KR20200059015A - Device for opening door and washing machine including the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a door opening device capable of opening a washing machine door according to a set condition after washing is finished, and a washing machine having the same. A door opening device according to an embodiment has a front wall and a rear wall facing the front wall, the housing having an opening in which a pinhole is formed in the front wall; A driving motor provided inside the housing and having a driving shaft rotating in one direction; A plurality of gears provided inside the housing and rotating by a driving force transmitted from a drive shaft; And a slider having a door push pin and using the driving force transmitted from the plurality of gears to advance the door push pin to the outside of the housing through the pin hole or to move back into the housing. The door push pin moves in a linear reciprocation between the first position where the slider is fully retracted toward the rear wall and the second position where the slider is fully advanced toward the front wall, and the opening has the tip of the door push pin at the first position. It has a hole length that allows it to be located within the pin hole.

Description

DEVICE FOR OPENING DOOR AND WASHING MACHINE INCLUDING THE SAME}

The present disclosure relates to a door opening device for opening a washing machine door and a washing machine having the same.

As an example of a washing machine, a washing machine (for example, a drum washing machine) that washes laundry using a drop in the washing tank while the washing tank disposed in the horizontal direction rotates is known. The washing machine includes a washing machine body having a laundry inlet in front and a washing machine door rotatably connected to the washing machine body to open and close the laundry inlet. In addition, the washing machine is installed on the washing machine body to prevent the washing machine door from being opened during washing, and includes a door locking device that locks or unlocks the washing machine door.

Conventionally, even after washing is finished, the washing machine door remains closed to the washing machine body, and in order to open the washing machine door even when the door lock is unlocked, the washing machine door must be pulled and opened with a certain strong force. In addition, when the washing machine door is in a closed state for a long time after washing of the laundry is finished, there is a high possibility that mold is generated due to moisture in the washing tank, and there is a problem that the laundry may be contaminated.

The present disclosure provides a door opening device capable of opening a washing machine door according to a set condition after washing is finished, and a washing machine having the same.

A door opening device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure includes a housing having a front wall and a rear wall facing the front wall, and having an opening in which a pinhole is formed in the front wall; A driving motor provided inside the housing and having a driving shaft rotating in one direction; A plurality of gears provided inside the housing and rotating by a driving force transmitted from a drive shaft; And a slider having a door push pin and using the driving force transmitted from the plurality of gears to advance the door push pin to the outside of the housing through the pin hole or to move back into the housing. The door push pin moves in a linear reciprocation between the first position where the slider is fully retracted toward the rear wall and the second position where the slider is fully advanced toward the front wall, and the opening has the tip of the door push pin at the first position. It has a hole length that allows it to be located within the pin hole.

In one embodiment, the drive motor may be a DC motor.

In one embodiment, the tip of the door push pin in the first position is spaced from the front end of the opening by a clearance hole length, and the clearance hole length may be greater than 0 mm and less than or equal to 1.0 mm.

In one embodiment, the plurality of gears are axial gears coupled to the drive shaft of the drive motor; A cam gear connected to the slider; And a plurality of reduction gears that mesh with each other between the shaft gear and the cam gear. In this embodiment, the cam gear can convert the rotational motion by the driving force transmitted from the drive shaft to the linear reciprocating motion of the slider.

In one embodiment, the axial gear may be a helical gear.

In one embodiment, the cam gear includes a teeth that engages any one of a plurality of reduction gears; And a cam portion that rotates coaxially with the tooth portion, and a cam groove is formed on the circumferential surface of the cam portion, and a protrusion inserted into the slider may be formed on the upper surface of the cam portion.

In one embodiment, the slider includes a slider body formed integrally with the door push pin and formed with a projection insertion groove into which the projection is movably inserted, wherein the projection insertion groove intersects the extending direction of the door push pin Can be extended.

In one embodiment, the slider body has a plurality of guide protrusions extending parallel to the extending direction of the door push pin, and a plurality of guide grooves into which the plurality of guide protrusions are movably inserted are formed on the inner surface of the housing. Can be.

In one embodiment, the door opening device is a switch lever that is pivotably provided inside the housing; A compression coil spring that presses the other end of the switch lever so that one end of the switch lever contacts the circumferential surface of the cam portion; And a tact switch that is pressed or released by the other end of the switch lever and turns on or off the power applied to the drive motor.

In one embodiment, the door opening device may further include a substrate to which the drive motor and the tact switch are connected.

In one embodiment, the door opening device further includes a connector terminal connected to the substrate, and a connector connection port exposing the connector terminal to the outside may be formed in the housing.

In one embodiment, the door opening device may further include a stop plate provided inside the housing and having a motor accommodating portion accommodating a drive motor. In this embodiment, the plurality of reduction gears are disposed below the stop plate, and the cam gear may be disposed through the stop plate so that the cam portion protrudes above the stop plate.

In one embodiment, the housing may include a case and a cover detachably coupled to the case. The cover may include a first semi-cylindrical portion forming a portion of the opening, a stop plate may include a second semi-cylindrical portion forming the remaining portion of the opening, and the case may include a cutout portion into which the second semi-cylindrical portion is inserted. . In addition, an O-ring may be interposed between the first semi-cylindrical portion and the second semi-cylindrical portion.

In one embodiment, in the first position, the projection is located on the extension line of the door push pin, one end of the switch lever contacts the circumferential surface of the cam portion forming the cam groove, and the tact switch is provided by a compression coil spring. It may be in a pressed state by the other end of the pressurized switch lever.

In one embodiment, when advancing from the first position of the slider to the second position, when one end of the switch lever contacts the circumferential surface of the cam portion outside the cam groove, pressing of the tact switch by the other end of the switch lever When released, the tact switch is turned off, and when retracting from the second position of the slider to the first position, when one end of the switch lever contacts the circumferential surface of the cam portion forming the cam groove, the other end of the switch lever When the tact switch is pressed, the tact switch is turned on, and the tact switch can turn off power applied to the driving motor.

