JP2021045435A - Washing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a washing machine securing stable radio wave intensity, having a simple wire routing from a control board to a radio communication unit, and preventing the radio communication unit from being affected by large noise.SOLUTION: A washing machine comprises a housing, an inner tub into which laundry is put, a radio communication unit transmitting and receiving information to/from external equipment, a power supply unit, and behind the housing, a blower part blowing out air to the inner tub. The radio communication unit and the power supply unit are provided at a front side of the housing.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Regarding washing machines that wash laundry such as clothes.

Conventionally, as for the control of this type of washing machine, a control method has been proposed in which a control unit programmatically controls a series of processes such as washing, rinsing, and dehydration. In these controls, the user presses the buttons of the washing process such as washing, rinsing, and dehydrating on the display panel of the washing machine body to perform washing.

However, there is an increasing demand for performing laundry operations even when not at home, such as making reservations for laundry from outside. Therefore, a washing machine having a communication function is being considered.

In Patent Document 1, in order to eliminate the influence of electromagnetic noise, the power-on switch is arranged on either the left or right side of the operation display unit, and the washing machine transmitter / receiver for communication is arranged on the power-on switch of the operation display unit. It is configured to be placed on the opposite side of the position.

Japanese Patent No. 6019390

However, with respect to the power-on switch which is a noise source described in Patent Document 1, a large amount of noise is generated when the power-on switch is turned on / off.

Basically, the wireless communication unit of the communication function is activated only when the power-on switch is turned on, so it is not necessary to consider the influence of noise from the power-on switch.

On the contrary, when the transmission / reception unit is provided on the opposite side of the power-on switch, the wiring route from the control board that controls washing becomes complicated, and the work efficiency may decrease.

On the other hand, as a large noise source, a fan motor of a drying unit can be considered. Since the fan motor rotates during washing control, it is necessary to arrange the wireless communication unit as far away from the fan motor as possible.

An object of the present invention is to provide a washing machine that secures stable radio field strength, simplifies wiring routing from a control board to a wireless communication unit, and does not affect the wireless communication unit due to large noise.

In order to solve the above problems, the washing machine of the present invention includes a housing, an inner tub into which laundry is put, a wireless communication unit that transmits and receives information to and from an external device, a power supply unit, and the housing. A blower unit for blowing air to the inner tank is provided at the rear, and the wireless communication unit and the power supply unit are configured to be provided in front of the housing.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can provide a washing machine that secures stable radio field strength, simplifies wiring routing from a control board to a wireless communication unit, and is not affected by large noise in the wireless communication unit.

It is a perspective view which shows the external structure of the vertical type washing machine which concerns on this invention. It is a front view which shows the vertical type washing machine which concerns on this invention. It is a block diagram which looked at the vertical type washing machine which concerns on this invention from diagonally above front. It is a schematic diagram which shows the internal structure of the vertical type washing machine which concerns on this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the detailed structure of the front upper right side of a vertical type washing machine. It is an exploded perspective view which shows the state which looked up at the front upper right side of the vertical type washing machine from the bottom. It is an exploded perspective view which shows the state which looked up at the wireless communication device from the bottom. It is a perspective view which shows the state which looked up at the wireless communication device from the bottom. It is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention (hereinafter, referred to as “the present embodiment”) will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that each figure is merely schematically shown to the extent that the present invention can be fully understood. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the illustrated examples. Further, in each figure, common components and similar components are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicate description thereof will be omitted.

In this embodiment, in addition to the above-mentioned problems, the conventional vertical washing machine has a problem as described in the chapter <Main features of the vertical washing machine (washing machine dryer)> described later. It is intended to provide a vertical washing machine (washing machine dryer) in consideration of solving the problem.

The vertical washing machine, which is the washer / dryer according to the present embodiment, has the following structural features.

(1) The washing machine 1 is equipped with a wireless communication device 60 on the front upper right side of the housing 11.

(2) The washing machine 1 is equipped with a wireless communication device 60 on the front upper right side of the housing 11, which is located far from the drying unit 71 (see FIG. 5).

