JP5127909B2 - Suspension and washing machine - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a suspension that uses a functional fluid, and a washing machine that supports and dampens a tank with this suspension.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a drum type washing machine includes a drum for storing laundry so as to be rotatable in a horizontal axis shape inside a water tank for storing washing water. In this drum type washing machine, the vibration during operation is reduced by supporting the water tub with a plurality of suspensions on the bottom plate of the outer box. As this type of suspension, a suspension using a magnetorheological fluid (MR fluid) whose viscosity varies depending on the strength of a magnetic field is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  In the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, a piston rod is inserted into a damper tube, and pistons are provided at two axial positions of the piston rod, respectively. A fluid storage chamber is formed. Further, the damper tube is provided with a magnetism generating device at a portion facing the magnetorheological fluid accommodating chamber, and the magnetorheological fluid accommodating chamber is partitioned into two chambers in the axial direction by the magnetism generating device. That is, two chambers of magnetorheological fluid accommodating chambers are provided on both sides in the axial direction of the magnetism generator in the damper tube, and magnetorheological fluids are respectively accommodated in these two chambers.

  The magnetic generator is formed by providing a coil on an annular iron core, and generates a magnetic field. This magnetism generator forms a magnetorheological fluid flow path with the piston rod. Further, in the drum type washing machine, a damper tube side spring receiving seat is provided at the piston rod protruding side end portion of the damper tube, and a shaft side spring receiving seat is provided at the protruding end portion of the piston rod. A coil spring is interposed between the seats, and thus the water tank is supported in the outer box by a suspension using a magnetorheological fluid.

  When the water tank vibrates in the vertical direction with the structure in which the water tank is supported in this way, the damper tube also reciprocates in the vertical axis direction along with the expansion and contraction of the coil spring. At this time, as the piston relatively reciprocates up and down in the magnetorheological fluid storage chamber in the damper tube, the magnetorheological fluid flows from one side of the two axial chambers of the magnetorheological fluid storage chamber to the other side. Go back and forth through the magnetic viscous fluid flow path. Here, a damping force is generated by the viscosity of the magnetorheological fluid, and the amplitude of the water tank is attenuated.

  In this situation, when the coil of the magnetism generator is energized, a magnetic field is generated, the magnetic field is applied to the magnetorheological fluid, and the viscosity of the magnetorheological fluid is increased. As a result, the friction loss when the magnetorheological fluid passes through the magnetorheological fluid channel increases, and the damping force increases. That is, the damping force can be adjusted by energizing the coil of the magnetic generator.

JP 2006-57766 A

  A so-called functional fluid (fluid whose rheological characteristics such as viscosity change by controlling a physical quantity applied from the outside) such as the above-mentioned magnetorheological fluid is more expensive than a normal damper oil. In the one described in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, since it is housed in two chambers of the magnetorheological fluid housing chambers formed on both sides in the axial direction of the magnetism generator, the cost of the suspension and consequently the drum type washing machine There was a problem that the cost of the remarkably high.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances. Therefore, the object of the present invention is to reduce the amount of the functional fluid to be used, and to reduce the cost. To provide a supporting washing machine.

To achieve the above object, in the suspension of the present invention, a cylinder, a bearing fixed inside the cylinder, a magnetic field generator fixed inside the cylinder and generating a magnetic field, and the magnetic field generator A magnetic member disposed on both sides in the axial direction, a shaft supported by the magnetic field generating device, the bearing and the magnetic member so as to be relatively reciprocally movable in the axial direction, the shaft, and the magnetic field generation And a functional fluid comprising a magnetorheological fluid filled to be held in a position between the device and the magnetic member to exert a frictional resistance with respect to the shaft. Invention).
In the washing machine of the present invention, the suspension for supporting the tank in a vibration-proof manner is the above-described suspension (invention of claim 2).

According to the above means, the functional fluid is the use by filling only a position to exert a frictional resistance to the shaft between the magnetic field generator及beauty magnetic member and the shaft, which can be antivibration support aquarium Thus, the usage amount of the functional fluid can be reduced and the cost can be reduced.

The longitudinal cross-sectional view of the state before a driving | operation of the principal part which shows 1st Example of this invention Longitudinal section of the main part during operation Partial enlarged vertical sectional view for explaining the operation of the main part Longitudinal side view of the entire drum type washing machine FIG. 1 equivalent view showing a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 equivalent view showing a third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 equivalent view showing a fourth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 equivalent view showing a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, a first example (first embodiment) of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
First, FIG. 4 shows the entire structure of the drum type washing machine, and the outer box 1 is an outer shell. A laundry entrance / exit 2 is formed at a central portion of the front portion (right side in FIG. 4) of the outer box 1 and a door 3 for opening and closing the entrance / exit 2 is provided. In addition, an operation panel 4 is provided at the upper part of the front surface of the outer box 1, and a control device 5 for operation control is provided on the back side (inside the outer box 1).

