JP3605061B2 - Drum type washing machine - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a drum type washing machine having a drum that rotates about a horizontal axis or an inclined axis. In general, a drum-type washing machine can often perform washing to drying continuously, but the drum-type washing machine mentioned here may not be capable of drying.
[0002]
[Prior art]
The drum type washing machine has a configuration in which a cylindrical basket-shaped drum is rotatably arranged around a horizontal axis or an inclined axis, and the laundry is accommodated in the drum and rotated in an outer tub storing water. By doing so, the laundry is hit and washed. In the well-known drum type washing machine, a door for putting clothes is provided in a horizontal opening on the front of a substantially rectangular parallelepiped outer box. When the door is opened, an opening provided in an outer tub is provided. , The laundry inlet provided on one end face of the drum is configured to be viewed.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
One of the great complaints of the general consumers about such a drum type washing machine is that it is difficult to put clothes in and out. That is, in the drum-type washing machine, the laundry input port is located at a very low position, and even when the washing machine is placed on a dedicated table, the difficulty in putting clothes is completely reduced. Is not resolved. Conventionally, in order to cope with such dissatisfaction, there is a drum type washing machine on the market in which a laundry loading port of a drum is slightly inclined upward using an inclined shaft. Also, attempts have been made to make the laundry inlet as large as possible. However, even with such a configuration, it is not always sufficient for those who are accustomed to the operability of the spiral washing machine.
[0004]
Furthermore, as a general consumer washing method, put a liquid in which a bleaching agent or the like is dissolved in a bucket or the like, attach the laundry, and take out the laundry together with the liquid or only the laundry and transfer it to the washing tub of the washing machine. There are times when you do washing. However, in the configuration of the conventional drum type washing machine, when only the laundry is transferred from the bucket to the washing tub, the liquid is easily dripped on the floor, and it is very difficult to transfer the liquid itself from the bucket to the washing tub. This is one of the difficulties of using a drum type washing machine.
[0005]
The drum-type washing machine according to the present invention has been made in order to solve such a problem, and a main object thereof is that it is easy to use for a user, and is particularly inferior to conventional swirl-type washing machines. An object of the present invention is to provide a drum-type washing machine with improved usability.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems and Effects]
The invention of claim 1 was made in order to solve the above-inside of the outer tub which is disposed in the outer box, rotatably disposed Drum type washing around a horizontal axis or inclined axis drum Machine,
a) A laundry inlet formed on the upper surface of the outer box and capable of being opened and closed by the upper lid,
b) an outer tub opening formed on the peripheral surface of the outer tub below the laundry input port and capable of being opened and closed by an outer tub door;
c) a drum opening formed on the peripheral surface of the drum and capable of being opened and closed by a drum door;
d) drum stop position fixing means for determining the stop position of the drum such that the drum opening is located at a position substantially coincident with the outer tank opening,
e) When the rotation of the drum is stopped and the outer tank door and the drum door are both closed, when the user opens the upper lid and performs an operation to further open the outer tank door, Door interlocking means for opening the drum door in conjunction with the opening operation of the outer tank door,
It is characterized by having.
The invention according to claim 3 is a drum type washing machine in which a drum is rotatably arranged around a horizontal axis or an inclined axis inside an outer tub arranged in an outer box,
a) A laundry inlet formed on the upper surface of the outer box and capable of being opened and closed by the upper lid,
b) an outer tub opening formed on the peripheral surface of the outer tub below the laundry input port and capable of being opened and closed by an outer tub door;
c) a drum opening formed on the peripheral surface of the drum and capable of being opened and closed by a drum door;
d) drum stop position fixing means for determining the stop position of the drum such that the drum opening is located at a position substantially coincident with the outer tank opening,
e) door interlocking means for opening the drum door in conjunction with the opening operation of the outer tank door when the rotation of the drum is stopped and the outer tank door and the drum door are both closed; With
The drum door is composed of two door bodies that open in a double-opening manner, and the two door bodies can be held in a closed state by the drum door engaging means while being urged in the opening direction,
The door interlocking means is provided on the outer tub door and includes an operating piece that can advance and retreat toward the inside of the outer tub, and when the outer tub door is opened, the operating piece is moved forward and backward by the drum door engaging means. It is characterized in that the engagement is released.
