JP7133806B2 - washing machine - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to washing machines.

Conventionally, a so-called spiral type washing machine has a rotatable pulsator at the bottom of a washing/dehydrating tub. The rotation of the pulsator generates a water flow in the washing/dehydrating tub, and the water flow agitates the laundry. In addition, the laundry is agitated or rubbed by the pulsator itself coming into contact with the laundry. Thus, washing is performed in the washing/dehydrating tub. During washing, the pulsator repeats rotation to the right and rotation to the left.

In the lower part of the washing/dehydrating tub near the pulsator, the laundry is likely to be subjected to a strong water flow and likely to come into contact with the pulsator. Therefore, when a relatively large amount of laundry is put into the washing/dehydrating tub, the laundry on the lower side is easily washed, but the laundry on the upper side is difficult to wash.

When the movement of the laundry in the washing/dehydrating tub is relatively regular or monotonous, it becomes difficult for the upper laundry and the lower laundry to be replaced. Therefore, in this case, the washing tends to be unevenly washed, or the washing tends to be damaged due to the biased detergency imparted to the laundry staying on the lower side.

Therefore, in conventional washing machines, for example, by changing the ON time of the pulsator or changing the strength of the water flow generated by the pulsator depending on whether the pulsator is rotating to the right or to the left, , the movement of the laundry is made relatively irregular or complicated so that the top and bottom of the laundry can be easily changed.

In addition, in Patent Document 1, the surface of the blades of the pulsator facing one direction of rotation is a precipitous wall, and the surface of the blades facing the other direction of rotation is an inclined surface. A washing machine is described in which the strength of the water flow generated by the pulsator is changed depending on the direction of rotation of the washing machine.

JP 2015-146897 A

As described above, in the conventional washing machine, when the rightward and leftward rotations are repeated, the movement of the laundry in the washing/dehydrating tub becomes more irregular or complicated. As a result, it becomes easier to replace the top and bottom of the laundry, and there is a demand for the development of a pulsator that can reduce uneven washing and damage to the cloth.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a washing machine capable of reducing washing unevenness and cloth damage and improving washing performance by using a pulsator configuration different from that of the conventional one.

A washing machine according to a main aspect of the present invention includes a washing tub in which laundry is stored, a pulsator arranged at the bottom of the washing tub, and a drive section for driving the pulsator. Here, the pulsator is arranged on a base portion, an arrangement surface provided on the surface of the base portion, and a vane portion projecting from the arrangement surface and having a variable protrusion height, and and a plurality of water pumping blades provided on the back side of the base portion and radially extending from the center side to the outer peripheral side of the base portion. A receiving chamber is formed at the bottom of the washing tub to receive the water lifting blade, and the receiving chamber is connected to a circulating water channel. The water circulation channel is formed with an outlet for returning the water sent into the water circulation channel by the water pumping effect caused by the rotation of the water pumping blades into the washing tub. The water pumping blade has a shape such that a water scraping surface that scrapes water when the pulsator rotates in a rotation direction in which the blade portion is lowered is recessed in a direction opposite to the rotation direction.

For example, when a plurality of blade portions are provided, when the pulsator rotates in a rotation direction in which the blade portions are lowered, the blade portions with the high protruding height are eliminated or reduced.

According to the above configuration, the protrusion height of the blade portion can be changed according to the rotation direction of the pulsator. This makes it easier for the laundry to move irregularly or intricately in the washing tub, making it easier to change the top and bottom of the laundry. This is expected to reduce washing unevenness and fabric damage.

In addition, when the pulsator rotates in the direction of rotation in which the blades are lowered, the number of rotations and the amount of rotation of the pulsator tend to increase compared to when the pulsator rotates in the opposite direction. tends to increase. According to the above configuration, the water pumping blade has a shape in which the water scraping surface that scrapes water when the pulsator rotates in the direction of rotation in which the blade portion is lowered is recessed in the direction opposite to the direction of rotation. When the pulsator rotates immediately, the water pumping blades tend to scrape the water in the storage chamber, and the number of rotations and the amount of rotation of the water lifting blades increase. As a result, the amount of circulating water between the circulating water channel and the washing tub when the pulsator rotates can be greatly increased.

In the washing machine according to this aspect, the water pumping blade extends straight from the center side of the base portion to the outer peripheral side, and has a shape bent in the rotation direction side in which the blade portion is lowered from the middle. obtain.

According to the above configuration, the lifting vane has a simple shape and is easy to form. Therefore, manufacture of the pulsator is facilitated.

In the washing machine according to this aspect, the blade portion is attached to the base portion so as to be movable between a first position and a second position where the protrusion height is higher than the first position. It can be configured to be retained. In this case, the variable mechanism section is arranged on the rear surface side of the base section, and is rotated by the driving section in a first direction and a second direction opposite to each other with respect to the base section; provided at a position corresponding to the blade portion in the rotating portion, moving the blade portion from the first position to the second position as the rotating portion rotates in the first direction, and a moving part that moves the blade part from the second position to the first position as the rotating part rotates in the second direction. Further, the base portion includes a first abutment portion against which the rotating portion contacts when the blade portion moves to the second position, and a first contact portion against which the rotating portion contacts when the blade portion moves to the first position. and a second abutment portion against which the contact portion abuts. When the rotating portion abuts against the first contact portion and the second contact portion, the base portion rotates integrally with the rotating portion, and the pulsator moves toward the first contact portion. and the second direction.

According to the above configuration, switching of the protruding height of the blade portion and rotation of the pulsator can be performed by the driving portion, so that the cost of parts can be reduced.

In the case of the above configuration, the water pumping blade may be provided on the back surface of the base portion in a region outside the movable region of the rotating portion.

With such a configuration, the plurality of water lifting blades do not interfere with the rotating portion, and the movement of the rotating portion is not hindered.

