JP2017153631A - Washing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a washing machine which has an unprecedented supporting structure, and which can suppress vibration during actuation equally well compared to a structure applying a suspension rod.SOLUTION: A washing machine 1 includes: a case 2 having a case body 20 which is provided for accommodating an outer tub 3, which has a bottom wall 21 for supporting the outer tub 3 from below and in which an upper end is opened, a fixed lid 24 fixed at the upper end of the case body 20, and a movable lid 25 which is provided at the fixed lid 24 in an operable manner, in which a lid side opening 28 can be formed at the fixed lid 24 for selectively opening the upper end of the case body 20 to the outside, and for opening an inner tub side opening 43 formed at the inner tub 4 upper end part upwardly; a damper 6 standing from the bottom wall 21, and for supporting a lower end of the outer tub 3 while absorbing the vibration of the outer tub 3; and a hopper 7 provided between the inner tub side opening 43 and the lid side opening 28, and for guiding putting in/taking out of laundry from the lid side opening 28 to the inner tub side opening 43.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to a washing machine that can be suitably used mainly for home use.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a vertical washing machine prevents swinging of an outer tub and an inner tub near a resonance point by supporting four portions of the outer tub with suspension bars (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Such a hanging rod extends obliquely upward from the lower end of the outer tub, and supports the outer tub by suspending it via a vibration damping spring, between the corner of the case having a rectangular shape in plan view and the outer tub. Dead space is used as a storage location.

Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2005-253626

  However, in the case of the structure to which the hanging rod as described above is applied, the suspension rod component and the outer tank are in sliding contact with each other, so there is a potential problem that the possibility of occurrence of abnormal noise cannot be eliminated. In recent years, in addition to the design appearance, there is also a demand to make the inside of the washing machine transparent so that the inside of the washing machine can be seen from the viewpoint of visualization of the washing state and the visibility of the failure part. In order to meet these demands, the suspension rod is in the way and it is necessary to review the support structure.

  Therefore, as a new support structure, it is conceivable that a vertical washing machine is supported by a damper from under the outer tub as in a so-called drum type washing machine. In that case, considering the propagation of vibration to the case, it is first considered that the damper is installed near the bottom wall of the case. However, when such a structure is applied, the position of the outer tub becomes lower than that of the hanging rod structure. Therefore, if the height position of the operation plate etc. of the case lid is the same as that of the hanging rod structure, the distance between the outer tub / inner tub and the opening of the case lid is wider than the washing machine using the hanging rod. Invite you to a new problem.

  The present invention aims to effectively solve such problems, and suppresses vibration during operation to the extent that it is inferior to a structure to which a hanging rod is applied while providing a support structure that has not been obtained so far. It aims to provide a washing machine that can be used.

  The present invention takes the following measures in view of the above problems.

  That is, the washing machine of the present invention includes an inner tub that accommodates laundry and has an inner tub side opening, an outer tub that accommodates the inner tub, and a case that accommodates the inner tub and the outer tub. The washing machine is provided between a damper that is erected from the bottom wall and supports a lower end of the outer tub while absorbing vibration of the outer tub, and the inner tub side opening and the lid side opening. And a hopper for guiding the loading and unloading of the laundry from the lid side opening to the inner tub side opening.

  According to the present invention, the hopper has a generally tapered shape having a lower end continuous to the upper end of the inner tub and a large upper end having a gradually increasing diameter from the lower end upward. It is characterized by.

  Further, the present invention is characterized in that at least a part of the case and the hopper are transparent or translucent.

  Moreover, this invention is comprised by the raw material whose specific gravity is smaller than an outer tank and an inner tank, It is characterized by the above-mentioned.

  Further, the present invention is characterized in that the hopper functions as a raising tank for storing water having a higher water level than the upper end of the inner tank.

  Further, the present invention is characterized in that the hopper has an extending portion extending from the inner periphery of the outer tub to the inner tub side opening, and a hopper main body erected integrally from the extending portion. And

  As described above, according to the present invention described above, the damper is provided between the damper that is erected from the bottom wall of the case and supports the lower end of the outer tank while absorbing the vibration of the outer tank, and the inner tank side opening and the lid side opening. By providing a hopper for guiding the loading and unloading of the laundry from the lid side opening to the inner tub side opening, an abnormal noise caused by sliding contact between the hanging bar and the outer tub by eliminating the hanging bar By removing the occurrence and supporting it close to the bottom wall of the case via the damper, the influence of vibration on the case due to the falling moment can be effectively suppressed. In addition, by interposing a hopper between the case and the inner tub, it is possible to appropriately guide the taking in and out of the laundry even when the distance between the inner tub side opening and the lid side opening is increased.

