 84 Back cover, 84a Locking claw part, 90 Hinge part, 91 Hinge body, 91a Flat plate, 91b Curved plate, 92 1st axis | shaft, 93 2nd axis | shaft, 94 connection part, 95 rib, 96 fixing tool, 97 elastic body, 98 recessed part, 99 rotation axis.

Claims (6)

An outer box having an outer box opening formed on the front surface;
A water tank elastically supported in the outer box and formed with a water tank opening facing the outer box opening,
An outer door for opening and closing the outer box opening,
An inner door for opening and closing the aquarium opening;
A lever capable of moving in a space between the outer door and the inner door;
The lever moves in one direction so that the outer door and the inner door can be integrally opened and closed, and moves in the other direction opposite to the one direction to connect the outer door and the inner door. A drum-type washing machine that is separated. The lever is attached to the outer door, and includes a connection surface facing the inner door,
2. The drum type washing machine according to claim 1, wherein a connection portion that is connected to the connection surface when the lever moves in the one direction is provided at a position facing the connection surface of the inner door. The connection surface is formed smoothly,
The drum-type washing machine according to claim 2, wherein the connection portion is slidably coupled to the connection surface on the connection surface.   The drum type washing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a motor that moves the lever. The lever is attached to the inner surface of the outer door, and includes a connection surface facing the inner door,
The drum type washing machine further includes a support portion,
5. The drum type according to claim 4, wherein the support portion is moved by receiving a driving force of the motor, and the lever is moved in the one direction by supporting the lever from a side opposite to the connection surface. Washing machine. An outer door latch mechanism that is rotatably provided and holds the outer door in a closed state;
A stopper provided to be movable in response to the driving force of the motor;
The drum-type washing machine according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the stopper engages with the outer door latch mechanism when the lever moves in the other direction and prevents the outer door latch mechanism from rotating.

Images