JP2013000504A - Washing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To facilitate an injecting operation of magnetic viscous fluid to improve efficiency of the injecting operation.SOLUTION: A washing machine is provided in which a water tub is supported by a suspension having a damper mechanism. The damper mechanism includes a cylinder; bearing members spaced apart from each other within the cylinder; a shaft inserted between the bearing members and reciprocating in accordance with vibration of the water tub; a magnetic field generating device disposed to form a gap around the shaft; seal members closing both outer ends of the gap in the magnetic field generating device to form a hollow housing portion; and magnetic viscous fluid filled in the housing portion and having viscosity changed when a magnetic field is applied thereto through the magnetic field generating device. The magnetic field generating device includes a coil unit and yokes disposed on both sides of the coil unit. The magnetic viscous fluid can be injected into the housing portion through the gap provided between one of the yokes exposed to outside and the shaft in the state where one of the seal members and one of the bearings extending outside of the cylinder have not yet been incorporated into one end of the shaft.

Description

  Embodiments described herein relate generally to a washing machine that supports a water tank in a vibration-proof manner.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, for example, in a drum-type washing machine, a water tub equipped with a rotatable drum is elastically supported by a plurality of suspensions at the bottom of a housing, and the suspension is generated as the drum containing laundry is rotated. A so-called damper function for attenuating vibration is exhibited. By the way, as a damper function of this type of suspension, for example, one using a magnetorheological fluid (MR fluid) whose viscosity changes depending on the strength of a magnetic field is known (for example, see Patent Document 1).

  Since the viscosity of the above-mentioned magnetorheological fluid can be variably controlled by applying a magnetic field, it has recently been studied to effectively use it as a washing machine suspension. That is, the above-mentioned magneto-rheological fluid is brought into contact with a shaft that moves up and down (reciprocating) in accordance with the vibration of the water tank, and functions as a resistance (friction force) that suppresses the vertical movement of the shaft by its viscosity. Therefore, it is intended to provide a washing machine with low vibration and low noise.

  The magnetorheological fluid of such a suspension is filled so as to fill a predetermined hollow housing portion sealed so as not to leak, and is configured to be in frictional contact with the outer peripheral surface of the shaft that moves up and down. Therefore, in order to obtain the desired damper performance stably for a long period of time, a predetermined amount of magnetorheological fluid must be reliably filled in the accommodating portion, and a sealed watertight structure that does not easily leak is required. For this reason, since the components such as the damper mechanism and the seal member are assembled and housed in the cylindrical cylinder, the sealed housing portion is in a concealed state that cannot be seen from the outside, and therefore the magnetic viscosity When injecting the fluid into the internal accommodating part, it cannot be easily confirmed whether the fluid is normally injected and securely filled. In addition, due to the maintenance of airtightness and cost, it is preferable to use the magnetic viscous fluid as small as possible. The work efficiency was poor, such as taking time.

JP 2011-45755 A

  Accordingly, a washing machine that can reliably inject a magnetorheological fluid and that can be expected to improve the efficiency of the injection work is provided.

  According to the washing machine of the present embodiment, the water tank containing the rotatable washing tub is supported via the suspension in the casing forming the outer shell, and the suspension has a damper mechanism between the casing and the water tub. Connected through. The damper mechanism includes a cylindrical cylinder, a bearing member that is separated and incorporated in the cylinder, a shaft that reciprocates according to the vibration of the water tank, is inserted between the bearing members, and has one end extending outside the cylinder, A magnetic field generating device disposed in the cylinder so as to form a gap around the shaft, and a seal incorporated so as to form a hollow accommodating portion by sealing both outer ends of the gap of the magnetic field generating device A member, and a magnetorheological fluid that fills the housing portion and changes viscosity when a magnetic field is applied through the magnetic field generator. The magnetic field generator includes a coil unit formed by winding a coil for generating a magnetic field around a bobbin, and yokes disposed on both sides of the coil unit. The magnetorheological fluid is in a state before incorporating the seal member and the bearing on one side located on the side where the shaft extends out of the cylinder, and from the gap between the yoke on the one side exposed to the outside and the shaft. It is possible to inject into the housing portion.

1 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view showing a part of a suspension according to a first embodiment. Longitudinal sectional view showing main components of suspension External perspective view of suspension 1 is a cross-sectional view cut along line AA in FIG. Longitudinal sectional view showing the outline of the overall structure of the washing machine FIG. 4A is a longitudinal sectional view cut along the line BB in FIG. 4A, and FIG. 4B is a longitudinal sectional view showing the configuration of the assembly of the same part. FIG. 6 equivalent diagram showing a modification FIG. 6 equivalent diagram showing a different modification FIG. 6B equivalent view showing various modifications (a), (b), (c). FIG. 1 equivalent diagram showing the second embodiment 2 equivalent diagram

(First embodiment)
Hereinafter, a first embodiment applied to a drum type washing machine will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 9. First, a drum type washing machine (hereinafter simply referred to as a washing machine) shown in FIG. 5 is a washing machine with a drying function, and an outline of the overall configuration will be described. On the front surface (right side in the figure) of the box-shaped housing 1 that forms the outer shell, a laundry doorway 2 is formed at a substantially central portion, and a door 3 that opens and closes the doorway 2 is provided. Further, an operation panel 4 is provided at the upper part of the front surface of the housing 1, and a control device 5 for operation control is provided on the back side.

  A water tank 6 is disposed inside the housing 1. The aquarium 6 has a horizontal cylindrical shape with the axial direction as front and rear, and a pair of left and right suspensions 7 (only one is shown) having a longitudinal direction on the bottom plate 1a of the housing 1 (details will be described later). It is elastically supported in an upwardly inclined state.

  A motor 8 is attached to the back surface of the water tank 6. The motor 8 is composed of, for example, a direct current brushless motor, and is an outer rotor type. A rotating shaft (not shown) attached to the central portion of the rotor 8a is inserted into the water tank 6 through the bearing bracket 9, It connects with the center part of the back part of drum 10 mentioned below.

  The drum 10 is disposed inside the water tub 6 and functions as a rotatable washing tub while accommodating laundry, and has a horizontal-axis cylindrical shape in which the axial direction is front and rear like the water tub 6 including the drum 10. Thus, as described above, it is connected to the rotating shaft of the motor 8 and is supported in a state of being inclined upward and coaxial with the water tank 6. As a result, the drum 10 is directly driven by the motor 8 and rotates around the horizontal axis, and the motor 8 functions as a drum driving device that rotates the drum 10.