In the above configuration, the moving portion may be further provided with an inclined surface. In this case, the blade portion contacts the inclined surface, climbs the inclined surface when the blade portion moves from the first position to the second position, and the blade portion moves toward the second position. A lift is provided that descends the ramp when moving from a position to the first position.

With such a configuration, as the rotating portion rotates in the first direction, the elevating portion ascends the inclined surface of the moving portion, thereby increasing the protruding height of the blade portion and increasing the second position of the rotating portion. With the rotation in the direction, the elevating section descends the inclined surface of the moving section, so that the protruding height of the blade section is reduced.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a washing machine capable of reducing washing unevenness and cloth damage and improving washing performance.

The effects and significance of the present invention will become clearer from the description of the embodiments shown below. However, the following embodiment is merely an example of carrying out the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below.

FIG. 1 is a side cross-sectional view of a fully automatic washing/drying machine according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the upper portion of the fully automatic washing and drying machine according to the embodiment. 3(a) and 3(b) are perspective views of the pulsator viewed from above according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the pulsator viewed from above according to the embodiment. FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the pulsator viewed from below according to the embodiment. FIG. 6 is a front view of the back side of the base portion according to the embodiment. FIG. 7(a) is a perspective view of the movable blade viewed from above and forward according to the embodiment, and FIG. 7(b) is a perspective view of the movable blade viewed from above and behind according to the embodiment. FIG. 7(c) is a perspective view of a movable blade viewed from the front and below according to the embodiment, and FIG. 7(d) is a perspective view of a lifting bar according to the embodiment; be. FIG. 8(a) is a cross-sectional view around one of the movable blades showing the pulsator in which the two movable blades do not protrude from the arrangement surface according to the embodiment, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view around one of the movable blades, showing the pulsator in which the two movable blades protrude from the arrangement surface according to the present embodiment; FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of a pulsator according to a modification. FIGS. 10A and 10B are diagrams for explaining the configuration of the pulsator according to the modification.

A fully automatic washing and drying machine 1, which is an embodiment of the washing machine of the present invention, will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional side view of a fully automatic washing and drying machine 1 according to this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the upper portion of the fully automatic washing and drying machine 1 according to this embodiment.

The fully automatic washing and drying machine 1 includes a housing 10 that constitutes the exterior. The housing 10 includes a rectangular tubular body 11 with open upper and lower surfaces, a top plate 12 covering the upper surface of the body 11 , and a footrest 13 supporting the body 11 . The top plate 12 is formed with an outer loading port 14 for loading laundry. The outer inlet 14 is covered with an openable and closable upper lid 15 .

In the housing 10, an outer tub 20 is elastically suspended and supported by four suspension rods 21 having vibration isolator. The outer tub 20 includes a substantially cylindrical outer tub main body 22a with an open upper surface, and an outer tub cover 22b that constitutes the upper surface of the outer tub 20 by covering the upper surface of the outer tub main body 22a. An upper surface of the outer tub 20, that is, an outer tub cover 22b, is formed with an inner inlet 22c for introducing laundry at a position corresponding to the outer inlet 14. As shown in FIG. The inner input port 22c is covered with an outer tank lid 23 so as to be openable and closable.

A substantially cylindrical washing/dehydrating tub 24 having an open upper surface is arranged in the outer tub 20 . A large number of dehydration holes 24a are formed in the inner peripheral surface of the washing/dehydration tub 24 along the entire circumference. A balance ring 25 is provided above the washing/dehydrating tub 24 . The washing/dehydrating tub 24 corresponds to the washing tub of the present invention.

A pulsator 26 is arranged at the bottom of the washing/dehydrating tub 24 . Further, at the bottom of the washing/dehydrating tub 24, there is provided an accommodation chamber 24b in which a plurality of water lifting blades 114 provided on the back side of the pulsator 26 are accommodated. A circulation water passage 27 extending vertically along the inner peripheral surface of the washing/dehydrating tub 24 is connected to the storage chamber 24b. A water outlet 27a is provided at the upper end of the water circulation path 27 . A lint filter may be attached to the outlet 27a. In some cases, an outlet other than this outlet 27a is provided in the circulating water passage 27, and a lint filter is attached to this other outlet.

A driving unit 30 for generating torque for driving the washing/dehydrating tub 24 and the pulsator 26 is arranged at the outer bottom of the outer tub 20 . The drive unit 30 corresponds to the drive section of the present invention. The drive unit 30 includes a drive motor 31 , a transmission mechanism section 32 , a blade shaft 33 and a dehydration tank shaft 34 . The blade shaft 33 is connected to the pulsator 26 and the dehydration tub shaft 34 is connected to the washing and dehydration tub 24 . The transmission mechanism part 32 has a clutch mechanism, and in the washing process and the rinsing process, the torque of the drive motor 31 is transmitted only to the blade shaft 33 to rotate only the pulsator 26 by the switching operation by the clutch mechanism, and the dehydration process is performed. Then, the torque of the drive motor 31 is transmitted to the blade shaft 33 and the dehydration tub shaft 34 to integrally rotate the pulsator 26 and the washing and dehydration tub 24 . The transmission mechanism part 32 has a speed reduction mechanism, and in the washing process and the rinsing process, the rotation of the drive motor 31 is reduced according to the speed reduction ratio of the speed reduction mechanism and transmitted to the blade shaft 33 .

An outer bottom portion of the outer tub 20 is formed with a drain port portion 20a. A drain valve 40 is provided in the drain port portion 20a. The drain valve 40 is connected to the drain hose 41 . When the drain valve 40 is opened, the water stored in the washing/dehydrating tub 24 and the outer tub 20 is drained out of the machine through the drain hose 41 .

A drying device 50 and a water supply device 60 are arranged above the outer tub 20 in the rear part of the housing 10 . The drying device 50 and the water supply device 60 are attached to a fixed plate 16 arranged on the upper rear portion of the body portion 11 and covered by the upper plate 12 .

