JP4553911B2 - Washing machine - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an aquarium-type washing machine.

  A conventional washing machine is provided with a stirring blade at the bottom of a washing and dewatering tub that is rotatably disposed in a water tub, and a vortex is generated by the rotation of the stirring wing, resulting in mechanical action such as friction or vibration. Dirt is removed by the chemical action of the detergent. For dewatering the washed clothes, the washing and dewatering tank is rotated and centrifugal force is used. Furthermore, drying of the clothes after dehydration rotates the stirring blade while blowing warm air into the washing and dehydrating tank. As this type of washing machine, a water tub in which a washing and dewatering tub is stored is suspended by four hanging rods arranged at four corners of the housing (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2000-237491 A (FIGS. 1 and 2)

  However, in the conventional washing tub, the vortex generated by the stirring blades concentrates in the center, so that the cloths are tangled with each other and the vertical flow and movement are difficult to form, so that effective washing may not be performed. It was.

  Therefore, in the washing process and the drying process, of the four hanging rods described above, the two hanging rods arranged on the basket are moved upward in conjunction with the drive unit (motor and gear), and the water tank is moved forward. A washing machine has been proposed that tilts the machine. The drive unit uses a drive gear that moves the suspension rod in the axial direction in accordance with the rotation direction of the gear, and includes a tip portion of the drive gear and a bearing portion that rotatably receives the tip portion. Therefore, there is a phenomenon that heat is generated in the portion and the bearing portion is worn. Further, the gap between the front end portion of the drive gear becomes larger due to wear of the bearing portion, which may cause the drive gear and the suspension rod to sway and generate noise.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems. Even when the drive unit is repeatedly operated, the drive gear and the suspension rod hardly sway, and the sound of the drive unit when the water tank is tilted. The aim is to provide a quiet washing machine.

  A washing machine according to the present invention includes a water tank disposed in a housing, a suspension bar that suspends the water tank, and a suspension bar driving unit that moves the suspension bar in the axial direction to incline the water tank and drives the suspension bar. The part includes a motor that transmits rotation via a gear, a case bearing part formed at least on the upper part of the gear case that accommodates the gear, and an upper end part that is rotatably fitted in the case bearing part. A driving gear that rotates in rotation, a driving screw portion that penetrates into an axial through screw hole provided in the driving gear, a suspension rod is attached to the lower end, and moves in the axial direction according to the rotational direction of the driving gear; It is provided with a gear case arranged in the axial direction of the drive gear, and holding means for rotatably holding the drive gear.

  In the present invention, since the holding means for rotatably holding the drive gear is arranged in the axial direction of the drive gear, the gap between the upper end portion of the drive gear and the case bearing portion does not increase, and the water tank is There is an effect that the sound when tilting is quiet.

FIG. 1 is an explanatory view on the side of a washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.
As shown in the drawing, the casing 1 of the washing machine has a rectangular outer appearance, and a top cover 4 is installed on the top. The top cover 4 is provided with an outer lid 5 that can be opened and closed. The water tank 2 accommodated in the housing 1 is formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape having an opening at the top, and a washing and dewatering tank (not shown) is rotatably disposed therein. Further, an inner lid (not shown) is provided on the opening side of the water tank 2, and the inner lid is opened or closed in conjunction with opening / closing of the outer lid 5 mechanically or electrically. It has become.

  A plurality of water passage holes (not shown) for dehydration are formed on the side surface of the washing and dewatering tank disposed in the water tank 2. Further, on the inner bottom surface of the washing and dewatering tank, an agitating blade (not shown) for agitating the thrown-in clothes and the poured water is rotatably arranged. The motor 3 disposed below the water tank 2 is connected to a stirring blade and a washing and dewatering tank through a mechanism such as a gear and a clutch. The suspension means 8 and 12 are swingably attached to a suspension plate 6 whose upper side is fixed to the four corners of the casing 1 and to a flange 7 whose lower side is fixed to the water tank 2, respectively, and suspends the water tank 2. . The suspending means 8 on the front side includes a support portion 9, a suspending rod 10, and a vibration isolating portion 11, and the suspending means 12 provided on the heel includes a suspending rod driving portion 20, a suspending rod 13, And a vibration isolator 14.

