WO2013105495A1 - Operation device and washing machine provided with same - Google Patents

Abstract

This operation device (50) is provided with: an operation panel (8) provided to the upper outer contour (3) of a casing; an operation board (9); a power source board (11); and a protective case (13) that protects the power source board (11) and the operation board (9) and that has at least two concavities (13a, 13b). Furthermore, the protective case (13) protects the power source board (11) by means of one of the concavities (13b), protects the operation board (9) by means of the other of the concavities (13a), and has a configuration such that a heat resistant material (21) is insert-molded and provided within the protective case (13) between the power source board (11) and the operation board (9). As a result, it is possible to realize a compact, highly reliable operation device (50) and washing machine that are able to prevent erroneous operation and erroneous display.

Description

Operation device and washing machine equipped with the same

The present invention relates to an operation device provided in a washing machine having an operation unit such as an operation panel in a part of an outer shell and a washing machine including the operation device.

Conventionally, in general, a washing machine has a washing / dehydration tub (hereinafter referred to as an “inner tub”) that performs washing and dehydration inside the machine body, and an outer shell of the machine body in the vicinity of an input port through which clothes are taken in and out. And an operation unit provided (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In addition, the washing machine having the above configuration may be installed outdoors due to restrictions on the living environment.

Hereinafter, the configuration of the conventional washing machine described in Patent Document 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 to 12.

FIG. 9 is a side sectional view of a conventional washing machine. FIG. 10 is an exploded view of a conventional washing machine. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a main part around an operation board of a conventional washing machine. FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of a main part around a power supply board of a conventional washing machine.

As shown in FIG. 9 to FIG. 12, the conventional washing machine has a water receiving tank 101 (hereinafter referred to as “water tank”) provided with an inner tank 100 and a water receiving tank cover 101a (hereinafter referred to as “water tank cover”) at the top. The upper shell 103 is mounted on the upper part of the washing machine main body 102 that stores “

A clothing insertion port 104 is formed in the approximate center of the upper shell 103, and a substantially concave storage portion 106 for storing the operation board 105 and the like is formed on the front side of the upper shell 103. The housing unit 106 is covered with an operation panel 109 having a display unit 107 and operation buttons 108. An operation switch 110 mounted on the operation board 105 is disposed at a position corresponding to the operation button 108 on the operation panel 109.

12 is included in a part of the upper shell 103, and controls power supply to a load such as a motor 112 attached to the lower part of the water tank 101 containing the inner tank 100. is doing.

Further, the operation board 105 and the power supply board 111 constituting the operation device 130 are included in a first boat-like protective case 113a and a second boat-like protective case 113b, respectively. The operation board 105 shown in FIG. 11 is locked to the first boat-like protective case 113a by a claw (not shown) or the like. The first boat-like protective case 113 a is fixed to an operation board attachment boss 114 provided on the operation panel 109 with an operation board attachment screw 115. The power supply substrate 111 shown in FIG. 12 is fixed by a power supply substrate fixing claw 116 provided on the second boat-like protective case 113b.

Further, as shown in FIG. 11, almost the entire periphery of the edge of the housing portion 106 has a contact portion 117 that makes contact with the operation panel 109, and the operation panel 109 is fixed to the housing portion 106 with screws or claws. Yes.

And in the bottom part 106a of the accommodating part 106, the drain hole 118 is provided in the position corresponded inside the outer peripheral wall of the water tank 101. As shown in FIG. As a result, when the clothing enters and leaves the inner tub 100 and water enters the housing portion 106 from the contact portion 117, the intruded water is discharged into the water tub 101 through the drain hole 118.

As shown in FIG. 10, the operation board 105 constituting a part of the operation device 130 includes a power switch 119 electrically connected to a commercial power source and a microcomputer 120 that controls the washing machine. ing. The operation substrate 105 is fixed to the first boat-like protective case 113a and then filled with the potting agent 124. Thereby, the operation substrate 105 is covered with the potting agent 124 and waterproofed. As a result, water that falls from the clothes when the clothes are put in and out from the clothes insertion port 104 or water caused by rain when the washing machine is installed outdoors has entered even when the first boat-like protective case 113a has entered. It is possible to prevent a decrease in resistance between patterns of the operation substrate 105 due to water. In particular, since the microcomputer 120 mounted on the operation board 105 has a short space (pitch) between terminals, even a slight change in inter-pattern resistance affects the operation of the microcomputer 120. In addition, since the power switch 119 is connected to a commercial power source, short circuiting easily occurs when moisture enters the power switch 119. Therefore, the operation substrate 105 is covered with a potting agent 124 to take measures against water and moisture. As a result, even if water enters the first boat-like protective case 113a, the potting agent 124 prevents water from entering the operation board 105, thereby preventing erroneous display and malfunction of the washing machine. .

As shown in FIG. 12, the power supply substrate 111 constituting the power supply device 140 covers the first metal cover 121 that covers the second boat-like protective case 113 b and the connector 122 side that is connected to the power supply substrate 111. Covered with a second metal cover 123. The power supply substrate 111 is fixed to the second boat-like protective case 113b and then filled with a potting agent 124 made of urethane resin or the like. Thereby, the power supply substrate 111 is covered with the potting agent 124 and waterproofed.

As described above, the conventional washing machine is configured.

The following briefly describes the washing operation of a conventional washing machine.

First, the laundry, water and detergent are put into the inner tub 100. Next, by operating the power switch 119 and the operation switch 110, the motor 112 is driven to rotationally drive the inner tank 100. At this time, the laundry is moved by the flow of water generated by the rotation of the inner tub 100. Thereby, washing is performed by rubbing due to contact between the laundry or the inner tub 100.

Next, for dehydration, first, the laundry is put into the inner tub 100. Then, by operating the operation switch 110, the motor 112 is driven to rotate the inner tub 100 at a high speed. At this time, moisture is separated from the laundry by the centrifugal force of the inner tub 100 rotating at high speed, and dehydration is performed.

Next, the dehydrated laundry is taken out from the inner tub 100 and dried. In the case of a washing machine with a drying function, drying is performed as it is.

The washing operation of the washing machine is performed by the above operation.

However, since the operation device 130 of the conventional washing machine covers both the operation board 105 and the power supply board 111 with the potting agent, the first boat-like protective case 113a and the second boat-like protective case 113b are required separately. It is. For this reason, the manufacturing is complicated and the productivity is lowered, and the operation device and the washing machine product itself cannot be made compact.

Further, if the first metal cover 121 and the second metal cover 123 of the power supply board 111 of the power supply device 140 are omitted in order to make the operation device 130 compact, the following problems occur.

For example, when the high-voltage circuit of the power supply board 111 connected to the commercial power source breaks down and generates heat, the heated parts come into contact with the outside of the operation device 130. In order to prevent this, the entire product such as the operation device 130 needs to be made of a material having a high heat resistant temperature. As a result, the problem that the cost increases occurs.

Further, if the second boat-like protective case 113b is omitted, the lead portion of the component mounted on the power supply board 111 contacts the first metal cover 121. Therefore, there is a problem in that the resistance between the lead portions decreases, causing malfunctions and display errors.