A washing machine according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure includes a washing machine main body having a laundry inlet; A washing machine door for opening and closing the laundry inlet; A hinge assembly rotatably connecting the washing machine door to the washing machine body; And a door opening device according to the above-described embodiment installed on the front of the washing machine body to push the inner edge of the washing machine door toward the washing machine body to open the washing machine door. In this embodiment, the door opening device can be installed spaced apart from the hinge assembly.

According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the washing machine door in a closed state after washing is finished may be opened by a door opening device according to a set condition. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the washing machine door from being closed for a long time after washing is finished. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent mold from forming due to moisture in the washing tank, and to prevent contamination of the laundry.

In addition, since the washing machine door is pushed open by the door opening device, the washing machine door can be easily opened without pulling the washing machine door with strong force. For example, since the user is holding an object with both hands, the door of the washing machine can be easily opened even when both hands are not free.

In addition, by keeping the washing machine door open every set time, it is possible to prevent a safety accident in which a companion animal or the like is trapped in the washing machine.

1 is a perspective view of a door opening device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein the door push pin protrudes from the housing.
2 is a perspective view of a door opening device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and the door push pin is accommodated in the housing.
3 is a perspective view showing the door opening device of FIG. 1, and a case and a cover are separated.
4 is a perspective view of a case according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
5 is a perspective view of a cover according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
6 is an exploded view of a component assembly embedded in a housing according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
7 is a view of a plurality of gears according to an embodiment of the present disclosure as viewed from the front.
8 is a perspective view of a cam gear according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
9 is a perspective view of a slider according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
10 is a perspective view of a stop plate according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
11 is a view for explaining the linear motion of the slider according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the slider is in the first position.
12 is a view for explaining the linear motion of the slider according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the slider is in a position advanced from the first position.
13 is a view for explaining the linear motion of the slider according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the slider is in the second position.
14 is a graph illustrating a stroke of a door push pin according to a rotation angle of a cam gear in a door opening device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
15 is a perspective view illustrating a washing machine according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

The embodiments of the present disclosure are exemplified for the purpose of illustrating the technical spirit of the present disclosure. The scope of rights according to the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments presented below or the specific description of these embodiments.

All technical and scientific terms used in the present disclosure, unless defined otherwise, have meanings generally understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs. All terms used in the present disclosure are selected for the purpose of more clearly describing the present disclosure and are not selected to limit the scope of the rights according to the present disclosure.

As used in this disclosure, expressions such as “comprising”, “having”, “having”, and the like, are open terms that imply the possibility of including other embodiments, unless stated otherwise in the phrase or sentence in which the expression is included. (open-ended terms).

The expressions of the singular forms described in this disclosure may include the meaning of the plural forms unless otherwise stated, and the same applies to the expressions of the singular forms described in the claims.

Expressions such as “first” and “second” used in the present disclosure are used to distinguish a plurality of components from each other, and do not limit the order or importance of the components.

In the present disclosure, when a component is referred to as being “connected” to or “connected to” another component, the component may be directly connected to or connectable to the other component, or new It should be understood that it may or may be connected via other components.

The dimensions and values described in the present disclosure are not limited to the dimensions and values described. Unless otherwise specified, these dimensions and values can be understood to mean the stated values and equivalent ranges including them. For example, the dimension '** mm' described in this disclosure can be understood to include 'about ** mm'.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the accompanying drawings, identical or corresponding components are given the same reference numerals. In addition, in the following description of the embodiments, the same or corresponding elements may be omitted. However, although descriptions of components are omitted, it is not intended that such components are not included in any embodiment.

1 and 2 are perspective views of a door opening device 1000 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In FIG. 1, the door push pin 410 protrudes from the housing 100, and in FIG. 2, the door push pin 410 is accommodated in the housing 100 so as not to protrude from the housing 100.

In the accompanying drawings, the arrow FD points to the front of the door opening device 1000, and the arrow RD points to the rear of the door opening device 1000 in the opposite direction. In addition, the arrow TD points upward of the door opening device 1000, and the arrow LD points downward of the door opening device 1000 in the opposite direction. In addition, the arrow LSD points to the left side of the door opening device 1000, and the arrow RSD points to the right side of the door opening device 1000 in the opposite direction. The door opening device 1000 may be installed in the washing machine body such that a portion facing the front FD faces the washing machine door. The door opening device 1000 forwards the washing machine door 12 by the door push pin 410 protruding from the housing 100 so that the washing machine door 12 is opened from the washing machine body 11 (FD). Can be pushed (see FIG. 15). A part or the entire configuration of the door opening device 1000 according to the present disclosure may be oriented in a direction different from the direction shown in the accompanying drawings, and the direction indicators may be interpreted according to the changed direction.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the door opening device 1000 according to an exemplary embodiment includes a housing 100 that forms an exterior. The housing 100 has a hollow shape that can accommodate various parts therein. The door opening device 1000 includes a door push pin 410 that linearly reciprocates in the front-rear direction (FD / RD) in the housing 100. That is, as shown in FIG. 1, the door push pin 410 may protrude to the front (FD) of the housing 100, and as shown in FIG. 2, the door push pin 410 of the housing 100 It may be accommodated in the interior of the housing 100 so as not to protrude to the front (FD).

As shown in FIG. 1, as the door push pin 410 protrudes toward the front (FD) of the housing 100, the front end of the door push pin 410 pushes the washing machine door 12 forward (FD) to the washing machine body. The washing machine door 12 is rotated from (11). In addition, as shown in Figure 2, as the door push pin 410 is accommodated inside the housing 100, when the washing machine door 12 is closed to the washing machine body 11, the interference caused by the door push pin 410 Does not occur. Accordingly, the washing machine door 12 is closed to the washing machine body 11. In one embodiment, while adopting a DC motor (DC motor) as a drive motor 200 having a rotational inertia as a driving source of the door opening device 1000, the washing machine door 12 can be stably closed to the washing machine body 11. The door push pin 410 reversing so that it is made of a structure that can be completely accommodated in the interior of the housing 100. This will be described in detail in the following description.

