JP2016154703A - Motor unit for washing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a motor unit for a washing machine which accommodates a clutch mechanism therein, and which can be arranged even in a narrow arrangement space due to its simple structure.SOLUTION: A motor unit for a washing machine includes: a first motor including a cylindrical rotor and stator; and a clutch mechanism for connecting and disconnecting the transmission of driving force from the first motor to a rotary tub of the washing machine. The clutch mechanism is arranged within the rotor and stator, thereby solving the problem. In addition, a stepping motor is used as a second motor provided in the clutch mechanism, and a reduction gear train provided in the clutch mechanism is arranged in a circumferential direction, so that the clutch mechanism is reduced in size and made suitable for arrangement within the first motor.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to a motor unit for a washing machine, and more particularly to a technology for downsizing a motor unit for a washing machine including a clutch mechanism that interrupts transmission of driving force from a motor to a rotating tub.

  Patent Documents 1 and 2 below disclose a washing machine motor unit that includes a clutch mechanism that interrupts transmission of driving force from a motor to a rotating tub.

  In the clutch assembly 300 of Patent Document 1, the driving force from the driving motor 200 to the inner tank 30 is achieved by moving the clutch coupler 310 up and down by the clutch lever 320 and engaging and separating the clutch coupler 310 with the serration 254 of the rotor assembly 250. To interrupt the transmission. The clutch coupler 310 is rotatably supported by the horizontal portion 321 of the clutch lever 320. When the clutch motor 340 disposed outside the main body swings the clutch lever 320, the clutch coupler 310 moves up and down. To do.

  The clutch mechanism 4 of Patent Document 2 displaces the radial position of the clutch slider 41 of the dewatering shaft assembly 3 by the clutch cam plate 43, and engages and separates the dewatering shaft assembly 3 from the washing shaft assembly 2. The transmission of the driving force to the washing and dewatering tub is interrupted. The clutch cam plate 43 always acts to move the clutch slider 41 to the engaged position by the urging force of the tension spring 45, and the clutch lever 44 is locked by the clutch lever 44 so that the clutch slider 41 is moved to the separated position. Move to. The clutch lever 44 is connected to a phase adjusting member 102, and the phase adjusting member 102 is controlled by a switching motor 103 disposed outside the main body.

  In the clutch mechanism 7 of Patent Document 3, the support member 34 on which the second rotator 20 is rotatably supported is moved up and down by the support member moving mechanism 35, and the second rotator 20 is engaged with and separated from the first rotator 13. By doing so, transmission of the driving force from the motor 5 to the laundry basket 3 is interrupted. The support member 34 is rotated in the circumferential direction by the synchronous motor 37 of the support member moving mechanism 35 and its reduction gear train 63, and further moves in the vertical direction together with the second rotating body 20 by the action of the cam mechanism 39.

JP 2009-034552 A JP 2014-108274 A JP 2014-068553 A

  In the clutch assembly 300 of Patent Document 1, the clutch lever 320 is swung by a clutch motor 340 disposed outside the main body, so that a large installation space is required as the entire power transmission device 100, and the installation work is also required. It becomes complicated.

  Similarly, since the phase adjusting member 102 is controlled by the switching motor 103 disposed outside the main body, the clutch mechanism 4 of Patent Document 2 requires a wide mounting space as the entire fixing unit assembly 1 and is attached to the clutch mechanism 4 of Patent Document 2. The work is also complicated. Furthermore, since the structure of the clutch mechanism 4 is complicated and the number of parts is large, there is a concern about its reliability.

  The clutch mechanism 7 of Patent Document 3 can be attached in a smaller space than the clutch operation mechanism of Patent Document 1. However, since the clutch mechanism 7 of Patent Document 3 uses the synchronous motor 37 that rotates only in one direction, the clutch disengaged state and the disengaged state must be repeated in sequence, and the clutch disengaged state is unknown. , It is not possible to switch directly to the desired state. Therefore, the clutch mechanism 7 of Patent Document 3 is separately provided with a detection mechanism 40 using a tact switch 71 and a washing tub rotation detection device 8 using a Hall IC 85, and disconnection is performed while determining the state of the clutch at that time. I have control.

