JP6397218B2 - Drum washing machine - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a drum type washing machine. Such a drum-type washing machine may be one that performs continuously from washing to drying, or one that performs washing but does not dry.

  Conventionally, a drum-type washing machine rotates a horizontal axis drum in an outer tub with water stored in the bottom, lifts and drops the laundry by a baffle provided in the drum, and the laundry is moved to the inner periphery of the drum. Laundry is performed by hitting the surface (see Patent Document 1).

  As described above, in the configuration in which the laundry is stirred by the baffle, the laundry is unlikely to be entangled or rubbed with each other. For this reason, the drum-type washing machine tends to have a smaller mechanical force acting on the laundry and lower the washing performance than a fully automatic washing machine that rotates the pulsator in the washing and dewatering tub to wash the laundry.

  Therefore, in the drum type washing machine, in order to improve the cleaning performance, a configuration in which a stirring body is provided on the rear surface of the drum and the drum and the stirring body are rotated at different rotational speeds when it is easy to wash can be adopted.

JP 2013-240577 A

  In the drum type washing machine having the above-described configuration, it is necessary to rotate the drum and the stirring body integrally during dehydration. For this reason, in the drive part which drives a drum and a stirring body, the form of the said drive part is the 1st form which rotates a drum and a stirring body separately, and the 2nd which rotates a drum and a stirring body integrally. A clutch mechanism that switches between the forms is provided.

  For example, the clutch mechanism unit includes a clutch body that moves between two positions to switch between the first form and the second form, and a clutch lever that moves the clutch body. It can be realized.

  The clutch body cooperates with a rotating shaft for rotating the stirring body and a rotating shaft for rotating the drum. For this reason, in the first embodiment, an unexpectedly large force may be applied to the clutch body due to the operation of the stirring body or the drum. In this case, a large force is applied to the clutch lever that is in contact with the clutch body, and the clutch lever may be deformed or damaged.

  The present invention has been made in view of such a problem, and provides a drum type washing machine capable of improving the reliability of the clutch mechanism by suppressing deformation, breakage, and the like of the clutch lever constituting the clutch mechanism. The purpose is to provide.

  A drum-type washing machine according to a main aspect of the present invention includes an outer tub disposed in a housing, a drum disposed in the outer tub and rotatable about a horizontal axis or an inclined axis inclined with respect to a horizontal direction. A baffle provided on an inner peripheral surface of the drum; a rotating body disposed on a rear portion of the drum and having a protruding portion that comes into contact with laundry; and the drum and the rotating body are rotated by the rotating body. And a drive section that rotates so that the speed is higher than the rotation speed of the drum. The drive unit includes a drive motor, a first rotation shaft that transmits rotation of the drive motor to the rotating body, a second rotation shaft that transmits rotation of the drive motor to the drum, and a configuration of the drive unit. Is switched between a first mode in which the first rotary shaft and the second rotary shaft are separately rotated and a second mode in which the first rotary shaft and the second rotary shaft are rotated together. A clutch mechanism. The clutch mechanism is moved to the first position when switching to the first form, and moved to the second position when switching to the second form, and a fulcrum. The clutch body is rotatably provided and moves the clutch body from the second position to the first position by pushing the clutch body. When the clutch body is in the first position, the clutch body A clutch lever that maintains contact with the clutch lever, a clutch driving device for moving the clutch lever, and a force that pushes in the direction of the second position when the clutch body is in the first position. And a buffer portion for weakening the force received by the clutch lever by moving the clutch lever in the direction of the second position when acting on the clutch lever via the.

  According to said structure, even if a big force acts on a clutch lever via a clutch body unexpectedly, a deformation | transformation, a failure | damage, etc. of a clutch lever can be suppressed. Therefore, the reliability of the clutch mechanism can be improved.

  In the drum type washing machine according to this aspect, the drive unit includes a sun gear, an annular internal gear that surrounds the sun gear, a plurality of planetary gears interposed between the sun gear and the internal gear, and these A planetary carrier that rotatably holds a planetary gear, wherein the sun gear is fixed to the first rotating shaft, and one of the planetary carrier and the internal gear is fixed to the second rotating shaft. The mechanism may further include a mechanism. In this case, the clutch body is connected to the other of the planetary carrier and the internal gear in a state in which the rotation in the circumferential direction with respect to the other is restricted and the movement of the second rotating shaft in the axial direction is allowed. When the clutch body engages with a fixing member that does not rotate when the drive motor rotates at the first position, and the other does not rotate, the clutch body switches to the first mode, and the clutch body When the second position engages with the rotor of the drive motor and the other rotates together with the drive motor, the second mode is selected. In the first embodiment, the clutch lever presses the clutch body toward the fixed member.

  According to said structure, a clutch body can be firmly engaged with a fixing member in the 1st form. In this case, since the clutch lever is in close contact with the clutch body, it is easy to receive a force generated in the clutch body. However, even when the clutch lever is subjected to such a force, it is unlikely to be deformed or damaged.

  In the drum type washing machine according to this aspect, the clutch mechanism portion further includes a clutch support portion that supports the clutch lever so as to be rotatable about the fulcrum and movable in the moving direction of the clutch body. It can be configured. In this case, the buffer portion moves the clutch lever from the second position toward the first position at the fulcrum position so that the clutch lever contacts the clutch body at the first position. It includes an elastic member that pulls on.

  According to the above configuration, the clutch lever can move in the moving direction of the clutch body with respect to the lever support portion. When a force in the direction of the second position is applied to the clutch lever, the elastic member extends and the clutch lever moves. By moving, the force applied to the clutch lever can be weakened.

  In the case of the above configuration, the maximum movement amount in the movement direction allowed by the clutch support portion in the clutch lever is further set to the engagement in the movement direction when the clutch body is engaged with the fixing member. A configuration that is smaller than the amount may be employed.

  With such a configuration, it is possible to prevent the engagement between the clutch body and the fixing member from being released even if the clutch lever moves due to an unexpectedly large force acting on the clutch lever. it can.

  In the drum type washing machine according to this aspect, the clutch mechanism is interposed between the clutch drive device and the clutch lever, and pulls the clutch lever by the operation of the clutch drive device, thereby A relay portion that rotates the clutch lever in the pushing direction may be further included. In this case, the buffer portion includes an elastic member that is included in the relay portion and can be expanded and contracted in a direction in which the clutch lever is pulled.

  According to the above configuration, when a force in the direction of the second position is applied to the clutch lever, the clutch lever can be moved by extension of the elastic member of the relay portion, and this movement adds to the clutch lever. Can weaken power.

  In the drum type washing machine according to this aspect, the clutch body may have a circular shape when viewed from the moving direction of the clutch body. In this case, the clutch lever includes an annular portion that surrounds the clutch body and at least a pair of pressing portions that are provided in the annular portion in order to push the clutch.

  According to said structure, since the site | part in which a press part is formed is formed in cyclic | annular form, the said site | part can be strengthened, and when an unexpected force is added to a press part, a deformation | transformation and damage of a clutch lever Etc. can be further suppressed.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the reliability of a clutch mechanism part can be improved by suppressing a deformation | transformation, damage, etc. of the clutch lever which comprises a clutch mechanism part.

  The effects and significance of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description of embodiments. However, the following embodiment is merely an example when the present invention is implemented, and the present invention is not limited to what is described in the following embodiment.

It is side surface sectional drawing which shows the structure of the drum type washing machine based on embodiment. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of the drive unit based on embodiment. It is a front view of the rotor which shows the structure of the rotor of the drive motor based on Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structure of the blade axis | shaft, drum axis | shaft, and planetary gear mechanism which concern on embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structure of the front part unit of a bearing unit based on Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structure of the rear part unit of the bearing unit based on embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structure of the rear part unit of the bearing unit based on embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structure of the clutch body of a clutch mechanism part based on embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structure of the moving mechanism part of a clutch mechanism part based on embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating operation | movement of the clutch mechanism part based on Embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating operation | movement of a drive unit, a drum, and a stirring body in the washing | cleaning process and rinse process based on Embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating operation | movement of a drive unit, a drum, and a stirring body in the intermediate | middle dehydration process and the final dehydration process based on Embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating operation | movement of a clutch lever when the force to the back generate | occur | produces in the press part of a clutch lever in 1st form based on embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structure of the clutch mechanism part based on the example 1 of a change. It is a figure for demonstrating operation | movement of the clutch mechanism part based on the example 1 of a change. It is a figure for demonstrating operation | movement of a clutch lever when the force to the back generate | occur | produces in the press part of a clutch lever in the 1st form based on the example 1 of a change. It is a figure which shows the structure of the clutch mechanism part based on the example 2 of a change. It is a figure which shows the structure of the clutch mechanism part based on the example 2 of a change. It is a figure for demonstrating operation | movement of the clutch mechanism part based on the example 2 of a change. It is a figure for demonstrating operation | movement of a clutch lever when the force to the back generate | occur | produces in the press part of a clutch lever in the 1st form based on the example 2 of a change. It is a figure for demonstrating the structure of the clutch mechanism part based on the other example of a change. It is a figure for demonstrating the structure of the drive unit based on the other example of a change.

