JP7449533B2 - washing machine - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a washing machine.

A rotating blade rotatably provided at the bottom of the washing and dehydrating tank, a water pumping passage provided on a side wall of the washing and dehydrating tank, and a rotary blade provided between the bottom of the washing and dehydrating tank and the rotary blade, Patent Document 1 describes a washing machine that includes a pumping blade that circulates washing liquid in a washing and dehydrating tank through a pumping passage, and a speed increasing means that increases the rotational speed of the pumping blade to be faster than the rotational speed of the rotary blade. .

In the above washing machine, the speed increasing means includes a sun gear fixed to the bottom of the washing and dehydrating tank, a planetary gear fixed to the rotor blade and rotating around the sun gear, and a planetary gear fixed to the pumping blade and rotating around the sun gear. It consists of an outer ring gear that meshes with the outer periphery and rotates. When the rotor blade rotates, this rotation is accelerated by the planetary gear and the outer ring gear and transmitted to the lift blade, causing the lift blade to rotate at a higher speed than the rotor blade.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2009-28509

In the washing machine of Patent Document 1, both the rotary blade and the pumping blade rotate during the washing process. Therefore, when delicate laundry is washed, there is a concern that the delicate laundry is likely to be rubbed by the rotating rotary blades, causing fabric damage.

That is, in the above-mentioned washing machine, it is difficult to effectively utilize the pumping blades in the washing process to wash delicate laundry in a manner that prevents fabric damage.

The present invention has been made to solve these problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a washing machine that can wash delicate laundry in a manner that prevents fabric damage by effectively utilizing pumping blades. shall be.

A washing machine according to a main aspect of the present invention includes a washing and dehydrating tub rotatably disposed in an outer tub, a rotary blade rotatably disposed at a bottom of the washing and dehydrating tub, and a bottom wall of the washing and dehydrating tub. and a pumping vane rotatably disposed between the pumping vane and the rotary vane, a pumping channel provided on a side wall of the washing and dehydrating tank, through which water supplied by rotation of the pumping vane, and a pumping channel through which water flows through the pumping channel. The washing machine includes a discharge port through which water is discharged into the washing and dehydrating tank, and a drive unit that is provided below the outer tank and drives the washing and dehydrating tank, the rotary blade, and the pumping blade. Here, the drive unit includes a drive motor, a first motor rotation drive unit and a second motor rotation drive unit that are provided on a motor shaft of the motor and rotate together with the motor shaft, and serve as a rotation axis of the rotor blade. a rotary blade shaft; a pumping blade shaft that serves as a rotational axis of the pumping blade and into which the rotary blade shaft is rotatably inserted; a pumping blade shaft that serves as a rotational axis of the washing and dehydrating tank, and the rotary blade shaft and the pumping blade shaft are rotatable; a first rotary driven part fixed to a portion of the rotary vane shaft protruding downward from the pumping vane shaft and to which rotation of the first motor rotation drive part is transmitted; a second rotary driven part fixed to a portion of the wing shaft that protrudes downward from the dehydration tank shaft, and to which the rotation of the second motor rotational drive part is transmitted; and a second rotary driven part to which the rotation of the drive motor is transmitted. a first drive mode in which the rotation of the drive motor is transmitted to the rotary blade shaft through the rotary blade shaft and transmitted to the lift blade shaft through the second rotational driven part; a first switching section that switches between a second drive mode in which the driving mode is not transmitted to the rotary blade shaft but is transmitted to the pumping blade shaft via the second rotary driven part; between a third drive mode in which the pumping vane shaft and the dehydration tank shaft are rotatable together; and a fourth drive mode in which the rotary vane shaft and the pumping vane shaft are rotatable with respect to the dehydration tank shaft. and a second switching unit that performs switching. The first switching section is disposed on the motor shaft, and in the first drive mode, the first switching section changes the rotation of the first motor with respect to the motor shaft so that the rotation of the motor shaft is transmitted to the first motor rotation drive section. an operation of fixing the drive unit, and an operation of releasing the fixation of the first motor rotation drive unit to the motor shaft so that the rotation of the motor shaft is not transmitted to the first motor rotation drive unit in the second drive mode; It includes a switching body that performs the following. The second switching section includes a clutch body that has an engaging section that protrudes toward the second rotation driven section, and that can move along the dehydration tank shaft and rotate together with the dehydration tank shaft. The second rotation driven part is provided with a through hole through which the engagement part passes, and the first rotation driven part has an engaged part with which the engagement part passes through the through hole. provided. In the third drive mode, the clutch body moves in a direction approaching the second rotation driven part, the engaging part penetrates the through hole and engages the engaged part, and the dewatering tank Rotation of the rotary blade shaft and the pumping blade shaft with respect to the shaft is restricted. In the fourth drive mode, the clutch body does not move in the direction approaching the second rotation driven part, and the restriction on rotation of the rotor blade shaft and the lift blade shaft with respect to the dehydration tank shaft is released. In a delicate cycle washing process for washing delicate laundry, the first switching section switches to the second drive mode, and the second switching section switches to the fourth drive mode, and the drive motor rotates. By doing so, the lifting vane rotates without the rotary vane rotating. In a standard washing process for washing standard laundry, the drive motor is switched to the first drive mode by the first switching section and switched to the fourth drive mode by the second switching section. The rotation causes the rotor blade and the lift blade to rotate. In the dehydration step, the first switching section switches to the second drive mode, and the second switching section switches to the third drive mode, and the drive motor rotates, whereby the rotation of the drive motor is reduced. The rotation is transmitted to the pumping vane shaft via the second rotary driven part, and the pumping vane shaft, the rotary vane shaft, and the dehydration tank shaft are rotated, and the rotary vane, the pumping vane, and the washing and dehydration tank are integrated. Rotate to .
Note that the rotor shaft and the lift vane shaft may be composed of a single shaft, or may be composed of two shafts and a speed reduction mechanism or a speed increase mechanism provided between these shafts. .

According to the above configuration , in the washing process, the drive motor rotates only the pumping blades without rotating the rotary blades, and circulates water between the laundry dehydration tank and the pumping channel while releasing water from the discharge port. This allows you to wash delicate laundry. Therefore, damage to delicate laundry items caused by washing can be suppressed.
Furthermore, by the engaging part penetrating the through hole and engaging with the engaged part, rotation of the rotor shaft with respect to the dehydration tank shaft is regulated and switched to the third drive mode, and the engaging part is engaged with the engaged part. By moving away from the joint, the rotation of the rotor shaft with respect to the dehydration tank shaft is no longer restricted, and the fourth drive mode is switched. Therefore, even if the pumping blade shaft is present between the dehydration tank shaft and the rotary blade shaft, switching between the third drive mode and the fourth drive mode by the second switching unit can be realized.

Note that by performing intermittent rotation of the rotary blades for short periods of time, it is also possible to effectively apply circulating water to the laundry while moving the laundry little by little.

In the washing machine according to this aspect , the drive motor is disposed below the outer tub so that its motor shaft is parallel to the rotary blade axis and the lift blade axis.

According to the above configuration, since the rotor blade shaft, the pumping blade shaft, and the drive motor are not aligned in the vertical direction, the size of the drive unit in the vertical direction can be made compact, and the height of the washing machine can be suppressed.

In the washing machine according to this aspect, the first switching section may be configured to include a power generation section that is arranged in parallel with the motor shaft and generates power for operating the switching body.

With such a configuration, the motor shaft and the power generation section are not aligned in the vertical direction, so that the vertical size of the drive section can be made even more compact.

In the case of the above structure, the structure further includes a drain valve disposed in a drain path for discharging water in the washing and dehydrating tank, and an opening/closing mechanism for opening and closing the drain valve. can be adopted. In this case, the second switching section moves the clutch body between a regulating position where the engaging section engages the engaged section and rotation of the rotor shaft with respect to the dehydration tank shaft is restricted. a moving mechanism for moving the joint part away from the engaged part and a release position where restriction on rotation of the rotary blade shaft with respect to the dehydration tank shaft is released; and a drive device for driving the moving mechanism. The structure is such that it includes the following. The drive device drives the opening/closing mechanism in conjunction with the moving mechanism.