The housing 100 of one embodiment includes a front wall 101 and a rear wall 102 facing in the front-rear direction (FD / RD), and the door push pin 410 may protrude from the front wall 101. The opening 140 is formed so as to form a pin hole 140H (see FIG. 2). The housing 100 may include an upper wall 103 and a lower wall 104 connecting the front wall 101 and the rear wall 102, a left wall 105 and a right wall 106. In the housing 100, the upper wall 103 and the lower wall 104 can face in the vertical direction (TD / LD), and the left wall 105 and the right wall 106 are in the left and right directions (LSD / RSD) ). On the other hand, a portion of each of the lower wall 104, the left wall 105, and the right wall 106 so that the housing 100 may have a compact shape has a shape corresponding to various parts embedded in the housing 100. Can be formed.

The housing 100 has a structure in which a part can be opened to assemble various parts inside the housing 100 or replace the assembled parts. In this regard, the housing 100 of one embodiment is detachably coupled to the case 110 in which the upper TD is opened (or the lower housing) and the opened upper part of the case 110 to be opened and closed. It includes a cover 120 (or upper housing). In one embodiment, the case 110 and the cover 120 are coupled by a plurality of fastening screws 130 after butting up and down, but the coupling method or the coupling structure of the case 110 and the cover 120 is limited thereto. It does not work.

A connector connector 107 (see FIG. 5) that opens to the lower LD is formed in the left side LSD of the housing 100. A connector 20 (see FIG. 3) capable of supplying power to the door opening device 1000 or transmitting a signal for control of the door opening device 1000 through the connector connection port 107 (see FIG. 3) ). 1 and 2 show a connector 20 fitted to the door opening device 1000 through a connector connector 107, and a cable connected to the connector 20 is not shown.

3 is a perspective view showing the door opening device 1000 of FIG. 1, and the case 110 and the cover 120 are separated. 4 is a perspective view of the case 110 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the cover 120 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

3 to 5, the case 110, the front wall 101, the rear wall 102, the left wall 105 and the right wall 106 of the housing 100, as shown in FIG. It includes a first front wall 111, a first rear wall 112, a first left wall 115 and a first right wall 116 forming each part. The first front wall 111, the first rear wall 112, the first left wall 115 and the first right wall 116 of the case 110 are connected to the housing, and the surface facing upward (TD) is a housing ( The side wall facing the interior of 100) forms the lower wall 104 of the housing 100.

Meanwhile, as illustrated in FIG. 4, the cover 120 includes a second front wall 121, a second rear wall 122, a second left wall 125 and a second right wall 126. The second front wall 121, the second rear wall 122, the second left wall 125 and the second right wall 126 are respectively the front wall 101 and the rear wall 102 of the housing 100. , Except for the portion formed by the case 110 of the left wall 105 and the right wall 106, forms the remaining portions. The surface of the cover 120 connected to the second front wall 121, the second rear wall 122, the second left wall 125 and the second right wall 126, and a surface facing the lower LD surface of the housing ( The side wall facing the interior of 100) forms the upper wall 103 of the housing 100.

The case 110 and the cover 120 may be formed of a plastic material, and may be formed by injection molding or the like. Each of the case 110 and the cover 120 is provided with various parts installed inside the housing 100 at a predetermined position, and guides or supports the movement or rotation of the housing 100 in a certain direction. It may include an internal partition structure capable of.

In the housing 100, the opening 140 may be formed in a cylindrical shape or a similar shape, and form a pin hole 140H penetrated in the front-rear direction (FD / RD) therein. In one embodiment, the cover 120 is provided with a first semi-cylindrical portion 141 forming a portion of the opening 140, and the stop plate 900 has a second semi-cylindrical portion forming the remaining portion of the opening 140. 142 is provided. The stop plate 900 is a support member to which components embedded in the housing 100 can be mounted, and this will be described in detail in the following description. When the case 110 and the cover 120 are combined, the first semi-cylindrical portion 141 and the second semi-cylindrical portion 142 face up and down to form an opening 140. In one embodiment, the second semi-cylindrical portion 142 is formed on the stop plate 900, but is not limited thereto. In another embodiment, the second semi-cylindrical portion 142 may be formed in the case 110.

In the pin hole 140H formed in the opening 140, an O-ring 150 of elastic material is interposed to seal the gap between the opening 140 and the door push pin 410. Due to the O-ring 150 into which the door push pin 410 is fitted, the movement of the door push pin 410 can be supported without shaking, and noise can be prevented from occurring when the door push pin 410 is moved. . In addition, it is possible to prevent foreign substances from entering the door opening device 1000.

For the installation of the O-ring 150, a first O-ring groove 141A is formed on an inner circumferential surface facing the lower LD of the first semi-cylindrical portion 141, and is directed upward (TD) of the second semi-cylindrical portion 142. A second O-ring groove 142A (see FIG. 10) is formed on the inner peripheral surface. The first O-ring groove 141A formed in the first semi-cylindrical portion 141 and the second O-ring groove 142A formed in the second semi-cylindrical portion 142 form an annular O-ring groove into which the O-ring 150 is fitted. The opening 140 in one embodiment is configured to be divided into a first semi-cylindrical portion 141 and a second semi-cylindrical portion 142, so that the installation of the O-ring 150 is easy when assembling the door opening device 1000.

6 is an exploded view of a component assembly embedded in a housing according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In addition, FIG. 7 is a view of a plurality of gears according to an embodiment of the present disclosure viewed from the front (FD).