JP 2008-67901 A

In order to solve the above-described problems, an operating device according to the present invention protects at least a control panel provided on an upper outline of a housing, an operation board for inputting an operation, a power supply board, and the power supply board and the operation board. And a protective case having two concave portions provided on the back surface. Further, the protective case has a configuration in which the power supply substrate is protected by one recess, the operation substrate is protected by the other recess, and a heat-resistant material is insert-molded in the protection case between the power supply substrate and the operation substrate. Have.

This makes it possible to configure the operating device compactly. Further, even when a high-voltage circuit of a power supply board connected to a commercial power source breaks down and generates heat, the heat-generating component does not come into contact with the outside of the operating device because it is protected by a heat-resistant material. Therefore, even if the high voltage circuit fails, the product safety can be improved.

Furthermore, even if the lead part of the component mounted on the operation board and the power supply board protrudes from the back surface of the board, it comes into contact with the resin layer of the protective case before coming into contact with the heat-resistant material such as a metal plate. As a result, the resistance between the lead portions does not decrease, and a highly reliable operation board that can prevent malfunctions and display errors can be realized.

Further, the washing machine of the present invention includes the operation board. Thereby, a washing machine having high reliability and safety can be realized.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a main part around a power supply device and an operation device of a washing machine according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of the washing machine. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the main part of the washing machine. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the main part of the washing machine. FIG. 5 is a top sectional view of the washing machine. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the main part of the washing machine. FIG. 7: is principal part sectional drawing explaining the structure and positional relationship of a dam part in the washing machine. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of a power supply device and an operation device according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention and a washing machine equipped with them. FIG. 9 is a side sectional view of a conventional washing machine. FIG. 10 is an exploded view of a conventional washing machine. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a main part around an operation board of a conventional washing machine. FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of a main part around a power supply board of a conventional washing machine.

Hereinafter, a power supply device and an operation device according to an embodiment of the present invention and a washing machine including them will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the present embodiment.

(Embodiment 1)
Hereinafter, the power supply device and the operation device according to the first embodiment of the present invention and the washing machine equipped with them will be specifically described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6. Hereinafter, a vertical washing machine will be described as an example.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a main part around a power supply device and an operation device of a washing machine according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of the washing machine. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the main part of the washing machine. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the main part of the washing machine. FIG. 5 is a top sectional view of the washing machine. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the main part of the washing machine.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 6, the washing machine of the present embodiment has at least a water receiving tank 40 (hereinafter referred to as “water tank”) and a motor (not shown) included in the washing machine body 2. A washing and dewatering tub 1 (hereinafter referred to as an “inner tub”) rotatably supported by a shaft, and an upper shell 3 made of, for example, polypropylene, mounted so as to substantially cover the entire upper portion of the washing machine body 2. And an operating device 50 including a power supply device 60. And the inner tank 1 is included in the water tank 40 so that rotation is possible, and the motor is mounted to the lower part of the water tank 40. In the present embodiment, a washing machine having a water tub 40 will be described as an example, but it goes without saying that a washing machine having only the inner tub 1 and no water tub 40 may be used.

A clothing input port 4 is formed integrally with the upper shell 3 at the approximate center (including the center) of the upper shell 3. At this time, in the case of a vertical washing machine, the clothing input port 4 is configured to extend downward toward the upper side of the inner tub 1.

Further, on the front side of the upper shell 3 (corresponding to the left side in FIG. 1), a substantially concave (including concave) accommodating portion 5 is formed. As shown in FIG. 5, the accommodating portion 5 is substantially the same as the entire width of the upper shell 3 (in the direction orthogonal to the paper surface of FIG. 1) at a position between the front side of the washing machine body 2 and the clothing insertion port 4. It is provided in width. The accommodating portion 5 is almost entirely covered with an operation panel 8 having, for example, a display portion 6 printed on a PET sheet (polyethylene terephthalate sheet) and operation buttons 7 and formed of, for example, polypropylene. Note that, for example, a double-sided tape (not shown) is provided on the back surface of the display unit 6 except for a hole opened in a portion corresponding to the operation button 7, and the operation panel 8 is provided via the double-sided tape. The display part 6 is affixed on the surface.

Further, an operation switch 10 mounted on the operation board 9 is disposed at a position corresponding to the operation button 7 of the operation panel 8.

When the washing machine is operated, components are arranged in the order of the surface of the operation board 9, the operation switch 10, the operation button 7, and the display unit 6 from the inside corresponding to the bottom 5a of the storage unit 5, and are operated by the user. The operation surface 6a is configured to reach the operation surface 6a. That is, when the user presses the operation button 7 from the operation surface 6 a, an operation is input to the operation board 9 via the operation button 7 of the operation panel 8. Thereby, the user can select the operation of the washing machine and the washing operation.

In addition, the storage unit 5 includes an operation device 50 including a power supply device 60. The operation device 50 includes at least a power supply device 60, an operation panel 8, an operation board 9, and a boat-like protective case 13 (hereinafter abbreviated as “protective case 13”). At this time, the protective case 13 is formed of, for example, a flame retardant ABS resin, and has, for example, a substantially H-shaped (including H-shaped) cross-sectional shape and at least two concave portions 13a and 13b. The operation board 9 of the operation device 50 is enclosed in the recess 13 a of the protective case 13.

The power supply device 60 includes at least the power supply substrate 11, the potting agent 24 covering the power supply substrate 11, and the protective case 13. Specifically, the power supply device 60 is configured by enclosing the power supply substrate 11 covered with the potting agent 24 in the recess 13 b of the protective case 13. The power supply board 11 controls the supply of electric power to a load such as a motor (not shown) attached to the lower part of the inner tank 1.

That is, the operation board 9 is included in the recess 13a on one surface side (the side facing the operation panel 8) of the protective case 13 constituting the operation device 50, and is protected from, for example, water. On the other hand, the power supply substrate 11 constituting the power supply device 60 is included in the recess 13b on the other surface side (the side facing the bottom portion 5a of the housing portion 5) of the protective case 13, and is protected from, for example, water. At this time, the operation substrate 9 is not filled with the potting agent, and only the power supply substrate 11 is filled and covered with the potting agent 24. Thereby, the operation substrate 9 is not subjected to thermal stress when the potting agent 24 is cured or mechanical stress due to contraction of the potting agent 24.

2 and 5, the operation board 9 is fixed to an operation board mounting boss 14 formed integrally with the operation panel 8 in the vicinity of the operation button 7 by an operation board mounting screw 15. Yes. Specifically, the operation board 9 is configured such that the operation board mounting screw 15 passes through a hole (not shown) formed in the operation board 9 near the operation switch 10 and is tightened to the operation board mounting boss 14. And are fixed.

Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the operation surface 6a of the display unit 6 at a position corresponding to the operation button 7 is formed in a convex shape toward the outside. At this time, the gap g1 is designed between the display unit 6 and the operation button 7, and the gap g2 is designed between the operation button 7 and the operation switch 10. Further, the operation switch 10 is set to a stroke s1 until the circuit is opened and closed. The height h1 of the convex shape of the display unit 6 is configured to satisfy the following relationship (Equation 1).