With this configuration, the drive device for driving the moving mechanism can also be used as a drive source for opening and closing the drain valve, and the cost of the washing machine can be reduced.

According to the present invention, it is possible to effectively utilize the pumping blades to wash delicate laundry in a manner that does not easily damage the fabric.

The effects and significance of the present invention will become clearer from the description of the embodiments shown below. However, the following embodiments are merely one example of implementing the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to what is described in the following embodiments.

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view of a fully automatic washing machine according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of essential parts of the fully automatic washing machine according to the embodiment, showing the bottom of the outer tub and the drive unit. FIG. 3(a) is a plan view of the first pulley according to the embodiment, and FIG. 3(b) is a plan view of the second pulley according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the drive unit according to the embodiment, showing the vicinity of the first clutch mechanism section. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the first clutch mechanism section according to the embodiment. FIG. 6(a) is a diagram schematically showing a state in which the first clutch mechanism section is switched to the single-blade drive mode according to the embodiment, and FIG. 6(b) is a diagram schematically showing a state in which the first clutch mechanism section according to the embodiment It is a figure which shows typically the state switched to the two-blade drive mode by the 1-clutch mechanism part. FIG. 7 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the drive unit according to the embodiment, showing the periphery of the second clutch mechanism section. FIG. 8 is a bottom view of the drive unit showing the periphery of the second clutch mechanism according to the embodiment. FIG. 9 is a bottom view of the drive unit in a state where the first pulley, the second pulley, and the clutch mechanism are removed, showing the periphery of the second clutch mechanism according to the embodiment. FIG. 10(a) is a perspective view of an upside-down clutch mechanism 910 according to an embodiment. FIG. 10(b) is a perspective view of the clutch body according to the embodiment, and FIG. 10(c) is a perspective view of the clutch receiving portion turned upside down according to the embodiment.

Hereinafter, a fully automatic washing machine 1, which is an embodiment of the washing machine of the present invention, will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view of a fully automatic washing machine 1 according to the present embodiment.

The fully automatic washing machine 1 includes a casing 10 that configures the exterior. The housing 10 includes a bottomed rectangular cylindrical body portion 11 with an open top surface, and a top plate 12 that covers the top surface of the body portion 11 . Legs 13 are provided on the outer bottom surface of the housing 10. A loading port 14 for loading laundry is formed in the top plate 12. The input port 14 is covered by a top lid 15 that can be opened and closed.

Inside the housing 10, a substantially cylindrical outer tank 20 with an open top surface is elastically suspended and supported by four hanging rods 21 having vibration isolators. Inside the outer tank 20, a substantially cylindrical washing and dehydrating tank 22 with an open upper surface is arranged. A large number of dehydration holes 22a are formed in the side wall of the washing dehydration tank 22 over the entire circumference. A balance ring 23 is provided at the top of the washing and dehydrating tank 22.

At the bottom of the washing and dehydrating tank 22, a substantially disc-shaped rotor blade 24 is arranged. A plurality of blades 24a are formed on the upper surface of the rotary blade 24, extending radially from the center. Further, at the bottom of the washing and dehydrating tank 22, a substantially disc-shaped lifting blade 25 is arranged between the rotary blade 24 and the bottom wall of the washing and dehydrating tank 22. A plurality of blades 25a are formed on the lower surface of the pumping blade 25, which is the bottom wall side of the washing and dehydrating tank 22, and extend radially from the center. A substantially circular recess 26 corresponding to the shape of the pumping blade 25 is formed in the bottom wall of the washing and dehydrating tank 22, and the pumping blade 25 is housed in the recess 26. Further, a plurality of water holes 22b are formed in the bottom wall of the washing and dehydrating tank 22 at the positions of the recesses 26.

A pumping cover 27 is attached to the side wall of the washing and dewatering tank 22, so that pumping channels 28 extending in the vertical direction are arranged at three locations at approximately equal intervals in the circumferential direction. The lower end of each pumping channel 28 is connected to the recess 26 . A slit-shaped discharge port 27a is formed at the top of each pumping cover 27.

At the outer bottom of the outer tank 20, a drive unit 30 for driving the washing and dehydrating tank 22, the rotary blades 24, and the lifting blades 25 is arranged. In the washing process and the rinsing process, the drive unit 30 may rotate the rotary blade 24 and the pumping blade 25 or may rotate only the pumping blade 25 depending on the washing operation course. Moreover, the drive unit 30 rotates the washing dehydration tank 22, the rotary blade 24, and the pumping blade 25 integrally in the dehydration process. The drive unit 30 corresponds to the drive section of the present invention. The detailed configuration of the drive unit 30 will be explained later.

A cylindrical drain port 20a is formed at the outer bottom of the outer tank 20. A drain valve 40 is connected to the drain port 20a. A drain hose 41 is connected to the drain valve 40. That is, the drain port portion 20a and the drain hose 41 constitute a drain path, and the drain valve 40 is disposed in this drain path. When the drain valve 40 is opened, the water stored in the washing/dehydrating tank 22 and the outer tank 20 is discharged to the outside of the machine through the drain hose 41.

A water supply unit 50 for supplying tap water into the washing and dehydrating tank 22 is arranged at the rear of the top plate 12. The water supply unit 50 has a water supply valve 51. The water supply valve 51 is connected to a water tap. When the water supply valve 51 is opened, tap water is introduced into the water supply unit 50 from the water faucet. The introduced tap water flows out into the washing and dehydrating tank 22 from the water inlet 52 of the water supply unit 50.

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

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the main parts of the fully automatic washing machine 1, showing the bottom of the outer tub 20 and the drive unit 30. Note that in FIG. 2, illustration of the hanging rod 21 is omitted.

Referring to FIG. 2, the drive unit 30 includes a drive motor 100, a dehydration tank shaft 200, a pumping blade shaft 300, a rotor shaft 400, a bearing unit 500, a first transmission mechanism section 600, and a second transmission mechanism section 600. It includes a transmission mechanism section 700, a first clutch mechanism section 800, and a second clutch mechanism section 900.

The drive motor 100 is an outer rotor type DC brushless motor, and generates torque for driving the washing and dehydrating tank 22, the rotary blades 24, and the pumping blades 25. Drive motor 100 includes a rotor 110 and a stator 120. A motor shaft 130 is attached to the center of the rotor 110. The motor shaft 130 is rotatably supported by a support portion 150 via upper and lower rolling bearings 141 and 142. Note that the drive motor 100 may be another type of motor such as an inner rotor type DC brushless motor.

The dewatering tank shaft 200, the pumping vane shaft 300, and the rotary vane shaft 400 serve as rotation axes of the washing dehydrating tank 22, the pumping vane 25, and the rotary vane 24, respectively.

The dehydration tank shaft 200 is formed by joining three members: an upper part, a middle part, and a lower part. The dehydration tank shaft 200 is hollow, and its central portion bulges outward to form a brake drum 201. Inside the dehydration tank shaft 200, slide bearings 211 and 212 are provided at the upper and lower ends, and an oil seal 213 is provided above the slide bearing 211.

The pumping blade shaft 300 is inserted into the dehydration tank shaft 200. The upper part of the pumping vane shaft 300 projects upward from the dehydration tank shaft 200, and the lower part of the pumping vane shaft 300 projects downward from the dehydration tank shaft 200. The pumping blade shaft 300 has its outer peripheral surface supported by sliding bearings 211 and 212, and rotates smoothly within the dewatering tank shaft 200. Furthermore, the oil seal 213 prevents water from entering between the dehydration tank shaft 200 and the pumping blade shaft 300. The pumping blade shaft 300 is hollow, and inside thereof, sliding bearings 311 and 312 are provided at the upper and lower ends, and an oil seal 313 is provided above the sliding bearing 311.

