JP3968363B2 - Washing machine - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a washing machine provided with a bellows for opening and closing an input port with a door and watertight with the door around the input port.

  For example, a drum-type washing machine is provided with a loading port on the front surface of the washing machine body and a door that opens and closes the loading port. A bellows that is in watertight contact with the back surface of the door when the door is closed is provided around the entire inlet.

Further, in this case, door lock means for locking the door closed with respect to the insertion port, and door lock release that is provided in the washing machine body and that can be opened by releasing the lock by the door lock means. Means and an urging means for urging the door in the opening direction. When the door is opened from the closed state, the door is released by the door lock releasing means, and the door is separated from the washing machine main body by the opening urging means (for example, Patent Document 1).
Japanese Patent Application No. 2003-164690

  With the above configuration, the door and bellows may be in close contact with each other, and even if the bellows is displaced from the mounting position or the door is unlocked by the door unlocking means, the door is opened by the opening biasing means. Sometimes it cannot be separated from the mouth. In order to improve this, there is a structure in which a coating for preventing adhesion is applied to the bellows, but this has a disadvantage of high coating processing cost and inferior reliability. There is also a configuration in which a solenoid is provided in the door and the solenoid is energized and the door is separated from the charging port by the plunger. However, there is a problem in that the configuration is complicated.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to reliably and reliably separate the door from the bellows of the inlet when the door lock is released by the door lock releasing means. It is in providing the washing machine which can also contribute to cost reduction.

The invention of claim 1 is a washing machine main body having an insertion port for taking in and out laundry on the front surface;
A door provided in the washing machine main body to open and close the input port; a bellows provided around the input port and in watertight contact with the back surface of the door when the door is closed; and the door to the input port Door locking means for locking the closed state of the washing machine, door lock releasing means provided in the washing machine body for releasing the lock by the pressing operation by the pressing operation, and opening the door An opening urging means for urging the door, and one end portion is pressed and rotated in response to the pressing operation of the door lock releasing means, and the other end portion is opposed to the back surface of the door so that the door is opened. has the said door unlocking means the forced opening lever which rotates in the same direction separately, the other end of the forced opening lever with its pressing operation by pressing the rear surface of the door directly to the door opening direction Configured to include a forced opening means for opening a record from forcing the inlet.

According to this, when the door lock releasing means is externally operated, the locked state of the door is released and an opening biasing force is applied to the door by the opening biasing means. Here, when the door is in close contact with the bellows and does not open , the forcible release lever of the forcible release means provided in the door lock release means pushes the back of the door in accordance with the pressing operation to force it. Since it opens, this door can be opened reliably. In this case, unlike the case where the low-friction coating is applied to the bellows, the cost is not increased. Also, unlike the configuration using a solenoid, it can contribute to simplification of the configuration.

  The present invention can reliably open the door even when the door is in close contact with the bellows and cannot be opened, and can also contribute to cost reduction and simplification of the configuration.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a drum type washing machine will be described with reference to the drawings. First, in FIGS. 2 to 4, the front surface of the housing 1 corresponding to the washing machine body is formed from a front plate 1 a, and an operation panel 2 for setting a washing course and the like is provided above the front plate 1 a. A circular recess 3 is formed in the front plate 1a, and an insertion port 4 for taking in and out the laundry is formed in the center.

  As shown in FIG. 3, a water tank 5 is disposed in the rear of the housing 1 in a rear-falling manner. A drum 6 is disposed inside the water tank 5 so as to be rotatable around a rearwardly descending rotation axis. The drum 6 is directly driven to rotate by a motor 7 attached to the outside of the back surface of the water tank 5. A suspension 8 that elastically supports the water tank 5 and the drum 6 is provided below the water tank 5, and a drain valve 9 and a drain channel 10 are provided.

