JP2016116789A - Washing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a washing machine capable of suppressing vibration and noise, and capable of reducing a dead space by reducing a gap between a peripheral wall of an outer tub and a housing.SOLUTION: A washing machine includes: a box-shaped housing 2 including an internal space Sp in which an upper side is opened; and a washing tub unit 4 suspended in the internal space Sp by a suspension rod 3. The washing tub unit 4 includes: a bottomed substantially cylindrical outer tub 5; a bottomed substantially cylindrical inner tub 6 disposed coaxially in the outer tub 5, and supported by the outer tub 5 in a rotatable manner; and a drive mechanism 7 provided at a lower end of the outer tub 5, and for rotationally driving the inner tub 6. In the suspension rod 3, a base end 3A side is mounted in the vicinity of an upper end 24 of the housing 2, and a tip 3B side is mounted below the outer tub 5. The center of gravity of the washing tub unit 4 is set at a position higher than a height center in a vertical direction of the housing 2.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a washing machine that can suppress vibration and noise.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a washing machine that supports a substantially cylindrical outer tub with a bottom inside a box-shaped housing and rotatably supports a laundry dewatering tub that is an inner tub inside the outer tub is generally known. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1).

  FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing an example of such a general washing machine 101.

  An outer tub 105 and an inner tub 106 are coaxially arranged in the internal space Sp of the housing 2, and a stirring blade 63 is provided on the bottom plate 161 of the inner tub 106. Further, a drive mechanism 107 that can selectively rotate the inner tank 106 and the stirring blade 63 is provided below the bottom plate 151 of the outer tank 105.

  The outer tub 105, the inner tub 106, and the drive mechanism 107 constitute one washing tub unit 104, and the washing tub unit 104 is suspended and supported inside the housing 2 via a hanging rod 103. The suspension rod 103 is arranged at a predetermined angle θ, and the base end 103 </ b> A side is attached to a hooking portion 25 provided near the upper end 24 of the housing 2, and the distal end 103 </ b> B side is attached to the peripheral wall 152 of the outer tub 105. The washing tub unit 104 is elastically supported by being attached via the damper mechanism 31 to the suspended support portion 53 provided at the lower part of the laundry tub. By doing so, vibration due to rotation of the inner tub 106 and the stirring blade 63 during washing or dehydration can be suppressed so as not to be excessive.

  Here, the width and depth dimensions of the installation place where the washing machine 101 as described above is installed are restricted by the waterproof board and the floor plan of the house. That is, the installation area of the washing machine 101 cannot be increased beyond a certain level. Furthermore, since the washing machine 101 is designed to increase the washing capacity as much as possible in order to be able to wash a large amount of laundry at a time, the washing machine 101 is elongated as a whole.

  Then, the laundry tub unit 104 that is vertically long is provided from the vicinity of the upper end 24 to the vicinity of the bottom surface 21 so as to occupy most of the internal space Sp of the casing 2. In the washing tub unit 104, since the heavy drive mechanism 107 is arranged on the bottom plate 151 of the outer tub 105 constituting the washing tub unit 104, the gravity center position Pc exists below the center. Therefore, the height Hc0 of the gravity center position Pc0 of the washing tub unit 104 is about 30% of the height Hu from the installation surface F to the upper end 24 of the housing 2.

  Further, in order to effectively suppress the swinging of the washing tub unit 104, it is preferable to attach the hanging rod 103 at a position substantially the same as the center of gravity Pc0 of the washing tub unit 104. 53 is provided below the peripheral wall 152 of the outer tub 105. Therefore, the inter-fulcrum distance Ls0 from the latching portion 25, which is a fulcrum to which the hanging rod 103 is attached, to the suspended fulcrum 53 becomes longer.

JP 2011-240041 A

  As described above, in the conventional washing machine, the center of gravity of the washing tub unit is at a low position, but the distance between the fulcrums for suspending the washing tub unit is long. Tends to increase, and vibration and noise tend to increase. Furthermore, it is necessary to set a gap between the outer wall of the outer tub and the housing so that contact with the housing does not occur even when the washing tub unit swings, and this gap becomes a dead space. Washing capacity is limited.

