JP2020124381A - Drive unit for washing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

To achieve a drive unit suitable for the drive of a washing machine.SOLUTION: A drive unit 5 for a washing machine includes a clutch 54 and a speed reducer 53 using a planetary gear mechanism between a shaft 50 and a motor 52. The clutch 54 includes a movable part 541 sliding in a rotary shaft direction, and a drive part 543 for switching a connection state of the speed reducer 53 by connecting the movable part 541 with one of a pair of stationary parts 542S, 542R. The drive part 543 has a movable element 5431 and a stator 5432. A clutch magnet 5431b of the movable element 5431 has a plurality of magnetic poles arrayed in the rotary shaft direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 14A

Description

The disclosed technology relates to a drive unit suitable for a washing machine.

At present, various types of washing machines have been commercialized. Broadly speaking, there are a vertical washing machine in which a rotary tub for storing laundry rotates about a vertical axis and a drum type washing machine that rotates around a horizontal axis or an inclined axis. As a trend, drum type washing machines are becoming the mainstream. All of these washing machines are driven by a motor.

In the case of a drum-type washing machine, a series of washing processes such as washing, rinsing, and dehydration are performed by rotating a drum that contains laundry. In a washing or rinsing process in which a laundry containing a large amount of water is rotated, a low-speed and high-torque rotating force is required. In the spin-drying process in which the laundry is rotated so that the laundry contains almost no water, a high-speed, low-torque rotating force is required.

Therefore, the motor driving the washing machine needs to handle these rotational forces. Therefore, a speed reducer and a clutch are generally used. For example, a pulley and a belt may be interposed between the motor and the output shaft, or a plurality of gears such as a planetary gear mechanism may be interposed so as to reduce the speed. Further, the operating state can be switched by interposing a clutch.

Conventional examples of such speed reducers and clutches are, for example, Patent Documents 1 to 4. However, in the speed reducer and the clutch disclosed therein, two output shafts are switched, the clutch is arranged outside the motor, and the speed reducer and the clutch are arranged side by side in the axial direction. There is.

Unlike such a type (indirect drive type) washing machine in which the drive target is indirectly driven by the motor, there is also a type (direct drive type) washing machine in which the drive target is directly driven by the motor. In such a washing machine, inverter control is performed instead of the speed reducer and the clutch.

Regarding the disclosed technology, Patent Document 5 discloses a clutch that performs switching by sliding a slider with an electromagnetic force. However, the slider there has a metal attractor, and the attractor is attracted by an electromagnetic force to slide against the elastic force of the spring.

The clutch of Patent Document 5 constantly supplies electric power to generate an electromagnetic force in order to hold the slider at a predetermined position.

JP 2001-778A Japanese Patent Publication No. 2006-517126 JP, 2017-99605, A JP, 2010-240006, A JP, 2001-017778, A

A washing machine is required to have a compact size, a large washing capacity, low noise, and energy saving.

On the other hand, in the case of a direct drive type washing machine, a rotational force with a large speed difference or a large torque difference must be output by one motor having the same magnetic structure by control. Therefore, it is necessary to drive the motor in a significantly different rotation state, and it is not possible to maintain the optimum rotation performance state. Further, in order to cope with such a rotation performance state, the motor itself becomes large.

On the other hand, in the case of an indirect drive type washing machine, a speed reducer and a clutch are interposed between a drive target and a motor. Therefore, a large space for installing these is required. The washing capacity is limited accordingly. In addition, the mechanical structure becomes complicated, such as having two output shafts. If the mechanical structure is complicated, a loud sound is likely to be produced.

Both the direct drive method and the indirect drive method have advantages and disadvantages.

Therefore, the main purpose of the disclosed technology is to realize a drive unit suitable for driving a washing machine by efficiently combining the methods.

The disclosed technology relates to a drive unit for a washing machine.

The drive unit includes a shaft, a motor that rotates the shaft, and a speed reducer that uses a clutch and a planetary gear mechanism that are interposed between the shaft and the motor. The clutch is configured such that a movable portion that slides in the rotation axis direction, a pair of fixed portions that are located apart from each other in the rotation axis direction, and the movable portion that slides and is connected to one of the fixed portions, And a drive unit that switches the connection state of the speed reducer. The drive unit includes a mover provided in the movable unit and including a clutch magnet, and a stator including a clutch coil and a clutch yoke provided so as to face the mover in a radial direction with a gap. Have The clutch magnet has a plurality of magnetic poles arranged in the rotation axis direction.

Specifically, the drive unit can be configured as follows.

The drive unit includes a unit base, a shaft rotatably supported by the unit base about a rotation axis, a motor for rotating the shaft, and a deceleration interposed between the shaft and the motor. A machine and a clutch.

The motor includes a rotor rotatably supported about the rotation shaft, and a stator fixed to the unit base and facing the rotor with a predetermined gap therebetween.

The speed reducer is rotatably supported by a carrier fixed to the shaft, a sun gear that rotates about the rotation axis, an internal gear that is arranged around the sun gear, and the carrier. , A plurality of planetary gears arranged between them so as to mesh with the sun gear and the internal gear.

The clutch has a movable portion that slides in the rotation axis direction, a pair of fixed portions that are located apart from each other in the rotation axis direction, and a pair of fixed portions, and a drive portion that slides the movable portion. There is. A first mode in which the motor rotates the shaft via the speed reducer by connecting the movable part to the first fixed part, and the movable part connects to the second fixed part. By doing so, the motor is configured to switch to the second mode in which the shaft is rotated without passing through the speed reducer.

The drive unit includes a mover provided in the movable unit and including a clutch magnet, and a stator including a clutch coil and a clutch yoke provided so as to face the mover in a radial direction with a gap. Have The clutch magnet has a plurality of magnetic poles arranged in the rotation axis direction.

According to this drive unit, the clutch and the speed reducer are provided between the shaft that outputs the driving force and the motor. That is, since these are integrally configured, the entire unit can be made compact. The output decelerated and the output not decelerated can be switched and output from one shaft. Therefore, it is suitable for a washing machine for washing and dehydration.

The clutch is a drive unit having a stator, and switches the connection state of the speed reducer by sliding the movable unit having a mover in the rotation axis direction. Since the mover has a clutch magnet having a plurality of magnetic poles arranged in the rotation axis direction, the movable part can be slid by energizing the clutch coil of the stator. Then, when the power is off, the electromagnetic force acting between the clutch yoke and the clutch magnet can hold the connected state of the movable portion.

Therefore, since it is sufficient to supply the current to the clutch coil only when the clutch is switched, power consumption can be suppressed.

The drive unit also has a first stable point that is magnetically stable on one side of a connection position between the movable portion and the fixed portion when no current is supplied to the clutch coil, A second stable point that is magnetically stable may be provided on the other side of the position.

In particular, the clutch magnet has three magnetic poles, and the clutch yoke has a pair of magnetic pole facing portions facing the end magnetic poles located at both ends of the magnetic pole. preferable.

By doing so, the connected state of the movable portion can be held more stably.

In the washing machine, each of the fixed parts has a fixed-side protrusion protruding in the rotation axis direction, and the movable part has a pair of movable-side parts that mesh with each of the fixed-side protrusions when connected to the fixed part. A protrusion may be provided, and a positioning portion that positions the fixed portion and the movable portion may be provided at a predetermined circumferential position where the fixed-side protrusion and the movable-side protrusion mesh with each other.