The drying device 50 dries the laundry stored in the washing/dehydrating tub 24 . The drying device 50 includes a circulation air passage 50a in which a heater and a blower fan are arranged, and the circulation air passage 50a is connected to the inside of the outer tub 20 by an intake duct 71 and an exhaust duct 72. As shown in FIG. The intake duct 71 and the exhaust duct 72 are flexible ducts made of an elastic material such as rubber, and have a bellows portion (not shown) in the intermediate portion. Hot air generated by the operation of the heater and blower fan is discharged from the circulation air passage 50 a and introduced into the outer tub 20 through the intake duct 71 . Further, hot air discharged from the outer tub 20 is introduced into the circulation air passage 50a through the exhaust duct 72. As shown in FIG. Thus, warm air circulates between the circulation air passage 50a and the outer tub 20. As shown in FIG.

The drying device 50 performs a circulating drying operation by circulating hot air, followed by an exhaust drying operation for discharging part of the circulating hot air to the outside. The upper plate 12 is provided with an exhaust port 51 which is composed of a large number of exhaust holes and through which hot air is discharged.

The water supply device 60 has a water supply port 61 exposed to the outside connected to an external water supply hose (not shown) extending from a faucet. The water supply device 60 includes a water supply valve and a detergent container. When the water supply valve is opened, tap water from the faucet is supplied into the outer tub 20 together with the detergent contained in the detergent container. Water supply device 60 may include a bath water pump.

In the fully automatic washing/drying machine 1, washing operation, washing/drying operation, or drying operation of various operation courses is performed. The washing operation is an operation in which only washing is performed, and a washing process, an intermediate dehydration process, a rinsing process and a final dehydration process are executed in order. The washing/drying operation is an operation in which washing and drying are continuously performed, and the final dehydration step is followed by the drying step. The drying operation is an operation for performing only drying, and only the drying process is performed.

In the washing process and the rinsing process, the pulsator 26 rotates leftward and rightward while water is stored in the washing/dehydrating tub 24 . The laundry in the washing/dehydrating tub 24 is washed or rinsed by the action of water flow or the like generated by the rotation of the pulsator 26 .

In the intermediate dehydration process and the final dehydration process, the washing/dehydration tub 24 and the pulsator 26 rotate together at high speed. The laundry is dehydrated by the action of the centrifugal force generated in the washing/dehydrating tub 24 .

In the drying process, the internal air circulation drying process is performed first, followed by the external air introduction drying process. In the internal air circulation drying process, the drying device 50 performs a circulation drying operation, and warm air circulates between the circulation air passage 50 a and the outer tub 20 . Due to the circulation of the dry air, the temperature inside the washing/dehydrating tub 24 rises quickly. The pulsator 26 rotates and the laundry is dried by circulating hot air while being agitated. When the temperature in the washing/dehydration tub 24 increases and water evaporates from the laundry and the warm air contains a large amount of water, the process is switched to the outside air introduction drying process. In the outside air introduction drying step, the drying device 50 performs an exhaust drying operation, introduces outside air into the circulation air passage 50a, and exhausts part of the hot air circulating from the circulation air passage 50a. Moisture evaporated from the laundry is effectively discharged from the inside of the outer tub 20 to the outside of the housing 10, and the inside of the outer tub 20 is easily dehumidified, thereby promoting the drying of the laundry.

Next, the configuration of the pulsator 26 will be described in detail.

3(a) and 3(b) are perspective views of the pulsator 26 viewed from above according to the present embodiment. FIG. 3(a) shows a state in which the pulsator 26 rotates leftward as viewed from above, and FIG. 3(b) shows a state in which the pulsator 26 rotates rightward as viewed from above. It shows the form of time.

The pulsator 26 includes a base portion 100 , two movable blade portions 200 and a variable mechanism portion 300 . The base portion 100 is provided with two fixed blade portions 130, and each of the fixed blade portions 130 is movable so that the height of the projection from the placement surface 100a can be changed. A blade portion 200 is arranged. The variable mechanism section 300 changes the protrusion height of each movable blade section 200 according to the rotation direction of the pulsator 26 . Note that the movable blade portion 200 corresponds to the blade portion of the present invention.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, depending on the rotation direction of the pulsator 26, the pulsator 26 can be configured such that both movable vane portions 200 protrude from the placement surface 100a; Both of the movable blade portions 200 are switched to a mode in which they do not protrude from the placement surface 100a. When the movable blade portion 200 protrudes from the placement surface 100a, the protrusion height is a predetermined height H1, for example, a height of about 30 mm. becomes almost 0.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the pulsator 26 viewed from above according to the present embodiment. FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the pulsator 26 viewed from below according to the present embodiment. FIG. 6 is a front view of the back side of base portion 100 according to the present embodiment.

The base portion 100 is made of a resin material such as polypropylene and includes a main body portion 110 having a substantially disc shape, a mounting portion 120 to which the variable mechanism portion 300 is mounted, and two fixed blade portions 130 . The mounting portion 120 and the fixed blade portion 130 are integrally formed with the main body portion 110 .

A circular recessed surface 112 is formed inside a flat outer peripheral surface 111 on the surface of the body portion 110 . The concave surface 112 is formed with a large number of drainage holes 113 penetrating from the front and back. When draining water from the washing/dehydrating tub 24 , that is, the outer tub 20 , the water accumulated in the recessed surface 112 is drained from the drain hole 113 .