  An object of the present invention is to effectively solve such problems. Specifically, the present invention suitably suppresses vibration and noise of the washing tub unit and reduces the gap between the outer tub peripheral wall and the housing. An object of the present invention is to provide a washing machine capable of reducing dead space.

  In order to achieve this object, the present invention takes the following measures.

  That is, the washing machine of the present invention comprises a box-shaped housing having an internal space opened upward, and a washing tub unit suspended by a hanging rod in the internal space, A bottomed substantially cylindrical outer tub, a bottomed substantially cylindrical inner tub disposed coaxially within the outer tub and rotatably supported by the outer tub, and provided at the lower end of the outer tub And a drive mechanism for driving the inner tub to rotate. The suspension rod has a proximal end attached to the vicinity of the upper end of the housing and a distal end attached to the lower portion of the outer tub. The center of gravity of the washing tub unit is set at a position higher than the height center in the vertical direction of the casing.

  Further, according to the present invention, the suspension bar is attached to a suspended support part provided at a lower portion of the peripheral wall of the outer tub, with the tip end side being set at a predetermined angle, and the suspended support part is arranged above and below the housing. It is preferable to set the position higher than the center of the height in the direction.

  Further, in the present invention, the drive mechanism selectively drives the inner tank and the stirring blade provided at the bottom of the inner tank by transmitting the rotational force of the motor. The depth is preferably set within a range of 50% to 70% of the diameter of the inner tank.

  In the present invention, it is preferable that a storage portion is provided below the washing tub unit.

  In the present invention, it is preferable that the storage portion is a drawer.

  According to the present invention described above, the washing tub unit is suspended from the upper end of the housing by the suspension rod, and the center of gravity is set at a position higher than the height center in the vertical direction of the housing. Thus, the vibration generated when the inner tub is rotated by the drive mechanism is reduced, so that vibration and noise can be reduced. In addition, the gap between the outer wall of the outer tub and the housing can be reduced and the dead space can be reduced by the amount of swinging, so the diameter of the outer tub and inner tub constituting the washing tub unit is increased accordingly. By doing so, the washing capacity can be increased.

  Further, according to the present invention in which the suspended support section to which the tip end side of the hanging rod is attached is set at a position higher than the height center in the vertical direction of the housing, the dimensions of the casing and the position of the hanging rod attached to the casing are conventionally set. Is set in the same manner as described above, the distance between the fulcrums for supporting the washing tub unit by the hanging rod is shortened. Therefore, the shake of the washing tub unit can be further reduced, and vibration and noise can be further reduced. Further, by shortening the distance between the fulcrums while keeping the hanging rod at a predetermined angle, the peripheral wall of the outer tub can be positioned in the outer diameter direction as compared with the conventional case, and the dead space can be reduced. Furthermore, since it is allowed to reduce the gap between the outer tub and the casing and the gap between the outer tub and the inner tub by reducing the vibration, the diameter of the outer tub and the inner tub is increased to increase the washing capacity. It can also be made.

  Moreover, according to this invention which sets the depth of an inner tank in the range of 50% or more and 70% or less of a diameter, the fall of the inner tank with respect to an outer tank is reduced, without impairing the washing performance as a washing machine. Therefore, the gap between the outer tub and the inner tub can be reduced to further increase the washing capacity, and the amount of wasted water (so-called dead water) poured between the outer tub and the inner tub during washing can be reduced. It becomes possible to reduce. In addition, when the diameter is approximately the same as that of the conventional one, the inner tub becomes shallow, so that the laundry can be easily taken out. In addition, since the distance between the laundry and water at the upper part of the inner tub and the stirring blade is relatively close, the stirring force by the stirring blade is easily transmitted, so the capacity of the motor is reduced and the manufacturing cost and consumption are reduced. Energy can also be reduced.

