JP6446196B2 - Drain valve drive device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a drain valve driving device, and more particularly to a drain valve driving device in which a case body has a waterproof structure.

  The following Patent Document 1 includes a case body (12) having upper and lower case halves (14, 18), and a drain valve driving device (10) in which terminals (97, 99) are exposed from the outer peripheral surface of the case body. Is described.

JP 2012-120417 A

  Conventionally, a drain valve driving device comprising a geared motor has been generally used as an opening / closing mechanism for a drain valve of a washing machine. Drain valve drive device installed in the washing machine due to condensation caused by the difference between the temperature in the humid housing and the water temperature, water leakage from waterway members and water tanks due to aging, or water leakage due to unpredictable operation by the user There is a risk of water droplets adhering to.

  When the case body is formed by joining the upper and lower case halves as in the drain valve driving device of Patent Document 1, for example, the joint portion has an inlay structure, and the protrusion formed at the opening of the lower case half body. Even when the design is designed to prevent water droplets from entering by covering the upper half with the upper case half, water may enter the device due to capillary action, depending on the amount of water exposed and the fitting accuracy of the spigot structure. There is. Furthermore, when water that has entered the apparatus adheres to a terminal that is electrically connected to the outside, there is a risk of a short circuit or electric shock.

  In the drain valve driving device of Patent Document 1, a connector with exposed terminals is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the case body. In such a configuration, water is more likely to adhere to the terminal than in the configuration in which the connector is provided on the bottom surface of the case body, and thus it is necessary to be more careful about the waterproofness of the case body.

  In view of the above problems, the problem to be solved by the present invention is to prevent water droplets adhering to the case body from entering the case from the joint portion even in the case body formed by joining the upper and lower case halves. Another object of the present invention is to provide a drain valve driving device that can prevent water from entering due to capillary action.

In order to solve the above problems, a drain valve driving device of the present invention accommodates a motor as a drive source, power transmission means for transmitting the driving force of the motor to the drain valve, the motor and the power transmission means. A first case half that is an upper case divided into a top case and a second case half that is a lower case are joined together, and the upper case and the lower case are provided. The joint portion with the case is an inlay structure in which the upper case is fitted to a convex portion in which only the inner half of the upper surface of the side wall portion of the lower case extends upward so as to cover the outer surface of the convex portion. The upper case extends horizontally from the outer peripheral surface of the upper case, bends downward, and extends below the joint to prevent droplets from adhering to the joint. It has Jo portion, a gap between the eaves-like portion and the joint portion It provided a summary of the.

By forming the hook-like portion extending downward from the outer peripheral surface of the upper case, water droplets adhering to the upper case flow along the hook-like portion to the tip portion thereof. Since a gap is provided between the outer peripheral surface of the case body and the bowl-shaped part, water droplets at the tip of the bowl-shaped part fall below the apparatus without adhering to the case body. With this configuration, it is possible to prevent water droplets from adhering to the joint portion of the case body. And because the hook-shaped portion extends below the joint, not only water droplets that have fallen from directly above the upper case, but also water droplets that adhere from the lateral direction, such as splashes that have splashed from other locations. It is possible to protect the joint portion. Even if water droplets staying at the tip of the bowl-shaped portion adhere to the case body, the junction is not exposed to the water droplet because the joint is above the tip of the bowl-shaped portion. Further, since a gap is provided between the outer peripheral surface of the case body and the bowl-shaped portion, the capillary force between the outer peripheral surface of the case body and the bowl-shaped portion can be reduced, and the case body It is possible to prevent the adhering water droplets from being sucked up to the joint portion by capillary action.

  The case body further includes a partition plate, which is a substantially plate-like member that partitions the internal space of the case body up and down, and a part of the partition plate is exposed to the outside from the first case half. The upper case may include the first case half and a part of the partition plate exposed to the outside.