Here, the configuration of the suspension means 8 and 12 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 2 is a diagram for explaining the structure of the suspension means, FIG. 3 is an enlarged detailed view of the suspension rod drive unit (a portion) shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 4 is a view of the motor case of the suspension rod drive unit from below. It is a perspective view shown.
As shown in FIG. 2, the support portion 9 of the suspending means 8 includes an upper end receiving portion 9 a slidably fitted in a hemispherical recess (not shown) formed on the upper surface of the suspension plate 6. One end of the suspension rod 10 is bent and attached at a right angle. The vibration isolator 11 is a cylindrical shape attached so as to cover the lower end receiving portion 11a slidably in contact with the lower surface of the flange 7, a rubber ring 11b, a spring 11c, and the rubber ring 11b and the spring 11c. 11d and a spring receiving portion 11e. The other end of the suspension bar 10 is bent at a right angle and is in contact with the lower surface of the spring receiving portion 11e.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the suspension rod drive unit 20 of the suspension means 12 has a DC motor 21 with a gear 21 a attached to the rotating shaft, a helical gear 22 with a convex section, and an axial passage therethrough. A drive gear 23 having a female screw in the inserted hole, a ring-shaped first-stage bearing 24 in which the drive gear 23 is fitted, a ring-shaped second-stage bearing 25 fitted in the drive gear 23, and an upper end portion A lower limit stopper 27 which is a projecting portion, a ring-shaped upper limit stopper 28 is provided at the lower end portion, and a drive screw portion 26 which is threadedly engaged with a penetrating female screw hole provided in the drive gear 23, and below. A first stage gear case 29 having a protruding hemispherical seat 29 a, a second stage gear case 30 fitted to the first stage gear case 29, and a motor case fitted to the second stage gear case 30 31 and motor And a dust-proof case 32 attached to an upper portion of the over scan 31. The hemispherical seat 29 a of the first gear case 29 is for slidably installing in a hemispherical recess (not shown) formed on the upper surface of the suspension plate 6.

  In the helical gear 22 described above, the convex large-diameter side teeth mesh with the gear 21a of the DC motor 21 and the small-diameter side teeth mesh with the drive gear 23. The first and second gear cases 29, It rotates around a gear shaft 22a that is pivotally supported across 30. A rib 29b is formed on the shaft support portion of the first gear case 29 so as to protrude upward. The rib 29b increases the strength of the portion.

  The drive gear 23 includes case bearing portions 29c and 30a formed in the first and second gear cases 29 and 30, respectively, and the first gear and the first gear held in the first and second gear gears 29 and 30, respectively. When the helical gear 22 rotates, the drive screw portion 26 is moved in the axial direction (vertical direction) according to the rotation direction when the helical gear 22 rotates. Move. The drive gear 23 and the case bearing portions 29c and 30a are made of different materials. For example, when a metal gear is used for the drive gear 23, the case bearing portions 29c and 30a are made of resin. In contrast, when the drive gear 23 is made of resin, metal is used for the case bearing portions 29c and 30a. By using these different kinds of materials, it is possible to reduce the frictional heat generated when the drive gear 23 rotates, and the wear on the case bearing portions 29c and 30a can be reduced. Accordingly, the lateral vibration of the drive gear 23 is reduced, and noise due to the lateral vibration can be suppressed.

  Further, as described above, the drive gear 23 is supported by the first and second stage bearings 24 and 25 held in the first and second stage gear cases 29 and 30, respectively. Therefore, the lateral shake that occurs when the drive screw portion 26 is moved in the axial direction is reduced. For this reason, the wear with the case bearing portion 30a due to the rotation of the drive gear 23 is reduced, the gap between the drive gear 23 and the case bearing portion 30a due to the wear is not increased, and the noise due to the lateral vibration can be reduced. .

