JP3915302B2 - Brake release device for washing machine - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a brake releasing device for a washing machine that releases a braking force of a brake mechanism provided on a support shaft that supports a washing and dewatering tub.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In general, in a washing machine, after washing and draining washing water, the process proceeds to a dehydration process of squeezing out moisture impregnated in the clothing. At that time, the brake mechanism provided on the support shaft supporting the washing and dehydrating tank is released. Is normal.
[0003]
Conventionally, a washing machine is configured as shown in FIG. Hereinafter, the configuration will be described.
[0004]
As shown in FIG. 6, the washing and dewatering tub 1 stores laundry, and a pulsator 2 is rotatably arranged at the center bottom. The water tank 3 contains the washing / dehydrating tank 1, a substrate 4 is fixed to the outer bottom of the water tank 3, and a washing / dehydration switching mechanism 7 having a motor 5 and a brake mechanism 6 is disposed. In addition, a drain valve device 8 and a brake release device 9 are disposed on the outer bottom of the water tank 3. The lower part of the outer periphery of the water tank 3 is suspended and supported from the upper corners 13 of the outer frame 12 via the vibration isolator 10 and the suspension rod 11. An upper cover 14 is provided on the outer frame 12, and a water supply valve 15, a power switch 16, a control device 17 and the like are provided.
[0005]
As shown in FIG. 7, the brake mechanism unit 6 has a brake band 19 fixed to a support shaft 18 that supports the washing and dewatering tub 1, one end fixed to the brake wheel 19, and the other end fixed to a lever 20. 21 is brought into pressure contact with the spring force of the brake spring 22 so as to apply a brake force to the support shaft 18. When the lever 20 is rotated in the direction of arrow a about the shaft 23 against the spring force of the brake spring 22, the brake force can be released.
[0006]
The brake release device is configured as shown in FIG. 8, and the release bracket 24 contacts the lever 20 when the brake is released. The drive shaft 26 of the drive device 25 is locked to one end of the release bracket 24, A sliding portion 27 formed at the other end of the release fitting 24 is slidably held by the holding portion 28.
[0007]
The spring 29 biases the release fitting 24 in a direction away from the lever 20. One end of the spring 29 is fixed to a fixing metal 30 for fixing the holding member 28, the other end is fixed to the release metal 24, and the fixing metal 30 is fixed to the lower part of the water tank 3 by two or more screws 31. The sliding portion 27 of the release fitting 24 is formed in a flat plate shape and is inserted and held in the through hole 32 of the holding member 28.
[0008]
In general, in a washing machine, almost simultaneously with the end of the washing or rinsing process, the drain valve device 8 is operated to enter the drain process, and the driving device 25 is operated to release the braking force of the brake mechanism section 6, so that the water tank 3 The dehydration process begins when there is almost no laundry drainage inside.
[0009]
In the above configuration, when releasing the braking force of the brake mechanism 6, if the drive device 25 is urged to move the drive shaft 26 in the direction of arrow b, the lever 20 is moved via the release fitting 24 to the arrow shown in FIG. It can be rotated in the direction a, and the braking force can be released.
[0010]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In such a conventional configuration, the holding member 28 that slidably holds the sliding portion 27 of the release fitting 25 is fixed to the fixing fitting 30, and the fixing fitting 30 is provided at the lower part of the water tank 3 with two or more screws 31. Therefore, there is a problem that the number of parts is large and the cost is high.
[0011]
In addition, since the sliding portion 27 of the release fitting 24 that slides during the brake release operation during the dehydration process is formed in a flat plate shape, it is necessary to increase the plate thickness in order to ensure strength, which increases costs. In addition, there was a problem that the workability was also lowered.
[0012]
Further, since the sliding portion 27 of the release fitting 24 that slides during the brake releasing operation during the dehydration stroke is inserted and held in the through hole 32 of the holding member 28, the end surface of the sliding portion 27 is caught by the burr and slides. Had problems that worsened operation.
[0013]
The spring 29 that biases the release fitting 24 away from the lever 20 has one end fixed to the fixing fitting 30 and the other end fixed to the release fitting 24. Depending on the attachment of the spring 29, for example, As shown in FIG. 8, when the drive shaft 26 of the drive device 25 is biased in the direction in which the drive shaft 26 is lifted (arrow c direction), the drive shaft 26 is in a state where a force is constantly applied to the drive shaft 26. There has been a problem that it is deformed and the operation of the driving device 25 deteriorates.
[0014]
Furthermore, the fixing metal fitting 30 for fixing the holding member 28 is fixed to the lower part of the water tank 3 by two or more screws 31. Since there is no positioning or the like, there is a problem that the assembling workability is poor. It was.