A water tank 6 is disposed inside the outer box 1. This water tank 6 has a horizontal cylindrical shape whose front and rear are axially front and rear (right and left in FIG. 4), and is tilted forward by a pair of left and right (only one shown) suspensions 7 on the bottom plate 1a of the outer box 1. It is elastically supported in the shape. The detailed structure of the suspension 7 will be described later.
A motor 8 is attached to the back of the water tank 6. In this case, the motor 8 is composed of, for example, a direct current brushless motor, and is an outer rotor type. A rotating shaft (not shown) attached to the center portion of the rotor 8 a is connected to the inside of the water tank 6 via the bearing bracket 9. Is inserted.

  A drum 10 is disposed inside the water tank 6. This drum 10 also has a horizontal cylindrical shape with the front and rear being axially attached. By attaching it to the tip of the rotating shaft of the motor 8 at the center of the rear part, the drum 10 has a forwardly inclined shape coaxial with the water tank 6. I support it. As a result, the drum 10 is rotated by the motor 8, so that the drum 10 is a rotating tank and the motor 8 functions as a drum driving device that rotates the drum 10.

  A large number of small holes 11 (only a part is shown) are formed in the peripheral side portion (body portion) of the drum 10 over the entire area. Each of the drum 10 and the water tub 6 has openings 12 and 13 on the front surface thereof, and the laundry entrance 2 is connected to the opening 13 of the water tub 6 through an annular bellows 14. . As a result, the laundry entrance / exit 2 is connected to the inside of the drum 10 via the bellows 14, the opening 13 of the water tub 6, and the opening 12 of the drum 10.

  A drain pipe 16 is connected to the rear part of the bottom, which is the lowest part of the water tank 6, via a drain valve 15. A drying unit 17 is disposed above and in front of the back of the water tank 6. This drying unit 17 has a dehumidifier 18, a blower 19, and a heating device 20, and dehumidifies the air in the water tank 6, and then heats the air to return it to the water tank 6. The laundry is to be dried.

Here, the detailed structure of the suspension 7 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 1, the suspension 7 includes a shaft 22 attached to an attachment plate 21 included in the bottom plate 1 a of the outer box 1, and a cylindrical cylinder 24 attached to an attachment plate 23 included in the water tank 6. And is composed. Specifically, a connecting portion 22a is provided at the lower end of the shaft 22, and the connecting portion 22a is fastened to the mounting plate 21 of the bottom plate 1a with a nut 26 via an elastic seat plate 25 such as rubber. 22 is attached to the mounting plate 21.
On the other hand, a connecting member 27 is provided at the upper end of the cylinder 24, and the connecting member 27 is fastened to the mounting plate 23 of the water tank 6 with a nut 29 via the elastic seat plate 28 and the like, so that the cylinder 24 can be 6 is configured to vibrate in the vertical direction (axial direction).

  A bearing housing 33 in which bearings 30 and 31 are housed and arranged with a spacer 32 spaced apart in the vertical direction is press-fitted and provided in the lower part inside the cylinder 24. The bearings 30 and 31 are made of, for example, sintered oil-impregnated metal (so-called bearing alloy), and are fixed together with the spacer 32 and the bearing housing 33 inside the cylinder 24. In the bearing housing 33, an annular and lip-shaped seal member 34 is provided in a fixed state at the top.

  A lower yoke 35, which is a ring-shaped magnetic member, is press-fitted in a fixed state at a position on the seal member 34 in the cylinder 24, and a field generator 36 is further press-fitted onto the lower yoke 35. In a fixed state. In this case, the field generator 36 is a magnetic field generator, and is formed by winding a coil 36b around a bobbin 36a, and energizes the coil 36b through a lead wire 36c led out of the cylinder 24.

An upper yoke 37, which is a ring-shaped magnetic member like the lower yoke 35, is press-fitted at a position on the field generator 36 in the cylinder 24 so as to be fixed. However, the upper yoke 37 has an axial length (thickness) larger than that of the lower yoke 35, and has a recessed portion 38 around the central portion of the upper portion.
A portion of the cylinder 24 on the upper yoke 37 forms a cavity 39 with the connecting member 27.