  In addition, a large number of small holes 11 through which water can be passed and ventilated are formed in the peripheral side portion (body portion) of the drum 10 over the entire area. On the other hand, the water tank 6 has a substantially non-porous shape and can store water. Yes. Both the drum 10 and the water tub 6 have openings 12 and 13 on the front surface, and an annular bellows 14 is mounted between the opening 13 of the water tub 6 and the laundry entrance 2. ing. Thereby, the laundry entrance 2 is configured to be connected to the inside of the drum 10 via the bellows 14, the opening 13 of the water tub 6, and the opening 12 of the drum 10. A drain pipe 16 is connected to the lowest part of the water tank 6 capable of storing water via a drain valve 15 on the way so that the water can be drained outside the apparatus.

  Here, the configuration of the above-described drying function will be described. The drying unit 17 is provided from the back side of the water tank 6 to the upper side and the front side. The drying unit 17 is composed of a blower 19, a heating device 20, and a circulation duct 18 provided with a dehumidifying means (not shown). The drying unit 17 dehumidifies moisture in the air discharged from the water tank 6 during the drying operation, and then heats it. Then, so-called dry air is generated and returned (supplied) into the water tub 6 is circulated to dry the laundry in the drum 10 that is rotationally driven.

  The specific configuration of the suspension 7 will be described with reference to the overall configuration shown in FIGS. As shown in FIG. 5, the suspension 7 is provided between the casing 1 and the water tank 6 so as to be connected in the vertical direction as a schematic configuration. Specifically, a cylindrical cylinder 22 attached to the attachment plate 21 side of the bottom plate 1a of the housing 1 is inserted into the cylinder 22 so as to be able to reciprocate, and an upper end portion which is one end of the cylinder 22 is inserted into the cylinder 22. A shaft 24 attached to the attachment plate 23 side of the water tank 6 and a coil spring 25 mounted around the shaft 24 extending upward and projecting outward from the cylinder 22 are provided.

  In order to incorporate the suspension 7 into the housing 1, a cylinder connecting portion 22a is attached to the lower end portion of the cylinder 22 so as to close the lower opening end of the cylinder 22 as shown in the longitudinal sectional view of FIG. The connecting portion 22a is fastened to the mounting plate 21 of the bottom plate 1a shown in FIG. 5 with a nut 27 via an elastic seat plate 26 such as rubber, so that the cylinder 22 is attached to the mounting plate 21 on the bottom plate 1a side. It is attached and fixed to. Note that the cylinder 22 is made of iron and includes a magnetic field generator 40 and the like constituting the damper mechanism 30 together with the cylinder 22 as will be described in detail later.

  On the other hand, the shaft 24 is composed of a shaft main portion 24a into which the lower half portion is inserted into the cylinder 22 and a shaft connecting portion 24b integrally connected to the upper end portion thereof, and at least the shaft main portion 24a. Is made of iron magnetic material. Then, the connecting portion 24b is fastened to the mounting plate 23 of the water tank 6 shown in FIG. 5 with a nut 29 via a similar elastic seat plate 28 or the like, so that the shaft 24 follows the vibration of the water tank 6 and is integrated. Therefore, it is configured to be connected so as to respond to the vertical direction or the like.

  2, the lower end of the coil spring 25 is supported by the outer upper end of the cylinder 22 constituting the damper mechanism 30, while the upper end of the coil spring 25 is a circle mounted on the upper portion of the shaft 24. It is received by the plate-shaped spring receiving seat 41 and mounted in a state where the elastic force is accumulated. In other words, the shaft 24 is stretched in a state of being biased so as to be pulled out from the cylinder 22 to the outside, and the shaft 24 is naturally held at a position that does not protrude upward for a predetermined amount or more, that is, the shaft 24 is prevented from coming off. Means (details will be described later) are provided.

  Here, a specific configuration of the damper mechanism 30 will be described with reference to FIG. The damper mechanism 30 is configured to reciprocate according to the vibration of the water tank 6 and the cylinder 22, bearing members 31 and 32 that are incorporated in the cylindrical interior of the cylinder 22 so as to be separated from each other in the vertical position (in this embodiment). The shaft 24 is vertically moved and inserted between the bearing members 31 and 32, and the upper side, which is one end, extends out of the cylinder 22, and is disposed in the cylinder 22 so as to form a gap G around the shaft 24. The magnetic field generating device 40 and the outer end portions (upper and lower end portions) of the gap G of the magnetic field generating device 40 are sealed to form a hollow annular housing portion 33 (see FIG. 1). Sealing members 34 and 35 and a magnetorheological fluid 36 (details will be described later) filled in the accommodating portion 33 and whose viscosity changes when a magnetic field is applied via the magnetic field generator 40 are provided.

  Of the above configuration, the retaining means for the shaft 24 held at a predetermined position in the cylinder 22 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. First, on the shaft 24 side, the lower end portion of the shaft 24 is arranged. A ring-shaped locking ring 37 is attached to the cylinder member 22. On the other hand, on the cylinder 22 side, the bearing member 32 having a hollow cylindrical shape is incorporated in a substantially middle portion in the vertical direction. This bearing member 32 includes a bearing case 32a made of a non-magnetic material made of aluminum, and an annular bearing 32b that is fitted and fixed therein and slidably supports the shaft 24 so as to reciprocate in the vertical direction that is also the axial direction. The bearing 32b is composed of, for example, a copper-based sintered oil-impregnated bearing that is a non-magnetic material.

  The bearing case 32a is disposed at a position where the lower end of the bearing case 32a is in contact with a constricted portion 22b that is narrowed in the radial direction (inward) at a substantially intermediate portion of the cylinder 22, and is fitted and fixed by, for example, caulking or press fitting. . Since the locking ring 37 at the lower end portion of the inserted shaft 24 is positioned on the lower surface side of the bearing member 32, the locking ring 37 moves upward in one direction of the shaft 24. It is stopped by touching. However, the constricted portion 22b and below of the cylinder 22 form a hollow portion 22c, and the shaft 24 is free to move downward in the other direction.