(3) The washing machine 1 is equipped with a wireless communication device 60 at a position closer to the user's standing position than the operation panel 14 (see FIG. 4).

(4) The washing machine 1 is equipped with a wireless communication device 60 in front (outside) of the outer tub 22 (see FIG. 5).

(5) The washing machine 1 is provided with a wireless communication device 60 on the upper surface of a safety switch 36 which is a detection unit for detecting abnormal vibration provided on a protective cover 35 arranged on the front upper right side of the upper surface cover 12. There is. (See FIG. 9).

(6) The washing machine 1 is arranged on the front upper right side of the upper surface cover 12, and the power switch 37 and the safety switch 36 are integrated to simplify the wiring routing (see FIGS. 5 and 9).

<External configuration of washing machine>
Hereinafter, the external configuration of the washing machine 1 (vertical washing machine) according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an external configuration of the vertical washing machine 1 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a front view showing the configuration of a vertical washing machine. FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram showing a vertical washing machine viewed from diagonally above and forward.

Here, the vertical type washing machine, which is the washing machine 1, will be described as a washing / drying machine having a function of drying an object to be washed (cloth). However, the vertical washing machine may not have a drying function. Further, here, the washing machine 1 will be described as a vertical washing machine in which a water tank, which is a vertical inner tank, is arranged inside the housing. However, the washing machine 1 may be a drum type washing machine.

The washing machine 1 is provided with a first charging unit 31 (input port) provided in front of the housing 11 (upper left side of the front), and the user manually inputs the washing treatment liquid into the water tank 21 (washing and dehydrating tank). It will be described as assuming that it is a manual loading unit. Further, the second charging unit 32 (automatic charging) provided in front of the housing 11 (front front) will be described as being an automatic charging unit for charging the washing treatment liquid into the washing treatment liquid charging device 30 described later. .. However, the second charging unit 32, which will be described later, does not necessarily have to be the automatic charging unit that charges the washing treatment liquid charging device 30.

As shown in FIG. 1, the washing machine 1 is provided with an openable and closable upper surface cover 12, an outer lid 13, and a tank storage lid 15 on the upper surface of the housing 11. Further, in the present embodiment, the washing machine 1 is provided with a removable front panel 16 on the front surface of the housing 11. The upper surface cover 12 is arranged on the rear upper surface of the housing 11. The outer lid 13 is arranged on the central upper surface of the housing 11. The tank storage lid 15 is arranged on the front upper surface of the housing 11. An operation panel 14 for operating the washing machine 1 is provided on the upper surface of the outer lid 13.

2 and 3 show a state in which the outer lid 13 and the tank storage lid 15 are opened, respectively. FIG. 2 shows the configuration of the vertical type washing machine when viewed from the front, and FIG. 3 shows the configuration of the vertical type washing machine when viewed from diagonally above and forward.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, when the outer lid 13 is opened, the vertical type washing machine is provided with an opening 11a inside the housing 11. Inside the opening 11a, a water tank 21 (inner tank) that functions as a washing / dehydrating tank into which a washing object (cloth) is put is arranged. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, a first charging section 31 used for charging a single washing treatment liquid into the water tank 21 (washing / dehydrating tank) is arranged around the water tank 21. The first charging unit 31 functions as a manual charging unit for the user to manually charge a washing treatment liquid such as a liquid detergent or a softener (finishing agent) into the water tank 21 (washing / dehydrating tank). In the illustrated example, the first charging section 31 (manual loading section) is arranged at the upper left front of the housing 11 and outside the water tank 21 (washing / dehydrating tank).

Further, in the washing machine 1, when the tank storage lid 15 is opened, the washing processing liquid charging device 30 is arranged inside the housing 11. The washing treatment liquid charging unit includes a detergent tank for storing the detergent and a softener tank for storing the softener.

Further, a power switch 37, which is a power supply unit for turning on / off the power of the washing machine 1, is provided on the upper right side of the front of the housing 11. As will be described later, a wireless communication board 60 (see FIG. 5) that requires power supply is also provided on the upper right side of the front surface in order to simplify wiring routing from the main board unit that is a control board.