[0018]
According to the drum-type washing machine according to the first and third aspects of the present invention , when the drum is stopped, the drum opening position is adjusted to a position substantially coincident with the outer tub opening by the drum stop position fixing means. The stop position of the drum is set, and when the user opens the upper lid and then performs an operation to open the outer tank door, the door interlocking means opens the drum door in conjunction with the opening operation of the outer tank door. I do. Therefore, there is no need to perform a two-stage door opening operation of opening the drum door after opening the outer tub door, and the user does not need to particularly consciously perform the operation for opening and closing the drum door. The time and effort required when doing so is reduced.
[0019]
Furthermore, in order to further reduce the user's labor of operation, the door interlocking means interlocks with the closing operation of the outer tank door when the outer tank door and the drum door are both open. To close the drum door. Thus, the operation of closing the door can be performed once instead of two steps.
[0021]
The invention of claim 4 which is a more specific version of the invention described in claim 1, the interior of the outer tank which is disposed in the outer box, drum which is disposed rotatably around a horizontal axis or inclined axis drum A washing machine,
a) A laundry inlet formed on the upper surface of the outer box and capable of being opened and closed by the upper lid,
b) an outer tub opening formed on the peripheral surface of the outer tub below the laundry input port and capable of being opened and closed by an outer tub door;
c) a drum opening formed on the peripheral surface of the drum and freely openable and closable by a drum door composed of two doors which open in a double-click manner;
d) drum stop position fixing means for determining the stop position of the drum such that the drum opening is located at a position substantially coincident with the outer tank opening,
e) Drum door opening / closing for opening and closing the drum door by moving the operating piece forward and backward in conjunction with the opening / closing operation of the outer tank door, including one or more operating pieces that can move forward and backward from the outer tank side toward the drum side. Means,
Wherein the two door bodies of the drum door can be held in a closed state by the drum door engaging means while being urged in the opening direction, and the drum door opening / closing means operates when the outer tank door is opened. The engagement by the drum door engaging means is released by the forward / backward movement of the piece, and the engagement by the drum door engaging means is carried out by the forward / backward movement of the operating piece when the outer tank door is closed.
[0022]
According to the drum type washing machine according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the drum door is opened as the outer tub door is opened, and the outer tub door is closed (latched or locked) so as not to be opened. When the operation is performed, the drum door is also closed. Therefore, there is no need for the user to consciously perform the operation for opening and closing the drum door, and the labor required for taking in and out the laundry is reduced. Further, with the configuration in which two of the door body of the drum door is gatefold state in the longitudinal direction, the front side of the door body will be tipping forward, the drum and the outer tub and the gap or the outer tank and the outer box The gap between is closed. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the laundry from falling or being caught in such a gap when the laundry is taken in and out. The drum door opening / closing means may be configured so that the operating piece moves forward and backward in conjunction with a latch or lock operation for maintaining a state in which the outer tank door is closed.
[0025]
As a specific mode of the drum door engaging means in the drum type washing machine according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the drum door engaging means includes a protruding claw formed on one door and a door formed on the other door. Further, a hole into which the above-mentioned claw is fitted can be provided. In such an engagement, it is necessary to make sure that one door body is always higher than the other door body at the overlapping portion of the two door bodies. Therefore, in order to maintain such a relationship at the time of the closing operation of the drum door, a configuration of a drum type washing machine according to the invention of the following claim 5 may be adopted.
[0026]
That is, the invention of claim 5 is characterized in that the drum door is provided with a connecting means for engaging with each other at the overlapping portion when closed, and linking the opening and closing operations of the two doors of the drum door . .
[0027]
In this configuration, the two doors of the drum door are always maintained in a predetermined relationship by the connecting means, and specifically, one door is closed before the other door. Therefore, it is possible to reliably engage the two doors at the overlapping portion, and to start washing with the drum opening securely closed by the drum door. If the connecting means protrudes outside the outer diameter of the drum, it is necessary to increase the size of the outer tub in order to avoid contact with the outer tub. Therefore, the connecting means may be provided inside the drum.
[0028]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, a drum type washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 1 is an external front view of the drum type washing machine of this embodiment, FIG. 2 is an external top view, FIG. 3 is an external right side view, FIG. 4 is a side cross-sectional view of a main part with an upper lid opened, and FIG. FIG. 5A is a partially cutaway top view showing a configuration of a water supply device provided in an upper space in the outer box 1, and FIG. 5B is a top view of the detergent container 5.