The rotor shaft 400 is inserted into the pump shaft 300. The upper part of the rotor shaft 400 projects upward from the pump shaft 300, and the lower part of the rotor shaft 400 projects downward from the pump shaft 300. The rotor shaft 400 has its outer peripheral surface received by sliding bearings 311 and 312, and rotates smoothly within the pump shaft 300. Further, the oil seal 313 prevents water from entering between the pumping blade shaft 300 and the rotor blade shaft 400.

The bearing unit 500 includes a mounting base 510 having a substantially rectangular planar shape, and a bearing case 520 that is attached to the center of the mounting base 510 from below. A circular bearing recess 511 is formed in the center of the upper surface of the mounting base 510. A rolling bearing 531 is arranged within the bearing recess 511 . Furthermore, an oil seal 540 is provided at the entrance of the bearing recess 511.

The bearing case 520 has a bottomed cylindrical shape with a bottom portion 521 having a narrowed diameter. A rolling bearing 532 is arranged at the bottom 521 of the bearing case 520. A flange portion 522 is formed at the upper end of the bearing case 520, and this flange portion 522 is screwed to the mounting base 510 (see FIG. 8). Furthermore, a support portion 523 is formed at the upper end of the bearing case 520 to support a lever shaft, which will be described later.

The dewatering tank shaft 200 into which the pumping vane shaft 300 and the rotary vane shaft 400 are rotatably inserted is rotatably supported in the bearing recess 511 of the mounting base 510 through the rolling bearing 531 at its upper part, and through the rolling bearing 531 at its lower part. It is rotatably supported by the bottom portion 521 of the bearing case 520 via the bearing case 532 . The brake drum 201 of the dehydration tank shaft 200 is housed within the bearing case 520.

The mounting base 510 is attached to the bottom wall of the outer tank 20. A dehydration tank shaft 200 faces the inside of the outer tank 20. A dehydration tank shaft 200 is fixed to the washing and dehydration tank 22 in the outer tub 20 . Further, the pumping blade shaft 300 and the rotary blade shaft 400 face the inside of the washing and dehydrating tank 22. Inside the washing and dewatering tank 22, a pumping blade shaft 300 is fixed to the pumping blade 25, and a rotary blade shaft 400 is fixed to the rotary blade 24.

The drive motor 100 is attached to the mounting base 510 on the side of the bearing case 520 so that the motor shaft 130 faces downward. Thereby, below the outer tank 20, the motor shaft 130 is in a state parallel to the rotor blade shaft 400 and the pumping blade shaft 300. In addition, a drain valve 40 is attached to the mounting base 510 on the side opposite to the drive motor 100 with respect to the bearing case 520.

3(a) is a plan view of the first pulley 610, and FIG. 3(b) is a plan view of the second pulley 710.

2 and 3(a), the first transmission mechanism section 600 includes a first pulley 610, a first motor pulley 620, and a first belt 630 that connects the first pulley 610 and the first motor pulley 620. including. The first pulley 610 corresponds to the first rotation driven section of the present invention, and the first motor pulley 620 corresponds to the first motor rotation drive section of the present invention.

The first pulley 610 is fixed to the lower part of the rotor shaft 400 exposed from the pump shaft 300 below the outer tank 20 . The first pulley 610 includes a disc-shaped pulley part 611 and a clutch boss part 612 attached to the upper center of the pulley part 611. A plurality of engagement recesses 613 are formed on the upper end surface of the clutch boss portion 612 at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction. The engagement recess 613 corresponds to the engaged portion of the present invention.

The first motor pulley 620 includes a pulley part 621 having a flange at the lower end, and a boss part 622 integrally formed on the upper side of the pulley part 621.

The first motor pulley 620 is rotatably supported by the motor shaft 130 of the drive motor 100. That is, in the first motor pulley 620, the boss portion 622 is attached to the tip of the motor shaft 130 via two rolling bearings 640. The first motor pulley 620 smoothly rotates with respect to the motor shaft 130 by a rolling bearing 640.

The outer diameter of the pulley portion 611 of the first pulley 610 is larger than the outer diameter of the pulley portion 621 of the first motor pulley 620. A first belt 630 is stretched between the pulley portion 611 of the first pulley 610 and the pulley portion 621 of the first motor pulley 620.

When the first motor pulley 620 is fixed to the motor shaft 130 by the switching operation of the first clutch mechanism section 800, the rotation of the drive motor 100 is transmitted to the rotor shaft 400 by the first transmission mechanism section 600. At this time, the rotation of the drive motor 100 is reduced in accordance with the reduction ratio determined by the outer diameter ratio of the pulley portion 611 and the pulley portion 621.

2 and 3(b), the second transmission mechanism section 700 includes a second pulley 710, a second motor pulley 720, and a second belt 730 that connects the second pulley 710 and the second motor pulley 720. including. The second pulley 710 corresponds to the second rotation driven section of the present invention, and the second motor pulley 720 corresponds to the second motor rotation drive section of the present invention.

The second pulley 710 has a disc shape and is fixed to the lower part of the pumping blade shaft 300 exposed from the dehydration tank shaft 200 below the outer tank 20. The second pulley 710 is located above the first pulley 610 so as to be lined up with the first pulley 610. A groove 711 on which the second belt 730 is hung is formed on the outer circumference of the second pulley 710 . Further, a plurality of through holes 712 are formed in the second pulley 710 at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction. The through hole 712 has approximately the same shape and approximately the same size as the engagement recess 613.

The second motor pulley 720 has a dish shape with an open bottom surface, and is fixed above the first motor pulley 620 on the motor shaft 130 . A groove 721 is formed on the outer circumference of the second motor pulley 720, and the second belt 730 is hung thereon.

The outer diameter of the second pulley 710 is made equal to the outer diameter of the second motor pulley 720. A second belt 730 is stretched between the second pulley 710 and the second motor pulley 720.

The second transmission mechanism section 700 transmits the rotation of the drive motor 100 to the pumping blade shaft 300 at the same speed.

The first clutch mechanism section 800 enables or disables the rotation of the motor shaft 130 to be transmitted to the rotor shaft 400 via the first transmission mechanism section 600, so that the rotation of the drive motor 100 can be transmitted to the rotor blade shaft 400 via the first transmission mechanism section 600. Switching is performed between a two-blade drive mode in which the rotation of the drive motor 100 is transmitted to both the rotor blade 24 and the lift blade 25, and a one-blade drive mode in which the rotation of the drive motor 100 is not transmitted to the rotor blade 24 but to the lift blade 25. The first clutch mechanism section 800 corresponds to the first switching section of the present invention. The two-blade drive mode corresponds to the first drive mode of the present invention, and the one-blade drive mode corresponds to the second drive mode of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the drive unit 30 showing the vicinity of the first clutch mechanism section 800. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the first clutch mechanism section 800.

4 and 5, the first clutch mechanism section 800 includes a clutch body 810, a spring 820, a clutch lever 830, a lever support section 840, a lever drive device 850, and a mounting plate 860. .

The clutch body 810 is arranged on the motor shaft 130 so as to be located between the first motor pulley 620 and the second motor pulley 720. Clutch body 810 includes a clutch portion 811 , a surrounding portion 812 , and a rolling bearing 813 . The clutch portion 811 has a substantially cylindrical shape, and is configured such that the outer diameter of the lower portion 811a is larger than the outer diameter of the upper portion 811b. An engagement recess 814 having an inner diameter approximately equal to the outer diameter of the boss portion 622 of the first motor pulley 620 is formed in the lower portion 811a. A first spline 815 is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the engagement recess 814 over the entire circumference. Corresponding to the first spline 815, a spline 623 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the boss portion 622 of the first motor pulley 620 over the entire circumference. Note that the clutch body 810 corresponds to the switching body of the present invention.

A second spline 816 is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the upper part 811b over the entire circumference. Corresponding to the second spline 816, a spline 131 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the motor shaft 130 at a position between the first motor pulley 620 and the second motor pulley 720 over the entire circumference. The vertical dimension of the spline 131 is made larger than the vertical dimension of the second spline 816.