  On the other hand, the upper portion of the shaft 22 can relatively reciprocate in the axial direction of the bearing 31, spacer 32, bearing 30, seal member 34, lower yoke 35, field generator 36 (bobbin 36a), and upper yoke 37. And the upper end reaches the inside of the cavity 39, and the entire shaft 22 is supported by the bearings 30 and 31 in this state. Further, the seal member 34 located below the lower yoke 35 and located below the field generator 36 is in close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the shaft 22.

  A predetermined gap is formed between the shaft 22 and the field generator 36 (bobbin 36a) and between the shaft 22 and the lower yoke 35 and the upper yoke 37 in the vicinity thereof. A functional fluid, in this case, a magnetorheological fluid 40 is filled, and the seal member 34 prevents leakage of the magnetorheological fluid 40.

  Here, the functional fluid is a fluid whose rheological properties such as viscosity are functionally changed by controlling the physical quantity applied from the outside as described above, and whose viscosity is changed by application of electric energy. Including a magnetorheological fluid 40 and an electrorheological fluid (not shown). In this embodiment, the magnetorheological fluid (MR fluid) 40 whose viscosity characteristics change according to the strength of the magnetic field (magnetic field) is used. However, the electrorheological fluid whose viscosity properties change according to the strength of the electric field (electric field). (ER fluid) may be used. The magnetorheological fluid 40 is, for example, a material in which ferromagnetic particles such as iron and carbonyl iron are dispersed in oil. Apparently, when a magnetic field is applied, the ferromagnetic particles form chain clusters. Increases in viscosity.

  The field generator 36 generates a magnetic field according to the current value flowing through the coil 36b and controls the viscosity of the magnetorheological fluid 40. The generated magnetic field is variable depending on the current value, and the magnetorheological fluid The viscosity of 40 can be variably controlled.

  A shaft-side spring seat 41 is fitted and fixed to the lower portion of the shaft 22. A cylinder-side spring seat 42 is fitted and fixed to the lower end portion of the cylinder 24 so as to be able to reciprocate in the axial direction relative to the lower end of the cylinder 24. A coil spring 43 composed of a compression coil spring that surrounds the shaft 22 and the cylinder side spring receiving seat 42 is mounted between the spring receiving seats 41 and 42 in such a manner that the suspension 7 can be extended and retracted. And a bottom plate 1a of the outer box 1 so that the water tank 6 is supported on the bottom plate 1a of the outer box 1 in a vibration-proof manner.

Next, the operation of the above configuration will be described.
When the control device 5 starts operation based on the operation of the operation panel 4, the water tank 6 vibrates mainly in the vertical direction as the drum 10 containing the laundry is rotationally driven. In response to the vertical vibration of the water tank 6, in the suspension 7, the cylinder 24 integrally connected to the water tank 6 includes a connecting member 27, an upper yoke 37, a field generator 36, a lower yoke 35, a seal member 34, a bearing. 30, the spacer 32, the bearing 31, the bearing housing 33, and the cylinder-side spring seat 42, and the coil spring 43 is expanded and contracted to vibrate up and down around the shaft 22. FIG. 2 shows one state of the suspension 7 during the operation of the washing machine, and the cylinder 24 is lowered with the above components from the state before the operation shown in FIG.

  As described above, when the cylinder 24 vibrates in the vertical direction with the above-described parts, it is filled between the shaft 22 and the field generator 36 and between the shaft 22 and the lower yoke 35 and the upper yoke 37 in the vicinity thereof. The magnetorheological fluid 40 is given a damping force by the frictional resistance due to its viscosity, and attenuates the amplitude of the water tank 6.

  At that time, when the coil 36b of the field generator 36 is energized, a magnetic field is generated, the magnetic viscous fluid 40 is given a magnetic field, and the viscosity of the magnetic viscous fluid 40 increases. FIG. 3 shows this state. When the coil 36b of the field generator 36 is energized, the shaft 22—the magnetorheological fluid 40—the upper yoke 37—the cylinder 24—the lower yoke 35—the magnetorheological fluid 40—the shaft 22 is shown. The magnetic circuit 44 is generated, and the viscosity of the magnetorheological fluid 40 at the location where the magnetic flux passes is increased. In particular, the viscosity of each magnetorheological fluid 40 between the shaft 22 having a high magnetic flux density and the upper yoke 37 and between the lower yoke 35 and the shaft 22 is greatly increased, and the frictional resistance is greatly increased. Thus, when the cylinder 24 vibrates in the vertical direction with the above-described components, particularly the field generator 36, the lower yoke 35 and the upper yoke 37, the frictional resistance increases, so that the damping force increases.