(Equation 1)
h1 × 2 ≧ g1 + g2 + s1 (1)

Then, when the convex shaped operation surface 6 a of the display unit 6 is pushed down, the operation surface 6 a is displaced to the rear of the operation switch 10. Therefore, the convex shape of the operation surface 6a is formed by stretching the material in advance so as to have the height h1. That is, when the operation surface 6a is pushed down, the convex shape of the operation surface 6a is reversed, and the material of the operation surface 6a is stretched until the height h1 becomes a concave shape, that is, until the height h1 × 2 is displaced. In addition, the operation surface 6a can be displaced with a light operation force. At this time, as shown in (Expression 1), the distance that the operation surface 6a is displaced by the height h1 × 2 is a value obtained by adding the stroke s1 to the gap g1 and the gap g2. As a result, the stroke s1 of the operation switch 10 can be pushed out with a stroke that is less than the inversion of the convex-shaped operation surface 6a regardless of the elongation of the material constituting the display unit 6.

Further, a part of the operation button 7 is provided with a draining portion 7a extending to a position further below the operation switch 10 at least on the front side of the washing machine. Thereby, for example, when water vapor is condensed on the back surface (accommodating portion 5 side) of the operation panel 8, the condensed water is prevented from dripping onto the operation switch 10 mounted on the operation board 9.

Further, as shown in FIG. 1, a power supply board fixing claw 16 for fixing the power supply board 11 is formed in the protective case 13, and the periphery of the power supply board 11 is locked via the power supply board fixing claw 16 to protect the protective case 13. Is contained in the recess 13b.

Further, as shown in FIG. 1, a first labyrinth portion 17 having a weir portion 17 a having a labyrinth structure that abuts the operation panel 8 is formed on substantially the entire circumference of the edge portion of the accommodating portion 5. And the accommodating part 5 is being fixed to the operation panel 8 with the screw | screw, the nail | claw, etc., for example. Further, a drain hole 18 is provided in the bottom 5a of the container 5, and when the clothes are taken in and out of the inner tub 1, the water that has entered the container 5 from the first labyrinth part 17 is drained below the washing machine. To do. As a result, the first waterproof part is constituted by the first labyrinth part 17 and the drain hole 18. In addition, the dam part 17a is corresponded to the 1st labyrinth part 17 formed in the edge part side located in the clothing input port 4 side of the inner tank 1 among the 1st labyrinth parts 17. FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, a power switch 19 that is electrically connected to a commercial power source is attached to a part of the protective case 13 via, for example, a fixing claw (not shown). . And the microcomputer 20 which controls a washing machine is mounted | worn with the power supply board 11, as shown in FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the protective case 13 facing the power supply substrate 11 constituting the power supply device 60, that is, the protective case 13 sandwiched between the power supply substrate 11 and the operation substrate 9, for example, a galvanized steel plate A first incombustible cover 21 made of a heat-resistant material such as a metal plate is insert-molded. Further, the protective case 13 enclosing the power supply substrate 11 is covered with a second non-combustible cover 23 made of a heat-resistant material such as a metal plate of a galvanized steel plate so as to cover the connector 22 side connected to the power supply substrate 11. ing. That is, the power supply substrate 11 constituting the power supply device 60 is covered with the first non-combustible cover 21 and the second non-combustible cover 23. Thereby, the operation device 50 including at least the operation panel 8, the operation substrate 9 and the power supply substrate 11 included in the protective case 13 can be configured in a compact manner. That is, since the metal plate is insert-molded, the power supply substrate can be protected by the metal plate, and the same member as the protective case that houses the operation substrate can be used. As a result, the operating device can be made compact. Further, when the high voltage circuit connected to the commercial power supply of the power supply board 11 constituting the power supply device 60 breaks down and generates heat, the power supply board 11 includes the first non-combustible cover 21 insert-molded in the protective case 13 and the second non-combustible cover 21. Covered with an incombustible cover 23. Therefore, the heated part does not come into contact with the outside of the operating device 50. As a result, it is possible to ensure product safety even in the event of a failure.

Furthermore, lead parts (not shown) of components such as the lead part 10a of the operation switch 10 and the connector 22 mounted on the operation board 9 and the power supply board 11 constituting the operation device 50 are connected to the operation board 9 and the power supply board 11. Even if it protrudes from the back surface, the first resin layer 13c and the second resin layer 13d of the protective case 13 having high insulation properties are brought into contact with the first incombustible cover 21 of the protective case 13 before contacting. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a decrease in resistance between the lead parts of the component. As a result, the operation device 50 having the power supply device 60 with excellent reliability and the washing machine capable of preventing malfunctions and display errors can be realized.

In addition, after fixing the power supply substrate 11 to the protective case 13, the power supply device 60 fills the recess 13 b of the protective case 13 containing the power supply substrate 11 with a moisture-proof potting agent 24 made of, for example, urethane resin. The power supply substrate 11 is configured so as to cover almost the whole.

That is, the operation device 50 includes the display unit 6, the operation button 7 of the operation panel 8, the operation switch 10, the operation board 9, the gap A, the first resin layer 13c of the protective case 13, the first non-combustible cover 21, and the protective case. 13 of the second resin layer 13d, the space filled with the potting agent 24, the power supply substrate 11, the space filled with the potting agent 24, the connector 22, the second incombustible cover 23, and the gap B. It arrange | positions in order to the bottom part 5a of the accommodating part 5. As shown in FIG. The gap A corresponds to a space between the operation board 9 and the first resin layer 13c of the protective case 13 determined by the operation switch positioning pins 39. The gap B corresponds to a space sandwiched between the second incombustible cover 23 and the bottom portion 5a of the housing portion 5.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 6, the protective case 13 including at least the display unit 6, the operation panel 8, the operation board 9, and the power supply board 11 constituting the operation device 50 is provided from the clothing insertion port 4. Over the front side of the washing machine main body 2, each is inclined downward toward the front side (left side in the figure).

As described above, the washing machine including the operation device 50 having the power supply device 60 of the present embodiment is configured.

Hereinafter, the configurations and functions of the first labyrinth unit and the second labyrinth unit provided in the operation device 50, which is a feature of the present embodiment, will be described in detail.

First, as shown in FIG. 1, the first labyrinth portion 17 includes a first rib 25 that extends a part of the operation panel 8 downward, and an end portion of the housing portion 5 that holds the first rib 25. For example, the first groove 26 having a substantially U-shaped (including U-shaped) cross-sectional shape formed on substantially the entire circumference is formed. The first labyrinth part 17 is configured by designing the gap between the first rib 25 and the first groove 26 to be narrow, thereby realizing a waterproof structure in which water does not easily enter the housing part 5. Thereby, a 1st waterproof part is comprised.

Note that the substantially entire circumference of the first labyrinth portion 17 means a structure in which a part is missing due to wiring or screwing, and it is needless to say that the labyrinth structure is not necessarily required over the entire circumference. Absent. The first labyrinth portion 17 may have a structure in which the first rib 25 and a part of the first groove 26 are in contact with each other, and the same effect can be obtained. Furthermore, the 1st labyrinth part 17 includes the case where it comprises only the dam part 17a provided in the clothing input port 4 side in the width direction of the washing machine shown in FIG.

At this time, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the operation panel is attached to the accommodating portion 5 at a position corresponding to the screw holes 27 a provided in the vicinity of both the left and right (width direction) ends of the operation panel 8 on the clothing insertion port 4 side. A surface 28 is formed. The operation panel mounting surface 28 is configured by cutting out the first groove 26 formed at the end of the accommodating portion 5 and has, for example, two boss portions 28a. Then, for example, two operation panel mounting screws 27 are screwed with a boss portion 28a through a screw hole 27a of the operation panel 8 through the operation panel mounting surface 28, whereby the operation panel 8 and the accommodating portion 5 are fixed. Is fixed.