  Hereinafter, a drum type washing machine having no drying function according to an embodiment of the drum type washing machine of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a side sectional view showing the configuration of the drum type washing machine 1.

  The drum-type washing machine 1 includes a housing 10 that forms an appearance. The front surface 10a of the housing 10 is inclined from the central portion to the upper portion, and the laundry inlet 11 is formed on the inclined surface. The insertion port 11 is covered with a door 12 that can be freely opened and closed.

  The outer tub 20 is elastically supported by a plurality of dampers 21 in the housing 10. A drum 22 is rotatably disposed in the outer tub 20. The outer tub 20 and the drum 22 are inclined with respect to the horizontal direction so that the rear surface side becomes lower. As a result, the drum 22 rotates around the tilt axis tilted with respect to the horizontal direction. The inclination angle of the outer tub 20 and the drum 22 can be about 10 to 20 degrees. The opening 20a on the front surface of the outer tub 20 and the opening 22a on the front surface of the drum 22 are opposed to the charging port 11, and both the charging port 11 is closed by the door 12. A large number of dewatering holes 22 b are formed on the inner peripheral surface of the drum 22. Further, three baffles 23 are provided on the inner peripheral surface of the drum 22 at substantially equal intervals in the circumferential direction.

  A stirring body 24 is rotatably disposed at the rear portion of the drum 22. The stirring body 24 has a substantially disk shape. A plurality of blades 24 a extending radially from the central portion are formed on the surface of the stirring body 24. The stirring body 24 rotates coaxially with the drum 22. The stirrer 24 corresponds to the rotating body of the present invention, and the blade 24a corresponds to the protruding portion of the present invention.

  A drive unit 30 that generates torque for driving the drum 22 and the stirring body 24 is disposed behind the outer tub 20. The drive unit 30 corresponds to the drive unit of the present invention. The drive unit 30 rotates the drum 22 and the stirring body 24 at different rotational speeds in the same direction during the washing process and the rinsing process. Specifically, the drive unit 30 rotates the drum 22 at a rotation speed at which the centrifugal force applied to the laundry in the drum 22 is smaller than gravity, and the stirring member 24 is faster than the rotation speed of the drum 22. Rotate with On the other hand, during the dehydration process, the drive unit 30 integrally rotates the drum 22 and the stirring body 24 at a rotational speed at which the centrifugal force applied to the laundry in the drum 22 is much greater than gravity. The detailed configuration of the drive unit 30 will be described later.

  A drain port 20 b is formed at the bottom of the outer tub 20. A drain valve 40 is provided at the drain port 20b. The drain valve 40 is connected to the drain hose 41. When the drain valve 40 is opened, the water stored in the outer tub 20 is discharged to the outside through the drain hose 41.

  A detergent box 50 is disposed in the upper front portion of the housing 10. In the detergent box 50, a detergent container 50a in which detergent is accommodated is accommodated so that it can be pulled out from the front. The detergent box 50 is connected by a water supply hose 52 to a water supply valve 51 disposed at the upper rear part in the housing 10. The detergent box 50 is connected to the upper part of the outer tub 20 by a water injection pipe 53. When the water supply valve 51 is opened, tap water is supplied from the water tap into the outer tub 20 through the water supply hose 52, the detergent box 50 and the water injection pipe 53. At this time, the detergent accommodated in the detergent container 50 a flows into the water and is supplied into the outer tub 20.

  Next, the configuration of the drive unit 30 will be described in detail.

  FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the drive unit 30. FIG. 3 is a front view of the rotor 110 showing the configuration of the rotor 110 of the drive motor 100. FIGS. 4A and 4B are diagrams showing the configuration of the blade shaft 200, the drum shaft 300, and the planetary gear mechanism 400. 4A is a side cross-sectional view, and FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA ′ of FIG. 4A. FIGS. 5A and 5B are views showing the configuration of the front unit 510 of the bearing unit 500, and are a front view and a rear view of the front unit 510, respectively. 6 and 7 are diagrams showing a configuration of the rear unit 520 of the bearing unit 500. FIG. FIG. 6 is a front view of the rear unit 520. FIG. 7A is a rear view of the rear unit 520, and FIG. 7B is an enlarged perspective view of the rear part of the rear unit 520. 8A to 8C are views showing the configuration of the clutch body 610 of the clutch mechanism portion 600, and are a front view, a right side view, and a rear view of the clutch body 610, respectively. FIGS. 9A to 9D are diagrams showing the configuration of the moving mechanism part DM of the clutch mechanism part 600. FIG. 9A to 9C are a rear view, a right side view, and a top view, respectively, of the moving mechanism unit DM, and FIG. 9D is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB ′ of FIG. 9B. is there. FIGS. 10A and 10B are diagrams for explaining the operation of the clutch mechanism 600. FIG. 8A to 8C show a state where the clutch body 610 is mounted on the carrier shaft 442 of the planet carrier 440.

  The drive unit 30 includes a drive motor 100, a blade shaft 200, a drum shaft 300, a planetary gear mechanism 400, a bearing unit 500, and a clutch mechanism unit 600. The drive motor 100 generates torque for driving the stirrer 24 and the drum 22. The blade shaft 200 is rotated by the torque of the drive motor 100 and transmits the rotation to the stirring body 24. The blade axis 200 corresponds to the first rotating shaft of the present invention. The planetary gear mechanism 400 decelerates the rotation of the blade shaft 200, that is, the rotation of the rotor 110 of the drive motor 100 and transmits it to the drum shaft 300. The drum shaft 300 rotates coaxially with the blade shaft 200 at a rotational speed reduced by the planetary gear mechanism 400 and transmits the rotation to the drum 22. The drum shaft 300 corresponds to the second rotating shaft of the present invention. The bearing unit 500 rotatably supports the blade shaft 200 and the drum shaft 300. The clutch mechanism 600 rotates the agitator 24, that is, the blade shaft 200 at a rotational speed equal to the rotational speed of the drive motor 100, and the drum 22, that is, the drum shaft 300, at a rotational speed reduced by the planetary gear mechanism 400. The first form that can be rotated and the agitator 24 and the drum 22, that is, the blade shaft 200, the drum shaft 300, and the planetary gear mechanism 400 can be integrally rotated at a rotational speed equal to that of the drive motor 100. The form of the drive unit 30 is switched between the second form.

  Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, drive motor 100 is an outer rotor type DC brushless motor, and includes a rotor 110 and a stator 120. The rotor 110 is formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape, and permanent magnets 111 are arranged on the entire inner circumferential surface thereof. As shown in FIG. 3, a circular boss 112 is formed at the center of the rotor 110. A boss hole 113 for fixing the blade shaft 200 is formed in the boss part 112, and an annular engaged recess 114 is formed on the outer periphery of the boss hole 113. The outer peripheral part of the engaged recessed part 114 has the uneven | corrugated | grooved part 114a over the perimeter.

  The stator 120 has a winding 121 on the outer periphery. When a drive current is supplied to the winding 121 of the stator 120 from a control circuit (not shown), the rotor 110 rotates. Screw holes 122 are formed at intervals of approximately 120 degrees on the top and left and right of the stator 120. Each screw hole 122 has the same distance in the radial direction from the center of the stator 120. In FIG. 2, only the upper screw hole 122 is shown.

  Referring to FIGS. 2 and 4, drum shaft 300 has a hollow shape and includes blade axis 200 and planetary gear mechanism 400. The drum shaft 300 is provided between the front shaft portion 300a, the rear shaft portion 300b, and the front shaft portion 300a and the rear shaft portion 300b, and is accommodated to bulge outward from the front shaft portion 300a and the rear shaft portion 300b. Part 300c. The planetary gear mechanism 400 is accommodated in the accommodating portion 300c. The front shaft portion 300a is formed so that the front portion has a larger inner diameter than the rear portion, and the first sliding bearing 301 is disposed in the large diameter portion 300d having a larger inner diameter. Similarly, a mechanical seal 302 is disposed in the large-diameter portion 300d in front of the first slide bearing 301 with a regulation ring described later interposed therebetween. The first plain bearing 301 and the mechanical seal 302 are inserted into the large diameter portion 300d from the front, and are fixed to the drum shaft 300 by a fixing method such as press fitting. The drum shaft 300 is divided in the front-rear direction so that the planetary gear mechanism 400 can be accommodated in the accommodating portion 300c, and is configured by two members, that is, the front member M1 and the rear member M2.