  Further, according to the present invention, the hopper has a generally tapered shape having a lower end continuous to the upper end of the inner tub and a large upper end having a gradually increasing diameter from the lower end upward. In other words, since it has an inverted frustoconical shape or a general mortar shape, the opening area of the upper end portion of the hopper can be made larger than that of the inner tub, and the convenience of taking in and out the laundry is further improved.

  In addition, according to the present invention, since at least a part of the case and the hopper are transparent or semi-transparent, in addition to the design appearance, it leads to visualization of the washing state and improvement of the visibility of the failure part.

  According to the present invention, since the hopper is made of a material having a specific gravity smaller than that of the outer tank and the inner tank, the natural frequency can be increased by reducing the weight of the member supported by the damper. In general, vibration during dehydration can be reduced.

  Moreover, according to this invention, since the hopper is functioned as the raising tank for storing the water of a water level higher than the upper end of an inner tank, the effect similar to what raised the volume of the inner tank is acquired.

  Further, according to the present invention, the hopper has an extending part that extends from the inner periphery of the outer tank to the inner tank side opening, and a hopper body that is integrally provided upright from the extending part. Therefore, the strength of the hopper can be effectively increased regardless of the material used.

The perspective view which shows the external appearance of the washing machine which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. The other perspective view which concerns on the same embodiment. The sectional side view concerning the embodiment. Action | operation explanatory drawing which concerns on the same embodiment. Same as above. The A section enlarged view which concerns on FIG.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the outer shape of the washing machine 1 of the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is an external view showing a state visually recognized in the washing machine 1 of the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the main internal structure of the washing machine 1. 3, illustration of the drive part of the washing machine 1, the part which concerns on control, and the part which concerns on control is abbreviate | omitted suitably.

  The washing machine 1 of the present embodiment can be suitably used at home, for example, and includes an inner tub 4 for storing laundry, an outer tub 3 for storing the inner tub 4, an inner tub 4 and an outer tub. And a case 2 that accommodates the tank 3 so as to be visible from the outside. In addition to the outer tub 3, the inner tub 4 and the case 2, the washing machine 1 includes a hopper 7 attached to the upper portion of the outer tub 3, a damper 6 attached to the lower side of the outer tub 3, and an upper end of the outer tub 3. And a labyrinth portion 8 provided between the inner tub 4 and the inner tub 4.

  The washing machine 1 according to this embodiment has a bottom wall 21 that is provided to accommodate the outer tub 3 and supports the outer tub 3 from below, and has an upper end opened, and an upper end of the case main body 20. A fixed lid 24 that is fixed, and a lid that is operatively provided on the fixed lid 24 and that selectively opens the upper end of the case body 20 to the outside and opens the inner tank side opening 43 formed at the upper end of the inner tank 4 upward. A case 2 having a movable lid 25 capable of forming a side opening 28 in the fixed lid 24, a damper 6 standing from the bottom wall 21 and supporting the lower end of the outer tub 3 while absorbing vibration of the outer tub 3; And a hopper 7 provided between the inner tub side opening 43 and the lid side opening 28 for guiding the loading and unloading of the laundry from the lid side opening 28 to the inner tub side opening 43.

  Hereinafter, the structure of each component which comprises the washing machine 1 is demonstrated. First, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the case 2 has a substantially cylindrical shape with a bottom, and is separated from the outer tub 3 accommodated therein with a substantially uniform dimension in plan view. The case 2 has a case main body 20 mainly composed of a cylindrical tubular body 22 whose upper end is opened, and a bottom wall 21 which is provided at the lower end of the case main body 20, that is, the cylindrical body 22 and supports the outer tub 3 from below. A fixed lid 24 that is fixed to the upper end of the case main body 20 and has an annular shape in plan view, and an upper end of the inner tub 4 that is provided on the fixed lid 24 and is selectively opened to the outside. And a movable lid 25 having a substantially circular shape in plan view that can form a lid-side opening 28 that opens the inner tank-side opening 43 formed upward.

