JPH04256785A - Drum type washing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce the vibration transmitted to the floor surface at the time when a dehydrating rotation is steady, in the drum type washing machine for executing washing and centrifugal dehydration of the washing by a drum driven to rotate around a horizontal shaft. CONSTITUTION:The washing machine is constituted so that it is provided with a drum 1 provided with a feed water hole 1a on the outside periphery, a water tank 2 which contains the drum 1 and stores washing water, a horizontal shaft 4 whose one end is fixed to the rotation center of the drum 1 and which is driven by a motor 6, a spring body 8 for suspending the water tank 2 from a main body 9, and a buffer body 21 for suppressing the vibration or the water tank 2. The buffer body 21 can switch its buffer capacity, the buffer body 21 enlarges its buffer capacity with a prescribed time after starting a dehydrating rotation and within a prescribed time after stopping the dehydration, and the buffer capacity becomes minimum at a prescribed time after starting the dehydration.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a drum-type washing machine that washes laundry and performs centrifugal dehydration using a drum that is driven to rotate around a horizontal axis.

0002

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, there has been a demand for drum-type washing machines to reduce vibrations during centrifugal dewatering.

Conventionally, this type of drum-type washing machine generally had a configuration as shown in FIG. 12. The configuration will be explained below.

As shown in the figure, the drum 1 is provided with a large number of water passage holes 1a on its outer periphery. A water tank 2 includes a drum 1 and stores washing water. One end of a horizontal shaft 3 is fixed to the center of rotation of the drum 1. The bearing body 4 accommodates a ball bearing and a seal packing for rotatably supporting the horizontal shaft 3, and is fixed to the water tank 2. A drum pulley 5 is fixed to a horizontal shaft 3, and a belt 7 connects the drum pulley 5 to a motor 6, so that the motor 6 drives the drum 1. A spring body 8 suspends the water tank 2 from a main body 9, and a laundry input lid 10 is provided on the front surface of the main body 9 so as to be openable and closable. The pump device 11 communicates with the water tank 2 via a drain hose 12 and is connected to an external drain port via a discharge hose 13. The electromagnetic water supply valve 14 communicates with the water tank 2. Heater 1
5 heats the washing water in the water tank 2. A control device 16 controls the operations of the motor 6, heater 15, and the like. The aquarium packing 17 connects the aquarium 2 and the main body 9 to each other. The buffer body 18 damps vibrations of the water tank 2. A weight 19 is provided in the water tank 2, and the vibration 18 during dehydration reduces the vibration of the water tank 2. The legs 20 are attached to the lower part of the main body 9 so that rattling with the floor can be adjusted.

To explain the operation of the above structure, during the washing process, the drum 1 is driven to rotate at a low speed by the motor 6, and the laundry in the drum 1 is lifted and dropped, and the washing is performed by this mechanical force. The rinsing process is performed in the same way as the washing process. During the dewatering process, the drum 1 is rotated at high speed to dehydrate the laundry. At this time, if the laundry in the drum 1 is uneven, that is, unbalanced, the drum 1
Although the water tank 2 vibrates greatly, the amount of imbalance varies depending on the amount and type of laundry. In order to reduce this vibration, by increasing the weight of the vibrating body with the weight 19, the vibration amplitude is reduced compared to when the weight 19 is not provided.

[0006]

In such a conventional drum-type washing machine, if the laundry in the drum 1 becomes unbalanced, the water tank 2 vibrates greatly during spin-drying. The vibrations of the water tank 2 are transmitted to the main body 9 and the legs 20 via the spring body 8, the buffer body 18, etc., and are further transmitted to the floor surface on which the washing machine is installed. This causes the floor surface to vibrate greatly, and in a wooden house, the entire house begins to vibrate, causing discomfort to the user and causing a big problem in terms of noise. In addition, now that the washing capacity has increased to 5 kg, the weight of the vibrating body must be increased to 50 kg.
Inevitably, the weight of the entire washing machine is about 100 kg, and in typical wooden houses in Japan, unless special floor reinforcement work is done, the floor vibrations and noise are large, which greatly limits its use. was.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems by increasing the buffering capacity of the buffer during a predetermined time of dehydration rotation and a predetermined time of stopping dehydration, and minimizing the buffering capacity after a predetermined time of starting dehydration to maintain steady rotation of dehydration. The primary purpose is to reduce the vibrations that are sometimes transmitted to the floor.