[0029]
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, an outer box 1 forming the outer shape of the present drum-type washing machine is formed on a slope 1 c having a slightly forward half curved on the upper surface 1 a and a front surface 1 b. An upper lid 2 is provided from the horizontal portion 1d behind the upper surface 1a to the inclined portion 1c with the bent portion B interposed therebetween. Therefore, when viewed from the side, the shape of the upper lid 2 is substantially U-shaped as a whole, and the front is inclined obliquely downward.
[0030]
As shown in FIG. 4, the upper lid 2 is composed of a first lid member 2 a and a second lid member 2 b that can freely swing around an intermediate shaft 2 d extending substantially horizontally in the left-right direction. The rear end is mounted on a rear shaft 2c which is located rearward of the upper surface 1a and extends substantially horizontally in the left-right direction. As a result, when the user grasps the handle portion 2e formed in the concave shape on the first lid member 2a and pushes it upward while pressing the rear portion from the state where the upper lid 2 is closed as shown in FIG. Stands up behind the laundry inlet 3 in a folded state as shown in FIG.
[0031]
As described above, since the upper cover 2 straddles the horizontal portion 1d and the inclined portion 1c of the upper surface 1a of the outer box 1, the upper cover 2 includes the bent portion B which is a boundary between the horizontal portion 1d and the inclined portion 1c. The two-folded position is located near the bent portion B before the bent portion B. Therefore, even when the upper lid 2 is folded in two as shown in FIG. 4, the thickness can be small, and the upper lid 2 can be held neatly behind the laundry insertion opening 3 without covering it.
[0032]
If the height of the lowermost position of the upper lid 2, that is, the height of the front edge position A of the laundry inlet 3, is too high, it becomes difficult for short people to take in and out the laundry, while the height of the front edge position A is low. If it is too low, the opening and closing of the top lid 2 will be difficult. Usually, the range of the total height H of the washing machine is substantially determined due to restrictions on the installation location and the like. Therefore, the leading edge position A is preferably set to fall within a range of about 70 to 90% of the total height H.
[0033]
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a detergent container 5 is provided on the inclined portion 1 c on the left side of the upper lid 2 so as to be able to be drawn out forward, and on the right side, an operation panel 6 is provided extending in the front-rear direction. . The operation panel 6 includes various operation keys for setting a washing course, a reservation time, and the like, and lights up according to these settings, notifies the progress of the washing process, or reserves the remaining time for the operation. Various indicators for displaying such information are distributed and arranged as appropriate. Since most of the operation panel 6 is directed obliquely upward, when the user looks down diagonally downward while standing in front of the washing machine, the state of the operation panel 6 is almost perpendicular to the line of sight. The display is easy to see and the operation keys are easy to press.
[0034]
As shown in FIG. 5 (b), the detergent container 5 is a box-shaped body whose entire upper surface is open, and the interior is partitioned into a powder detergent containing portion 5a, a liquid detergent containing portion 5b, and a soft finish containing portion 5c. Have been. As described above, since the detergent container 5 is provided so as to be able to be drawn out to the inclined portion 1c, even if the detergent container 5 is slightly pulled out forward, the upper opening is widely exposed, while the lower surface of the detergent container 5 is wide. Is held. Therefore, the user can store the detergent and the softening agent in the detergent container 5 without pulling out the detergent container 5 greatly.
[0035]
As shown in FIG. 5 (a), a water supply port 7 for connecting an external water supply hose and a bath water hose water supply port 8 for connecting a bath water hose are provided on the upper surface 1a of the outer box 1 and behind the upper lid 2. Are provided. A bath water pump 10 is provided directly below the bath water hose water supply port 8, and four water supply valves 9 are provided immediately below the water supply port 7. Here, the use of the four valves not only performs the normal water supply through the detergent container 5 but also selects the detergent supply or the soft finish supply, or adjusts the balance during centrifugal dehydration described later. This is for supplying water or supplying water for water-cooling wet air containing water vapor discharged from the laundry during the drying operation.
[0036]
Water from the water supply valve 9 and the bath water pump 10 is supplied to a detergent container case 11 for accommodating the detergent container 5, and when the detergent container 5 is accommodated in the case 11, the powder detergent accommodating portion 5a in the detergent container 5 Water flows into one or two or more of the liquid detergent accommodating section 5b and the soft finish accommodating section 5c.