Referring to FIG. 7 together with FIG. 3, the door opening device 1000 is a component assembly embedded in the housing 100, the driving motor 200 of the housing 100, a plurality of gears 300, and a slider 400 It includes. The slider 400 enables linear reciprocation to move forward or backward within the housing 100 by the driving force of the driving motor 200 transmitted by the plurality of gears 300 when the driving motor 200 is driven. It is provided. The door push pin 410 may advance to the outside of the housing 100 through the pin hole 140H by the forward movement of the slider 400, and the door push pin 410 by the backward movement of the slider 400. Through the pin hole 140H, it is possible to retreat to the interior of the housing 100.

The driving motor 200 includes a motor body 210 having a cylindrical shape, a driving shaft 220 protruding from one end of the motor body 210, and a pair of power terminals protruding from the other end of the motor body 210 ( 230). In one embodiment, as the driving motor 200 of the door opening device 1000, the door opening device 1000 may be mounted and used in a household appliance (eg, a washing machine) without a separate converter. For example, a DC motor that is easy to control may be employed as the driving motor 200. The driving motor 200 may be controlled such that the driving shaft 220 rotates in one direction. Even when the applied power is cut off, the driving motor 200 rotates further by a predetermined angle due to the rotational inertia, making it difficult to accurately control the position. In consideration of the operating characteristics of the driving motor 200, the opening 140 in the housing 100 is formed with a hole length including an allowable hole length. This will be described in detail in the following description.

The plurality of gears 300 are arranged to mesh with each other, and rotate in cooperation with the driving force transmitted from the driving shaft 220 of the driving motor 200. Referring to FIG. 7, a plurality of gears 300 includes a shaft gear 310 coupled to a drive shaft 220 of a drive motor 200, a cam gear 320 connected to a slider 400, and a shaft gear 310 ) And the first to fourth reduction gears 330 to 360 engaged between the cam gear 320. As the driving shaft 220 of the driving motor 200 is rotated, the driving force is transmitted to the shaft gear 310, the first to fourth reduction gears 330 to 360, and the cam gear 320.

In one embodiment, the axial gear 310 can transmit a relatively large force compared to a spur gear, and is made of a helical gear to rotate smoothly and reduce noise.

Each of the first to fourth reduction gears 330 to 360 is composed of a double gear in which two gears are combined into one on the same shaft. The first gear gear 330 has a relatively large diameter of the standby gear 331 is engaged with the shaft gear 310, the relatively small diameter small gear 332 is the second gear gear 340 of the waiting gear ( 341). In addition, the small gear 342 of the second reduction gear 340 is engaged with the standby gear 351 of the third reduction gear 350, and the third reduction gear 350 rotates coaxially with the standby gear 351 The small gear 352 is engaged with the standby gear 361 of the fourth reduction gear 360. Further, the small gear 362 of the fourth reduction gear 360 is engaged with the cam gear 320. The rotational force of the drive shaft 220 of the drive motor 200 may be reduced to a desired rotational speed by the plurality of reduction gears (first to fourth reduction gears), and the rotational torque of the cam gear 320 may be improved. have. In one embodiment, the gear reduction ratio of the shaft gear 310 and the cam gear 320 by the first to fourth reduction gears 330 to 360 is 200: 1, and the stall torque of the drive motor 200 is ) Is 90gf.cm, the torque of the cam gear 320 is 13.97Kgf.cm. In addition, the door push pin 410 can push the washing machine door 12 with a force of approximately 15 Kgf.

Each of the first to fourth reduction gears 330 to 360 is coupled to the first to fourth support pins 333, 343, 353, and 363 to be engaged and rotated by a driving force transmitted from the shaft gear 310. . A plurality of pin grooves 104A is formed on the bottom wall (ie, the lower wall 104 of the housing 100) facing the upper TD of the case 110. The lower portions of the first to third support pins 333, 343, and 353 are inserted into pin grooves of corresponding positions among the plurality of pin grooves 104A, and the first to third support pins 333, 343, and 353 are It is supported in the vertical direction (TD / LD).

The cam gear 320 of one embodiment rotates by the driving force received from the fourth reduction gear 360, and converts this rotational motion into a linear reciprocating motion of the slider 400.

8 is a perspective view of a cam gear 320 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 8, the cam gear 320 is integrally formed with the teeth 321 engaged with the fourth reduction gear 360 and the teeth 321 to rotate coaxially and rotate in the direction of the rotation axis of the cam gear 320 It includes a cam portion 322 having a circumferential surface 323 having a predetermined width. A concave cam groove 324 is formed in the circumferential surface 323 of the cam portion 322. When the cam gear 320 is viewed from above, the cam groove 324 has an arc shape or a similar shape. On the upper surface 325 of the cam portion 322 (see FIG. 6), a projection 326 inserted into the slider 400 is formed when the cam gear 320 and the slider 400 are connected. The protrusion 326 protrudes upward (TD) from the upper surface 325 of the cam portion 322 and is formed in a cylindrical shape.

In the cam gear 320, the toothed portion 321 is provided with a support pin engaging groove 321A open toward the lower side LD to have a third support pin 353 coupled to the third reduction gear 350. Fits can be combined. That is, the cam gear 320 may be rotatably supported by the third support pin 353.

9 is a perspective view of a slider 400 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 9, the slider 400 includes a slider body 420 formed integrally with the door push pin 410. The door push pin 410 may protrude from the mid-center portion of the side facing the front FD of the slider body 420. The slider body 420 has a projection insertion groove 421 that opens downward (LD), and the projection insertion groove 421 extends in the direction in which the door push pin 410 extends (for example, in the front-rear direction of FIG. 9 ( FD / RD)) in a direction intersecting (for example, the left-right direction (LSD / RSD) of FIG. 9). The projection insertion groove 421 is formed in a size that can be moved while the projection 326 of the cam gear 320 is inserted.

The slider body 420 of one embodiment includes a plurality of guide projections 422 including portions extending parallel to the extending direction of the door push pin 410. The guide projection 422 provided in the slider body 420, in particular corresponding to the portion protruding upward (TD) from the upper surface of the guide projection 422, the upper surface of the slider body 420 is directed toward the housing 100 A plurality of guide grooves 127 (see FIG. 5) into which each of the plurality of guide protrusions 422 are fitted are formed on the inner surface, that is, the inner surface facing the lower side LD of the cover 120. When the slider 400 moves forward or backward in the interior of the housing 100, the slider 400 is guided in the linear direction by the guide protrusion 422 inserted in the guide groove 127.