  In addition, about control of the damping force with respect to the vertical vibration of the aquarium 6, the displacement of the aquarium 6 at the time of resonance and the transmission of force to the bottom plate 1a can be reduced by increasing the damping force at the start of the resonance of the aquarium 6. By reducing the damping force during high-speed rotation of the drum 10 after passing through resonance, it is possible to reduce the transmission of force to the bottom plate 1a during high-speed dewatering.

  Thus, in the drum type washing machine having the above-described configuration, the damping force can be controlled by changing the viscosity of the magnetorheological fluid 40 by energizing the coil 36b of the field generator 36. The seal member 34 is fixedly provided at a position below the field generator 36 in the cylinder 24, and the seal member 34 is brought into close contact with the outer periphery of the shaft 22 to prevent leakage of the magnetorheological fluid 40. .

  Therefore, in the drum type washing machine having the above configuration, the magnetorheological fluid 40 is filled only between the field generator 36 and the shaft 22 and between the shaft 22 and the lower yoke 35 and the upper yoke 37 which are in the vicinity thereof. By using it, it is possible to support the vibration isolation of the water tank 6, and since many magnetic viscous fluids 40 such as those described in Patent Document 1 are not used, the amount of magnetic viscous fluid 40 used can be reduced. The reduction can be sufficiently achieved, and the cost of the suspension 7 and thus the cost of the drum type washing machine can be reduced.

  In the drum type washing machine having the above-described configuration, the field generator 36 is a magnetic field generator, and an upper yoke 37 and a lower yoke 35, which are magnetic members, are disposed on both sides in the axial direction of the magnetic field generator. A magnetorheological fluid 40 is filled between the upper yoke 37 and the lower yoke 35 and the shaft 22. Accordingly, as described above, the density of the magnetic flux passing through the magnetorheological fluid 40 can be increased, the viscosity of the magnetorheological fluid 40 can be significantly increased, and a large damping force can be obtained.

  5 to 8 show second to fifth examples (second to fifth embodiments) of the present invention. The same parts as those of the first example are the same as those of the first example. A description will be omitted with reference numerals, and only different parts will be described.

[Second Embodiment]
In the second embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the bearing 30 is housed in the upper yoke 51 having a larger axial length than the upper yoke 37 of the first embodiment, provided above the field generator 36, and the bearing 31 is provided. The bearing housing 52 having a smaller axial length than the bearing housing 33 of the first embodiment is housed together with the seal member 34 and provided below the field generator 36. That is, in this case, the bearings 30 and 31 are arranged on both sides of the field generator 36 in the axial direction.

  By doing so, a large distance can be secured between the bearings 30 and 31, so that the inclination of the shaft 22 is reduced, and the gap between the shaft 22 and the field generator 36 that fills the magnetorheological fluid 40, the shaft Variations in damping force due to variations in the gap between the upper yoke 37 and the shaft 22 and the gap between the shaft 22 and the lower yoke 35 can be reduced.

[Third embodiment]
In the third embodiment shown in FIG. 6, a spacer 61 is disposed between the field generator 36 and the shaft 22 in the entire area between the upper yoke 37 and the lower yoke 35 that are magnetic members.

As described above, the viscosity of the magnetorheological fluid 40 is highest between the shaft 22 and the upper yoke 37 and between the shaft 22 and the lower yoke 35, and these portions increase the damping force. The rate that contributes to the highest. On the other hand, except for those portions, the rate contributing to increase the damping force is low. Therefore, by arranging the spacer 61 there (between the field generating device 36 and the shaft 22 in the whole area between the upper yoke 37 and the lower yoke 35), the amount of use of the magnetorheological fluid 40 can be reduced. 37 and only between the lower yoke 35 and the shaft 22 can be further reduced.
The spacer 61 may be disposed between the field generator 36 and the shaft 22 in a part between the upper yoke 37 and the lower yoke 35.

[Fourth embodiment]
In the fourth embodiment shown in FIG. 7, a damper member 71 that applies a damping force to the axial reciprocation of the shaft 22 is provided between the bearing 30 and the bearing 31 on one axial side of the field generator 36. It is arranged. The damper member 71 is a friction material and is an elastic body, for example, a cylindrical member made of EPDM (ethylene-propylene-diene rubber). The inner diameter of the damper member 71 is smaller than the inner diameter of the shaft 22, and the inner peripheral surface is the outer periphery of the shaft 22. A frictional force is applied to the shaft 22 in close contact with the surface.