  The case body further includes a terminal piece electrically connected to the outside, and the case body is formed with a connector portion in which a part of the terminal piece is exposed to the outside of the case body. The portion may be configured such that the terminal piece is sandwiched between the upper case and the lower case.

  By setting it as the said structure, a terminal can be hold | maintained with a case body, without providing a connector housing separately. Moreover, it is prevented that a water droplet adheres to a terminal with the case body provided with the collar-shaped part of this invention.

  Moreover, it is good also as a structure by which the said terminal is clamped by the said connector part.

  In addition, the drain valve driving device may be installed in a casing of a washing machine.

  Even in the case of the washing machine exposed to water droplets, water can be prevented from entering the case body by the case body having the hook-shaped portion of the present invention.

Further, the connector part has a cylindrical part that covers the terminal piece exposed outside the case , and is formed continuously on the outer surface in the vicinity of the opening of the cylindrical part along the circumferential direction of the cylindrical part. In addition, it is desirable that a protrusion that is a wall-like portion that prevents a droplet from entering the inside of the cylindrical portion through the cylindrical portion is preferably formed.

  With the above configuration, even when the connector portion with the exposed terminal is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the case body, water droplets travel along the cylindrical portion of the connector portion and enter from the opening portion of the cylindrical portion to the inside. Intrusion is prevented and a short circuit due to water adhering to the terminal can be prevented.

  According to the drain valve driving device according to the present invention, even in the case body formed by joining the upper and lower case halves, it is possible to prevent water droplets adhering to the case body from entering the case from the joint portion. It is possible to provide a drain valve driving device that can prevent water from entering due to capillary action.

It is the disassembled perspective view which looked at the drain valve drive device in this embodiment from the upper part. It is the disassembled perspective view seen from the downward direction of the drain valve drive device in this embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the drain valve drive device in the state which closed the case body. It is sectional drawing which cut | disconnected the cylindrical part in the direction orthogonal to an axial direction. It is a permeation | transmission figure which shows the meshing state of the gear train of a drain valve drive device. It is a figure which shows the attachment state of the terminal of a drain valve drive device, a switch contact piece, and a cam member.

(overall structure)
Hereinafter, embodiments of a drain valve driving device according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The drain valve driving device in this embodiment is the drain valve driving device 1 installed below the drum in the casing of the drum type washing machine. In addition, the upper and lower in the following description means the upper and lower in the gravity direction of the drain valve driving device 1 installed in the drum type washing machine, and in the present embodiment, the upper and lower (first case half 91 shown in FIG. 1). The upper side is the upper side, and the second case half 92 side is the lower side). Further, the outer peripheral surface means a continuous set of side surfaces excluding the upper surface and the lower surface of the case body 90 in FIG. 3, and includes both side surfaces of the cylindrical portion 94.

  1 and 2 are exploded perspective views of the drain valve driving device 1 in the present embodiment. The drain valve driving device 1 in the present embodiment includes a motor 10 that is a driving source, a gear train 30 that is a power transmission unit that transmits a driving force of the motor 10 to a drain valve 95 that is a driven body, and a crank member 37. A case body 90 having a terminal piece 40 electrically connected to the outside, a first case half 91 and a second case half 92 divided vertically, and the internal space of the case body 90 vertically And a partition plate 93 which is a substantially plate-shaped member for partitioning.

  FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the drain valve driving device 1 in a state where the first case half 91 and the second case half 92 are joined. The first case half 91 and the second case half 92 are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the first case half 91 on the outer peripheral surface of the first case half 91 and on the outer peripheral surface of the second case half 92. The locking hole 921 provided at a position corresponding to the locking claw 911 is engaged and fixed.

  In the present embodiment, a part of the partition plate 93 is exposed as the first connector half 931 from the first case half 91 to the outside, and the first connector half 931 and the first case are exposed. The upper case 90 a is configured with the half body 91. On the other hand, the lower case 90b is configured by only the second case half 92 (including the second connector half 922 which is a part of the member). That is, the case body 90 is composed of the upper case 90a and the lower case 90b, the upper case 90a is composed of the first case half 91 and the first connector half 931, and the lower case 90b is composed of the second case half. 92 (including the second connector half 922). In the present invention, the “upper case” means a member that covers and protects the case body from above, and the “lower case” means a member that covers and protects the case from below. The upper case and the lower case may be a single member or a combination of a plurality of members.