  The planetary gear mechanism 400 includes a sun gear 410, an annular internal gear 420 surrounding the sun gear 410, a plurality of planetary gears 430 interposed between the sun gear 410 and the internal gear 420, and the planetary gears 430. And a planet carrier 440 that is rotatably held by a shaft 441.

  The set of planetary gears 430 includes a first gear 431 and a second gear 432. The two gears of the first gear 431 and the second gear 432 mesh with each other, the first gear 431 meshes with the sun gear 410, and the second gear 432 meshes with the internal gear 420. The planet carrier 440 includes a carrier shaft 442 that extends rearward. The carrier shaft 442 is coaxial with the drum shaft 300, and the inside thereof is formed hollow because the blade shaft 200 is inserted. The carrier shaft 442 is formed so that the inner diameter of the part extending from the tip part to the base part is larger than the base part, and the second slide bearing 443 is disposed in the large diameter part 442a having a larger inner diameter. A spline 442c is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the front end portion 442b of the carrier shaft 442 protruding rearward from the drum shaft 300.

  An annular regulating flange 201 is formed at the rear end of the blade shaft 200. The blade shaft 200 is inserted into the drum shaft 300 from the rear. An annular regulating ring 202 is fixed to the front end portion of the inserted blade axis 200. Like the first slide bearing 301 and the mechanical seal 302, the restriction ring 202 is inserted into the large diameter portion 300d from the front, and is fixed to the blade shaft 200 by a fixing method such as press fitting. The regulating ring 202 is in contact with the first plain bearing 301 via the first washer 203 and is in contact with the mechanical seal 302 via the second washer 204. The restricting flange 201 engages with the rear end of the carrier shaft 442 and the restricting ring 202 engages with the first slide bearing 301 via the first washer 203, whereby the blade shaft 200 restricts movement in the front-rear direction. Is done.

  The outer peripheral surface of the blade shaft 200 inserted into the drum shaft 300 slides between the first slide bearing 301 and the second slide bearing 443. Thereby, the blade shaft 200 rotates smoothly in the drum shaft 300. Further, the mechanical seal 302 prevents water from entering between the drum shaft 300 and the blade shaft 200. Further, when the blade shaft 200 rotates, the restriction ring 202 slides between the first washer 203 and the second washer 204. For this reason, the wear of the first slide bearing 301 and the mechanical seal 302 caused by sliding of the regulating ring 202 is prevented.

  A sun gear 410 is fixed to a middle part of the blade axis 200. As shown in FIG. 4B, a key portion 421 extending in the front-rear direction is formed at a plurality of locations on the outer peripheral surface of the internal gear 420, and the inner peripheral surface of the drum shaft 300 corresponds to the key portion 421. A key groove portion 303 is formed. When the key portion 421 and the key groove portion 303 are engaged, the drum shaft 300 and the internal gear 420 are fixed in the circumferential direction. Further, the rear end portion of the blade shaft 200 protrudes rearward from the carrier shaft 442 and is fixed to the boss hole 113 of the rotor 110.

  When the blade shaft 200 rotates with the rotation of the rotor 110, the sun gear 410 rotates. When the planetary carrier 440 is in a fixed state so as not to rotate, the planetary gear 430 cannot revolve, and therefore only rotates as the sun gear 410 rotates. That is, the first gear 431 rotates in the opposite direction to the sun gear 410, and the second gear 432 rotates in the same direction as the sun gear 410. As the second gear 432 rotates, the internal gear 420 rotates in the same direction as the second gear 432, that is, in the same direction as the sun gear 410. As a result, the drum shaft 300 fixed to the internal gear 420 rotates. The rotation directions of the gears 410, 420, 431, 432 and the drum shaft 300 are indicated by arrows in FIG.

  Since the rotational speed of the internal gear 420 is slower than the rotational speed of the sun gear 410, the drum shaft 300 rotates at a lower rotational speed than the blade shaft 200. Thus, since the rotational speed of the blade shaft 200 is reduced and transmitted to the drum shaft 300, the torque transmitted to the drum shaft 300 is larger than the torque transmitted from the drive motor 100 to the blade shaft 200.

  With reference to FIGS. 2, 5, 6 and 7, the bearing unit 500 includes a front unit 510 and a rear unit 520. The bearing unit 500 corresponds to the fixing member of the present invention.

  The front unit 510 is provided with a cylindrical front bearing portion 511 at the center. In the front bearing portion 511, a mechanical seal 512 is disposed on the front side, and a first rolling bearing 513 is disposed on the rear side. A fitted recess 514 is formed around the front bearing portion 511 on the rear surface side of the front unit 510. The outer peripheral surface 514a of the recessed portion 514 to be fitted has a circular shape, and the center of the circle coincides with the center P1 of the first rolling bearing 513 disposed in the front bearing portion 511.

  On the outer periphery of the front unit 510, mounting holes 515 are formed at four locations on the top, bottom, left, and right. Further, two mounting bosses 516 are formed at the lower portion of the outer peripheral portion of the front unit 510. A mounting hole 516 a is formed in the mounting boss 516.

  A cylindrical cover portion 521 having an inner diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the accommodating portion 300c of the drum shaft 300 and covering the accommodating portion 300c is provided on the rear surface side at the center portion of the rear unit 520. Behind 521, a cylindrical rear bearing portion 522 having an inner diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the accommodating portion 300c is provided. In the rear bearing portion 522, a second rolling bearing 523 is disposed on the front side, and a spring receiving plate 524 is provided behind the second rolling bearing 523. A spline 525 is formed on the inner surface of the rear end portion of the rear bearing portion 522 over the entire circumference.

  The rear unit 520 is formed with three mounting bosses 526 on the rear surface side. Each mounting boss 526 is formed at three positions on the upper and left and right sides corresponding to the screw holes 122 of the stator 120. A mounting hole 526 a is formed in the mounting boss 526. Each mounting hole 526a has the same distance in the radial direction from the center P2 of the second rolling bearing 523 in a state of being disposed in the rear bearing portion 522.

  An annular fitting rib 527 is formed on the front side at the center of the rear unit 520. The outer peripheral surface 527a of the fitting rib 527 has a circular shape, and the center of the circle coincides with the center P2 of the second rolling bearing 523. The diameter of the outer peripheral surface 527a of the fitting rib 527 is equal to the diameter of the outer peripheral surface 514a of the recessed portion 514 to be fitted.

  A screw hole 528 is formed on the outer periphery of the rear unit 520. Each screw hole 528 is formed at four positions on the top, bottom, left, and right corresponding to the mounting hole 515 of the front unit 510.

  The front unit 510 and the rear unit 520 are coupled together with the drum shaft 300 including the blade shaft 200 and the planetary gear mechanism 400 set in the front unit 510. At this time, the fitting rib 527 is fitted into the fitted recess 514. In the fitted state, the outer peripheral surface 527a of the fitting rib 527 is in contact with the outer peripheral surface 514a of the fitted recess 514. As described above, the front unit 510 and the rear unit 520 are coupled by inlay fitting between the outer peripheral surface 527a of the fitting rib 527 and the outer peripheral surface 514a of the fitted recess 514. The screw 530 passes through the screw hole 528 and is fixed to the mounting hole 515. Thereby, the front unit 510 and the rear unit 520 are fixed. In this way, the drum shaft 300 is arranged inside the bearing unit 500.

  In the drum shaft 300, the outer peripheral surface of the front shaft portion 300 a is received by the first rolling bearing 513, and the outer peripheral surface of the rear shaft portion 300 b is received by the second rolling bearing 523. As a result, the drum shaft 300 rotates smoothly in the bearing unit 500. Further, the mechanical seal 512 is provided at the front end portion of the front bearing portion 511, thereby preventing water from entering between the bearing unit 500 and the drum shaft 300.

  The stator 120 of the drive motor 100 is fixed to the mounting boss 526 of the rear unit 520. At this time, the screw 540 passes through the screw hole 122 and is fixed to the mounting hole 526a.