By doing so, the fixed portion and the movable portion are connected by the engagement of the fixed-side protrusion and the movable-side protrusion, so that a stable connection state thereof can be secured with a simple configuration. Further, since it has the positioning portion, even if the movable-side projection is displaced in the circumferential direction from the fixed-side projection and is not in mesh, it can be meshed smoothly.

The washing machine may also be provided with a cushioning member at a connecting portion between the movable portion and the fixed portion, the cushioning member cushioning an impact at the time of connection.

The movable part slides and is connected to the fixed part. Therefore, an unpleasant impact sound may be generated due to the contact of these components at the time of connection. On the other hand, shock noise can be reduced by providing a cushioning member such as an elastic member or a vibration damping member at the connecting portion between the movable portion and the fixed portion, which cushions the shock at the time of coupling.

The washing machine further includes a control device that controls the motor and the clutch, and the control device includes a motor control unit that controls driving of the motor and a clutch control unit that controls driving of the clutch. The clutch control unit may share the control circuit with the motor control unit.

By doing so, it is possible to suppress an increase in the number of parts such as semiconductor elements, and to realize at low cost.

In the washing machine, immediately before the clutch control unit supplies a predetermined switching current to the clutch to connect the movable unit to the fixed unit, an impact relaxation current in a direction opposite to the switching current is applied to the clutch. May be supplied to.

Then, the impact noise can be reduced easily and inexpensively without making any structural ingenuity.

According to the disclosed technology, a drive unit suitable for driving a washing machine can be realized.

It is the schematic which shows the structure of the washing machine to which the technique disclosed is applied. It is a schematic side view which shows the external appearance of a drive unit. It is an exploded perspective view showing the main members of a drive unit. It is a schematic sectional drawing of the principal part of a drive unit. It is a schematic perspective view which shows the part of a shaft and a rotor. It is a schematic perspective view which shows the part of a stator. It is a schematic perspective view which shows the part of a reduction gear. It is a schematic perspective view which shows the part of a reduction gear and a clutch. It is a schematic perspective view which shows the principal part of the part of a reduction gear and a clutch. It is a schematic perspective view which shows the principal part of the part of a reduction gear and a clutch. It is a figure explaining switching of a clutch. It is a flow chart which shows the example of basic operation of the washing machine. It is a flowchart which shows the example of switching of a clutch. It is a schematic perspective view which shows the principal part of a clutch. It is a figure for explaining the function of the clutch (state without power supply). It is a figure for explaining the function of the clutch (state when energized). It is a schematic diagram showing a control circuit of a drive unit. It is a schematic diagram showing a control circuit of another drive unit. It is a figure which shows the example of control which reduces the impact sound at the time of switching of a clutch. It is a figure which shows the example of control which reduces the impact sound at the time of switching of another clutch. It is an enlarged view of the part of a reduction gear.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the disclosed technology will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the following description is essentially only an example, and does not limit the present invention, its application, or its use. For convenience of description, directions such as up and down may be used with reference to the corresponding drawings. Also, with the axis of rotation as the reference, the direction in which the axis of rotation extends is called the "axis of rotation", the direction around the axis of rotation is called the "circumferential direction", and the direction of the diameter or radius with respect to the axis of rotation. Is also referred to as “radial direction”.

<Washing machine>
FIG. 1 illustrates a washing machine 1 to which the disclosed technology is applied. The washing machine 1 is a so-called drum type washing machine. The washing machine 1 is a so-called fully automatic washing machine, and is configured to be able to automatically execute a series of washing processes including steps such as washing, rinsing, and dehydrating.

The washing machine 1 mainly includes a housing 2, a tub 3 (fixed tub), a drum 4 (rotary tub), a drive unit 5, a controller 6 (control device), and the like.

The housing 2 is a box-shaped container including a panel and a frame, and forms the outer shell of the washing machine 1. On the front surface of the housing 2, a circular insertion opening 2a is formed for loading and unloading laundry. A door 2b having a transparent window is attached to the inlet 2a. The inlet 2a is opened and closed by the door 2b. An operation unit 7 including a switch operated by a user is installed above the insertion port 2a of the housing 2.

(Tab 3)
Inside the housing 2, a tab 3 that communicates with the input port 2a is installed. The tab 3 is a bottomed cylindrical water-storable container, and its opening is connected to the charging port 2a. The tab 3 is supported by a damper (not shown) provided inside the housing 2 so as to be stable in a posture in which the center line J is slightly inclined upward toward the front.

A water supply device 8 including a water supply pipe 8a, a water supply valve 8b, a medicine feeding device 8c, and the like is provided above the tab 3. The upstream end of the water supply pipe 8a projects outside the washing machine 1 and is connected to a water supply source (not shown). The downstream end of the water supply pipe 8a is connected to a water supply port 3a that opens at the top of the tab 3. The water supply valve 8b and the chemical injection device 8c are installed in the middle of the water supply pipe 8a in this order from the upstream side.

The medicine introducing device 8c accommodates medicines such as a detergent and a softening agent, and mixes these medicines with water to be supplied to the tub 3. A drain port 3b is provided below the tab 3. The drain port 3b is connected to the drain pump 9. The drainage pump 9 discharges unnecessary water accumulated in the tub 3 to the outside of the washing machine 1 through the drainage pipe 9a.

(Drum 4)
The drum 4 is composed of a cylindrical container having a diameter slightly smaller than that of the tub 3, and is accommodated in the tub 3 in a state where the center line J is aligned with the tub 3. A circular opening 4a facing the input port 2a is formed in the front portion of the drum 4. The laundry is loaded into the drum 4 through the loading port 2a and the circular opening 4a.

A large number of dehydration holes 4b are formed in the side part of the drum 4 over the entire circumference (only a part is shown in FIG. 1). Further, agitating lifters 4c are attached to a plurality of locations inside the side portion. The front portion of the drum 4 is rotatably supported by the input port 2a.

A drive unit 5 is attached to the bottom of the tab 3. The drive unit 5 is composed of a shaft 50, a unit base 51, a motor 52, and the like, as specifically shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. The shaft 50 penetrates the rear part of the tab 3 and projects into the tab 3. The tip of the shaft 50 is fixed to the center of the bottom of the drum 4.

That is, the rear portion of the drum 4 is pivotally supported by the shaft 50, and the drive unit 5 directly drives the drum 4 (corresponding to a so-called direct drive system). As a result, the drum 4 is rotated around the center line J by the driving of the motor 52.

The center line J corresponds to the rotation axis (rotation axis J). Since this washing machine 1 is a drum type, the rotation axis J is arranged so as to extend in a direction inclined with respect to the horizontal direction or in a substantially horizontal direction.

The controller 6 is installed on the top of the housing 2. The controller 6 includes hardware such as a CPU and memory, and software such as control programs and various data. The controller 6 comprehensively controls the operation of the washing machine 1.

An inverter 10 that receives power from an external power supply is installed inside the housing 2. The inverter 10 is electrically connected to the controller 6 and the drive unit 5. The drive unit 5 is driven by the controller 6 controlling the inverter 10. As a result, the drum 4 rotates.

<Drive unit 5>
As described above, the drive unit 5 is composed of the shaft 50, the unit base 51, the motor 52 and the like. FIG. 4 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the main part of the drive unit 5.

As shown in FIG. 3, the unit base 51 is made of a substantially disk-shaped metal or resin member attached to the bottom portion of the tab 3. At the center of the unit base 51, a cylindrical shaft insertion hole 511 extending along the center line J is formed. A pair of ball bearings (a main bearing 512M and a sub bearing 512S) are attached to both ends of the shaft insertion hole 511. In FIG. 3, the shaft 50 and the sub-bearings 512S are shown assembled to the motor 52. The motor 52 is attached to the back side of the unit base 51.

