JP7197577B2 - LID LOCK MECHANISM AND WASHING MACHINE USING THE SAME - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a lid lock mechanism for locking the lid and door of a washing machine during washing, and a washing machine using the same.

The housing of the washing machine is formed with an inlet for putting laundry into the washing tub, and is provided with an openable/closable lid (or door) for closing the inlet during washing. Also, the washing machine has a lid lock mechanism that locks the lid so that the lid is not opened and closed during washing (for example, Patent Document 1).

A conventional washing machine lid lock mechanism has a configuration in which a latch provided on the lid is inserted into an opening or the like provided in the housing, and the lid is locked by engaging the latch in the opening. There is In the lid lock mechanism having such a configuration, the latch is provided on the lid so as to be swingable between the engagement position and the disengagement position with the housing, and is urged to the engagement position by a spring or the like. . The latch swings between a position of engagement with the housing and a position of disengagement from the housing when a user operates a handle provided on the lid. In addition, the lid lock mechanism is designed to restrict the movement of the latch at the engagement position with the housing. Become.

JP 2014-50468 A

In the conventional lid lock mechanism, the handle and the latch are configured to swing integrally, and when the movement of the latch is restricted in the locked state, the handle also does not move. However, in some cases, the user may apply excessive force to forcefully move the handle without realizing that the handle is in such a locked state. In such a case, there is a risk of damage to the parts subjected to excessive loads exceeding the allowable value.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a lid lock mechanism and a washing machine that can prevent parts from being damaged when the handle is operated in the locked state.

In order to solve the above problems, a lid lock mechanism according to a first aspect of the present invention is a lid lock mechanism capable of switching between a locked state and an unlocked state of a lid member provided for a housing. a handle member provided rotatably with respect to the lid member and operated by a user in an opening direction when opening the lid member; a latch member that can hold the closed state of the lid member by engaging with a regulating member that locks the lid lock mechanism by regulating movement of the latch member that is in the engaged state to lock the lid lock mechanism; When the handle member is operated in the opening direction, an urging force is applied directly or indirectly between the handle member and the latch member to move the latch member in the opening direction with respect to the handle member. A biasing force is applied directly or indirectly between the first elastic member for biasing and the cover member and the handle member, and the handle member is moved against the cover member in a direction opposite to the opening direction. and a second elastic member for biasing.

According to the above configuration, when the lid locking mechanism is locked, the latch member cannot move, while the handle member can be operated in the opening direction against the biasing force of the first elastic member and the second elastic member. Become. That is, even if the user forcibly moves the handle member without noticing that the lid locking mechanism is in the locked state, the force applied by the user is absorbed by the first elastic member. Therefore, even if the user operates the handle member when the mechanism is locked, it is possible to prevent the parts of the lid locking mechanism from being damaged due to an excessive load.

Further, the lid locking mechanism has an intermediate member arranged between the handle member and the latch member, and the first elastic member exerts a biasing force between the latch member and the intermediate member. and the second elastic member indirectly exerts a biasing force on the handle member via the intermediate member.

According to the above configuration, by interposing the intermediate member between the handle member and the latch member, each of the members has a simple shape, which facilitates manufacturing and assembling of the parts. can reduce manufacturing costs.

Further, the lid locking mechanism can be configured such that the first elastic member and the second elastic member are torsion springs.

In order to solve the above-described problems, a washing machine according to a second aspect of the present invention includes a cover member provided to be openable and closable at an inlet to a washing tub for storing laundry, and a lid member. A washing machine comprising a lid lock mechanism capable of switching between a locked state and an unlocked state, wherein the lid lock mechanism is the lid lock mechanism described above.

The lid lock mechanism and the washing machine of the present invention have the effect of preventing breakage due to an excessive load being applied to parts of the lid lock mechanism even if the user operates the handle member when the lid lock mechanism is locked. .

4 is a cross-sectional view of the lid lock mechanism according to Embodiment 1; FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of components used on the lid side in the lid lock mechanism of FIG. 1; FIG. (a) is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining the biasing action of a first spring in the lid locking mechanism of FIG. 1, and (b) is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining the biasing action of a second spring in the lid locking mechanism of FIG. It is a diagram. 2(a) and 2(b) are schematic cross-sectional views showing the operation of the lid lock mechanism of FIG. 1 in an unlocked state; FIG. 3(a) and 3(b) are schematic cross-sectional views showing the operation of the lid lock mechanism of FIG. 1 in a locked state; FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing another example of the configuration of components used on the lid side in the lid locking mechanism of FIG. 1; FIG. (a) and (b) are schematic cross-sectional views showing the operation in the locked state of the lid lock mechanism according to the second embodiment. 1 is a perspective view showing a vertical washing machine to which the lid locking mechanism of the present invention can be applied; FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a drum-type washing machine to which the lid lock mechanism of the present invention can be applied; FIG.