  The bearing unit 500 is fixed to the rear surface of the outer tub 20 by a fixing method such as screwing. In a state where the drive unit 30 is mounted on the outer tub 20, the blade shaft 200 and the drum shaft 300 face the inside of the outer tub 20. The drum 22 is fixed to the drum shaft 300, and the stirring body 24 is fixed to the blade shaft 200.

  2 and 8 to 10, the clutch mechanism portion 600 includes a clutch body 610, a clutch spring 620, a clutch lever 630, a lever support portion 640, a clutch drive device 650, and a mounting plate 660. Including. The clutch spring 620, the clutch lever 630, the lever support portion 640, the clutch drive device 650, and the mounting plate 660 constitute a moving mechanism portion DM that moves the clutch body 610 in the front-rear direction.

  The clutch body 610 has a substantially disk shape. An annular spline 611 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the front end portion of the clutch body 610. The spline 611 is formed to engage with the spline 525 at the rear end of the rear unit 520. A flange portion 612 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the clutch body 610 behind the spline 611. Further, the clutch body 610 is formed with an annular engagement flange portion 613 at the rear end. The engaging flange portion 613 has the same shape as the engaged recessed portion 114 of the rotor 110, and has an uneven portion 613a on the entire outer periphery. When the engaging flange portion 613 is inserted into the engaged concave portion 114, the concave and convex portions 613a and 114a are engaged with each other.

  A shaft hole 614 into which the carrier shaft 442 is inserted is formed in the center of the front surface of the clutch body 610. A spline 614 a is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the shaft hole 614. The spline 614 a is engaged with the spline 442 c of the carrier shaft 442. As a result, the clutch body 610 is allowed to move in the front-rear direction with respect to the carrier shaft 442 and is restricted from rotating in the circumferential direction. In addition, an annular housing groove 615 is formed outside the shaft hole 614 on the front surface of the clutch body 610. The accommodation groove 615 has a depth reaching the rear end. As shown in FIG. 2, a clutch spring 620 is accommodated in the accommodation groove 615. The clutch spring 620 has one end in contact with the spring receiving plate 524 of the rear unit 520 and the other end in contact with the bottom surface of the receiving groove 615.

  The clutch lever 630 includes a substantially semicircular upper lever 631 that extends along the outer peripheral surface of the lower half of the clutch body 610, and a lower lever 632 that extends downward from the lowermost portion of the upper lever 631. At the upper left and right end portions of the upper lever 631, a pressing portion 633 that contacts the rear surface 612 a of the flange portion 612 of the clutch body 610 and pushes the flange portion 612 forward is formed. In FIG. 9C, the clutch body 610 is drawn for convenience of explanation.

  A pivot 634 serving as a fulcrum during rotation is fixed to the clutch lever 630. The support shaft 634 penetrates the left and right sides of the clutch lever 630, and both end portions thereof protrude from the clutch lever 630 to the left and right.

  The lever support portion 640 supports the clutch lever 630 in a freely rotatable manner. The lever support portion 640 includes a bottom plate 641 and arm pieces 642 that rise from both ends of the bottom plate 641. A support shaft hole 643 is formed in the arm piece 642. The spindle hole 643 is a hole that is long in the front-rear direction in which both front and rear end portions are circular arcs, and the width in the vertical direction is larger than the diameter of the support shaft 634. The support shaft 634 is passed through the support shaft hole 643.

  The lever support portion 640 is provided with a first attachment shaft 644 in front of the support shaft hole 643. Two first springs 645 are attached between the support shaft 634 and the first attachment shaft 644 so as to be aligned in the left-right direction. The first spring 645 corresponds to the elastic member of the present invention. During attachment, the first spring 645 is passed through the first insertion hole 635 formed in the clutch lever 630. The first spring 645 is a tension spring. In the attached state, the first spring 645 extends and pulls the support shaft 634 forward. The clutch lever 630 can rotate in the front-rear direction about the support shaft 634.

  The lever support 640 is provided with a second attachment shaft 646 below the first attachment shaft 644. On the other hand, the clutch lever 630 is provided with a third attachment shaft 636. A second spring 647 is attached between the second attachment shaft 646 and the third attachment shaft 636. The second spring 647 is a tension spring. At the time of attachment, the second spring 647 is passed through the second insertion hole 637 formed in the clutch lever 630. In the attached state, the second spring 647 extends, and the clutch lever 630 is pulled in the direction in which the lower end of the lower lever 632 moves forward by the elastic force of the second spring 647.

  Clutch drive device 650 includes a torque motor 651 and a disc-shaped cam 652 that rotates around the horizontal axis by the torque of torque motor 651. The upper surface of the cam 652 contacts the lower end of the lower lever 632. The upper surface of the cam 652 has a first contact surface 652a with a high height provided on one end side, a second contact surface 652b with a low height provided on the other end side, and a first contact surface 652a and a second contact. And an inclined surface 652c connecting the surface 652b.

  The lever support 640 and the clutch driving device 650 are fixed to the mounting plate 660 by a fixing method such as screwing. The mounting plate 660 is fixed to the mounting boss 516 of the front unit 510 with screws.

  When the form of the drive unit 30 is switched from the second form to the first form, as shown in FIG. 10A, the first contact surface 652a is positioned upward by the torque motor 651, and the second contact surface 652b. The cam 652 is rotated so that is positioned below. As the cam 652 rotates, the lower end of the lower lever 632 is sequentially pushed by the inclined surface 652c and the first contact surface 652a to move backward. The clutch lever 630 rotates forward about the support shaft 634, and the upper lever 631 moves forward. The pressing portion 633 of the upper lever 631 pushes the flange portion 612 of the clutch body 610 forward, and the clutch body 610 moves forward against the elastic force of the clutch spring 620.

  In the present embodiment, as indicated by the alternate long and short dash line in FIG. 10A, the clutch body 610 is splined at a position just before the clutch lever 630 moves to the most rearward position by contact with the first contact surface 652a. 611 reaches a position where it engages with the spline 525 of the bearing unit 500. Since the clutch body 610 does not move before this engagement position, when the clutch lever 630 moves from the front position to the most rearward position, the pressing portion 633 does not move as shown in FIG. The lever 632 moves rearward, and the support shaft 634 pressed against the arc on the front side of the support shaft hole 643 moves slightly rearward. In this state, the clutch lever 630 is pulled by the first spring 645 so as to rotate forward with the lower end of the lower lever 632 as a fulcrum, so as shown by the white arrow in FIG. A pressing force is applied from the pressing portion 633 to the clutch body 610 in the engaged position. With such a configuration, the spline 611 of the clutch body 610 can be firmly engaged with the spline 525 of the bearing unit 500.

  On the other hand, when the form of the drive unit 30 is switched from the first form to the second form, the second contact surface 652b is positioned upward by the torque motor 651 as shown in FIG. The cam 652 is rotated so that the surface 652a is positioned below. As the cam 652 rotates, the lower end of the lower lever 632 moves forward along the inclined surface 652c and the second contact surface 652b by the elastic force of the second spring 647. The clutch lever 630 rotates rearward about the support shaft 634, and the upper lever 631 moves rearward. The pressing portion 633 of the upper lever 631 is separated from the flange portion 612 of the clutch body 610, the clutch body 610 is moved rearward by the elastic force of the clutch spring 620, and the engagement flange portion 613 is engaged with the engaged recess 114 of the rotor 110. Reach the position to engage.

  The drum type washing machine 1 performs a washing operation of various operation courses. The washing operation includes a washing process, an intermediate dehydration process, a rinsing process, and a final dehydration process.

  FIGS. 11A and 11B are diagrams for explaining operations of the drive unit 30, the drum 22, and the stirring member 24 in the washing process and the rinsing process. FIGS. 12A and 12B are diagrams for explaining operations of the drive unit 30, the drum 22, and the stirring body 24 in the intermediate dehydration process and the final dehydration process.