The shaft 50 is made of a cylindrical metal member having a diameter smaller than that of the shaft insertion hole 511. The shaft 50 is inserted into the shaft insertion hole 511 with its tip portion protruding from the shaft insertion hole 511. The shaft 50 is supported by the unit base 51 via a pair of ball bearings 512M and 512S. As a result, the shaft 50 is rotatable about the rotation axis J.

The motor 52 is devised in structure so as to be suitable for driving the washing machine 1. That is, in the washing machine 1, each process of washing, rinsing, and dehydration is performed. Therefore, the motor 52 is required to have a high torque output at a low speed rotation and a high torque output at a low torque.

Generally, a reducer and a clutch are interposed between the drum and the motor to indirectly rotate the drum (indirect drive method), or the motor is driven by inverter control to directly drive the drum. The method of rotating (direct drive method) is adopted.

On the other hand, the drive unit 5 is devised so that the indirect drive system and the direct drive system can be efficiently combined to eliminate the drawbacks of the individual systems. That is, the washing machine 1 can realize a compact size, a large washing capacity, low noise, and energy saving.

Specifically, by efficiently incorporating a speed reducer 53 and a clutch 54 interposed between the shaft 50 and the motor 52 into a motor 52 that rotates one shaft 50 that is an output shaft, these are integrated. Is configured. As a result, the motor 52, the speed reducer 53, and the clutch 54 are arranged in a line in a direction substantially perpendicular to the rotation axis J. Hereinafter, these structures will be described in detail.

(Proximal end portion 50a of shaft 50)
As shown in FIG. 4, the base end portion 50a of the shaft 50 projects from the sub bearing 512S. A screw hole 501 extending along the center line J is formed in the base end portion 50 a of the shaft 50. Serrations extending along the center line J are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the base end portion 50a of the shaft 50 (see FIG. 7). A bolt 503 is fastened to the screw hole 501 via a stopper 502. By doing so, the main frame 5311 of the carrier 531 described later is fixed to the base end portion 50a of the shaft 50.

(Motor 52)
The motor 52 has a rotor 521 and a stator 522. The motor 52 is a so-called outer rotor type in which the rotor 521 is located outside the stator 522.

As shown in FIG. 5, the rotor 521 includes a rotor case 5211, a plurality of magnets 5212, and the like. The rotor case 5211 is formed of a bottomed cylindrical member that is arranged so that its center coincides with the rotation axis J. The rotor case 5211 has a disc-shaped bottom wall 5211a with a round hole at the center, and a cylindrical peripheral wall 5211b that is continuous with the periphery of the bottom wall 5211a. The bottom wall 5211a may be a multi-article or a single article. The rotor case 5211 has a shallow bottom (thinness is small), and the height of the peripheral wall 5211b is smaller than the radius of the bottom wall 5211a.

A cylindrical shaft support portion 5211c facing the peripheral wall 5211b is formed around the round hole opened at the center of the bottom wall 5211a. A gear is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the shaft support portion 5211c, and the shaft support portion 5211c also serves as a sun gear described later (sun gear 5211c).

A cylindrical sintered oil-impregnated bearing 5213 is fixed inside the shaft support 5211c. The shaft support 5211c is slidably supported by the shaft 50 (specifically, the main frame 5311 fixed to the shaft 50) via the sintered oil-impregnated bearing 5213. As a result, the rotor case 5211 can rotate with respect to the shaft 50. The sintered oil-impregnated bearing 5213 constitutes a rotor bearing portion.

Each magnet 5212 is composed of a rectangular permanent magnet bent in an arc shape. The magnets 5212 are fixed to the inner surface of the peripheral wall 5211b of the rotor case 5211 so as to be lined up in series in the circumferential direction. The magnets 5212 form the magnetic poles of the rotor 521 and are arranged so that the S poles and the N poles are alternately arranged.

As shown in FIG. 6, the stator 522 is made of an annular member, and has an annular core portion 522a and a plurality of tooth portions 522b radially protruding from the core portion 522a. The stator 522 is fixed to the unit base 51 via a fixing flange portion 522c provided inside the core portion 522a. The stator 522 is housed in the rotor case 5211.

The core portion 522a and each tooth portion 522b are configured by covering the surface of a magnetic stator core 5221 made of magnetism with an insulating insulator. Although not shown, a plurality of coils are formed around each tooth 522b by winding a conductive wire in a predetermined order. A part of the stator core 5221 is exposed at the projecting end face of each tooth portion 522b located on the outer peripheral portion of the stator 522. The exposed portions of the stator cores 5221 face the magnets 5212 of the rotor 521 in the radial direction with a predetermined gap therebetween.

The plurality of coils form a three-phase coil group including U, V, and W. The controller 6 controls the inverter 10 to supply alternating current to each of these coil groups while shifting the phase. By doing so, a magnetic field is formed between each coil group and the magnetic pole of the rotor 521. The rotor 521 rotates about the rotation axis J by the action of the magnetic force.

(Reducer 53)
The speed reducer 53 is arranged around the shaft support 5211c. The speed reducer 53 is housed in the rotor case 5211. FIG. 7 shows a part of the speed reducer 53. The speed reducer 53 is a speed reducer using a so-called planetary gear mechanism, and includes a carrier 531, a sun gear 5211c, a plurality (four in the illustrated example) of planetary gears 533, an internal gear 534, and the like.

The carrier 531 has a main frame 5311 and a sub frame 5312. The sub-frame 5312 is made of an annular member having four lower bearing recesses 5312a. The sub-frame 5312 is mounted on the rotor case 5211 via an annular guide plate 535.

A ring-shaped sliding member 536 is fixed inside the guide plate 535. The guide plate 535 is rotatably mounted on the bottom wall 5211a of the rotor case 5211 with the sliding member 536 interposed between the guide plate 535 and the shaft support 5211c.

The main frame 5311 has a base portion 5311a having a shallow bottomed cylindrical shape, and a cylindrical shaft stopper portion 5311b protruding from the central portion of the base portion 5311a to the back side thereof. The back surface of the base portion 5311a is arranged so as to face the sub-frame 5312. A plurality of upper bearing recesses 5311c facing the lower bearing recesses 5312a are formed on the back surface of the base 5311a.

Serrations are formed on the inner peripheral surface of the shaft stopper 5311b so as to fit with the base end 50a of the shaft 50. By inserting the base end portion 50a of the shaft 50 into the shaft stopper portion 5311b, the main frame 5311 is fixed to the shaft 50 in a non-rotatable state. As described above, the shaft support portion 5211c of the rotor 521 is supported around the shaft stopper portion 5311b via the sintered oil-impregnated bearing 5213 that constitutes the rotor bearing portion. The shaft support 5211c constitutes a sun gear that rotates about the rotation axis J.

The internal gear 534 is formed of a substantially cylindrical member having a diameter larger than that of the sun gear 5211c. A gear portion 534a is provided below the inner peripheral surface of the internal gear 534. Gear teeth are formed over the entire circumference of the gear portion 534a. Further, on the outer peripheral surface of the internal gear 534, a plurality of inner slide guides 534b formed of linear protrusions extending in the rotation axis direction are formed at equal intervals over the entire circumference. These inner slide guides 534b will be described later separately.