A plurality of water lifting blades 114 radially extending from the central side to the outer peripheral side are provided on the rear surface of the main body portion 110 except for the mounting portion 120 and the two fixed blade portions 130 . As described above, the plurality of water lifting blades 114 are housed in the housing chamber 24b inside the washing/dehydrating tub 24. As shown in FIG. Each water lifting blade 114 has a right webbing surface 114a that scrapes water when the pulsator 26 rotates to the right, and a left webbing surface 114b that scrapes water when the pulsator 26 rotates to the left. The right webbed surface 114a corresponds to the webbed surface of the present invention. Each of the water pumping blades 114 has a shape extending straight from the center side to the outer peripheral side and bent halfway along to draw a circular arc toward the rightward rotation direction side of the pulsator 26 . As a result, the right webbing surface 114a of each of the water lifting blades 114 as a whole is recessed in the direction opposite to the direction of rotation thereof, that is, in the leftward direction. The rightward direction is the rotational direction in which the two movable vane portions 200 are lowered, that is, the protrusion length thereof is zero.

The mounting portion 120 protrudes upward from the recessed surface 112 in the central portion of the main body portion 110 . As a result, a substantially circular mounting recess 121 recessed upward is formed on the rear side of the mounting portion 120 . A circular opening 122 is formed in the center of the top surface of the mounting portion 120 , and an annular groove 123 is formed around the opening 122 . An annular sliding rib 124 is formed in the mounting recess 121 on the back side of the groove 123 . Further, outside the mounting recess 121 , a sliding wall portion 115 formed in an arc concentric with the mounting recess 121 is provided on the rear surface of the main body portion 110 .

The two fixed blade portions 130 are provided to face the recessed surface 112 of the main body portion 110 with the mounting portion 120 interposed therebetween. On the base portion 100 , the two fixed blade portions 130 are oriented in opposite directions, that is, in the same direction in the circumferential direction of the base portion 100 . Each fixed blade portion 130 has a substantially trapezoidal columnar shape and is formed so that the back side thereof is hollow. Each fixed blade portion 130 is inclined such that the first side surface 130a and the second side surface 130b on the circumferential direction side of the base portion 100 are steeper than the second side surface 130b.

The top surface of each fixed blade portion 130 is formed in a substantially rectangular flat surface and constitutes an arrangement surface 100a. The height position of the placement surface 100 a is the same as the height position of the outer peripheral surface 111 of the main body 110 . The arrangement surface 100a is formed with a substantially rectangular opening 131 that occupies substantially the entire arrangement surface 100a. Four edges of the opening 131 are provided with a fixed-side unevenness group 132 consisting of a plurality of continuous unevenness along the edges by a plurality of ribs 132a arranged along the edges at predetermined intervals.

A pair of bearing portions 133 having shaft holes 133a are provided on the back side of each fixed blade portion 130 near the edge portion of the opening portion 131 on the side of the second side surface 130b. In the bearing portion 133 on the central side, the shaft hole 133a does not pass through the bearing portion 133, but in the bearing portion 133 on the outer peripheral side, the shaft hole 133a passes through the bearing portion 133.

A first stopper rib 116 extending from the central side to the outer peripheral side is provided on the rear surface of the main body portion 110 at a position slightly away from the first side surface 130a of each fixed blade portion 130 . A second stopper rib 117 extending from the central side to the outer peripheral side is provided on the rear surface of the main body portion 110 at a position slightly away from the second side surface 130b of each fixed blade portion 130 . On the back surface of the base portion 100, a region between the first stopper rib 116 and the second stopper rib 117 becomes a movable region of the rotating portion 310, which will be described later. A plurality of water pumping blades 114 are provided in a region other than this movable region on the back surface of base portion 100 . The first stopper rib 116 corresponds to the first contact portion of the present invention, and the second stopper rib 117 corresponds to the second contact portion of the present invention.

FIG. 7(a) is a perspective view of the movable blade portion 200 viewed from above the front according to this embodiment, and FIG. 7(b) is a perspective view of the movable blade 200 according to this embodiment viewed from above FIG. 7C is a perspective view of the movable blade portion 200 according to the present embodiment, viewed from the front and lower side, and FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the lifting bar 250. FIG.

The two movable vane portions 200 are made of a resin material such as polypropylene, and are formed in a substantially triangular prism shape with a hollow back side. Each movable blade portion 200 includes two substantially triangular side surfaces 210 , a first inclined surface 220 and a second inclined surface 230 provided between the two side surfaces 210 , and another inclined surface 220 and a second inclined surface 230 provided between the two side surfaces 210 . One side is open. The first angled surface 220 is steeper than the second angled surface 230 . A pair of shaft mounting portions 240 having shaft holes 241 are provided on the back side of the two side surfaces 210 of the movable vane portion 200 at the corners not in contact with the first inclined surface 220 . The shaft hole 241 passes through the shaft mounting portion 240 and the side surface 210 .

A plurality of ribs 211 are formed on the two side surfaces 210 at predetermined intervals along the direction from the first inclined surface 220 toward the shaft hole 241 and extend in a direction crossing this direction. A movable side unevenness group 212 is provided. A stopper portion 213 is provided at the lower edge of each side surface 210 so as to protrude sideways. Furthermore, each side surface 210 is formed with a rib 214 having a shape corresponding to the bearing portion 133 of the fixed blade portion 130 so as to surround the shaft hole 241 .

The first inclined surface 220 is formed into a curved surface with the axis hole 241 as the center of curvature. On the first inclined surface 220, a plurality of ribs 221 extending in the inclined direction are formed at predetermined intervals along a direction perpendicular to the inclined direction, thereby providing a movable side uneven group 222 composed of a plurality of unevenness. Also, a plurality of holes 223 are formed in the first inclined surface 220 in the vicinity of the top of the movable blade 200 so as to penetrate the front and back. At the time of water supply to the washing/dehydrating tub 24, when the water is accumulated up to the position of the movable blade portion 200, the air accumulated on the back side of the movable blade portion 200 is discharged from the hole portion 223. - 特許庁As a result, it is possible to prevent the movable blade portion 200 from undesirably protruding due to the buoyancy caused by the air remaining on the back side of the movable blade portion 200 .