  The motor 5 of Patent Document 3 is arranged separately from the outside of the clutch mechanism 7. However, for example, when the motor 5 is a direct drive motor and the clutch mechanism 7 is accommodated therein, the space inside the motor is Since it is divided into parts such as a stator, the restriction on the arrangement space of the clutch mechanism 7 becomes more severe. When the clutch mechanism 7 is accommodated in such a narrow arrangement space, the sizes of the synchronous motor 37, the reduction wheel train 63, the detection mechanism 40, the washing tub rotation detection device 8 and the like constituting the clutch mechanism 7 become a problem. .

  In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a motor unit for a washing machine in which a clutch mechanism that can be arranged in a narrow arrangement space with a simple structure is accommodated.

  In order to solve the above problems, a motor unit for a washing machine of the present invention has a first motor having a cylindrical rotor and a stator, and transmission of driving force from the first motor to a rotating tub of the washing machine. A clutch mechanism for cutting the clutch mechanism, and the clutch mechanism is disposed inside the rotor and the stator.

  By accommodating the clutch device inside the first motor, the first motor can include the space for disposing the clutch device, and the size of the entire rinsing motor unit can be reduced. Moreover, it is expected that the operation of attaching the washing machine motor unit to the washing machine is simplified.

  The drive motor 200 of Patent Document 1 is also an outer rotor type motor, and the clutch coupler 310 is disposed inside the rotor assembly 250. However, the clutch assembly 300 (clutch mechanism) including the clutch motor 340 and the clutch lever 320 is the same. It extends to the outside of the drive motor 200. The clutch mechanism of the present invention means that the entire configuration of the clutch mechanism including the motor that drives the clutch mechanism is disposed inside the rotor and stator of the first motor.

  In the washing machine motor unit of the present invention, the first motor includes a first rotating body that is rotationally driven by the first motor, and the clutch mechanism is coaxial with the first rotating body. A second rotating body disposed on the first rotating body and engageable with the first rotating body; and displacing the second rotating body in an axial direction; the second rotating body and the first rotating body; A lift mechanism for switching engagement / separation of the frame, the lift mechanism rotatably supporting the second rotating body, a frame rotating mechanism for rotating the frame member, and the frame A cam mechanism for displacing the frame member in the axial direction according to the rotation direction of the member, and the frame rotation mechanism includes a second motor that can rotate in both directions, and driving of the second motor. Reduction wheel comprising a spur gear for transmitting force to the frame member When, may be configured to include.

  In the motor unit for a washing machine of the present invention, it is desirable that the second motor is a stepping motor.

  By using a stepping motor, the rotation angle can be controlled by the number of steps, so there is no need to provide a mechanism for discriminating the ascending / descending state of the frame member and a feedback mechanism for the motor rotation number. And miniaturization can be achieved. Furthermore, the stepping motor has high reliability because it has few sliding parts, and can be procured at a lower cost than the brushless DC motor.

  In the washing machine motor unit of the present invention, it is desirable that the gears constituting the reduction gear train are arranged in the circumferential direction along the outer periphery of the frame member.

  By arranging the reduction gear train along the outer periphery of the frame member, the radial size of the clutch mechanism can be suppressed. Since the clutch mechanism is arranged inside the rotor and stator of the first motor, it is predicted that the arrangement space will be a substantially cylindrical space defined by the inner peripheral surface of the rotor or stator. Therefore, when the speed reduction gear train is extended in the radial direction, the speed reduction gear train portion interferes with the rotor or the stator, and the clutch mechanism may not be accommodated unless the design of the first motor is devised. According to the present invention, since the size of the clutch mechanism in the radial direction is suppressed, the design requirements of the first motor related to the arrangement space of the clutch mechanism can be relaxed.

