JP2024000951A - Attenuation device and washing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a technology which can suppress vibration by a simple constitution.

SOLUTION: An attenuation device comprises: a housing 120 supported to one member at one end; a rod 110 supported to the other member at one end, and inserted into the housing 120 at the other end; a screw gear 140 arranged around the rod 110 in the housing 120, and movable to the housing 120 in an axial direction by being rotated to the housing 120 in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction; a friction member 150 arranged between a support part 125 of the housing 120 and the screw gear 140, and generating a friction force by contacting with an external peripheral face of the rod 110; and a switching unit 160 which can switch the friction member 150 to a first state for making the friction member 150 movable with respect to the rod 110 together with the housing 120, and can switch the friction member 150 to a second state for making the friction member movable with respect to the housing 120 together with the rod 110 by rotating the screw gear 140.

SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

COPYRIGHT: (C)2024,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to a damping device and a washing machine.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, dampers have been proposed that can effectively damp vibrations by changing damping force depending on the degree of vibration of an object vibrating together with the tub of a washing machine.
For example, the washing machine described in Patent Document 1 includes a damper cylinder, a shaft that is inserted from one end of the damper cylinder and reciprocates in the longitudinal direction of the damper cylinder, and a shaft that is provided to the shaft and that is connected to the inner wall of the damper cylinder. a friction member that damps vibrations by friction and is movable in a direction perpendicular to the length direction of the damper cylinder.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2006-29585

It is desirable that a damping device for suppressing vibrations in a water tank of a washing machine has a simple configuration. In addition, it is desirable that a damping device that suppresses vibrations of at least one of two relatively moving members, not limited to washing machines, has a simple configuration.
An object of the present invention is to provide a damping device and the like that can suppress vibration with a simple configuration.

The present invention, which was completed with such an objective, comprises a housing having one end supported by one of two relatively movable members, and a housing having one end supported by the other of the two members. a rod-like member whose other end is inserted into the housing and moves relative to the housing as the one member moves relative to the other member; and a rod-like member disposed around the rod-like member within the housing. a rotationally movable member that is movable in the axial direction of the rod-shaped member in the housing by rotating in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the rod-shaped member with respect to the housing; and an insertion portion of the rod-shaped member in the housing; a friction member that is disposed between the rotationally movable member and around the rod-like member and that contacts the outer circumferential surface of the rod-like member to generate a frictional force between the rod-like member; and the rotationally movable member. a first state in which the friction member is sandwiched between the rotationally moving member and the housing and the friction member is movable together with the housing relative to the rod-shaped member; and a first state in which the friction member is moved together with the rod-shaped member by rotating. and a switching means capable of switching to a second state in which the damping device is movable relative to the housing.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a damping device and the like that can suppress vibration with a simple configuration.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of a washing machine according to a first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of a damper. (a) is a diagram showing an example of an enlarged view of section IIIa in FIG. 2; (b) is a figure which shows an example of the figure seen in IIIb direction of (a). It is a figure which shows an example of the aspect of expansion and contraction of a damper in the case of a 1st state. (a) is a diagram showing an example of a state in which the damper is extended, and (b) is a diagram showing an example of the state in which the damper is contracted. It is a figure which shows an example of the aspect of expansion and contraction of a damper in the case of a 2nd state. (a) is a diagram showing an example of a state in which the damper is extended, and (b) is a diagram showing an example of the state in which the damper is contracted. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of a damper according to a second embodiment. (a) is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of a friction member before being assembled inside a holding member. (b) is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of the friction member after being assembled inside the holding member. (a) and (b) are figures showing an example of a modification of the first through hole and the second through hole of the friction member. (a), (b), and (c) are figures showing an example of a modification of a friction member. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of a damper according to a third embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the schematic structure of the protrusion based on 3rd Embodiment. (a) is a diagram of the protrusion seen in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction, and (b) is a diagram of the protrusion seen in the axial direction. It is a figure which shows an example of schematic structure of the damper based on 4th Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of schematic structure of the damper based on 5th Embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of an intervening member. It is a figure which shows an example of the schematic structure of the protrusion group of the damper based on 6th Embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
<First embodiment>
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of a washing machine 1 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 1 is a sectional view of the washing machine 1 viewed from the right side. The left side of Fig. 1 is the front side of the washing machine 1, the right side of Fig. 1 is the back side of the washing machine 1, the upper side of Fig. 1 is the upper side of the washing machine 1, and the lower side of Fig. 1 is the lower side of the washing machine 1. .

The washing machine 1 includes a water tank 10, a dehydration tank 20 as an example of a rotating body rotatably attached inside the water tank 10, and a casing 30 that accommodates the water tank 10 and the dehydration tank 20.
The rotation shaft 21 of the dehydration tank 20 extends in the front-rear direction, and when the washing machine 1 is viewed from the front side, the rotation direction of the dehydration tank 20 is left rotation (counterclockwise rotation).

The housing 30 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped outer shape and includes a steel frame 30a serving as a skeleton and an iron plate 30b having lower rigidity than the frame 30a. An opening for loading laundry is formed in the front surface of the casing 30, and a door 31 is attached to the casing 30 so as to be able to open and close this opening.

The washing machine 1 also includes a motor 40 , a transmission section 50 that transmits the rotational force of the motor 40 to the rotating shaft 21 of the dehydration tank 20 , and a control device 60 that controls the drive of the motor 40 .
The motor 40 can be exemplified as a three-phase brushless motor having a rotation angle detector 41 such as a resolver or rotary encoder that detects the rotation angle of the motor 40.
The transmission section 50 is composed of pulleys attached to the rotating shaft 21, a belt passed between the pulleys, and the like.

The control device 60 is an arithmetic and logic operation circuit including a CPU, ROM, RAM, backup RAM, and the like. An output signal from the rotation angle detector 41 of the motor 40 is input to the control device 60 . Then, the control device 60 sets a target current required to be supplied to the motor 40 based on the output signal from the rotation angle detector 41, and performs feedback control based on the set target current.

The washing machine 1 also includes a spring 70 attached between the frame 30a of the housing 30 and the water tank 10. For example, a plurality of springs 70 may be provided.
Further, the washing machine 1 includes a damper 100 as an example of a damping device that is attached between the frame 30a of the housing 30 and the water tank 10 and damps vibrations of the water tank 10. For example, the washing machine 1 may include four dampers 100 connected between each of the four lower corners of the water tank 10 and the frame 30a at the bottom of the housing 30. In addition, the washing machine 1 includes, for example, two dampers 100 connected between the front side and the back side of the upper part of the water tank 10 and the upper left frame 30a of the housing 30, and the upper right part of the water tank 10. For example, two dampers 100 are connected between the front side and the back side of the housing 30 and the frame 30a at the upper right of the housing 30. Note that any one of the eight dampers 100 may not be provided, or other dampers 100 may be provided in addition to the eight dampers 100.

(Damper 100)
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of the damper 100.
FIG. 3(a) is a diagram showing an example of an enlarged view of section IIIa in FIG. 2. FIG. FIG. 3(b) is a diagram showing an example of a view seen in the IIIb direction of FIG. 3(a).
The damper 100 includes a bar-shaped rod 110 whose one end is held in the housing 30 and a housing 120 whose one end is held in the water tank 10 and into which the other end of the rod 110 is inserted. Further, the damper 100 is a screw gear that is disposed around the rod 110 in the housing 120 and is movable in the axial direction with respect to the housing 120 by rotating in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the rod 110 with respect to the housing 120. It has 140. The damper 100 also includes a friction member 150 that is arranged around the rod 110 and contacts the outer peripheral surface of the rod 110 to generate a frictional force between the rod 110 and a cylindrical retainer that holds the friction member 150. The coil spring 159 has one end supported by the housing 120 and the other end supported by the screw gear 140. Furthermore, by rotating the screw gear 140, the damper 100 can be set to a first state in which the friction member 150 is movable relative to the rod 110 together with the housing 120, and a first state in which the friction member 150 is movable relative to the housing 120 together with the rod 110. It has a switching unit 160 that can be switched to a second state.