The door push pin 410 may include a reinforcement pin 420A therein so as not to be easily damaged or damaged when subjected to an external shock or the like. The reinforcement pin 420A may be formed of a material (eg, a metal material) having superior strength than a material (eg, a plastic material) forming the door push pin 410. The reinforcing pin 420A may be integrally formed with the door push pin 410 when manufacturing the slider 400 by an injection molding method or the like. Alternatively, the reinforcing pin 420A may be manufactured separately from the door push pin 410 having a hole drilled therein in the longitudinal direction, and then coupled to the inside of the door push pin 410 in a press-fit manner.

The door opening device 1000 according to an embodiment of the present invention is a device capable of turning on or off the power applied to the driving motor 200 according to the moving distance (stroke) of the slider 400 moving forward or backward. It is provided inside. In this regard, referring back to FIG. 6, the door opening device 1000 may further include a switch lever 500, a spring 520 and a tact switch 600.

The switch lever 500 is provided inside the housing 100 so as to be rotatable horizontally within a set angular range. The switch lever 500 includes a lever rotating pin 510 that is inserted into the central portion 501 in the approximately longitudinal direction. The lever rotation pin 510 may be positioned on an extension line of the fourth support pin 363 of the fourth reduction gear 360, and the lever rotation pin 510 is integrally formed with the fourth support pin 363. It may be. The switch lever 500 rotates around a central portion 501 that is positioned and fixed by a lever rotating pin 510.

The spring 520 may press the other end 503 of the switch lever 500 so that one end 502 of the switch lever 500 contacts the circumferential surface 323 of the cam portion 322. As the spring 520, a compression coil spring is employed. The spring 520 is installed lying down so as to be elastically deformed in the front-rear direction (FD / RD) within the housing 100. One end of the spring 520 is fitted with a fitting protrusion 504 (see FIGS. 11 to 13) provided at the other end 503 of the switch lever 500, and the other end of the spring 520 is stopped It is supported so as not to be pushed by the inner wall facing the rear RD of the plate 900.

The tact switch 600 is a device that can disconnect or connect an electrical circuit connected to the tax switch 600 whenever a pressing is recognized. The tact switch 600 includes a push button 610 facing the front (FD), the driving motor (as the push button 610 is pressed or released by the other end 503 of the switch lever 500 The power applied to 200) can be turned on or off.

The door opening device 1000 according to an embodiment may further include a tact switch 600, a driving motor 200 and a substrate 700 forming an electrical circuit. The substrate 700 includes a printed circuit board, and is disposed above the drive motor 200 in the housing 100 (TD).

In the lower side LD of the substrate 700, a pair of power supply terminals 230 of the drive motor 200 and terminals of the tact switch 600 are connected at each set position. The power supply terminal 230 of the driving motor 200 and the terminal of the tact switch 600 may be soldered to the substrate 700. Under this connection structure, the power supply terminal 230 and the substrate 700 of the drive motor 200 can be easily connected without using separate wires, so that the door opening device 1000 can be easily manufactured in a compact shape. Do.

To the substrate 700, the driving motor 200 is easily connected at a predetermined position, and the protrusion 240 protruding from the other end of the driving motor 200 is fitted to prevent mis-assembly of the substrate 700. A motor fixture 710 that can be formed may be formed (see FIG. 6).

The door opening device 1000 according to an embodiment further includes a connector terminal 800 that can be connected to the connector 20 described above. The connector terminal 800 includes a plurality of connection pins 810, and the connector terminal 800 is connected to the substrate 700 and exposed downward (LD) through the connector connection port 107 formed in the housing 100. Can be.

10 is a perspective view of a stop plate 900 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

The door opening device 1000 includes various parts built in the housing 100, that is, a driving motor 200, a plurality of gears 300, a slider 400, a switch lever 500, a spring 520, and a tact switch. (600), the substrate 700, the connector terminal 800, and so on, so as to be easily assembled, and the storage, transportation and use of the manufactured door opening device 1000, a stop plate for maintaining a robust assembly structure ( 900) may be further included.

Referring to FIG. 10, the stop plate 900 includes a motor accommodating part 910 accommodating the driving motor 200 in the left side LSD portion. The motor accommodating part 910 has a cylindrical shape in which the upper TD is opened and the lower LD is blocked so that the motor body 210 can be inserted from the upper TD to the lower LD. A first through hole 912 is formed in the bottom wall 911 of the motor accommodating part 910 so that the drive shaft 220 of the drive motor 200 can penetrate through the lower side LD.

The shaft gear 310 may be coupled to the driving shaft 220 protruding downward (LD) from the motor accommodating unit 910 by a press-fitting method or the like. A second through hole 913 may be further formed on the bottom wall 911 of the motor accommodating part 910. The second through hole 913 may be coupled to the driving motor 200 by inserting at least one fixing pin 250 (see FIG. 6) from the lower LD of the motor receiving portion 910 to the upper TD. . When the fixing pin 250 is coupled to the driving motor 200, it is possible to prevent the driving motor 200 from shaking or turning in the motor accommodating part 910. Although not shown, a groove through which one end of the fixing pin 250 may be coupled may be provided on one end surface (the end surface on which the driving shaft protrudes) of the motor body 210.

The left side (LSD) of the motor accommodating portion 910 is provided with a connecting pin support 920 into which a plurality of connecting pins 810 of the connector terminal 800 can be inserted. The plurality of connection pins 810 may be fitted to the connection pin support 920 to be spaced apart from each other to prevent deformation such as bending due to an external force applied when the connector 20 is connected or released.