  The inlet 4 is composed of an annular mouth 11. A bellows 12 is attached from the back surface side to the inner peripheral side of the mouth body 11, and thus the bellows 12 is provided around the entire inlet 4. The bellows 12 is in watertight contact with the back surface of the door when the door is closed as will be described later. The bellows 12 has a lip portion 12b inside the front portion of the straight tube portion 12a. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, the bellows 12 is attached in a state of being clamped by a bellows presser 14 serving as a mounting means on a mounting base 13 having a mounted portion 12c projecting outside the front portion located on the back side of the front plate portion 1a. In addition, an overhanging portion 12 d that curves and projects outward from the rear portion is attached to the front cover portion 5 a of the water tank 5. In this case, as shown in FIG. 5, an engaging claw 15 as an engaging portion is formed in the bellows presser 14, and an engaging hole 16 as an engaged portion is formed in the attached portion 12c of the bellows 12. An engaging claw 15 is engaged with the engaging hole 16.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the housing 1 is provided with a door 17 for opening and closing the insertion port 4 via a hinge arm 18 and a hinge pin 19 (see FIG. 6). The hinge pin 19 is provided with a torsion coil spring 20 as an opening urging means for urging and urging the door 17 in the opening direction (the arrow A direction in FIGS. 1 and 6). The door 17 is configured by attaching an outer plate 17b and an inner plate 17c to an annular frame 17a as shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, and the outer plate 17b and the inner plate 17c are transparent at least in the central part or entirely. It is made possible. The inner plate 17c has a shape that swells substantially in the shape of a truncated cone.

  In the state in which the door 17 closes the insertion port 4, the frame 17 a and the outer peripheral portion of the outer plate 17 b are positioned in the recessed portion 3, and the inner plate 17 c is positioned in the insertion port 4. In this case, as shown in FIG. 5, the inner plate 17 c of the door 17 comes into watertight contact with the lip portion 12 b of the bellows 12 being deformed. The state before the deformation of the ripple portion 12 is indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 5, and the state after the deformation of the ripple portion 12 is indicated by a solid line in FIG.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 7, the door 17 is provided with a locked member 22 as a locked portion that constitutes a part of a door lock device 21 that is a door lock means. A hole 22 a is formed in the locking member 22. A door lock mechanism 23 that constitutes the door lock device 21 with the locked member 22 is disposed at the front of the housing 1 corresponding to the locked member 22.

The door lock mechanism 23 is configured as shown in FIGS. That is, an engagement window 23b is formed in the mechanism case 23a, and a locking member 24 is provided in the mechanism case 23a. The locking member 24 is movable so that the tip appears and retracts from the engagement window 23b. The front end of the locking member 24 has a sloped portion 24a on the locked member 22 side. The locking member 24 is always urged to move in the direction of arrow B (see FIG. 7) by a spring (not shown). Therefore, when the door 17 is rotated in the closing direction, the locked member 22 pushes the sloped portion 24a of the locking member 24, whereby the locking member 24 moves in the opposite arrow B direction, and this When the locking member 24 encounters the hole 22a of the locked member 22, it engages with the hole 22a (state of FIG. 7). Thereby, the closed state of the door 17 is locked.
The door lock mechanism 23 is provided with an operated member 25 shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. When the operated member 25 is operated in the arrow C direction, the locking member 24 is moved in the counter arrow B direction. It has been moved. That is, the lock is released.

  A door lock releasing device 26 serving as a door lock releasing means for operating the operated member 25 in the direction of arrow C to release the lock will be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 8, 9, and 10. The door lock releasing device 26 includes a case 27, a push button 28 as an operation member, a lever 29, a slider 30, and a tension coil spring (spring) 31. The case 27 has an open upper surface, and bulging portions 27a and 27a bulging outward are formed at two locations on the side wall portion. A shaft support hole 27b is formed in each of the bulges 27a and 27a. Further, a support 27c is formed at the bottom of the case 27, and the lever 29 is rotatably disposed on the support 27c. The lever 29 is formed with a receiving portion 29a for receiving an external operating force (pressing force) from the push button 28 and a spring receiving portion 29b, and a slider operating arm portion 29c.