  In the washing machine motor unit of the present invention, a rotating shaft that rotates integrally with the first rotating body is erected at the rotation center of the first rotating body, and the rotating shaft is disposed on the outer peripheral surface. The spline portion is inserted into the cylindrical shaft, the tip of the rotating shaft is exposed from the cylindrical shaft, and the second rotating body is fitted into the spline portion, thereby the spline portion And when the first rotating body and the second rotating body are engaged with each other, the driving force of the first motor is able to move in the axial direction. The rotating shaft and the cylindrical shaft may be rotated by the rotation, and when the first rotating body and the second rotating body are separated from each other, only the rotating shaft may be rotated by the driving force of the first motor. .

  According to the washing machine motor unit of the present invention, it is possible to provide a washing machine motor unit that houses therein a clutch mechanism that can be arranged in a narrow arrangement space with a simple structure.

It is sectional drawing which shows schematic structure of the fully automatic electric washing machine provided with the motor unit for washing machines of this invention. It is an external appearance perspective view of a motor unit. It is a disassembled perspective view of a motor unit and a clutch mechanism. It is a top view explaining the structure and operation | movement of a frame rotation mechanism. It is sectional drawing explaining the raising / lowering operation of the frame member by a lift mechanism.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of a clutch mechanism according to the present invention and a motor unit for a washing machine including the clutch mechanism will be described with reference to the drawings. The motor unit for a washing machine according to the present embodiment is a drive source mounted on a spiral type fully automatic electric washing machine. The clutch mechanism switches between a washing operation in which only the pulsator is rotated and a dehydration operation in which both the pulsator and the rotating tub are rotated in accordance with the clothes washing process. In this embodiment, “upper” and “lower” refer to the upper and lower sides shown in FIG.

(overall structure)
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a fully automatic electric washing machine 90 (hereinafter simply referred to as “washing machine 90”) according to the present embodiment. The washing machine 90 has a rectangular tube-shaped casing 91 having a cover 92 that can be opened and closed at an opening on the upper surface. Inside the casing 91 is a bottomed cylindrical inner tank that constitutes a washing and dehydrating tank 95. 95a and outer tub 95b and a washing machine motor unit 10 (hereinafter simply referred to as "motor unit 10") are accommodated. The outer tub 95b is suspended from the housing 91 by a suspension bar 93 having a buffer mechanism, and a drain pipe 94 for discharging washing water to the outside is connected to the bottom of the outer tub 95b. The inner tank 95a which is a rotating tank is rotatably supported in the outer tank 95b, and a pulsator 96 is installed at the center of the bottom surface.

  The pulsator 96 and the inner tub 95a are connected to the motor unit 10 disposed below the washing / dehydrating tub 95. The rotating shaft 20 of the motor unit 10 has a tip portion passing through the bottom surface of the inner tank 95 a and connected to the pulsator 96, and the pulsator 96 rotates integrally with the rotating shaft 20. The cylindrical shaft 21 of the motor unit 10 is connected to the lower surface of the inner tank 95 a via the connecting member 22, and the inner tank 95 a rotates integrally with the cylindrical shaft 21.

  The fixing member 23 of the motor unit 10 is attached to the lower surface of the outer tub 95b. The motor unit 10 includes a first motor 30, and a first rotating body 32, a rotating shaft 20, a cylindrical shaft 21, and a clutch mechanism 40 described later are disposed inside a rotor 31 of the first motor 30. Yes. The clutch mechanism 40 controls the rotation of the inner tank 95a by interrupting the transmission of the driving force from the first motor 30 to the cylindrical shaft 21.

  When clothes are put in from the opening of the washing machine 90 and the washing machine 90 starts a washing operation, washing water is supplied to the washing and dehydrating tank 95 through a water supply pipe (not shown). Thereafter, the rotary shaft 20 and the pulsator 96 are driven to rotate by the first motor 30 and the clothes are washed. During this time, transmission of the driving force to the cylindrical shaft 21 and the inner tank 95a is disconnected by the clutch mechanism 40.

  When the washing operation is completed and the washing water is discharged from the drain pipe 94 of the outer tub 95b, the washing machine 90 shifts to a dehydrating operation for dehydrating clothes. In the dehydrating operation, the driving force of the first motor 30 is transmitted also to the cylindrical shaft 21 by the clutch mechanism 40, and the pulsator 96 and the inner tank 95a rotate integrally.