  Thus, the bearing member 32 on the lower side is useful as a means for restricting the upward movement of the shaft 24, holds the bearing 32b, and is further mounted on the upper surface side of the seal member 35. It is effective to hold. This is because the damper mechanism 30 including the seal member 35 is accommodated in the cylinder 22, and is securely accommodated and fixed so as to be sandwiched between the bearing member 32. Accordingly, the seal member 35 is configured to exhibit a sealing performance in which a lip 35a on the inner peripheral side thereof is pressed against the outer peripheral surface of the shaft 24 to seal a gap G with the shaft 24 described later.

  The bearing member 31 and the seal member 34 having substantially the same material and substantially the same shape are opposed to the above-described lower bearing member 32 and the seal member 35 at positions spaced apart on the opening end side of the cylinder 24. Built-in has been fixed. Therefore, the bearing member 31 is composed of a bearing case 31a and a bearing 31b, and the upper seal member 34 is provided with a waterproof lip 34a. That is, in the present embodiment, the bearing member 31 and the seal member 34 are located on the upper side in the state of being incorporated as the suspension 7 as shown in FIG. 5, that is, the bearing member 31 and the seal member 34 are located on the lower side. The bearing member 32 and the seal member 35 are in a state of being opposed to each other.

  However, the upper bearing case 31a is different from the lower bearing case 32a in that a cylindrical base 31c is integrally projected on the upper surface of the center as shown in FIG. The base portion 31 c has a height that protrudes upward from the cap 39 even when the crown-shaped cap 39 is attached to the open end of the cylinder 24. The cap 39 incorporates the bearing member 31 and the seal member 34 on the upper side into the upper end portion of the cylinder 24, and after, for example, the bearing case 31a is fitted and fixed by caulking, it is press-fitted outside the upper end portion on the opening side of the cylinder 24. Is fixed by fitting.

  The lower end of the coil spring 25 is held in pressure contact with the upper surface of the cap 39 and the outer periphery of the projecting pedestal 31c. That is, the coil spring 25 is in a compressed state capable of expanding and contracting with the spring seat 41. Retained. Thus, the shaft 24 is slidably supported by the bearings 31b and 32b of the upper and lower bearing members 31 and 32 constituting the bearing means, and is slidably contacted with the seal members 34 and 35 in a watertight manner. It is provided to be movable.

  Here, the specific configuration of the magnetic field generator 40 incorporated between the upper and lower bearing members 31 and 32 will be described with reference to FIG. In this embodiment, the magnetic field generator 40 includes a coil 42 wound around the shaft 24 to generate a magnetic field (magnetic field), and iron and cylindrical yokes 43 and 44 provided on the upper and lower portions of the coil 42. When the coil 42 is energized, it forms a magnetic circuit D (shown by broken line arrows in FIG. 2) through which the magnetic flux passes through the upper and lower yokes 43 and 44. It is.

  Further, the actual specific configuration of the magnetic field generator 40 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the coil 42 is wound around a hollow cylindrical bobbin 45, thereby forming a coil unit 46. A cylindrical gap G is formed between the outer peripheral surface of the shaft 24 inserted into the hollow portion at the center of the coil unit 46. Then, in a state where the yokes 43 and 44 are disposed on the upper and lower portions of the coil unit 46, for example, a resin mold (indicated by a resin mold portion 47 in the figure) with a thermoplastic resin (nylon, PBT, PET, PP, etc.) is performed. The magnetic field generator 40 according to the present embodiment is configured as an integrated configuration.

  In this case, a cylindrical narrow gap (for example, about 0.4 mm) is also provided between the upper and lower hollow yokes 43 and 44 and the outer peripheral surface of the shaft 24, and the coil unit 46 (bobbin 45). As a result of integration in communication with the gap formed at (the gap dimensions of both may not be the same), a hollow cylindrical gap G extending in the vertical direction is formed. (G)

  In particular, the narrow gaps G between the yokes 43 and 44 and the shaft 24 form the magnetic circuit D, and the magnetorheological fluid 36 changes its viscosity by applying a magnetic field to quickly obtain a desired viscosity. Therefore, it is set to a predetermined size suitable for the purpose. Therefore, the magnetic field generator 40 forms a gap G around the shaft 24, and the seal members 34 and 35 respectively disposed on the upper and lower portions of the magnetic field generator 40 are in pressure contact with the outer peripheral surface of the shaft 24. The upper and lower ends of G are sealed in a watertight manner, whereby the cylindrical accommodating portion 33 sealed around the shaft 24 is formed.

  The container 33 is filled with a magnetorheological fluid 36 as clearly shown in FIGS. Here, the magnetorheological fluid 36 will be described. This is a fluid whose viscosity is changed by application of electric energy, and whose viscosity characteristics change according to the strength of the magnetic field (magnetic field), for example, a base oil mainly composed of polyalphaolefin oil. A material in which ferromagnetic particles such as iron and carbonyl iron are dispersed inside, and when the magnetic field is applied, the ferromagnetic particles form a chain cluster and the apparent viscosity increases. It is.

  Accordingly, a magnetic field flows in the direction of the arrow in the magnetic circuit D generated around the coil 42 when the coil 42 is energized. That is, the magnetic circuit D generated in the coil 42 is generated by the shaft 24 → the housing portion 33 (gap G) → It is formed in a path extending from the upper yoke 43 → the cylinder 22 → the lower yoke 44 → the housing portion 33 (gap G) → the shaft 24.

  Then, the magnetorheological fluid 36 is injected so as to be filled into the housing portion 33 in a state where the magnetic field generator 40, the lower seal member 35, and the bearing member 32 are housed and fixed on the shaft 24. That is, it is executed in a state before the upper seal member 34 and the bearing member 31 are assembled, that is, the magnetorheological fluid 36 is injected from the gap G side of the yoke 43 in which the upper end surface as one end of the accommodating portion 33 is opened. I have to.

  Specifically, in the present embodiment, the configuration shown in FIGS. 1 and 4 is used in order to perform the injection work more efficiently. 1 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view showing a part of the suspension 7, and FIG. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 4A is according to the present embodiment, and the upper and lower yokes 43 and 44 have a semicircular cross-sectional area that communicates with the gap G and is larger than the gap dimension, respectively, along the axial direction. Groove-shaped fluid passages 48 and 49 are formed, and the fluid passages 48 and 49 (see FIG. 1) are provided at the same circumferential position so as to be aligned in a straight line in the vertical direction as the axial direction. It is said.