As shown in FIG. 1, the second labyrinth portion 29 includes a second rib 30 that extends a part of the operation panel 8 downward and a protective case 13 that holds the second rib 30. A cross-sectional shape formed on substantially the entire circumference of the outer peripheral end portion constituting the recess 13a is constituted by a second groove 31 having a substantially U shape (including a U shape). Then, by designing the second labyrinth portion 29 by designing the gap between the second rib 30 and the second groove 31 to be narrow, a waterproof structure in which water does not easily enter the protective case 13 on the operation board 9 side. Realized. Thereby, a 2nd waterproof part is comprised.

Note that the second labyrinth portion 29 may have a structure in which the second rib 30 and a part of the second groove 31 are in contact with each other, and the same effect can be obtained.

At this time, as shown in FIGS. 1, 3, and 5, the power supply board 11 on which the microcomputer 20 is mounted and the power switch 19 mounted on the protective case 13 are connected to the inside of the first labyrinth section 17 (the housing section 5 The inner part 5 is mounted in the accommodating part 5 outside the area to be waterproofed by the second labyrinth part 29. Then, the power switch potting portion 44 from which the lead wire 19a for connecting the power switch 19 to the commercial power source is drawn is partially potted with, for example, epoxy resin. Thereby, the power switch 19 is waterproofed against water entering from the outside. The lead wire 19 a that connects the power supply substrate 11 and the power switch 19 is electrically connected to the power supply substrate 11 and is waterproofed with a potting agent 24 that covers the power supply substrate 11.

Thereby, it is possible to waterproof the operation board 9 with a simple configuration by the first labyrinth part 17 and the second labyrinth part 29 without performing the potting process.

Further, in the present embodiment, a high current circuit that is connected to a commercial power source and supplies a large current to a load such as a motor is disposed on the power supply substrate 11, and the display unit 6 such as an LED and the operation switch 10 are low. A current circuit is arranged on the operation board 9. As a result, a high current area composed of a high current circuit such as the power supply substrate 11 and a low current area composed of a low current circuit such as the operation substrate 9 can be separated from each other. As a result, in the area of the second labyrinth portion 29 formed from the operation panel 8 and the protective case 13, for example, even when condensation occurs due to a decrease in temperature, the operation substrate 9 composed of a low current circuit is filled with the potting agent 24. There is no particular need for waterproofing. On the other hand, since the high current circuit such as the power supply substrate 11 is filled and covered with the potting agent 24, a short circuit due to moisture or the like can be easily and more reliably prevented.

In the present embodiment, almost the entire circumference of the edge of the operation substrate 9 is surrounded by the second rib 30. For this reason, even when water that has entered the housing portion 5 from the first labyrinth portion 17 flows toward the drain hole 18 formed in the housing portion 5, it is surrounded by the second labyrinth portion 29. Intrusion of splash into the area of the operation substrate 9 can be prevented. Furthermore, even when a foreign matter such as an insect enters the storage unit 5 from the drain hole 18 formed in the storage unit 5, the operation substrate 9 is surrounded by the second labyrinth unit 29. Intrusion of foreign matter can be prevented. As a result, it is possible to prevent the operation board 9 from being short-circuited due to intrusion of moisture or foreign matter, and prevent malfunction of the washing machine.

Further, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the operation board 9 and the power supply board 11 constituting the operation device 50 are electrically connected by a flat cable 32 or the like. Therefore, in order to pull out the flat cable 32, it is necessary to cut out a part of the second rib 30 covering almost the entire circumference along the outer periphery of the operation substrate 9 to form the flat cable outlet 33. At this time, the flat cable outlet 33 is usually provided on the opposite side of the clothes insertion port 4 and on the front side of the washing machine in which the protective case 13 is inclined downward. Thereby, since water flows downward by its own weight, it is possible to prevent water from entering the operation substrate 9 disposed above. Further, a sealing material 34 made of, for example, a foamed rubber sheet having a closed cell structure is wound around the flat cable 32 to close a gap between the flat cable 32 and the flat cable outlet 33. Thereby, the flat cable lead-out port 33 which is the notch portion of the second rib 30 can be closed with the seal material 34 without any gap. As a result, moisture can be prevented from entering the operation board 9 through the flat cable outlet 33. That is, even if the cutout portion is provided in a part of the second rib 30, the same effect as that in which the second rib 30 is provided so as to cover the entire circumference along the outer periphery of the operation substrate 9 is obtained. be able to. As a result, the operation device 50 and the washing machine having the power supply device 60 with excellent reliability can be realized.

Moreover, in this Embodiment, as shown in FIG.1, FIG4 and FIG.5, the operation panel attachment surface 28 is the dam part 17a comprised in a part of 1st labyrinth part 17 by the side of the clothing insertion port 4. A part of the first groove 26 is cut out. Therefore, the operation panel attachment surface 28 is the lowest point of the first groove 26 in the first groove 26 on the clothing insertion port 4 side.

Therefore, the operation panel mounting surface 28, which is the lowest point of the first groove 26, is connected to the uppermost point 31a of the second groove 31 that constitutes the second labyrinth portion 29 (usually the second point on the clothing inlet 4 side). It is formed at a position lower than the height (corresponding to the position of the groove 31).

That is, the height is the upper end 26 a of the first groove 26, the uppermost point 31 a (upper end 31 a) of the second groove 31, the operation panel mounting surface 28 provided at a part of the first groove 26, and the drain hole. It is configured to be lower in the order of 18. Further, the weir portion 17 a of the first labyrinth portion 17, the second labyrinth portion 29, the operation board 9, and the flat cable lead-out port 33 are arranged in this order from the clothing insertion port 4 toward the front side of the upper shell 3. Configure.

As a result, for example, when water enters from the clothes insertion port 4 beyond the weir portion 17a of the first labyrinth portion 17 constituting the first waterproof portion, the operation panel mounting surface 28 is positioned at the outermost portion of the first groove 26. Since it is a lower point, water enters the storage portion 5 and flows only from the portion of the operation panel mounting surface 28. Therefore, water does not enter from the uppermost point 26a (the upper end 26a) of the first groove 26. In this case, even if splashing occurs due to the flow of water that has entered from the portion of the operation panel mounting surface 28, the uppermost point 31 a of the second groove 31 is higher than the operation panel mounting surface 28, so Can prevent the ingress of water.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the first labyrinth part 17 having the weir part 17a that constitutes the first waterproof part and the second waterproof part are intruded into the operation substrate 9. This can be prevented by the double structure of the second labyrinth portion 29 that is a portion. Therefore, it is not necessary to waterproof the operation substrate 9 by covering it with the potting agent 24. Thereby, since the operation board 9 does not receive the thermal stress by the potting agent 24 or the mechanical stress by shrinkage | contraction, the curvature of components, such as the operation board 9, can be suppressed. As a result, the positional deviation between the operation panel 8 and the operation board 9 and the relative position between the operation button 7 and the display unit 6 attached to the operation panel 8 and the operation switch 10 attached to the operation board 9 can be stabilized. . Furthermore, the variation in stroke when the user operates the operation button 7 can be suppressed, and the operation force can be stabilized.