(Configuration of motor unit)
FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of the motor unit 10. The first motor 30 provided in the motor unit 10 is a disk-shaped outer rotor type motor. The above-described clutch mechanism 40 is built in a space provided inside the cylindrical rotor 31 and the stator 33 of the first motor 30, and the clutch mechanism 40 is provided outside the first motor 30. In comparison, space saving is achieved. The “cylindrical shape” in the present invention means a shape having a hollow cylindrical portion at least partially including a bottomed cylindrical shape and a cup shape. In addition, an outer rotor type motor is adopted as the first motor 30 in the present embodiment, but the same effect can be obtained even when the first motor 30 is an inner rotor type motor.

  A bearing 24 is disposed between the inner peripheral surface of the shaft portion of the fixing member 23 (transmission display) and the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical shaft 21 to ensure smooth rotation of the cylindrical shaft 21. The distal end portion of the rotating shaft 20 is exposed from the opening of the cylindrical shaft 21, and the rotation of the rotating shaft 20 is transmitted to the pulsator 96 by connecting the exposed portion to the pulsator 96. Further, the connecting member 22 shown in FIG. 1 is mounted on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical shaft 21, and the rotation of the cylindrical shaft 21 is transmitted to the inner tank 95 a through the connecting member 22. The shape of the connecting member 22 can be changed as appropriate according to the shape of the washing and dewatering tub 95 to which the motor unit 10 is applied.

(Configuration of clutch mechanism)
FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the motor unit 10 and the clutch mechanism 40. A disc-shaped first rotating body 32 is fixed to the rotation center of the rotor 31 of the first motor 30, and the first rotating body 32 is integrated with the rotor 31 by being driven to rotate. Rotate.

  The clutch mechanism 40 includes a case 41 including an upper case 41a and a lower case 41b. The case 41 includes a second rotating body 42 and a second rotating body 42 that are substantially cylindrical members having flange portions. A lift mechanism 43 that displaces in the axial direction and a coil spring 44 that constantly biases the second rotating body 42 downward are arranged.

  The first rotating body 32 and the second rotating body 42 are arranged coaxially on the axis L. Clutch tooth portions 42a and 32a in which a plurality of radially extending protrusions are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction are formed on the opposing surface of the second rotating body 42 and the first rotating body 32.

  The lift mechanism 43 includes a frame member 431 that rotatably supports the second rotating body 42, a frame rotation mechanism 432 that rotates the frame member 431, and a frame member 431 according to the rotation direction of the frame member 431. And a cam mechanism 433 for displacing the shaft in the axial direction.

  A spline portion 21 a is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the lower end portion of the cylindrical shaft 21. A longitudinal groove corresponding to the protrusion of the spline portion 21a is carved on the inner peripheral surface 42b of the second rotating body 42. The cylindrical shaft 21 is inserted into the second rotating body 42, and the inner peripheral surface 42b of the second rotating body 42 and the spline portion 21a mesh with each other, so that the second rotating body 42 is within the range of the spline portion 21a. The cylindrical shaft 21 can be slid in the axial direction, and the second rotating body 42 and the cylindrical shaft 21 rotate integrally in the circumferential direction.

  In the vicinity of the lower end of the rotating shaft 20, a serration portion 20a is provided on the outer peripheral surface thereof. A longitudinal groove corresponding to the protrusion of the serration portion 20a is formed in the bearing 32b of the first rotating body 32. When the serration portion 20a is inserted into the bearing 32b and the serration portion 20a and the bearing 32b are engaged with each other, the first rotating body 32 and the rotary shaft 20 rotate integrally in the circumferential direction.

(Configuration and operation of frame rotation mechanism)
FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the configuration of the frame rotation mechanism 432. The frame rotation mechanism 432 meshes with a small and inexpensive stepping motor 50 that is a second motor and a pinion of the stepping motor 50, and a gear 51 that is a reduction gear train that transmits the driving force of the stepping motor 50 to the frame member 431. To 54.