  Further, on the opposite side of each of the fluid passages 48 and 49 of each yoke 43 and 44, fluid passages 51 and 52 having a smaller cross-sectional area are arranged at the same circumferential direction so as to be aligned in a straight line in the axial direction. The configuration is provided. Accordingly, the upper yoke 43 includes a plurality of fluid passages 48 and 51 having a plurality of different cross-sectional areas, and the lower yoke 44 also includes a plurality of fluid passages 49 having a plurality of different cross-sectional areas. , 52 are provided.

  In order to inject the magnetorheological fluid 36 into the accommodating portion 33 as will be described in detail later, the injector 50 is inserted into the fluid passage 48 having a large cross-sectional area formed in the upper yoke 43 as shown in FIG. The needle tip 50a is inserted so that a part of the needle tip 50a is inserted and can be injected by pushing out the magnetorheological fluid 36 by pressing the operating rod 50b. It functions as an injection part.

  After the injection, as shown in FIG. 2, the upper seal member 34 and the bearing member 31 are assembled in the cylinder 22, and the open end side of the cylinder 22 is fixed by, for example, caulking. 33 is configured in a sealed state. Thereafter, the cap 39 is fitted and fixed by press-fitting, and the coil spring 25 is arranged around the base 31 c at the upper end portion of the cylinder 22 to be assembled as the suspension 7. In this embodiment, the connecting member 24b is detachably connected to the shaft main portion 24a, the coil spring 25 is inserted around the shaft main portion 24a, and the upper end thereof is received by the spring receiving seat 41 and the connecting member. 24b is connected.

  As described above, the suspension 7 configured as described above includes a shaft 24 and a coil spring protruding from the cylinder 22 toward the water tank 6 as shown in FIG. 5 in the vertical direction between the bottom plate 1a of the housing 1 and the water tank 6. 25 is located, and the cylinder 22 is located on the housing 1 side, and the water tank 6 is disposed on both the left and right sides and elastically connected and supported. Further, the two lead wires 38 drawn out from the coil 42 are drawn out from a portion on the upper yoke 43 side, connected to the control device 5 via a drive circuit (not shown), and the coil 42 of the magnetic field generation device 40. It is possible to control the vibration damping damper.

  6 to 8 are a longitudinal sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG. 4A and an equivalent view thereof, and FIG. 9 is a diagram showing various modifications. b) Corresponding diagrams, which are mainly described as operations explanatory diagrams and applied sequentially in the following description of operations.

Next, the operation of the washing machine having the above configuration will be described.
In the washing machine equipped with the drum 10 around the horizontal axis of the present embodiment, the controller 5 is operated by driving and controlling the drum 10 at an appropriate rotation speed in each of the washing, rinsing, dewatering, and drying processes. Is automatically executed. When the drum 10 is vibrated due to an unbalanced load caused by laundry (not shown) accommodated in the drum 10, the elastically supported water tank 6 also vibrates mainly in the vertical direction. In response to the vertical vibration of the water tank 6, the suspension 7 expands and contracts the coil spring 25 between the shaft 24 and the cylinder 22 integrally connected to the water tank 6, and the shaft 24 moves up and down in the cylinder 22. Reciprocate. The coil spring 25 exhibits a function of absorbing vibration by its expansion and contraction action and effectively preventing vibration transmission to the housing 1 (bottom plate 1a) side.

  On the other hand, on the lower side, the damper mechanism 30 including the cylinder 22 and the magnetic field generator 40 has an effect of quickly damping the vibration. That is, during the operation of rotating the drum 10, the coil 42 constituting the magnetic field generator 40 is energized to generate a magnetic field. As a result, a magnetic circuit D (see FIG. 2) is formed around the coil 42, and the gap G is also narrowed between the upper and lower yokes 43, 44 and the shaft 24, which have a particularly high magnetic flux density. In combination, the viscosity of the magnetorheological fluid 36 to which a magnetic field is applied in the gap portion is rapidly increased, increasing the frictional resistance against the reciprocating motion of the shaft 24 in the vertical direction. Attenuates vibration amplitude quickly. In particular, in the dehydration operation, the vibration tends to increase rapidly in the vicinity of the resonance point at the initial stage of rotation when the drum 10 is rotated at a high speed. However, a so-called damper effect that quickly attenuates such vibration is effectively exhibited. Therefore, smooth dehydration operation can be continued without causing abnormal vibration or abnormal noise.

  Thus, in order for the damper mechanism 30 to function effectively, the magnetorheological fluid 36 needs to be reliably filled into the accommodating portion 33. Therefore, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, before the shaft 24 extends outside the cylinder 22, that is, before the seal member 34 and the bearing member 31 on the upper side which is one side located on the water tank 6 side are assembled. The injector 50 can inject into the accommodating portion 33 from the gap G formed between the yoke 43 on the same side exposed to the outside and the shaft 24. In the present embodiment, the injector 50 contains, for example, an amount of the magnetic viscous fluid 36 that fills the containing portion 33 a plurality of times.

  When injecting, specifically, the cylinder 22 is first held upright in the same manner as in the state in which the suspension 7 is assembled in the vertical direction as shown in FIG. 1 (see FIG. 5). The upper end surface of the upper yoke 43 is open. Therefore, a part of the needle tip 50a of the injector 50 is inserted into the opening portion of the upper end portion of the groove-like fluid passage 48 of the yoke 43 and the addressing operation rod 50b is pressed. As a result, the injected magnetorheological fluid 36 spreads toward the gap G in the circumferential direction and quickly fills the internal recess of the lower seal member 35 by the injection pressure or gravity, and then the accommodating portion 33 (gap G ) Are sequentially filled from the bottom to the top. When the inside of the accommodating portion 33 is almost filled, the upper end surface of the raised magnetorheological fluid 36 is exposed to the outside from the fluid passage 51 and the gap G of the upper yoke 43.

  This state will be described with reference to FIG. 6 (a), which is a longitudinal sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 4 (a), showing the gap of the yoke 43 on the upper side. While showing the cross section of G, the gap G is filled with the magnetorheological fluid 36 and the exposed state visible from the outside upper part is shown.

