JP7129620B2 - washing machine - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to washing machines for washing laundry.

A vertical washing machine has an opening on the upper surface of the washing machine body. By opening the lid, the laundry is put in and taken out of the opening.

In recent years, there has been a tendency to favor washing machines with a flat design in which a glass material is used as a member forming the surface of the lid (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2018-110645 A

However, in the configuration of Patent Literature 1, the weight of the lid body is larger than that of the conventional lid body made of a resin component due to the adoption of the glass material as the lid body.

Therefore, in the structure of the conventional upper housing, the strength for supporting the lid may be insufficient.

The present disclosure solves the conventional problems described above, and provides a washing machine that can stably support a heavy lid.

A washing machine according to the present disclosure includes a housing, a top wall having an inlet, a lid provided on an upper surface of the top wall for opening and closing the inlet, a lid provided inside the rear of the top wall, and comprising: and a connecting member fixed to the support member. The support member includes side walls erected at both ends of the support member, the connecting member connects the side walls erected at both ends, and the connection member pivotally supports the lid.

The washing machine of the present disclosure can increase the strength by the connecting member, and can stably support the heavy lid body.

Principal part perspective view of the washing machine in the present embodiment Principal part perspective view of the washing machine with the upper frame body removed FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the essential parts of the washing machine with the fastening member removed from the state shown in FIG. Schematic exploded perspective view of main parts of the washing machine An exploded front view showing the back surface structure of the washing machine at the open position of the lid. The exploded perspective view of the hinge part structure of the cover body of the washing machine. Schematic exploded perspective view of main parts of the washing machine

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of washing machine 100 of Embodiment 1 with the lid body opened. A washing machine 100 will be described with reference to FIG.

Washing machine 100 includes housing 101 and lid 500 . The housing 101 includes a top wall 102 and an operation section 400 (see FIG. 4).

A washing tub (not shown) is accommodated in the housing 101 . The washing tub opens upward within the housing 101 . The washing tub performs a washing operation for washing clothes. The washing operation may be an operation performed by a known washing machine 100 washing tub. The principles of this embodiment are not limited to any particular cleaning operation.

An inlet 103 is formed in the top wall 102 . A user can put clothes into the washing tub through the inlet 103 .

The lid 500 rotates vertically on the top wall 102 . Lid 500 shown in FIG. 1 is in an open position exposing inlet 103 .

A vertical flat surface 200 is formed on the top wall 102 behind the inlet 103 . The flat surface 200 includes the front surface of the laundry aid dispenser 104 for dispensing the laundry aid and the front surfaces of the automatic laundry aid dispensers 105a and 105b for automatically dispensing the laundry aid.

The flat surface 200, the front surface of the laundry aid input unit 104, and the front surfaces of the automatic laundry aid input devices 105a and 105b are configured to be flush with each other.

Next, the internal configuration of the upper portion of washing machine 100 will be described. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of washing machine 100 with top wall 102, operation unit 400, and lid 500 removed. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the connecting member 109 exploded from FIG.

A support member 108 made of synthetic resin is arranged on the upper portion of the housing 101 . The support member 108 is formed in a U shape and includes a bottom portion (not shown), side walls 210 standing on both ends, and a front wall 220 having a flat surface 200 . The support member 108 includes a washing aid input unit 104 for inputting a washing aid, a water supply device 107 consisting of automatic washing aid input devices 105a and 105b for automatically inputting a washing aid, and various electrical components. are arranged. The water supply device 107 is configured to be detachable as one unit.

Protrusions 112 and 114 are provided on the upper portions of side walls 210 erected at both ends of the support member 108 . Connecting members 109 made of a metal material are attached to the upper portions of side walls 210 erected at both ends of the support member 108 . Holes 115 and 117 are provided in the connecting member 109 . Protrusions 112 and 114 are inserted into holes 115 and 117 and positioned. Furthermore, the protrusion 113 provided on the upper portion of the front wall 220 of the support member 108 is inserted into the hole 116 provided in the connecting member 109 and positioned.