The push button 28 has a case shape that opens downward, and the shaft portions 28b of the two arm portions 28a of the side wall portion are rotatably fitted in the shaft support hole portions 27b of the case 27. . The push button 28 is prevented from coming off upward from the case 27 by a retaining piece (not shown) on the counter-rotation center side. The push button 28 can rotate in the direction of arrow D and the opposite direction about the shaft portion 28b.
On the back surface of the push button 28, a push portion 28d capable of contacting the receiving portion 29a of the lever 29 is formed. A compression spring 32 is disposed between the back surface of the push button 28 and the spring receiver 29b of the lever 29, and the push button 28 is always urged to rotate in the counter arrow D direction.

The slider 30 is slidably attached to the bottom of the case 27 in the direction of arrow F and the opposite direction by fitting the guide 33 in the slide hole 30a. The slide stroke is shown in FIGS. This is indicated by the symbol S. 8 and 9, a connecting portion 30c (operating input point of the lever) is formed at the distal end portion of the arm portion 30b extending upward on the right side of the slider 30 so as to be fitted and connected to the slider operating arm portion 29c. ing. The connecting portion 30c (lever operation input point) and the spring engagement hole (slider operation output point) 30d are shifted from each other with respect to the arrow F direction which is the sliding direction of the slider 30. The amount of deviation is indicated by symbol L in FIG.
A spring engagement hole (slider operation output point) 30 d is formed in the lower left portion of the slider 30 in the figure, and the tension coil is provided between the engagement hole 30 d and the operated member 25 of the door lock device 21. A spring 31 is provided.

  Here, when the push button 28 is turned in the direction of arrow D in FIG. 1, the lever 29 is turned in the direction of arrow E, whereby the slider 30 is moved in the direction of arrow F, The locking member 24 moves in the direction of the arrow B in FIG. 7 via the member 25, whereby the door 17 is unlocked in the closed state. The stroke Sh of the slider 30 required for unlocking is about 1/3 of the total stroke S. In other words, the slider 30 operates at a stroke S that is equal to or greater than the door lock release stroke Sh. The surplus stroke Sy only extends the tension coil spring 31, and the operated member 25 does not operate beyond the door lock release stroke Sh. It has become. The push button 28, the lever 29, and the slider 30 in the door lock releasing device 26 are attached to a case 27 and unitized. The push button 28 is disposed in a frame portion 11b (see FIG. 10) formed to project outward from the mouth body 11, and is exposed to the outer surface.

As shown in FIG. 1, the mouth body 11 is provided with a forced opening mechanism 34 that is located in the vicinity of the push button 28 of the door lock releasing device 26 and serves as a forced opening means. A shaft support portion 35 formed in the mouth 11, a forced release lever 36 rotatably supported by the shaft support portion 35, and a torsion coil for biasing the forced release lever 36 in the direction of arrow G And a spring 37. The forcible release lever 36 has an intermediate shaft portion 36 a fitted and supported by the shaft support portion 35, and a lever portion 36 b on one end of the push button 28 side of the shaft portion 36 a is connected to the push button 28. It faces the pressing portion 28f formed by the side wall portion. Further, the lever portion 36c on the door 17 side of the other end portion of the forcible release lever 36 is located in the lever window portion 11a formed in the mouth body 11, and the convex portion 36d at the tip is the door 17 in the closed state. It faces the back surface 17d. The forced release lever 36 is always urged to rotate in the direction of arrow G by a torsion coil spring 37, and further rotation is prevented by the stopper portion 11c. In this state, the lever portion 36c is flush with the peripheral portion of the lever window portion 11a, that is, the mouth body 11 (see FIG. 10).