((rod 110))
The rod 110 has a rod-shaped portion 111 and a held portion 112 that is held by the housing 30 .
The rod-shaped portion 111 can be exemplified as having a cylindrical shape. The outer diameter of the rod-shaped portion 111 is less than or equal to the inner diameter of a support portion 125 of the housing 120, which will be described later, and the end of the rod-shaped portion 111 on the side opposite to the held portion 112 is inserted into the support portion 125 of the housing 120. . The rod-shaped portion 111 slides within the support portion 125 of the housing 120, so that the damper 100 expands and contracts.

A pin hole 112a is formed in the held portion 112, into which a pin (not shown) for connecting the rod 110 to the housing 30 is inserted. For example, the pin hole 112a has a cylindrical shape.

Below, the direction of the center line of the rod-shaped portion 111, in other words, the direction of movement of the rod-shaped portion 111 with respect to the housing 120 may be simply referred to as the "axial direction." Further, in the axial direction, the water tank 10 side (the right side in FIG. 2) may be referred to as the "first side", and the casing 30 side (the left side in FIG. 2) may be referred to as the "second side". In addition, the radial direction (vertical direction in FIG. 2) of the rod-shaped part 111 is referred to as the "radial direction", the central axis side of the rod-shaped part 111 in the radial direction is referred to as the "inner side", and the side away from the central axis is referred to as the "inside". Sometimes referred to as the "outside".

((Housing 120))
The housing 120 includes a first accommodating part 121 that accommodates the screw gear 140, the friction member 150, etc., a second accommodating part 122 that accommodates the switching unit 160, and a first cover 123 that covers the opening of the first accommodating part 121. It has a second cover 124 that covers the opening of the second accommodating part 122. Further, the housing 120 includes a support portion 125 that slidably supports the rod 110 and a held portion 126 that is held in the water tank 10.

The held portion 126, the support portion 125, the first accommodating portion 121, and the first cover 123 are provided in this order from the first side to the second side. The first accommodating part 121 and the supporting part 125 are cylindrical parts, and the second accommodating part 122 is located outside the first accommodating part 121 and the supporting part 125 and is located around the periphery of the first accommodating part 121 and the supporting part 125. It is provided in a part of the direction.

(((first housing part 121)))
The first accommodating part 121 has a first cylindrical part 131, a second cylindrical part 132, and a third cylindrical part 133, which are three cylindrical parts having different inner diameters and outer diameters. The first cylindrical portion 131, the second cylindrical portion 132, and the third cylindrical portion 133 are provided in this order from the first side to the second side, and the inner diameter and outer diameter thereof become larger in this order.

The first cylindrical portion 131 mainly accommodates the friction member 150, the holding member 155, and the coil spring 159. The second cylindrical portion 132 mainly accommodates a gear portion 141 of the screw gear 140, which will be described later. The third cylindrical portion 133 mainly accommodates a screw portion 142 of the screw gear 140, which will be described later.

A communication hole 132 a that communicates with the inside of the second accommodating part 122 is formed in a portion of the second cylindrical part 132 that faces the second accommodating part 122 .
A spiral groove 133a that moves in the axial direction while rotating is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the third cylindrical portion 133.

(((second accommodating part 122)))
The second accommodating part 122 is a space partitioned by a plurality of partition walls provided on the outside of the first accommodating part 121. It is divided by a second partition wall 122b provided on the second side so as to be perpendicular to , and two third partition walls 122c parallel to the axial direction. The second accommodating portion 122 accommodates a motor 161, a motor gear 170, a sensor 180, a control board 185, etc., which will be described later and constitute the switching unit 160.

(((first cover 123)))
The first cover 123 is a disc-shaped member, and a bearing 123a that slidably supports the rod-shaped portion 111 of the rod 110 is provided at the center thereof. The manner in which the first cover 123 is attached to the first accommodating portion 121 is not particularly limited. As shown in FIG. 2, the cylindrical portion provided on the outer circumference of the first cover 123 and the second end of the third cylindrical portion 133 of the first housing portion 121 are fitted together. can do. Furthermore, the first cover 123 may be fastened to the first accommodating part 121 using a tightening member such as a screw or bolt, or the first cover 123 and the first accommodating part 121 may be bonded together.

(((second cover 124)))
The second cover 124 is attached to the first partition wall 122a, the second partition wall 122b, and the third partition wall 122c, which constitute the second storage portion 122. The manner of attachment is not particularly limited. It may be tightened using a tightening member such as a screw or bolt, or it may be glued. The second cover 124 holds a control board 185, which will be described later, and is formed with a through hole 124a extending in the axial direction through which a cord 186 is passed.

(((support part 125)))
The inner diameter of the support part 125 is larger than the outer diameter of the rod-like part 111 of the rod 110, and the support part 125 supports the rod 110 in a slidable manner.

(((held part 126)))
The held portion 126 is formed with a pin hole 126a into which a pin (not shown) for connecting the housing 120 to the water tank 10 is inserted. For example, the pin hole 126a has a cylindrical shape.

((Screw gear 140))
The screw gear 140 has two cylindrical parts with the same inner diameter and different outer diameters: a gear part 141 with a gear formed on its outer circumferential surface, and a screw part with a spiral convex part 142a formed on its outer circumferential surface. 142. The gear portion 141 and the screw portion 142 are provided in this order from the first side to the second side. The inner diameter of the gear portion 141 and the screw portion 142 is larger than the outer diameter of the rod-like portion 111 of the rod 110.

The gear of the gear portion 141 is formed so that its gear surface is parallel to the axial direction, and meshes with a gear 172 of a motor gear 170, which will be described later. The axial size of the gear of the gear portion 141 is larger than the axial size of the gear 172 of the motor gear 170, and is set to a size that allows meshing even if the screw gear 140 moves in the axial direction.
The gear portion 141 has a protruding portion 143 that protrudes inward from the inner circumferential surface at a first side portion. The protrusion 143 supports the second end of the coil spring 159.

The convex portion 142a of the screw portion 142 meshes with a groove 133a formed in the inner peripheral surface of the third cylindrical portion 133 of the housing 120.
When the driving force to rotate around the rod 110 is transmitted through the gear of the gear portion 141, the screw gear 140 moves in the axial direction because the convex portion 142a is engaged with the groove 133a of the housing 120.

The outer diameter of the gear part 141 is larger than the inner diameter of the first cylindrical part 131 of the first accommodating part 121 of the housing 120 and smaller than the inner diameter of the second cylindrical part 132. The outer diameter of the screw portion 142 is larger than the inner diameter of the second cylindrical portion 132 of the first accommodating portion 121 of the housing 120, and the convex portion 142a engages with the groove 133a of the third cylindrical portion 133. In the screw gear 140, the gear part 141 is housed in the second cylindrical part 132 and the third cylindrical part 133 of the housing 120, and the screw part 142 is housed in the third cylindrical part 133.

((Friction member 150))
The material of the friction member 150 is not particularly limited as long as it has excellent wear resistance. For example, the material of the friction member 150 can be urethane resin or urethane rubber. Further, the material of the friction member 150 is exemplified as nitrile rubber (NBR), hydrogenated nitrile rubber (H-NBR), ethylene propylene rubber (EPDM), styrene butadiene rubber (SBR), and natural rubber (NR). be able to. Further, the material of the friction member 150 can be exemplified by thermosetting resin or thermoplastic resin. The thermosetting resin is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include phenol resin and epoxy resin. Further, the thermoplastic resin is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include polyamide resin, polyimide resin, and polycarbonate resin. Further, the material of the friction member 150 may be metal. Examples of metals include copper and brass.