  The magnetorheological fluid 36 exposed from the gap G can be easily seen by the operator who injects it. That is, as can be understood from FIG. 4A, this exposed state is exposed from almost the entire circumference of the annular gap G when viewed from above, and is also exposed from the upper end opening side of the fluid passage 51. Therefore, this state can be easily seen from the outside, and it can be recognized that the inside of the accommodating portion 33 is almost filled and the injection work is almost finished. Therefore, the operator can perform the injection operation while visually confirming the filling state of the magnetic viscous fluid 36, so that the injection amount can be appropriately adjusted, or the injection amount of the magnetic viscous fluid 36 is excessive or insufficient. An injection operation that does not occur can be performed efficiently and completed.

  In particular, in the present embodiment, the upper and lower yokes 43 and 44 are provided with fluid passages 48, 49 and 51, 52 having the same shape so as to be aligned in a straight line in the axial direction. The magnet-viscous fluid 36 can be easily injected by using the fluid passage 48 on the 43 side as the injection portion and addressing the needle tip 50a of the injector 50. As a result, an injection passage having an axial cross-section larger than the narrow gap G is formed, and the needle of the injector 50 is easily inserted on the inlet side, and the magnetorheological fluid 36 is rapidly injected into the lower region. be able to. In addition, since the fluid passages 48, 49 and 51, 52 located in the upper and lower portions are arranged in a straight line, the flow of the magnetorheological fluid 36 is performed more smoothly.

  In this case, if the air in the accommodating portion 33 is not quickly discharged to the outside, the filling of the magnetorheological fluid 36 may be incomplete, or it may be disadvantageous for quickly performing the injection operation. However, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 4A, the air passages 51 and 52 formed on the side opposite to the injection side can be used to easily release the air from the lower region. The air flow in the narrow gap G region is good, and the air can be quickly discharged outside without stagnation.

  Then, after the magnetorheological fluid 36 is filled up to the visible state of FIG. 6A, it is slightly replenished to finish the injection operation. This is because, as shown in FIG. 6B, the seal member 34, the bearing member 31 and the like are incorporated in the cylinder 22 after the injection, and the housing portion 33 is sealed and completed, and in this embodiment, A magnetorheological fluid 36 fills the internal recess of the upper seal member 34. However, even if the recess of the seal member 34 on the upper side is not filled with the magnetorheological fluid 36, the desired damper action can be obtained.

  As described above, according to the washing machine of the first embodiment, in the suspension 7 that supports the vibration isolation of the water tub 6, the magnetic viscosity fluid 36 whose viscosity changes when a magnetic field is applied to the cylinder 22 by energization. Since the enclosed damper mechanism 30 is employed, the vibration of the water tank 6 generated particularly during the dehydration operation of rotating the drum 10 at high speed can be quickly damped.

  The magnetorheological fluid 36 is enclosed in a sealed housing portion 33 in the damper mechanism 30. When the magnetorheological fluid 36 is injected, the water tank 6 in which the shaft 24 extends out of the cylinder 22. This is executed in a state before the seal member 34 and the bearing member 31 located on the side are assembled. Accordingly, the end surface of the yoke 43 on the same side is opened and exposed to the outside, and injected into the accommodating portion 33 using, for example, the injector 50 from the injection portion communicating with the gap G formed with the shaft 24. Like to do. As a result, the needle tip 50a can be reliably set at the inlet of the accommodating portion 33 and can be reliably injected into the accommodating portion 33, so that an effective damper effect utilizing the magnetorheological fluid 36 can be obtained, and the injection operation is easy. Can improve work efficiency.

  According to the present embodiment, if the magnetorheological fluid 36 filled in the accommodating portion 33 overflows from the gap G of the upper yoke 43 or is about to overflow, it is visually observed from above. can do. Therefore, the operator can confirm the filling state and can detect that the injection work is nearing the end. As a result, the operator can visually inject and can inject the magnetorheological fluid 36 accurately and quickly without causing excess or deficiency in the amount of injection of the magnetorheological fluid 36, thereby improving work efficiency. In particular, in this embodiment, similarly to the state (direction) in which the suspension 7 is incorporated, the cylinder 22 is held in the vertically oriented state to perform the injection work, so that the lower region of the magnetorheological fluid 36 can be quickly filled. In addition, the magnetorheological fluid 36 exposed in an annular shape from the gap G between the upper yoke 43 and the shaft 24 can be easily seen, and the work efficiency can be further improved.

  In addition, in this embodiment, in order to facilitate the injection work from the narrow gap G of the upper yoke 43 exposed to the outside, a groove-like fluid passage 48 communicating with the gap G is formed in the yoke 43. . The fluid passage 48 extends in the axial direction and has a semicircular cross-sectional area. For example, the fluid passage 48 has a cross-sectional area large enough to insert at least the needle tip 50a of the injector 50. Accordingly, by inserting the magnetorheological fluid 36 by partially inserting the needle 50a of the injector 50 into the fluid passage 48 and injecting the magnetorheological fluid 36, it is possible to easily inject the magnetorheological fluid 36 without leaking to the surroundings. The fluid passage 48 functions as an injection portion for the magnetorheological fluid 36, and contributes to an increase in the efficiency of the injection operation.

  In this case, as described above, it is also effective to have at least one side (upper side) yoke 43 having only the fluid passage 48 as an injection portion. However, in the present embodiment, the other side (lower side) yoke 44 is also provided. Since the fluid passage 49 having the same configuration is provided, there is an advantage that the magnetic viscous fluid 36 can be more rapidly injected to the end (seal member 35) of the accommodating portion 33.

  Further, since the fluid passages 51 and 52 are provided on the opposite sides of the fluid passages 48 and 49 of the yokes 43 and 44, respectively, the fluid passages 51 and 52 can be effectively functioned as air vents necessary for injection. The filling operation can be performed smoothly and efficiently while reliably filling the filling state in the portion 33. In this case, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 4A, in this embodiment, the cross-sectional area of the fluid passages 51 and 52 that is mainly effectively used for venting is smaller than the cross-sectional area of the fluid passages 48 and 49 on the injection side. is doing.

  This is advantageous in reducing the amount of the expensive magnetorheological fluid 36 used, and in the fluid passage 51, the magnetorheological fluid 36 exposed from the upper end surface can be easily visually observed. . Therefore, if at least one of the plurality of fluid passages is used as the injection portion and is formed larger than the cross-sectional area of the other fluid passages, the amount of use can be further reduced.