  In the washing process and the rinsing process, the form of the drive unit 30 is switched to the first form. When the clutch body 610 moves forward as shown in FIG. 10A by switching to the first form, the spline 611 of the clutch body 610 and the spline 525 of the bearing unit 500 are shown in FIG. 11A. And engage. Accordingly, the clutch body 610 is restricted from rotating in the circumferential direction with respect to the bearing unit 500 and cannot rotate, so that the carrier shaft 442 of the planetary gear mechanism 400, that is, the planet carrier 440 cannot be rotated. It becomes a fixed state. In such a state, when the rotor 110 rotates, the blade shaft 200 rotates at a rotation speed equal to the rotation speed of the rotor 110, and the stirring body 24 connected to the blade shaft 200 also rotates at a rotation speed equal to the rotation speed of the rotor 110. Rotate with. As the blade shaft 200 rotates, the sun gear 410 rotates in the planetary gear mechanism 400. As described above, since the planet carrier 440 is in a fixed state, the first gear 431 and the second gear 432 of the planetary gear 430 rotate in the same direction and the opposite direction to the sun gear 410, respectively, and the internal gear 420 It rotates in the same direction as the sun gear 410. As a result, the drum shaft 300 fixed to the internal gear 420 rotates. Since the speed is reduced by the planetary gear mechanism 400, the drum shaft 300 rotates in the same direction as the blade shaft 200 at a lower rotational speed than the blade shaft 200, and the drum 22 fixed to the drum shaft 300 is more than the stirring body 24. It rotates in the same direction as the stirring member 24 at a low rotational speed. In other words, the stirring member 24 rotates in the same direction as the drum 22 at a rotational speed faster than that of the drum 22. The rotational speed of the rotor 110 and the reduction ratio by the planetary gear mechanism 400 are such that the agitator 24 rotates at a rotational speed at which the laundry can be rubbed and stirred to an extent that does not hurt, and the rotational speed of the drum 22 is The centrifugal force acting on the laundry in 22 is appropriately set so that the rotational speed becomes smaller than the gravity.

  In the washing step and the rinsing step, the drive motor 100 alternately rotates clockwise and counterclockwise in a state where water is accumulated in the outer tub 20 up to a predetermined water level that does not reach the lower edge of the inlet 11. As a result, the drum 22 and the stirring body 24 alternately rotate clockwise and counterclockwise while the rotation speed of the stirring body 24 is faster than the rotation speed of the drum 22. The laundry in the drum 22 is beaten against the inner peripheral surface of the drum 22 by being scraped and dropped by the baffle 23. In addition, at the rear part of the drum 22, the laundry comes into contact with the blades 24a of the rotating stirring body 24, and the laundry is rubbed against the blades 24a or the laundry is stirred by the blades 24a. As a result, the laundry is washed or rinsed.

  Next, in the intermediate dehydration process and the final dehydration process, the form of the drive unit 30 is switched to the second form. When the clutch body 610 moves rearward as shown in FIG. 10B by switching to the second configuration, the engagement flange portion 613 of the clutch body 610 moves to the position of the rotor 110 as shown in FIG. The concave and convex portions 613a of the engaging flange portion 613 and the concave and convex portions 114a of the concave portion 114 to be engaged are engaged with each other. Even when the engagement flange portion 613 is fitted in the engaged recess 114, the clutch spring 620 is kept in a contracted state, and the engagement flange portion 613 is caused to move by the elastic force of the clutch spring 620. Pressed against the engaging recess 114. When the engaging flange portion 613 and the engaged recessed portion 114 are engaged, the pressing portion 633 is in a state separated from the clutch body 610.

  When the engagement flange portion 613 and the engaged recess 114 are engaged, the rotation of the clutch body 610 in the circumferential direction with respect to the rotor 110 is restricted, and the clutch body 610 becomes rotatable with the rotor 110. In such a state, when the rotor 110 rotates, the blade shaft 200 and the clutch body 610 rotate at a rotational speed equal to the rotational speed of the rotor 110. At this time, in the planetary gear mechanism 400, the sun gear 410 and the planet carrier 440 rotate at the same rotational speed as the rotor 110. As a result, the internal gear 420 rotates at the same rotational speed as the sun gear 410 and the planet carrier 440, and the drum shaft 300 fixed to the internal gear 420 rotates at the same rotational speed as the rotor 110. That is, in the drive unit 30, as shown by a one-dot chain line in FIGS. 12A and 12B, the blade shaft 200, the planetary gear mechanism 400, and the drum shaft 300 rotate together. Thereby, the drum 22 and the stirring body 24 rotate integrally. The clutch spring 620 also rotates together with the clutch body 610.

  In the intermediate dewatering process and the final dewatering process, the rotor 110, that is, the drum 22 and the stirring body 24 rotate at a rotation speed at which the centrifugal force acting on the laundry in the drum 22 is much larger than the gravity. By the action of centrifugal force, the laundry is pressed against the inner peripheral surface of the drum 22 and dehydrated.

  In the clutch mechanism 600, the clutch body 610 is linked to the blade shaft 200 and the drum shaft 300. For this reason, in the first embodiment, when the spline 611 of the clutch body 610 and the spline 525 of the bearing unit 500 are engaged, the clutch body 610 is temporarily moved backward, that is, in the direction of releasing the engagement. There is a case where an unexpected big force is applied. For example, the laundry may collide with the stirring body 24 from the front, and the impact force may be transmitted to the clutch body 610 via the blade shaft 200. Further, since the rotation of the drum 22 is hindered, an unexpectedly large rear force may be transmitted to the clutch body 610. That is, when the drum shaft 300 is difficult to rotate due to the rotation of the drum 22 being hindered due to the movement of the laundry in the drum 22, the planet carrier 440, that is, the planet carrier, is accompanied by the rotation of the wing shaft 200. A large force is generated to rotate the clutch body 610 connected to 440. These splines 611 and 525 are tapered in the front-rear direction so that the splines 611 of the clutch body 610 can be easily engaged with the splines 525 of the bearing unit 500 from the rear. Therefore, when a large rotational force is generated in the clutch body 610, the large rotational force is converted into a large backward force due to the tapered shape of the splines 611 and 525 and applied to the clutch body 610.

  In the first embodiment, when an unexpectedly large force is applied to the clutch body 610, the pressing portion 633 of the clutch lever 630 that is in contact with the clutch body 610 receives this large force via the clutch body 610.

  FIGS. 13A to 13C are views for explaining the operation of the clutch lever 630 when a large rearward force is generated in the pressing portion 633 of the clutch lever 630 in the first embodiment. Fig.13 (a) is a side view of the clutch mechanism part 600, FIG.13 (b) is BB 'sectional drawing of Fig.13 (a). FIG. 13C is a diagram for explaining the maximum movement amount D of the support shaft 634. In FIG. 13A, illustration of the clutch spring 620 is omitted.

  As described above, the clutch lever 630 is supported by the first spring 645 so that the support shaft 634 is supported by the support shaft hole 643 that is long in the front-rear direction and is movable in the front-rear direction, and the pressing portion 633 is in contact with the clutch body 610. As a result, the support shaft 634 is pulled forward. Therefore, when a large rearward force is temporarily applied to the pressing portion 633 of the clutch lever 630, as shown in FIGS. 13A and 13B, the first spring 645 is pressed by the force. Extending rearward, the clutch lever 630 moves rearward. Thereby, the force applied to the clutch lever 630 is weakened. Further, although the cam 652 of the clutch driving device 650 is connected to the clutch lever 630, it is possible to prevent a large force from being applied to the cam 652.

  As shown in FIG. 13C, the maximum movement amount D that the support shaft 634 is allowed to move is from the position Q1 of the support shaft 634 when the clutch body 610 is in the engagement position on the bearing unit 500 side. This is the distance to the position Q2 where the support shaft 634 hits the arc on the rear side of the support shaft hole 643. In the present embodiment, the maximum movement amount D is smaller than the engagement amount C between the spline 611 of the clutch body 610 and the spline 525 of the bearing unit 500 shown in FIG. A length L in the front-rear direction is determined.

<Effect of Embodiment>
As described above, according to the present embodiment, when the clutch body 610 and the splines 611 and 525 of the bearing unit 500 are engaged with each other in the first embodiment, the clutch lever 630 is interposed via the clutch body 610. When a large rearward force is applied, the clutch lever 630 is moved rearward, and the force applied to the clutch lever 630 is absorbed and weakened by this movement. Therefore, deformation, breakage, etc. of the clutch lever 630 can be prevented. Further, it is possible to prevent the clutch driving device 650 connected to the clutch lever 630 from being damaged.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, the structure for absorbing an unexpected force applied to the clutch lever 630 is formed by using the support shaft hole 643 for receiving the support shaft 634 as a long hole and pulling the support shaft 634 by the first spring 645. This can be realized with a simple configuration.

  Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, the maximum movement amount D that the support shaft 634 is allowed to move is smaller than the engagement amount C between the spline 611 of the clutch body 610 and the spline 525 of the bearing unit 500. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the engagement between the spline 611 and the spline 525 from being released due to the rearward movement of the clutch lever 630 for absorbing an unexpected force.

  Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and the like, and various modifications can be made to the embodiments of the present invention in addition to the above. is there.