  The drive screw portion 26 has a suspension rod 13 screwed into the lower end portion, and when the drive screw 23 moves upward according to the rotation of the drive gear 23, the water tank 2 is inclined via the suspension rod 13, When the lower limit stopper 27 reaches a predetermined position by reverse rotation, it stops and brings the water tank 2 upright. The drive screw portion 26 moves in the axial direction with respect to the rotation of the drive gear 23. The lower limit stopper 27 has a gap in the stopper guide grooves 31a and 32a provided in the motor case 31 and the dustproof case 32, respectively. (See the AA sectional view of FIG. 3). The gap is such that there is almost no lateral deflection of the lower limit stopper 27 that occurs when the drive screw portion 26 starts to move in the axial direction. The minimum gap between the lower limit stopper 27 and the stopper guide grooves 31a and 32a can minimize the lateral vibration of the drive screw portion 26, thereby reducing the burden on the case bearing portion 30a due to the lateral vibration of the drive gear 23. can do.

  The predetermined position is determined by detecting the lower limit stopper 27 with a sensor (not shown) or the like. As a safety measure when the lower limit stopper 27 cannot be detected due to a failure of the sensor or the like, a stopper plate (not shown) for stopping the driving of the DC motor 21 when the lower limit stopper 27 comes under the sensor. ) Is arranged. Further, when the upper limit stopper 28 provided at the lower end portion of the drive screw portion 26 comes into contact with the end portion of the drive gear 23, the drive of the DC motor 21 is stopped.

  The first-stage and second-stage gear cases 29 and 30 and the motor case 31 have rigidity, a fitting portion between the first-stage gear case 29 and the second-stage gear case 30, and the second-stage gear case 30 and the motor. A flame-retardant cushion material (not shown) is interposed in the fitting portion with the case 31. The three-tiered cases 29, 30, 31 are integrally fixed by screwing screws 40 to screw fixing portions 31 c provided in the motor case 31. As shown in FIG. 4, there are at least seven places where the screws 40 are fixed, and the fixing interval of the screws 40 on the drive gear 23 side is shortened. The dustproof case 32 is fixed to the upper part of the motor case 31 with a screw 32b with a cushion material 33 interposed therebetween. The three-tiered cases 29, 30, and 31 are connected in close contact with each other by these seven bolts and the cushioning material, and the screw 32b and the cushioning material 33 are used to drive the DC motor 21 and the driving screw portion 26. Sound and vibration when moving up and down can be reduced.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 3, a concave portion formed by bending inward in the vicinity of the gear 21 a of the DC motor 21 is formed at the bottom of the first-stage gear case 29. Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the corner portion of the wall surface on the DC motor 21 side facing the partition wall 31d provided in the motor case 31 has a thickness and is formed in an arc shape, and further on the DC motor 21 side. A plurality of ribs 31b are provided extending from the top surface to the respective wall surfaces. An arc-shaped wall and a plurality of ribs 31 formed at the corner of the motor case 31 on the DC motor 21 side, and a recess formed at the bottom of the first-stage gear case 29 eliminate unnecessary space in the case. Yes. This is to suppress vibration when the DC motor 21 is driven and when the drive screw portion 26 is moving up and down. This makes it possible to reduce noise caused by vibration.

  In the above-described embodiment, it has been described that the three-tiered cases 29, 30, and 31 are in intimate contact with the cushion material and the screw 40. In addition, for example, the first-stage and second-stage gears are used. The outer periphery of the cases 29 and 30 may be covered with rubber, or the outer periphery including the motor case 31 may be covered with rubber. In this case, it is possible to further suppress vibration when the DC motor 21 is driven and when the drive screw portion 26 is moving up and down, and noise due to vibration can be significantly suppressed.

  In the above-described embodiment, it is described that the two bearings 24 and 25 are used for the drive gear 23. For example, the drive gear 23 that contacts the inner peripheral surface of the case drive unit 30a of the second-stage gear case 30 is used. A metal sleeve may be incorporated into the outer peripheral surface of the upper end portion, or conversely, a metal sleeve may be incorporated into the inner peripheral surface of the case driving unit 30a. With this metal sleeve, wear with the case bearing portion 30a due to the rotation of the drive gear 23 is greatly reduced, and therefore, the drive gear 23 is almost free from lateral vibration and noise due to lateral vibration can be suppressed.