Moreover, according to this Embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, the upper part of the inner tank 1 and the water tank 40 is open | released, for example in circular shape, and a ring is formed in the upper end which is the open part of the water tank 40, for example. A water tank cover 35 (hereinafter referred to as “water tank cover”) is attached. At this time, the drain hole 18 constituting the first waterproof part is disposed above the water tank cover 35 and in a region outside the substantially circular edge part (including the circular edge part) of the water tank cover 35. . That is, the water drained from the drain hole 18 is configured not to drop into the range of the water tank cover 35 and the inner tank 1.

According to this configuration, for example, when foam generated in the inner tub 1 overflows beyond the water tank cover 35 during washing, it falls below the washing machine main body 2 before reaching the drain hole 18. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the invasion of bubbles from the drain hole 18 into the accommodating portion 5 and to prevent the intrusion of bubbles into the area of the operation substrate 9 from the gap between the protective case 13 and the operation panel 8. it can. As a result, it is possible to prevent the operation board 9 from being short-circuited, and prevent malfunctions and erroneous display of the washing machine.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 6, the drain hole 18 is, for example, at an angle of approximately 45 degrees (including 45 degrees), below the inner tank 1 (outer peripheral side), that is, below the front side. It is formed to open toward. As a result, the water that has entered the housing part 5 is efficiently drained before it collects in the bottom part 5a of the housing part 5. Furthermore, even when the foam containing the detergent component generated from the inner tank 1 overflows from the water tank cover 35 and travels through the back surface 5b of the housing portion 5, the foam can be guided downward by the inclined surface of the drain hole 18. . As a result, it is possible to effectively prevent bubbles from entering the housing portion 5.

Moreover, in this Embodiment, in the dam part 17a of the 1st labyrinth part 17 which comprises a 1st waterproof part, between the 1st rib 25 and the 1st groove | channel 26, and the operation panel 8 and the operation panel A design gap is provided between the attachment surface 28 and the fitting portion of the operation panel 8 that fits the operation panel attachment surface 28 so that the fitting portion can be attached and detached. Therefore, when clothes are taken in and out through the clothes insertion port 4, water enters from the design gap. Therefore, the design gap is designed and formed so that the total cross-sectional area S2 corresponding to the opening area of the drain hole 18 (hereinafter abbreviated as “area S2”) is larger than the total cross-sectional area S1 of the design gap. is doing. The total cross-sectional area S1 of the design gap is a cross-sectional area when the weir portion 17a of the first labyrinth portion 17 is cut in the circumferential direction of the first labyrinth portion 17 configured in an annular shape. Hereinafter, the total cross-sectional area S1 of the design gap through which the entering water flows is abbreviated as the area S1 of the weir portion 17a.

Hereinafter, the reason why the area S2 of the drain hole 18 is made larger than the area S1 of the weir part 17a will be specifically described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of an essential part for explaining the configuration of the weir portion and the relative positional relationship in the washing machine according to the present embodiment. In addition, the left figure of FIG. 7 has shown the cross section of the operation panel attachment surface 28 vicinity of the dam part 17a. Moreover, the right figure of FIG. 7 has shown the cross section of the dam part 17a which comprises the 1st labyrinth part 17. As shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 7, first, with respect to the water flow (arrow in the right figure of FIG. 7) which flows between the 1st rib 25 which comprises the dam part 17a of the 1st labyrinth part 17, and the 1st groove | channel 26. The area of the vertical surface is S01. Further, the area of the surface perpendicular to the water flow (arrow in the left diagram of FIG. 7) flowing between the operation panel 8 and the operation panel mounting surface 28 is S02. Then, as shown in FIG. 7, the difference in height between the upper end 26a of the first groove 26 and the operation panel mounting surface 28 is defined as h01. The sum of the area S01 and the area S02 corresponds to the area S1 of the dam portion 17a.

At this time, when the water having the flow rate Q02 satisfies (Equation 2), the water flows out from the space between the first rib 25 and the first groove 26 having the area S01 into the accommodating portion 5.

(Equation 2)
Q02> S02 × √ (2 · g · h01) (2)

However, the flow velocity of the water flowing through the area S01 is slower than the flow velocity of the water flowing through the area S02 by the height h01 higher than the operation panel mounting surface 28.

Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the area S2 of the surface perpendicular to the water flow through the drain hole 18 is made larger than the area S1 of the weir portion 17a that is the sum of the areas S01 and S02. Therefore, when the flow rate flowing into the accommodating portion 5 is Q1, the flow velocity V1 of the water flowing through the area S1 of the weir portion 17a is expressed by (Equation 3). On the other hand, when the flow rate drained from the storage unit 5 is Q2, the flow velocity V2 flowing through the area S2 of the drain hole 18 is expressed by (Equation 4).

(Equation 3)
V1 = Q1 / S1 (3)

(Equation 4)
V2 = Q2 / S2 (4)

If the amount of water flowing from the area S1 of the weir part 17a into the accommodating part 5 is drained only from the area S2 of the drain hole 18, Q1 = Q2. However, since the present embodiment is designed so that S1 <S2, the flow velocity V1 of the water flowing through the area S1 of the weir portion 17a and the flow velocity V2 flowing through the area S2 of the drain hole 18 are ( The relationship shown in Equation 5) is obtained.

(Equation 5)
V1> V2 (5)

Further, the flow velocity V1 of the water flowing through the dam portion 17a area S1 is expressed by (Expression 6) when the water level of the inflow portion of the dam portion 17a is H1 (corresponding to the height from the operation panel mounting surface 28).

(Equation 6)
V1 = √ (2 · g · H1) (6)

Similarly, the flow velocity V2 of the water flowing through the area S2 of the drain hole 18 is expressed by (Equation 7) when the water level of the inflow portion of the accommodating portion 5 is H2 (corresponding to the height from the operation panel mounting surface 28). Is done.

(Equation 7)
V2 = √ (2 · g · H2) (7)

Therefore, from (Equation 5), the water level H1 and the water level H2 have the relationship shown in (Equation 8).

(Equation 8)
H1> H2 (8)

That is, when the area S2 of the drain hole 18 is made larger than the area S1 of the dam portion 17a, the water accumulated in the accommodating portion 5 is larger than the water level H1 of the water flowing through the dam portion 17a of the first labyrinth portion 17. The water level H2 is always low. As a result, the water that enters the housing portion 5 can be reliably drained through the drain hole 18. As a result, water can be reliably prevented from entering the operation substrate 9.

On the other hand, even if the water level H1 and the water level H2 become the same height for some reason, from (Equation 6) and (Equation 7), the flow velocity V1 of the water flowing through the area S1 of the weir portion 17a and the water drain The flow velocity V2 flowing through the area S2 of the hole 18 has the relationship shown in (Equation 9).

(Equation 9)
V1 = V2 (9)

However, in this embodiment, the design is such that S1 <S2. Therefore, from (Equation 3) and (Equation 4), the relationship between the flow rate Q1 flowing into the storage unit 5 and the flow rate Q2 discharged from the storage unit 5 is expressed by (Equation 10).