[Embodiment 1]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a lid locking mechanism according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of components used on the lid side in the lid lock mechanism of FIG. 1. FIG. The cross section in FIG. 1 corresponds to the cross section of the central portion in the longitudinal direction in the component configuration of FIG.

A washing machine to which the lid lock mechanism according to the first embodiment (hereinafter simply referred to as the mechanism) is applied, as shown in FIG. An input port 201 is formed for this purpose, and a cover (lid member) 100 for closing the input port 201 is provided so as to be able to be opened and closed. The mechanism can lock the lid 100 so that it cannot be opened or closed during washing.

In this mechanism, a handle member 110, a latch member 120, an intermediate member 130, a support shaft 140, a first spring (first elastic member) 151 and a second spring (second elastic member) 152 are provided on the lid 100 side. ing. First, the component configuration of the lid lock mechanism on the lid 100 side will be described.

Handle member 110 , latch member 120 and intermediate member 130 are rotatably supported around the same support shaft 140 . The first spring 151 applies a biasing force between the latch member 120 and the intermediate member 130 . The second spring 152 applies a biasing force between the lid 100 and the intermediate member 130 .

The handle member 110 is a portion operated by the user when opening the lid 100 in the closed state. When the mechanism is in the unlocked state, the user pulls up the handle member 110 in the opening direction (the A1 direction in FIG. 3), and the latch member 120 also moves in the disengagement direction (the A1 direction in FIG. 3).

The latch member 120 has a latch portion 121 protruding from the rotating shaft of the latch member 120 in the outer peripheral direction. The latch portion 121 is arranged to protrude outward from the opening 111 provided in the handle member 110, and a latch claw 121A is formed at the tip of the latch portion 121. As shown in FIG. When the lid 100 is in the closed state, the latch claw 121A is inserted into the engagement hole 202 provided in the housing 200, and the latch claw 121A engages with the edge of the engagement hole 202, thereby closing the lid 100. It is designed to hold state. In addition, an engaging hole 121B (see FIG. 2) is provided on the latch portion 121 side, and a projecting portion 203 (see FIG. 1) protruding inward is provided in the engaging hole 202 on the housing 200 side so that when the lid 100 is closed, The protrusion 203 may be fitted into the engagement hole 121B. Alternatively, the closed state of the lid 100 may be held only by fitting (engagement) between the engagement hole 121B and the protrusion 203 (see FIG. 1).

Moreover, the latch member 120 has a first contact plate 122 which is provided at a position different from the latch portion 121 and protrudes in the outer peripheral direction from the rotation shaft of the latch member 120 . The first contact plate 122 contacts the second contact plate 131 of the intermediate member 130 to define the positional relationship between these members.

The intermediate member 130 is interposed between the handle member 110 and the latch member 120 and has a second contact plate 131 protruding from the rotating shaft of the intermediate member 130 in the outer peripheral direction. The second contact plate 131 contacts with the handle member 110 and the latch member 120 to define the positional relationship between these members.

Next, the arrangement and action of the first spring 151 and the second spring 152 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b). FIG. 3A is a diagram for explaining the biasing action of the first spring 151, and is a cross-sectional view of the position where the first spring 151 is arranged. FIG. 3B is a diagram for explaining the biasing action of the second spring 152, and is a cross-sectional view of the position where the second spring 152 is arranged.

As shown in FIG. 3(a), a torsion spring is used as the first spring 151, and one end of the first spring 151 biases the first contact plate 122 of the latch member 120 in the A1 direction. The other end of the 1 spring 151 biases the second contact plate 131 of the intermediate member 130 in the A2 direction. At this time, since the first contact plate 122 of the latch member 120 is in contact with the A2 direction side when viewed from the second contact plate 131 of the intermediate member 130, the biasing force of the first spring 151 makes the first contact. The contact state between the plate 122 and the second contact plate 131 is maintained.