  A part of the terminal piece 40 is exposed from the outer peripheral surface of the case body 90. The terminal piece 40 is clamped at the proximal end portion of the cylindrical portion 94 formed by joining the first connector half 931 and the second connector half 922, and the exposed portion of the terminal piece 40 is covered by the cylindrical portion 94. As a result, a connector part is formed on the case body 90. With this configuration, the drain valve driving device 1 directly supports the terminal piece 40 by the case body 90 without providing a separate connector housing or the like. In the present invention, the “connector portion” means a terminal exposed to the outside of the case body and a portion of the case body in the vicinity of the terminal that supports and protects the terminal.

(Waterproof structure)
Next, the waterproof structure of the drain valve driving device 1 will be described. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the cylindrical portion 94 cut in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction. Hereinafter, a description will be given with reference to FIG.

  The side surface of the first connector half 931 (the side surface forms a part of the outer peripheral surface of the upper case 90a) extends horizontally from the side surface, and then bends at a right angle and extends downward. A protruding hook portion 60 having a substantially L-shaped cross section is formed. A gap is provided between the side surface of the main body of the cylindrical portion 94 excluding the flange portion 60 (the side surface constitutes a part of the outer peripheral surface of the case body 90) and the flange portion 60. In addition, the corner from the upper surface to the side surface of the first connector half 931, the corner of the step provided on the side surface, and the corner of the bent portion of the bowl-shaped portion 60 are all curved surfaces, and the water droplets move downward. It has a slippery shape.

  The first connector half 931 and the second connector half 922 have a basic waterproof property by providing a spigot structure at the joint. Specifically, on the upper surface of the side wall portion of the second connector half 922, only the inner half surface extends upward to form a convex portion, and the corresponding side wall portion of the first connector half 931 has the corresponding side wall portion. By fitting so that the outer surface of a convex part may be covered, it has the structure which prevents the penetration | invasion of the water from a junction part by this convex part. Such a spigot structure is mounted not only at the cylindrical portion 94 but also at the junction between the first case half 91 and the second case half 92.

  By forming the hook-shaped portion 60, water droplets attached to the first connector half 931 flow along the hook-shaped portion 60 to the tip of the hook-shaped portion 60. Since a gap is provided between the side surface of the cylindrical portion 94 main body and the bowl-shaped portion 60, water drops fall below the apparatus without adhering to the cylindrical portion 94 main body. With this configuration, water droplets are prevented from adhering to the joint portion of the cylindrical portion 94.

  The gap between the side surface of the cylindrical portion 94 main body and the flange-shaped portion 60 is an interval at which water drops hanging from the tip of the flange-shaped portion 60 do not contact the side surface of the cylindrical portion 94 main body. Even when a capillary force acts on the water droplets adhering to the side surface, the interval is such that the water droplets do not reach the height of the joint. Specifically, the maximum weight of the water droplet using the formula mg = 3πaλcos α (mg is the maximum weight of the water droplet, a is the radius of the water droplet, λ is the surface tension of the water droplet, and α is the contact angle of the water droplet at the tip of the hook 60). The radius of the water drop that can be dropped is calculated from h = LT cos θ / ρgS (h is the height at which the water drop rises, L is the length of the flange 60 in the axial direction of the cylindrical part 94, and T is the surface tension. , Θ is the contact angle of the water droplets, ρ is the density of the water droplets, g is the acceleration of gravity, and S is the cross-sectional area of the space between the bowl-shaped portion 60 and the side surface of the cylindrical portion 94). The interval at which the height at which the water drops rise does not reach the joint was calculated.