  The gears 51 to 54 are compound gears in which two spur gears are coupled in the axial direction. Each gear decelerates the driving force of the stepping motor 50 by alternately meshing from a small diameter gear to a large diameter gear. In the gear 54, which is the final gear, a spur gear with a large tooth height and a large tooth thickness provided at the upper portion meshes with a tooth portion 431 a provided on the outer peripheral surface of the frame member 431.

  These gears are arranged in the circumferential direction along the outer periphery of the frame member 431. By arranging the reduction gear train along the outer periphery of the frame member 431, the size of the clutch mechanism 40 in the radial direction is suppressed. The space in which the clutch mechanism 40 is disposed is a substantially cylindrical space defined by the inner peripheral surface of the stator 33 of the first motor 30. Since the clutch mechanism 40 is prevented from projecting in the radial direction, the clutch mechanism 40 has a shape suitable for housing in the first motor 30.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the frame rotation mechanism 432 in the present embodiment rotates the frame member 431 in the D direction by rotating the pinion of the stepping motor 50 clockwise in plan view, and the pinion is in plan view. The frame member 431 is rotated in the U direction by rotating counterclockwise. By using the stepping motor 50 that can rotate in both directions as a power source of the frame rotation mechanism 432, the clutch mechanism 40 can be directly switched to a desired state by designating the rotation direction.

  Further, since the rotation angle of the stepping motor 50 can be controlled by the number of steps, it is not necessary to separately provide a mechanism for detecting the raising / lowering state of the frame member 431 and a feedback mechanism for the motor rotation number. Thereby, the number of parts is suppressed and the clutch mechanism 40 is reduced in size. Since the clutch mechanism 40 in the present embodiment is built in the first motor 30, there is a possibility that repair or replacement at the time of failure becomes complicated. Therefore, the failure rate of the clutch mechanism 40 is reduced by using the stepping motor 50 with few sliding parts and relatively high reliability and further reducing the number of parts. Such an effect can also be realized by using, for example, a brushless DC motor, but in the present embodiment, the stepping motor 50 is adopted in consideration of cost.

(Configuration and operation of cam mechanism)
FIG. 5 is an explanatory view of the raising / lowering operation of the frame member 431 by the cam mechanism 433. The clutch mechanism 40 moves up and down the frame member 431 that supports the second rotating body 42 to displace the axial position of the second rotating body 42, so that the second rotating body 42 and the first rotating body 32 The clutch teeth 42a and 32a are engaged (engaged) and separated (disengaged), and the driving force is engaged.

  Four mounting pieces 431b projecting radially inward from the inner peripheral surface are formed at the lower end of the frame member 431 at equal intervals in the circumferential direction (see FIG. 4). The second rotating body 42 is rotatably supported by the frame member 431 by placing the lower surface of the flange portion on the placing piece 431b.

  The cam mechanism 433 according to the present embodiment includes an inclined cam that is provided on the frame member 431 and the upper case 41a, and in which inclined surfaces that are inclined upward in a clockwise direction in plan view are in sliding contact with each other. The upper case 41a includes a cylindrical body 41a1 extending downward from the opening. The inclined cam includes a cam formed on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical body 41a1 and the upper end of the frame member 431 (transmission display). And a cam follower formed on the inner peripheral surface of the part. The cam mechanism 433 has four pairs of the inclined cams at equal intervals in the circumferential direction.

  When the frame rotation mechanism 432 rotates the frame member 431 in the direction D (see FIG. 4), the cam follower on the frame member 431 side slides down the cam on the upper case 41a side, and the frame member 431 It descends (FIG. 5 (a)). When the frame member 431 is rotated in the U direction (see FIG. 4), the cam follower on the frame member 431 side slides upward on the cam on the upper case 41a side, and the frame member 431 moves up (FIG. 5 ( b)).