The friction member 150 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape before being assembled inside the holding member 155, and becomes cylindrical after being assembled inside the cylindrical holding member 155. The outer diameter of the friction member 150 in a state where the friction member 150 is assembled inside the holding member 155 is larger than the inner diameter of the support portion 125 of the housing 120 and the inner diameter of the protrusion portion 143 of the screw gear 140. Therefore, the friction member 150 has a first end surface 151 on the first side in the axial direction that can come into contact with an end surface on the second side of the support part 125 of the housing 120, and a second end surface 152 on the second side in the axial direction. The protrusion 143 of the screw gear 140 can be contacted.

((Holding member 155))
The holding member 155 has a cylindrical shape, and is provided with a protrusion 156 having a triangular cross-section and extending inward from the inner circumferential surface at the axial center thereof over the entire circumference. The inner diameter of the holding member 155 is set such that the friction member 150 comes into contact with the outer circumferential surface of the bar-shaped portion 111 of the rod 110. In other words, the inner diameter of the holding member 155 is smaller than the value obtained by adding twice the wall thickness (radial size) t of the friction member 150 to the diameter of the outer peripheral surface of the rod-shaped portion 111 (the inner diameter of the holding member 155 is Inner diameter<diameter of outer circumferential surface of rod-shaped portion 111+2×t).

The axial size of the holding member 155 is set smaller than the axial size of the friction member 150. When the holding member 155 is viewed from a direction perpendicular to the axial direction, the first end surface 151 of the friction member 150 protrudes from the first side end surface of the holding member 155 to the first side, and the second The friction member 150 is mounted around the friction member 150 such that a second end face 152 of the friction member 150 protrudes from the side end face to the second side.

The outer diameter of the holding member 155 is smaller than the inner diameter of the first cylindrical part 131 of the first accommodating part 121 of the housing 120 , and the holding member 155 is designed to fit between the supporting part 125 and the screw gear 140 within the first accommodating part 121 . placed in between.

((Coil spring 159))
The inner diameter of the coil spring 159 is larger than the outer diameter of the holding member 155, and the outer diameter of the coil spring 159 is smaller than the inner diameter of the first cylindrical part 131 of the first accommodating part 121 of the housing 120. The coil spring 159 is arranged outside the holding member 155 within the first cylindrical portion 131 and the second cylindrical portion 132 of the first accommodating portion 121 of the housing 120 . The coil spring 159 has a first end supported by a second end surface of the support section 125 of the housing 120, and a second end supported by the first end surface of the protrusion 143 of the screw gear 140. A force is applied to the support portion 125 of the housing 120 and the screw gear 140 in a direction in which the support portion 125 of the housing 120 and the screw gear 140 are separated.

((switching unit 160))
The switching unit 160 includes a motor 161, a motor gear 170 connected to a rotating shaft 162 of the motor 161, a sensor 180 that detects the rotation angle of the motor gear 170, and a control board 185 on which a drive circuit for driving the motor 161 and the like are mounted. It has .

The motor 161 can be exemplified as a stepping motor. The motor 161 is fixed to the outer circumferential surface of at least one of the first cylindrical part 131 and the second cylindrical part 132, which constitute the first cylindrical part 121, within the second accommodating part 122 of the housing 120, for example. can be exemplified.

The motor gear 170 includes a cylindrical shaft portion 171, a gear 172 provided around the shaft portion 171, and a plurality of protrusions 173 protruding from the outer peripheral surface of the shaft portion 171.

The shaft portion 171 has a recessed portion 171a recessed from the first end surface. The rotation shaft 162 of the motor 161 is inserted into the recess 171a, and the motor gear 170 and the rotation shaft 162 of the motor 161 are connected, so that the motor gear 170 rotates together with the rotation shaft 162 of the motor 161. A second end of the shaft portion 171 is rotatably supported in a through hole or a recess formed in the second partition wall 122b that constitutes the second accommodating portion 122 of the housing 120.

The gear 172 is formed so that its gear surface is parallel to the axial direction. A portion of the gear 172 in the circumferential direction passes through a communication hole 132a formed in the second cylindrical portion 132 of the housing 120, enters the first housing portion 121, and meshes with the gear of the gear portion 141 of the screw gear 140. Thereby, motor gear 170 transmits the rotational driving force of motor 161 to screw gear 140. The axial size of the gear 172 is smaller than the axial size of the gear of the screw gear 140, and is set to a size that allows meshing even if the screw gear 140 moves in the axial direction.

The plurality of protrusions 173 are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the shaft portion 171. For example, eight protrusions 173 may be provided. Further, the protrusion 173 can be exemplified to have a rectangular parallelepiped shape. However, the plurality of protrusions 173 may not be provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction.

The sensor 180 is illustrated as a transmissive optical sensor having a light emitting section 181 disposed on a first side of the protrusion 173 of the motor gear 170 and a light receiving section 182 disposed on a second side of the protrusion 173. can do. Then, when the light receiving section 182 detects that the protrusion 173 of the motor gear 170 blocks the light emitted by the light emitting section 181, the rotation angle of the motor gear 170 is detected.

Note that in the sensor 180, the light emitting part 181 may be arranged on the second side of the protrusion 173 of the motor gear 170, and the light receiving part 182 may be arranged on the first side of the protrusion 173. Furthermore, the sensor 180 may be another type of optical sensor such as a reflective type instead of a transmissive type.

Control board 185 is electrically connected to control device 60 via cord 186. The control board 185 then outputs the detected value of the sensor 180 to the control device 60 via the code 186. Further, the control board 185 receives a command value from the control device 60 via the code 186 and controls the drive of the motor 40 .
The control board 185 is supported by the second cover 124 of the housing 120 by being fastened to the second cover 124 using a fastening member such as a screw or bolt.

The switching unit 160 configured as described above has two states: a first state in which the friction member 150 is movable together with the housing 120 relative to the rod 110 by rotating the screw gear 140; It can be switched to a second state in which it is movable.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of how the damper 100 expands and contracts in the first state. FIG. 4(a) is a diagram showing an example of a state in which the damper 100 is extended, and FIG. 4(b) is a diagram showing an example of a state in which the damper 100 is contracted.
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of how the damper 100 expands and contracts in the second state. FIG. 5(a) is a diagram showing an example of a state in which the damper 100 is extended, and FIG. 5(b) is a diagram showing an example of a state in which the damper 100 is contracted.

In the first state, as shown in FIG. 4, the friction member 150 is sandwiched between the screw gear 140 and the housing 120 and moves integrally with the housing 120 relative to the rod 110. That is, the friction member 150 cannot move relative to the housing 120 because the first end surface 151 contacts the support portion 125 of the housing 120 and the second end surface 152 contacts the protrusion 143 of the screw gear 140. . Therefore, when the aquarium 10 vibrates and the rod 110 and the housing 120 move relative to each other, the friction member 150 and the housing 120 move together with respect to the rod 110. As a result, a damping force is generated in the damper 100 due to the frictional force generated between the friction member 150 and the rod 110.

In the second state, as shown in FIG. 5, the axial size between the screw gear 140 and the support portion 125 of the housing 120 is larger than the axial size of the friction member 150. That is, the friction member 150 is movable in the axial direction between the screw gear 140 and the support portion 125 of the housing 120. Therefore, when the aquarium 10 vibrates and the rod 110 and the housing 120 move relative to each other, the friction member 150 and the rod 110 move together with respect to the housing 120. As a result, damping force due to the frictional force generated between the friction member 150 and the rod 110 is less likely to be generated in the damper 100.

Then, when the damper 100 is in the first state, the rotating shaft 162 of the motor 161 and the motor gear 170 are rotated in one rotational direction, and the screw gear 140 is rotated in the other rotational direction, so that the screw gear 140 is rotated in the axial direction. to the second side. Then, the rotation shaft 162 of the motor 161 and the motor gear 170 are rotated by a predetermined rotation angle to shift to the second state.

