JPH0323195Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Purpose of the invention] (Field of industrial application) The present invention relates to a washing machine operation box with an improved waterproof structure.

(Prior Art) In recent years, this type of washing machine has been provided whose operation is controlled by a microcomputer. In this machine, the electronic board that makes up the microcomputer and the control unit, which is made up of switches and other electronic parts installed on it, are housed in an exposed state inside an operation box installed at the top of the washing machine main body. and is wearing it. Displays for the operation and operation of the control unit are displayed by covering the opening formed in the front of the operation box to which the control unit is installed with a display board made of a thin synthetic resin plate, and displaying the information by printing, etc. as appropriate. This is done by doing.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) However, in this configuration, water tends to enter through the opening of the operation box, and this water may fall on the control unit, causing poor insulation or malfunction. Furthermore, even if water does not splash onto the control unit, water that has entered the interior of the operation box tends to accumulate at the bottom of the operation box. Conventionally, this water is drained out of the operation box through a drainage hole formed on the bottom of the operation box. However, in response to the recent trend of using it in combination with clothes dryers, control boxes have become shorter, and as a result, the bottom of the control box has no choice but to protrude into the washing tub, so there is a drainage hole in the bottom. The reality is that they are unable to provide a water tank and are having trouble discharging the water that has entered.

Therefore, the present invention can quickly drain water that has entered the operation box through the display opening of the control unit in the panel, and can prevent the housed control unit from being flooded even if the height of the operation box is lowered. The purpose of the present invention is to provide an operation box for a washing machine that is free from the risk of damage.

[Structure of the invention] (Means for solving the problem) A drainage channel is formed around the display part of the unit case housing the control unit such as an electronic board, and a drainage channel is formed around the display part on the panel to which the drainage channel is attached. forming an opening so that the lower side including the lower end of the drainage channel of the unit case faces the gutter-like part of the base that receives the front end of the panel, and a drain hole communicating with the outside of the operation box is formed in the bottom of the gutter-like part. It is also characterized in that the bottom surface of the corresponding base is non-porous.

(Function) Water that enters through the opening in the panel flows along the surface of the unit case, flows from the drainage channel and the surface of the unit case into the gutter-shaped part formed in the base, and quickly flows out of the operation box from this gutter-shaped part. can be discharged.

(Example) An example of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. First, in Fig. 2, 1 is the outer box of the washing machine, especially the outer box of the two-tub washing machine.
A washing tub 2 and a dehydration tub 3 are provided inside, and lids 4 and 5 for opening and closing the openings on the upper surfaces of the two tubs are provided at the top, and an operation box 6 is provided. The operation box 6 is comprised of a panel 7 and a base 8, as shown in detail in FIG. Panel 7
The main body is an operation surface section 9, and an upper surface section 10 extending rearward from the upper end thereof and a lower surface section 12 extending rearward from the lower end and having a stepped section 11 in the middle thereof are each integrally formed. Furthermore, a rectangular opening 14 and a boss 15 for fixing the unit case are formed in the operation surface portion 9 in correspondence with a unit case 13, which will be described later, to which the unit case 13 is attached. In addition, a drainage switching device 16, a water level adjustment device 17, a softening agent input port 18, a power switch 19, etc. are also provided. A boss 20 for fixing to the base 8 is also provided inside the upper surface part 10. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, the unit case 13 houses a control unit 22 such as an electronic board in a main part 21 formed in the shape of a square box.
It has an operation section 23 and an operation display section 24 on the top surface,
A display plate 25 is adhered to the upper surface of the display panel 25, thereby forming a covering display section. A drainage channel 26 is integrally formed so as to surround the periphery of the display panel 25, that is, the periphery in this case, in a U-shape, leaving the lower side. The lower end portions of this drainage channel 26 are provided on the left and right sides of a lower flange 27 formed by extending the upper surface of the main portion 21 slightly further downward. 28 is an upper flange for fixing the unit case. On the other hand, the base 8 has a bottom surface 29
And a front wall 30 and a rear wall 3 rising from the front and back.
1, it has a substantially U-shaped cross section. This front wall 30 includes an inner front wall 30a and an outer front wall 30b.
The double walls are connected by a bridge section 32, and the upper part thereof is a gutter-like section 33. A drain hole 34 is formed in the bottom surface of this gutter-shaped portion 33, that is, in the bridge portion 32, to communicate with the outside of the operation box 6. It is located above. Further, the portion of the base bottom surface 29 below the unit case 13 facing the washing tub 2 is separated from the rest of the bottom surface by a partition wall 35 and is non-porous. The height of this partition wall 35 is also formed higher than the maximum overflow surface.