In the right side (RSD) portion of the stop plate 900, a gear coupling hole 930 penetrated in the vertical direction (TD / LD) is formed. The cam gear 320 is inserted into the gear engaging portion 930 so that the cam portion 322 is exposed upward (TD). With respect to the stop plate 900, the shaft gear 310 and the first to fourth reduction gears 330 to 360 are disposed below the stop plate 900 LD. In addition, the tooth portion 321 of the cam gear 320 is disposed below the stop plate 900 (LD), the cam portion 322 is disposed above the stop plate 900, the stop plate (900) ). In the left side (LSD) of the gear coupling hole 930, a through hole 940 into which the lever rotation pin 510 can be inserted, for the contact of the switch lever 500 and the cam gear 320, the gear coupling hole It is formed at a position adjacent to 930.

As described above, the second semi-cylindrical portion 142 is formed on the stop plate 900 to form a part of the opening 140 as the front FD of the gear fitting 930. In one embodiment, the opening 140 is formed to protrude to the front wall 101 of the housing 100, the second semi-cylindrical portion 142 formed on the stop plate 900 is the case 110 and the cover 120 It has a structure that is assembled in a sandwiched state. Therefore, when manufacturing the door opening device 1000, it is possible to prevent the assembling of the stop plate 900, and at least a part of the stop plate 900 is engaged between the case 110 and the cover 120 to be sturdy. Assembly structure can be achieved.

In addition, a spring receiving portion 950 surrounded by a partition wall is formed between the motor receiving portion 910 and the gear coupling portion 930 so that the spring 520 can be accommodated in the front-rear direction (FD / RD).

Hereinafter, driving of the door opening device 1000 of the above-described embodiment will be described.

11 to 13 are views for explaining a linear motion of a slider according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and FIG. 14 is a cam gear 310 in the door opening device 1000 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure It is a graph showing the correlation between the rotation angle of and the stroke of the door push pin 410. 15 is a perspective view showing a washing machine 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

11 to 15, in the door opening device 1000, the slider 400 includes a first position and a slider in which the slider body 420 is fully retracted toward the rear wall 102 of the housing 100. The main body 420 reciprocates linearly between the second most advanced position toward the front wall 101 of the housing 100. FIG. 11 shows the slider in the first position, and FIG. 12 shows the slider in the position before advancing from the first position and reaching the second position. Also, Fig. 13 shows the slider in the second position. Here, the first position may be referred to as an initial position before the slider 400 is driven, and in the second position, the door push pin 410 that pushes and opens the washing machine door 12 protrudes from the housing 100 to the maximum. It can be referred to as a location.

In the door opening device 1000 of one embodiment, when the cam gear 320 is rotated by 360 °, the slider 400 is configured to perform one advance and one reverse.

When the cam gear 320 is viewed from above (TD), the projection 326 is positioned at a maximum distance from the center of rotation of the cam gear 320, that is, the edge of the cam portion 322 or the edge of the cam portion 322 (eg For example, it is preferably formed at a position in contact with the circumferential surface 323. When the cam gear 320 is viewed from above (TD), the cam groove 324 has an arc shape defined by the first point P ₁ and the second point P ₂ among the edges of the cam portion 322. . Here, the first point (P ₁ ) is a point located at the edge of the cam portion 322 in contact with the projection 326, the second point (P ₂ ) is spaced in a counterclockwise direction from the first point (P ₁ ) Point to the point.

The cam groove 324 formed in the cam gear 320 is applied to the drive motor 200 according to the rotation angle of the cam gear 320 that changes the contact state of the switch lever 500 with the cam gear 320. It is formed in a size that can maintain or cut off the applied power. In one embodiment, the cam groove 324 is formed such that the arc angle θ is 52 ° to 56 °. The cam groove 324 may be formed to have an arc angle θ of preferably 54 °. Here, the arc angle θ of the cam groove 324 is the first virtual line (L ₁ ) and the cam portion 322 connecting the center of rotation (C) and the first point P ₁ through which the axis of rotation of the cam portion 322 passes. The angle between the center of rotation (C) and the second imaginary line (L ₂ ) connecting the second point (P ₂ ).

When the slider 400 is in the first position, that is, when the slider 400 is in the initial position, the projection 326 of the cam gear 320 inserted into the projection insertion groove 421 of the slider 400 is a door. It is located on the extension line L ₀ of the push pin 410. Further, one end 502 of the switch lever 500 contacts the circumferential surface 323 of the cam portion 322 forming the cam groove 324, and the other end 503 of the switch lever 500 has a spring ( It is in a state in which the push button 610 of the tact switch 600 is pressed by being substantially pushed toward the rear RD by 520. At this time, the tact switch 600 is a state in which power supplied from the outside can be applied to the driving motor 200 through the connector 20 and the connector terminal 800 connected to the connector 20, that is, the driving motor ( 200) is an ON state in which it can be driven (see FIG. 11). In one embodiment, when the slider 400 is in the first position, one end 502 of the switch lever 500 contacts the intermediate point between the first point P ₁ and the second point P ₂ . do.

In the washing machine 10 in which the door opening device 1000 is installed, in a state in which the washing machine door 12 is closed after putting laundry into the washing tank in the washing machine body 11, the slider 400 of the door opening device 1000 is It is in the first position. That is, the door push pin 410 from the opening 140 does not protrude to the outside.

Thereafter, laundry is washed according to the set washing conditions, and when washing is finished, power is supplied to the door opening device 1000 according to the set conditions. Setting conditions related to supplying power to the door opening device 1000 include a condition in which a set time (time settable by a washing machine user) elapses after washing is finished, for operating a button or opening a door for opening the door to the washing machine 10 When a sensor or the like for detecting the force pulling the washing machine door 12 is provided, it may include a condition in which the operation of the door opening button or the pulling of the washing machine door 12 is sensed by the sensor.