  Further, the flange portion 60 extends downward from the joint portion of the tubular portion 94. As a result, the junction of the cylindrical portion 94 is protected not only from water droplets falling from directly above the first connector half 931 but also from water droplets adhering from the lateral direction, such as splashes splashed from water droplets dropped elsewhere. Has been. Even if water droplets staying at the tip of the bowl-shaped portion 60 adhere to the side surface of the cylindrical portion 94 main body, the junction is exposed to the water droplet because the joint is above the tip of the bowl-shaped portion 60. Absent. Further, since the gap is provided between the side surface of the cylindrical portion 94 main body and the bowl-shaped portion 60, water droplets adhering to the side surface of the cylindrical portion 94 main body may be sucked up to the joint portion by capillary action. Absent.

  In this embodiment, in order to enhance the waterproof effect by the hook-like portion 60, the hook-like portion 60 extends downward from the joint portion of the tubular portion 94, but the hook-like portion 60 is joined to the tubular portion 94. Even if it is located above the portion, the waterproof effect is exhibited. As the gap between the side surface of the cylindrical portion 94 main body and the flange-shaped portion 60 for obtaining the waterproof effect by the flange-shaped portion 60, the tip of the flange-shaped portion 60 is positioned above the joint portion of the cylindrical portion 94. In this case, at least an interval that does not contact the side surface of the cylindrical portion 94 main body is necessary even if the water droplets staying at the tip of the bowl-shaped portion 60 are combined and fall to the weight to fall. When the tip is positioned below the joint portion of the tubular portion 94, at least an interval is required so that water droplets attached to the side surface of the tubular portion 94 main body cannot be sucked up to the joint portion by capillary action.

  In the drain valve driving device 1 according to this embodiment, water droplets do not reach between the inner peripheral surfaces of the first case half 91 and the second case half 92 and the contents of the case body 90. Since a space is provided and a drain port 923 is formed on the bottom surface of the second case half 92 (see FIGS. 1 and 2), the first case half 91 and the second case half Even if water enters the joint of the body 92, the water is drained outside the case without adhering to the contents of the case body 90. For the above reasons, in the drain valve driving device 1, the bowl-shaped portion 60 is provided only on the cylindrical portion 94 that is greatly affected by water immersion, but naturally the bowl-shaped portion 60 is disposed on the entire outer peripheral surface of the upper case 90 a. It may be provided across.

  As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, a protrusion 941 is formed on the outer surface near the opening of the cylindrical portion 94 along the circumferential direction of the cylindrical portion 94. Thereby, water droplets are prevented from entering the inside of the cylindrical portion 94 through the cylindrical portion 94, and a short circuit due to water adhering to the terminal 40 is prevented.

(Operation)
Next, operation | movement of the drain valve drive device 1 in this embodiment is demonstrated. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a meshed state of the gear train 30 of the drain valve driving device 1. The motor 10 in the present embodiment is an AC motor that rotates only in one direction by a reverse rotation prevention mechanism. The gear train 30 includes a pinion 31 of the motor 10 as a first gear, a second gear 32, a third gear 33, a fourth gear 34, a fifth gear 35, and a sixth gear 36. Each gear is a compound gear in which a large gear and a small gear, which are spur gears, are formed in two stages. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a crank member 37 that opens and closes the drain valve 95 is attached to the small-diameter gear of the sixth gear 36.

  When electric power is supplied to the motor 10 and the pinion 31 rotates, the driving force is transmitted in the order of the second gear 32, the third gear 33, the fourth gear 34, the fifth gear 35, and the sixth gear 36. The Since the small-diameter tooth portion of each gear is engaged with the large-diameter gear of the next gear, the driving force of the motor 10 is decelerated and transmitted to the crank member 37 and the drain valve 95.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the drain valve driving device 1 according to the present embodiment detects the open / close state of the drain valve 95 from the rotation angle of the crank member 37 as well as the power supply terminal 41 to which electric power is supplied from the outside. Two signal terminals 42 are provided. A switch contact piece 421 is coupled to each signal terminal 42, and the power supply terminal 41, the signal terminal 42, and the switch contact piece 421 are fixed to the bottom surface of the partition plate 93.