The internal gear 534 is arranged around the sun gear 5211c with the rotation axis J as the center. The lower part of the internal gear 534 is arranged on the guide plate 535. A ring-shaped sliding member 537 is fixed inside the upper portion of the internal gear 534 (see FIG. 4). The carrier 531 (main frame 5311) is rotatably supported by the internal gear 534 via the sliding member 537.

Each planetary gear 533 is rotatably supported by the carrier 531 and is arranged between the sun gear 5211c and the internal gear 534 so as to mesh with each other.

Each planetary gear 533 is composed of a gear member having a small diameter. A pin hole is formed through the center of each planetary gear 533. Both ends of the pin 5331 inserted into the pin hole are pivotally supported by the upper bearing recess 5311c of the main frame 5311 and the lower bearing recess 5312a of the subframe 5312. Gear teeth are formed on the outer peripheral surface of each planetary gear 533 over the entire circumference. The gear teeth mesh with both the sun gear 5211c and the internal gear 534.

Therefore, when the internal gear 534 is fixed (unrotatable state) and the sun gear 5211c rotates at a predetermined speed, the planetary gears 533 accordingly rotate while rotating around the sun gear 5211c. As a result, the carrier 531 and the shaft 50 rotate in a decelerated state.

(Clutch 54)
The clutch 54 is arranged around the speed reducer 53. The clutch 54 is housed in the rotor case 5211. FIG. 8, FIG. 9, and FIG. 10 show parts of the speed reducer 53 and the clutch 54. The clutch 54 has a slider 541 (movable part), rotor-side and stator-side lock claws 542R and 542S (fixed part), and a clutch driver 543 (driving part). The clutch driver 543 has a mover 5431 and a stator 5432.

The slider 541 is a cylindrical member having a diameter larger than that of the internal gear 534. On the inner peripheral surface of the slider 541, as only a part is shown in FIG. 8, a plurality of outer slide guides 541a formed of linear protrusions extending in the rotation axis direction are formed at equal intervals over the entire circumference. These outer slide guides 541a are configured to mesh with a plurality of inner slide guides 534b formed on the outer peripheral surface of the internal gear 534.

The slider 541 is arranged around the internal gear 534 in a state in which each of the outer slide guides 541 a is meshed with each of the inner slide guides 534 b of the internal gear 534. Thereby, the slider 541 is slidable in the rotation axis direction.

On the outer peripheral surface of the slider 541, a pair of engaging claws 5411R and 5411S, which are engaging claws on the rotor side and the stator side, are formed. These engaging claws 5411R and 5411S are composed of a plurality of protrusions (movable-side protrusions) protruding in the rotation axis direction, and are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the slider 541 at equal intervals over the entire circumference. The rotor-side engaging claw 5411R is arranged at the lower end portion of the slider 541, and each protrusion projects downward. The engaging claw 5411S on the stator side is arranged at the upper end portion of the slider 541, and each protrusion projects upward.

A mover accommodating portion 541b for accommodating the mover 5431 is formed between the rotor-side and stator-side engaging claws 5411R and 5411S on the outer peripheral surface of the slider 541.

As shown in FIG. 10, the lock claw 542R (first fixing portion) on the rotor side is provided on the annular member 544 attached to the rotor case 5211. The rotor-side lock claw 542R is composed of a plurality of protrusions (fixed-side protrusions) protruding in the rotation axis direction at equal intervals over the entire circumference. These protrusions project upward. Further, although not shown, these protrusions can be formed at the same time as the other component parts or integrally with the rotor case 5211 when integrally molding the rotor side.

The stator-side lock claw 542S (second fixing portion) is provided on the annular member 545 attached to the stator 522. The stator-side lock claw 542S is composed of a plurality of protrusions (fixed-side protrusions) protruding in the rotation axis direction at equal intervals over the entire circumference. These protrusions protrude downward. Further, these protrusions can be formed integrally with the insulator.

The lock claw 542R on the rotor side and the lock claw 542S on the stator side are arranged so as to face each other at positions separated from each other in the rotation axis direction. The rotor-side lock claw 542R is configured to mesh with the rotor-side engagement claw 5411R, and the stator-side lock claw 542S is configured to mesh with the stator-side engagement claw 5411S.

The distance between the rotor-side lock claw 542R and the stator-side lock claw 542S is set to be larger than the distance between the rotor-side engagement claw 5411R and the stator-side engagement claw 5411S. Therefore, when the rotor-side lock claw 542R is engaged with and coupled to the rotor-side engagement claw 5411R, the stator-side lock claw 542S does not engage with the stator-side engagement claw 5411S. When the stator-side lock claw 542S meshes with the stator-side engagement claw 5411S and is coupled, the rotor-side lock claw 542R does not mesh with the rotor-side engagement claw 5411R.

As shown in FIG. 9, the mover 5431 of the clutch driver 543 includes a slider core 5431a and a clutch magnet 5431b, and is installed in the mover housing portion 541b.

The slider core 5431a is made of a magnetic metal cylindrical member, and is installed at the back of the mover housing portion 541b. The clutch magnet 5431b is composed of a permanent magnet. The clutch magnet 5431b is installed over the entire circumference of the mover housing portion 541b while being in contact with the surface of the slider core 5431a.

As shown in FIG. 10, the stator 5432 of the clutch driver 543 includes a clutch coil 5432a, a coil holder 5432b, a holder support 5432c, and the like. The coil holder 5432b is made of an insulating ring-shaped member having a substantially C-shaped cross section whose opening faces outward in the radial direction. A clutch coil 5432a is formed by winding an electric wire around the coil holder 5432b.

The holder support 5432c is composed of a pair of upper and lower annular members that sandwich the coil holder 5432b. The holder support 5432c is fixed to the stator 522. Accordingly, the clutch coil 5432a (stator 5432) is configured to face the clutch magnet 5431b (movable element 5431) with a slight gap in the radial direction.

Energization of the clutch coil 5432a is controlled by the controller 6. By energizing the clutch coil 5432a, a magnetic field is formed between the clutch coil 5432a and the clutch magnet 5431b. As a result, the slider 541 slides in one of the rotation axis directions.

As a result, as shown in FIG. 11, the first mode in which the stator-side lock claw 542S meshes with the stator-side engagement claw 5411S and the second mode in which the rotor-side lock claw 542R meshes with the rotor-side engagement claw 5411R. Switch to.

In the first mode, the internal gear 534 is supported by the stator 522 via the slider 541. Thereby, the rotations of the rotor 521 and the sun gear 5211c are transmitted to the shaft 50 and the carrier 531 via the speed reducer 53. Therefore, the drive unit 5 outputs a low torque and high torque torque.

On the other hand, in the second mode, the internal gear 534 is supported by the rotor 521 via the slider 541. Accordingly, the rotations of the rotor 521 and the sun gear 5211c are transmitted to the shaft 50 and the carrier 531 without passing through the speed reducer 53.

That is, since the rotor 521, the sun gear 5211c, and the internal gear 534 rotate integrally, each planetary gear 533 does not rotate. Thereby, the shaft 50 and the carrier 531 also rotate integrally with them. Therefore, the drive unit 5 outputs a rotational force of high rotation and low torque.

As described above, according to the drive unit 5, the motor 52, the speed reducer 53, and the clutch 54 are arranged on the motor 52 so that the motor 52, the speed reducer 53, and the clutch 54 are aligned in a line in a direction substantially perpendicular to the rotation axis J. 54 is efficiently incorporated and these are integrally configured. Then, by switching the clutch 54, it is possible to output a low-rotation and high-torque rotational force and a low-torque but high-rotational rotational force through the single shaft 50. Further, also in both the first mode and the second mode in which the outputs are different, the values of the rotation speed and the torque of the motor 52 can be set to relatively close values, so that the motor efficiency can be optimized.