As power is supplied to the door opening device 1000, power is applied to the driving motor 200 so that the driving shaft 220 rotates in one direction, and the shaft gear 310 and the first to fourth reduction gears 330 to 360 , Cam gear 320 rotates in conjunction. As the cam gear 320 rotates (in FIG. 12, clockwise rotation), the slider 400 in the first position is advanced to the second position (in FIG. 14, the rotation angle of the cam gear 320 is 0). ° to 180 °). That is, when the cam gear 320 is rotated, the protrusion 326 of the cam gear 320 rotates in a circular trajectory, and the protrusion 326 is right in the protrusion insertion groove 421 of the slider 400. The slider 400 is pushed forward (FD) while moving to the room (RSD).

In the process of the slider 400 advancing from the first position to the second position, the cam gear 320 rotates at an angle greater than an angle corresponding to 1/2 of the arc angle θ. Accordingly, one end 502 of the switch lever 500 is in contact with the circumferential surface 323 of the cam portion 322 forming the cam groove 324 of the cam portion 322 outside the cam groove 324. It is in contact with the circumferential surface 323. As a result, as shown in FIG. 12, the other end 503 of the switch lever 500 is released from the push button 610 of the tact switch 600, and the tact switch 600 is in the off state Becomes. Even when the tact switch 600 is changed from the on state to the off state, power is continuously applied to the driving motor 200 until the pressing of the push button 610 is sensed again. When the switch lever 500 is released from the tact switch 600, the spring 520 is pressed by the other end 503 of the switch lever 500 to be in a compressed state.

In one embodiment, when the cam gear 320 rotates by an angle corresponding to 1/2 of the arc angle θ (in FIG. 14, a section in which the rotation angle of the cam gear 320 is 0 ° to about 27 °) ), The slider 400 may advance until the tip of the door push pin 410 reaches a position just before exiting the opening 140. At this time, the tip of the door push pin 410 located in the opening 140 is advanced to a stork corresponding to the length of the free hole H ₁ .

When the cam gear 320 is rotated by an angle of 180 ° so that the projection 326 of the cam gear 320 is positioned again on the extension line L ₀ of the door push pin 410, the slider 400 is the second The position is reached, and the door push pin 410 protrudes from the housing 100 to the maximum. The door push pin 410 may contact the inner edge of the washing machine door 12 before protruding from the housing 100 to the maximum, and push the washing machine door 12 to open by rotating the washing machine door 12 forward. Can give.

The door opening device 1000 according to an embodiment retracts the slider 400 to the initial position (first position) so that the user can close the washer door 12 opened from the washing machine body 11. That is, the slider 400 that has reached the second position moves back to the first position by rotation of the cam gear 320. The cam gear 320 rotates (for example, FIG. 14) until one end 502 of the switch lever 500 contacts the circumferential surface 323 of the cam portion 322 forming the cam groove 324 again. In, while the rotation angle of the cam gear 320 is 180 ° to about 333 °), the slider 400 retracts from the second position to the first position, and the other end 503 of the switch lever 500 Is in a state separated from the push button 610 of the tact switch 600.

Thereafter, when the cam gear 320 further rotates so that one end 502 of the switch lever 500 contacts the circumferential surface 323 of the cam portion 322 forming the cam groove 324 again (for example, , In FIG. 14, the rotation angle of the cam gear 320 exceeds about 333 °), the switch lever 500 rotates, and the other end of the switch lever 500 receives the elastic restoring force of the spring 520 By 503, the push button 610 of the tact switch 600 is pressed. That is, an on signal is input to the tact switch 600, and the tact switch 600 turns off the power applied to the drive motor 200.

Even if the power applied to the drive motor 200, which is a DC motor, is cut off, the drive shaft 320 of the drive motor 200 does not stop immediately by the rotational inertia of the drive motor 200, but rotates by a predetermined angle (for example , In Fig. 14, the rotation angle of the cam gear 320 is about 333 ° to 360 °). Therefore, after the power applied to the driving motor 200 is cut off, in the process of retracting until the slider 400 stops, in order to prevent interference of the door push pin in closing the washing machine door, the door push pin ( The tip of 410 should not be protruded from the opening 140 and must be able to be completely accommodated in the opening 140. To this end, in one embodiment, when the power applied to the drive motor 200 is cut off, the door push pin 410 protrudes to the front (FD) of the housing 100 (eg, the opening 140). The opening 140 has a hole length (H ₀ ) at which the tip of the door push pin 140 can be positioned within the pin hole 140H, based on when the slider 400 is in the first position. Have

In this regard, the opening 140 has a hole length (H ₀ ) that can be maintained with a portion including the tip of the door push pin 410 inserted regardless of the forward or backward position of the slider 400. Have In the hole length H ₀ of the opening 140, when the slider 400 is in the first position, the free hole length (which can be separated from the front end of the opening 140 by the tip of the door push pin 410) H ₁ ). In one embodiment, the clearance hole length H ₁ is greater than 0 mm and less than or equal to 1.0 mm, preferably 0.5 mm or more and 1.0 mm or less. The clearance hole length H ₁ may vary depending on the size of the housing 100 and the type of the driving motor 200. The lower limit value of the range of the clearance hole length H ₁ may be determined within a range of more than 0 mm and 1.0 mm or less according to the driving stability of the door opening device 1000. When the clearance hole length H ₁ exceeds, for example, 1.0 mm, the tip of the door push pin 410 is a pin in the opening 140 even if the slider 400 is reversed by the rotational inertia of the drive motor 200. It may not be located in the hole 140H.

The washing machine 10 having the door opening device 1000 of the above-described embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 15. The washing machine 10 in one embodiment has a laundry inlet 11H at the front (FD), and a washing machine body 11 and a laundry inlet 11H with a control panel 11A including various operation buttons on the upper side are opened and closed. It includes a washing machine door 12, a hinge assembly 13 rotatably connecting the washing machine door 12 to the washing machine body 11, and the door opening device 1000 of the above-described embodiment.