The connecting member 109 has bearings 620 that pivotally support the lid body 500 at two locations on the left and right. Since the bearing portion 620 that pivotally supports the lid body 500 is arranged in the metallic connecting member 109, the lid body 500 can be firmly supported even if the weight of the lid body 500 increases.

Square holes 120 and 121 are provided in the connecting member 109 . The claws 118 and 119 provided on the water supply device 107 are fitted into the square holes 120 and 121, and the water supply device 107 is positioned on the connecting member 109 and fixed with screws. The connecting member 109 is screw-fixed to the upper portion of side walls 210 erected at both ends of the supporting member 108 through holes.

The water supply device 107 is placed on the bottom of the support member 108 and is fixed by attaching the connecting member 109 from a non-positioned state. Since the water supply device 107 is positioned by the connecting member 109, even if there is variation due to the molding of the support member 108, the assembly position is not affected. As a result, the vertical flat surface 200 formed at the rear position of the inlet 103 of the ceiling wall 102, the front surface of the laundry aid input section 104, and the front surfaces of the automatic laundry aid input devices 105a and 105b are flush with each other. can be aligned. As a result, deterioration in design can be prevented.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the upper housing and lid of the washing machine. The lid body 500 includes a design surface material 510 forming the surface of the lid body 500 and a lid resin member 530 supporting the design surface material 510 . The design surface material 510 and the lid resin member 530 are joined via an adhesive member 520 .

A hinge structure 540 is formed on the rear surface of the lid 500 . The hinge structure 540 is composed of a main support plate 541 , a right support plate 542 and a left support plate 543 . 1 to 3, the right side of washing machine 100 when viewed from the front is defined as the right side, and the left side of washing machine 100 when viewed from the front is defined as left side.

FIG. 5 is an exploded front view showing the back surface structure of the washing machine when the cover is in the open position. FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view showing the hinge structure of the cover in the washing machine.

The main support plate 541 is joined to the lid resin member 530 with screws. The main support plate 541 is provided with left and right stepped shapes 544 . An opening 531 is formed in the lid resin member 530 at a position corresponding to the stepped shape 544 . The stepped shape 544 is directly adhered to the decorative surface material 510 by the adhesive member 520 through the opening 531 . Sheet metal is used for the main support plate 541 . By bonding the sheet metal and the design surface material 510, which have higher adhesiveness than resin, a stronger adhesive force is exhibited than when the cover resin member 530 and the design surface material 510 are bonded. Even if stress is concentrated on the hinge portion, the design surface material 510 and the main support plate 541 are strongly bonded together, thereby preventing the design surface material from peeling off.

A left spring 545 and a right spring 546 are arranged on the main support plate 541 . In this embodiment, the left spring 545 and the right spring 546 are torsion springs, but other springs may be used. A spring support member 547 and a shaft 548 are disposed on the left spring 545 and the right spring 546, respectively. When opening the heavy lid body 500, a high opening torque is generated by the left spring 545 and the right spring 546 in order to reduce the load on the user. Spring support member 547 and shaft 548 prevent deformation of left spring 545 and right spring 546 with respect to the center of the rotation axis, thereby restricting twisting of the springs and reducing opening torque loss.

A right support plate 542 and a left support plate 543 are arranged on the main support plate 541 . The right support plate 542 and the left support plate 543 are made of metal material. The right support plate 542 and the left support plate 543 extend in a direction away from the main support plate 541 and are bent in the extending direction to have a U-shaped cross section.

The right support plate 542 and the left support plate 543 are joined to the lid resin member 530 and the main support plate 541 with screws. The joining of these parts may be performed by welding. Alternatively, right support plate 542, left support plate 543, and main support plate 541 may be of one piece construction.

In the present embodiment, the left support plate 543 and the right support plate 542 are separate parts from the main support plate 541 , so they can be formed with materials and thicknesses different from those of the main support plate 541 . The material forming each support plate can be appropriately selected according to the stress applied to each support plate.

Due to the opening torque generated by the left spring 545 and the right spring 546, a bending stress is generated on the end surface of the hinge portion of the lid 500. FIG. A peeling stress is generated in the design surface material 510 and the lid resin member 530 via the adhesive member 520 . As a result, the design surface material 510 may be peeled off, deformed, or destroyed.