[0037]
FIG. 6 is a front vertical sectional view of a main part showing the internal structure of the drum washing machine, and FIG. 7 is a left side view of the main part with the outer box 1 removed. In a conventional general drum-type washing machine, a drum having a substantially cylindrical peripheral surface is disposed rotatably around a shaft having a horizontal or slightly upward slope in the front-rear direction. In, the drum is rotatably arranged around a horizontal axis in the left-right direction.
[0038]
That is, in the inside of the outer box 1, an outer tub 20 whose peripheral surface is substantially cylindrical and whose both end surfaces are substantially closed is provided with two springs 21 which are pulled from above the right and left sides of the outer box 1, and A damper 22 supporting the lower part of the outer tub 20 is held so as to be able to swing appropriately. Inside the outer tub 20, a drum 23 for accommodating laundry, having a substantially cylindrical peripheral surface and substantially closed both end surfaces, is provided rotatably about a horizontal axis C extending in the left-right direction. ing. The drum 23 has a number of water passage holes 230 formed therein. The horizontal axis C is supported by a first bearing 26 held by a bearing case 27 in which a main shaft 24 fixed to the left end surface of the drum 23 is fixed to the left end surface of the outer tub 20, while the right end surface of the drum 23 is Is supported by a second bearing 28 held by a bearing case 29 fixed to the right end surface of the outer tub 20. The space between the main shaft 24 and the auxiliary shaft 25 and each of the bearing cases 27 and 29 is sealed by an oil seal 31 so that the first and second bearings 26 and 28 are wet even when water is stored in the outer tub 20. Not to be.
[0039]
A rotor 30b of a motor 30, which is an outer rotor type DC brushless motor, is attached to a tip of a main shaft 24 projecting leftward of the outer tub 20, while a stator 30a of the same motor 30 is fixed to the bearing case 27. Have been. The permanent magnet 30b is disposed so as to surround the outer peripheral side of the stator 30a including the winding, whereby the motor 30 has a thin structure in the direction of the horizontal axis C. As described above, since the motor 30 is configured to directly drive the drum 23 via the main shaft 24, when a driving current is supplied from a control circuit (not shown) to the stator 30 a, the rotor 30 b rotates by this and the motor 30 passes through the main shaft 24. The drum 23 is driven to rotate at the same rotation speed as the rotor 30b.
[0040]
A drain port 200 is provided at the bottom of the outer tub 20, and the drain port 200 is connected to an external drain groove via a drain hose (not shown) via a drain valve 36. The drain valve 36 is opened and closed by the operation of the torque motor 37. Although not described in detail here, a hot air flow path for supplying hot air at the time of drying is formed on the right outside of the outer tub 20, and is supplied into the drum 23.
[0041]
Unlike the cantilever support structure of the drum in the conventional general drum-type washing machine, in the present drum-type washing machine, the drum 23 is supported on both sides as described above. For this reason, even when the laundry is offset at the time of centrifugal dehydration, vibration is relatively unlikely to occur. However, two balance adjusting means are used to surely suppress the vibration. One of them is a fluid balancer 32 mounted on the outer peripheral side of the same left end face as the motor 30 in the drum 23. The fluid balancer 32 has substantially the same function as a balance ring used in a conventional spiral washing machine. The fluid balancer 32 appropriately regulates the movement of the fluid sealed in the substantially hollow annular body to thereby prevent the drum 23 from moving. Vibration can be suppressed.
[0042]
On the other hand, on the outer peripheral side of the right end face of the drum 23 opposite to the fluid balancer 32 with the drum 23 interposed therebetween, a plurality of pocket-shaped water storage tanks 33 opened on the inner peripheral side are radially provided. The water storage tank 33 includes a nozzle 34 for discharging water toward an opening thereof, a water supply flow path for supplying water from the water supply valve 9 to the nozzle 34 (not shown), and the like, and a weight-variable balance adjustment unit. Is composed. That is, when the drum 23 is at a predetermined rotation position, water is discharged from the nozzle 34, water is poured into the water storage tank 33 close to the nozzle 34, and the water is held therein by centrifugal force. Eccentric load of the drum 23 by the weight of the drum 23 itself. Therefore, by appropriately adding the weight of the water to the water storage tank 33 near the position facing the eccentric load due to the offset of the laundry with the shaft interposed therebetween, the amount of eccentricity of the entire drum 23 can be reduced. For such a balance adjustment method and a specific configuration, for example, the one proposed by the present applicant in Japanese Patent Application No. 2001-161855 can be used.