  Furthermore, according to the present invention in which the storage portion is provided below the washing tub unit, the space that can be formed below the washing tub unit can be effectively used to further improve usability.

  In particular, according to the present invention in which the storage portion is a drawer, it can be used as a storage space for detergents, softeners, or utensils related to washing, and the usability can be further improved.

The longitudinal section showing the washing machine concerning one embodiment of the present invention. The longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the same washing machine typically. The perspective view which shows the washing machine. The longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows an example of the conventional washing machine typically.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a washing machine 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The washing machine 1 has a substantially square shape when viewed from above, and FIG. 1 shows a state in which the washing machine 1 is cut at diagonal positions. Moreover, this figure shows schematic structure of the washing machine 1, and a part unrelated to the present invention is partially omitted. In this figure, the same parts as those in the conventional washing machine 101 shown in FIG.

  A washing machine 1 according to this embodiment shown in FIG. 1 is configured as a so-called vertical washing machine, and includes a housing 2 and a washing tub unit 4 supported by a hanging rod 3 inside the housing 2. Furthermore, the washing tub unit 4 includes a bottomed substantially cylindrical outer tub 5, a bottomed substantially cylindrical inner tub 6 disposed coaxially therein, and a drive mechanism 7 provided at the bottom of the outer tub 5. With.

  The housing 2 is configured by a substantially rectangular bottom surface 21 and four wall surfaces 22 rising from the bottom surface 21, and has a box shape including an internal space Sp opened upward. Then, legs 23 are provided at the four corners of the bottom surface 21. The height in the vertical direction of the housing 2 in this embodiment includes such a leg 23 and is defined as the height from the installation surface F to the upper end 24 of the housing 2. At the four corners in the vicinity of the upper end 24 of the housing 2, hook-like hooks 25 are provided. The hooks 25 hang the suspension bar 3 by hooking the base end 3 </ b> A side of the suspension bar 3. It functions as a fulcrum of

  A cover 26 integrated with the operation panel is provided on the upper portion of the housing 2, and a part of the cover 26 is an opening / closing lid 26a, which is in an open state PO and a closed state PC as shown in FIG. By changing, the internal space Sp can be opened and closed.

  Returning to FIG. 1, the outer tub 5 constituting the washing tub unit 4 is a bottomed substantially cylindrical member having a bottom plate 51 that is substantially circular in plan view and a peripheral wall 52 that rises from the edge of the bottom plate 51. is there. Below the peripheral wall 52, hook-like suspension support portions 53 are integrally provided so as to be substantially equally distributed at four locations in plan view. The suspended support 53 can be attached to the tip 3 </ b> B side of the suspension bar 3.

  The inner tub 6 is configured as a so-called washing and dewatering tub, and has a bottomed substantially cylindrical shape having a bottom plate 61 having a substantially circular shape in a plan view and a peripheral wall 62 rising from an edge of the bottom plate 61. The inner tub 6 is arranged coaxially with the outer tub 5 inside the outer tub 5 and is rotatably supported by the outer tub 5 via a drive mechanism 7. The bottom plate 61 and the peripheral wall 62 are provided with many water holes (not shown), and the water in the inner tank 6 can be discharged through the water holes. A stirring blade 63 generally called a pulsator is coaxially provided immediately above the bottom plate 61 of the inner tank 6.

  The drive mechanism 7 includes a base member 71 attached to the lower surface of the bottom plate 51 of the outer tub 5, a motor 72 attached to the base member 71, and power distribution means 73 including a clutch. The motor 72 and the power distribution means 73 include a pulley 72a and a pulley 73a, respectively, and an endless belt 74 is wound around these pulleys 72a and 73a to transmit power to each other. Can do.