  Now, the operation of the above configuration will be described. When the user presses the push button 28 in the state of FIG. 1 in the arrow D direction (external operation) in order to open the door 17 with the door 17 closed, the lever 29 is rotated in the arrow E direction. The slider operation arm 29c receives the force in the direction of arrow F by the connecting portion 30c, which is the operation input point of the slider 30, and the slider 30 is slid in the direction of arrow F. Then, the operated member 25 is moved via the tension coil spring 31 (no expansion at this time) through the spring engagement hole 30d which is the operation output point of the slider 30, and the locking member 24 is turned in the opposite direction. Moving in the B direction (see FIG. 7), the door lock is released. Thus, the door 17 is urged to rotate in the opening direction by the spring force of the spring torsion coil spring 20 in the opening direction (arrow A direction). Accordingly, the door 17 is expected to open, but may not open if the bellows 12 is in close contact with the door 17.

  The stroke until the door lock is released is equal to or shorter than the stroke Sh. When the push button 28 is further pressed (external operation), the pressing portion 28f of the slide push button 28 comes into contact with the lever portion 36b of the forcible release lever 36 so that the forcible release lever 36 is rotated in the opposite arrow G direction. As a result, the other lever portion 36c of the forcible opening lever 36 pushes the back surface of the door 17 to forcibly open the door 17 (see FIG. 11). At this time, the slider 30 also slides in the direction of the arrow F, but only the extension coil spring 31 extends, and the door lock releasing operation is not performed.

  According to this embodiment, when the push button 28 of the door lock releasing device 26 is externally operated, the door 17 is unlocked and the torsion coil spring 20 applies an opening biasing force to the door 17. . Here, when the door 17 is in close contact with the bellows 12 and does not open, the forced release lever 36 of the forced release mechanism 34 provided to the door lock release device 26 by the user is used for the external operation. Accordingly, since the door 17 is forcibly opened, the door 17 can be reliably opened. In this case, unlike the case where the low-friction coating is applied to the bellows 12, the cost is not increased. Also, unlike the configuration using a solenoid, it can contribute to simplification of the configuration. However, the bellows 12 may be coated. In this case, the forced opening operation can be further simplified.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, the door lock release device 26 is pushed by a push button 28 that is operated to be pressed, a lever 29 that is interlocked with the pressing operation of the push button 28, and the operation displacement of the lever 29 The slider 30 is transmitted to the door lock mechanism 23 via the tension coil spring 31. The connecting portion 30 c that is the operation input point of the lever 29 in the slider 30 and the operation output point of the slider 30 with respect to the door lock mechanism 23. Since a certain spring engagement hole 30d is deviated in the operation direction of the slider 30, the slider 30 is slid obliquely even when the push button 28, the lever 29 and the door lock mechanism 23 are displaced. Can be slid almost vertically (form along the right side of the housing 1), and the slide configuration is simple.In addition, there is a high degree of freedom in the arrangement of the lever 29 and the door lock mechanism 23, and a design can be given a margin.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, since the push button 28, the lever 29, and the slider 30 in the door lock releasing device 26 are attached to the case 27 and unitized, it is possible to improve the assemblability.

  Further, according to this embodiment, since the slider 30 operates with a stroke S that is equal to or greater than the required unlocking stroke Sh for the door lock device 21, when the slider 30 is operated by the push button 28, the door 30 is first operated. After the lock is released, the forcible release lever 36 is operated next, and in the normal case where the door 17 smoothly opens without being in close contact with the bellows 12 when the door 17 is opened, the forcible opening operation is performed. It is possible to lighten the operation force. Then, it is only necessary to perform the forcible opening operation only when they are in close contact.

  Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, the engaging claw 15 is formed in the bellows presser 14 and the engaging hole 16 is formed in the attached portion 12c of the bellows 12, so that the attached portion 12c portion of the bellows 12 is displaced or detached. There is nothing to do. That is, when the door 17 is rotated in the closing direction, the lip portion 12b is pressed and deformed from the free state (the state indicated by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 5) to the state indicated by the solid line, so that the attached portion 12c is as shown in FIG. The force in the direction of arrow Q is received. Further, when the door 17 operates in the opening direction, the lip portion 12b is pulled in the opening direction of the door 17, so that in this case as well, a force is applied in the arrow Q direction. For this reason, when the engaging claw 15 and the engaging hole 16 are not provided, the mounted portion 12c is displaced or detached in the direction of the arrow Q. According to this embodiment, the engaging claw 15 is attached to the bellows presser 14. Since the engagement hole 16 is formed in the attached portion 12c of the bellows 12, it is possible to reliably prevent the attached portion 12c portion of the bellows 12 from shifting or coming off. Therefore, the water sealing effect can be maintained. The engaging claw 15 as the engaging portion may be formed in the bellows presser 14 and the engaging hole 16 as the engaged portion may be formed in the bellows 12.

  In addition, this invention is not limited to the said Example, For example, it is not limited to a drum type washing machine, It can apply widely to the washing machine in general. Moreover, you may change suitably the structure of a door lock means or a door lock cancellation | release means. Further, although the forced release lever 36 is directly operated by the push button 28, a link or the like may be interposed in the middle.

Sectional drawing of the forced cancellation mechanism 34 part which shows one Example of this invention Perspective view of the entire drum type washing machine in the door open state Cross section of the entire part Cross section of door part Cross section of bellows mounting part Sectional view of the hinge part of the door Sectional view of locked member and locking member portion of door lock device Top view of the door unlocking device Perspective view of door lock release device Perspective view of forced opening mechanism and door lock release device FIG. 1 equivalent view for explaining the operation of the forced opening mechanism

Explanation of symbols

In the drawings, 1 is a housing (washing machine main body), 4 is a slot, 5 is a water tank, 6 is a drum, 11 is a mouthpiece, 12 is a bellows, 12b is a lip portion, 12c is a mounted portion, and 14 is a bellows presser. (Attachment means), 15 is an engagement claw (engagement part), 16 is an engagement hole (engaged part), 17 is a door, 20 is a torsion coil spring (open biasing means), and 21 is a door lock device ( (Door lock means), 22 is a member to be locked, 23 is a door lock mechanism, 24 is a lock member, 26 is a door lock release device (door lock release means), 27 is a case, 28 is a push button (operation member), 29 is a lever, 30 is a slider, 30c is a connecting portion (operation input point), 30d is a spring engagement hole (operation output point), 31 is a tension coil spring (spring), 34 is a forced release mechanism (forced release means), Reference numeral 36 denotes a forced release lever.

Claims (5)

A washing machine main body having a slot for taking in and out laundry on the front surface;
A door provided in the washing machine body to open and close the charging port;
A bellows which is provided all around the input port and is in watertight contact with the back surface of the door when the door is closed;
Door locking means for locking the closed state of the door with respect to the insertion port;
A door lock releasing means which is provided in the washing machine main body and allows the door to be opened by releasing the lock by the door lock means;
An opening biasing means for biasing the door in the opening direction;
A forcible release lever that is rotated by one end pressed in response to the pressing operation of the door unlocking means, and the other end faces the back of the door and rotates in the same direction as the door opens. Separately from the door unlocking means, the other end of the forcible opening lever pushes the back surface of the door directly in the door opening direction and forcibly opens it from the insertion port. And a forced opening means.   2. The washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the door lock is first released by the pressing operation of the door lock release means, and then the door is forcibly opened. The door lock releasing means has an operation member that is operated to be pressed, a lever that is interlocked with the pressing operation of the operation member, and a slider that transmits an operation displacement of the lever to the door lock means via a spring. ,
2. The washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the operation input point of the lever in the slider and the operation output point of the slider with respect to the door lock means are shifted in the operation direction of the slider.   4. The washing machine according to claim 3, wherein the operation member, the lever, and the slider in the door lock releasing means are unitized by being attached to the case.   4. The washing machine according to claim 3, wherein the slider operates with a stroke longer than a necessary unlocking stroke for the door lock means.

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