[0043]
In the present drum-type washing machine, the laundry input port 3 is provided from the horizontal portion 1d of the upper surface 1a of the outer box 1 to the inclined portion 1c, as described above. The laundry is put in and out of the drum 23 through the outer tub opening 20b formed in the drum 23 and the drum opening 23b formed in the peripheral surface of the drum 23. However, since the drum 23 rotates in the outer tub 20, when the rotation stops, the drum opening 23b needs to be in a position that coincides with the outer tub opening 20b. Therefore, a drum position fixing device 35 is provided on the left end surface of the outer tub 20, and the stop position of the drum 23 is set by the engagement between the engaging protrusion protruding from the device 35 and the engaging recess formed on the rotor 30 b. It is configured to be determined.
[0044]
Next, with reference to FIGS. 8 to 11, a description will be given of one of the features of the present drum-type washing machine, that is, an opening and closing structure of a door for taking in and out laundry. FIG. 8 is a side sectional view of a main part around the laundry input port 3 in the drum type washing machine, FIG. 9 is a plan view showing an opening and closing structure of a door of the drum 23, and FIG. FIG. 11 is an enlarged view of a main part for explaining the opening and closing operation of the door of the drum 23.
[0045]
As shown in FIG. 8, the drum 23 is contained in the outer tub 20 directly below the laundry inlet 3 closed by the upper lid 2. Both the outer tank opening 20b and the drum opening 23b are formed so as to be directed slightly forward from directly above, and the outer tank door 20a opens and closes the outer tank opening 20b, and the outer tank door 20a opens and closes the drum opening 23b. A drum door 23a is provided. Therefore, in order to store the laundry in the drum 23, it is necessary to open two doors, the outer tub door 20a and the drum door 23a. Of course, the doors may be opened individually, but in that case, in order to put in the laundry, the upper lid 2, the door of the outer tub 20, and the door of the drum 23 must be opened in three stages. It is troublesome. Therefore, in the present drum type washing machine, the outer tub door 20a and the drum door 23a are configured to be opened by one simple operation.
[0046]
As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the drum door 23 a includes a front door 40 that is rotatable around a front shaft 41 that extends substantially parallel to the left-right direction, and a rear door that also extends substantially parallel to the left-right direction. The rear door 50 is rotatable about a side shaft 51. The front door 40 and the rear door 50 overlap when the door is closed (see FIG. 8). , 50 are in the double-open state. With this double door opening structure, the gap between the outer tub 20 and the drum 23 can be closed on the near side when the front door 40 is opened. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the laundry from dropping or being caught in the gap between the outer tub 20 and the drum 23 when the laundry is loaded. However, when the front door 40 is opened to the front side and the amount of protrusion is large, it hinders the work of putting laundry. Therefore, by making the door length (length in the depth direction) of the front door 40 shorter than the door length of the rear door 50, the amount of protrusion is reduced.
[0047]
The front door 40 is urged in the opening direction by a spring 42 wound around a front shaft 41, and a tab 43 pointing upward is provided at the overlapping portion. The claw 43 is connected to a receiving plate portion 44 having a spring property. When the receiving plate portion 44 is pressed from the outside of the drum 23, the claw 43 sinks into the inner peripheral side of the drum 23, and when the pressing is released, the claw 43 is released. Return from the sinking. On the other hand, the rear side door 50 is urged in the opening direction by a spring 52 wound around the rear side shaft 51 similarly to the front side door 40, and an engagement hole 53 for engaging the claw 43 with the overlapping portion. Is provided.
[0048]
Further, the front door 40 and the rear door 50 are connected by connecting rods 55 provided on both sides, and the upper part thereof is covered with a cover 56. The connecting rod 55 is connected to the front door 40 by a connecting shaft 55a and to the rear door 50 by a connecting shaft 55b. The function of the connecting rod 55 is to maintain a predetermined relationship between the front door 40 and the rear door 50. To open and close in conjunction. Specifically, when the doors 40 and 50 are closed from the open state, the front door 40 is closed prior to the rear door 50. Thus, when the door is closed, the edge of the rear door 50 always overlaps with the edge of the front door 40 resting on the edge of the front door 40, and the reverse does not occur.