  For example, the clutch mechanism unit 600 can be modified as in the two modified examples described below.

<Modification example 1 of clutch mechanism>
FIGS. 14A and 14B are diagrams showing the configuration of the clutch mechanism unit 600 according to this modification. 14A is a side view of the clutch mechanism 600, and FIG. 14B is a plan view of the clutch mechanism 600. FIG. FIGS. 15A and 15B are diagrams for explaining the operation of the clutch mechanism unit 600 according to this modification.

  In FIG. 14A, illustration of the clutch spring 620 is omitted, and in FIG. 14B, illustration of the clutch body 610 and the clutch spring 620 is omitted.

  The clutch mechanism unit 600 of this modification is different from the above embodiment in the configuration excluding the clutch body 610 and the clutch spring 620, that is, the main configuration of the moving mechanism unit DM.

  The moving mechanism part DM includes a clutch lever 730, a lever support part 740, a clutch driving device 750, and a relay rod 760.

  The clutch lever 730 includes a substantially semicircular upper lever 731 along the outer peripheral surface of the lower half of the clutch body 610, and a lower lever 732 extending obliquely downward in the forward direction from the lowermost portion of the upper lever 731. At the left and right upper end portions of the upper lever 731, a pressing portion 733 that contacts the rear surface 612 a of the flange portion 612 of the clutch body 610 and pushes the flange portion 612 forward is formed.

  A support shaft 734 is fixed to the upper end portion of the lower lever 732 in the clutch lever 730. The support shaft 734 penetrates the left and right sides of the clutch lever 730, and both end portions thereof protrude from the clutch lever 730 to the left and right. An attachment shaft 735 extending in the left-right direction is formed at the lower end of the lower lever 732.

  The lever support part 740 supports the clutch lever 730 so that rotation is possible. The lever support portion 740 includes a bottom plate 741 and arm pieces 742 that rise from both ends of the bottom plate 741. A spindle hole 743 is formed in the arm piece 742. The support shaft 734 of the clutch lever 730 is passed through the support shaft hole 643.

  The clutch driving device 750 is disposed below the clutch lever 730. Clutch drive device 750 includes a torque motor 751 and a disc-shaped cam 752 that rotates around the horizontal axis by the torque of torque motor 751. On the upper surface of the cam 752, a cam shaft 753 is provided on the outer periphery. The rotation center of the cam 752 and the center of the attachment shaft 735 of the lower lever 732 coincide with each other in the front-rear direction.

  The relay rod 760 extends in the vertical direction and connects the clutch lever 730 and the cam 752. The relay rod 760 corresponds to the relay unit of the present invention. The relay rod 760 is attached so that the upper end portion 761 can rotate on the attachment shaft 735 of the lower lever 732, and the lower end portion 762 is attached so as to be rotatable on the cam shaft 753 of the cam 752. The relay rod 760 is integrally formed with a spring 763 at an intermediate position. The spring 763 is a tension spring.

  The lever support 740 and the clutch driving device 750 are fixed to the bearing unit 500.

  When the form of the drive unit 30 is switched from the second form to the first form, as shown in FIG. 15A, the cam 752 is rotated by the torque motor 751 so that the cam shaft 753 is positioned at the lowest position. The As the cam 752 rotates, the lower end of the lower lever 732 is pulled downward by the relay rod 760. The clutch lever 730 rotates forward about the support shaft 734, and the upper lever 731 moves forward. The pressing portion 733 of the upper lever 731 pushes the flange portion 612 of the clutch body 610 forward, and the clutch body 610 moves forward against the elastic force of the clutch spring 620.

  In this modified example, as indicated by the one-dot chain line in FIG. 15A, when the cam shaft 753 moves to an intermediate predetermined position, the clutch body 610 reaches a position where the spline 611 is engaged with the spline 525 of the bearing unit 500. To do. At this time, the spring 763 of the relay rod 760 is in a natural length state. Since the clutch body 610 does not move before this engagement position, when the cam shaft 753 moves from the predetermined position to the lowest position, the spring 763 extends downward as shown in FIG. In this case, the clutch lever 730 is pulled by the spring 763 so as to rotate forward, so that the clutch body 610 in the engaged position has a pressing portion as shown by a white arrow in FIG. A pressing force is applied from 733. Thereby, the spline 611 of the clutch body 610 can be firmly engaged with the spline 525 of the bearing unit 500.

  On the other hand, when the configuration of the drive unit 30 is switched from the first configuration to the second configuration, as shown in FIG. 15B, the cam 752 is positioned by the torque motor 751 so that the cam shaft 753 is positioned at the uppermost position. It is rotated. When the cam 752 rotates and the cam shaft 753 moves upward, first, the spring 763 contracts. When the spring 763 returns to the natural length, the relay rod 760 moves upward as the cam shaft 753 moves thereafter, and the lower end of the lower lever 732 is pushed by the relay rod 760 and moves upward. The clutch lever 730 rotates rearward about the support shaft 734, and the upper lever 731 moves rearward. The pressing portion 733 of the upper lever 731 is separated from the flange portion 612 of the clutch body 610, the clutch body 610 is moved rearward by the elastic force of the clutch spring 620, and the engagement flange portion 613 is engaged with the engaged recess 114 of the rotor 110. Reach the position to engage.

  FIG. 16 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the clutch lever 730 when a large rearward force is generated in the pressing portion 733 of the clutch lever 730 in the first embodiment. In FIG. 16, illustration of the clutch spring 620 is omitted.

  As described above, the spring 763 is formed on the relay rod 760. When a large rearward force is temporarily applied to the pressing portion 633 of the clutch lever 730, as shown in FIG. 16, the spring 763 of the relay rod 760 extends upward, and the clutch lever 730 rotates rearward. Thereby, the force applied to the clutch lever 730 is weakened. Therefore, according to this modified example, deformation, breakage, etc. of the clutch lever 730 can be prevented. Further, although the cam 752 of the clutch driving device 750 is connected to the clutch lever 730 via the relay rod 760, it is possible to prevent a large force from being applied to the cam 752. Therefore, according to this modified example, the clutch drive device 750 can be prevented from being damaged.

  Further, according to the present modification, a configuration for absorbing an unexpected force applied to the clutch lever 730 can be realized by a simple configuration in which the spring 763 is formed on the relay rod 760.

  The spring 763 is configured so as not to exceed the allowable deflection amount even if the spring 763 is further extended by an unexpected force from the extended state in the first embodiment. As a result, the spring 763 is not deformed or damaged.

<Example 2 of changing clutch mechanism>
17 (a) and 17 (b) and FIGS. 18 (a) and 18 (b) are diagrams showing the configuration of the clutch mechanism unit 600 according to this modification. 17A is a side cross-sectional view of the clutch mechanism unit 600, and FIG. 17B is a rear view of the clutch mechanism unit 600. 18A is a front view of the clutch mechanism unit 600, and FIG. 18B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC 'in FIG. FIGS. 19A and 19B are views for explaining the operation of the clutch mechanism unit 600 according to this modification.

  Note that the clutch spring 620 is not shown in FIGS. 17 (a) to 19 (b).

  The clutch mechanism unit 600 of this modification is different from the above embodiment in the configuration excluding the clutch body 610 and the clutch spring 620, that is, the main configuration of the moving mechanism unit DM.

  The moving mechanism part DM includes a clutch lever 830, an upper support part 840, a lower support part 850, a clutch drive device 860, and a relay unit 870.

  Clutch lever 830 includes an annular portion 831 that surrounds the outer peripheral surface of clutch body 610, an upper lever portion 832 that extends upward from the upper end portion of annular portion 831, and a lower lever portion 833 that extends downward from the lower end portion of annular portion 831. Including. The annular portion 831 is formed with a pressing portion 834 that is in contact with the rear surface 612a of the flange portion 612 of the clutch body 610 and pushes the flange portion 612 forward at the center of the left and right arcs. A support shaft portion 836 having a support shaft 835 extending in the left-right direction is provided at the upper end portion of the upper lever portion 832. The lower lever portion 833 is provided with a cylindrical spring receiving portion 837 at a substantially central portion and a U-shaped hook portion 838 at a lower end portion.

  The upper support portion 840 is provided with a bearing portion 841 through which the support shaft 835 of the upper lever portion 832 passes, and an upper guide portion 842 including a pair of ribs along both sides of the upper lever portion 832. The clutch lever 830 is supported by the bearing portion 841 so as to rotate back and forth with the support shaft 835 as a fulcrum. Further, the upper lever portion 832 is guided by the upper guide portion 842 so as not to move in the left-right direction when rotating.