The second inclined surface 230 is formed into a curved surface having a lower end portion as the center of curvature of the shaft hole 241, and the other portion is formed into a flat surface. At the lower end of the second inclined surface 230, a plurality of ribs 231 extending in the inclined direction are formed at predetermined intervals along a direction orthogonal to the inclined direction, thereby forming a movable side concave-convex group 232 composed of a plurality of concaves and convexes. be provided.

An elevating rod 250 is attached to the rear side of the movable blade portion 200 at a position substantially directly below the top portion of the movable blade portion 200 so as to be parallel to the first inclined surface 220 . The lifting bar 250 is formed by bending a metal, for example, a stainless steel round bar. including. The lifting rod 250 has a smaller coefficient of friction than the movable blade portion 200 . A mounting portion 260 to which the lifting rod 250 is mounted is provided on the back side of the movable blade portion 200 . The mounting portion 260 is composed of two insertion holes 261 into which the insertion portion 252 of the lifting rod 250 is inserted, and a support portion 262 that supports the lifting portion 251 between the insertion holes 261 .

4 and 5, when the two movable blade portions 200 are attached to the base portion 100, the shaft holes 241 of the pair of shaft attachment portions 240 of the movable blade portion 200 are aligned with the pair of bearing portions of the fixed blade portion 130. A shaft 270 made of metal such as stainless steel is passed through the shaft holes 241 and 133a from the outer peripheral side. At this time, the tip of the bearing portion 133 is fitted from below inside the rib 214 of each side surface 210 of the movable vane portion 200, so that the shaft holes 241 and 133a can be easily aligned with each other, and the shaft 270 can be easily moved. Can be installed. After the shaft 270 is passed through, a retaining screw 280 is attached to the shaft hole 133a of the bearing portion 133 on the outer peripheral side, whereby the shaft 270 is retained. The movable blade portion 200 is rotatable about the shaft 270 with respect to the base portion 100, and is movable between a non-protruding position where it does not protrude from the placement surface 100a and a protruding position where it protrudes from the placement surface 100a. . The non-protruding position corresponds to the first position of the invention, and the protruding position corresponds to the second position of the invention.

In the range in which the movable blade portion 200 rotates, the movable side concave-convex group 212, 222, 232 of the movable blade portion 200 and the stationary side concave-convex group 132 of the fixed blade portion 130 mesh. This makes it difficult for foreign matter such as coins to get caught in the gap between the movable blade portion 200 and the opening 131 of the fixed blade portion 130, or for laundry to get caught.

Variable mechanism section 300 includes rotating section 310 , holder 320 , cap 330 , lower washer 340 and upper washer 350 . Rotating portion 310, holder 320 and cap 330 are made of a resin material such as polypropylene.

Rotating portion 310 has a configuration in which central hub portion 311 and two arm portions 312 extending in opposite directions from hub portion 311 are integrally formed. The hub portion 311 is a substantially cylindrical body with a closed top surface, and the back side thereof is recessed circularly to form a boss mounting portion 313 . A mounting boss 360 made of metal is mounted on the boss mounting portion 313 . The blade shaft 33 is attached to the attachment boss 360 . The upper end of the mounting boss 360 penetrates the top surface of the hub portion 311 and protrudes slightly upward. An annular rib 314 having an outer diameter substantially equal to the inner diameter of the opening 122 of the mounting portion 120 of the base portion 100 is formed on the top surface of the hub portion 311 . A plurality of screw holes 315 are formed inside the annular rib 314 on the top surface of the hub portion 311 . An arcuate sliding wall portion 316 is formed in a lower portion of the hub portion 311 where the arm portion 312 is not formed. 370 is attached. The sliding plate 370 has a smaller coefficient of friction than the rotating portion 310 .

The two arm portions 312 are provided with moving cams 317 at positions corresponding to the two movable blade portions 200, respectively. The moving cam 317 is formed with an inclined surface 318 and a flat support surface 319 extending horizontally from the top of the inclined surface 318 . The inclined surfaces 318 of the moving cams 317 of the two arm portions 312 face opposite directions. Note that the moving cam 317 corresponds to the moving portion of the present invention.

The holder 320 is formed in a substantially disc shape. A circular recess 321 is formed in the center of the holder 320 . The back side of the recess 321 protrudes downward. An opening 322 into which the tip of the mounting boss 360 is inserted is formed in the center of the bottom surface of the recess 321 , and a plurality of screw holes 323 are formed around the opening 322 . Further, an annular sliding rib 324 is formed on the outer peripheral portion of the rear surface of the holder 320 .

The cap 330 is formed in a substantially disc shape and has an outer diameter substantially equal to the inner diameter of the recess 321 of the holder 320 . Lower washer 340 and upper washer 350 are metal annular plates. The lower washer 340 has a smaller coefficient of friction than the rotating part 310 , and the upper washer 350 has a smaller coefficient of friction than the holder 320 .

When the variable mechanism section 300 is attached to the base section 100, first, the rotating section 310 is attached to the back side of the base section 100 from below. Hub portion 311 is inserted into mounting recess 121 , and lower washer 340 is sandwiched between the top surface of hub portion 311 and the top surface of mounting recess 121 . The sliding rib 124 on the upper surface of the mounting recess 121 contacts the lower washer 340 . Also, the annular rib 314 on the top surface of the hub portion 311 is fitted into the opening portion 122 of the mounting portion 120 . The inner top surface of the annular rib 314 in the hub portion 311 faces upward through the opening portion 122 . Next, the holder 320 is attached from above to the inner top surface of the annular rib 314 in the hub portion 311 . At this time, the back surface of the recessed portion 321 of the holder 320 and the top surface of the hub portion 311 are in contact with each other, and the screw holes 323 and 315 are aligned with each other. Screws (not shown) are screwed into the two screw holes 323 and 315 to fix the holder 320 to the hub portion 311 . An upper washer 350 is sandwiched between the holder 320 and the groove portion 123 on the top surface of the mounting portion 120 . A slide rib 324 on the back surface of the holder 320 contacts the upper washer 350 . Finally, the cap 330 is attached to the recess 321 of the holder 320 so that the recess 321 is covered with the cap 330 .