[0049]
The outer tank door 20a, unlike the drum door 23a, is a single door body rotatably provided about a shaft 61 extending substantially horizontally in the left-right direction. The outer tub door 20a is urged in the opening direction by a spring 62 wound around a shaft 61. The outer tank door 20a and the outer tank 20 on the front side thereof are provided with a door-side latch mechanism 63 and a tank-side latch mechanism 64 for keeping the outer tank door 20a closed by engaging with each other. I have. That is, the door-side latch mechanism 63 has an operation lever 63b rotatable left and right about a shaft 63a, and when the operation lever 63b is in the latch position, the outer tank is engaged by the engagement of the latch mechanisms 63 and 64. The door 20a is latched in the closed state. Conversely, when the operation lever 63b is set to the latch release position, the engagement of the latch mechanisms 63 and 64 is released, and the outer tub door 20a can be opened.
[0050]
The door-side latch mechanism 63 is integrated with a drum door opening / closing mechanism 65 located behind the door-side latch mechanism 63. The drum door opening / closing mechanism 65 includes two first rods 65a and second rods 65b that can advance and retreat inward of the outer tub 20, and the front first rod 65a is closed by the drum door 23a. When it advances in the state, it is at a position where it comes into contact with the receiving plate portion 44 of the front door 40. On the other hand, when the second rod 63b on the rear side advances in a state where the drum door 23a is also closed, the second rod 63b is at a position where it comes into contact with the pressed portion 54 of the rear door 50.
[0051]
The first and second rods 65a, 65b advance and retreat, respectively, according to the left-right rotation operation of the operation lever 63b. Specifically, when the operation lever 63b is turned from the latch position to the unlatching position, the first rod 65a temporarily advances, and at the rotation end position of the operation lever 63b, the first rod 65a returns to the original storage position. Retreat to position. Conversely, when the operation lever 63b is rotated from the latch release position to the latch position, the second rod 65b temporarily projects, and at the rotation end position of the operation lever 63b, the second rod 65b retreats to the original storage position. .
[0052]
The operation of the above configuration when the laundry is taken in and out of the drum 23 is as follows. Now, as shown in FIG. 8, it is assumed that the upper lid 2 closes the laundry slot 3, the outer tub door 20a closes the outer tub opening 20b, and the drum door 23a closes the drum opening 23b. . The user inserts a finger into the handle portion 2e of the upper lid 2, pushes it upward while pushing it upward. Then, as described above, the upper lid 2 stands in the folded state behind the laundry inlet 3 (see FIG. 4). Next, the user rotates the operation lever 63b from the latch position to the latch release position. As a result, the engagement of the latch mechanisms 63 and 64 is released, and the outer tank door 20a is rotatable about the shaft 61.
[0053]
Further, when the operation lever 63b is rotated, the first rod 65a of the drum door opening / closing mechanism 65 temporarily advances. As described above, since the advanced position of the first rod 65a is just the receiving plate portion 44 of the front door 40, the receiving plate portion 44 is pressed downward in the state shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 7, the front door 40 rotates about the shaft 41 so as to sink. Then, since the claw 43 is disengaged from the engagement hole 53, the force pulling the rear door 50 downward is released, and the rear door 50 rotates in the opening direction by the urging force of the spring 52. At this time, if the latch of the outer tub door 20a is already released, the rear side door 50 raises the outer tub door 20a. Since the rear door 50 supports the weight of the outer tub door 20a, by setting the biasing force of the spring 52 to an appropriate level, the rear door 50 stops at the position where the outer tub door 20a is slightly lifted. Can be By doing so, the user can easily recognize that the outer tank door 20a can be opened, and the outer tank door 20a can be easily opened.
[0054]
On the other hand, when the first rod 65a returns to the original position, the force pressing the front door 40 is released, and the front door 40 tends to rotate in the opening direction by the urging force of the spring 42. At this time, if the rear side door 50 is not largely opened, the front side door 40 is in a standby state below the rear side door 50, but the claw 43 does not enter the engagement hole 53. The front door 40 and the rear door 50 do not engage.
[0055]
When the user opens the outer tub door 20a to the rear side, as shown in FIG. 10, the rear door 50 turns to the rear side by the urging force of the spring 52 following this, and via the connecting rod 55, as shown in FIG. The front door 40 pivots forward with a delay. In this manner, the drum door 23a can be opened in a double-clicked manner in conjunction with the opening operation of the outer tub door 20a, and the user puts laundry into the drum 23 through the widely opened opening, or conversely, the inside of the drum 23 Can be taken out of the laundry.