  The case body 20 has a tubular body 22 made of, for example, a transparent or translucent resin such as acrylic, and a wiring cover 23 that is provided over the tubular body 22 and accommodates various wirings. And a bottom wall 21 that indirectly supports the outer tub 3 from below on the bottom surface side of the case body 20. The fixed lid 24 has a lid-side opening 28 that is opened in a substantially circular shape on the inner peripheral side, and has a hinge portion 26 that supports the movable lid 25 so that the movable lid 25 can be opened and closed. And the water supply part 27 for supplying water toward the inner tank 4 provided in the position displaced in the circumferential direction from this hinge part 26 is provided.

  The outer tub 3 is a bottomed cylindrical member disposed inside the case 2 and can store washing water therein. The outer tank 3 is interposed between an outer tank body 31 for storing water, an outer tank cover 32 provided at the upper end of the outer tank body 31, and the outer tank body 31 and the outer tank cover 32. And a packing water sealing portion 34 for preventing water leakage to the outside. The packing water sealing part 34 includes a water sealing member 36 provided on the lower side of the outer tank cover 32 and a packing 35 for preventing water leakage. A specific configuration in the vicinity of the packing water seal 34 will be described later.

  The inner tank 4 is a bottomed cylindrical member that is disposed coaxially with the outer tank 3 in the outer tank 3 and is rotatably supported. The inner tub 4 is a normal one that can store laundry therein and has a large number of water passage holes on its wall surface. As shown in FIG. 3, a balancer 41 projecting inwardly in an annular shape and three baffles 42 projecting inwardly below the balancer 41 are formed on the upper end side of the inner peripheral surface of the inner tank 4. Is provided. And in the vertical fully automatic washing machine 1 like this embodiment, the pulsator (stirring blade) 5 driven by the drive device 50 illustrated by an imaginary line is rotatably arranged in the center of the bottom of the inner tub 4. .

  The pulsator 5 is a normal one having a substantially disc-shaped pulsator body and a plurality of blade portions formed on the upper surface of the pulsator body. Such a pulsator 5 agitates the wash water stored in the outer tub 3 to generate a water flow. Although only the position of the driving device 50 is shown by an imaginary line in the figure, the driving device 50 is mainly composed of a motor (not shown) and rotates a driving shaft extending toward the bottom of the inner tank 4 to rotate the inner tank 4 or The pulsator 5 is rotated. The washing machine 1 mainly rotates only the pulsator 5 in the washing process, and rotates the inner tub 4 and the pulsator 5 integrally at a high speed in the dehydration process.

  In the present embodiment, the outer tub 3 and the inner tub 4 are supported on the bottom wall 21 of the case 2 via the damper 6 from below in the case 2. And the outer tank 3 is not supported by the hanging rod from the side or from above. That is, the washing machine 1 according to the present embodiment further improves the visibility of the laundry from above by avoiding the arrangement of the hanging rods, which will be described in detail later.

  The damper 6 is for effectively reducing vibration generated in the operating outer tub 3 while supporting the operating outer tub 3 from below. The damper 6 includes an inner shaft 61 fixed to the bottom wall 21 of the case 2, an outer shaft 62 fixed to the outer tub 3 side while covering the outer side of the inner shaft 61, a lower end of the outer shaft 62, and It has a spring 63 that is a compression coil spring that is interposed on the bottom wall 21 side of the case 2 to reduce vibrations propagated to the case 2 by appropriately expanding and contracting according to the vertical movement or vibration of the outer tub 3. . A cushion rubber 64 is provided between the outer shaft 62 and the outer tub 3 and between the inner shaft 61 and the bottom wall 21. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the damper 6 is disposed at the position of the maximum diameter or the vicinity thereof in a range that does not protrude from the bottom of the outer tub 3 in plan view. In the present embodiment, the spring 63 has a low spring constant so that the spring is not in close contact during dehydration and does not tilt the outer tub 3 during operation.

  In the present embodiment, as described above, the hopper 7 is provided above the outer tank 3, specifically, from the lid side opening 28 of the fixed lid 24 to the inner tank side opening 43. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the hopper 7 is provided between the lid side opening 28 and the inner tub side opening 43 to guide the taking in and out of the laundry from the lid side opening 28 to the inner tub side opening 43. In addition to functioning as a water receiving guide, the laundry is guided from the lid side opening 28 to the inner tub side opening 43.