In general, as a measure to prevent such a problem, another part is fitted to the end surface of the hinge portion of the lid to increase the strength and prevent the design surface material 510 from coming off.

However, in this configuration, the entire upper surface of the lid cannot be made flat, which impedes the high-class appearance. In addition, since the design surface material 510 has unevenness, the appearance surface is clogged with dust and dirt, which causes a problem from the viewpoint of maintenance.

By providing the right support plate 542 and the left support plate 543, the area that receives the opening torque by the hinge portion can be increased. As a result, the bending stress generated in the end face of the hinge portion of the lid 500 due to the action of the opening torque can be alleviated. In the present embodiment, it is possible to disperse the maximum deformation location of the lid resin member 530 due to the action of the opening torque from the hinge portion end face to the lid body 500 and the central portion. This prevents the design surface material 510 from being peeled off, deformed, and destroyed. Therefore, the design surface material 510 can be arranged on the entire surface of the lid body 500 to express flatness and luxury.

In addition, since the design surface material 510 is the entire surface of the exterior and there is no fitting structure with other parts, dust and dirt accumulation is suppressed, and maintenance is improved by facilitating maintenance.

Lid resin member 530 , main support plate 541 , right support plate 542 , and left support plate 543 are covered with lid back resin material 570 to configure lid body 500 .

By covering the hinge portion structure 540 with the lid back resin material 570, the complicated configuration can be hidden, and the back surface of the lid body 500 can be made smooth. As a result, maintenance of the rear surface of the lid body 500 can be facilitated.

A concave portion is provided at the front end portion of the lid back resin material 570 , and constitutes a grip portion for opening and closing the lid body 500 by the user.

FIG. 7 is a schematic perspective view of a state in which the lid is separated from the housing of the washing machine.

The lid body 500 is configured as described above and is inserted into the top wall 102 . A connecting member 109 is arranged on the support member 108 arranged inside the top wall 102 . The connecting member 109 is mainly composed of sheet metal parts. The connecting member 109 has a spring receiving portion 122 (see FIGS. 2 and 3).

A left spring 545 and a right spring 546 are provided between the spring receiving portion 122 and the main support plate 541 to bias the lid body 500 in the opening direction. Since the spring receiving portion 122 and the main support plate 541 are made of sheet metal parts, deformation of the parts due to the left spring 545 and the right spring 546 can be prevented, and strength can be ensured.

Bearing portions 620 are arranged on the left and right sides of the connecting member 109 . The shaft 548 of the lid 500 has one end supported by a main support plate bearing portion 549 provided on the main support plate 541 and the other end supported by the bearing portion 620 . As a result, the main support plate bearing portion 549 , the shaft 548 and the bearing portion 620 serve as central support portions for opening and closing the lid body 500 . The lid 500 is provided with a damper 550 that provides resistance when the lid 500 is opened and closed, and is attached to the damper support portion 110 provided on the top wall 102 .

A lid back left hinge resin material 580 and a lid back right hinge resin material 590 are attached to portions corresponding to the hinge portion structure 540 on the lower portion of the lid body 500 . A hole or the like exposed at a portion corresponding to the hinge portion structure 540 can be hidden by the lid back left hinge resin material 580 and the lid back right hinge resin material 590 .

With this configuration, when a problem occurs in the damper 550 and the shaft 548 due to stress at the center of rotation, the cover 500 can be removed and easily replaced without disassembling the housing 101 and peripheral parts. .

In the above embodiments, descriptions have been made using expressions such as vertical and identical. These representations are strictly vertical, including cases where they are not identical. For example, "perpendicular" means not only perfectly perpendicular, but also substantially perpendicular, ie, including a difference of, for example, several percent.