The rotating part 310 rotates the central axis of the base part 100 in a movable range, i.e., in a range where the two first stopper ribs 116 and two second stopper ribs 117 provided on the back surface of the base part 100 do not come into contact with the base part 100 . It can rotate around the center. When the rotating portion 310 rotates with respect to the base portion 100 , the sliding plate 370 of the sliding wall portion 316 of the hub portion 311 slides on the inner surface of the sliding wall portion 115 of the base portion 100 on the back side of the base portion 100 . At the same time, the sliding rib 124 on the upper surface of the mounting recess 121 slides on the surface of the lower washer 340 . Moreover, on the front side of the base portion 100 , the sliding rib 324 on the back surface of the holder 320 slides on the surface of the upper washer 350 . Thereby, the rotating portion 310 rotates smoothly with respect to the base portion 100 .

Next, the operation of varying the projection height of the movable blade portion 200 with respect to the top surface of the fixed blade portion 130, that is, the placement surface 100a by the variable mechanism portion 300 will be described.

FIG. 8(a) is a cross-sectional view of the periphery of one movable blade portion 200, showing the pulsator 26 in a state in which the two movable blade portions 200 do not protrude from the arrangement surface 100a according to the present embodiment. (b) is a cross-sectional view around one movable blade portion 200, showing the pulsator 26 in a state where the two movable blade portions 200 protrude from the placement surface 100a according to the present embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 8( a ), when the movable blade portion 200 is in the non-protruding position where the movable blade portion 200 does not protrude from the placement surface 100 a , in the movable blade portion 200 , the elevation portion 251 of the elevation rod 250 moves the inclined surface 318 of the moving cam 317 . It contacts the moving cam 317 in the lower position. In the pulsator 26 , the blade shaft 33 is connected not to the base portion 100 but to the rotating portion 310 of the variable mechanism portion 300 . Therefore, when the drive motor 31 rotates forward from this state, the torque of the drive motor 31 is transmitted to the rotating portion 310 via the blade shaft 33, and the rotating portion 310 rotates leftward as viewed from above. The rotating portion 310 rotates leftward with respect to the base portion 100, and the arm portion 312 of the rotating portion 310 moves toward the first stopper rib 116 as indicated by the solid line arrow. The movement of the arm portion 312 causes the movable blade portion 200 to be pushed by the moving cam 317, but the base portion 100 is difficult to rotate due to the resistance of the water in the washing/dehydrating tub 24. The portion 251 ascends the inclined surface 318, and along with this, the movable blade portion 200 rotates upward around the shaft 270, and the movable blade portion 200 protrudes from the arrangement surface 100a as indicated by the dashed line. Here, the lifting section 251 is made of a member having a smaller coefficient of friction than the movable blade section 200 . Therefore, the elevating part 251 is easily moved up and down on the inclined surface 318, and the movable blade part 200 is easily rotated.

As shown in FIG. 8B, when the arm portion 312 contacts the first stopper rib 116, the lifting portion 251 reaches the support surface 319 of the moving cam 317. As shown in FIG. As a result, the movable vane portion 200 reaches the protruding position and protrudes most from the placement surface 100a. In this state, the stopper portion 213 of the movable blade portion 200 hits the rear side of the arrangement surface 100a, and the upward rotation of the movable blade portion 200 is stopped. Also, the lifting section 251 is supported upward, that is, in the projecting direction, by the support surface 319 . This prevents the movable blade portion 200 from retracting toward the placement surface 100a even when pushed downward. After the arm portion 312 contacts the first stopper rib 116, the base portion 100 rotates leftward together with the rotating portion 310. As shown in FIG. That is, as shown in FIG. 3A, the pulsator 26 rotates leftward. Note that the other movable blade portion 200 also protrudes from the placement surface 100a. The leftward direction corresponds to the first direction of the present invention.

Next, as shown in FIG. 8(b), when the driving motor 31 is reversed in a state where the movable blade portion 200 is at the projecting position, the rotating portion 310 rotates rightward as viewed from above. The rotating portion 310 rotates rightward with respect to the base portion 100, and the arm portion 312 moves toward the second stopper rib 117 as indicated by the solid line arrow. As indicated by the dashed line arrow, the elevating section 251 descends the inclined surface 318, and along with this, the movable blade section 200 rotates downward, and as indicated by the dashed line, the movable blade section 200 moves toward the placement surface 100a. pull in. As shown in FIG. 8A, when the lifting section 251 completely descends the inclined surface 318, the movable blade section 200 does not protrude from the placement surface 100a. At this time, the second inclined surface 230 of the movable blade portion 200 is substantially flush with the arrangement surface 100a.

The arm portion 312 contacts the second stopper rib 117, and the base portion 100 rotates rightward together with the rotating portion 310. As shown in FIG. That is, as shown in FIG. 3B, the pulsator 26 rotates rightward. The other movable blade portion 200 also does not protrude from the placement surface 100a. The rightward direction corresponds to the second direction of the present invention.

Now, when the pulsator 26 alternately rotates leftward and rightward, both the configuration in which both of the two movable vane portions 200 protrude from the placement surface 100a as shown in FIG. , in which none of the two movable blade portions 200 protrude from the arrangement surface 100a are alternately repeated.