As shown in FIG. 3(b), a torsion spring is used as the second spring 152, one end of the second spring 152 abuts against the rear surface of the lid 100, and the other end of the second spring 152 is connected to the intermediate member 130. , the second contact plate 131 is urged in the A2 direction. Also, the second contact plate 131 of the intermediate member 130 is in contact with the protrusion 112 provided on the handle member 110 , and the biasing force of the second spring 152 acts on the handle member 110 via the intermediate member 130 . . That is, the second spring 152 indirectly biases the handle member 110 in the A2 direction.

Next, the operation of this mechanism in the unlocked state and locked state will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. FIG. 4A and 4B are schematic cross-sectional views showing the operation of the mechanism in the unlocked state, and FIGS. 5A and 5B are schematic cross-sectional views showing the operation of the mechanism in the locked state. . 4 and 5, the first spring 151 is illustrated, but the illustration of the second spring 152 is omitted.

First, in order to switch between the unlocked state and the locked state of this mechanism, a slide member (restriction member) 210 is provided on the housing 200 side of this mechanism. The slide member 210 is slidable in the directions B1 and B2 shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, and when the lid 100 is closed, it abuts against the latch claw 121A inserted into the engagement hole 202 to move backward (in the direction B1). ). Further, the position of the slide member 210 can be fixed by a solenoid (not shown) or the like while being moved in the direction B1. When the solenoid is turned off, the slide member 210 is biased in the B2 direction by the compression spring 220 and positioned at a predetermined position (for example, the position of the slide member 210 in FIG. 4(b)). ing.

As shown in FIG. 4(a), when the lid 100 is closed and held in the unlocked state of the mechanism, as shown in FIG. 4(a), the intermediate member 130 (in FIG. Only the plate 131 is shown) and the handle member 110 are biased in the A2 direction by a second spring 152 (not shown in FIG. 4) and positioned at a predetermined position. At this time, the latch member 120 abuts against the intermediate member 130 by the biasing force of the first spring 151 and is held in a positioned state. In this state, the latch member 120 is inserted into and engaged with the engagement hole 202 of the housing 200 .

When opening the lid 100 in the unlocked state of this mechanism, the user pulls up the handle member 110 in the opening direction (direction A1), as shown in FIG. 4(b). At this time, as the handle member 110 rotates, the intermediate member 130 also rotates in the A1 direction. That is, the handle member 110 and the intermediate member 130 rotate against the biasing force of the second spring 152 .

Further, when the handle member 110 and the intermediate member 130 rotate in the A1 direction, the biasing force of the first spring 151 also rotates the latch member 120 integrated with the intermediate member 130 in the A1 direction. That is, the intermediate member 130 indirectly transmits the turning force to the latch member 120 when the handle member 110 turns in the A2 direction. When the latch member 120 rotates in the A1 direction, the engagement of the latch member 120 is released and the lid 100 can be opened. In the unlocked state of this mechanism, the position of the slide member 210 is not fixed by a solenoid or the like, and the slide member 210 does not prevent the latch member 120 from disengaging.

On the other hand, in the locked state of this mechanism, as shown in FIG. 5A, the position of the slide member 210 is fixed by a solenoid or the like while it is moved in the direction B1. This makes it impossible for the latch member 120 to rotate in the A1 direction after the disengagement. In the state shown in FIG. 5(a) (the state in which the user does not operate the handle member 110), the positions of the handle member 110, the latch member 120 and the intermediate member 130 are basically shown in FIG. 4(a). Same as state.

In the locked state of this mechanism, when the user pulls up the handle member 110 in the opening direction (direction A1), the state shown in FIG. 5B is obtained. At this time, the handle member 110 and the intermediate member 130 rotate in the A1 direction against the biasing force of the second spring 152, which is the same as when unlocking.

However, when locked, even if the handle member 110 and the intermediate member 130 rotate in the A1 direction, the slide member 210 prevents the latch member 120 from rotating in the A1 direction. As a result, the intermediate member 130 rotates in the A1 direction against the biasing force of the first spring 151, and the relative positional relationship between the intermediate member 130 and the latch member 120 changes.

Thus, even if the user forcibly moves the handle member 110 without realizing that the mechanism is in the locked state, the force applied by the user is absorbed by the first spring 151 . Therefore, it is possible to prevent the parts of the mechanism from being subjected to an excessive load exceeding the allowable value and being damaged.

In addition, it is preferable that the spring force of the first spring 151 is larger than the spring force of the second spring 152 . In this case, the force required to operate the handle member 110 when locked is greater than the force required to operate the handle member 110 when unlocked, so the user should be aware that the mechanism is in the locked state. becomes easier to recognize.