  FIG. 5A shows the state of the lift mechanism 43 during the washing operation of the washing machine 90. The clutch mechanism 40 is in a disengaged state during the washing operation. When the clutch mechanism 40 is in the disengaged state, the lift mechanism 43 is in a position after the frame member 431 is lifted, and the second rotating body 42 is also lifted by the frame member 431 and separated from the first rotating body 32. . Therefore, the meshing of the clutch tooth portions 42a and 32a of the second rotating body 42 and the first rotating body 32 is released, and the driving force of the first motor 30 is not transmitted to the second rotating body 42 and the subsequent parts.

  FIG. 5B shows a state of the lift mechanism 43 during the dehydrating operation of the washing machine 90. The clutch mechanism 40 during the dehydrating operation is in the connected state. The lift mechanism 43 when the clutch mechanism 40 is in the joint state is in a position where the frame member 431 is lowered, and the second rotating body 42 is also urged downward by the coil spring 44 and is lowered together with the frame member 431. Thereby, the clutch tooth portions 42a and 32a of the second rotating body 42 and the first rotating body 32 are engaged with each other, and the driving force of the first motor 30 is transmitted to the inner tank 95a. That is, when the clutch tooth portions 42 a and 32 a are engaged, the driving force of the first motor 30 causes the rotor 31, the first rotating body 32, the second rotating body 42, the cylindrical shaft 21, and the connecting member 22 to be engaged. To the inner tank 95a, and the inner tank 95a rotates.

  Since the rotary shaft 20 is fixed to the first rotary body 32 and rotates integrally with the first rotary body 32, the pulsator 96 connected to the rotary shaft 20 always rotates together with the first motor 30. . That is, the driving force of the first motor 30 is transmitted to the pulsator 96 through the first rotating body 32 and the rotating shaft 20 regardless of the meshing state of the clutch tooth portions 42a and 32a. The washing machine 90 rotates in both cases of the washing operation and the dehydrating operation.

  Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

10 motor unit 20 rotating shaft 21 cylindrical shaft 30 first motor 32 first rotating body 40 clutch mechanism 42 second rotating body 43 lift mechanism 431 frame member 432 frame rotating mechanism 433 cam mechanism 50 stepping motors 51 to 54 Gear (Deceleration wheel train)
95a Inner tank

Claims (7)

A first motor having a cylindrical rotor and stator;
A clutch mechanism for interrupting transmission of driving force from the first motor to the rotating tub of the washing machine,
The motor unit for a washing machine, wherein the clutch mechanism is disposed inside the rotor and the stator. The first motor includes a first rotating body that is rotationally driven by the first motor,
The clutch mechanism is
A second rotating body disposed coaxially with the first rotating body and engageable with the first rotating body;
2. A lift mechanism that displaces the second rotating body in an axial direction and switches engagement / separation between the second rotating body and the first rotating body. Motor unit for washing machines. The lift mechanism is
A frame member that rotatably supports the second rotating body;
A frame rotation mechanism for rotating the frame member;
The motor unit for a washing machine according to claim 2, further comprising a cam mechanism that displaces the frame member in an axial direction in accordance with a rotation direction of the frame member. The frame rotation mechanism is
A second motor rotatable in both directions;
The motor unit for a washing machine according to claim 3, further comprising: a reduction gear train that transmits a driving force of the second motor to the frame member.   The motor unit for a washing machine according to claim 4, wherein the second motor is a stepping motor.   The motor unit for a washing machine according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the gears constituting the reduction gear train are arranged in a circumferential direction along an outer periphery of the frame member. A rotating shaft that rotates integrally with the first rotating body is erected at the rotation center of the first rotating body,
The rotating shaft is inserted through a cylindrical shaft having a spline portion formed on the outer peripheral surface,
The tip of the rotating shaft is exposed from the cylindrical shaft,
The second rotating body is slidable in the axial direction of the spline portion by being fitted to the spline portion, and rotates integrally with the cylindrical shaft in the circumferential direction,
When the first rotating body and the second rotating body are engaged, the rotating shaft and the cylindrical shaft are rotated by the driving force of the first motor,
7. Only the rotating shaft is rotated by the driving force of the first motor when the first rotating body and the second rotating body are separated from each other. 7. A motor unit for a washing machine as described in 1.

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