The second spline 816 of the clutch portion 811 and the spline 131 of the motor shaft 130 engage with each other, and due to this engagement, the clutch portion 811 can move in the axial direction of the motor shaft 130 with respect to the motor shaft 130. 130 and becomes ready to rotate.

The surrounding portion 812 is formed in an annular shape and surrounds the clutch portion 811 via a rolling bearing 813 so that the clutch portion 811 is rotatable. Due to the rolling bearing 813, the clutch portion 811 rotates smoothly with respect to the surrounding portion 812. A pair of shaft portions 817 facing away from each other are formed on the outer circumferential surface of the surrounding portion 812 along the direction in which the dehydration tank shaft 200 and the motor shaft 130 are lined up (hereinafter referred to as the axis line direction).

The clutch body 810 moves to the engagement position where the first spline 815 of the clutch portion 811 engages with the spline 623 of the boss portion 622 of the first motor pulley 620, thereby transmitting the rotation of the motor shaft 130 to the first motor pulley 620. The first motor pulley 620 is fixed to the motor shaft 130 so that the first motor pulley 620 is fixed. Furthermore, by moving to the release position where the engagement between the first spline 815 and the spline 623 is released, the clutch body 810 moves the first An operation is performed to release the fixation of the motor pulley 620. When the clutch body 810 is in the released position, almost the entire clutch body 810 is housed inside the second motor pulley 720.

The spring 820 is disposed between the clutch body 810 and the second motor pulley 720, and urges the clutch body 810 toward the first motor pulley 620, that is, toward the engagement position.

Clutch lever 830, lever support portion 840, lever drive device 850, and mounting plate 860 are arranged with respect to clutch body 810 in a direction perpendicular to the axial alignment direction.

Clutch lever 830 includes a lever body 831, a pair of arms 832, and an operating piece 833. The lever main body 831 has a rectangular shape that is long in the axial alignment direction. The pair of arms 832 extends from the lever body 831 to the clutch body 810, and a receiving portion 832a provided at the tip receives the shaft portion 817 of the surrounding portion 812 from below. The operating piece 833 is provided on the opposite side of the lever body 831 from the arm 832 and protrudes toward the lever drive device 850 side.

The lever support part 840 includes a pair of support pieces 841 extending from the mounting plate 860 and a support shaft 842 fixed to the tips of the pair of support pieces 841 and passing through the lever body 831, and supports the clutch lever 830 as a support shaft. It is supported so that it can rotate around 842.

Lever drive device 850 includes a torque motor 851 and a cam 852. Torque motor 851 generates torque that is the power for operating clutch body 810. The cam 852 has a disc shape and rotates around a horizontal axis by the torque of the torque motor 851. A circular cam groove 853 is formed on the front surface of the cam 852 by double inner and outer ribs. The center of the cam groove 853 is offset from the rotation center of the cam 852. An operating piece 833 of the clutch lever 830 is housed inside the cam groove 853. Note that the torque motor 851 corresponds to the power generating section of the present invention.

Lever drive device 850 is fixed to mounting plate 860. The mounting plate 860 is fixed to the mounting base 510 of the bearing unit 500. Thereby, the lever drive device 850, ie, the torque motor 851, is arranged below the outer tank 20 and parallel to the motor shaft 130.

FIG. 6(a) is a diagram schematically showing a state in which the first clutch mechanism section 800 switches to the single-blade drive mode, and FIG. 6(b) shows a state in which the first clutch mechanism section 800 switches to the two-blade drive mode. FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing a switched state.

When the cam 852 rotates due to the operation of the torque motor 851, the operating piece 833 of the clutch lever 830 is guided by the cam groove 853 and rotates downward or upward, as shown in FIGS. 6(a) and 6(b). , the arm 832 of the clutch lever 830 rotates in the opposite direction to the operating piece 833, that is, in the upward or downward direction.

In the single-blade drive mode, as shown in FIG. 6A, the cam groove 853 is at the lowest position, the operating piece 833 is pushed down, and the tip of the arm 832, that is, the receiving portion 832a is pushed up. As a result, the clutch body 810 is pushed up to the release position against the biasing force of the spring 820, and the first spline 815 of the clutch body 810 and the spline 623 of the first motor pulley 620 are separated from each other, and As a result, the first motor pulley 620 is not fixed. The rotation of the motor shaft 130 is transmitted to the second motor pulley 720 and then to the lift vane shaft 300, that is, the lift vane 25, but not to the first motor pulley 620, and is transmitted to the rotor shaft 400, that is, the rotor vane 24. is not transmitted.

On the other hand, in the two-blade drive mode, as shown in FIG. 6(b), the cam groove 853 is at the uppermost position, the operating piece 833 is pushed up, and the receiving portion 832a of the arm 832 is pushed down. As a result, the clutch body 810 is pushed down to the engagement position by the biasing force of the spring 820, the first spline 815 and the spline 623 are engaged, and the first motor pulley 620 is fixed to the motor shaft 130. state. The rotation of the motor shaft 130 is transmitted to both the second motor pulley 720 and the first motor pulley 620, and is transmitted to both the pumping blade shaft 300, that is, the pumping blade 25, and the rotor shaft 400, that is, the rotary blade 24.

FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view of the drive unit 30 showing the vicinity of the second clutch mechanism section 900. FIG. 8 is a bottom view of the drive unit 30 showing the vicinity of the second clutch mechanism section 900. FIG. 9 is a bottom view of the drive unit 30 with the first pulley 610, the second pulley 710, and the clutch mechanism 910 removed, showing the vicinity of the second clutch mechanism section 900. FIG. 10(a) is a perspective view of the clutch mechanism 910 upside down. FIG. 10(b) is a perspective view of the clutch body 950, and FIG. 10(c) is a perspective view of the clutch receiving portion 970 turned upside down.

For convenience, FIG. 8 shows a state in which the dehydration tank shaft 200, pumping blade shaft 300, rotary blade shaft 400, and clutch body 950 are disconnected at a position above the second pulley 710, and in FIG. For convenience, only the body of the bearing case 520 is shown in cross section.

Referring to FIGS. 7 to 10(c), second clutch mechanism section 900 includes a clutch mechanism 910 and a drive device 920 for driving clutch mechanism 910. The clutch mechanism 910 and the drive device 920 restrict the rotation of the rotary blade shaft 400 and the pumping blade shaft 300 with respect to the dehydration tank shaft 200, so that the rotary blade 24, the pumping blade 25, and the laundry dehydration tank 22 rotate integrally. A possible integral drive mode and a separate drive in which the rotor blades 24 and lift blades 25 can rotate relative to the washing and dehydration tank 22 by releasing the restriction on the rotation of the rotor blade shaft 400 and the lift blade shaft 300 with respect to the dehydration tank shaft 200 Switching between modes is performed. The clutch mechanism 910 and the drive device 920 constitute a second switching section of the present invention. The integrated drive mode corresponds to the third drive mode of the present invention, and the separate drive mode corresponds to the fourth drive mode of the present invention.

In this embodiment, the upper end of the pumping vane shaft 300 is fixed to the pumping vane 25, and the upper end of the rotor shaft 400 is fixed to the rotary vane 24 located above the pumping vane 25. A rotor shaft 400 is located inside the shaft 300. Therefore, since the pumping blade shaft 300 exists between the dehydration tank shaft 200 and the rotor shaft 400, it is difficult to realize a configuration in which only the rotation of the rotor shaft 400 with respect to the dehydration tank shaft 200 is restricted. Therefore, in the clutch mechanism 910, when the rotation of the rotor blade shaft 400 with respect to the dehydration tank shaft 200 is restricted in the integral drive mode, the rotation of the pumping blade shaft 300 is also restricted.

Further, the second clutch mechanism section 900 includes a brake mechanism 930 for braking the dehydration tank shaft 200 and an opening/closing mechanism 940 for opening and closing the drain valve 40. A drive device 920 is used to drive the brake mechanism 930 and the opening/closing mechanism 940.

Clutch mechanism 910 includes a clutch body 950, a moving mechanism 960, and a clutch receiving portion 970.