FIG. 6 shows a modification of the lid locking mechanism according to the first embodiment, and is a perspective view showing the configuration of components used on the lid side. In the lid locking mechanism shown in FIG. 2 , the intermediate member 130 is formed wider in the axial direction than the latch member 120 , and the latch member 120 is arranged axially inside the intermediate member 130 . On the other hand, in the lid lock mechanism shown in FIG. 6, the latch member 120 is formed wider in the axial direction than the intermediate member 130, and the intermediate member 130 is arranged axially inside the latch member 120. ing. Even in the configuration shown in FIG. 6, the urging action by the first spring 151 and the second spring 152 is the same as the configuration in FIG. It is possible to obtain the same action and effect as

Also, in the above description, the cover side structure of this mechanism is composed of three parts, ie, the handle member 110, the latch member 120, and the intermediate member 130, excluding the spring and the shaft. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the handle member 110 and the intermediate member 130 may be integrally formed to form a two-part structure. During the operations described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5, the relative positional relationship between handle member 110 and intermediate member 130 does not change. It shows that it can be formed.

When the handle member 110 and the intermediate member 130 are separate members, the second spring 152 indirectly applies a biasing force to the handle member 110 via the intermediate member 130 . On the other hand, when the handle member 110 and the intermediate member 130 are integrated, the second spring 152 directly applies an urging force to the handle member 110 .

Further, when the handle member 110 and the intermediate member 130 are separate members, when the handle member 110 rotates in the A2 direction, this turning force is indirectly transmitted to the first spring 151 via the intermediate member 130. . On the other hand, when the handle member 110 and the intermediate member 130 are integrated, the turning force is directly transmitted to the first spring 151 when the handle member 110 rotates in the A2 direction. In other words, when the user operates the handle member 110 in the A1 direction, the first spring 151 exerts a biasing force directly or indirectly between the handle member 110 and the latch member 120, causing the latch member 120 to move. The handle member 110 is biased in the A1 direction.

Further, when the handle member 110 and the intermediate member 130 are separate members, when the user operates the handle member 110 in the A1 direction, the turning force of the handle member 110 is applied via the intermediate member 130 and the first spring 151 to the latch. The force is transmitted to the member 120 , but when the latch member 120 is rotated in the A1 direction, the rotational force of the latch member 120 is transmitted only to the intermediate member 130 and is not transmitted to the handle member 110 .

However, when the handle member 110 and the intermediate member 130 are integrated, the handle member 110 moves together with the latch member 120 when the open lid 100 is closed. On the other hand, when the handle member 110 and the intermediate member 130 are separate members (when the intermediate member 130 is interposed between the handle member 110 and the latch member 120), the lid can be opened without moving the handle member 110. 100 can be closed.

[Embodiment 2]
In Embodiment 1, the lid lock mechanism using the first spring 151 and the second spring 152, which are torsion springs, was exemplified. explain. 7(a) and 7(b) show a lid lock mechanism having a structure using a compression spring, and are schematic cross-sectional views showing the operation of this mechanism in the locked state.

In the mechanism shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, a third spring (first elastic member) 153, which is a compression spring, is used instead of the first spring 151, which is a torsion spring described in the first embodiment. I am using Further, the intermediate member 130 has a spring contact plate 132 in addition to the second contact plate 131 . Like the second contact plate 131, the spring contact plate 132 is provided so as to protrude in the outer peripheral direction from the rotation shaft of the intermediate member 130, and is provided on the A2 direction side when viewed from the second contact plate 131. . A first contact plate 122 of the latch member 120 is arranged between the second contact plate 131 and the spring contact plate 132 . The third spring 153 is arranged between the first contact plate 122 and the spring contact plate 132 and exerts a biasing force to expand the gap between these plates.

In the locked state of this mechanism, as shown in FIG. 7A, the position of the slide member 210 is fixed by a solenoid or the like while it is moved in the direction B1. This makes it impossible for the latch member 120 to rotate in the A1 direction after the disengagement, as in the first embodiment. In this state, the first contact plate 122 of the latch member 120 is biased by the third spring 153 while contacting the second contact plate 131 of the intermediate member 130 .