(Equation 10)
Q1 <Q2 (10)

That is, as can be seen from (Equation 10), the flow rate Q2 drained from the drain hole 18 is larger than the flow rate Q1 flowing into the accommodating portion 5. Therefore, the water level H2 inside the accommodating part 5 becomes low immediately. As a result, the amount of water that can be discharged from the drain hole 18 per unit time is greater than the amount of water that can enter from the weir portion 17a of the first labyrinth portion 17. As a result, even if the water level H1 and the water level H2 are the same height, the water can be effectively drained from the drain hole 18 to reliably prevent water from entering the operation substrate 9.

Further, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, the first rib 25 is sandwiched by the first groove 26 in the dam portion 17 a of the first labyrinth portion 17 constituting the first waterproof portion. The length L (the length in the height direction) of the portion is longer than the width W (cross-sectional width) of the first groove 26. Thereby, while narrowing the channel | path of the water which tries to pass through the dam part 17a of a 1st waterproof part, the space which stores water can be increased by lengthening, and waterproof performance can be made high.

Similarly, the length (the length in the height direction) of the portion where the second rib 30 constituting the second labyrinth portion 29 of the second waterproof portion is sandwiched by the second groove 31 is the second length. It is made longer than the width of the groove 31 (cross-sectional width). Thereby, while narrowing the channel | path of the water which tries to pass through a 2nd waterproof part, the space which stores water can be increased by lengthening, and waterproof performance can be made high.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the weir portion 17a of the first labyrinth portion 17 has a labyrinth structure so that the design gap between the first rib 25 and the first groove 26 flows. The water flow path can be narrowed and lengthened with a compact configuration. For this reason, the flow rate of the first labyrinth portion 17 flowing through the weir portion 17a can be reduced, and water can be efficiently prevented from entering the operation substrate 9.

In addition, according to the present embodiment, the position of the first rib 25 of the operation panel 8 is, for example, the front of the washing machine main body 2 (FIG. 1) due to processing variations of parts constituting the operation panel 8 and the housing 5 and the like. Even when it is shifted to the left), the gap between the first rib 25 and the front side of the washing machine body 2 of the first groove 26 is narrowed. For this reason, water can be prevented from entering the housing portion 5 via the weir portion 17a of the first labyrinth portion 17, so that the waterproof effect on the operation substrate 9 is not lowered. Similarly, even when the position of the first rib 25 of the operation panel 8 is shifted to the rear of the washing machine body 2 (right side in FIG. 1), for example, the gap on the rear side of the washing machine body 2 is narrowed. Therefore, the same effect as described above can be obtained. That is, the labyrinth structure can effectively prevent water from entering the housing portion 5. As a result, the operation board 9 surrounded by the second labyrinth portion 29 can be waterproofed.

Moreover, according to this Embodiment, the water which infiltrated into the accommodating part 5 with the dam part 17a and the drain hole 18 of the 1st labyrinth part 17 which comprises a 1st waterproof part is contained in the accommodating part 5. It can be hard to collect. Further, the second labyrinth part 29 constituting the second waterproof part enters the scattered water generated when the water entered from the weir part 17a of the first labyrinth part 17 flows, or enters the drain hole 18. Intrusion of foreign substances such as water vapor and insects into the operation board 9 can be prevented. As a result, the operation substrate 9 need not be waterproofed by being covered with the potting agent 24.

Furthermore, since the operation substrate 9 is not subjected to thermal stress due to the potting agent 24 or mechanical stress due to contraction, warping of components such as the operation substrate 9 can be suppressed. As a result, the positional deviation between the operation panel 8 and the operation board 9 and the relative position between the operation button 7 and the display unit 6 attached to the operation panel 8 and the operation switch 10 attached to the operation board 9 can be stabilized. . As a result, variation in stroke when the user operates the operation button 7 can be suppressed, and the operation force can be stabilized.

Specifically, in the case of a conventional washing machine, if the operation board 9 is covered with the potting agent 24, the operation board and the protective case are warped. For example, the operation force of the operation button 7 needs to be increased. There was a problem with sex. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 1, for example, it is necessary to reduce (narrow) the gap g2 between the operation button 7 and the operation switch 10 to reduce the operation force. However, when the gap g2 is narrowed, if the user accidentally applies a force in the vicinity of the operation button 7 portion of the operation panel 8, for example, leaning on the washing machine, the user does not need to consciously press the operation button 7. It was easy to induce malfunctions, such as the operation switch 10 being pressed.

Therefore, according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the operation board 9 is not filled and covered with the potting agent 24. For example, the operation board 9 is mounted near the operation switch 10 and the operation board 8 is attached to the operation panel 8. The boss 14 and the operation board mounting screw 15 are directly fixed to the operation panel 8. Thereby, since the operation substrate 9 is not covered with the potting agent, the deformation of the operation substrate 9 can be prevented and the operation substrate 9 can be easily fixed directly to the operation panel 8. Further, by directly fixing, it is possible to make it difficult for the operation button 7 on the operation panel 8 and the operation switch 10 on the operation board 9 to be displaced. As a result, by stabilizing the dimensions and positional relationship between the operation button 7 and the operation switch 10, it is possible to suppress variations in operation force on the operation switch 10 and reduce malfunctions.

In addition, according to the present embodiment, the microcomputer 20 that has a narrow pitch between terminals and is likely to malfunction due to slight moisture, and the power switch 19 that is connected to a commercial power supply and needs to be waterproofed to prevent tracking are an operation board. It is not attached to 9 but attached to the power supply substrate 11 arranged separated by the protective case 13 and covered with the potting agent 24. Therefore, since the microcomputer 20 and the power switch 19 are not attached to the operation board 9, even if the operation board 9 is not waterproofed with the potting agent 24, it is possible to easily prevent malfunction and tracking.

Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, it is not necessary to cover the power supply substrate 11 with the potting agent 24 and cover the operation substrate 9 connected to the power supply substrate 11 with the flat cable 32 with the potting agent 24. Therefore, it is only necessary to cover only the power supply board 11 with the potting agent 24 among the operation board 9 and the power supply board 11 accommodated in the protective case 13. As a result, the manufacturing is simplified, and the protective case 13 that accommodates the operation board 9 and the power supply board 11 can be accommodated in the accommodating portion 5 in a compact manner.

Further, according to the present embodiment, the amount of water that enters the housing portion 5 is limited by the first labyrinth portion 17 constituting the first waterproof portion, and the water is drained by the drain hole 18. This makes it difficult for the water that has entered into the storage portion 5 to accumulate and drains efficiently. Furthermore, the 2nd labyrinth part 29 which comprises a 2nd waterproof part is comprised by a labyrinth structure. Thereby, the amount of water that enters the operation substrate 9 can be limited. At this time, even when water flows from the second labyrinth portion 29 to the operation substrate 9 side, the water passes through the second groove provided on the entire periphery, and the second rib 30 of the second labyrinth portion 29 The flat cable lead-out port 33 formed by tilting downward in a part of the second groove 31 allows the intruded water to flow downward and be discharged. As a result, the infiltrated water flows through the groove, and water does not flow into the area where the operation board 9 is accommodated. Therefore, water does not accumulate on the operation board 9 side, and the operation board 9 can be efficiently waterproofed.