<Internal configuration of washing machine>
Hereinafter, the internal configuration of the vertical washing machine will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing the internal configuration of the vertical washing machine. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a wireless communication device 60 arranged on a protective cover 35 arranged inside the front upper right side of the vertical washing machine.

As shown in FIG. 4, the washing machine 1 is provided with an outer tub 22 inside the housing 11, and further includes a water tub 21 (washing and dehydrating tub) inside the outer tub 22.

The outer tub 22 has an outer tub cover 22a provided on the upper surface portion, a lid member 22b (inner lid) for sealing the opening 11a provided on the outer tub cover 22a, and a lid member 22b (inner lid) so as to be dropped more than other parts. It has a drop-in portion 22c provided.

The water tank 21 (washing and dehydrating tank) has a bottomed cylindrical shape with an open upper surface. The water tank 21 has a copper plate 21a forming a cylindrical body portion, a rotary blade 21b that rotates at the bottom of the water tank 21, and a balance ring 21c that maintains the balance of the water tank 21. A plurality of through holes 21aa are formed in the copper plate 21a for water passage and ventilation. The balance ring 21c is a fluid balancer in which a fluid is sealed.

The washing machine 1 includes a drive device 23 for rotationally driving the water tank 21 and the rotor blades 21b, a rotation detection device 24 for detecting the operation of the drive device 23, and a motor current detection device 25. The drive device 23 includes a motor 23a that rotates the water tank 21 and the rotary blade 21b, a clutch mechanism 23b that defines the rotation direction and rotation speed of the water tank 21 and the rotary blade 21b, and a rotary shaft 23c connected to the rotary blade 21b. have. The rotating shaft 23c is arranged at the center of the water tank 21 in the top view.

Further, the washing machine 1 has a water supply unit 20 which is a water supply means for supplying water to the water tank 21 and a drying unit 71 (heater) for heating air to obtain a drying air in the upper rear part of the housing 11. A fan 72 for circulating dry air, a fan motor for driving the fan 72, a blower duct 73, and a drying duct 81 are provided. Here, at least the drying unit 71, the fan 72, and the fan motor are included in the air blowing unit that blows out the drying air (air).

The blower duct 73 is arranged between the fan 72 and the blowout nozzle 74, and the drying unit 71 (heater) is arranged in the middle portion thereof. The blower duct 73 is connected to the blowout nozzle 74 by a bellows tube 73a. The blowing nozzle 74 blows out the drying air sent by the fan 72 and heated by the drying unit 71 into the outer tank 22. The drying duct 81 is arranged between the outer tank 22 and the fan 72. The drying duct 81 is connected to the drop portion 22c of the outer tank 22 by a bellows pipe 81a.

The washing machine 1 supplies water from the water supply unit 20 (water supply means) to the outer tub 22 so that the water tub 21 (washing and dehydration tub) is immersed in water during, for example, the washing process and the rinsing process. Further, in the washing machine 1, for example, during the drying process, the fan 72 is rotated to send air to the air blowing duct 73, the air is heated by the drying unit 71 to obtain dry air, and the dry air is sent to the outer tank 22 and the water tank. It passes through the inside of 21. As a result, the washing machine 1 dries the object to be washed (cloth) housed inside the water tank 21. Then, the washing machine 1 sends the air that has passed through the insides of the outer tub 22 and the water tub 21 from the drying duct 81 to the air duct 73 by the fan 72, and repeats the same operation.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the washing machine 1 includes a water injection hose 51a, an injection hose, and a cleaning hose 61a. The water injection hose 51a is a hose for flowing water from the water supply unit 20 to the outer tank 22. The charging hose is a hose that allows water to flow from the first charging section 31 (manual loading section) to the outer tank 22. The cleaning hose 61a is a hose that allows water to flow from the water supply unit 20 to the outer tank 22 when cleaning the water tank 21 or the outer tank 22.

Further, the washing machine 1 includes a discharge path 63 for discharging water and a drain valve 65 for opening and closing the discharge path 63.