  Further, when the outer shape of the DC motor 21 is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, a square wall formed at the corner of the motor case 31 on the DC motor 21 side with a substantially equal gap in accordance with the motor shape. Shall be formed. Also in this case, a useless space in the case is suppressed, and there is an effect that noise due to vibration is reduced.

It is explanatory drawing by the side of the washing machine which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the structure of a suspension means. FIG. 2 is an enlarged detail view of a hanging rod driving unit shown in FIG. 1. It is a perspective view which shows the motor case of a suspension rod drive part seeing from the downward direction.

Explanation of symbols

1 housing, 2 water tank, 6 suspension plate, 7 flange, 8 suspension means, 9 support part,
10 suspension rod, 11 vibration isolator, 12 suspension means, 13 suspension rod, 14 vibration isolator,
20 suspension rod drive unit, 21 DC motor, 22 helical gear, 23 drive gear,
24 1st stage bearing, 25 2nd stage bearing, 26 Drive screw, 27 Lower limit stopper, 28 Upper limit stopper, 29 1st stage gear case, 30 2nd stage gear case,
31 Motor case, 32 dustproof case, 33 cushion material.

Claims (9)

A water tank disposed in the housing;
A suspension rod for suspending the water tank;
A suspension rod drive unit that moves the suspension rod in the axial direction to incline the water tank,
The hanging rod drive unit is
A motor that transmits rotation via a gear;
A case bearing portion formed on at least an upper portion of a gear case that houses the gear;
A drive gear whose upper end is rotatably fitted in the case bearing portion and rotates in conjunction with the gear;
A drive screw portion that is inserted into an axial through screw hole provided in the drive gear, a suspension rod is attached to the lower end, and moves in the axial direction according to the rotation direction of the drive gear;
A washing machine comprising: holding means arranged in the axial direction of the drive gear, provided in the gear case, and rotatably holding the drive gear. A protrusion provided at the upper end of the drive screw portion;
A motor case that is formed so as to cover the motor and the drive screw portion, and is overlapped and fixed on top of the gear case;
A guide portion provided at least in the motor case and for guiding the protrusion with a gap in the axial direction of the drive screw portion;
2. The washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the gap is a predetermined interval at which the lateral deflection of the protruding portion that occurs when the drive screw portion starts moving in the axial direction is less likely to occur.   The gear case is composed of a first-stage gear case and a second-stage gear case that is superposed on the first-stage gear case and has the case bearing portion. 3. The washing machine according to claim 2, wherein the motor cases are overlapped, and a cushioning material is interposed in at least one of the overlapping portions of the cases and fixed by a plurality of screws.   4. The washing machine according to claim 3, wherein the fixing interval by the screw is such that the drive screw portion side is shorter than the motor side, and vibrations generated when the drive screw portion moves are suppressed.   The washing machine according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the first-stage gear case is formed with a concave portion in which a part of the bottom portion enters the inside so that an internal space is minimized.   6. The laundry according to claim 2, wherein the side wall of the motor case is formed with substantially equal gaps in accordance with the motor shape, and a plurality of ribs are provided on the inner peripheral wall. Machine.   The holding means includes a first-stage bearing and a second-stage bearing arranged in the axial direction of the drive gear, and the first-stage bearing is capable of rotating the drive gear in the first-stage gear case. The second stage bearing is provided in the second stage gear case so that the drive gear can be rotated, and suppresses lateral vibration when the drive screw portion is moved in the axial direction. A washing machine according to any one of claims 3 to 6.   The washing machine according to any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein an outer periphery including the first-stage and second-stage gear cases or the motor case is covered with an elastic member or a porous body.   The said holding means consists of one bearing which hold | maintains the said drive gear rotatably, The metal sleeve is provided in the upper end part of the said case bearing part or the said drive gear, The 1 thru | or characterized by the above-mentioned. The washing machine according to any one of 8.

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