Further, according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the power switch mounting boss 36 integrally formed with the operation panel 8 is provided in the vicinity of the power switch 19 of the protective case 13, and the protective case 13 is provided with the power switch mounting screw 37. Is fixed to the operation panel 8. At this time, the power switch positioning pin 38 (power switch positioning portion) formed integrally with the protective case 13 is provided at a position (position) corresponding to the power switch 19 of the protective case 13, and the power switch positioning pin 38 is connected to the power switch 19. Mates with the hole drilled in. Thereby, the position shift of the power switch 19 can be prevented.

In addition, according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the operation switch positioning pin 39 (operation switch positioning portion) formed integrally with the protective case 13 is connected to the portion corresponding to the operation switch 10 of the protective case 13 ( Position). Thereby, the operation switch positioning pin 39 contacts the operation board 9 in the vicinity of the operation switch 10. As a result, it is possible to prevent the operation switch 10 mounted on the operation board 9 from moving downward when the user depresses the operation button 7. Furthermore, the operation force applied to the operation switch 10 can be stabilized.

Further, according to the present embodiment, the power switch positioning pin 38 and the operation switch positioning pin 39 are integrally formed in the protective case 13. Therefore, when the user depresses the operation button 7, the positions of the power switch 19 and the operation switch 10 do not shift. Further, the operation board 9 and the protective case 13 are screwed to the operation panel 8 with the operation board mounting screw 15 and the power switch mounting screw 37. Therefore, the distance between the operation panel 8 and the operation switch 10 and the power switch 19 is not affected by dimensional variations other than the operation panel 8, the operation button 7, and the protective case 13. As a result, the operation force applied to the operation switch 10 can be further stabilized.

In addition, according to the present embodiment, at least one of the accommodating portion 5, the operation panel 8, and the protective case 13 is formed of a flame retardant resin such as a flame retardant ABS resin. Thereby, even when the power supply board 11 breaks down, it is possible to prevent burning out of the product.

In the present embodiment, the first incombustible cover 21 and the second incombustible cover 23 made of a heat-resistant material have been described as being configured from a metal plate, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, any one of the first incombustible cover 21 or the second incombustible cover 23 may be configured of a flame retardant material such as ABS resin or a non-flammable material such as mica. Thereby, when manufacturing a washing machine, since the restriction | limiting with respect to the order of work, such as an assembly, is lose | eliminated, design becomes easy.

In this embodiment, the configuration in which the operation button 7 and the operation panel 8 are integrally formed has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, only the operation buttons may be formed of a transparent material or the like and may be configured by separate parts. Thus, the operation button 7 can be illuminated and displayed in an easy-to-understand manner, and it is not necessary to form it integrally, so that the design is facilitated.

(Embodiment 2)
Hereinafter, a power supply device and an operation device according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention and a washing machine including them will be described with reference to FIG. In the following, as in the first embodiment, a vertical washing machine will be described as an example.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a main part around the power supply device and the operation device of the washing machine in the second embodiment of the present invention.

That is, the washing machine of the present embodiment replaces the boat-like protective case formed by insert molding the first incombustible cover of the power supply device that constitutes a part of the operation device, It differs from Embodiment 1 by the point which provided the nonflammable material between. In addition, description of the same component, an effect | action, etc. as the power supply device of Embodiment 1, an operation device, and a washing machine provided with them is abbreviate | omitted. Therefore, in the following, the power supply device 80 and the operation device 70 which are features of the present embodiment will be described in detail.

A boat-like protective case 13 (hereinafter abbreviated as “protective case 13”) that accommodates and protects the operation board 9 and the power supply board 11 constituting the operation device 70 is, for example, a cross-section as in the first embodiment. The shape is substantially H-shaped (including H-shaped) and is composed of the same parts having at least two concave portions 13a and 13b provided on the front and back surfaces. At this time, the power supply substrate 11 is enclosed and protected in one recess 13b of the protective case 13, and the operation substrate 9 is enclosed and protected in the other recess 13a.

That is, as shown in FIG. 8, the power supply device 80 of the washing machine according to the present embodiment includes at least the power supply substrate 11, the protective case 13 that protects the power supply substrate 11, and the noncombustible material 41 made of, for example, mica material 41. The potting agent 24 covers at least the power supply substrate 11 and the non-combustible material 41.

The operation device 70 of the washing machine of the present embodiment includes an operation panel 8 provided on the upper outer shell 3 of the casing, an operation board 9 for inputting an operation, a power supply board 11 constituting a power supply device 80, a power supply The protective case 13 protects the substrate 11 and the operation substrate 9.

The mica material 41 that is the non-combustible material 41 is disposed between the bottom portion 13e of the recess 13b in which the power supply substrate 11 is housed in the protective case 13 and the power supply substrate 11, and the bottom portion 13e of the protective case 13 It is attached to.

At this time, the mica material 41 which is the non-combustible material 41 has an excellent insulating performance even in a high temperature state of, for example, 500 ° C. or more. Therefore, insulation performance can be ensured even when the temperature of components mounted on the power supply board 11 rises due to higher output of a product such as a washing machine to be mounted. Furthermore, even if lead parts (not shown) of components such as the microcomputer 20 and the connector 22 mounted on the power supply substrate 11 contact the mica material 41, the insulation resistance between the lead parts does not decrease. As a result, erroneous display and malfunction of products such as washing machines can be prevented. Further, even when the high voltage circuit connected to the commercial power supply of the power supply substrate 11 breaks down and generates heat, the mica material 41 having high heat resistance can ensure insulation performance. As a result, it is possible to maintain high safety and ensure high reliability even in the event of a failure.

Furthermore, lead parts (not shown) of components such as the lead part 10 a of the operation switch 10 and the connector 22 mounted on the operation board 9 and the power supply board 11 constituting the operation device 70 are connected to the operation board 9 and the power supply board 11. Even when protruding from the back surface, it contacts the resin layer of the protective case 13 or the mica material 41. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a decrease in resistance between the lead portions of the component. As a result, it is possible to realize the operating device 70 having the power supply device 80 with excellent reliability and the washing machine capable of preventing malfunction and display error.

Hereinafter, a method for manufacturing the power supply device 80 including the mica material of the present embodiment will be briefly described.

First, for example, the protective case 13 having a substantially H-shaped cross section (including the H shape) is horizontally installed with the bottom 13e on the recess 13b side facing upward.

Next, the mica material 41 that is the non-combustible material 41 is disposed on the bottom 13 e of the protective case 13.

In the above state, the power supply board 11 is fixed to the power supply board fixing claw 16 of the protective case 13.

Thereafter, the potting agent 24 such as urethane resin is poured into a high-temperature bath, and the potting agent 24 is dried and cured at 60 ° C., for example.

The mica material 41 is attached to the bottom 13e of the recess 13b of the protective case 13, and the power supply substrate 80 is covered with the potting agent 24 together with the power supply substrate 11 to produce the power supply device 80.

Thereby, generally, even if the thin and brittle mica material 41 is used as the noncombustible material 41, the mica material 41 is fixed to the protective case 13 by the potting agent 24 after potting. Therefore, deterioration of quality due to deformation and peeling of the mica material 41 can be prevented, and insulation performance can be ensured for a long time.

In general, when the mica material 41 absorbs moisture in the air, the insulating performance tends to deteriorate. However, the mica material 41 can be shielded from the air by fixing with the potting agent 24. As a result, the quality of the mica material 41 is prevented from deteriorating due to moisture absorption, and a safe and highly reliable power supply device 80 and operation device 70 and a washing machine equipped with the same can be realized.