Clutch receiver 970 has a cylindrical shape and is fixed to bottom 521 of bearing case 520. An annular uneven portion 971 is formed on the lower surface of the clutch receiving portion 970.

Clutch body 950 is arranged between clutch receiving portion 970 and second pulley 710 on dehydration tank shaft 200 . The clutch body 950 is formed into a cylindrical shape in which the outer diameter of the upper end portion is larger than the outer diameter of the other portions, and has a boss portion 951 inside. A plurality of engagement protrusions 952 are formed at the lower end of the clutch body 950 at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction and protrude downward, that is, toward the second pulley 710. The engagement protrusion 952 has substantially the same cross-sectional shape as the engagement recess 613 and the through hole 712. Furthermore, an annular uneven portion 953 that engages with an uneven portion 971 of the clutch receiving portion 970 is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the upper end portion of the clutch body 950 over the entire circumference. Furthermore, a spline 954 is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the boss portion 951 over the entire circumference. Note that the engagement protrusion 952 corresponds to the engagement portion of the present invention.

A spline 214 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the dehydration tank shaft 200 at a position between the bearing case 520 and the second pulley 710 over the entire circumference. The vertical dimension of the spline 214 is made larger than the vertical dimension of the spline 954 of the boss portion 951.

The spline 954 of the boss portion 951 and the spline 214 of the dehydration tank shaft 200 engage with each other, and this engagement allows the clutch body 950 to move in the axial direction of the dehydration tank shaft 200 with respect to the dehydration tank shaft 200 and to remove the water. It is in a state where it can rotate together with the water tank shaft 200.

The moving mechanism 960 moves the clutch body 950 between a restriction position where the engagement protrusion 952 engages with the engagement recess 613 and rotation of the rotor shaft 400 with respect to the dehydration tank shaft 200 is restricted, and a restriction position where the engagement protrusion 952 engages with the engagement recess 613 to restrict rotation of the rotor shaft 400 with respect to the dehydration tank shaft 200. The rotor blade shaft 400 is moved away from the engagement recess 613 to a release position where the rotation of the rotor shaft 400 with respect to the dehydration tank shaft 200 is no longer restricted. When the clutch body 950 moves to the release position, the concavo-convex portion 953 of the clutch body 950 and the concave-convex portion 971 of the clutch receiving portion 970 engage with each other, and the dehydration tank shaft 200 is fixed to the bearing case 520 via the clutch receiving portion 970. , it becomes impossible to rotate.

The moving mechanism 960 includes a first spring 961, a first lever 962, a lever support portion 963, a relay wire 964, a second lever 965, a lever shaft 966, a second spring 967, and a connecting body 968. include.

The first spring 961 is disposed between the clutch body 950 and the rolling bearing 532 of the bearing case 520, and biases the clutch body 950 toward the second pulley 710, that is, toward the regulation position.

The first lever 962 includes a substantially semicircular head portion 981 that extends along the outer peripheral surface of a portion below the upper end of the clutch body 950, and a lever portion 982 that extends upward from the head portion 981. Pressing portions 983 are formed at both ends of the head portion 981 to contact the upper end portion of the clutch body 950 from below and press the upper end portion upward.

The lever support portion 963 includes a pair of support pieces 963a integrally formed with the clutch receiving portion 970, and a support shaft 963b fixed to the tips of the pair of support pieces 963a and passing through the lower end of the lever portion 982. The first lever 962 is supported so as to be rotatable around a support shaft 963b.

A relay wire 964 connects the first lever 962 and the second lever 965. A spring 964a is integrally formed in the relay wire 964 at an intermediate position. One end of the relay wire 964 is attached to the upper end of the lever portion 982 of the first lever 962.

The lever shaft 966 is supported by the support portion 523 of the bearing case 520 and extends downward. A second lever 965 is rotatably attached to the lower part of the lever shaft 966. The second lever 965 is formed with an arm portion 965a that extends in a direction away from the dehydration tank shaft 200. A mounting pin 965b is formed at an intermediate position of the arm portion 965a, and the other end of the relay wire 964 is attached to the mounting pin 965b. Note that the lever shaft 966 is also used for the brake mechanism 930.

The second spring 967 is a torsion spring, is attached to the lever shaft 966, and biases the second lever 965 so that the second lever 965 rotates in the direction in which the lever portion 982 of the first lever 962 is pulled.

The connecting body 968 is disposed between the drive device 920 and the drain valve 40, and has a first connecting portion 968a and a second connecting portion 968b. An arm portion 965a of the second lever 965 is connected to the first connecting portion 968a. Furthermore, the connecting body 968 is provided with a first mounting portion 968c at the end on the drive device 920 side, and a second mounting portion 968d at the end on the drain valve 40 side.

Brake mechanism 930 includes a brake band 931, a brake lever 932, and a spring 933. A brake shoe 934 is attached to the back surface of the brake band 931. The brake band 931 is wrapped around the brake drum 201 of the dehydration tank shaft 200 within the bearing case 520. Two holes 524 are formed in the bearing case 520 on the support portion 523 side. One end of the brake band 931 is brought out of the bearing case 520 through one hole 524 and fixed to the bearing case 520 with a screw 935. Further, the other end of the brake band 931 is brought out of the bearing case 520 through the other hole 524 and fixed to the brake lever 932 with a pin 936.

Brake lever 932 is rotatably attached to the upper part of lever shaft 966. The brake lever 932 is formed with an arm portion 932a that extends in a direction away from the dehydration tank shaft 200. The arm portion 932a is connected to a second connecting portion 968b of the connecting body 968.

The spring 933 is a torsion spring, is attached to the lever shaft 966, and biases the brake lever 932 so that the brake lever 932 rotates in the direction in which the brake band 931 is pulled. In this state, the brake shoes 934 of the brake band 931 come into contact with the brake drum 201, so the rotation of the brake drum 201 is stopped.

The opening/closing mechanism 940 includes an operating body 941 and a connecting rod 942. The actuating body 941 is inserted into the valve chamber 42 of the drain valve 40 and connected to the valve body 43 movably disposed within the valve chamber 42 . The connecting rod 942 has one end connected to the actuating body 941 and the other end attached to the second attachment part 968d of the connecting body 968. When the actuating body 941 and the connecting rod 942 move toward or away from the drain valve 40, the valve body 43 closes or opens the drain port 44 connected to the drain port portion 20a.

Drive device 920 includes a torque motor 921, a cam 922, and a connection wire 923. The torque motor 921 generates torque that is the power for operating the moving mechanism 960 of the clutch mechanism 910, the brake mechanism 930, and the opening/closing mechanism 940. The cam 922 has a disc shape and rotates around a horizontal axis by the torque of the torque motor 921. A mounting portion 924 is provided on the outer peripheral edge of the front surface of the cam 922 . The connecting wire 923 has one end attached to the attachment part 924 and the other end attached to the first attachment part 968c of the coupling body 968.

In the separate drive mode, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the lever portion 982 of the first lever 962 is pulled by the second lever 965 via the relay wire 964, and the head portion 981 of the first lever 962 is pushed up. state. The pressing portion 983 of the head portion 981 contacts the clutch body 950 and pushes up the clutch body 950, and the uneven portion 953 of the clutch body 950 and the uneven portion 971 of the clutch receiving portion 970 engage with each other. As a result, the dewatering tank shaft 200 is fixed to the bearing case 520 and cannot rotate, and the rotor shaft 400 and the pumping vane shaft 300 can rotate independently of the dehydrating tank shaft 200. That is, the rotary blade 24 and the pumping blade 25 are in a state where they can rotate independently of the washing and dehydrating tank 22.

In the separate drive mode, the brake shoe 934 of the brake band 931 is in contact with the brake drum 201, and the dehydration tank shaft 200, that is, the washing and dehydration tank 22 is also stopped by the brake mechanism 930. Further, the drain valve 40 is in a state where the valve body 43 is closed by the opening/closing mechanism 940.