[0015]
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention solves the above-described problems, and aims to make the holding member of the brake release device multifunctional, simplify the component configuration, and reduce the cost.
[0016]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a brake for releasing a braking force of a brake mechanism portion provided at a lower portion of a water tub for storing a washing / dehydrating tub for storing laundry and provided on a support shaft for supporting the washing / dehydrating tub. When the brake is released, the release device has a drive shaft that is locked to one end of the release fitting, and the release fitting is brought into contact with a lever that protrudes from the brake mechanism and releases the braking force. The sliding part formed at the end is slidably held by the holding member, one end of the spring that urges the release fitting in the direction away from the lever is fixed to the holding member, and the other end is fixed to the release fitting In addition, the holding member is formed by integrally forming a holding portion, a spring fixing portion, and an attachment portion, and is fixed to the lower portion of the water tank by the attachment portion.
[0017]
Thereby, the holding member of the brake release device can be made multifunctional, the component configuration can be simplified, and the cost can be reduced.
[0018]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The invention according to claim 1 of the present invention releases the braking force of the brake mechanism portion provided at the lower part of the water tub for storing the washing and dewatering tub for storing the laundry and provided on the support shaft for supporting the washing and dewatering tub. A brake release device that protrudes from the brake mechanism and releases the braking force, a release fitting that contacts the lever when the brake is released, and a drive device that has a drive shaft locked to one end of the release fitting; A holding member that slidably holds a sliding portion formed at the other end of the release fitting, and a spring that urges the release fitting in a direction away from the lever, and holds one end of the spring The holding member is fixed to the member, the other end is fixed to the release fitting, and the holding member is integrally formed with a holding portion, a spring fixing portion, and an attachment portion, and is fixed to the lower portion of the water tank by the attachment portion. Release The holding member by multiple functions, can be simplified part configuration, the cost can be reduced.
[0019]
The invention according to claim 2 is the invention according to claim 1, wherein the sliding portion of the release fitting has a substantially U-shaped cross section, and can increase the section modulus of the sliding portion, As a result, it is possible to improve the reliability by increasing the strength of the sliding portion, to achieve an appropriate plate thickness, and to reduce the cost.
[0020]
The invention according to claim 3 is the invention according to claim 1, wherein the sliding portion of the release fitting has a through hole, and the width a of the through hole is equal to the width b of the holding portion of the holding member. Since the holding members can be assembled without being divided, the component configuration can be simplified, and the cost can be reduced.
[0021]
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the holding portion of the holding member is formed with a convex portion at the end so as not to contact the end of the through hole of the release fitting. Even if there is a burr or the like at the end of the through hole of the release fitting, there is no fear of being caught during the sliding operation, and the reliability can be improved.
[0022]
The invention according to claim 5 is the invention according to claim 1, wherein the seating surface of the holding member is formed with an inclined surface for correcting the inclination of the release fitting, and a force is applied to the drive shaft of the drive device. As a result, the deformation of the drive shaft can be prevented, and the reliability of the operation of the drive device can be improved.
[0023]
The invention according to claim 6 is the invention according to claim 1, wherein the holding member is housed in a pair of L-shaped projections whose outer shape is provided in the water tank, and the reinforcing ribs of the mounting boss provided in the water tank A wall surface or a concave portion that comes into contact with or fits with each other is integrally formed, and these convex portions and ribs can guide the assembly, thereby improving workability.
[0024]
【Example】
Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In addition, the structure of a washing machine and the structure of a brake mechanism part are the same as that of a prior art example, and also about a brake release apparatus, the thing of the same structure as a prior art example attaches | subjects the same code | symbol, and abbreviate | omits description.
[0025]
Example 1
As shown in FIG. 1, the release fitting 33 is in contact with the lever 20 when the brake is released, and engages the drive shaft 26 of the drive device 25 at one end and forms a sliding portion 34 at the other end. The holding member 35 slidably holds the sliding portion 34 formed on the release fitting 33. The spring 36 biases the release fitting 33 in a direction away from the lever 20, and one end of the spring 36 is fixed to the holding member 35 and the other end is fixed to the release fitting 33.
[0026]
The holding member 35 includes a holding portion 37 that slidably holds the sliding portion 34 formed on the release fitting 33, a spring fixing portion 38 that fixes one end of the spring 36, and an attachment that fixes the lower portion of the water tank 3. The part 39 is integrally formed, and is fixed to the lower part of the water tank 3 by the attachment part 39.
[0027]
In the above configuration, when the drive device 25 is energized when releasing the brake, the release fitting 33 is pulled along the sliding portion 34 held by the holding portion 37 of the holding member 35 by the drive shaft 26, The lever 20 is abutted and pulled in the direction of arrow b. When returning, when the urging force of the drive device 25 is released, the drive shaft 26 is released and urged in a direction away from the return force of the lever 20 itself and the lever 20 attached to the spring fixing portion 38 of the holding member 35. The release metal 33 is returned to the position shown in FIG.
[0028]
As described above, since the holding member 35 holds the sliding portion 34 of the release fitting 33 and the spring fixing portion 38 for fixing the spring 36 and the attachment portion 39 for fixing to the water tank 3 are integrally formed, the number of parts is reduced. The cost can be reduced by simplifying the configuration.
[0029]
(Example 2)
As shown in FIG. 2, the release fitting 33a contacts the lever 20 (see FIG. 1) when releasing the brake, and forms a sliding portion 34a. The sliding portion 34a has a substantially U-shaped cross section. The holding portion 37a of the holding member 35a that is formed in this manner and slidably holds the sliding portion 34a of the release fitting 33a is configured as shown in FIG. A through hole 40 is provided in the sliding portion 34a of the release fitting 33a, and the width a of the through hole 40 is equal to the width b of the holding portion 37a of the holding member 35a. Moreover, the convex part 41 is formed in the edge part of the holding | maintenance part 37a, and it is made not to contact the edge part 42 of the through-hole 40 of the cancellation | release metal fitting 33a. Other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment.
[0030]
The operation of the above configuration will be described. Since the sliding portion 34a of the release fitting 33a has a substantially U-shaped cross section, the section modulus can be increased, and as a result, the strength of the sliding portion 34a can be improved. Deformation due to a heavy load can be prevented, reliability as a part can be improved, an appropriate plate thickness can be obtained, and cost can be reduced.
[0031]
Further, since the width a of the through hole 40 of the sliding portion 34a of the release fitting 33a is equal to the width b of the holding portion 37a of the holding member 35a, the holding member 35a is rotated by rotating the holding member 35a by 90 degrees. The sliding part 34a of the release fitting 33a can be positioned between the holding parts 37a of the holding member 35a by inserting it into the through hole 40, and the holding member 35a can be assembled without being divided, thereby simplifying the component configuration. This can reduce the cost.
[0032]
Further, the holding portion 37a of the holding member 35a has a convex portion 41 at its end and does not contact the end portion 42 of the through hole 43 of the release fitting 33a. Even if there is, there is no fear of being caught during the sliding operation, and the reliability can be improved.
[0033]
(Example 3)
As shown in FIG. 4, the holding member 35b slidably holds the sliding portion 34 formed on the release fitting 33, and the holding portion 35 slidably holds the sliding portion 34 formed on the release fitting 33. 37 b, a spring fixing portion 38 b that fixes one end of the spring 36, and an attachment portion 39 b that is fixed to the lower portion of the water tank 3 are integrally formed, and are fixed to the lower portion of the water tank 3 by the attachment portion 39 b. The seating surface 43 of the holding member 35 b forms an inclined surface that corrects the inclination of the release fitting 33. Other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment.
[0034]
The operation of the above configuration will be described. Since the seating surface 43 of the holding member 35b forms an inclined surface for correcting the inclination of the release fitting 33, the release fitting 33 can be maintained in a horizontal state, and the drive shaft 25 of the drive device 25 is connected to the drive shaft 25. It is possible to prevent a force from being applied in the direction in which the drive shaft 26 is lifted, and as a result, it is possible to prevent the drive shaft 26 from being deformed and to improve the reliability of the operation of the drive device 25.
[0035]
Example 4
As shown in FIG. 5, the water tank 3 is provided with a pair of L-shaped projections 44 and an attachment boss 46 having a reinforcing rib 45. As shown in FIG. 3, the holding member 35 a is integrally formed with a wall surface 46 that comes into contact with the reinforcing rib 45 of the mounting boss 46 provided in the water tank 3 and a recess 47 that fits into the reinforcing rib 45. It accommodates in a pair of L-shaped convex part 44 provided in this. Other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment.
[0036]
The operation of the above configuration will be described. The holding member 35 a is fitted in the reinforcing rib 45 and the wall surface 46 that comes into contact with the reinforcing rib 45 of the mounting boss 46 provided in the water tank 3 while accommodating the outer shape in a pair of L-shaped convex portions 44 provided in the water tank 3. Since the concave portion 47 to be integrated is integrally formed, the abutment or fitting of these portions can guide the assembly and improve workability.