Therefore, the drive unit 5 has a compact size and can output a rotating force suitable for a washing machine. The drive unit 5 is suitable for a washing machine.

<Operation of washing machine 1>
FIG. 12A shows a basic operation example of the washing machine 1.

When the washing machine 1 is operated, the laundry is first put into the drum 4 (step S1). In the case of this washing machine 1, at that time, a detergent or the like is also put into the medicine putting device 8c. Then, an instruction to start washing is input to the controller 6 by operating the operation unit 7 (Yes in step S2). Thereby, the controller 6 automatically starts a series of washing steps including washing, rinsing, dehydration, and the like.

Prior to the washing process, the controller 6 measures the weight of the laundry in order to set the water supply amount (step S3). The controller 6 sets an appropriate water supply amount based on the measured weight of the laundry (step S4).

When the setting of the water supply amount is completed, the controller 6 starts the washing process (step S5). When the washing process starts, the controller 6 controls the water supply valve 8b to supply the set predetermined amount of water to the tub 3. At that time, the detergent contained in the medicine introducing device 8c is introduced into the tub 3 together with water to be supplied.

Next, the controller 6 drives the drive unit 5 to start the rotation of the drum 4, with the controller 6 prior to the rotation of the drum 4 as shown in FIG. It is determined whether or not (step S10). As a result, if it is a washing or rinsing process, the controller 6 controls the clutch 54 to switch to the first mode (step S11). If it is not a washing or rinsing step, that is, a dehydration step, the controller 6 controls the clutch 54 to switch to the second mode (step S12).

Here, since it is a washing process, the controller 6 switches the clutch 54 to the first mode. As a result, the drive unit 5 outputs a low-speed, high-torque torque. Therefore, the relatively heavy drum 4 can be efficiently rotated at a low speed.

When the washing process is completed, the controller 6 starts the rinsing process (step S6). In the rinsing step, by driving the drainage pump 9, the wash water stored in the tub 3 is drained. Next, the controller 6 performs the process of water supply and stirring similarly to the washing process.

In the rinsing process, the drive unit 5 is driven with the clutch 54 maintained in the first mode.

When the rinsing process is completed, the controller 6 executes the dehydration process (step S7). In the dehydration process, the drum 4 is rotationally driven at high speed for a predetermined time. Therefore, the controller 6 switches the clutch 54 to the second mode prior to the dehydration process. In the second mode, high torque and low torque torque can be output. Therefore, the relatively light drum 4 can be rotated efficiently at high speed.

The laundry is attached to the inner surface of the drum 4 by centrifugal force. The water contained in the laundry flows out of the drum 4. Thereby, the laundry is dehydrated.

The water stored in the tub 3 by the dehydration is discharged by driving the drainage pump 9. When the dehydration process is completed, a predetermined buzzer is sounded to notify the end of washing, and the operation of the washing machine 1 is finished.

<Details of the clutch 54>
FIG. 13 illustrates the details of the clutch 54. With this clutch 54, stable switching of the speed reducer 53 can be performed with a simple structure. Since the slider 541 can be held in the connected state by the magnetic action of the permanent magnet when the power is off, power consumption can be suppressed.

The clutch magnet 5431b is composed of a plurality of magnetic pole members 54311 in which a thin plate of a permanent magnet is formed into an arc shape. Each magnetic pole member 54311 has a plurality of magnetic poles (three in the illustrated example) in which N poles and S poles are alternately arranged in the rotation axis direction. Specifically, when the magnetic pole member 54311 is viewed from the cross-sectional direction, the magnetic pole member 54311 has an intermediate magnetic pole 54311a located at the center thereof and a pair of end magnetic poles 54311b located at both ends thereof.

The size of each end magnetic pole 54311b in the rotation axis direction is the same, and the size of the intermediate magnetic pole 54311a in the rotation axis direction is larger than each end magnetic pole 54311b. In the illustrated example, the intermediate magnetic pole 54311a is an N pole, and the end magnetic pole 54311b is an S pole. The magnetic poles 54311a and 54311b extend in the circumferential direction, and the magnetic pole members 54311 have the same cross-sectional structure. Further, the magnetic pole member 54311 may have a segment shape or an annular shape.

The holder support 5432c is formed of magnetic metal. That is, the holder support 5432c constitutes a clutch yoke (hereinafter, the holder support 5432c is referred to as a clutch yoke 5432c). The clutch yoke 5432c has a pair of magnetic pole facing portions 54321 and 54321 which face the respective end magnetic poles 54311b in the radial direction with a slight gap therebetween.

Between the pair of magnetic pole facing portions 54321 and 54321, a void portion 54322 that faces the intermediate magnetic pole 54311a in the radial direction with a slight gap is provided. Therefore, the intermediate magnetic pole 54311a faces the coil holder 5432b through the void 54322.

Then, when the clutch 54 is not energized (when no current is supplied to the clutch coil 5432a), the mover 5431 moves to two different positions at three different positions due to the magnetic action between the mover 5431 and the stator 5432. It is designed to have a stable point and one unstable point.

Specific positions of these stable points and unstable points are illustrated in FIG. 14A. The curve shown in the table of FIG. 14A indicates the position of the mover 5431 in the direction of the rotation axis relative to the stator 5432, and the propulsive force (detent torque) generated in the mover 5431 by the magnetic action, that is, the clutch coil is excited. It shows the relationship with the magnetic force that works when not doing (not energizing). The former is the vertical axis and the latter is the horizontal axis.

The position “0” of the mover 5431 is a position (neutral position) where the mover 5431 faces the stator 5432 directly. At the neutral position, each end magnetic pole 54311b faces each magnetic pole facing portion 54321, and the intermediate magnetic pole 54311a faces the coil holder 5432b. In the neutral position, the propulsion force is "0". At the neutral position, if the position shifts slightly to the stator side or the rotor side, a propulsive force in the shifted direction is generated and increases. Therefore, the mover 5431 becomes magnetically unstable (unstable point P3).

When the mover 5431 is in the neutral position, the slider 541 is located apart from the rotor-side lock claw 542R and the stator-side lock claw 542S. Therefore, the engagement claws 5411R and 5411S do not mesh with the lock claws 542R and 542S. Since the mover 5431 is magnetically unstable, the slider 541 slides without staying. The lock claws 542R and 542S and the projecting end portions of the engagement claws 5411R and 5411S are formed in a pointed inverted U shape or an inverted V shape so that they can be easily engaged with each other (see FIGS. 8 and 10). ).

When the mover 5431 slides to the stator side (S side), the propulsive force (plus direction) toward the stator increases accordingly, and after reaching a peak at a predetermined position, the propulsive force decreases. Then, the propulsive force becomes "0" again, and the magnetically stable point (first stable point P1) is reached.

At the first stable point P1, the end magnetic pole 54311b on the stator side is located outside the clutch yoke 5432c, the intermediate magnetic pole 54311a faces the magnetic pole facing portion 54321 on the stator side, and the end magnetic pole 54311b on the rotor side is It faces the rotor-side end magnetic pole 54311b and the air gap 54322. When the mover 5431 moves toward the first stable point P1, the lock claw 542S on the stator side meshes with the engagement claw 5411S on the stator side to be connected.