Further, the power supply substrate 11 constituting the power supply device 80 is accommodated and protected in one concave portion 13b of the protective case 13, and the operation substrate 9 is accommodated and protected in the concave portion 13a on the back surface side, whereby the power supply device 80 is protected. The provided operating device 70 can be produced. As a result, the operating device 70 can be configured compactly, and the entire product such as a washing machine can be downsized.

Hereinafter, another configuration of the power supply device and the operation device according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

That is, as shown in FIG. 8, the power supply device 80 and the operation device 70 of another example of the present embodiment have a confirmation window 42 (on the part of the power supply substrate 11 facing the position where the mica material 41 is provided. It differs from the power supply device 80 and the operation device 70 in that a through hole is provided. Similarly, a part of the mica material 41 is usually provided so as to protrude beyond the outer peripheral end of the power supply substrate 11, so that the mica material 41 in a range that protrudes is observed from at least one end of the power supply substrate 11. The difference from the power supply device 80 and the operation device 70 also in that a confirmation gap 43 (through hole) is provided. Since other configurations are the same, description thereof is omitted.

At this time, as shown in FIG. 8, for example, the diameter d <b> 1 of the confirmation window 42 is formed larger than the gap g <b> 3 between the power supply substrate 11 and the mica material 41. Thereby, when manufacturing the power supply device 80 and the operation device 70, the illumination light of a manufacturing site can be made to reach the surface of the mica material 41 through the confirmation window 42. As a result, the presence or absence of the mica material 41 can be reliably confirmed visually through the confirmation window 42.

The mica material 41 is substantially white (including white), the protective case 13 is substantially black (including black), and the potting agent 24 is substantially transparent (including transparent). In addition, as long as at least the color of the mica material 41 and the color of the protective case 13 are configured with different colors, the combination of the color of the mica material 41 and the color of the protective case 13 is arbitrary.

Thereby, a part of the mica material 41 can be visually confirmed through the confirmation gap 43 and the confirmation window 42. As a result, forgetting to attach the mica material 41 attached to the bottom 13e of the protective case 13 at the time of manufacture, for example, can be prevented.

That is, whether or not the mica material 41 is attached can be observed through the potting agent 24 through the confirmation window 42 and the confirmation gap 43 provided on the power supply substrate 11. Therefore, when manufacturing the power supply device 80 and the operating device 70, when the mica material 41 is visually confirmed, it is confirmed that the mica material 41 is not substantially black but the mica material 41 is substantially white. Forgetting to wear 41 can be prevented.

In each of the above embodiments, the power supply device and the operation device are described as examples mounted on a vertical washing machine, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, it may be mounted on a device that uses water, such as a dryer, a washing dryer, an inner tub washing machine, or a dishwasher, and the same effect can be obtained.

In each of the above embodiments, the configuration in which the power supply device and the operation device are provided on the upper surface of the upper outer shell of the washing machine has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, it may be installed in an appropriate place such as the front side of the upper shell, the front side or the side surface of the lower shell, depending on the use environment, the device on which the power supply device or the operation device is mounted. As a result, versatility can be improved and design constraints can be relaxed.

As described above, the operation device according to the present invention protects at least the front and back surfaces of the operation panel provided on the upper outline of the housing, the operation board for inputting the operation, the power supply board, and the power supply board and the operation board. And a protective case having two concave portions provided on the surface. Further, the protective case has a configuration in which the power supply substrate is protected by one recess, the operation substrate is protected by the other recess, and a heat-resistant material is insert-molded in the protection case between the power supply substrate and the operation substrate. Have.

This makes it possible to configure the operating device compactly. Further, even when a high-voltage circuit of a power supply board connected to a commercial power source breaks down and generates heat, the heat-generating component does not come into contact with the outside of the operating device because it is protected by a heat-resistant material. Therefore, even if the high voltage circuit fails, the product safety can be improved.

Furthermore, even if the lead part of the component mounted on the operation board and the power supply board protrudes from the back surface of the board, it comes into contact with the resin layer of the protective case before coming into contact with the heat-resistant material such as a metal plate. As a result, the resistance between the lead portions does not decrease, and a highly reliable operation board that can prevent malfunctions and display errors can be realized.

In the operating device of the present invention, the heat-resistant material is composed of any one of a metal plate, a flame retardant material, and a non-flammable material. Thereby, a highly versatile operation device can be realized.

Further, the washing machine of the present invention includes the operation board. Thereby, the washing machine which is compact and has high reliability and safety can be realized.

The present invention is useful for technical fields such as an operation device having an operation unit such as an operation panel and the like, and a washing machine equipped with the operation panel, in which water and the like are likely to enter from the outside while being compact and requiring high safety.

1,100 inner tank (washing and dehydration tank)
2,102 Washing machine body 3,103 Upper shell (outer of washing machine)
4,104 Clothes input port 5,106 Storage part 5a, 13e, 106a Bottom part 5b Back face 6,107 Display part 6a Operation surface 7,108 Operation button 7a Draining part 8,109 Operation panel 9,105 Operation board 10,110 Operation switch 10a Lead part 11,111 Power supply board 13 Boat-like protective case (protective case)
13a, 13b Recessed portion 13c First resin layer 13d Second resin layer 14, 114 Operation board mounting boss 15, 115 Operation board mounting screw 16, 116 Power supply board fixing claw 17 First labyrinth section 17a Weir section 18, 118 Water Hole 19,119 Power switch 19a Lead wire 20,120 Microcomputer 21 First incombustible cover (heat-resistant material)
22, 122 connector 23 second incombustible cover (heat-resistant material)
24,124 Potting agent 25 First rib 26 First groove 26a, 31a Top point (upper end)
27 Operation panel mounting screw 27a Screw hole 28 Operation panel mounting surface 28a Boss portion 29 Second labyrinth portion 30 Second rib 31 Second groove 32 Flat cable 33 Flat cable outlet 34 Seal material 35, 101a Water tank cover (water Receiving tank cover)
36 Power switch mounting boss 37 Power switch mounting screw 38 Power switch positioning pin (Power switch positioning part)
39 Operation switch positioning pin (Operation switch positioning part)
40,101 water tank (water receiving tank)
41 Mica (non-combustible)
42 Confirmation window (through hole)
43 Clearance for confirmation (through hole)
44 Power switch potting portion 50, 70, 130 Operating device 60, 80, 140 Power supply device 112 Motor 113a First boat-like protective case 113b Second boat-like protective case 117 Contact portion 121 First metal cover 123 Second Metal cover

Claims (3)

1. An operation panel provided on the upper outline of the housing;
   An operation board for inputting operations;
   A power supply board;
   Protecting the power supply board and the operation board, and having a protective case having at least two concave portions provided on the front and back surfaces,
   The protective case protects the power supply substrate in one recess, and protects the operation substrate in the other recess,
   An operating device in which a heat-resistant material is insert-molded in the protective case between the power supply substrate and the operating substrate.
2. The operating device according to claim 1, wherein the heat-resistant material is composed of any one of a metal plate, a flame-retardant material, and a non-combustible material.
3. A washing machine comprising the operating device according to claim 1.

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