  The hopper 7 is formed of a resinous integrally molded product configured to be transparent or semi-transparent, and has a generally cone shape, that is, a tapered hopper body 71, and extends outward from a lower end portion of the hopper body 71. And an extending portion 72. The diameter of the opening part which is the inner edge of the extension part 72 is a diameter substantially corresponding to the opening on the inner tank 4 side. The hopper main body 71 has a large-diameter upper end 73 that opens larger than the inner tank side opening 43 at the upper end thereof, a folded end 74 provided on the large-diameter upper end 73, and an intermediate position in the vertical direction of the hopper main body 71. The opening is provided at an arbitrary position, and has an overflow hole 75 for setting an upper limit water level in the washing process and the rinsing process. The hopper 7 may use a material having a specific gravity smaller than that of the material used for the outer tub 3 among the resin materials, and has a lighter structure than the outer tub 3.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, on the outside of the overflow hole 75, an overflow for discharging water from the overflow hole 75 to the outside of the machine to avoid storing water above the overflow hole 75. A pipe 76 is connected. The overflow pipe 76 is mainly composed of an elliptical portion that is curved in plan view in order to effectively use the circumferentially curved space between the cylindrical case 2 and the outer tub 3. Further, since the mechanism and structure for discharging water from the overflow pipe 76 to the outside of the machine are existing, the description thereof is omitted.

  In addition, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4 in particular, the inner periphery of the lid-side opening 28 of the fixed lid 24 has a shape and a size that opens substantially the entire inner tank-side opening 43 upward. The inner tank side opening 43 provided in the upper end portion has a shape and a size that open substantially upward. In other words, the opening edge of the lid side opening 28 is positioned outside any portion of the opening edge of the inner tank side opening 43.

  In this embodiment, the hopper 7 functions as a raising tank for storing water having a higher water level than the upper end of the inner tank 4. That is, the hopper 7 functions as a washing tub. In addition, in the present embodiment, as described above, the cylindrical body 22, the movable lid 25, and the hopper 7 of the case body 20 are transparent or semi-transparent, so that the vicinity of the water surface rising to the hopper 7 through the fixed lid 24 during washing. It is also easy to visually recognize the laundry in the vicinity of the water surface from the side via the cylindrical body 22 and the hopper 7 from the side. In other words, the laundry is visualized well. Further, by making the cylindrical body 22 transparent or translucent, visualization of the internal mechanical components is also improved. This improves the user's understanding of the driving state and the convenience of maintenance work.

  Further, in this embodiment, the hopper 7 functions as a raising tank at the time of washing, but the laundry is guided into the inner tank 4 which is a dehydrating tank at the time of dehydration by having a generally cone shape, that is, a tapered shape, so that the inner tank is surely provided. 4 can be stored.

  In addition, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5 in particular, the damper 6 is disposed at the lower portion of the outer tub 3 and the hopper 7 as the raising tank is configured to be lightweight so that the natural vibration of the portion supported by the damper 6 is achieved. The number can be increased and vibration during dehydration can be further reduced.

  Furthermore, in this embodiment, since the hopper 7 is fixed to the outer tub 3 and cannot be rotated, the inner tub 4 is of course configured to be rotatable, but nevertheless, the inner tub 4 and the hopper 7 There is no leakage of water from between.

  That is, in this embodiment, as particularly shown in FIG. 6, the labyrinth portion 8 is formed in a region extending over the upper ends of the hopper 7, the outer tub 3, and the inner tub 4, and is provided in the extending portion 72 of the hopper 7. An upper rib 81 extending downward in the vertical direction, a lower rib 82 provided at the upper end of the inner tank 4 and extending upward in the vertical direction, and an air reservoir 83 are provided. The packing 35 is provided at the upper end of the outer tub 3 and at a position vertically above the virtual plane including the tip of the upper rib 81, and seals the upper end of the outer tub 3 and the extending portion 73. . Thereby, it is possible to prevent the air in the air reservoir 83 from going beyond the packing 35 and out of the outer tub 3.

  When water is accumulated above the balancer 41 in the inner tank 4, the liquid level in the labyrinth portion 8 is formed on substantially the same plane as the tip of the upper rib 81, and the liquid level and the liquid level are higher than the liquid level. Thus, an air reservoir 83 is formed between the inner peripheral surface of the extending portion 72. By forming the air reservoir 83, even if the water in the hopper 7 tries to move outward between the upper and lower ribs 81 and 82, an air reservoir is already formed in the vicinity of the packing 35. The outward movement is strongly suppressed by the air reservoir 83. Further, since the packing 35 is provided, even if water enters beyond the air reservoir 83, it can be prevented from flowing out of the outer tub 3. Thereby, the number of fastening parts required for the connection between the outer tub 3 and the hopper 7 is effectively reduced.