In the present embodiment, as will be described later, it is set to mesh at a point P1-1 (connection position Cs) before reaching the first stable point P1 (see FIG. 14B). At the meshing point P1-1, the propulsive force toward the first stable point P1 is retained.

When the mover 5431 slides to the rotor side (R side), the propulsive force (minus direction) toward the rotor side increases accordingly, and after reaching a peak at a predetermined position, the propulsive force decreases. Then, the propulsive force becomes "0" again, and the magnetically stable point (second stable point P2) is reached.

At the second stable point P2, the end magnetic pole 54311b on the rotor side is located outside the clutch yoke 5432c, the intermediate magnetic pole 54311a faces the magnetic pole facing portion 54321 on the rotor side, and the end magnetic pole 54311b on the stator side, It faces the end-side magnetic pole 54311b and the gap 54322 on the stator side. As the mover 5431 moves toward the second stable point P2, the rotor-side lock claw 542R meshes with and is connected to the rotor-side engagement claw 5411R.

In the present embodiment, as will be described later, it is set so as to mesh with each other at a point P2-1 (connection position Cr) before reaching the second stable point P2 (see FIG. 14B). At the meshing point P2-1, the propulsive force toward the second stable point P2 is retained.

The connecting position Cs on the stator side where the lock claw 542S and the engaging claw 5411S are engaged and connected, and the connecting position Cr on the rotor side where the lock claw 542R and the engaging claw 541R are engaged and connected are respectively engaged. It is set to the point P1-1 and the meshing point P2-1. As a result, due to the action of the detent torque, the meshed state at each connecting position Cs, Cr can be stably maintained even when there is no energization.

When the clutch 54 is not energized, the mover 5431 located at the neutral position is unstable. That is, when the mover 5431 is displaced from the neutral position in the rotation axis direction, a propulsive force acts and the mover 5431 easily slides.

When the clutch 54 is energized, that is, a current is supplied to the clutch coil 5432a, the slider 541 slides to either the stator side or the rotor side depending on the direction of the current. Depending on the direction of current flow, the first mode of sliding to the stator side and the second mode of sliding to the rotor side are selected.

FIG. 14B shows the relationship between the relative position of the mover 5431 in the direction of the rotation axis with respect to the stator 5432 and the propulsive force generated in the mover 5431 during energization. The broken line represents the detent torque. The solid line L1 represents the propulsive force in the first mode, and the solid line L2 represents the propulsive force in the second mode.

In the first mode, current is applied to the clutch coil 5432a such that the rotor-side magnetic pole facing portion 54321 becomes the N pole and the stator-side magnetic pole facing portion 54321 becomes the S pole. Thereby, the electromagnetic force generated by the stator 5432 acts on the clutch magnet 5431b, and the propulsive force T1 toward the stator side is generated in the mover 5431. The propulsive force T1 is designed to be large enough to overcome the detent torque and move to the stator side even at the coupling position on the rotor side. Therefore, the mover 5431 slides to the stator side at any position.

In the second mode, a current is applied to the clutch coil 5432a so that the magnetic pole facing portion 54321 on the rotor side becomes the S pole and the magnetic pole facing portion 54321 on the stator side becomes the N pole. As a result, the electromagnetic force generated by the stator 5432 acts on the clutch magnet 5431b, and the propulsive force T2 toward the rotor is generated on the mover 5431. The propulsive force T2 is designed to be generated even at the connecting position on the stator side. Therefore, the mover 5431 slides toward the rotor at any position.

(Positioning of the clutch 54 in the circumferential direction)
The slider 541 is configured so that the lock claw 542S can be positioned in the circumferential direction so that the lock claw 542S smoothly meshes with the engagement claw 5411S.

During the switching of the clutch 54, the mover 5431 is in a free state with no meshing. Therefore, as described above, the mover 5431 meshes with the stator 5432 while being guided by the lock claws 542R and 542S and the engaging claws 5411R and 5411S that are formed in a shape that allows easy meshing.

However, it is preferable that the mover 5431 mesh with the stator 5432 more smoothly in order to reduce impact noise. Therefore, a positioning portion 5433 is provided between the mover 5431 and the stator 5432. The positioning portion 5433 allows the slider 541 to be positioned at a predetermined position (reference position) where the lock claws 542S and the engagement claws 5411S smoothly mesh with each other.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 13, a gap (inter-pole gap 5433a) of a predetermined size is provided between two adjacent magnetic pole members 54311, 54311. Then, slits 5433b are provided at a plurality of positions in the circumferential direction of the clutch yoke 5432c so as to face each of the magnetic pole gaps 5433a in the radial direction. Each slit 5433b is formed so as to divide the magnetic pole facing portion 54321 in the circumferential direction.

At the reference position, each of the magnetic pole gaps 5433a and the slits 5433b forming the positioning portion 5433 is set to face each other in the radial direction. When the magnetic pole gaps 5433a and the slits 5433b face each other in the radial direction, an uneven magnetic action is generated between the mover 5431 and the stator 5432 in the circumferential direction. The slider 541 can be positioned at the reference position by detecting the nonuniform magnetic action.

The controller 6 controls the rotation of the motor to position the slider 541 at the reference position before switching the clutch 54 from the second mode to the first mode. Thereby, the clutch 54 can be smoothly switched.

(Switching control of clutch 54)
The switching control of the clutch 54 is performed by the controller 6. As schematically shown in FIG. 1, the controller 6 has a motor controller 6a and a clutch controller 6b. The motor control unit 6a controls driving of the motor 52. The clutch control unit 6b controls driving of the clutch 54.

The clutch control unit 6b of the drive unit 5 shares the control circuit 60 with the motor control unit 6a. FIG. 15A shows an example thereof.

FIG. 15A shows a control circuit 60 (main part) that drives the drive unit 5. The control circuit 60 has an inverter drive circuit 601, a motor drive circuit 602, and a clutch drive circuit 603. The inverter drive circuit 601, the motor drive circuit 602, and the clutch drive circuit 603 are provided in the inverter 10.

As described above, the motor 52 has three-phase coil groups 602a, 602a, 602a composed of U, V, and W. A motor drive circuit 602 having a neutral point 602b is configured by star-connecting (Y-connecting) these coil groups 602a.

The inverter drive circuit 601 is electrically connected to an external commercial power supply (not shown). The inverter drive circuit 601 has a built-in converter (not shown), and the converter converts the AC of the commercial power supply into a predetermined DC voltage and outputs the voltage. In FIG. 15A, the output DC voltage is schematically shown as a DC power supply 601a.

The inverter drive circuit 601 converts the direct-current voltage into a predetermined alternating current by PWM control or the like to convert into three-phase (U-phase, V-phase, W-phase) alternating current having different phases. The inverter drive circuit 601 has three arms 601b, 601b, 601b that are provided between a pair of bus bars. In each arm 601b, two element units 601c each including a switching element and a free wheeling diode connected in anti-parallel are arranged in series.

An output line 601d drawn from between the two element units 601c and 601c of each arm 601b is connected to each coil group 602a. The element unit 601c of each arm 601b is turned on/off at a predetermined timing. As a result, alternating currents having different phases are supplied to the coil groups 602a of the respective phases, and as a result, the motor 52 rotates in synchronization with the alternating currents.

The clutch drive circuit 603 includes a clutch coil 5432a, a motor side wiring 603a, and an inverter side wiring 603b. One end of the clutch coil 5432a is connected to the neutral point 602b via the motor side wiring 603a. The other end of the clutch coil 5432a is connected to a potential point (divided potential point 603c) that bisects the potential of the DC power supply 601a via an inverter-side wiring 603b.

When the motor 52 is driven, as described above, alternating phases having different phases are supplied to the coil group 602a of each phase. At that time, since the neutral point 602b has substantially the same potential difference as the two-divided potential point 603c, almost no current flows through the clutch coil 5432a.

Therefore, the clutch 54 does not switch when the motor 52 is driven. The connected state of the clutch 54 is held by the detent torque.

When switching the clutch 54, the motor 52 is not driven. Therefore, the clutch 54 is switched using the inverter drive circuit 601 and the motor drive circuit 602. That is, the clutch control unit 6b controls the element unit 601c of each arm 601b. Then, as an example, as shown by the arrow in FIG. 15A, a current is supplied to the motor drive circuit 602. Thereby, the predetermined zero-phase current Iz can be supplied to the clutch coil 5432a.

When a predetermined zero-phase current Iz is supplied to the clutch coil 5432a, a propulsive force is generated in the slider 541 and the clutch 54 is switched. By changing the control content of the element unit 601c, the zero-phase current Iz can be passed in the opposite direction. Therefore, the clutch 54 can be switched. According to this control circuit 60, since the semiconductor element and the like can be shared for driving the motor 52 and the clutch 54, an increase in the number of parts can be suppressed and the cost can be realized.

FIG. 15B shows another configuration example of the control circuit. In this control circuit 60', the configuration of the clutch drive circuit 603 is changed from the control circuit 60 described above.

The clutch drive circuit 603 includes a clutch coil 5432a, a first wiring 603h, a second wiring 603i, and a relay 603j. One end of the clutch coil 5432a is connected to a connection portion of any one coil group 602a of the three-phase coil groups 602a with the output line 601d via the first wiring 603h. The other end of the clutch coil 5432a is connected to a connection portion of the other one coil group 602a and the output line 601d. The relay 603j is arranged on one of the first wiring 603h and the second wiring 603i.

In the case of this control circuit 60', the clutch 54 can be driven by turning on/off the relay 603j. Also in this case, since the motor 52 and the control circuit 60 are shared, the increase in the number of parts can be suppressed and the cost can be reduced.

(Reduction of impact noise)
When switching the clutch 54, each locking claw 542S, 542R and each engagement claw 5411S, 5411R come into contact with each other, thereby generating an impact sound. Impact noise can be an unpleasant noise.

The impact noise generated when the clutch 54 is switched is roughly classified into the following three. That is, the collision sound (first impact sound) generated when the tip portions of the lock claws 542S and 542R collide with the tip portions of the engagement claws 5411S and 5411R from the non-engaged state, the lock claws 542S and 542R, respectively. Is generated when the engaging claws 5411S and 5411R are engaged with the engaging claws 5411S and 5411R, and the locking claws 542S and 542R are completely engaged with the engaging claws 5411S and 5411R. Collision sound (third impact sound).

Among these first to third impact sounds, the first and third impact sounds are particularly likely to become unpleasant noises. Therefore, in order to reduce these impact noises, a cushioning member such as an elastic member or a vibration damping member that absorbs impact noises is provided at a connection portion between the slider 541 and each of the rotor-side and stator-side lock claws 542R and 542S. Is preferably provided.

Specifically, at least one of the portion provided with the lock claw 542S and the portion provided with the engagement claw 5411S, and the portion provided with the lock claw 542R and the engagement claw 5411R are provided. At least one of the existing parts may be formed of a material such as rubber or plastic having elasticity or vibration damping property. In the latter case, for example, the material of the annular member 544 may be an elastic member.

Further, at least one of a portion provided with the lock claw 542S and a portion provided with the engagement claw 5411S, and a portion provided with the lock claw 542R and a portion provided with the engagement claw 5411R. At least one of them may be assembled with an elastic member interposed. Then, especially, the first and third impact sounds can be reduced.

The impact noise may be reduced by devising the control of the clutch 54.

For example, the clutch control unit 6b supplies a predetermined switching current (a current for switching the clutch 54, which corresponds to the zero-phase current Iz described above) to the clutch 54 and immediately before connecting the slider 541 to each of the lock claws 542R and 542S. In addition, a current (shock relaxation current) in the opposite direction to the switching current may be supplied to the clutch 54.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 14B, switching of the clutch 54 is performed by sliding the slider 541 by the action of the propulsive forces T1 and T2 caused by the electromagnetic force. At this time, detent torque is also acting. Until the neutral position is exceeded, the detent torque acts in the opposite direction to the propulsive forces P1 and P2, but when the neutral position is exceeded, the detent torque also acts in the same direction as the propulsive forces P1 and P2.

Therefore, if the current exceeds the neutral position at least, the slider 541 slides due to the detent torque even if the energization of the clutch 54 is stopped, so the clutch 54 can be switched. Then, the shock absorbing current is supplied to the clutch 54 at any timing (immediately before means this timing) after the slider 541 is connected to the lock claws 542R and 542S after the neutral position is exceeded. , In the opposite direction (indicated by arrow Pr in FIG. 14B).

Then, the momentum of the slider 541 is relieved, so that the impact noise can be reduced. This control is particularly effective in reducing the third impact sound.

Further, the propulsive force becomes lower before the lock claws 542S and 542R mesh with the engagement claws 5411S and 5411R than after the lock claws 542S and 542R mesh with the engagement claws 5411S and 5411R. Thus, the clutch control unit 6b may control the voltage applied to the clutch coil 5432a.

An example of the control is shown in FIG. 16A. The solid line in FIG. 16A shows the relationship between the voltage applied to the clutch coil 5432a and the position of the mover 5431 relative to the stator 5432 in the rotation axis direction. The former is the vertical axis and the latter is the horizontal axis. V0 normally represents the voltage value applied to the clutch coil 5432a.

In the section A, the lock claws 542S and 542R are not meshed with the engagement claws 5411S and 5411R, and in the section B, the lock claws 542S and 542R are meshed with the engagement claws 5411S and 5411R. It is a section.

Point P1 indicates the position where the engagement between the lock claws 542S and 542R and the engagement claws 5411S and 5411R starts, and point P2 indicates the engagement between the lock claws 542S and 542R and the engagement claws 5411S and 5411R. Indicates the end position of.

When the voltage applied to the clutch coil 5432a is lowered, the electromagnetic force generated by the stator 5432 is also reduced. Therefore, the driving force is weakened. As a result, in section A, the propulsive force is weaker than usual, and the momentum of the slider 541 is suppressed. As a result, the first impact sound generated when the lock claws 542S and 542R mesh with the engagement claws 5411S and 5411R can be reduced.

After the lock claws 542S and 542R mesh with the engagement claws 5411S and 5411R, the voltage is increased to a normal voltage. FIG. 16A shows an example in which the voltage is gradually raised to the normal voltage from the start end to the end end of the section B.

As shown in FIG. 16B, the voltage applied to the clutch coil 5432a may be boosted to the normal voltage at the start of the section B at once. By increasing the voltage, the propulsive force is restored, so that the switching can be performed quickly and stably.

<Details of the reducer 53>
FIG. 17 shows an enlarged view of the portion of the speed reducer 53. A peripheral portion of the speed reducer 53 is sealed, and grease is injected into the inside thereof.

Specifically, on the lower side of the sliding surface of the sliding member 537 (also referred to as the first sliding member 537) that is rotatably in contact with the carrier 531 (main frame 5311), the ring-shaped first A seal member 538 (elastic member such as rubber) is attached. Thereby, the carrier 531 and the first sliding member 537 are liquid-sealed.

Further, below the sliding surface of a sliding member 536 (also referred to as a second sliding member 536) that is fixed inside the guide plate 535 and is rotatably in contact with the rotor case 5211 (shaft support 5211c). A ring-shaped second seal member 539 is attached to the side. As a result, the guide plate 535, the second sliding member 536, and the rotor case 5211 are liquid-sealed.

Thereby, the grease can be stably enclosed in the speed reducer 53, and the lubrication of the grease allows the sun gear 5211c, the planetary gear 533, and the internal gear 534 to smoothly rotate.

The material of the first and second sliding members 536 and 537 is preferably self-lubricating resin because it can be manufactured at low cost. In that case, it is preferable to improve the slipperiness by plating the opposite surface of the sliding surface with hard plating. The sliding portion where the first and second sliding members 536 and 537 are installed may be a ball bearing.

The material of the main frame 5311 is preferably aluminum (aluminum die casting). In that case, it is preferable that the portion of the first sliding member 537 that is in contact with the sliding surface be anodized.

<Modification of bearing part>
In the above-described embodiment, the drive unit 5 in which the rotor bearing portion that rotatably supports the rotor 521 on the shaft 50 is configured by one sintered oil-impregnated bearing 5213 is illustrated. The rotor bearing portion is not limited to this, and can be appropriately modified according to the specifications.

For example, the rotor bearing portion may be configured by a pair of ball bearings. Specifically, instead of the sintered oil-impregnated bearing 5213, a pair of ball bearings are interposed between the shaft stopper 5311b of the carrier 531 and the shaft support 5211c of the rotor case 5211.

The ball bearings are arranged at positions separated from each other in the rotation axis direction. A pressurizing mechanism is provided together with these ball bearings, and a constant pressurizing force acts on these ball bearings by the pressurizing mechanism.

In that case, one of the pair of ball bearings may be a sintered oil-impregnated bearing. Generally, the sintered oil-impregnated bearing is not suitable for high speed rotation, but in the case of this drive unit 5, the rotor bearing portion does not rotate in the second mode in which it rotates at high speed. Therefore, even if a sintered oil-impregnated bearing is used for the rotor bearing, the reliability of the bearing can be improved.

Note that the disclosed technology is not limited to the above-described embodiments and the like, and includes various configurations other than the above.

For example, although the drum type washing machine is illustrated in the embodiment, the present invention can be applied to a vertical type washing machine. Further, the outer rotor type motor in which the magnet of the rotor is located outside the stator is illustrated, but an inner rotor type motor in which the magnet of the rotor is located inside the stator may be used.

The number of magnetic poles of the clutch magnet 5431b is not limited to three and may be four or more. Accordingly, the number of magnetically stable points may be four or more.

1 washing machine 3 tabs (fixed tank)
4 drums (rotary tank)
5 Drive unit 6 Controller (control device)
10 Inverter 50 Shaft 51 Unit Base 52 Motor 521 Rotor 5211 Rotor Case 5211c Shaft Support (Sun Gear)
5212 Magnet 5213 Sintered oil-impregnated bearing (rotor bearing)
522 stator 53 speed reducer 531 carrier 533 planetary gear 534 internal gear 54 clutch 541 slider (movable part)
542R Rotor side lock claw (fixed part)
542S Stator-side lock claw (fixed part)
543 Clutch driver (drive unit)
5431 mover 54311 magnetic pole member 54311a intermediate magnetic pole 54311b end magnetic pole 5432 stator 5432a clutch coil 5432b coil holder 5432c holder support (clutch yoke)
54321 Magnetic pole opposing part 60, 60' Control circuit 601 Inverter drive circuit 602 Motor drive circuit 603 Clutch drive circuit

Claims (8)

A drive unit for a washing machine,
Shaft,
A motor for rotating the shaft,
A reduction gear using a clutch and a planetary gear mechanism interposed between the shaft and the motor,
Equipped with
The clutch is
A movable part that slides in the direction of the rotation axis,
A pair of fixing portions located apart from each other in the rotation axis direction,
A drive unit that switches the connection state of the speed reducer by sliding the movable unit and connecting to one of the fixed units,
Have
The drive unit is
A mover provided in the movable part and including a clutch magnet;
A stator including a clutch coil and a clutch yoke, which is provided to face the mover in a radial direction with a gap therebetween;
Have
A drive unit in which the clutch magnet has a plurality of magnetic poles arranged in the rotation axis direction. A drive unit for a washing machine,
Unit base,
A shaft supported by the unit base in a rotatable state about a rotation axis,
A motor for rotating the shaft,
A reducer and a clutch interposed between the shaft and the motor,
Equipped with
The motor is
A rotor supported in a rotatable state around the rotation axis,
A stator fixed to the unit base and facing the rotor with a predetermined gap therebetween;
Have
The speed reducer is
A carrier fixed to the shaft,
A sun gear that rotates around the rotation axis,
An internal gear arranged around the sun gear,
A plurality of planetary gears, which are rotatably supported by the carrier and are arranged between the sun gear and the internal gear so as to mesh with the sun gear and the internal gear,
Have
The clutch is
A movable part that slides in the direction of the rotation axis,
A pair of first and second fixed portions that are separated from each other in the rotation axis direction;
A drive unit that slides the movable unit,
Have
A first mode in which the motor rotates the shaft via the speed reducer by connecting the movable part to the first fixed part, and the movable part is connected to the second fixed part. Thereby, the motor is configured to switch to the second mode in which the shaft is rotated without passing through the speed reducer,
The drive unit is
A mover provided in the movable part and including a clutch magnet;
A stator including a clutch coil and a clutch yoke, which is provided to face the mover in a radial direction with a gap therebetween;
Have
A drive unit in which the clutch magnet has a plurality of magnetic poles arranged in the rotation axis direction. The drive unit according to claim 1 or 2,
When no current is supplied to the clutch coil, the mover has a magnetically stable first stable point on one side of a connecting position between the movable portion and the fixed portion, and the connecting position A drive unit having a magnetically stable second stable point on the other side of the drive unit. The drive unit according to claim 3,
A drive unit in which the clutch magnet has three magnetic poles, and the clutch yoke has a pair of magnetic pole facing portions facing the end magnetic poles located at both ends of the magnetic poles. The drive unit according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
Each of the fixed portions has a fixed-side protrusion that protrudes in the rotation axis direction,
The movable portion has a pair of movable side protrusions that engage with each of the fixed side protrusions when connected to the fixed portion,
A drive unit having a positioning portion that positions the fixed portion and the movable portion at a predetermined circumferential position where the fixed-side protrusion and the movable-side protrusion mesh with each other. The drive unit according to claim 5,
A drive unit, wherein a cushioning member is provided at a connection portion between the movable portion and the fixed portion to reduce a shock at the time of connection. The drive unit according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
Further comprising a control device for controlling the motor and the clutch,
The control device is
A motor control unit for controlling the drive of the motor,
A clutch control unit for controlling the drive of the clutch,
Have
A drive unit in which the clutch control section shares a control circuit with the motor control section. The drive unit according to claim 7,
A drive unit in which the clutch control unit supplies a predetermined switching current to the clutch to supply an impact relaxation current in the opposite direction to the switching current to the clutch immediately before connecting the movable unit to the fixed unit. ..

Images