[0056]
For example, after the user puts the laundry into the drum 23, the user performs an operation of turning the outer tub door 20a, which is slightly inclined rearward, to the front side to close it. At this time, the rear door 50 pivots so as to be pushed by the outer tank door 20a, but the front door 40 pivots ahead of the rear door 50 by the action of the connecting rod 55 to rotate the drum opening 23b. To the closed position (see FIG. 10). After the user pushes down the outer tub door 20a to a predetermined position, the user turns the operation lever 63b from the latch release position to the latch position to prohibit the opening of the outer tub door 20a.
[0057]
When the operation lever 63b is rotated, the second rod 65b of the drum door opening / closing mechanism 65 temporarily advances. As described above, since the advanced position of the second rod 65b is just the pressed portion 54 of the rear door 50, the pressed portion 54 is pressed downward in the state shown in FIG. It rotates so as to sink about the shaft 51 and presses the front door 40. Then, the claw 43 is fitted into the engagement hole 53, and the front edge of the rear door 50 is pushed in so as to face the receiving plate portion 44 of the front door 40, and the two fit together. In this manner, the drum door 23a can be closed in conjunction with the closing operation and the latching operation of the outer tank door 20a.
[0058]
The user stores the detergent, the softening agent and the like in the detergent container 5 at appropriate times before and after the loading of the laundry. Further, when the washing is completed, a predetermined operation is performed on the operation panel 6 to instruct a washing operation. When washing is started in response to such an instruction, first, bath water or water supplied from an external water tap is poured into the outer tub 20 through the detergent container 5. At this time, the drain valve 36 is closed, and the washing water in which the detergent contained in the detergent container 5 has been dissolved is stored in the outer tub 20.
[0059]
The water thus stored in the outer tub 20 flows into the drum 23 through the water passage holes 230 and the like, and the laundry is immersed in the water. When the washing operation is started, a driving current is supplied to the stator 30a of the motor 30, whereby the drum 23 rotates in a predetermined direction at a predetermined speed. As a result, the laundry is hit and washed in the drum 23. When the washing is completed, the rinsing is performed in the same manner. Further, after washing and after rinsing, intermediate dehydration and final dehydration are performed. At this time, the rotation speed of the motor 30 is increased to, for example, about 1000 rpm, and the centrifugal dehydration is achieved by rotating the drum 23 at the same speed. In such centrifugal spin-drying, the fluid balancer 32 functions and, if necessary, the balance adjuster also functions to prevent the drum 23, the outer tub 20, and the outer box 1 from vibrating significantly. After the washing is completed, warm air is supplied into the drum 23 to dry the laundry.
[0060]
The above embodiment is an example of the present invention, and it is apparent that changes and modifications can be made as appropriate within the scope of the present invention.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an external front view of a drum type washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an external top view of the drum type washing machine of the present embodiment.
FIG. 3 is a right side view of the appearance of the drum type washing machine of the present embodiment.
FIG. 4 is a side cross-sectional view of a main part of the drum-type washing machine of the present embodiment with an upper lid opened.
FIG. 5 is a top view showing a configuration of a water supply channel in the drum type washing machine of the present embodiment, and a top view of a detergent container.
FIG. 6 is a front vertical sectional view of a main part showing an internal structure of the drum type washing machine of the embodiment.
FIG. 7 is a left side view of a main part of the drum type washing machine according to the embodiment with an outer box removed.
FIG. 8 is a right side cross-sectional view of a main part around a laundry inlet in the drum type washing machine of the present embodiment.
FIG. 9 is a plan view showing an opening and closing structure of a drum door in the drum type washing machine of the embodiment.
FIG. 10 is a right side sectional view showing an opening and closing structure of a drum door in the drum type washing machine of the embodiment.