On the other hand, when the damper 100 is in the second state, the screw gear 140 is rotated in the axial direction by rotating the rotation shaft 162 of the motor 161 and the motor gear 170 in the other rotation direction and rotating the screw gear 140 in one rotation direction. to the first side. Then, the rotating shaft 162 of the motor 161 and the motor gear 170 are rotated by a predetermined rotation angle to shift to the first state.

In the washing machine 1 configured as described above, the control device 60 keeps the damper 100 in the first state after the start of dewatering until the rotational speed N of the dehydration tank 20 reaches a predetermined rotational speed Nt. Note that the predetermined rotational speed Nt is a value larger than the rotational speed N (for example, 250 rpm) of the dehydration tub 20 at which resonance occurs in the washing machine 1, and can be exemplified as 350 rpm, for example. When the damper 100 is in the first state, a damping force is generated due to the frictional force generated between the friction member 150 and the rod 110. Therefore, the vibration of the washing machine 1 is caused by vibration of a washing machine not equipped with the damper 100, for example. is smaller than the vibration of As a result, according to the washing machine 1, the vibration of the washing machine 1 can be reduced even at the resonance point.

Then, the control device 60 controls the rotation shaft 162 of the motor 161 to shift the damper 100 from the first state to the second state when the rotation speed N of the dehydration tank 20 reaches a predetermined rotation speed Nt after the start of dehydration. is rotated by a predetermined rotation angle in one rotation direction. When the damper 100 is in the second state, a damping force due to the frictional force generated between the friction member 150 and the rod 110 is unlikely to occur, so even if the rotational speed N of the dehydration tank 20 is equal to or higher than the predetermined rotational speed Nt, for example. Compared to a washing machine in which a damping force is generated, vibrations of the dehydration tank 20 at a rotational speed Nt or higher are less likely to be transmitted to the housing 30. Therefore, the vibration of the housing 30 when the rotational speed N of the dehydration tank 20 is higher than the predetermined rotational speed Nt is greater than that of a washing machine in which a damping force is generated even when the rotational speed N of the dehydration tank 20 is higher than the predetermined rotational speed Nt. , washing machine 1 is smaller.

As described above, the damper 100 includes a housing 120 whose one end is supported by one of the two relatively movable members, the aquarium 10 and the housing 30 (for example, the aquarium 10), and the other. A rod 110 (an example of a rod-shaped member) whose one end is supported by a member (for example, the housing 30) is provided. The rod 110 has its other end inserted into the housing 120 and moves relative to the housing 120 as one member moves relative to the other member. The damper 100 also includes a screw gear that is disposed around the rod 110 in the housing 120 and is movable in the axial direction with respect to the housing 120 by rotating in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the rod 110 with respect to the housing 120. 140 (an example of a rotationally moving member). Further, the damper 100 is disposed around the rod 110 between the support portion 125 (an example of an insertion portion) of the rod 110 in the housing 120 and the screw gear 140, and is in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the rod 110 so that the rod 110 A friction member 150 is provided that generates a frictional force between. Further, by rotating the screw gear 140, the damper 100 can be set to a first state in which the friction member 150 is movable relative to the rod 110 together with the housing 120, and a first state in which the friction member 150 is movable together with the rod 110 relative to the housing 120. It includes a switching unit 160 (an example of a switching means) that can switch between a second state and a second state.

In this way, the damper 100 can be switched between the first state and the second state by rotating the screw gear 140, so that, for example, there is a friction This is a simpler configuration than a configuration in which a member to which a material is attached is further provided.

Here, in the first state, the friction member 150 is sandwiched between the screw gear 140 and the housing 120 and moves integrally with the housing 120 relative to the rod 110, and in the second state, the rod 110 and the friction member 150 are moved together. They move together relative to the housing 120. With this configuration, switching between the first state and the second state can be realized with a simple configuration by rotating the screw gear 140.

The housing 120 also includes a first housing part 121 (an example of a housing part) that accommodates the screw gear 140, and a first cover 123 (cover) that covers the opening of the first housing part 121 and slidably supports the rod 110. example). With this configuration, the screw gear 140 can be housed in the housing 120 with high accuracy, and damage to the screw gear 140 can be suppressed. Further, the rod 110 is slidably supported by the support portion 125 of the housing 120 and the first cover 123, and the screw gear 140 is arranged without coming into contact with the rod 110. That is, the screw gear 140 exists independently of the rod 110 and does not receive any radial force from the rod 110. Therefore, the screw gear 140 rotates smoothly due to the engagement between the convex portion 142a of the screw gear 140 and the groove 133a of the housing 120. That is, if the screw gear 140 receives a radial force from the rod 110, the force will also act on the meshing portion between the convex portion 142a of the screw gear 140 and the groove 133a of the housing 120, increasing the frictional force and causing the screw gear 140 to Although the screw gear 140 does not rotate smoothly, it rotates smoothly because the screw gear 140 receives no radial force from the rod 110. In other words, in order to prevent radial force from acting on the screw gear 140 from the rod 110, the housing 120 is configured to slidably support the rod 110 with the support portion 125 and the first cover 123. There is.

Further, a spiral groove 133a is formed on the inner surface of the housing 120, and a spiral protrusion 142a that engages with the groove 133a is formed on the outer surface of the screw gear 140. Thereby, by rotating the screw gear 140 in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction, the screw gear 140 can be moved in the axial direction, and switching between the first state and the second state can be realized with a simple configuration. Further, since the groove 133a formed around the rotating shaft and the convex portion 142a engage with each other, the rotational driving force is converted into movement in the axial direction, so that, for example, a structure in which force acts on a part of the housing 120 in the circumferential direction is possible. In comparison, deformation of the housing 120 can be suppressed.

The damper 100 also includes a coil spring 159 around the friction member 150, one end of which is supported by the screw gear 140 and the other end supported by the housing 120. In other words, the coil spring 159 is disposed within the housing 120 between the support portion 125 of the rod 110 and the screw gear 140. Therefore, the spring force of the coil spring 159 acts on the screw gear 140 in the second side direction, and the second side surface of the convex portion 142a of the screw gear 140 and the first side surface of the groove 133a of the housing 120. are pressed so that they are in contact with each other. As a result, even if the size of the convex portion 142a of the screw gear 140 is smaller than the size of the groove 133a of the housing 120, when the aquarium 10 and the housing 30 move relatively, the convex portion 142a of the screw gear 140 Since it is difficult to move relative to the groove 133a, the sound caused by the collision between the convex portion 142a and the groove 133a is suppressed. Furthermore, even if the friction member 150 collides with the screw gear 140 when the friction member 150 is in the second state in which it can move together with the rod 110, the screw gear 140 is difficult to move relative to the housing 120. It is possible to suppress the sound generated due to the collision with the housing 120.

The switching unit 160 also includes a motor 161 and a gear 172 that is connected to a rotating shaft 162 of the motor 161 and meshes with a gear of a gear portion 141 formed on the outer surface of the screw gear 140, and transfers the driving force of the motor 161 to the screw gear 140. It has a motor gear 170 (an example of a transmission member) that transmits data, and a sensor 180 that detects the rotation angle of the motor gear 170. This allows the control device 60 that controls the operation of the damper 100 to control the drive of the motor 161 based on the detected value of the sensor 180, so that, for example, when transitioning from the first state to the second state, In addition, it is possible to rotate the screw gear 140 by a predetermined rotation angle and move the screw gear 140 to the second side by a predetermined distance with high accuracy.

The motor gear 170 has a plurality of protrusions 173 that protrude radially outward from the outer peripheral surface between the gear 172 and the motor 161, and the sensor 180 detects the rotation angle by detecting passage of the protrusions 173. It is an optical sensor that This makes it possible to detect the rotation angle of motor gear 170 with high accuracy.