In the locked state of this mechanism, when the user pulls up the handle member 110 in the opening direction (direction A1), the state shown in FIG. 7B is obtained. At this time, the handle member 110 and the intermediate member 130 rotate in the A1 direction against the biasing force of the second spring 152 . On the other hand, the latch member 120 is prevented from rotating in the A1 direction by the slide member 210 . As a result, the intermediate member 130 rotates in the A1 direction against the biasing force of the third spring 153, and the relative positional relationship between the intermediate member 130 and the latch member 120 changes. That is, the contact state between the first contact plate 122 and the second contact plate 131 is released, and the intermediate member 130 rotates in the A1 direction so that the spring contact plate 132 approaches the first contact plate 122. do.

Thus, even if the user forcibly moves the handle member 110 without realizing that the mechanism is in the locked state, the force applied by the user is absorbed by the third spring 153 . Therefore, it is possible to prevent the parts of the mechanism from being subjected to an excessive load exceeding the allowable value and being damaged.

In the second embodiment, it is not limited to the compression spring that is arranged between the first contact plate 122 and the spring contact plate 132, and other elastic springs such as leaf springs and foamed rubber are provided. A similar effect can be obtained even if it is a member. Although detailed description is omitted, it is also possible to replace the second spring 152 in Embodiment 1 with an elastic member (compression spring, leaf spring, foam rubber, etc.) other than the torsion spring.

[Embodiment 3]
A washing machine to which the lid locking mechanism according to the present invention can be applied will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9. FIG.

FIG. 8 shows a so-called vertical washing machine, in which a lid 100 is provided on a housing 200 of the washing machine so as to open and close the upper surface of the housing 200 . In this case, of course, a lid locking mechanism can be provided for lid 100 . That is, when the present invention is applied to the vertical washing machine of FIG. 8, the lid 100 corresponds to the lid member described in the claims.

FIG. 9 shows a so-called drum-type washing machine, in which a door 100 ′ is provided on a housing 200 of the washing machine so as to open and close the front surface of the housing 200 . Also in such a drum-type washing machine, a lid locking mechanism can be provided for the door 100'. That is, when the present invention is applied to the drum-type washing machine of FIG. 9, the door 100' corresponds to the cover member described in the claims.

The embodiments disclosed this time are exemplifications in all respects and are not grounds for restrictive interpretation. Therefore, the technical scope of the present invention is not to be interpreted only by the above-described embodiments, but is defined based on the claims. In addition, all changes within the meaning and range of equivalents to the scope of claims are included.

This international application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2018-109526 filed with the Japan Patent Office on June 7, 2018, and all of Japanese Patent Application No. 2018-109526 The contents are incorporated into this international application by reference.

100 lid (lid member)
100' door (lid member)
110 Handle member 120 Latch member 121 Latch part 121A Latch claw 121B Engagement hole 122 First contact plate 130 Intermediate member 131 Second contact plate 132 Spring contact plate 140 Support shaft 151 First spring (first elastic member)
152 second spring (second elastic member)
153 third spring (first elastic member)
200 housing 201 slot 202 engagement hole 203 protrusion 210 slide member (regulating member)
220 compression spring

Claims (4)

A lid lock mechanism capable of switching between a locked state and an unlocked state of a lid member provided for a housing,
a handle member provided rotatably with respect to the lid member and operated by a user in an opening direction when opening the lid member;
a latch member provided rotatably with respect to the handle member and capable of engaging with the housing to hold the closed state of the lid member;
a restricting member that restricts the movement of the latch member in the engaged state to bring the lid locking mechanism into the locked state;
When the user operates the handle member in the opening direction, a biasing force is applied directly or indirectly between the handle member and the latch member to open the latch member with respect to the handle member. a first elastic member that biases in a direction;
a second elastic member that applies a biasing force directly or indirectly between the lid member and the handle member to bias the handle member against the lid member in a direction opposite to the opening direction; has
A lid lock mechanism , wherein the spring constant of the first elastic member is larger than the spring constant of the second elastic member . A lid locking mechanism according to claim 1, wherein
an intermediate member disposed between the handle member and the latch member;
the first elastic member exerts a biasing force between the latch member and the intermediate member;
The lid locking mechanism, wherein the second elastic member indirectly exerts an urging force on the handle member through the intermediate member. The lid locking mechanism according to claim 1 or 2,
A lid locking mechanism, wherein the first elastic member and the second elastic member are torsion springs. A washing machine comprising: a lid member provided to be openable and closable at an inlet of a washing tub containing laundry; and a lid lock mechanism capable of switching between a locked state and an unlocked state of the lid member,
A washing machine, wherein the lid lock mechanism is the lid lock mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

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