  The power distribution means 73 includes two output shafts 75 and 76 arranged coaxially, the inner first output shaft 75 is connected to the center of the stirring blade 63, and the outer second output shaft 76 is connected to the inner side. Connected to the bottom plate 61 of the tank 6. Based on a command from the outside, the power distribution means 73 outputs only the first output shaft 75 or both the first output shaft 75 and the second output shaft 76 as the output destination of the driving force input from the motor 72 through the pulley 73a. Can be selectively switched. Therefore, the washing machine 1 can mainly rotate only the stirring blade 63 during washing and can rotate the inner tub 6 and the stirring blade 63 integrally during dehydration.

  Four hanging rods 3 are arranged corresponding to the four corners of the housing 2. Each suspension bar 3 is arranged with a slight inclination so that the distal ends 3B are close to each other, and the base end 3A is hooked on the hooking portion 25 of the housing 2 described above. A damper mechanism 31 including a coil spring 31 </ b> A that is an elastic member is attached to the tip 3 </ b> B, and an upper end 31 </ b> A of the damper mechanism 31 is hooked on a suspended support portion 53 provided in the outer tub 5. By doing so, the washing tub unit 4 including the outer tub 5 is supported by the four suspension bars 3.

  FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing the washing machine 1. In this figure, the same parts as those in FIG. Hereinafter, the dimensional relationship of each part will be described in detail using FIG. 2 with reference to FIG.

  First, the height Hu of the housing 2 is defined as the vertical dimension from the installation surface F to the upper end 24 of the housing 2. In the present embodiment, the overall size of the housing 2 is set to be approximately the same as that of a conventional general washing machine (see FIG. 4), and the height Hu of the housing 2 is set to about 770 mm as in the conventional case.

  The bottom plate 61 of the inner tub 6 is set at a higher position than the conventional one, and the bottom plate 61 is shallower than the upper end 24 of the housing 2.

  Here, the depth Dp1 of the inner tub 6 is defined as the vertical dimension from the upper end 24 of the housing 2 to the lowest part of the upper surface of the bottom plate 61 of the inner tub 6, and the diameter Di1 of the inner tub 6 is defined as the inner tub 6 Is defined as the maximum diameter on the inner surface of the peripheral wall 62. In the conventional general washing machine 101 (see FIG. 4), when the depth Dp0 and the diameter Di0 of the inner tub 106 are defined in the same manner as described above, the depth Dp0 of the inner tub 106 is generally about 110 of the diameter Di0. % And becomes a little vertically long.

  On the other hand, in the washing machine 1 of the present embodiment, the depth Dp1 of the inner tub 6 is set to about 60% of the diameter Di1, which is about half the conventional depth. Therefore, the laundry can be easily taken in and out of the inner tub 6. Furthermore, since the height Hu of the housing 2 is the same as that of the prior art, the upper end 24 does not become too low, and it is not necessary to bend down when putting in and out the laundry.

  Furthermore, since the height of the inner tub 6 from the bottom plate 61 supported by being connected to the second output shaft 76 to the upper end 64 becomes lower, even when the laundry is put to the limit of the upper end 64. The moment acting in the direction in which the laundry becomes unbalanced during rotation and causes the inner tub 6 to fall is also reduced. Therefore, since the relative displacement between the outer tub 5 and the inner tub 6 can be reduced, the clearance Ci1 between the peripheral walls 52 and 62 of the outer tub 5 and the inner tub 6 is defined as the peripheral wall of the conventional outer tub 105 and the inner tub 106. It can be made smaller than the clearance Ci0 between 152 and 162. Specifically, the gap Ci1 is set to about 80% of the conventional gap Ci0. By doing so, the dead space can be further reduced, and wasteful water entering between the outer tub 5 and the inner tub 6 during washing, that is, so-called dead water can be reduced.

  Further, the stirring force by the stirring blade 63 during washing needs to be transmitted to the upper end 64 of the inner tub 6. However, since the height to the upper end 64 is reduced, the stirring force may be set small. Absent. Therefore, the capacity of the motor 72 is made smaller than that of the conventional motor 172, and the load resistance of the power distribution means 73 is made smaller than that of the conventional power distribution means 173, so that the drive mechanism 7 can be reduced in size and cost. it can. In addition, the power consumption by the motor 72 can be reduced to reduce the running cost.