[0037]
In this embodiment, the holding member 35a is integrally formed with a wall surface 46 that comes into contact with the reinforcing rib 45 of the mounting boss 46 provided in the water tank 3 and a recess 47 that fits into the reinforcing rib 45. Only one of 46 or the recess 47 may be provided.
[0038]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the brake mechanism is provided at the lower portion of the water tub for storing the washing / dehydrating tub for storing the laundry and provided on the support shaft for supporting the washing / dehydrating tub. A brake release device that releases the braking force of the part, a lever that protrudes from the brake mechanism part to release the brake force, a release fitting that contacts the lever when the brake is released, and a drive that is locked to one end of the release fitting A drive device having a shaft, a holding member that slidably holds a sliding portion formed at the other end of the release fitting, and a spring that biases the release fitting in a direction away from the lever, One end of the spring is fixed to the holding member, the other end is fixed to the release bracket, and the holding member is integrally formed with a holding portion, a spring fixing portion, and an attachment portion, and is fixed to the lower portion of the water tank by the attachment portion. So By multifunctional holding member over key release device can be simplified part configuration, the cost can be reduced.
[0039]
According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the sliding portion of the release fitting has a substantially U-shaped cross section, the section modulus of the sliding portion can be increased, and as a result, the strength of the sliding portion is increased. It is possible to improve the reliability due to the increase in the thickness, to obtain an appropriate plate thickness, and to reduce the cost.
[0040]
According to the third aspect of the invention, the sliding portion of the release fitting has a through hole, and the width a of the through hole is equal to the width b of the holding portion of the holding member. Assembling can be performed without dividing the member, the component configuration can be simplified, and the cost can be reduced.
[0041]
According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the holding portion of the holding member is formed with a convex portion at the end portion so as not to contact the end portion of the through hole of the release metal fitting. Even if there is a burr or the like at the end of the metal, there is no fear of being caught during the sliding operation, and the reliability can be improved.
[0042]
According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, since the seating surface of the holding member is formed with an inclined surface that corrects the inclination of the release fitting, it is possible to prevent a force from being applied to the drive shaft of the drive device, and as a result. The deformation of the drive shaft can be prevented, and the reliability of the operation of the drive device can be improved.
[0043]
According to the invention of claim 6, the holding member is housed in a pair of L-shaped convex portions provided in the water tank, and is in contact with or fitted with the reinforcing ribs of the mounting boss provided in the water tank. Since the wall surface or the concave portion to be formed is integrally formed, these convex portions and ribs can guide during assembly, and workability can be improved.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of a brake release device for a washing machine according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a main part of a release fitting of the brake release device for a washing machine according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a holding member of a brake release device of the washing machine. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of an essential part of a brake release device of a washing machine according to a third embodiment of the invention. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of a washing machine equipped with a conventional brake release device. FIG. 7 is a diagram of a brake mechanism portion released by a conventional brake release device. Plan view [FIG. 8] Cross-sectional view of a conventional brake machine brake release device [Explanation of symbols]
20 Lever 25 Drive device 26 Drive shaft 33 Release bracket 34 Sliding part 35 Holding member 36 Spring 37 Holding part 38 Spring fixing part 39 Attaching part

Claims (6)

A brake release device for releasing a braking force of a brake mechanism portion provided on a support shaft supporting the washing and dewatering tub provided in a lower portion of a water tub for storing a laundry and dewatering tub for storing laundry, from the brake mechanism portion A lever that protrudes and releases the braking force, a release fitting that contacts the lever when the brake is released, a drive device that has a drive shaft locked to one end of the release fitting, and a slide formed on the other end of the release fitting A holding member that slidably holds the moving portion; and a spring that urges the release fitting in a direction away from the lever. One end of the spring is fixed to the holding member, and the other end is attached to the release fitting. A brake release device for a washing machine in which the holding member is integrally formed with a holding portion, a spring fixing portion, and an attachment portion, and is fixed to the lower portion of the water tank by the attachment portion. The brake release device for a washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the sliding portion of the release fitting has a substantially U-shaped cross section. The brake release device for a washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the sliding portion of the release fitting has a through hole, and the width a of the through hole is equal to the width b of the holding portion of the holding member. The brake release device for a washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the holding portion of the holding member is formed with a convex portion at an end portion thereof so as not to contact the end portion of the through hole of the release fitting. The brake release device for a washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the seating surface of the holding member forms an inclined surface for correcting the inclination of the release fitting. The holding member accommodates an outer shape in a pair of L-shaped convex portions provided in the water tank, and integrally forms a wall surface or a concave portion that comes into contact with or fits into a reinforcing rib of a mounting boss provided in the water tank. Brake release device for washing machine.

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