In the first embodiment described above, the damper 100 is applied to the washing machine 1, one end of the housing 120 supports either the casing 30 or the water tank 10, and one end of the rod 110 supports the casing 30. Or, it is provided so as to support the other member of the aquarium 10, but it is not particularly limited to this embodiment. The damper 100 may be provided between any two members that move relative to each other. That is, one end of the housing 120 supports one of the two relatively moving members, one end of the rod 110 supports the other of the two members, and the other end supports the inside of the housing 120. It may be provided so that it is inserted into.

<Second embodiment>
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of a damper 200 according to the second embodiment.
The damper 200 according to the second embodiment differs from the damper 100 according to the first embodiment in a housing 220, a screw gear 240, and a friction member 250, which correspond to the housing 120, screw gear 140, and friction member 150, respectively. Hereinafter, points different from the damper 100 according to the first embodiment will be explained, and parts having the same functions as the damper 100 according to the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed explanation thereof will be omitted.

(Friction member 250)
FIG. 7A is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of the friction member 250 before being assembled inside the holding member 155. FIG. 7B is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of the friction member 250 after being assembled inside the holding member 155.
The friction member 250 according to the second embodiment differs from the friction member 150 according to the first embodiment in that a through hole is formed.
More specifically, the first end surface 151 on the first side and the second end surface 152 on the second side of the friction member 250 are flat. The friction member 250 includes a plurality of friction members (six in FIG. 7(a)) arranged in the circumferential direction (left-right direction in FIG. 7(a)) on the second side in the axial direction than the first end surface 151. A circular first through hole 251 is formed. The center positions of the plurality of first through holes 251 are formed at a predetermined first distance L1 from the first end surface 151.

Further, the friction member 250 includes a plurality of friction members (six in FIG. 7(a)) arranged in the circumferential direction (left-right direction in FIG. 7(a)) on the first side in the axial direction than the second end surface 152. A circular second through hole 252 is formed. The center positions of the plurality of second through holes 252 are formed at a predetermined second distance L2 from the second end surface 152.

For example, the first distance L1 and the second distance L2 are 4 (mm), and the diameters of the first through hole 251 and the second through hole 252 are 3 (mm). In this way, the first distance L1 and the second distance L2 and the diameters of the first through hole 251 and the second through hole 252 are such that the first end surface 151 and the second end surface 152 are flat, and the first end surface 151 and the second end surface are flat. The setting is such that no recessed portion is formed from 152.

The first through hole 251 and the second through hole 252 are formed so as to be offset in the circumferential direction (in the left-right direction in FIG. 7(a)). That is, as shown in FIG. 7A, the center position of the first through hole 251 and the center position of the second through hole 252 are shifted in the circumferential direction. Thereby, the durability of the friction member 250 can be improved, for example, compared to a case where the center position of the first through hole 251 and the center position of the second through hole 252 are the same in the circumferential direction.

The material of the friction member 250 is not particularly limited as long as it has excellent wear resistance and is easily elastically deformed. For example, the material of the friction member 250 can be urethane resin or urethane rubber. Further, the material of the friction member 250 is exemplified as nitrile rubber (NBR), hydrogenated nitrile rubber (H-NBR), ethylene propylene rubber (EPDM), styrene butadiene rubber (SBR), and natural rubber (NR). be able to.

(Housing 220)
The housing 220 has an axial protrusion 221 that protrudes toward the second side in the axial direction from the second end surface of the support portion 125 with respect to the housing 120 . The axial protrusions 221 have a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and are provided in plurality (for example, eight) in the circumferential direction.

(Screw gear 240)
The screw gear 240 has an axial protrusion 241 that protrudes toward the first side in the axial direction from the first end surface of the inner portion of the protrusion 143 with respect to the screw gear 140 . The axial protrusions 241 have a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and are provided in plurality (for example, eight) in the circumferential direction.

FIGS. 8A and 8B are diagrams showing an example of a modification of the first through hole 251 and the second through hole 252 of the friction member 250. FIG.
The shapes of the first through hole 251 and the second through hole 252 are not limited to circles.
For example, as shown in FIG. 8(a), it may be an ellipse whose major axis is in the circumferential direction (left-right direction in FIG. 8(a)). Alternatively, although not shown, the first through hole 251 and the second through hole 252 may have an elliptical shape with the direction of the short axis in the circumferential direction.

In addition, as shown in Figure 8(b), a square with the same width as the diameter of the perfect circle is provided between the semicircles that are created by dividing a perfect circle into two (hereinafter, this shape will be referred to as ``elongated''). ), and may be an ellipse whose major axis is in the circumferential direction (the left-right direction in FIG. 8(b)). Alternatively, although not shown in the drawings, the first through hole 251 and the second through hole 252 may have an ellipse shape with the direction of the short axis in the circumferential direction.

Note that the first distance L1 and the second distance L2 may not be the same. Further, the first through hole 251 and the second through hole 252 may not be the same. For example, one of the first through hole 251 and the second through hole 252 may be circular, and the other may be oval.

As described above, in the damper 200, the friction member 250 has a cylindrical shape, the first end surface 151 and the second end surface 152 (an example of an end surface) that contact the screw gear 240 or the housing 220 are flat, and the friction member 250 has a cylindrical shape. A plurality of first through-holes 251 and second through-holes 252 (an example of through-holes) that penetrate in the radial direction are formed closer to the center than the first end surface 151 and the second end surface 152. As a result, even if the friction member 250 collides with the screw gear 240 or the housing 220, the friction member 250 is easily deformed elastically, so the impact can be softened, and the generation of noise caused by the collision can be suppressed. can do.

The friction member 250 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape before being assembled between the housing 220 and the screw gear 240, and the first through hole 251 and the second through hole 252 have a circular, elliptical, or long shape before being assembled. Either a circle. Thereby, the friction member 250 can be shaped to be easily elastically deformed while keeping the first end surface 151 and the second end surface 152 flat.

The housing 220 or the screw gear 240 has an axial protrusion 221 and an axial protrusion 241 (an example of a protrusion) that protrude in the axial direction at a contact portion with the friction member 250. Thereby, the contact area between the housing 220 and the screw gear 240 and the first end surface 151 and the second end surface 152 can be reduced, and the generation of noise caused by collision can be suppressed.

Further, a plurality of (for example, eight) axial protrusions 221 and 241 are provided in the circumferential direction. This further reduces the contact area with the first end surface 151 and the second end surface 152, for example, compared to the case where the axial protrusion 221 and the axial protrusion 241 are cylindrical and are provided over the entire circumference. This makes it possible to further suppress the generation of sounds caused by collisions.

In addition, in the damper 200, the housing 220 and the screw gear 240 do not need to be provided with the axial protrusion 221 and the axial protrusion 241. Alternatively, the housing 220 may be provided with the axial protrusion 221, and the screw gear 240 may not be provided with the axial protrusion 241. Alternatively, the screw gear 240 may be provided with the axial protrusion 241, and the housing 220 may not be provided with the axial protrusion 221.

Further, the damper 200 has a cylindrical holding member 155 that holds the friction member 250 around the friction member 250, and the radial size of the portion outside the axial protrusion 221 and the axial protrusion 241 is is smaller than the inner diameter of the holding member 155, and the radial size of the inner portion of the axially protruding portion 221 and the axially protruding portion 241 is larger than the outer diameter of the rod 110. This prevents the axial protrusion 221 and the axial protrusion 241 from coming into contact with the holding member 155 and the rod 110.

9(a), FIG. 9(b), and FIG. 9(c) are diagrams showing an example of a modification of the friction member 255.
The friction member 255 may have a slit 256 formed between the first end surface 151 and the first through hole 251, as shown in FIGS. 9(a), 9(b), and 9(c). . Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 9(a), 9(b), and 9(c), the friction member 255 has a slit 257 formed between the second end surface 152 and the second through hole 252. Also good. Even if the slits 256 and 257 are formed, it is possible to suppress the generation of noise caused by the collision between the housing 220, the screw gear 240, and the friction member 255.