[0008] Also, when the vibration of the water tank during dehydration is above a predetermined value, the buffering capacity of the buffer body is increased, and when the vibration is below a predetermined value, the buffering capacity of the buffer body is decreased. The second purpose is to reduce the vibrations transmitted to the floor surface when the rotation is steady and when the laundry is not unevenly distributed in the drum.

Furthermore, when the number of rotations of the drum during dewatering is below a predetermined value, the buffering capacity of the buffer is increased, and when the number of rotations of the drum is greater than a predetermined value, the buffering capacity of the buffer is reduced, so that when the dehydration rotation is steady, the buffering capacity of the buffer is increased. The third purpose is to reduce transmitted vibrations.

0010

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve the first object, the present invention includes a drum having a water passage hole on its outer periphery, a water tank containing the drum and storing washing water, and one end of which is connected to the drum. a horizontal shaft fixed at the center of rotation and driven by a motor; a spring body that suspends the water tank from the main body; and a buffer body that suppresses vibrations of the water tank; The first means for solving the problem is to make the external dimensions of the sliding member switchable by the shape memory effect of the shape memory alloy, and minimize them after a predetermined time after the start of dehydration rotation.

[0011] In order to achieve the second object, a drum is provided with a water passage hole on its outer periphery, a water tank that encloses the drum and stores washing water, and one end is fixed to the center of rotation of the drum and is driven by a motor. a driven horizontal shaft, a spring body that suspends the water tank from the main body, and a buffer that suppresses vibrations of the water tank;
a vibration detection device that detects the magnitude of vibration of the water tank, and the buffer body is capable of changing its buffer capacity by changing the external dimensions of the sliding member of the buffer body by the shape memory effect of the shape memory alloy, The second means for solving the problem is that when the vibration detection device detects a vibration of a predetermined value or more, its damping capacity is increased, and when it detects a vibration of a predetermined value or less, its buffering capacity is minimized.

Furthermore, in order to achieve the third object, there is provided a drum having a water passage hole on its outer periphery, a water tank that encloses the drum and stores washing water, and one end of which is fixed to the center of rotation of the drum and is driven by a motor. It includes a driven horizontal shaft, a spring body that suspends the water tank from the main body, a buffer that suppresses vibrations of the water tank, and a rotation speed detection device that detects the rotation speed of the drum. The buffer capacity can be changed by changing the external dimensions of the sliding member of the buffer body by the shape memory effect of the shape memory alloy, and the buffer capacity is increased when the rotation speed detection device detects a rotation speed below a predetermined value during dehydration. The third problem-solving means is to minimize the buffering capacity when the rotational speed is detected to be higher than a predetermined value.

[0013]

[Operation] The present invention has the above-mentioned first problem solving means.
The buffering capacity of the buffer is increased during the predetermined time to start dehydration, and the vibration amplitude of the water tank can be prevented from becoming extremely large when passing through the resonance point at the start of dehydration. By minimizing the vibration of the water tank after passing the resonance point, it can be prevented from being transmitted to the main body and the floor via the buffer, and these can be realized with a simple configuration without the need for special equipment.

[0014] Furthermore, according to the second problem-solving means, when the vibration detecting device during spin-drying detects vibrations exceeding a predetermined value, that is, when passing a resonance point at the start of spin-drying or when the laundry is largely uneven in the drum, It is possible to increase the buffering capacity of the buffer body by detecting that the vibration amplitude of the aquarium increases, and prevent the vibration of the aquarium from dissipating. When the rotation is steady and the laundry is slightly uneven in the drum, the buffering capacity of the shock absorber is minimized, and vibrations transmitted to the floor can be significantly reduced.

Furthermore, according to the third problem-solving means, when the rotational speed of the drum during spin-drying is below a predetermined value, that is, when it is below the resonance point, the buffering capacity of the buffer is increased, and the drum passes through the resonance point at the start of the spin-drying rotation. In addition to preventing the vibration amplitude of the water tank from becoming extremely large when the drum rotates over a specified number of rotations, the buffering capacity of the buffer body is minimized, and the vibration of the water tank after passing the resonance point is transmitted through the shock absorber to the main body. and can prevent it from being transmitted to the floor.

[0016]

Embodiments An embodiment of the first problem-solving means of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4. Note that components having the same configuration as those of the conventional example are given the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in the figure, the buffer body 21 is for damping the vibrations of the water tank 2, and is provided so that the water tank 2 and the main body 9 are connected to each other, so that its damping capacity can be switched.