  As described above, the washing machine 1 according to the present embodiment includes the damper 6 that is erected from the bottom wall 21 of the case 2 and supports the lower end of the outer tub 3 while absorbing the vibration of the outer tub 3, and the inner tub side. By providing a hopper 7 provided between the opening 43 and the lid side opening 28 for guiding the loading and unloading of the laundry from the lid side opening 28 to the inner tub side opening 43, it is possible to suspend the hanging bar. The generation of abnormal noise caused by sliding contact between the rod and the outer tub 3 is eliminated, and the effect of vibration on the case 2 caused by the tilting moment is supported by bringing it close to the bottom wall 21 of the case 2 via the damper 6. Is effectively suppressed. In addition, by interposing the hopper 7 between the case 2 and the inner tub 4, even when the distance between the inner tub side opening 43 and the lid side opening 28 is increased, it is possible to appropriately guide the taking in and out of the laundry. It is possible.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, the hopper 7 has a substantially tapered shape having a lower end continuous with the upper end of the inner tub 4 and a large diameter upper end 73 having a gradually increasing diameter from the lower end toward the upper side. In other words, because it has an inverted frustoconical shape or a general mortar shape, the opening area of the upper end portion of the hopper 7 can be made larger than that of the inner tub 4, and the convenience of taking in and out the laundry is further improved. It has become a thing.

  Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, since at least a part of the case 2 and the hopper 7 are transparent or semi-transparent, in addition to the design appearance, the visualization of the washing state and the visibility of the failure location are improved.

  Moreover, according to this embodiment, since the hopper 7 is comprised with the raw material whose specific gravity is smaller than the outer tank 3 and the inner tank 4, by reducing the weight of the member currently supported by the damper 6, the damper 6 The natural frequency of the supported part can be increased, and vibration during normal dehydration is reduced.

  And according to this embodiment, since the hopper 7 is functioning as a raising tank for storing the water of the water level higher than the upper end of the inner tank 4, the volume of the inner tank 4 is raised using a simple structure. Has the same effect as

  Moreover, according to this embodiment, the hopper 7 extends from the inner periphery of the outer tub 3 to the inner tub side opening 43, and the hopper main body 71 erected integrally from the extension 72. Therefore, the strength of the hopper 7 is effectively increased as a shape that is difficult to bend although a lightweight material is used.

  As mentioned above, although one Embodiment of this invention was described, the structure of this embodiment is not limited to what was mentioned above, A various deformation | transformation is possible.

  For example, the configuration in which three dampers are arranged has been disclosed in the above embodiment, but of course, any configuration that can support the outer tub may be used, and for example, an embodiment in which four or more dampers are applied is not hindered.

  Moreover, although the structure which fixes a hopper to an outer tank was disclosed in the said embodiment, of course, the structure which has arrange | positioned the hopper on the case side, specifically a structure which fixes a hopper to a fixed lid | cover or a case main body. good.

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

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Washing machine 2 ... Case 20 ... Case main body 22 ... Bottom wall 24 ... Fixed lid 25 ... Movable lid 28 ... Cover side opening 3 ... Outer tub 4 .... Inner tank 43 ... Inner tank side opening 6 ... Damper 7 ... Hopper

Claims (6)

A washing machine having an inner tub in which an inner tub side opening is formed, an outer tub for accommodating the inner tub, and a case for accommodating the inner tub and the outer tub;
A damper that is erected from the bottom wall and supports the lower end of the outer tub while absorbing vibration of the outer tub;
A hopper that is provided between the inner tub side opening and the lid side opening and guides the taking in and out of the laundry from the lid side opening to the inner tub side opening;
A washing machine comprising: The washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the hopper has a lower end portion that is continuous with an upper end portion of the inner tub, and a large-diameter upper end portion that gradually increases in diameter from the lower end portion upward. . The washing machine according to claim 1 or 2, wherein at least a part of the case and the hopper are transparent or translucent. The washing machine according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the hopper is made of a material having a specific gravity smaller than that of the outer tub and the inner tub. The washing machine according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the hopper functions as a raising tank for storing water having a higher water level than an upper end of the inner tank. The hopper has an extending part extending from the inner periphery of the outer tub to the inner tub side opening, and a hopper main body erected integrally from the extending part. The washing machine according to claim 5.

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