When the two movable vane portions 200 protrude from the placement surface 100a, the two fixed vane portions 130 and the movable vane portion 200 agitate the water in the washing/dehydrating tub 24 . On the other hand, when the two movable vane portions 200 do not protrude from the placement surface 100a, the water in the washing/dehydrating tub 24 is agitated only by the two fixed vane portions 130 . Therefore, when the two movable vane portions 200 do not protrude from the arrangement surface 100a, the water flow generated in the washing/dehydration tub 24 is extremely weak compared to the case where the two movable vane portions 200 protrude from the arrangement surface 100a. . Therefore, when the pulsator 26 is rotated leftward and rightward, an extreme difference occurs in the strength of the water flow inside the washing/dehydrating tub 24 . As a result, as the pulsator 26 rotates in the left-right direction, the laundry does not move in the left-right direction regularly or monotonously, but tends to move irregularly or intricately. become fragile. This is expected to reduce washing unevenness and fabric damage.

When the pulsator 26 rotates in the left-right direction, the water lifting blades 114 rotate in the left-right direction. When the water pumping blade 114 rotates, the water in the storage chamber 24b is sent to the circulation water passage 27 by the water pumping action. The water sent to the circulation water channel 27 is discharged toward the inner side of the washing/dehydrating tub 24 from the outlet 27a. As a result, circulating water is applied to the laundry positioned above in the washing/dehydrating tub 24 . When the circulating water passage 27 is provided with a lint filter, the lint contained in the circulating water is collected by the lint filter.

When the pulsator 26 rotates to the right, the two movable vanes 200 do not protrude from the arrangement surface 100a, so the load applied to the pulsator 26 due to contact with water or laundry is reduced compared to when the pulsator 26 rotates to the left. . As a result, when the driving motor 31 is similarly on/off controlled in the left and right directions, the pulsator 26 generally tends to rotate faster and rotate more in the right direction than in the left direction. Therefore, in the rightward direction, the number of rotations of the water lifting blades 114 tends to be higher than in the leftward direction, and the amount of rotation tends to increase.

In the present embodiment, the water lifting blade 114 has a shape such that a right water scraping surface 114a that scrapes water when the pulsator 26 rotates rightward is recessed leftward. Therefore, when the pulsator 26 rotates to the right, the water lifting blades 114 easily catch water like an oar and easily rake the water. Therefore, when the pulsator 26 rotates to the right, the number of rotations and the amount of rotation of the water lifting blades 114 increase, and the water lifting action of the water lifting blades 114 greatly increases. Therefore, when the pulsator 26 rotates in the horizontal direction, the amount of circulating water can be greatly increased as a whole, and the laundry in the washing/dehydrating tub 24 can be sufficiently wetted by the circulating water discharged from the circulating water passage 27. Also, the effect of beating and washing the laundry with the circulating water can be fully exhibited. Also, if the circulation water passage 27 is provided with a lint filter, the lint collection effect is enhanced.

It should be noted that when the water lifting blades 114 tend to rake the water, the water resistance to the water lifting blades 114 increases and the load on the pulsator 26 increases. However, since this load is sufficiently small compared to the load that the two movable blades 200 do not protrude from the laundry and water, the number of rotations and the amount of rotation increase when the pulsator 26 rotates clockwise. It is difficult to be a hindrance to

Further, in the present embodiment, the water lifting blade 114 extends straight from the center side of the base portion 100 to the outer peripheral side, and is bent in the rotational direction in which the two movable blade portions 200 do not protrude from the middle, that is, the right direction side. It is shaped and simple in shape. Therefore, it becomes easy to form the water pumping blades 114, so that the pulsator 26 becomes easy to manufacture.

Furthermore, in the present embodiment, when the rotating portion 310 rotates leftward, the two movable blade portions 200 are moved to the projecting positions by the respective moving cams 317, and the rotating portion 310 hits the first stopper rib 116. becomes integral with the base portion 100, and the pulsator 26 rotates leftward. On the other hand, when the rotating part 310 rotates rightward, the moving cams 317 move the two movable vane parts 200 to the non-protruding position, and the rotating part 310 hits the second stopper rib 117 to move the rotating part 310 from the base part 100 . Together, the pulsator 26 rotates to the right. In this way, since the drive unit 30 can switch the height of the movable blade portion 200 and rotate the pulsator 26, the cost of parts can be reduced.

Furthermore, since the plurality of water pumping blades 114 are provided in a region other than the movable region of the rotating portion 310 on the back surface of the base portion 100, they do not interfere with the rotating portion 310 and hinder its movement.

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 the embodiments of the present invention can be modified in various ways other than those described above. be.

For example, as shown in FIGS. 9, 10(a) and (b), the shape of the plurality of water lifting blades 114 formed on the back surface of the base portion 100 can be changed.

In the example of FIG. 9, each of the water lifting blades 114 has a shape extending straight from the center side to the outer peripheral side, and then bent halfway toward the right rotation direction side of the pulsator 26 and extending straight. As a result, as in the above-described embodiment, each of the water lifting blades 114 has a right water scraping surface 114a that scrapes water when the pulsator 26 rotates in the right direction so that the two movable vane portions 200 do not protrude from the arrangement surface 100a. As a result, it becomes a shape that is concave in the direction opposite to the direction of rotation, that is, in the left direction.

In the example of FIG. 10(a), each water lifting blade 114 has a shape including a linear portion 114c extending straight from the center side to the outer peripheral side and an arc portion 114d continuing from the linear portion 114c. As a result, the right web surface 114a of each water lifting blade 114 is recessed leftward at the arc-shaped portion 114d on the outer peripheral side, as in the above-described embodiment.

In the example of FIG. 10(b), each water lifting blade 114 has a shape including a linear portion 114c extending straight from the center side to the outer peripheral side and a V-shaped portion 114e following the linear portion 114c. As a result, the right web surface 114a of each water lifting blade 114 is recessed leftward at the V-shaped portion 114e on the outer peripheral side, as in the above-described embodiment.