  Further, as the bottom plate 61 of the inner tub 6 is set to a high position as described above, the bottom plate 51 of the outer tub 5 and the drive mechanism 7 attached to the lower surface side thereof are also set to a high position. Therefore, the center of gravity position Pc of the entire washing tub unit 4 is also set to a high position.

  Here, the height Hc1 of the center of gravity Pc1 of the washing tub unit 4 is defined as the vertical dimension from the installation surface F to the center of gravity Pc. In the conventional general washing machine 101 (see FIG. 4), when the height Hc0 of the center of gravity Pc0 of the washing tub unit 104 is defined in the same manner as described above, generally, the height Hc0 of the center of gravity Pc0 is the height of the casing 2. It will be about 40% of Hu.

  On the other hand, in the washing machine 1 of the present embodiment, the height Hc1 of the center of gravity Pc1 of the washing tub unit 4 is larger than 50% of the height Hu of the housing 2. That is, when the position of 1/2 of the height Hu of the housing 2 is defined as the height center Hb in the vertical direction of the housing 2, the center of gravity Pc1 of the washing tub unit 4 is higher than the height center Hb. is there.

  Therefore, when the stirring blade 63 and the inner tub 6 are rotated by the drive mechanism 7, particularly in the case of a dehydration operation in which the stirring wing 63 and the inner tub 6 are integrally rotated at high speed, the washing tub unit 4 tries to swing. Even in this case, since the upper end 24 of the housing 2 having the fulcrum of the suspension support by the suspension rod 3 and the center of gravity position Pc1 are close to each other, the vibration is reduced and the overall vibration and noise are reduced.

  Moreover, in the washing machine 1 in the present embodiment, the suspension support 53 for attaching the tip 3B side of the hanging rod 3 to the bottom plate 51 of the outer tub 5 and the center of gravity position Pc1 of the washing tub unit 4 are set high. The position is also higher than before. Specifically, the fulcrum distance Ls1 between the hooking portion 25 for attaching the base end 3A of the suspension rod 3 and the suspended fulcrum 53 for attaching the tip 3B side is about 60% of the conventional fulcrum distance Ls0. Keep it short. Therefore, the vibration of the washing tub unit 4 can be further reduced, and vibration and noise can be further reduced.

  Moreover, the length La1 of the suspension rod 3 can be shortened by shortening the distance Ls1 between fulcrums. Specifically, when the damper mechanism 31 similar to the conventional one is used, the length La1 of the hanging rod 3 is about 70% of the length La0 of the conventional hanging rod 103. For this reason, it is possible to obtain effects such as a reduction in manufacturing costs of parts and a further reduction in dead space in the housing 2.

  Further, each suspension rod 3 is attached with an inclination of a predetermined angle θ such that the tip 3B side is close to each other. By carrying out like this, the pulling force toward four corners acts on the washing tub unit 4 via each suspension rod 3, and the stability in the center position of the housing | casing 2 in planar view can be improved. Specifically, the angle θ is set to about 9 ° as in the conventional case.

  When the suspension rod 3 is inclined by a predetermined angle θ, the clearance Co1 between the wall surface 22 of the housing 2 and the peripheral wall 52 of the outer tub 5 is set according to the distance Ls1 between the fulcrums to which the suspension rod 3 is attached. Is required. In the present embodiment, as described above, the fulcrum distance Ls1 is reduced to about 60% of the conventional fulcrum distance Ls0, and accordingly, the peripheral wall 52 of the outer tub 5 is positioned in the outer diameter direction to reduce dead space. Thus, the gap Co1 can be made smaller than the conventional gap Co0. Specifically, the gap Co1 is set to about 80% of the conventional gap Co0, and the diameter of the outer tub 5 is increased accordingly.