Although the spring 964a of the relay wire 964 is shown in a natural length state in FIGS. 8 and 10(a), in reality, the spring 964a is slightly stretched in the separate drive mode. Thereby, a pressing force is applied to the clutch body 950 from the pressing portion 983, so that the uneven portions 953 and 971 can be firmly engaged with each other.

When switching from the separate drive mode to the integrated drive mode, the cam 922 is rotated by the operation of the torque motor 921, and the connecting body 968 is pulled by the connecting wire 923 and moves toward the drive device 920. As a result, the second lever 965 rotates toward the drive device 920 against the biasing force of the second spring 967, and the first lever 962 is rotated by being pushed by the relay wire 964, so that the head portion 981 of the second lever 965 rotates. Being pushed down. As shown by the broken line in FIG. 7, the clutch body 950 is pushed down by the biasing force of the first spring 961, the engagement between the uneven parts 953 and 971 is released, and the engagement protrusion 952 of the clutch body 950 is pushed down. It passes through the through hole 712 of the second pulley 710 and engages with the engagement recess 613 of the first pulley 610. As a result, the rotor shaft 400 and the pumping vane shaft 300 are fixed to the dehydration tank shaft 200, and the dehydration tank shaft 200, the rotor shaft 400, and the pumping vane shaft 300 can rotate together. That is, the washing and dehydrating tank 22, the rotary blades 24, and the lifting blades 25 are in a state where they can rotate together.

In the integrated drive mode, when the coupling body 968 moves toward the drive device 920, the brake lever 932 rotates toward the drive device 920 against the biasing force of the spring 933, and the brake band 931 loosens and the brake shoe 934 releases. Leaves the brake drum 201. As a result, the dehydration tank shaft 200, that is, the washing and dehydration tank 22 is not stopped by the brake mechanism 930. Further, in the opening/closing mechanism 940, the actuating body 941 and the connecting rod 942 move in a direction away from the drain valve 40. As a result, the valve body 43 of the drain valve 40 is opened.

In the fully automatic washing machine 1, washing operations of various operation courses are performed. The washing operation courses include a standard course for washing standard laundry and a delicate course for washing delicate laundry. In the washing operation, a washing process, an intermediate dehydration process, a rinsing process, and a final dehydration process are executed in order.

In the washing process, the drive mode is switched to the separate drive mode by the second clutch mechanism section 900. As a result, the washing and dehydrating tank 22 is fixed so as not to rotate, and the rotary blades 24 and the pumping blades 25 are able to rotate relative to the washing and dehydrating tank 22. Note that switching to the separate drive mode is performed when the final rinsing step in the previous washing operation is completed. At this time, the brake mechanism 930 stops the drive motor 100 and brakes the washing and dehydrating tub 22 which is rotating due to inertia.

Furthermore, in the washing process, when the washing course is the standard course, the first clutch mechanism section 800 switches the drive mode to the two-blade drive mode. As a result, the rotation of the drive motor 100 is transmitted to both the rotary blade 24 and the lift blade 25.

With water containing detergent stored in the washing and dehydrating tank 22, the drive motor 100 rotates rightward and leftward with a stop. As a result, the rotary blade 24 and the pumping blade 25 rotate rightward and leftward with a stop therebetween. At this time, the lifting blades 25 rotate at a higher speed than the rotary blades 24.

The rotation of the rotary blades 24 generates a whirlpool water flow in the washing and dehydrating tank 22. The laundry in the washing and dehydrating tank 22 is washed by being stirred and rubbed against each other by the action of the whirlpool water flow. The laundry is also washed by being rubbed by the blades 24a of the rotary blades 24.

When the pumping blade 25 rotates, water between the washing and dehydrating tank 22 and the outer tank 20 is sucked into the recess 26 through the water port 22b. The sucked water is pushed out by the pumping vanes 25 and sent to each pumping channel 28, flows within each pumping channel 28, and is discharged into the washing and dehydrating tank 22 from each discharge port 27a. The laundry on the water surface side in the washing and dewatering tank 22 is washed by being hit by the falling water. In addition, in the washing process, the cleaning performance of the detergent is also exhibited.

In this way, standard laundry can be washed well by the action of the vortex water flow caused by the rotation of the rotary blades 24 and the circulation and discharge of water by the rotation of the lifting blades 25.

On the other hand, in the washing process, when the washing course is a delicate course, the first clutch mechanism section 800 switches the drive mode to the single-blade drive mode. As a result, the rotation of the drive motor 100 is not transmitted to the rotary blade 24 but is transmitted to the pumping blade 25.

The drive motor 100 rotates while water containing detergent is stored in the washing and dehydrating tank 22. As a result, the pumping blades 25 rotate while the rotary blades 24 are stopped. At this time, the drive motor 100 and the pumping blade 25 may rotate continuously in either one of the rightward direction and the leftward direction, or may rotate intermittently. When the drive motor 100 and the pumping blade 25 rotate intermittently, they may rotate rightward and leftward with stops in between.

The laundry in the laundry dehydration tank 22 is washed by being hit with water containing detergent discharged from the discharge port 27a of the pumping channel 28. Furthermore, a water flow is generated in the washing and dehydrating tank 22 from the water surface side to the bottom side, and the water passes through the laundry, thereby washing the laundry. At this time, since the rotary blades 24 are not rotationally driven by the drive motor 100, no whirlpool water flow is generated, and the laundry items are less likely to rub against each other. Further, the laundry is less likely to be rubbed by the blades 24a of the rotary blade 24.

In addition, by performing intermittent rotation of the rotary blades 24 for short periods of time, it is also possible to move the laundry little by little and effectively apply the circulating water to the laundry.

In this way, delicate laundry can be washed well by circulating water by the rotation of the pumping blades 25 so that damage to the cloth can be suppressed.

In the rinsing process, as in the washing process, when the washing course is the standard course, the rotary blades 24 and the pumping blades 25 rotate, and the standard laundry is subjected to effects such as whirlpool water flow due to the rotation of the rotary blades 24. The water is circulated and discharged by the rotation of the pumping blades 25, thereby rinsing well. In addition, when the washing course is the delicate course, only the lifting blades 25 rotate, and delicate laundry is rinsed well by circulating water by the rotation of the lifting blades 25 to prevent fabric damage. .

In the rinsing step, the switching to the separate drive mode is performed immediately after the intermediate dehydration step ends, and the brake mechanism 930 stops the drive motor 100 and brakes the washing and dehydration tub 22 that is rotating by inertia.

In the intermediate dehydration step and the final dehydration step, the second clutch mechanism section 900 switches the drive mode to the integral drive mode. As a result, the dehydration tank shaft 200, the pumping vane shaft 300, and the rotary vane shaft 400 are connected, and the washing dehydration tank 22, the rotary vane 24, and the pumping vane 25 can rotate integrally. Further, the drive mode is switched to the single-blade drive mode by the first clutch mechanism section 800. As a result, the rotation of the drive motor 100 is not transmitted to the rotor shaft 400 via the first transmission mechanism section 600, but is transmitted to the pumping vane shaft 300 via the second transmission mechanism section 700.

When switched to the integrated drive mode, the drain valve 40 is opened by the opening/closing mechanism 940. As a result, water is drained from the inside of the washing/dehydration tank 22 and the outside tank 20.

After the drainage is completed, the drive motor 100 rotates in one direction at high speed. Since there is no increase or decrease in speed in the second transmission mechanism section 700, the pumping vane shaft 300, the dehydration tank shaft 200 and the rotary vane shaft 400 that are integrated with the pumping vane shaft 300 rotate at the same speed as the drive motor 100. do. As a result, the washing and dehydrating tank 22, the rotary blades 24, and the lifting blades 25 are integrally rotated at high speed at the same speed as the drive motor 100. The laundry is dehydrated by the action of centrifugal force generated in the washing and dehydrating tank 22.

In the delicate cycle, the rotation speed of the drive motor 100 during spin-drying may be lowered or the spin-drying time may be shortened, compared to the standard cycle, so that the laundry is less likely to be damaged.

In addition, as a washing course, a cloth tangle reduction course may be provided in which standard laundry is washed while suppressing cloth tangles. In this cloth tangle reduction course, the first clutch mechanism section 800 switches between the two-blade drive mode and the one-blade drive mode at regular intervals during the washing process and the rinsing process. As a result, there are periods in which both the rotor blades 24 and the lift blades 25 rotate, and periods in which only the lift blades 25 rotate.

<Effects of the embodiment>
As described above, according to the present embodiment, when washing delicate laundry, the first clutch mechanism section 800 switches to the single-blade drive mode, and the second clutch mechanism section 900 switches to the separate drive mode. The process is carried out. As a result, in the washing process, the drive motor 100 rotates only the pumping blades 25 without rotating the rotary blades 24, discharging water from the discharge port 27a, and pumping water between the washing dehydration tank 22 and the pumping channel 28. By circulating the laundry, you can wash delicate laundry. Therefore, damage to delicate laundry items caused by washing can be suppressed.

In addition, by performing intermittent rotation of the rotary blades 24 for short periods of time, it is also possible to move the laundry little by little and effectively apply the circulating water to the laundry.

Further, according to the present embodiment, the drive motor 100 is disposed below the outer tank 20 such that the motor shaft 130 is parallel to the rotor shaft 400 and the lift vane shaft 300, and The shaft 300 is provided with a first pulley 610 and a second pulley 710, respectively, and the motor shaft 130 is provided with a first motor pulley 620 and a second pulley 710, which are connected to the first pulley 610 via a first belt 630. A configuration is adopted in which a second motor pulley 720 is connected via a belt 730. As a result, the rotary blade shaft 400, the pumping blade shaft 300, and the drive motor 100 are not aligned in the vertical direction, so that the vertical size of the drive unit 30 can be made compact, and the height of the fully automatic washing machine 1 can be suppressed. .

Further, according to the present embodiment, the first clutch mechanism section 800 is configured such that the torque motor 851 that generates power for operating the clutch body 810 is arranged in parallel with the motor shaft 130 of the drive motor 100. ing. As a result, the motor shaft 130 and the torque motor 851 are not aligned in the vertical direction, so that the vertical size of the drive unit 30 can be made even more compact.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the upper end of the pumping vane shaft 300 is fixed to the pumping vane 25, and the upper end of the rotor shaft 400 is fixed to the rotary vane 24 located above the pumping vane 25. Since the rotor shaft 400 is inserted into the blade shaft 300, the pump shaft 300 exists between the dehydration tank shaft 200 and the rotor shaft 400. For such a configuration, the drive unit 30 has a clutch mechanism 910 that has an engagement protrusion 952 that protrudes toward the second pulley 710 and is movable along the dehydration tank shaft 200 and can move together with the dehydration tank shaft 200. The second pulley 710 includes a rotatable clutch body 950, and the second pulley 710 is provided with a through hole 712 through which the engagement protrusion 952 passes when the clutch body 950 moves in a direction approaching the second pulley 710. is configured such that an engagement recess 613 is provided in which the engagement protrusion 952 passing through the through hole 712 engages.

According to such a configuration, the engaging protrusion 952 penetrates the through hole 712 and engages with the engaging recess 613, thereby providing an integral drive that allows the dehydration tank shaft 200 and the rotor shaft 400 to rotate integrally. By switching to the mode and moving the engagement protrusion 952 away from the engagement recess 613, the separate drive mode in which the rotor shaft 400 can be rotated with respect to the dehydration tank shaft 200 is switched. Therefore, even if the pumping blade shaft 300 is present between the dewatering tank shaft 200 and the rotary blade shaft 400, switching between the integral drive mode and the separate drive mode by the clutch mechanism 910 can be realized.

Further, according to the present embodiment, the drive device 920 is configured to drive the opening/closing mechanism 940 in conjunction with the moving mechanism 960. Thereby, the drive device 920 for driving the clutch mechanism 910 can also be used as a drive source for opening and closing the drain valve 40, and the cost of the fully automatic washing machine 1 can be reduced.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, etc., and the embodiments of the present invention can also be modified in various ways other than the above. be.

For example, in the embodiment described above, the pumping blade shaft 300 is constituted by a single shaft without including a speed reduction mechanism or a speed increase mechanism. However, the pumping blade shaft 300 includes an input shaft fixed to the second pulley 710, an output shaft fixed to the pumping blade 25, and a speed reduction mechanism or speed increase mechanism provided between these shafts. It may be configured as follows.

Further, in the above embodiment, a configuration is adopted in which the rotor blade shaft 400 is inserted into the pumping blade shaft 300. However, contrary to the above configuration, a configuration may be adopted in which the lift blade shaft 300 is inserted into the rotor blade shaft 400. In this case, the rotor shaft 400 cannot be directly fixed to the rotor blade 24 because the lift blade 25 becomes an obstacle. Therefore, in this case, the rotor shaft 400 and the rotor blade 24 are preferably connected by a connecting portion that includes the lift blade 25 . The connecting portion is provided with an inlet and an outlet through which water flows into and out of the connecting portion when the pumping blade 25 rotates. Further, the second transmission mechanism section 700 is arranged above the first transmission mechanism section 600. Note that when a configuration is adopted in which the pumping blade shaft 300 is inserted into the rotor blade shaft 400 in this way, the rotor blade shaft 400 is not a single shaft, but an input shaft fixed to the first pulley 610, It may be configured to include an output shaft fixed to the rotary blade 24 and a speed reduction mechanism or speed increase mechanism provided between these shafts.

Furthermore, in the embodiment described above, the first clutch mechanism section 800 is provided on the motor shaft 130 side. However, the first clutch mechanism section 800 may be provided on the rotor shaft 400 side. In this case, the first pulley 610 is rotatable with respect to the rotor shaft 400, and the clutch body 810 is disposed on the rotor shaft 400. In this configuration, when switched to the single-blade drive mode, the first pulley 610 idles and the rotor shaft 400 does not rotate, and when switched to the two-blade drive mode, the rotor shaft 400 rotates together with the first pulley 610. .

Furthermore, in the embodiment described above, the second motor pulley 720 is fixed to the motor shaft 130, and the rotation of the motor shaft 130 is always transmitted to the second motor pulley 720. However, a third clutch mechanism section having the same configuration as the first clutch mechanism section 800 may be provided between the motor shaft 130 and the second motor pulley 720. Alternatively, a third clutch mechanism may be provided between the second pulley 710 and the pumping blade shaft 300. In this case, the third clutch mechanism section switches between a state in which the rotation of the motor shaft 130 is transmitted to the pumping vane shaft 300 and a state in which it is not transmitted. When the third clutch mechanism section is provided in this way, switching is performed so that the rotation of the motor shaft 130 is transmitted to the rotor shaft 400 by the first clutch mechanism section 800, and the third clutch mechanism section By switching so that the rotation is not transmitted to the pumping vane shaft 300, it is possible to realize a drive mode in which the pumping vane shaft 300, that is, the pumping vane 25 does not rotate, and the rotor shaft 400, that is, the rotary vane 24 rotates. This drive mode corresponds to the first drive mode of the present invention, and the first switching section of the present invention is constituted by the first clutch mechanism section 800 and the third clutch mechanism section.

In addition, in the case where the third clutch mechanism section is provided as described above, when the second clutch mechanism section 900 switches to the integral drive mode in the dewatering process, the pumping blade shaft 300 does not rotate and the rotor blade It may be possible to switch to a drive mode in which the shaft 400 rotates. Furthermore, when such a configuration is adopted, a configuration may be adopted in which the lift blade shaft 300 is inserted into the rotary blade shaft 400 described above. In this case, since the second pulley 710 is no longer interposed between the clutch body 950 and the first pulley 610, the through hole 712 is eliminated from the second pulley 710. Since the engagement protrusion 952 of the clutch body 950 directly engages the engagement recess 613 of the first pulley 610, the dehydration tank shaft 200 and the rotor shaft 400 can rotate together. , the pumping blade shaft 300 is in a state where it can rotate relative to the dehydration tank shaft 200 and the rotor shaft 400.

Furthermore, the first clutch mechanism section 800 may have a configuration other than the configuration mentioned in the above embodiment as long as it can be switched between the single-blade drive mode and the two-blade drive mode. Similarly, if the second clutch mechanism section 900, that is, the clutch mechanism 910 and the drive device 920 can be switched between the integrated drive mode and the separate drive mode, then It may be a configuration.

Furthermore, in the embodiment described above, the second clutch mechanism section 900 is configured such that the drive device 920 drives not only the moving mechanism 960 but also the opening/closing mechanism 940 that opens and closes the drain valve 40. However, a configuration may be adopted in which the second clutch mechanism section 900 does not include the opening/closing mechanism 940 and the opening/closing mechanism 940 is driven by a drive source different from the drive device 920.

Further, in the above embodiment, the discharge port 27a is provided at the upper part of the pumping channel 28, but it may be provided at another position such as the center. Moreover, the discharge port 27a may have any shape.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the first transmission mechanism section 600 is configured by the first pulley 610, the first motor pulley 620, and the first belt 630, and the second transmission mechanism section 700 is configured by the second pulley 710, the second motor pulley 620, and the first belt 630. 720 and a second belt 730. However, the first transmission mechanism section 600 may be configured by a first motor gear provided on the motor shaft 130 and a first gear provided on the rotor shaft 400 and meshed with the first motor gear, and the second transmission mechanism The section 700 may include a second motor gear provided on the motor shaft 130 and a second gear provided on the pumping vane shaft 300 and meshed with the second motor gear. In this case, the first motor gear and the first gear correspond to the first motor rotational drive section and the first rotational driven section of the present invention, respectively, and the second motor gear and the second gear correspond to the first motor rotation drive section and the first rotation driven section of the present invention, respectively. This corresponds to a two-motor rotation drive section and a second rotation driven section.

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

1 Fully automatic washing machine (washing machine)
20 Outer tank
22 Washing and dehydrating tank
24 Rotor blade
25 Lifting wing
27a Discharge port
28 Pumping channel
30 Drive unit (drive section)
40 Drain valve
100 drive motor
200 Dehydration tank shaft
300 Lifting blade shaft
400 rotor shaft
610 First pulley (first rotation driven part)
613 Engagement recess (engaged part)
620 First motor pulley (first motor rotation drive unit)
630 1st belt
710 Second pulley (second rotation driven part)
712 Through hole
720 Second motor pulley (second motor rotation drive unit)
730 2nd belt
800 First clutch mechanism section (first switching section)
810 Clutch body (switching body)
851 Torque motor (power generation part)
900 Second clutch mechanism section
910 Clutch mechanism (second switching part)
920 Drive device (second switching section)
940 Opening/closing mechanism
950 clutch body
952 Engagement protrusion (engagement part)
960 Moving mechanism

Claims (4)

A washing and dehydrating tank rotatably arranged in the outer tank,
a rotary blade rotatably disposed at the bottom of the washing and dehydrating tank;
a pumping blade rotatably disposed between the bottom wall of the washing and dehydrating tank and the rotary blade;
a pumping channel provided on a side wall of the washing and dehydrating tank, through which water supplied by rotation of the pumping blade flows;
a discharge port through which water flowing through the pumping channel is discharged into the washing and dehydrating tank;
a drive unit provided below the outer tank and for driving the washing and dehydrating tank, the rotary blade, and the pumping blade;
The drive unit includes:
a drive motor;
a first motor rotation drive section and a second motor rotation drive section that are provided on a motor shaft of the motor and rotate together with the motor shaft;
a rotor shaft serving as a rotation axis of the rotor ;
a pumping vane shaft that serves as a rotation axis of the pumping vane and into which the rotary vane shaft is rotatably inserted;
a dehydration tank shaft that serves as a rotation axis of the washing dehydration tank and into which the rotor blade shaft and the pumping blade shaft are rotatably inserted;
a first rotary driven portion fixed to a portion of the rotary blade shaft that protrudes downward from the pumping blade shaft, and to which rotation of the first motor rotation drive portion is transmitted;
a second rotational driven section fixed to a portion of the pumping vane shaft that protrudes downward from the dehydration tank shaft, and to which rotation of the second motor rotational drive section is transmitted;
a first drive mode in which rotation of the drive motor is transmitted to the rotary blade shaft via the first rotational driven part and to the pumping blade shaft via the second rotational driven part; and Switching between a second drive mode in which the rotation of the motor is not transmitted to the rotary blade shaft via the first rotational driven part but is transmitted to the lift blade shaft via the second rotational driven part. a first switching section that performs
a third drive mode in which the rotary blade shaft, the pumping blade shaft, and the dehydration tank shaft can rotate integrally; and a third drive mode in which the rotor blade shaft and the pumping blade shaft can rotate relative to the dehydration tank shaft . a second switching unit that switches between the four drive modes ;
The first switching section is disposed on the motor shaft, and in the first drive mode, the first switching section changes the rotation of the first motor with respect to the motor shaft so that the rotation of the motor shaft is transmitted to the first motor rotation drive section. an operation of fixing the drive unit, and an operation of releasing the fixation of the first motor rotation drive unit to the motor shaft so that the rotation of the motor shaft is not transmitted to the first motor rotation drive unit in the second drive mode; It includes a switching body that performs
The second switching part includes a clutch body that has an engaging part that protrudes toward the second rotation driven part and can move along the dehydration tank shaft and rotate together with the dehydration tank shaft,
The second rotation driven part is provided with a through hole through which the engaging part passes,
The first rotation driven part is provided with an engaged part that is engaged by the engaging part passing through the through hole,
In the third drive mode, the clutch body moves in a direction approaching the second rotation driven part, the engaging part penetrates the through hole and engages the engaged part, and the dewatering tank Rotation of the rotary blade shaft and the pumping blade shaft with respect to the shaft is regulated,
In the fourth drive mode, the clutch body does not move in a direction approaching the second rotation driven part, and the restriction on rotation of the rotor blade shaft and the pumping blade shaft with respect to the dehydration tank shaft is released;
In a delicate cycle washing process for washing delicate laundry, the first switching section switches to the second drive mode, and the second switching section switches to the fourth drive mode, and the drive motor rotates. By doing so, the lifting blade rotates without the rotary blade rotating,
In a standard washing process for washing standard laundry, the drive motor is switched to the first drive mode by the first switching section and switched to the fourth drive mode by the second switching section. By rotating, the rotor blade and the lift blade rotate,
In the dehydration step, the first switching section switches to the second drive mode, and the second switching section switches to the third drive mode, and the drive motor rotates, whereby the rotation of the drive motor is reduced. The rotation is transmitted to the pumping vane shaft via the second rotary driven part, and the pumping vane shaft, the rotary vane shaft, and the dehydration tank shaft are rotated, and the rotary vane, the pumping vane, and the washing and dehydration tank are integrated. rotate to,
A washing machine characterized by: The washing machine according to claim 1,
The drive motor is disposed below the outer tank such that the motor shaft is parallel to the rotary blade axis and the pumping blade axis.
A washing machine characterized by: The washing machine according to claim 1 or 2,
The first switching unit includes a power generating unit that is arranged in parallel with the motor shaft and generates power for operating the switching body.
A washing machine characterized by: The washing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3 ,
a drain valve disposed in a drainage path for discharging water in the laundry dehydration tank;
Further comprising an opening/closing mechanism for opening and closing the drain valve,
The second switching section is
The clutch body is arranged in a regulating position where the engaging portion engages with the engaged portion to restrict rotation of the rotor shaft with respect to the dehydration tank shaft, and a regulating position where the engaging portion is separated from the engaged portion. a moving mechanism for moving the rotary blade shaft between a release position and a release position where restriction on rotation of the rotary blade shaft with respect to the dehydration tank shaft is released;
a drive device that drives the moving mechanism;
The drive device drives the opening/closing mechanism in conjunction with the moving mechanism.
A washing machine characterized by:

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