This buffer body 21 will be explained in detail with reference to FIG. 3. A cylinder receiver 23 is mounted inside a cylinder 22 having a circular cross section, and the outer periphery thereof is tightly fixed. Moreover, an attachment part 23a for attaching to the attachment part 2a of the water tank 2 is provided on the outside of the cylinder receiver 23, and a hollow cylindrical part 23b is formed on the inside. A cylinder bearing 24 is tightly fixed to the other end of the cylinder 22, and a cylinder packing 25 is attached to the outside of the cylinder bearing 24. The piston 26 has a hollow shape with one end open, and has an open tip 26a.
is slidably attached to the hollow cylindrical portion 23b of the cylinder receiver 23. A flange portion 26b is formed approximately at the center of the piston 26, and a substantially cylindrical cylindrical spring body 27 is wound around the outer circumference of the piston 26 above the flange portion 26b. A circumferential portion of the circumferential spring body 27 is open, and tongue portions 27a and 27b bent outward are formed at the upper and lower ends of the open portion. One end of the shape memory alloy wire 28 and the lead wire 29 are connected to the cylindrical spring body 2 on the tongue piece 27a.
7 and the tongue piece portion 27b in an electrically insulated state. Although the shape memory alloy wire 28 is not shown,
It is electrically protected by an insulating tube, and the shape memory alloy wire 28 and the lead wire 29 are electrically connected. Further, the shape memory alloy wire 28 is wound around the cylindrical spring body 27, and the other end is fixed to the lead wire 29 on the tongue portion 27b. At this time, the shape memory alloy wire 28 is wound around the cylindrical spring body 27 while being biased so as to spread outward. In addition, a heat insulating material 30 is elastically wound around the outside of the shape memory alloy wire 28. A sliding member 31 is extendably wound around the outside of this heat insulating material 30. This sliding member 31
The outer dimensions of the cylinder 22 are smaller than the inner diameter of the cylinder 22, and a presser plate 32 is fixed to the upper side of the sliding member 31. A small hole 26c is formed in the side surface of the hollow cylindrical portion of the piston 26 below the flange 26b and above the holding plate 32, and a small hole 26d is also formed on the lower end side of the piston 26. Moreover, on the outside of the lower end side of the piston 26,
Attachment part 26e that engages with attachment part 9a to main body 9
is formed. The attachment portion 26e is attached to the attachment portion 9a of the main body 9 through a vibration isolating material and a metal ring in the hole.

The buffering capacity of the buffer body 21 is the buffering capacity due to the frictional resistance between the sliding member 31 and the cylinder 22, and the larger the outer diameter of the sliding member 31, the greater the buffering capacity due to the frictional resistance. On the other hand, the minimum buffering capacity is when the outer diameter of the sliding member 31 is smaller than the inner diameter of the cylinder 22, and in this case, the buffering capacity is minimal, close to zero. However, since there is sliding resistance between the piston 26 and the mating component, it does not become zero. As a means of increasing the outer diameter of the sliding member 31, the shape memory alloy wire 28 is increased by energizing the shape memory alloy wire 28.
When the outer diameter of the cylindrical spring body 27 becomes larger due to its springiness, the outer diameter of the heat insulating material 30 and the sliding member 31 is increased to increase the frictional resistance with the cylinder 22. By doing so, maximum buffering capacity can be obtained. Further, the overall length of the shape memory alloy wire 28 is shortened by contraction, and the outer diameter of the cylindrical spring body 27 can be reduced to minimize the buffering capacity.

The control device 33 includes the motor 6 and the pump device 11.
, electromagnetic water supply valve 14, heater 15 and shape memory alloy wire 2
The operations of 8 are controlled respectively.

In the above configuration, the operation will be explained with reference to FIG. 5. When washing starts, a predetermined amount of water is supplied to the water tank 2, and the heater 15 is energized until the water reaches a predetermined temperature. At this time, the drum 1 is driven to rotate at a low speed by the motor 6, and the laundry in the drum 1 is lifted up and dropped, applying mechanical force to wash the laundry. After washing is completed, the washing water is drained and the washing process is completed. In the dewatering process, the drum 1 is driven to rotate at high speed by a motor 6 to centrifugally dewater the laundry. The buffering capacity of the buffer body 21 is maximized within a predetermined time period from the start of dehydration rotation. That is, by energizing the shape memory alloy wire 28 by the control device 33, it is possible to prevent the vibration amplitude of the water tank 2 from increasing when passing through the resonance point at the start of dehydration. After a predetermined time from the start of dehydration, the controller 33 stops energizing the shape memory alloy wire 28 so that the buffering capacity of the buffer 21 is reduced, and the buffering capacity is minimized so that the vibration of the water tank 2 after passing the resonance point is reduced by the buffer. Vibrations transmitted to the main body 9 and the floor surface via 21 can be significantly reduced. Next, at the time of stopping dehydration, the shape memory alloy wire 28 is energized by the control device 33 within a predetermined time after the energization of the motor 6 is stopped, so that the vibration amplitude of the water tank 2 increases as it passes through the resonance point at the time of stopping the dehydration. It can be prevented.