The wireless communication device 60, which is a wireless communication unit, is located between the water supply unit 20 and the drying unit 71, and is located behind the operation panel 14. Further, the wireless communication device 60 is located in front of the drying unit 71. The wireless communication device 60 is located on the upper right side in front of the water supply unit 20, the drying unit 71 (heater), and the fan 72 in the upper right perspective view of the entire surface. Further, the wireless communication device 60 is located on the opposite side of the water tank 21 from the first charging section 31 (manual loading section).

In the present invention, the wireless communication device 60 which is a wireless communication unit and the power switch 37 which is a power supply unit are provided in front of the housing 11. In this embodiment, by providing them on the upper right side of the front, the bottom portion (lower side) of the housing 11 is provided. ), The wiring from the main board unit, which is the control board, is simplified, and by arranging it away from noise sources such as the fan 72 and fan motor provided behind the housing 11, stable radio waves are generated. It is possible to obtain the effect of ensuring the strength and not being affected by large noise as much as possible on the wireless communication unit.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a detailed configuration of the front upper right side of the vertical washing machine. FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view showing a state in which the front upper right side of the vertical washing machine is looked up from below. FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view showing a state in which the wireless communication device is looked up from below. FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a state in which the wireless communication device is looked up from below.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the wireless communication device 60, which is a wireless communication unit (communication unit), includes a communication board 61 and a board case 62 for accommodating the communication board 61.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the substrate case 62 is made of synthetic resin and has a substantially square box shape and a shape in which the lower surface is open. Further, the substrate case 62 has an upper plate 62a, side plates 62b and 62c facing in the left-right direction, and side plates 62d and 62e facing in the front-rear direction. The side plates 62b, 62c, 62d, 62e are formed so as to extend vertically downward from the outer peripheral edge portion of the upper plate 62a. Further, the heights of the side plates 62b, 62c, 62d, and 62e are all configured to be the same.

The side plates 62d are formed with protrusions 62d1 and 62d2 that project forward (in the direction opposite to the side plates 62e). The protrusions 62d1 and 62d2 are separated from each other in the left-right direction and are integrally formed with the side plate 62d. Further, the protrusions 62d1 and 62d2 are formed in a square plate shape and are configured to be parallel to the upper plate 62a. Further, reinforcing ribs are formed at the corners of the protrusions 62d1 and 62d2 and the side plates 62d.

Fixing portions 62e1 and 62e2 for fixing screws are formed on the side plate 62e so as to project rearward (in the direction opposite to the side plate 62d). The fixing portions 62e1 and 62e2 are formed in a U shape and have screw insertion holes penetrating in the vertical direction.

The wireless communication device 60 is arranged on the protective cover 35, and is arranged at a position higher than the safety switch 36 and the front panel 16. (See Figures 5 and 6)
A substrate cover 59 for accommodating the wireless communication device 60 is formed. The substrate cover 59 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape, and ribs that project upward along the outer circumference are formed. The ribs are formed in a substantially square shape so as to surround the entire circumference of the front, back, left and right. Further, the entire inside of the rib is formed by a flat bottom surface.

The packing 67 (sealing member) seals (seals) the gap formed between the substrate case 62 and the accommodating portion 36c, and is formed in a substantially square shape.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the communication board 61 has a substantially rectangular shape, and circuit components such as a wireless communication module, an antenna, and a connection connector 61a are mounted. The wireless communication standard can be selected from wireless LAN (Local Area Network), Bluetooth (registered trademark), and the like. The wireless communication module and the antenna are provided on the upper surface side of the communication board 61. Further, the connection connector 61a is provided on the opposite side (lower surface side) of the communication board 61 from the wireless communication module.

The substrate case 62 has a shape in which one side (lower surface side) is open. Further, in the substrate case 62, locking portions 62i1 and 62i2 for locking the edge portion e1 of the communication substrate 61 are formed. The locking portions 62i1 and 62i2 have a shape in which the edge portion e1 of the communication board 61 is inserted.

Further, in the substrate case 62, locking portions 62j1 and 62j2 for locking the edge portion e2 of the communication substrate 61 are formed. The locking portions 62j1 and 62j2 are configured to be flexible and deformable in a direction in which they are brought into contact with and separated from the locking portions 61i1 and 62i2.

Further, in the substrate case 62, positioning portions 62k1 and 62k2 for positioning the edge portion e1 of the communication substrate 61 are formed in the vicinity of the locking portions 62i1 and 62i2. Further, positioning portions 62m1 and 62m2 for positioning the edge portion e2 of the communication board 61 are also formed in the vicinity of the locking portions 62j1 and 62j2.

The board case 62 is formed with a notch 62p through which the lead wire 64a of the connection connector 64 electrically connected to the control board (main board unit) provided at the bottom of the housing 11 is inserted. The gap between the notch 62p and the lead wire 64a is sealed by packing (not shown) or the like.

The communication board 61 is held by the locking portions 61i1, 61i2, 61j1, 61j2. When the communication board 61 is attached to the board case 62, the edge e1 of the communication board 61 is locked to the locking portions 61i1 and 61i2, and then the edge e2 of the communication board 61 is pressed against the locking portions 61j1 and 61j2. .. As a result, the locking portions 61j1 and 61j2 are bent and deformed, and the edge portion e2 of the communication board 61 gets over the protrusions of the locking portions 61j1 and 61j2. Then, the locking portions 61j1 and 61j2 are elastically restored, so that the communication board 61 is locked to the locking portions 61j1 and 61j2.

The present embodiment is characterized in that after the communication board 61 is attached to the substrate case 62, the wireless communication device 60 is attached to secure the radio wave strength without performing the moisture-proof treatment by resin potting.

FIG. 9 shows an enlarged view of the front upper right side of the housing 11 and a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA.

As shown in FIG. 9, a wireless communication device 60 is provided above the safety switch 36, which is a detection unit for detecting abnormal vibration. In other words, by consolidating the parts that require wiring from the main board unit, which is the main circuit board, on the upper right side of the front, space saving is realized and wiring from the main board unit is simplified.

As the configuration of the present embodiment, the washing machine 1 is provided with an operation panel 14 on the outer cover 13, is located at a position opposite to the drying unit 71 (heater) for supplying warm air and the water tank, and is near the power switch 37. A wireless communication device 60 provided on the upper side of the safety switch 36 arranged on the protective cover 35 installed in the vicinity of the power switch 37, which is the power supply unit, at the opposite position across the water tank 21 from the first charging unit 31 (manual charging unit). According to the above, the installation can be performed in a space-saving manner, and the radio wave strength can be stably secured by keeping away from a large noise factor.

Further, in the present embodiment, the vertical type washing machine is characterized in that the wireless communication device 60 is arranged on the protective cover 35 of the washing machine 1 to simplify the wiring routing and the transmission / reception unit is not affected by a large noise. provide.

1 Washing machine 11 Housing 12 Top cover 13 Outer lid 14 Operation panel 15 Tank storage lid 16 Front panel 20 Water supply unit 21 Water tank 22 Outer tank 23 Drive device 30 Washing treatment liquid charging device 31 First charging section (manual loading section)
32 Second input section (automatic loading section)
35 Protective cover 36 Safety switch 59 Board cover 60 Wireless communication device 61 Communication board 62 Board case 65 Drain valve 67 Packing 71 Drying unit (heater)
72 Fan 73 Blower duct 81 Drying duct

Claims (4)

With the housing
The inner tub where the laundry is put in and
A wireless communication unit that sends and receives information to and from external devices,
Power supply and
A blower portion for blowing air to the inner tank is provided behind the housing.
A washing machine characterized in that the wireless communication unit and the power supply unit are provided in front of the housing. The washing machine according to claim 1.
It has a detector that detects abnormal vibration, and has a detector.
The wireless communication unit is a washing machine arranged above the detection unit. The washing machine according to claim 1.
It has a wireless communication board and a control board that supplies electric power to the power supply unit.
The control board is a washing machine provided below the housing. The washing machine according to claim 1.
It has a manual charging section for charging the washing treatment liquid provided in front of the housing.
A washing machine characterized in that the wireless communication unit and the power supply unit are provided in front of the housing and on the side opposite to the manual charging unit.

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