  However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 4B, a modification is made to provide fluid passages 48 (only two places are shown) having the same cross-sectional area that function as all the fluid passages (total of four places) as injection portions. It is also possible to carry out. In this case, since the cross-sectional area is large, it is natural that the air can be vented naturally. In addition, it is effective in that the injection work is easy because a plurality of locations (two locations) can be used as the injection portion and there is no possibility of mistaken injection locations. . However, the amount of use of the magnetorheological fluid 36 is slightly increased as compared with the above embodiment.

  Further, since the fluid passages 48, 49 and 51, 52 of the respective yokes 43, 44 are arranged in a straight line, that is, at the same position in the circumferential direction, the flow of the magnetorheological fluid 36 at the time of injection Can be made smoother. In this case, it is sufficient to provide at least the fluid passage 48 on the injection side and the fluid passage 49 on the other side at the same position in the circumferential direction, and the inflow of the magnetorheological fluid 36 can be made smooth.

  In the above embodiment, when the injection is about to end, the magnetorheological fluid 36 rising from below as shown in FIG. 6A is exposed to the upper end surface of the fluid passage 51 and the gap G and can be visually observed. However, since the annular gap G is narrow (for example, 0.4 mm), depending on the working environment, it may be assumed that it is not easy to view the exposed magnetorheological fluid 36 at an early stage.

Therefore, in such a case, it is possible to carry out the modification as shown in FIGS.
FIG. 7 is a view corresponding to FIG. 6, and as shown in FIG. 7A, a right angle of the inner peripheral side end 43 a of the gap G formed between the shaft 24 and the upper yoke 43, which is one side. The corners of the shape are, for example, chamfered over almost the entire circumference to form a flat chamfered portion H. Accordingly, the gap G at the inner peripheral side end 43a has a shape in which the cross section spreads outward in a trumpet shape.

  For this reason, as shown in FIG. 7A, when the magnetorheological fluid 36 is exposed from the upper end of the gap G, it is exposed in an annular shape that is much wider than the gap G when viewed from above. Thus, the operator can easily visually check this together with the exposure from the fluid passage 51, and the progress status can be confirmed quickly, so that the injection operation can be performed efficiently. FIG. 6 (b) shows the state after completion of the assembly after a predetermined amount of injection has been completed, as in FIG. 6 (b), in the internal recess of the seal member 34 after assembly. It shows that the magnetorheological fluid 36 is filled and sealed.

  Further, the modification shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B is different from the above-described planar chamfered portion H in FIG. 7 in that a rounded chamfered portion M is used, and the others are common. It is. Thus, even if the corners are chamfered to have a round shape, the effect is substantially the same as that of the above-described planar shape, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

  On the other hand, FIG. 9 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 6B showing various modified examples, which shows a modified example effective for reducing the amount of use of the magnetorheological fluid 36. First, in the configuration shown in FIG. 9A, the inner peripheral end 43a of the upper yoke 43 is a rounded chamfered portion M, which is the same as the modified example of FIG. 8A. It is in the form of On the other hand, the seal member 53 that is mounted on the upper surface side and seals the gap G between the shaft 24 and the lip 53a and 53b branches vertically. That is, the lip 53 a is in pressure contact with the shaft 24, and the lower lip 53 b is in pressure contact with the round chamfered portion M of the inner peripheral side end portion 43 a of the yoke 43 to seal the gap G to form the accommodating portion 33. Is.

  Therefore, in this case, since the inflow of the magnetorheological fluid 36 is blocked into the internal recess of the seal member 53, the amount of the magnetorheological fluid 36 used can be further reduced. In this case, although not shown, the lower-side seal member has the same shape, which is more effective and reduces the use of useless magnetorheological fluid 36 and is advantageous in terms of cost. Since the lip 53b is in pressure contact with the round chamfered portion M, there is an advantage that a watertight pressure contact state can be easily obtained.

  Next, FIG. 9B is a modified example having the same configuration as that of the first embodiment except for the seal member 54. The seal member 54 has two lips as in the above modification, that is, a lip 54a that is pressed against the shaft 24 and a lip 54b that is pressed against the upper surface of the inner peripheral side end portion 43a of the yoke 43. The amount of use of the magnetorheological fluid 36 can be reduced, and the same effects as those of the above modification are obtained.

  FIG. 9C shows the same configuration as that of the modified example of FIG. 9B except for the seal member 55. However, the seal member 55 is provided with a single lip 55a and is configured to be in pressure contact with the shaft 24 and the inner peripheral side end portion 43a using both the front and back surfaces of the lip 55a. According to this, a single lip 55a can be provided with a simple configuration, and the opening end of the gap G is directly closed by the tip of the lip 55a, thereby further reducing the amount of use of the magnetic viscous fluid 36. It is effective to reduce.

  In addition, in this embodiment, an amount of the magnetic viscous fluid 36 that can fill the accommodating portion 33 in the injector 50 is accommodated in a plurality of times, but a single amount may be accommodated. By injecting all, it becomes possible to inject a specified amount of the magnetic viscous fluid 36, and the injection work and the management of the injection amount are simplified. Even in such a case, the state in which the magnetorheological fluid 36 filled in the accommodating portion 33 overflows from the gap G of the yoke 43 to the upper surface or just before it overflows is visually confirmed to be normal and surely filled. You can confirm that it was done.

  Furthermore, the pressing operation of the injector 50 by the operating rod 50b can be performed manually but can also be mechanically automatically controlled. For example, the operation rod 50b is mechanically pressed by a pressing device (not shown), and the injector 50 is pressed while controlling the speed and time to fill the accommodating portion 33 with the required amount of the magnetorheological fluid multiple times. Can be automated. In this case, since a prescribed amount of the magnetic viscous fluid 36 can be mechanically injected, an injection amount that overflows the upper surface of the yoke 43 is not required. Of course, it can be confirmed that normal and reliable filling can be performed by making it visible from the gap G in the same manner as described above.

  In addition, the insertion position of the needle tip 50a of the injector 50 is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and for example, the needle tip 50a may be inserted up to a position that passes through the upper yoke 43 and reaches the lower region of the housing portion 33. Injecting while gradually pulling out the needle tip is advantageous in that the magnetorheological fluid 36 can be filled and injected smoothly from the lower region to the upper region.

  In addition, the seal members located at the upper and lower parts of the damper mechanism mainly prevent leakage of the magnetorheological fluid in order to form the accommodating portion. In addition, the friction member (damping force) obtained with the shaft is fixed. The specification may be taken into consideration. For example, the lip for watertightness may be configured with a spring.

(Second Embodiment)
10 and FIG. 11 are diagrams corresponding to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 showing the second embodiment. In the following, substantially the same parts as those in the above embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted. Each part will be described in detail.

  This is different from the above-described embodiment in that the coil unit 56 constituting the magnetic field generator 60 includes coil units 56a and 56b that are arranged in two stages in the vertical direction as the axial direction. Specifically, coils 58a and 58b are respectively wound around bobbins 57a and 57b disposed at the upper and lower portions of substantially the same configuration, and the yoke 61 and the lower side are provided above the upper coil 58a. The yoke 62 is arranged on the front side. However, the lower yoke 62 described above can be said to be an intermediate yoke 62 provided at an intermediate position in terms of the overall configuration of the two-stage coil units 56a and 56b.

  The lower coil unit 56b has substantially the same configuration as described above. That is, the upper yoke 62 is shared with the lower yoke 63 and the lower yoke 63 is disposed on the lower side. Yes. The coils 58a and 58b are connected in series, and the hollow portions of the cylindrical yokes 61, 62, and 63 also have a narrow gap between the outer periphery of the shaft 24 and the bobbin 57a. , 57b and a cylindrical gap G that extends in the up-down direction and communicates with the gaps formed in each of the gaps 57b (hereinafter, individual gaps are also referred to by a symbol G).

  The coil units 56a and 56b thus configured are resin-molded with, for example, a thermoplastic resin (nylon, PBT, PET, PP, etc.) with the yokes 61, 62, 63 disposed on the upper and lower portions and the middle portion thereof. In the drawing, it is indicated by a resin mold portion 59) to form an integrated configuration, and thus the magnetic field generator 60 in this embodiment is configured. Therefore, the upper and lower ends of the gap G formed by the magnetic field generator 60 are sealed by the sealing members 34 and 35, respectively, so that a cylindrical housing portion 64 is formed. The magnetoviscous fluid 36 is formed in the housing portion 64. Is filled and sealed.

  In the above configuration, a magnetic field flows around each of the coils 58a and 58b as the upper and lower coils 58a and 58b are energized, and magnetic circuits D1 and D2 are generated as indicated by broken line arrows. For example, the magnetic circuit D1 generated on the upper coil 58a side is as follows: shaft 24 → housing portion 64 (gap G) → upper yoke 61 → cylinder 22 → middle yoke 62 → housing portion 64 (gap G) → shaft 24 It is formed in the route to.

  On the other hand, the magnetic circuit D2 on the side of the coil 58b on the lower stage side is as follows: shaft 24 → housing portion 64 (gap G) → lower yoke 63 → cylinder 22 → middle yoke 62 → housing portion 64 (gap G) → shaft 24. It is formed in the route to reach. Accordingly, a damper effect similar to that of the above embodiment can be expected, such as exhibiting a vibration damping action by a frictional action due to the viscosity of the shaft 24 and the magnetic viscous fluid 36 against the vibration of the water tank 6 during dehydration operation.

  In this embodiment, since the coils 58a and 58b are provided in the upper and lower two stages, it corresponds to a total of four positions between the yokes 61, 62 and 63 and the shaft 24 based on the magnetic circuits D1 and D2. Since the viscosity change of the magnetorheological fluid 36 can be adjusted at the site, and the adjustment range is wide and the control range can be increased, the damper mechanism 30 has an advantage that a desired damping force can be easily obtained.

  On the other hand, filling the magnetorheological fluid 36 into the accommodating portion 64 is basically the same as in the above embodiment. That is, the suspension 7 is configured before the upper seal member 34 and the bearing member 31 are assembled, and the cylinder 22 is held upright in the vertical direction, and the upper yoke 61 is exposed at the upper surface. Injection can be performed from the G side.

  By the way, in this embodiment, since the accommodating part 64 also becomes a vertically long cylindrical shape as the two-stage arrangement of the coils 58a and 58b, it is required that the injected magnetorheological fluid 36 can flow smoothly. Therefore, also in this embodiment, each of the yokes 61, 62, 63 is provided with a plurality of (for example, two) groove-like fluid passages that communicate with the gap G as in the first embodiment. . Specifically, as in the first embodiment, fluid passages 65, 66, and 67 having large cross-sectional areas that can be used as injection portions are arranged in a straight line in the yokes 61, 62, and 63, respectively. That is, they are provided at the same position in the circumferential direction. In addition, fluid passages 68, 69, and 70 that are located on the opposite side and have a small cross-sectional area that can be used mainly as air vents are provided in the same arrangement as described above.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, the damper mechanism 30 in which the coil units 56a and 56b are arranged in two stages is longer in the vertical direction, which is the axial direction, and the accommodating portion 64 is also longer, but the fluid passages 65 and 66 having the same arrangement in the circumferential direction. , 67 can flow the magnetorheological fluid 36 inwardly (lower side) quickly, and the other fluid passages 68, 69, 70 can quickly discharge the air inside. Therefore, the injection work can be performed efficiently.

  In addition, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10, by using an injector 71 having a long needle tip, it is possible to perform injection more efficiently. FIG. 10 shows a so-called pre-assembly configuration excluding the upper seal member 34 and the bearing member 31, and the magnetorheological fluid 36 can be injected from above the yoke 61 whose upper surface is open. Specifically, for example, the fluid passages 65, 66, and 67 having a large cross-sectional area corresponding to the injection portion side are aligned in a straight line, and can be inserted through the fluid passages 65, 66, and 67. An injector 71 having a long needle tip 71a is prepared. In this case, the needle tip 71a is bent in the middle and extends outward from the cylinder 22, so that the injector 71 does not interfere with the shaft 24 in position during use.

  Thus, after inserting the needle tip 71 a from above the cylinder 22 to the position of the lower yoke 63, the operating rod 71 b of the injector 71 is pressed to push out the magnetorheological fluid 36. On the other hand, filling is started from the lower region. Further, the fluid passages 68, 69, 70 having a small cross-sectional area at the position opposite to the injection side can mainly discharge the internal air upward, and the inflow movement of the magnetorheological fluid 36 is made smooth.

  At that time, an amount of the magnetorheological fluid 36 necessary for filling the accommodating portion 64 is set several times in the injector 71, and the operating rod 71b is mechanically pressed by a pressing device (not shown). By pressing 71 while controlling the speed and time, a required amount of the magnetorheological fluid 36 can be filled in the accommodating portion 64. Filling can be more smoothly carried out by gradually pulling out the needle tip 71a as the injection operation proceeds and positioning it at the upper end of the upper fluid passage 65 (upper yoke 61) near the end.