As described above, the drum-type washing machine according to the embodiment of the present invention allows the buffering capacity of the buffer body 21 to be switched, and by simply controlling it with the control device 33, the buffering capacity is switched on during the predetermined spin rotation time and the spin spin stop predetermined time. By increasing the buffering capacity of the body 21 and minimizing the buffering capacity after a predetermined time from the start of dehydration, it is possible to reduce the vibrations transmitted to the floor surface when the dehydration rotation is steady.
These can be realized with a simple configuration without requiring any special equipment.

Next, an embodiment of the second problem-solving means will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. Components having the same configuration as those in the above embodiment are given the same reference numerals and explanations will be omitted.

As shown in the figure, the vibration detection device 34 detects the magnitude of vibration in the water tank 2, and its output is input to a control device 35. The control device 35 energizes the shape memory alloy wire 28 when the dehydration vibration detection device 34 detects a vibration above a predetermined value, increasing the buffering capacity of the buffer body 21, and when the vibration detection device 34 detects a vibration below a predetermined value, the shape memory alloy wire 28 is increased. The power supply to the line 28 is stopped to minimize its buffering capacity.

The operation of the above configuration will be explained with reference to FIG. Note that the explanation of the same operations as in the above embodiment will be omitted.

When the vibration detection device 34 detects vibrations exceeding a predetermined value during spin-drying, that is, when passing through a resonance point at the start of spin-drying or when the laundry is unevenly distributed in the drum 1, the vibration amplitude of the water tank 2 becomes large. By detecting this and energizing the shape memory alloy wire 28, the buffer body 21 increases its buffering capacity and can prevent the vibrations of the water tank 2 from dissipating. Further, when the vibration detection device 34 detects a vibration below a predetermined value, that is, when the spin-drying rotation is steady and when the laundry is not unevenly distributed in the drum 1, the power supply to the shape memory alloy wire 28 is stopped and the shock absorber 21 is stopped. By reducing the buffering capacity of the water tank 2, the vibration of the water tank 2 after passing through the resonance point is transmitted to the main body 9 via the buffer 21.
and transmission to the floor can be significantly reduced.

Next, an embodiment of the third problem-solving means will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10. Components having the same configuration as those in the above embodiment are given the same reference numerals and explanations will be omitted.

As shown in the figure, the rotation speed detection device 36 detects the rotation speed of the drum 1, and is a device such as a tacho generator that can detect the rotation speed as an output voltage, and is connected to the motor 6 and outputs the output voltage. It is input to the control device 37. The control device 37 energizes the shape memory alloy wire 28 when the dehydration rotation speed detecting device 36 detects a rotation speed below a predetermined value, increasing the buffering capacity of the buffer body 21, and when the rotation speed detecting device 36 detects a rotation speed above a predetermined value. The current supply to the shape memory alloy wire 28 is stopped to minimize its buffering capacity.

The operation of the above configuration will be explained with reference to FIG. Note that the explanation of the same operations as in the above embodiment will be omitted.

When the rotation speed detecting device 36 detects a rotation speed below a predetermined value (resonance point) during spin-drying, that is, when passing through the resonance point at the start of spin-drying or when the laundry is largely uneven in the drum 1, the shape By energizing the memory alloy wire 28, the buffer body 21 can increase its buffering capacity and prevent the vibration of the water tank 2 from increasing. In addition, when the rotation speed detection device 36 detects a rotation speed higher than a predetermined value, that is, when the dehydration rotation is steady and when the laundry is not unevenly distributed in the drum 1, the power supply to the shape memory alloy wire 28 is stopped to buffer the By reducing the buffering capacity of the body 21, transmission of the vibrations of the water tank 2 after passing the resonance point to the main body 9 and the floor via the buffer 21 can be significantly reduced.