  In addition to setting the clearance Ci1 between the outer tub 5 and the inner tub 6 to be smaller than the conventional clearance Ci0 as described above, the clearance Co1 between the wall surface 22 of the housing 2 and the peripheral wall 52 of the outer tub 5 is set. By setting it smaller than the conventional gap Co0, the diameter Di0 of the inner tank 5 is increased accordingly. Specifically, the diameter Di0 of the inner tub 5 is set to about 115% of the diameter Di0 of the conventional inner tub 105, and the washing capacity can be increased by increasing the space in the radial direction. For this reason, the washing capacity is not reduced in proportion to the reduction in the depth Dp1, and a sufficient washing capacity can be ensured.

  Furthermore, in the washing machine 1 of the present embodiment, as described above, the entire washing tub unit 4 is attached upward, so that the lower side of the internal space Sp is largely opened. Therefore, the drawer 8 is provided as a storage portion using this space.

  FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the washing machine 1 and shows the drawer 8 pulled out to the front side. A rectangular opening 22a formed in a horizontally long shape is provided in the lower portion of the front wall surface 22 of the washing machine 1, and a drawer 8 is attached to the inside thereof. Thus, the space under the washing tub unit 4 (see FIG. 2) can be effectively used to further reduce dead space. In addition, this drawer 8 is used as a storage space for detergents, bleaches and softeners necessary for washing, and appliances such as laundry nets, making it easy to organize and arrange the washing machine that tends to be cluttered. Can be further improved,

  The specific configuration of each unit is not limited to the above-described embodiment.

  For example, in the above-described embodiment, the storage unit 8 is configured as a drawer, but this may be configured as a storage shelf with an open / close door.

  Moreover, it may replace with providing the accommodating part 8 and may comprise integrally the various apparatuses for adding an additional function suitably.

  Furthermore, the dimensions of each part of the washing machine 1 are not limited to those described above, and can be changed as appropriate.

  Other configurations can be variously modified without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1,101 ... Washing machine 2 ... Housing 3,103 ... Hanging rod 3A, 103A ... Base end (of hanging rod) 3B, 103B ... (End of hanging rod) 4,104 ... Washing tub unit 5,105 ... Outer tub 6, 106 ... inner tank 7 ... drive mechanism 8 ... drawer (storage part)
24 ... upper end of the casing 51, 151 ... bottom plate 52, 152 ... peripheral wall 53 ... suspended support 61, 161 ... bottom plate 62, 162 ... peripheral wall 63 ... stirring blade 72, 172 ... motor 73, 173 ... power distribution means Dp0 , Dp1 ... Depth (inner tub) Hb ... Height center of housing Hc0, Hc1 ... Height of center of gravity Hu (of washing tub unit) Hu ... Height of housing Pc0, Pc1 ... Sp ... Internal space θ ... (Hanging rod) angle

Claims (5)

A box-shaped housing having an internal space opened upward;
A washing tub unit suspended by a hanging rod in the internal space,
The washing tub unit includes a bottomed substantially cylindrical outer tub, a coaxially arranged inside the outer tub, and a bottomed substantially cylindrical inner tub that is rotatably supported by the outer tub. Provided at the lower end of the outer tub, and provided with a drive mechanism for rotationally driving the inner tub,
The hanging rod is attached to the base end side near the upper end of the housing, and the distal end side is attached to the lower part of the outer tub,
The washing machine is characterized in that a center of gravity of the washing tub unit is set at a position higher than a height center in the vertical direction of the casing. The suspension rod is attached to a suspended support portion provided at a lower portion of the peripheral wall of the outer tub, with the tip side being at a predetermined angle,
The washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the suspended support part is set at a position higher than a height center in the vertical direction of the casing. The drive mechanism selectively drives the inner tank and the stirring blade provided at the bottom of the inner tank by transmitting the rotational force of the motor,
The washing machine according to claim 2, wherein the depth of the inner tub is set within a range of 50% to 70% of the diameter of the inner tub.   The washing machine according to claim 2, wherein a storage unit is provided below the washing tub unit.   The washing machine according to claim 4, wherein the storage portion is a drawer.

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