As described above, the washing machine according to the first aspect of the present disclosure includes a housing 101, a top wall 102 having an inlet 103, and a lid provided on the upper surface of the top wall 102 for opening and closing the inlet 103. It includes a body 500 , a support member 108 provided inside the rear part of the top wall 102 and fixed to the housing 101 , and a connecting member 109 fixed to the support member 108 . The supporting member 108 has side walls 210 erected at both ends of the supporting member 108 , connecting members 109 connect the side walls 210 at both ends, and the connecting member 109 pivotally supports the lid body 500 . As a result, the strength of the pivotal portion of the lid body 500 is improved, and the lid body 500 having increased weight can be pivotally supported, and the design can be improved.

In the washing machine according to the second aspect, connecting member 109 is made of metal. As a result, the strength of the pivotal portion of the lid body 500 can be further improved.

In the washing machine according to the third aspect, shaft 548 provided in lid body 500 is supported by bearing portion 620 provided in connection member 109 . Thereby, the lid body 500 can be stably supported.

In the washing machine according to the fourth aspect, support member 108 includes front wall 220 having flat surface 200 forming the rear of inlet 103 . The side walls 210 and the front wall 220 at both ends are positioned and fixed with the connecting member 109 at the top. A water supply device 107 is arranged on the support member 108 . The water supply device 107 is positioned and fixed to the connecting member 109 . As a result, the flat surface 200 forming the rear of the inlet 103 and the front surface of the water supply device 107 can be aligned and made the same plane. As a result, deterioration in design can be prevented.

In the washing machine according to the fifth aspect, the water supply device 107 has the washing auxiliary agent input portion 104 for inputting the washing auxiliary agent. As a result, the flat surface 200 forming the rear of the inlet 103 and the front surface of the laundry auxiliary agent inlet 104 can be aligned to form the same plane. As a result, deterioration in design can be prevented.

In the washing machine according to the sixth aspect, the water supply device 107 has the automatic washing aid injection device 105a and/or the automatic washing aid injection device 105b that automatically feeds the washing aid. As a result, the flat surface 200 forming the rear of the inlet 103 can be aligned with the front surface of the automatic laundry aid injection device 105a and/or the automatic laundry aid injection device 105b, and can be made flush. . As a result, deterioration in design can be prevented.

In the washing machine of the present disclosure, the increased strength of the pivotal portion of the lid allows pivotal support of the heavier lid, thereby improving the design. Therefore, the present disclosure can be applied to various washing machines such as a vertical washing machine with a drying function and a vertical washing machine without a drying function.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 100 washing machine 101 housing 102 top wall 103 inlet 104 laundry aid input section 105a, 105b automatic laundry aid input device 107 water supply device 108 support member 109 connecting member 110 damper support section 112, 113, 114 protrusion 115, 116 , 117 hole portion 118, 119 claw portion 120, 121 square hole 122 spring receiving portion 200 flat surface 210 side wall 220 front wall 400 operation portion 500 lid body 510 design surface material 520 adhesive member 530 lid resin member 531 opening portion 540 hinge portion structure Body 541 Main support plate 542 Right support plate 543 Left support plate 544 Stepped shape 545 Left spring 546 Right spring 547 Spring support member 548 Shaft 549 Main support plate bearing 550 Damper 580 Lid back left hinge resin material 590 Lid back right hinge resin material 620 bearing

Claims (6)

a housing;
a ceiling wall having an inlet;
a lid provided on the upper surface of the ceiling wall for opening and closing the inlet;
a support member provided inside the rear part of the ceiling wall and fixed to the housing;
a connection member fixed to the support member;
with
The support member includes side walls erected at both ends of the support member,
The connecting member connects the side walls erected at both ends,
The connecting member pivotally supports the lid. The washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the connecting member is made of metal. 3. The washing machine according to claim 1, wherein a shaft provided on said cover is supported by a bearing provided on said connecting member. The support member includes a front wall having a flat surface forming the rear of the inlet,
The side wall and the front wall standing on both ends are positioned and fixed to the connecting member at the upper part,
A water supply device is disposed on the support member,
The washing machine according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the water supply device is positioned and fixed to the connecting member. 5. The washing machine according to claim 4, wherein the water supply device has a washing auxiliary agent charging portion for charging a washing auxiliary agent. 6. The washing machine according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the water supplying device has a washing auxiliary agent automatic injection device for automatically supplying the washing auxiliary agent.

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