[0031]

Effects of the Invention As is clear from the above embodiments, according to the present invention, a shock absorber for suppressing the vibrations of an aquarium has its buffering capacity reduced by the shape memory effect of the shape memory alloy. The buffering capacity is increased during a predetermined time at the start of dehydration rotation and during a predetermined time at which dehydration is stopped, and minimized after a predetermined time at the start of dehydration, thereby greatly reducing the vibration transmitted to the floor surface when the dehydration rotation is steady. can be reduced to

[0032] Furthermore, the buffer body is provided with a vibration detection device for detecting the magnitude of vibration of the water tank, and the buffer body is capable of changing its buffer capacity by changing the external dimensions of the sliding member of the buffer body by the shape memory effect of the shape memory alloy. During dehydration, when the vibration detection device detects vibrations above a predetermined level, the buffering capacity is increased, and when vibrations below a predetermined level are detected, the buffering capacity is minimized. When the dehydration rotation is steady and the laundry in the drum is not unevenly distributed, the vibration transmitted to the floor can be significantly reduced.

Furthermore, a rotation speed detection device is provided to detect the rotation speed of the drum. During dehydration, when the rotation speed detection device detects a rotation speed below a predetermined level, the buffering capacity increases, and when it detects a rotation speed above a predetermined level, it minimizes its buffering capacity. It can significantly reduce the vibration transmitted to the

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1: A vertical side view of a drum-type washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[Figure 2] Longitudinal front view of the drum-type washing machine

[Figure 3] (a)
Cross-sectional view of the buffer of the drum-type washing machine (b) A perspective view of the main part of the buffer of the drum-type washing machine

[Figure 4] Block diagram of main parts of the drum-type washing machine

[Figure 5] Operation flowchart of the drum-type washing machine

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional front view of a drum-type washing machine according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[Figure 7] Block diagram of main parts of the drum-type washing machine

[Figure 8] Operation flowchart of the drum-type washing machine

FIG. 9 is a longitudinal sectional front view of a drum-type washing machine according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[Figure 10] Block diagram of main parts of the drum-type washing machine

[Figure 11
] Operation flowchart of the drum type washing machine

[Figure 12] Longitudinal side view of a conventional drum-type washing machine

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Drum 1a Water hole 2 Water tank 3 Horizontal shaft 6 Motor 8 Spring body 9 Main body 21 Buffer body 28 Shape memory alloy wire (shape memory alloy) 31 Sliding member

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A drum having a water passage hole on its outer periphery, a water tank enclosing the drum and storing washing water, a horizontal shaft having one end fixed to the center of rotation of the drum and driven by a motor, and the water tank comprising: A spring body suspended from a main body and a buffer body for suppressing vibrations of the water tank are provided, and the buffer capacity of the buffer body can be changed by changing the outer dimensions of a sliding member of the buffer body by the shape memory effect of a shape memory alloy. The drum-type washing machine has a high buffering capacity during a predetermined time to start spin-drying and a predetermined time to stop spin-drying, and minimizes it after a predetermined time to start spin-drying. 2. A drum having a water passage hole on its outer periphery, a water tank enclosing the drum and storing washing water, a horizontal shaft having one end fixed to the center of rotation of the drum and driven by a motor, and the water tank comprising: The buffer body has a spring body suspended from the main body, a buffer body that suppresses vibrations of the water tank, and a vibration detection device that detects the magnitude of the vibration of the water tank, and the buffer body has its buffering capacity based on the sliding of the buffer body. The external dimensions of the member can be changed by the shape memory effect of the shape memory alloy, and when the vibration detection device detects vibrations above a predetermined level during dehydration, the damping capacity is increased, and when vibrations below the predetermined level are detected, the buffering capacity is increased. A drum-type washing machine with an extremely small size. 3. A drum having a water passage hole on its outer periphery, a water tank enclosing the drum and storing washing water, a horizontal shaft having one end fixed to the center of rotation of the drum and driven by a motor, and the water tank comprising: The buffer body includes a spring body suspended from the main body, a buffer body that suppresses vibrations of the water tank, and a rotation speed detection device that detects the rotation speed of the drum, and the buffer body has its buffering capacity depending on the sliding member of the buffer body. The external dimensions of the shape memory alloy can be changed due to the shape memory effect of the shape memory alloy, and when the rotation speed detection device detects a rotation speed below a predetermined value during dehydration, its buffering capacity is increased, and when it detects a rotation speed above a predetermined value, the buffering capacity is increased. A drum-type washing machine with minimal buffering capacity.