FIG. 11 is an enlarged view of a main part for explaining an opening / closing operation of a drum door in the drum type washing machine of the embodiment.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Outer box 1a ... Top surface 1b ... Front surface 1c ... Inclined part 1d ... Horizontal part 2 ... Top cover 2a ... First cover member 2b ... Second cover member 2c ... Back shaft 2d ... Intermediate shaft 2e ... Handle part 3 ... Loading laundry Mouth 5 ... Detergent container 6 ... Operation panel 20 ... Outer tank 20a ... Outer tank door 20b ... Outer tank opening 23 ... Drum 23a ... Drum door 23b ... Drum opening 24 ... Main shaft 25 ... Auxiliary shafts 26 and 28 ... Bearings 27 and 29 ... Bearing case 30 Motor 35 Drum position fixing device 40 Front door 41 Front shaft 42 Spring 43 Claw 44 Receiving plate 50 Rear door 51 Rear shaft 52 Spring 53 Engagement hole 54 ... pressed part 55 ... connecting rods 55a, 55b ... connecting shaft 56 ... cover 61 ... shaft 63 ... door side latch mechanism 63a ... operating shaft 63b ... operating lever 64 ... tank side latching mechanism 65 ... drum door opening and closing mechanism 65a ... 1 rod 65b ... 2nd rod A ... Edge position B ... bent portion C ... horizontal axis

Claims (6)

Inside the outer tank which is disposed in the outer box, the drum a horizontal axis or disposed rotatably about a tilting axis drum type washing machine,
a) A laundry inlet formed on the upper surface of the outer box, which can be freely opened and closed by an upper lid,
b) an outer tub opening formed on the peripheral surface of the outer tub below the laundry input port and capable of being opened and closed by an outer tub door;
c) a drum opening formed on the peripheral surface of the drum and capable of being opened and closed by a drum door;
d) drum stop position fixing means for determining the stop position of the drum such that the drum opening is located at a position substantially coincident with the outer tank opening,
e) When the rotation of the drum is stopped and the outer tank door and the drum door are both closed, when the user opens the upper lid and performs an operation to further open the outer tank door, Door interlocking means for opening the drum door in conjunction with the opening operation of the outer tank door,
A drum type washing machine comprising: The door interlocking means, when the outer tank door and the drum door are both open, interlocks with the closing operation of the outer tank door to close the drum door. Drum type washing machine. A drum type washing machine in which a drum is rotatably arranged around a horizontal axis or an inclined axis inside an outer tub arranged in an outer box,
a) A laundry inlet formed on the upper surface of the outer box and capable of being opened and closed by an upper lid,
b) An outer tub opening formed on the peripheral surface of the outer tub below the laundry input port and capable of being opened and closed by an outer tub door,
c) A drum opening formed on the peripheral surface of the drum and capable of being opened and closed by a drum door,
d) Drum stop position fixing means for determining a stop position of the drum such that the drum opening is located at a position substantially coincident with the outer tank opening,
e) Door interlocking means for opening the drum door in conjunction with the opening operation of the outer tank door when the rotation of the drum is stopped and the outer tank door and the drum door are both closed. ,
  The drum door is composed of two door bodies that open double, and the two door bodies can be held in a closed state by the drum door engaging means while being urged in the opening direction,
The door interlocking means is provided on the outer tub door and includes an operating piece that can advance and retreat toward the inside of the outer tub, and when the outer tub door is opened, the operating piece is moved forward and backward by the drum door engaging means. A drum-type washing machine characterized by releasing engagement. Inside the outer tank which is disposed in the outer box, the drum a horizontal axis or disposed rotatably about a tilting axis drum type washing machine,
a) A laundry inlet formed on the upper surface of the outer box, which can be freely opened and closed by an upper lid,
b) an outer tub opening formed on the peripheral surface of the outer tub below the laundry input port and capable of being opened and closed by an outer tub door;
c) a drum opening which is formed on the peripheral surface of the drum and is openable and closable by a drum door composed of two doors which open and close doublely;
d) drum stop position fixing means for determining the stop position of the drum such that the drum opening is located at a position substantially coincident with the outer tank opening,
e) Drum door opening / closing for opening and closing the drum door by moving the operating piece forward and backward in conjunction with the opening / closing operation of the outer tank door, including one or more operating pieces that can move forward and backward from the outer tank side toward the drum side. Means,
Wherein the two door bodies of the drum door can be held in a closed state by the drum door engaging means while being urged in the opening direction, and the drum door opening / closing means operates when the outer tank door is opened. A drum type washing machine wherein the engagement by the drum door engaging means is released by the forward / backward movement of the piece, and the engagement by the drum door engaging means is carried out by the forward / backward movement of the operating piece when the outer tank door is closed. Machine. The drum-type washing machine according to claim 4, wherein the drum door is provided with connecting means for engaging with each other at an overlapping portion when the drum door is closed and linking the opening and closing operations of two doors of the drum door. Machine. The drum type washing machine according to claim 5, wherein the connecting means is provided inside a drum.

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