The washing machine door 12 is provided with a locking portion 14 such as a hook in a portion that draws a large rotational trajectory when the washing machine door 12 rotates around the hinge assembly 13, and the washing machine body 11 corresponding thereto ) Is provided with a door lock (15). In addition, the front of the washing machine body 11 may be provided with a door detection pin 16 that is pressed by the washing machine door 12 to detect the closed state of the washing machine door 12.

The door opening device 1000 is installed in the washing machine body 11 to push the inner edge of the washing machine door 12 by the door push pin 410 protruding toward the front (FD). In one embodiment, the door opening device 1000 can easily open the washing machine door 12 even if the forward force of the door push pin 410 is small (to open the washing machine door even with a small rotational moment). ) It is installed at a position spaced apart from the hinge assembly 13 that is the center of rotation of the washing machine door 12.

Although the technical spirit of the present disclosure has been described by the examples shown in the accompanying drawings and some embodiments, the technical spirit and scope of the present disclosure can be understood by those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains. It will be appreciated that various substitutions, modifications and changes can be made in the range. In addition, such substitutions, modifications and variations should be considered within the scope of the appended claims.

10: washing machine, 11: washing machine body, 12: washing machine door, 20: connector, 100: housing, 200: driving motor, 300: multiple gears, 310: shaft gear, 320: cam gear, 330 to 360: reduction gear, 400: slider, 410: door push pin, 500: switch lever, 520: spring, 600: tact switch, 700: board, 800: connector terminal, 900: stop plate, 1000: door opener

Claims (16)

A housing having a front wall and a rear wall facing the front wall, the opening having a pinhole formed in the front wall;
A drive motor provided inside the housing and having a drive shaft rotating in one direction;
A plurality of gears provided inside the housing and rotating by a driving force transmitted from the driving shaft; And
It has a door push pin, and using a driving force transmitted from the plurality of gears, and includes a slider for advancing the door push pin to the outside of the housing through the pin hole or back to the interior of the housing,
The door push pin linearly reciprocates between a first position where the slider is most advanced toward the rear wall and a second position where the slider is most advanced toward the front wall,
The opening has a hole length such that the tip of the door push pin is located in the pin hole in the first position. According to claim 1,
The drive motor is a DC motor, the door opening device. According to claim 1,
The front end of the door push pin in the first position is spaced by a free hole length from the front end of the opening,
The free hole length is more than 0mm and less than 1.0mm, the door opening device. According to claim 1,
The plurality of gears,
A shaft gear coupled to a drive shaft of the drive motor;
A cam gear connected to the slider; And
It includes a plurality of reduction gears that mesh with each other between the shaft gear and the cam gear,
The cam gear converts the rotational movement by the driving force transmitted from the drive shaft into a linear reciprocating movement of the slider, the door opening device. The method of claim 4,
The shaft gear is a helical gear, the door opening device. The method of claim 4,
The cam gear,
A tooth portion engaged with any one of the plurality of reduction gears; And
It includes a cam portion that rotates coaxially with the tooth portion,
A cam groove is formed on the circumferential surface of the cam portion,
On the upper surface of the cam portion, a protrusion to be inserted into the slider is formed, the door opening device. The method of claim 6,
The slider includes a slider body formed integrally with the door push pin and having a projection insertion groove into which the projection is movably inserted,
The protrusion insertion groove extends in a direction crossing the extending direction of the door push pin, the door opening device. The method of claim 7,
The slider body is provided with a plurality of guide projections extending parallel to the extending direction of the door push pin,
A door opening device in which a plurality of guide grooves into which the plurality of guide protrusions are movably inserted are formed on an inner surface of the housing. The method of claim 6,
A switch lever rotatably provided inside the housing;
A compression coil spring that presses the other end of the switch lever so that one end of the switch lever contacts the circumferential surface of the cam portion; And
The door opening device further includes a tact switch that is pressed or released by the other end of the switch lever and turns on or off power applied to the driving motor. The method of claim 9,
A door opening device further comprising a substrate to which the drive motor and the tact switch are connected. The method of claim 10,
Further comprising a connector terminal connected to the substrate,
In the housing, a connector opening for exposing the connector terminal to the outside is formed, a door opening device. The method of claim 6,
It is provided inside the housing, further comprising a stop plate having a motor accommodating portion for accommodating the drive motor,
The plurality of reduction gears are disposed below the stop plate,
The cam gear is disposed through the stop plate so that the cam portion protrudes upward of the stop plate, the door opening device. The method of claim 12,
The housing includes a case and a cover detachably coupled to the case,
The cover has a first semi-cylindrical portion forming a part of the opening,
The stop plate has a second semi-cylindrical portion forming the rest of the opening,
The case has a cut-out portion into which the second semi-cylindrical portion is inserted,
A door opening device in which an O-ring is interposed between the first semi-cylindrical portion and the second semi-cylindrical portion. The method of claim 9,
In the first position, the projection is located on the extension line of the door push pin, one end of the switch lever contacts the circumferential surface of the cam portion forming the cam groove, and the tact switch is the compression coil spring The door opening device being pressed by the other end of the switch lever pressed by. The method of claim 9,
When forward movement from the first position of the slider to the second position, when one end of the switch lever contacts the circumferential surface of the cam portion outside the cam groove, the tact switch by the other end of the switch lever Is released, the tact switch is turned off,
When reversing movement from the second position of the slider to the first position, when one end of the switch lever contacts the circumferential surface of the cam portion forming the cam groove, the tact is applied by the other end of the switch lever. When the switch is pressed, the tact switch is turned on, and the tact switch turns off the power applied to the driving motor. A washing machine body having a laundry inlet;
A washing machine door for opening and closing the laundry inlet;
A hinge assembly rotatably connecting the washing machine door to the washing machine body; And
It includes a door opening device according to any one of claims 1 to 15 installed on the front of the washing machine body to push the inner edge of the washing machine door toward the washing machine body to open the washing machine door,
The door opening device is installed spaced apart from the hinge assembly, a washing machine.

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