Further, in the pulsator 26 of the above-described embodiment, the fixed blade portion 130 is provided on the recessed surface 112 of the base portion 100, and the top surface of the fixed blade portion 130 serves as the placement surface 100a on which the movable blade portion 200 is arranged. rice field. However, a configuration is adopted in which the surface of the base portion 100 is flat without being recessed, the fixed blade portion 130 is not provided, and a part of the flat surface is used as the placement surface 100a on which the movable blade portion 200 is arranged. may be

Further, although two movable blade portions 200 are provided in the pulsator 26 of the above embodiment, one or three or more movable blade portions 200 may be provided. When three or more movable blade portions 200 are provided, the plurality of movable blade portions 200 are composed of first movable blade portions and second movable blade portions which are smaller in number than the first movable blade portions. When the pulsator 26 rotates to the left, the variable mechanism 300 switches to a mode in which the first movable blade protrudes and the second movable blade does not protrude. The second movable blade protrudes and the first movable blade does not protrude, that is, the mode is switched to a mode in which the number of movable blades 200 having a long protrusion length is small. As a result, when the pulsator 26 rotates to the right, the number of revolutions tends to be higher and the amount of rotation tends to be greater than when it rotates to the left.

Furthermore, in the pulsator 26 of the above-described embodiment, all of the plurality of blade portions formed on the surface are composed of the fixed blade portion 130 and the movable blade portion 200 . However, in the pulsator 26, a part of the plurality of blade portions may be constituted by a blade portion consisting of the fixed blade portion 130 and the movable blade portion 200, or a blade portion consisting only of the movable blade portion 200. .

Furthermore, in the pulsator 26 of the above-described embodiment, the elevating rod 250 with a small friction coefficient is used so that the elevating portion 251 of the movable blade portion 200 smoothly moves on the inclined surface 318 of the moving cam 317 . However, it is also possible to provide a roller on the movable blade portion 200 as an elevating portion so that the roller rolls on the inclined surface 318 . Further, instead of configuring the lifting section with a separate member such as the lifting rod 250, a part of the movable blade section 200 may be configured to move on the inclined surface 318 as the lifting section.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, an example in which the present invention is applied to the fully automatic washing and drying machine 1 equipped with a clothes drying function is shown. However, the present invention can also be applied to a fully automatic washing machine that is not equipped with a clothes drying function.

In addition, the embodiments of the present invention can be appropriately modified in various ways within the scope of the technical idea indicated in the scope of claims.

1 Fully automatic washing and drying machine (washing machine)
24 Washing and dehydrating tub (washing tub)
24b containment room
26 Pulsator
27 circulation channel
27a Exit
30 drive unit (drive part)
100 base
100a Placement surface
114 pumping vanes
114a right webbed surface (webbed surface)
116 first stopper rib (first contact portion)
117 second stopper rib (second contact portion)
200 movable blade portion (wing portion)
251 Elevator
300 variable mechanism
310 Rotating part
317 moving cam (moving part)
318 Inclined surface

Claims (6)

a washing tub in which the laundry is stored;
a pulsator disposed at the bottom of the washing tub;
a drive unit that drives the pulsator,
The pulsator is
a base;
a vane portion arranged on an arrangement surface provided on the surface of the base portion and projecting from the arrangement surface and having a variable protrusion height;
a variable mechanism that varies the protrusion height of the blade according to the rotation direction of the pulsator;
a plurality of water pumping blades provided on the back side of the base portion and radially extending from the center side of the base portion to the outer peripheral side;
An accommodation chamber is formed in the bottom of the washing tub to accommodate the water lifting blade,
A circulating waterway is connected to the containment chamber,
The circulating water channel is formed with an outlet for returning the water sent into the circulating channel by the pumping action of the rotation of the water pumping blades to the washing tub,
The water pumping blade has a shape such that a water scraping surface that scrapes water when the pulsator rotates in a rotation direction in which the blade portion is lowered is recessed in a direction opposite to the rotation direction,
A washing machine characterized by: In the washing machine according to claim 1,
comprising a plurality of said vanes,
When the pulsator rotates in a rotation direction in which the blades are lowered, the blades with the high protruding height disappear or decrease,
A washing machine characterized by: In the washing machine according to claim 1 or 2,
The water pumping blade has a shape that extends straight from the center side of the base portion to the outer peripheral side and is bent in the middle in the direction of rotation in which the blade portion is lowered,
A washing machine characterized by: In the washing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
the vane portion is held by the base portion so as to be movable between a first position and a second position where the protrusion height is higher than the first position;
The variable mechanism unit
a rotating portion disposed on the rear surface side of the base portion and driven to rotate by the driving portion in a first direction and a second direction opposite to each other with respect to the base portion;
provided at a position corresponding to the blade portion in the rotating portion, moving the blade portion from the first position to the second position as the rotating portion rotates in the first direction, and a moving part that moves the blade part from the second position to the first position as the rotating part rotates in the second direction;
The base portion includes a first abutment portion against which the rotating portion contacts when the blade portion moves to the second position, and a contact portion against which the rotating portion contacts when the blade portion moves to the first position. and a second abutting portion that hits,
When the rotating portion contacts the first contact portion and the second contact portion, the base portion rotates integrally with the rotating portion, and the pulsator moves in the first direction. and rotating in said second direction;
A washing machine characterized by: In the washing machine according to claim 4,
The water pumping blade is provided on the back surface of the base portion in a region outside the movable region of the rotating portion,
A washing machine characterized by: In the washing machine according to claim 4 or 5,
The moving part is provided with an inclined surface,
The blade portion contacts the inclined surface and climbs the inclined surface when the blade portion moves from the first position to the second position, and the blade portion moves from the second position to the provided with an elevating part that descends the inclined surface when moving to the first position;
A washing machine characterized by:

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