<Third embodiment>
FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of a damper 300 according to the third embodiment.
The damper 300 according to the third embodiment has a housing 320 corresponding to the housing 120, a screw gear 340 corresponding to the screw gear 140, and a switching unit 360 corresponding to the switching unit 160, in contrast to the damper 100 according to the first embodiment. different. The damper 300 according to the third embodiment differs from the damper 100 according to the first embodiment in that the sensor 180 detects the rotation angle of the screw gear 340. Hereinafter, points different from the damper 100 according to the first embodiment will be explained, and parts having the same functions as the damper 100 according to the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed explanation thereof will be omitted.

The housing 320 includes a first accommodating part 321 corresponding to the first accommodating part 121, a second accommodating part 122, a first cover 123, a second cover 124, a supporting part 125, a held part 126, and a second accommodating part 121. and a third cover 327 that covers the opening in the circumferential direction in the first accommodating portion 321. The first accommodating part 321 is formed with an external communication hole 321a that communicates between the inside and the outside at a position that does not face the second accommodating part 122, in other words, at a position where the communication hole 132a is not formed. The third cover 327 is attached to the first accommodating part 321 so as to cover the external communication hole 321a, which is an opening in the first accommodating part 321. The manner in which the third cover 327 is attached to the first accommodating portion 321 is not particularly limited. It may be tightened using a tightening member such as a screw or bolt, or it may be glued.

In addition to the gear part 141, the screw part 142, and the protruding part 143, the screw gear 340 has a cylindrical shape that protrudes from the first end surface of the inner part of the gear part 141 toward the first side in the axial direction. It has a protrusion 341. The inner diameter of the cylindrical protrusion 341 is larger than the outer diameter of the coil spring 159, and the outer diameter of the cylindrical protrusion 341 is smaller than the inner diameter of the first cylindrical part 131 of the first accommodating part 321 of the housing 120.

FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of a protrusion 342 according to the third embodiment. 11(a) is a diagram of the protrusion 342 seen in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction, and FIG. 11(b) is a diagram of the protrusion 342 seen in the axial direction.
The screw gear 340 has a rectangular parallelepiped-shaped protrusion 342 that protrudes radially outward from the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical protrusion 341 and is provided in a plurality (seven in FIG. 11) in the circumferential direction. As shown in FIG. 11A, the plurality of protrusions 342 are formed on a spiral having the same shape as the spiral drawn by the convex portion 142a of the screw portion 142. As shown in FIG. Further, the plurality of protrusions 342 are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction.

As shown in FIG. 10, the switching unit 360 includes a motor 161, a motor gear 170, a sensor 180 that detects the rotation angle of the screw gear 340, and a control board 185. The motor 161 and motor gear 170 are provided within the second housing section 122 , and the sensor 180 and control board 185 are provided within the first housing section 321 .

In the sensor 180 according to the third embodiment, the light emitting part 181 is arranged on the first side of the protrusion 342 of the screw gear 340, the light receiving part 182 is arranged on the second side of the protrusion 342, and the light emitted by the light emitting part 181 is The rotation angle of the screw gear 340 is detected by the light receiving unit 182 detecting that the protrusion 342 blocks the rotation angle. Note that the light emitting section 181 may be disposed on the second side of the protrusion 342 of the screw gear 340, and the light receiving section 182 may be disposed on the first side of the protrusion 342.

A control board 185 according to the third embodiment is electrically connected to the control device 60 via a cord 187. Then, the control board 185 outputs the detected value of the sensor 180 to the control device 60 via the code 187.
Further, the control board 185 according to the third embodiment is supported by the third cover 327 of the housing 320 by being fastened to the third cover 327 using a fastening member such as a screw or bolt.

The switching unit 360 of the damper 300 according to the third embodiment configured as described above includes a motor 161, a motor gear 170, and a sensor 180 that detects the rotation angle of the screw gear 340. This allows the control device 60 that controls the operation of the damper 300 to control the drive of the motor 161 based on the detected value of the sensor 180, so that, for example, when transitioning from the first state to the second state, In addition, it is possible to rotate the screw gear 340 by a predetermined rotation angle and move the screw gear 340 to the second side by a predetermined distance with high accuracy. Moreover, when the control device 60 shifts from the second state to the first state, it is possible to rotate the screw gear 340 by a predetermined rotation angle and move the screw gear 340 by a predetermined distance toward the first side with high accuracy. .

The screw gear 340 has a plurality of protrusions 342, and the sensor 180 is an optical sensor that detects the rotation angle by detecting passage of the protrusions 342. This makes it possible to detect the rotation angle of the screw gear 340 with high accuracy. In other words, even if the motor 161 or the motor gear 170 breaks down, the rotation angle of the screw gear 340 can be detected correctly. Note that since the screw gear 340 has the protrusion 342, the motor gear 170 according to the third embodiment does not need to have the protrusion 173.

Further, in the damper 300 according to the third embodiment, the second housing portion 122 and the second cover 124 may be integrally configured. For example, without providing the first partition wall 122a, the second partition wall 122b, and the third partition wall 122c on the outside of the first accommodating portion 321, the first partition wall 122a, the second partition wall 122b and a partition wall corresponding to the third partition wall 122c may be provided to constitute the second accommodating portion 122.

Further, the screw gear 340 is configured such that the gear portion 141, the screw portion 142, the protruding portion 143, and the cylindrical protruding portion 341 are configured separately, and the cylindrical protruding portion 341 is integrated by fitting into the protruding portion 143, for example. It's okay. In such a configuration, the switching unit 360 connects the motor 161, the motor gear 170, and the cylindrical protrusion 341 as an example of a member that rotates together with the gear portion 141, the screw portion 142, and the protrusion 143 (an example of a rotating member). The sensor 180 detects the rotation angle of the screw gear 340 by detecting the passage of a plurality of protrusions 342 that protrude in the radial direction.
Furthermore, the housing 320, screw gear 340, and switching unit 360 of the damper 300 according to the third embodiment may be applied to the damper 200 according to the second embodiment.

<Fourth embodiment>
FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of a damper 400 according to the fourth embodiment.
A damper 400 according to the fourth embodiment differs from the damper 100 according to the first embodiment in a housing 420 corresponding to the housing 120.

The housing 420 includes a first accommodating part 421 corresponding to the first accommodating part 121, a second accommodating part 122, a first cover 423 corresponding to the first cover 123, a second cover 124, a support part 125, It has a held part 126.

The first cover 423 has a disk shape, and includes a disk portion 424 provided in the center with a bearing 123a that slidably supports the rod portion 111 of the rod 110, and a first side of the disk portion 424. It has a cylindrical portion 425 that protrudes cylindrically from the surface toward the first side. A spiral groove 425a that engages with the convex portion 142a of the screw portion 142 is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 425.

The first accommodating portion 421 has a first cylindrical portion 131 , a second cylindrical portion 132 , and a third cylindrical portion 433 corresponding to the third cylindrical portion 133 . The second end of the third cylindrical portion 433 covers the periphery of the cylindrical portion 425 of the first cover 423 . The manner in which the first cover 423 is attached to the first accommodating portion 421 is not particularly limited. As shown in FIG. 12, an example of fitting the cylindrical portion 425 of the first cover 423 with the second end of the third cylindrical portion 433 of the first housing portion 421 can be illustrated. Furthermore, the first cover 423 may be fastened to the first accommodating part 421 using a tightening member such as a screw or bolt, or the first cover 423 and the first accommodating part 421 may be bonded together.