  The lower support portion 850 is provided with a lower guide portion 851 formed of a pair of ribs whose center portions are arc-shaped along both sides of the lower lever portion 833, and a wire relay portion 853 having a pulley 852. The lower lever portion 833 is guided by the lower guide portion 851 so as not to move in the left-right direction when rotating. The lower guide portion 851 accommodates a first spring 854 for pushing the lower lever portion 833 backward. The first spring 854 is a compression spring. The lower lever portion 833 receives the elastic force of the first spring 854 by the spring receiving portion 837.

  The clutch driving device 860 is disposed below the clutch lever 830. Clutch drive device 860 includes a torque motor 861 and a disc-shaped cam 862 that rotates around a horizontal axis by the torque of torque motor 861. On the upper surface of the cam 862, a cam shaft 863 is provided on the outer periphery.

  The relay unit 870 extends in the vertical direction and connects the clutch lever 830 and the cam 862. The relay unit 870 corresponds to the relay unit of the present invention. The relay unit 870 includes a wire 871 and a second spring 872. One end of the wire 871 is fixed to the hook portion 838 of the lower lever portion 833, and the other end is fixed to one end of the second spring 872. The wire 871 is passed through the pulley 852 of the wire relay portion 853. The other end of the second spring 872 is fixed to the cam shaft 863 of the cam 862. The second spring 872 is a tension spring. The second spring 872 corresponds to the elastic member of the present invention. The elastic force of the second spring 872 is greater than the elastic force of the first spring 854, the second spring 872 does not extend due to the pressing force of the first spring 854, and the clutch lever 830 does not rotate backward. .

  The upper support portion 840, the lower support portion 850, and the clutch driving device 860 are fixed to the bearing unit 500.

  When the form of the drive unit 30 is switched from the second form to the first form, as shown in FIG. 19A, the cam 862 is rotated by the torque motor 861 so that the cam shaft 863 is positioned at the lowest position. The As the cam 862 rotates, the relay unit 870 moves downward, and the lower lever portion 833 moves forward against the elastic force of the first spring 854. The clutch lever 830 rotates forward about the support shaft 835, and the annular portion 831 moves forward. The pressing portion 834 of the annular portion 831 pushes the flange portion 612 of the clutch body 610 forward, and the clutch body 610 moves forward against the elastic force of the clutch spring 620.

  In this modified example, as shown by the one-dot chain line in FIG. 19A, when the cam shaft 863 moves to a position slightly before the lowest position, the clutch body 610 has the spline 611 and the spline 525 of the bearing unit 500. The position to be engaged is reached. At this time, the second spring 872 of the relay unit 870 is in a natural length state. Since the clutch body 610 does not move before the engagement position, when the cam shaft 863 moves from the front position to the lowest position, the second spring 872 extends downward as shown in FIG. In this case, the clutch lever 830 is pulled by the second spring 872 so as to be rotated forward, so that the clutch body 610 in the engaged position has a state as shown by a white arrow in FIG. A pressing force is applied from the pressing portion 834. Thereby, the spline 611 of the clutch body 610 can be firmly engaged with the spline 525 of the bearing unit 500.

  On the other hand, when the form of the drive unit 30 is switched from the first form to the second form, as shown in FIG. 19B, the cam 862 is moved by the torque motor 861 so that the cam shaft 863 is positioned at the uppermost position. It is rotated. When the cam 862 rotates and the cam shaft 863 moves upward, the lower lever portion 833 is pushed by the first spring 854 and moves backward. The clutch lever 830 rotates rearward about the support shaft 835, and the annular portion 831 moves rearward. The pressing portion 834 of the annular portion 831 is separated from the flange portion 612 of the clutch body 610, the clutch body 610 is moved rearward by the elastic force of the clutch spring 620, and the engagement flange portion 613 is engaged with the engaged recess 114 of the rotor 110. Reach the position to engage. In the process in which the cam shaft 863 moves upward, the second spring 872 returns to its natural length.

  FIG. 20 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the clutch lever 830 when a large rearward force is generated in the pressing portion 834 of the clutch lever 830 in the first embodiment. In FIG. 20, illustration of the clutch spring 620 is omitted.

  As described above, the relay unit 870 is provided with the second spring 872. When a large rearward force is temporarily applied to the pressing portion 834 of the clutch lever 830, as shown in FIG. 20, the second spring 872 of the relay unit 870 extends upward, and the clutch lever 830 rotates backward. To do. Thereby, the force applied to the clutch lever 830 is weakened. Therefore, according to this modified example, deformation, breakage, etc. of the clutch lever 830 can be prevented. Further, although the cam 862 of the clutch driving device 860 is connected to the clutch lever 830 via the relay unit 870, it is possible to prevent a large force from being applied to the cam 862. Therefore, according to this modification, it is possible to prevent the clutch driving device 860 from being damaged.

  In addition, according to this modification, the configuration for absorbing an unexpected force applied to the clutch lever 830 can be realized by a simple configuration in which the second spring 872 is provided in the relay unit 870.

  Note that the second spring 872 is configured not to exceed the allowable deflection amount even if the second spring 872 is further extended by an unexpected force from the extended state in the first embodiment. As a result, the second spring 872 is not deformed or damaged.

  Furthermore, in this modified example, the portion of the clutch lever 830 provided in the pressing portion 834 that comes into contact with the clutch body 610 is formed in an annular shape, so that the portion can be strengthened. Therefore, in the first embodiment and the second embodiment, the clutch body 610 can be firmly pressed against the bearing unit 500 and the rotor 110 by the pressing portion 834. In addition, when an unexpected force is applied, the clutch lever 830 is less likely to be deformed or damaged.

  Furthermore, according to this modification, the clutch lever 830 is configured to extend upward and downward with the clutch body 610 interposed therebetween, the upper end portion is a fulcrum, the lower end portion is a power point, and the action point is between the fulcrum and the power point. As shown in FIG. 16A, the distance R1 from the support shaft 835 as the fulcrum to the press portion 834 as the action point, and the hook as the power point from the support shaft 835, as shown in FIG. The difference from the distance R2 to the portion 838 can be increased. Therefore, the torque of the torque motor 861 for moving the clutch body 610 can be reduced. In the first state, the pressing force of the pressing portion 834 against the clutch body 610 generated by the second spring 872 can be increased.

<Other changes>
In the above embodiment, the support shaft 634 is fixed to the lower lever 632 of the clutch lever 630, the support shaft hole 643 is formed in the lever support portion 640, and the first spring 645 is fixed to the support shaft 634. However, as shown in FIG. 21, the support shaft 634 is fixed to the lever support portion 640, the support shaft hole 643 is formed in the lower lever 632, and the first spring 645 is fixed to the front surface of the lower lever 632. May be taken. Even with such a configuration, in the first embodiment, when a large rearward force is applied to the clutch lever 630, the clutch lever 630 can be prevented from being deformed, damaged, or the like by releasing the clutch lever 630 rearward.

  In the above embodiment, the drum shaft 300 is fixed to the internal gear 420, and the clutch body 610 is connected to the carrier shaft 442, that is, the planet carrier 440. Thereby, in the first embodiment, when the wing shaft 200 rotates with the planetary carrier 440 fixed by the clutch body 610, the planetary gear 430 rotates along with the rotation of the sun gear 410 and is slower than the sun gear 410. The internal gear 420 rotates at the rotation speed. However, as shown in FIG. 22, a configuration in which the drum shaft 300 is fixed to the planet carrier 440 may be employed. In this case, a shaft portion 425 having a front end portion 425 a protruding rearward from the drum shaft 300 is attached to the internal gear 420. Then, the clutch body 610 is coupled to the shaft portion 425. That is, the clutch body 610 is connected to the internal gear 420 via the shaft portion 425. Further, the planetary gear 430 is changed to have only the first gear 431. In the first embodiment, when the blade shaft 200 rotates while the internal gear 420 is fixed by the clutch body 610, the planetary gear 430 rotates and revolves along with the rotation of the sun gear 410, and rotates slower than the sun gear 410. The planet carrier 440 rotates at a speed. As a result, the drum shaft 300 fixed to the planet carrier 440 rotates.

  Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the upper lever 631 of the clutch lever 630 is formed in a semicircular shape. However, similarly to the annular portion 831 of the clutch lever 830 of the second modification, the upper lever 631 may have an annular shape surrounding the clutch body 610. Similarly, the upper lever 731 of the clutch lever 730 according to the first modification may have an annular shape surrounding the clutch body 610.