  The switch contact piece 421 is a cam follower whose tip is in sliding contact with the outer peripheral surface of the cam member 50. The outer peripheral surface of the cam member 50 includes a curved surface with a constant curvature, a curved surface with a smaller curvature, and a stepped portion in the order in which the switch contact piece 421 is slidably contacted. The step portion is provided at a position where the distance from the center of the cam member 50 to the circumference is the longest, and the distance from the center of the cam member 50 to the circumference is instantly shortened from the longest to the shortest by the step portion. It is done.

  The cam member 50 is inserted into a cylindrical portion formed between the large diameter gear and the small diameter gear of the sixth gear 36. The outer peripheral surface on the tip side of the cylindrical portion is partially cut out in a flat shape, and the insertion hole of the cam member 50 is also formed in the same shape. Therefore, the cam member 50 is inserted into the cylindrical portion of the sixth gear 36 and the crank member 37 is mounted on the small-diameter gear, so that the cam member 50 is fixed to the sixth gear 36 in the axial direction and the circumferential direction, As the sixth gear 36 rotates, the sixth gear 36 rotates.

  The switch contact pieces 421 come into contact with each other (ON state) when sliding on a curved surface having a smaller curvature on the outer peripheral surface of the cam member 50, and are separated by reaching the step portion (OFF state). The ON state and OFF state of the switch contact piece 421 are notified to a control device (not shown) connected to the outside via the signal terminal 42, and the power supply to the power supply terminal 41 is controlled by the control device.

  Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Drain valve drive device 10 Motor 30 Gear train 7 Crank member 40 Terminal piece 50 Cam member 60 Cage 90 Case body 90a Upper case 90b Lower case 91 First case half 92 Second case half 922 Second Connector half 93 Partition plate 931 First connector half 94 Tubular portion 941 Projection 95 Drain valve

Claims (6)

A motor as a drive source;
Power transmission means for transmitting the driving force of the motor to the drain valve;
A case body for housing the motor and the power transmission means,
The case body is formed by joining a first case half that is an upper case divided into an upper part and a second case half that is a lower case,
The joint between the upper case and the lower case is such that the upper case covers the outer surface of the convex portion with only the inner half of the upper surface of the side wall portion of the lower case extending upward. It is a mated inlay structure,
The upper case has a hook-shaped portion that extends horizontally from the outer peripheral surface of the upper case, bends downward, and extends downward from the joint, thereby preventing droplets from adhering to the joint. Have
A drain valve driving device, wherein a gap is provided between the joint portion and the bowl-shaped portion. The case body further contains a partition plate which is a substantially plate-like member that partitions the internal space of the case body up and down,
A part of the partition plate is exposed to the outside from the first case half,
The drain valve driving device according to claim 1, wherein the upper case includes the first case half and a part of the partition plate exposed to the outside. The case body further contains a terminal piece electrically connected to the outside,
In the case body, a connector part in which a part of the terminal piece is exposed to the outside of the case body is formed,
3. The drain valve driving device according to claim 1, wherein the connector portion sandwiches the terminal piece between the upper case and the lower case. 4. The drain valve driving device according to claim 3 , wherein a plurality of the terminals are sandwiched between the connector portions. The drain valve driving device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein the drain valve driving device is installed in a casing of a washing machine. The connector part has a cylindrical part covering the terminal piece exposed outside the case,
The outer surface of the cylindrical portion in the vicinity of the opening is continuously formed along the circumferential direction of the cylindrical portion, and the liquid drops enter the inside through the cylindrical portion through the cylindrical portion. 6. A drain valve driving device according to claim 4 or 5 , wherein a protrusion that is a wall-like portion that prevents the drainage is formed.

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