In the damper 400 configured as described above, the housing 420 covers the first accommodating part 421 (an example of an accommodating part) that accommodates the screw gear 140 and the opening of the first accommodating part 421 and allows the rod 110 to slide. It has a first cover 423 (an example of a cover) that can support the first cover 423 (an example of a cover). A spiral groove 425a is formed on the inner surface of the first cover 423, and a spiral protrusion 142a that engages with the groove 425a is formed on the outer surface of the screw gear 140. Thereby, by rotating the screw gear 140 in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction, the screw gear 140 can be moved in the axial direction, and switching between the first state and the second state can be realized with a simple configuration. Further, since the groove 425a formed around the rotating shaft and the convex portion 142a engage with each other, the rotational driving force is converted into movement in the axial direction, so for example, a configuration in which force acts on a part of the housing 420 in the circumferential direction is possible. In comparison, deformation of the housing 420 can be suppressed.

Further, the housing 420 of the damper 400 according to the fourth embodiment may be applied to the damper 200 according to the second embodiment.
Moreover, the third cylindrical part 433 and the first cover 423 of the first housing part 421 of the housing 420 of the damper 400 according to the fourth embodiment are replaced with the first housing part 321 of the housing 320 of the damper 300 according to the third embodiment. It may be applied in place of the third cylindrical portion 133 and first cover 123.

<Fifth embodiment>
FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of a damper 500 according to the fifth embodiment.
The damper 500 according to the fifth embodiment differs from the damper 300 according to the third embodiment in that it includes an intervening member 510 interposed between the first end of the coil spring 159 and the housing 320. Hereinafter, points different from the damper 300 according to the third embodiment will be explained, and parts having the same functions as the damper 300 according to the third embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed explanation thereof will be omitted. In addition, in FIG. 13, the screw gear 340 is configured such that the gear portion 141, the screw portion 142, the protruding portion 143, and the cylindrical protruding portion 341 are configured separately, and the cylindrical protruding portion 341 is fitted into the protruding portion 143. It shows an integrated configuration.

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of the intervening member 510.
The intervening member 510 is an annular member in which a through hole 511 through which the bar-shaped portion 111 of the rod 110 passes is formed in the center. More specifically, the intervening member 510 includes a thin annular portion 512, a cylindrical portion 513 that protrudes cylindrically from the second side surface of the annular portion 512 toward the second side, and It has a protruding portion 514 that protrudes from the second side surface to the second side.

The annular portion 512 has an outer diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the first cylindrical portion 131 of the housing 320 and is accommodated in the first cylindrical portion 131 .
The cylindrical portion 513 has an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the holding member 155 and an outer diameter smaller than or equal to the inner diameter of the coil spring 159. Therefore, the cylindrical portion 513 suppresses displacement of the coil spring 159 in the radial direction inside the coil spring 159.

The protruding portion 514 is provided inside the cylindrical portion 513. For example, a plurality of protrusions 514 (four in FIG. 14) are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. The protrusion portion 514 gradually protrudes toward the second side from the end portion in the circumferential direction to the center portion such that the center portion in the circumferential direction protrudes most toward the second side.

As described above, the damper 500 according to the fifth embodiment includes the coil spring 159 around the friction member 150, and the coil spring 159 has a first end, which is an example of one end, connected to the screw gear 340. A second end, which is an example of the other end, is supported by an intervening member 510 interposed between the housing 320 and the housing 320 .

In the damper 500 configured as described above, even if the coil spring 159 rotates as the screw gear 340 rotates, the intervening member 510 that supports the second end of the coil spring 159 is held against the housing 320. The rotation allows the coil spring 159 to rotate smoothly relative to the housing 120.

Furthermore, the intervening member 510 has a protrusion 514 that protrudes in the axial direction at a contact portion with the friction member 150. Thereby, the contact area between the intervening member 510 and the friction member 150 can be reduced, and the generation of noise caused by the collision between the intervening member 510 and the friction member 150 can be suppressed.

Note that the intervening member 510 of the damper 500 according to the fifth embodiment may be applied to the damper 100 according to the first embodiment, the damper 200 according to the second embodiment, and the damper 400 according to the fourth embodiment. .

<Sixth embodiment>
FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of a protrusion group 540 of a damper 600 according to the sixth embodiment.
The damper 600 according to the sixth embodiment differs from the damper 500 according to the fifth embodiment in a protrusion group 540 corresponding to the plurality of protrusions 342 that the cylindrical protrusion 341 has. Hereinafter, points different from the damper 500 according to the fifth embodiment will be explained, and parts having the same functions as the damper 500 according to the fifth embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed explanation thereof will be omitted.

The protrusion group 540 includes a medium protrusion 542 similar to the protrusion 342, a large protrusion 541 whose circumferential size is larger than that of the medium protrusion 542, and a large protrusion 541 whose circumferential size is larger than the circumferential size of the medium protrusion 542. It has a small protrusion 543 smaller than the size. One large protrusion 541 and one small protrusion 543 are provided in the circumferential direction, and a plurality of medium protrusions 542 (17 in the example shown in FIG. 15) are provided in the circumferential direction. The protrusion group 540 is provided in a spiral shape in the circumferential direction.

For example, the circumferential size of the large protrusion 541 is about five times the circumferential size of the middle protrusion 542. In the damper 600 according to the sixth embodiment, the large protrusion 541 is arranged between the light emitting section 181 and the light receiving section 182 of the sensor 180 when in the second state.

Here, when the sensor 180 detects that any of the protrusions of the protrusion group 540 (for example, the middle protrusion 542) intercepts the light emitted by the light emitting part 181, the sensor 180 generates a first signal (for example, a high signal) indicating this. ) is output. On the other hand, when the sensor 180 detects that the protrusion (for example, the middle protrusion 542) no longer blocks the light emitted by the light emitting section 181, it outputs a second signal (for example, a Low signal) indicating this fact. Then, by counting the number of first and second signals received from the sensor 180, the control device 60 grasps how much the screw gear 340 has rotated, and controls the movement of the screw gear 340 in the axial direction. becomes possible.

When shifting from the first state to the second state, the control device 60 stops driving the motor 161 when it is determined that the screw gear 340 has moved to the second side in the axial direction and has hit the first cover 123. do. In other words, when the screw gear 340 moves to the second side in the axial direction and hits the first cover 123, the rotation of the screw gear 340 stops, so the control device 60 changes the output from the sensor 180 from the first signal to the second signal. The signal does not change, or the second signal does not change to the first signal. Then, the control device 60 stops driving the motor 161 when a predetermined time has elapsed after the output signal from the sensor 180 stops changing.

However, when the screw gear 340 moves to the second side in the axial direction and hits the first cover 123, the circumferential end of the protrusion (for example, the middle protrusion 542) is between the light emitting part 181 and the light receiving part 182. , the output signal from the sensor 180 may not stabilize to either the first signal or the second signal and may repeatedly output the first signal and the second signal. As a result, the control device 60 grasps that the screw gear 340 is in contact with the first cover 123 because the output signal from the sensor 180 continues to change even though the screw gear 340 is in contact with the first cover 123. Therefore, the drive of the motor 161 is not stopped.

Therefore, in the damper 600 according to the sixth embodiment, when the screw gear 340 is in the second state in contact with the first cover 123, the large protrusion 541 is disposed between the light emitting part 181 and the light receiving part 182 of the sensor 180. Set it so that As a result, compared to a case where the middle protrusion 542 is arranged between the light emitting part 181 and the light receiving part 182 of the sensor 180, for example, the circumferential end of the large protrusion 541 is arranged between the light emitting part 181 and the light receiving part 182. This makes it difficult to locate between the light receiving section 182 and the light receiving section 182. In other words, since the circumferential size of the large protrusion 541 is larger than the circumferential size of the middle protrusion 542, when the screw gear 340 is in the second state in contact with the first cover 123, the large protrusion 541 is attached to the sensor 180. The light emitting section 181 and the light receiving section 182 are easily arranged. As a result, the control device 60 can stop driving the motor 161 with high accuracy when the screw gear 340 hits the first cover 123.