  As in the above embodiment, the magnetorheological fluid 36 that has been injected and filled into the accommodating portion 64 and can be seen from the fluid passage 68 and the gap G of the uppermost yoke 61, and further from the gap G, for example, The injection operation can be performed while visually confirming the overflow, and therefore it is possible to reliably confirm that the predetermined filling state has been reached.

  As described above, according to the second embodiment, the magnetic field device 60 provided with the two-stage coils 58a and 58b is provided, and the damper effect that enhances the damping action against the vibration of the water tank 6 can be obtained. For this reason, the accommodating portion 64 that accommodates the magnetorheological fluid 36 is also vertically long and has a large volume. For example, the injection state can be visually confirmed, and the air can be discharged well. The same effect as the first embodiment can be expected, for example, it can be increased.

  In addition, in this embodiment, in particular, an injector 71 having a long needle tip 71a is prepared so that the injection of the magnetorheological fluid 36 can be started from the needle tip 71a inserted to the lower region of the accommodating portion 64. The injection operation can be carried out more efficiently, for example, by effectively discharging the air in the inside so as to be pushed upward and also filling the magnetorheological fluid 36 into the accommodating portion 64 with certainty.

  When the inside of the housing portion 64 is filled with the magnetorheological fluid 36, the surface of the magnetorheological fluid 36 is exposed from the fluid passage 68 and the gap G of the upper yoke 61, and the user can easily see this state. Therefore, it is possible to check the injection (filling) state, appropriately adjust the injection amount, or work so as not to cause excess or deficiency, and perform the injection work efficiently.

  In the above-described embodiment, the present invention is applied to a drum-type washing machine having a drum around the horizontal axis. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a laundry tub that also serves as a dewatering tub that can rotate around the vertical axis is provided. However, the present invention can also be applied to a so-called vertical axis type washing machine provided with a bottomed cylindrical water tank on the vertical axis.

  In addition, the shaft is connected to the water tank side, and the inside of the cylinder device is moved up and down (reciprocating). However, the present invention is not limited to this, for example, the cylinder side is attached to the water tank side, It is good also as a connection structure to attach. In this case, the cylinder side directly reciprocates in response to the water tank, but the shaft is configured to reciprocate relative to the cylinder, and substantially the same effect as the above embodiment can be expected.

  In addition, it is possible to inject a specified amount into the accommodating part by injecting all of this into the injector by accommodating an amount of magnetic viscous fluid that fills the accommodating part almost once in the injector. The amount can be easily managed. In this case, since the prescribed amount is surely injected, it is not necessary to inject so much that the magnetic viscous fluid is exposed. However, even in this case, the amount of the magnetorheological fluid filled in the housing portion is set to an amount that can be exposed, such as overflowing from the gap G of the yoke. The effect that it can be confirmed can be obtained.

  Furthermore, the yoke constituting the magnetic field generator is provided with a plurality of fluid passages having different passage cross-sectional areas. However, this may be set as appropriate according to the configuration of the yoke itself and the size and shape of the accommodating portion. . In addition, the coil for generating a magnetic field can be configured in two or more stages, and the insertion depth of the needle of the injector at that time can be set according to the dimensions of the coil, and each of the above embodiments can be appropriately set. It can also be implemented in combination.

  As mentioned above, although several embodiment of this invention was described, these embodiment is shown as an example and is not intending limiting the range of invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. These embodiments and modifications thereof are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalents thereof.

  In the drawings, 1 is a housing, 6 is a water tub, 7 is a suspension, 10 is a drum (washing tub), 22 is a cylinder, 24 is a shaft, 25 is a coil spring, 31 and 32 are bearing members, and 33 and 64 are accommodating portions. 34, 35 are sealing members, 36 is a magnetorheological fluid, 40, 60 are magnetic field generators, 43, 44, 61, 62, 63 are yokes, 46, 56 are coil units, 48, 49, 51, 52, 65. ˜70 is a fluid passage, and 50 and 71 are injectors.

Claims (8)

In the washing machine that supports the vibration of the water tub containing the rotatable washing tub through the suspension in the casing forming the outer shell,
The suspension is incorporated in a vertically connected manner through a damper mechanism between the housing and the water tank,
The damper mechanism includes a cylindrical cylinder, a bearing member that is separated and incorporated in the cylinder, a shaft that reciprocates according to vibration of the water tank, is inserted between the bearing members, and has one end extending outside the cylinder. And a magnetic field generator disposed in the cylinder so as to form a gap around the shaft, and is incorporated so as to form a hollow accommodating portion by sealing both outer ends of the gap of the magnetic field generator. A sealing member, and a magnetorheological fluid that fills the housing portion and changes its viscosity when a magnetic field is applied via the magnetic field generator,
The magnetic field generator comprises a coil unit formed by winding a coil for generating a magnetic field around a bobbin, and yokes disposed on both sides of the coil unit,
The magnetorheological fluid has a gap between the one-side yoke exposed to the outside and the shaft before the seal member and the bearing member on one side located on the side where the shaft extends outside the cylinder. A washing machine characterized by being able to inject from the injection part formed in the container into the housing part.   In one yoke, a groove-like fluid passage extending in the axial direction of the shaft is formed in communication with a clearance between the shaft and the fluid passage, and the fluid passage is used as a magnetorheological fluid injection portion. The washing machine according to claim 1.   3. A plurality of fluid passages are provided, and at least one of the fluid passages is used as an injection portion, and an axial cross-sectional area of the passage is formed larger than that of other fluid passages. The washing machine described.   4. The washing machine according to claim 2, wherein the fluid passage is also provided in the yoke on the other side.   The washing machine according to claim 4, wherein the fluid passages of the yokes are provided at the same position in the circumferential direction.   The washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the sealing member that seals the outer end portion of the gap of the yoke to form the accommodating portion is configured to abut against the inner peripheral side end portion of the yoke and seal.   In the yoke on one side on which the magnetorheological fluid is injected, the corner of the inner peripheral end of the gap formed between the shaft and the shaft is a flat chamfer or round chamfer. The washing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that:   The washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the yoke on one side for injecting the magnetorheological fluid is located on an upper side of a suspension incorporated between the housing and the water tank.

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