By doing so, when the water tank 6 vibrates up and down, a frictional force (Coulomb frictional force) is exerted on the shaft 22 from the damper member 71, and a damping force is generated. Therefore, it is not always necessary to energize the coil 36b of the field generator 36 at the start of the dehydration operation, and the coil 36b is energized only when the vibration of the water tank 6 such as resonance is large so What is necessary is just to increase damping force by raising. As a result, since the energization time of the coil 36b of the field generator 36 can be reduced, the durability of the suspension 7 can be improved.
Note that the damper member 71 can be provided not only on one side in the axial direction of the field generator 36 but also on both sides, thereby obtaining a larger damping force.

[Fifth embodiment]
In the fifth embodiment shown in FIG. 8, the seal member 34 is disposed below the bearing 30, the spacer 32, and the bearing 31, and the shaft 22 is relatively reciprocated with the field generator (magnetic field generator) 36 portion. The moving part 22a is magnetic, and the part 22b that relatively reciprocates the seal member 34 part is non-magnetic. In this case, the magnetic portion 22a of the shaft 22 is realized by coating the surface of the shaft 22 made of a nonmagnetic metal such as aluminum with a magnetic material, and the 22b of the shaft 22 is realized by exposing the surface of the shaft 22 as it is. ing.

  By doing so, in the magnetic portion 22a of the shaft 22 (portion that relatively reciprocates the field generator 36 portion) 22a, a magnetic circuit through which the magnetic flux passes through the shaft 22 by energizing the coil 36b of the field generator 36. In the non-magnetic portion 22b of the shaft 22 (the portion that relatively reciprocates the seal member 34 portion) 22b, the magnetorheological fluid 40 is caused to flow out of the shaft 22 by the magnetism leaking from the magnetic circuit 44. By avoiding adhesion to the surface, the magnetorheological fluid 40 can be prevented from leaking little by little from the seal member 34 portion, and the damping force against the vertical vibration of the water tank 6 can be maintained.

  In addition, although not shown, it is preferable that the shaft 22 and / or one or both of the upper yoke 37 and the lower yoke 35 are magnetized in advance. In this way, the magnetorheological fluid 40 remains in the initially filled portion between the shaft 22 and the upper yoke 37 and / or between the shaft 22 and the upper yoke 37 due to their magnetic force. When the suspension 7 is transported or when the entire washing machine is assembled, the magnetorheological fluid 40 leaks out from the initial filling position even if the suspension 7 is laid down or reversed. The initial performance of the magnetorheological fluid 40 can be obtained satisfactorily.

  In this case, instead of magnetizing the shaft 22 and / or one of the upper yoke 37 and the lower yoke 35, the battery is used to change the shaft 22, the upper yoke 37, and the lower yoke from the field generator 36 including a magnetic field generator. Even if it is possible to generate a magnetic field for both or one of the yokes 35, the same effect can be obtained.

Further, for the field generator 36 composed of the magnetic field generator, the direction of the magnetic flux of the magnetic field can be changed by providing a switch or the like for switching the energization direction in the electric circuit energizing the coil 36b. Anyway. In this way, by switching the energization direction of the coil 36b every time, the direction of the magnetic flux of the magnetic field is also changed every time, thereby preventing unintended magnetization in the component on which the magnetic circuit 44 is formed. Thus, it is possible to avoid the damping force from changing.
In addition, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and shown in the drawings, and can be implemented with appropriate modifications without departing from the scope of the invention.

  In the drawing, 6 is a water tank, 7 is a suspension, 10 is a drum, 22 is a shaft, 22a is a magnetic part of the shaft, 22b is a nonmagnetic part of the shaft, 24 is a cylinder, 30 and 31 are bearings, 34 is a seal member, 35 Is a lower yoke (magnetic member), 36 is a field generator, 37 is an upper yoke (magnetic member), 40 is a magnetorheological fluid (functional fluid), 51 is an upper yoke (magnetic member), 61 is a spacer, and 71 is a damper. The member is shown.

Claims (2)

A cylinder,
A bearing fixed inside the cylinder;
A magnetic field generator for generating a magnetic field fixed inside the cylinder;
Magnetic members disposed on both sides in the axial direction of the magnetic field generator;
A shaft supported by penetrating the magnetic field generator, the bearing and the magnetic member so as to be relatively reciprocally movable in the axial direction;
And the shaft, between the magnetic field generator and the magnetic member, that formed by and a functional fluid comprising a filled magnetorheological fluid to be retained in a position to exert a frictional resistance to the shaft Characteristic suspension. In a washing machine having a suspension for vibration-proofing the tub,
The washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the suspension is the suspension according to claim 1.

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