For example, the circumferential size of the small protrusion 543 is about 1/2 or less of the circumferential size of the middle protrusion 542. As a result, the time interval between the first signal and the second signal output by the sensor 180 when the small protrusion 543 passes between the light emitting part 181 and the light receiving part 182 is longer than that when the medium protrusion 542 passes. The time interval is shorter than the time interval between the first signal and the second signal output by the sensor 180. Therefore, by receiving from the sensor 180 the first signal and the second signal when the small protrusion 543 passes, the control device 60 can grasp the rotation angle of the screw gear 340 with high accuracy. Therefore, when transitioning from the second state to the first state, the control device 60 can accurately stop the screw gear 340 at a desired position based on the detected value when the small protrusion 543 passes. . Further, the control device 60 controls the screw gear 340 to reach a predetermined position based on the first signal and second signal when the small protrusion 543 passes, for example, when transitioning from the second state to the first state. It is possible to determine with high accuracy that the object has moved to the first side in the axial direction.

As described above, in the damper 600 according to the sixth embodiment, the switching unit 160 detects the rotation angle of the screw gear 340 by detecting passage of the protrusion group 540 protruding in the radial direction from the outer peripheral surface provided on the screw gear 340. It has a sensor 180 that detects. The sensor 180 includes a light emitting section 181 and a light receiving section 182, and the protrusion group 540 includes a middle protrusion 542 as an example of a first protrusion, and a circumferential size larger than the circumferential size of the middle protrusion 542. and a large protrusion 541 as an example of a second protrusion located between the light emitting part 181 and the light receiving part 182 when the light emitting part 181 and the light receiving part 182 are in the second state. In the damper 600 configured as described above, when the screw gear 340 hits the first cover 123, it is possible to stop the drive of the motor 161 with high accuracy.

Furthermore, the protrusion group 540 includes a small protrusion 543 as an example of a third protrusion whose circumferential size is smaller than the circumferential size of the middle protrusion 542 . Thereby, the control device 60 can stop the screw gear 340 at a desired position with high precision based on the detected value when the small protrusion 543 passes, and can stop the screw gear 340 at a predetermined position in the first axial direction. It is possible to determine with high accuracy that the object has moved to the side.

Note that the protrusion group 540 of the damper 600 according to the sixth embodiment is applied to the damper 100 according to the first embodiment, the damper 200 according to the second embodiment, the damper 300 according to the third embodiment, and the fourth embodiment. It may be applied to such a damper 400.

1... Washing machine, 10... Water tank, 20... Dehydration tank, 30... Housing, 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600... Damper, 110... Rod, 120, 320... Housing, 133a... Groove, 140, 340 ... Screw gear, 142a... Convex portion, 150, 250... Friction member, 151... First end surface, 152... Second end surface, 155... Holding member, 159... Coil spring, 160... Switching unit, 161... Motor, 170... Motor gear, 173 , 342... projection, 180... sensor, 221, 241... axial protrusion, 251... first through hole, 252... second through hole, 510... intervening member, 540... protrusion group, 541... large protrusion, 542... middle Protrusion, 543...Small protrusion

Claims (22)

a housing whose one end is supported by one of the two relatively movable members;
A rod-shaped rod whose one end is supported by the other of the two members and whose other end is inserted into the housing and moves relative to the housing as the one member moves relative to the other member. a rod-shaped member;
a rotational movement member disposed around the rod-shaped member in the housing and movable in the axial direction with respect to the housing by rotating in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the rod-shaped member with respect to the housing; ,
It is disposed around the rod-shaped member between the insertion portion of the rod-shaped member in the housing and the rotationally movable member, and is in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the rod-shaped member to generate a frictional force between the rod-shaped member and the rod-shaped member. a friction member that causes
By rotating the rotationally moving member, the friction member is sandwiched between the rotationally moving member and the housing, and the friction member is movable together with the housing relative to the rod-shaped member; a switching means capable of switching to a second state in which the rod-shaped member is movable with respect to the housing;
A damping device comprising: The housing includes an accommodating part that accommodates the rotationally moving member, and a cover that covers an opening of the accommodating part and slidably supports the rod-shaped member.
A damping device according to claim 1. a spiral groove is formed on the inner surface of the housing;
A spiral convex portion that engages with the groove is formed on the outer surface of the rotationally moving member.
A damping device according to claim 1. A coil spring is provided around the friction member, one end of which is supported by the rotational movement member, and the other end of which is supported by the housing.
A damping device according to claim 1. The switching means includes a motor and a transmission member that is connected to a rotational shaft of the motor and has a gear that meshes with a gear formed on an outer surface of the rotational movement member and transmits the driving force of the motor to the rotational movement member. has,
A damping device according to claim 1. The switching means includes a sensor that detects a rotation angle of the transmission member,
The transmission member has a plurality of protrusions protruding from an outer peripheral surface between the gear and the motor,
The sensor is an optical sensor that detects the rotation angle by detecting passage of the protrusion.
A damping device according to claim 5. The switching means further includes a sensor that detects the rotation angle of the rotational movement member by detecting passage of a plurality of radially protruding protrusions provided on the rotational movement member or a member that rotates together with the rotational movement member. has,
A damping device according to claim 1. The plurality of protrusions are provided in a spiral shape,
A damping device according to claim 7. The plurality of protrusions are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction,
A damping device according to claim 7. In the second state, the rod-shaped member is restrained from moving in the axial direction by the friction member coming into contact with the rotationally moving member or the housing;
The friction member has a cylindrical shape, an end surface that contacts the rotationally moving member or the housing is a flat surface, and a plurality of through holes passing through in the radial direction are formed on the central side of the end surface.
A damping device according to claim 1. The friction member has a rectangular parallelepiped shape before being assembled between the housing and the rotationally moving member, and the through hole has a shape of a circle, an ellipse, or an ellipse before being assembled. be,
A damping device according to claim 10. The housing or the rotationally moving member has a protrusion that protrudes in the axial direction at a contact portion with the friction member.
A damping device according to claim 10. A plurality of the protrusions are provided in the circumferential direction,
A damping device according to claim 12. A cylindrical holding member for holding the friction member is provided around the friction member,
The radial size of the outer portion of the protrusion is smaller than the inner diameter of the holding member, and the radial size of the inner portion of the protrusion is larger than the outer diameter of the rod-shaped member.
A damping device according to claim 12. a coil spring around the friction member;
The coil spring has one end supported by the rotationally moving member and the other end supported by an intervening member interposed between the coil spring and the housing.
A damping device according to claim 1. The intervening member has a protrusion that protrudes in the axial direction at a contact portion with the friction member.
A damping device according to claim 15. The switching means includes a sensor that detects the rotation angle of the rotationally moving member by detecting passage of a group of protrusions protruding in the radial direction from an outer peripheral surface provided on the rotationally moving member or a member that rotates together with the rotationally moving member. has,
A damping device according to claim 1. The protrusion group is provided in a spiral shape,
A damping device according to claim 17. The sensor has a light emitting part and a light receiving part,
The group of protrusions is located between the first protrusion and the light emitting part and the light receiving part when the circumferential size is larger than the circumferential size of the first protrusion and is in the second state. having a second protrusion;
A damping device according to claim 17. The group of protrusions includes a third protrusion whose circumferential size is smaller than the circumferential size of the first protrusion.
A damping device according to claim 19. A plurality of the first protrusions are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction,
A damping device according to claim 19. aquarium and
a rotating body rotatably attached to the inside of the water tank;
a casing that houses the water tank;
The attenuation device according to any one of claims 1 to 21, installed between the housing and the water tank;
A washing machine equipped with