  Furthermore, although the drum type washing machine 1 of the above embodiment does not have a drying function, the present invention can also be applied to a drum type washing machine having a drying function, that is, a drum type washing and drying machine.

  In addition, the embodiment of the present invention can be variously modified as appropriate within the scope of the technical idea shown in the claims.

10 housing
20 Outer tank
22 drums
24 Stirring body (rotating body)
24a Feather (projection)
30 Drive unit (drive unit)
100 drive motor
110 rotor
120 stator
200 Blade axis (first rotation axis)
300 Drum shaft (second rotary shaft)
400 Planetary gear mechanism
410 Sun gear
420 Internal gear
430 Planetary gear
431 1st gear
432 Second gear
440 Planetary Carrier
442 Carrier axis
500 Bearing unit (fixing member)
600 Clutch mechanism
610 Clutch body
620 Clutch spring
630 Clutch lever
634 Spindle
633 Pressing part
640 Lever support
643 Support hole
645 First spring (elastic member)
650 Clutch drive device
660 Mounting plate
DM moving mechanism
730 clutch lever
740 Lever support
750 Clutch drive device
760 Relay rod (relay part)
763 Spring (elastic member)
830 Clutch lever
831 annular part
840 Upper support
850 Lower support part
860 Clutch drive device
870 Relay unit (relay unit)
872 Second spring (elastic member)

Claims (5)

An outer tub disposed in the housing;
A drum arranged in the outer tub and rotatable around a horizontal axis or an inclined axis inclined with respect to the horizontal direction;
A baffle provided on the inner peripheral surface of the drum;
A rotating body disposed at the rear of the drum and having a protrusion on the surface that contacts the laundry;
A drive unit that rotates the drum and the rotating body such that the rotational speed of the rotating body is faster than the rotational speed of the drum;
The drive unit is
A drive motor;
A first rotating shaft for transmitting rotation of the drive motor to the rotating body;
A second rotating shaft for transmitting rotation of the drive motor to the drum;
As the form of the drive unit, a first form in which the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft are separately rotated, and a second form in which the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft are rotated together. A clutch mechanism that switches between
The clutch mechanism is
A clutch body that is moved to a first position upon switching to the first configuration and moved to a second position upon switching to the second configuration;
When the clutch body is moved from the second position to the first position by pushing the clutch body, the clutch body is in the first position. A clutch lever that maintains contact with the clutch body;
A clutch drive for moving the clutch lever;
In the state where the clutch body is in the first position, when a force pushing in the direction of the second position is applied to the clutch lever via the clutch body, the clutch is moved in the direction of the second position. see contains and a buffer portion for weakening the force moving the lever the clutch lever is subjected,
The drive unit includes a sun gear, an annular internal gear that surrounds the sun gear, a plurality of planetary gears interposed between the sun gear and the internal gear, and a planet carrier that rotatably holds these planetary gears. A planetary gear mechanism in which the sun gear is fixed to the first rotating shaft, and one of the planet carrier and the internal gear is fixed to the second rotating shaft,
The clutch body is connected to the other of the planetary carrier and the internal gear in a state in which rotation in the circumferential direction with respect to the other is restricted and movement in the axial direction of the second rotation shaft is allowed,
When the clutch body engages with a fixing member that does not rotate at the time of rotation of the drive motor at the first position and the other does not rotate, the clutch body is switched to the first form, and the clutch body is By engaging with the rotor of the drive motor at the second position and the other rotating with the drive motor, the second mode is switched,
In the first embodiment, the clutch lever presses the clutch body toward the fixing member.
A drum-type washing machine characterized by that. An outer tub disposed in the housing;
A drum arranged in the outer tub and rotatable around a horizontal axis or an inclined axis inclined with respect to the horizontal direction;
A baffle provided on the inner peripheral surface of the drum;
A rotating body disposed at the rear of the drum and having a protrusion on the surface that contacts the laundry;
A drive unit that rotates the drum and the rotating body such that the rotational speed of the rotating body is faster than the rotational speed of the drum;
The drive unit is
A drive motor;
A first rotating shaft for transmitting rotation of the drive motor to the rotating body;
A second rotating shaft for transmitting rotation of the drive motor to the drum;
As the form of the drive unit, a first form in which the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft are separately rotated, and a second form in which the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft are rotated together. A clutch mechanism that switches between
The clutch mechanism is
A clutch body that is moved to a first position upon switching to the first configuration and moved to a second position upon switching to the second configuration;
When the clutch body is moved from the second position to the first position by pushing the clutch body, the clutch body is in the first position. A clutch lever that maintains contact with the clutch body;
A clutch drive for moving the clutch lever;
In the state where the clutch body is in the first position, when a force pushing in the direction of the second position is applied to the clutch lever via the clutch body, the clutch is moved in the direction of the second position. A buffer for moving the lever to weaken the force received by the clutch lever,
The clutch mechanism portion further includes a clutch support portion that supports the clutch lever so as to be rotatable about the fulcrum and movable in the moving direction of the clutch body,
The buffer portion is an elastic member that pulls the clutch lever in the direction from the second position toward the first position at the fulcrum so that the clutch lever contacts the clutch body at the first position. Including parts,
A drum-type washing machine characterized by that. In the drum type washing machine according to claim 2 ,
A maximum movement amount in the movement direction allowed by the clutch support portion to the clutch lever is made smaller than an engagement amount in the movement direction when the clutch body is engaged with the fixed member;
A drum-type washing machine characterized by that. An outer tub disposed in the housing;
A drum arranged in the outer tub and rotatable around a horizontal axis or an inclined axis inclined with respect to the horizontal direction;
A baffle provided on the inner peripheral surface of the drum;
A rotating body disposed at the rear of the drum and having a protrusion on the surface that contacts the laundry;
A drive unit that rotates the drum and the rotating body such that the rotational speed of the rotating body is faster than the rotational speed of the drum;
The drive unit is
A drive motor;
A first rotating shaft for transmitting rotation of the drive motor to the rotating body;
A second rotating shaft for transmitting rotation of the drive motor to the drum;
As the form of the drive unit, a first form in which the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft are separately rotated, and a second form in which the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft are rotated together. A clutch mechanism that switches between
The clutch mechanism is
A clutch body that is moved to a first position upon switching to the first configuration and moved to a second position upon switching to the second configuration;
When the clutch body is moved from the second position to the first position by pushing the clutch body, the clutch body is in the first position. A clutch lever that maintains contact with the clutch body;
A clutch drive for moving the clutch lever;
In the state where the clutch body is in the first position, when a force pushing in the direction of the second position is applied to the clutch lever via the clutch body, the clutch is moved in the direction of the second position. A buffer for moving the lever to weaken the force received by the clutch lever,
The clutch mechanism is interposed between the clutch driving device and the clutch lever, and pulls the clutch lever by the operation of the clutch driving device, thereby rotating the clutch lever in a direction to push the clutch body. A relay part,
The buffer portion is included in the relay portion, and includes an elastic member that can expand and contract in a direction of pulling the clutch lever.
A drum type washing machine. An outer tub disposed in the housing;
A drum arranged in the outer tub and rotatable around a horizontal axis or an inclined axis inclined with respect to the horizontal direction;
A baffle provided on the inner peripheral surface of the drum;
A rotating body disposed at the rear of the drum and having a protrusion on the surface that contacts the laundry;
A drive unit that rotates the drum and the rotating body such that the rotational speed of the rotating body is faster than the rotational speed of the drum;
The drive unit is
A drive motor;
A first rotating shaft for transmitting rotation of the drive motor to the rotating body;
A second rotating shaft for transmitting rotation of the drive motor to the drum;
As the form of the drive unit, a first form in which the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft are separately rotated, and a second form in which the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft are rotated together. A clutch mechanism that switches between
The clutch mechanism is
A clutch body that is moved to a first position upon switching to the first configuration and moved to a second position upon switching to the second configuration;
When the clutch body is moved from the second position to the first position by pushing the clutch body, the clutch body is in the first position. A clutch lever that maintains contact with the clutch body;
A clutch drive for moving the clutch lever;
In the state where the clutch body is in the first position, when a force pushing in the direction of the second position is applied to the clutch lever via the clutch body, the clutch is moved in the direction of the second position. A buffer for moving the lever to weaken the force received by the clutch lever,
The clutch body has a circular shape when viewed from the moving direction of the clutch body,
The clutch lever includes an annular portion that surrounds the clutch body, and at least a pair of pressing portions that are provided in the annular portion to push the clutch.
A drum-type washing machine characterized by that.

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