To assemble the washing machine operation box configured as described above, first attach the base 8 to the rear of the top surface of the main body outer box 1.
Place and fix. The upper flange 28 of the unit case 13 is temporarily fixed to the boss 15 on the panel 7 in advance with screws.
2 into the gutter-like part 33 of the base 8. Then, the stepped portion 11 of the lower surface portion 12 comes to be placed and held on the upper end of the outer front wall 30b of the gutter-shaped portion 33, and in this state, the upper surface portion 10 of the panel 7 is brought into contact with the upper end of the rear wall 31 of the base 8. The panel 7 is held in a forward-inclined state, and is screwed and fixed to the fixing boss 20 in this state. At this time, the display board 25 of the unit case 13 faces outward through the opening 14 of the panel 7, but the drainage channel 26 formed around it is covered by the panel 7. In addition, the lower flange 27 including the lower end of the drainage channel 26 of the unit case 13 is clamped and fixed between the upper end of the inner front wall 30a and the panel 7, and in this state, the lower flange 27 including the lower end of the drainage channel 26 is held in the gutter-shaped portion 33. 27
It is arranged so that the whole can be seen. In addition, drainage hole 3
4 is located substantially directly below the lower end of the drainage channel 26.

Next, the operation of the above configuration will be explained. The washing operation is carried out by pressing the operating section of the display board 25 on the upper surface of the unit case 13 through the opening 14 of the panel 7 to operate the internal control unit 22. At this time, if water from washing falls on the panel 7, the water will flow along the top surface of the unit case 13, but all the water flowing in directions other than downwards will be caught in the drainage channel 26, and will flow into the gutter-like groove formed in the base 8. The liquid flows into the portion 33. Also, the water flowing downward is at the lower flange 27.
It also flows into the trough-like part 33 along the same line. Therefore, all of the water that enters through the opening 14 of the panel 7 flows into the gutter-shaped part 33 and does not flow into the base 8, and the bottom surface of the base 8 does not require a drainage hole as in the conventional case. It can be done. Thereby, even if the height of the panel 7 is lowered and the bottom surface of the base 8 comes to protrude into the washing tub 2, there is no possibility that water in the washing tub 2 will enter from the base 8. Furthermore, even if water enters from the contact area between the panel 7 and the base 8, the water can be easily drained out of the operation box by the gutter-shaped portion 33, and the unit case housed inside can be reliably protected. .

In particular, in this embodiment, since the drain hole 34 is located above the maximum overflow surface, the drain hole 34 will not be submerged below the water surface, and even in the event of an abnormal overflow, water that enters through the opening 14 will be prevented. It can be discharged without any problem.

[Effects of the invention] With the present invention configured as described above, all the water that enters from the display part of the unit case flows into the gutter-shaped part, so it does not flow into the base, and the water is located below it. The bottom of the base can be made non-porous without the need for large drainage holes as in conventional models, so even if the height of the panel is reduced and the bottom of the base protrudes into the washing tub, the washing tub can still be drained. The washing machine can eliminate the risk of stains if water enters the operation box, and since the washing machine operates at low voltage, even a small amount of moisture can reliably prevent flooding of the unit case, which can cause malfunctions. An operation box can be provided.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawings show one embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 1 is a partial sectional view of the main parts, Fig. 2 is an external view of a two-tub washing machine to which the invention is applied, and Fig. 3 is an external view of a unit case. be. In the figure, 2 is a washing tub, 6 is an operation box, 7 is a panel 7,
8 is a base, 13 is a unit case, 14 is an opening, 22 is a control unit, 25 is a display plate (display part), 26 is a drain furnace, 33 is a gutter-like part, and 34 is a drain hole.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A unit case that houses a control unit such as an electronic board, has a display section on the upper surface according to the control content of the control unit, and has a drainage channel formed around the display section, and an opening corresponding to the display section of the unit case. a panel having a rear surface to which the unit case is attached; and a base having a gutter-like part for receiving the front end of the panel and holding the panel in a forward-inclined state to form an operation box; The lower end of the drainage channel of the unit case faces into the gutter-shaped part of the base,
In addition, a drainage hole that communicates with the outside of the operation box is formed on the bottom of the gutter-like part, and the bottom of the base located below the unit case, which faces the inside of the washing tub, is separated from other parts and made non-porous. A washing machine operation box characterized by: