JP7018624B2 - washing machine - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a washing machine.

Conventionally, a so-called swirl-type washing machine has a pulsator rotatably provided at the bottom of a washing / dehydrating tub. The rotation of the pulsator creates a water flow in the washing / dehydrating tub, and this water flow stirs the laundry. In addition, when the pulsator itself comes into contact with the laundry, the laundry is agitated or rubbed. In this way, washing is performed in the washing / dehydrating tub. During washing, the pulsator repeats rotation to the right and rotation to the left.

At the bottom of the washing / dehydrating tub near the pulsator, the laundry is susceptible to strong water currents and is likely to come into contact with the pulsator. Therefore, when a relatively large amount of laundry is put into the washing / dehydrating tub, the lower laundry is easily washed, but the upper laundry is difficult to be washed.

When the movement of the laundry in the washing / dehydrating tub is relatively regular or monotonous, it becomes difficult to switch between the upper laundry and the lower laundry. Therefore, in this case, uneven washing may occur in the laundry, or the washing force may be imparted to the laundry remaining on the lower side, so that the laundry may be easily damaged.

Therefore, in a conventional washing machine, for example, the on-time of the pulsator can be changed or the strength of the water flow generated by the pulsator can be changed depending on whether the pulsator is rotated to the right or to the left. , The movement of the laundry was made relatively irregular or complicated, and the top and bottom of the laundry could be easily swapped.

In Patent Document 1, the surface of the blade of the pulsator facing the rotation direction is set as a flat surface, and the surface facing the other rotation direction is set as an inclined surface. A washing machine that changes the strength of the water flow generated by the pulsator is described when the pulsator rotates in the direction of rotation.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2015-146897

As described above, in the washing machine, the movement of the laundry in the washing / dehydrating tub is more irregular or complicated when the rotation to the right and the rotation to the left are repeated. This makes it easier to switch the top and bottom of the laundry, and there is a need to develop a pulsator that can reduce uneven washing and damage to the cloth.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a washing machine capable of reducing cleaning unevenness and cloth damage and improving cleaning performance by using a pulsator configuration different from the conventional one.

The washing machine according to the first aspect of the present invention includes a washing tub in which laundry is housed, a pulsator arranged at the bottom of the washing tub, and a driving unit for driving the pulsator. Here, the pulsator is arranged on a base portion, an arrangement surface provided on the surface of the base portion, and a blade portion whose protrusion height protruding from the arrangement surface can be changed, depending on the rotation direction of the pulsator. A variable mechanism portion for varying the protruding height of the blade portion is included. The blade portion is held by the base portion so that it can move between a first position and a second position where the protrusion height is higher than the first position. The variable mechanism portion is arranged on the back surface side of the base portion, and has a rotating portion that can rotate in a first rotation direction and a second rotation direction that oppose each other with respect to the base portion, and the above-mentioned rotating portion in the rotating portion. The blade portion is provided at a position corresponding to the blade portion, and the blade portion is moved from the first position to the second position as the rotating portion rotates in the first rotation direction. Includes a moving portion that moves the blade portion from the second position to the first position as the blade rotates in the second rotation direction. The moving portion is provided with an inclined surface, and the blade portion comes into contact with the inclined surface and climbs the inclined surface when the blade portion moves from the first position to the second position. An elevating portion is provided that descends the inclined surface when the blade portion moves from the second position to the first position.

For example, the blade portion may have a first blade portion and a second blade portion that can move between a first position and a second position where the protrusion height is higher than the first position. It may be configured to include. In this case, the first blade portion moves to the first position and the second blade portion moves to the second position according to the rotation direction of the pulsator, and the first blade portion moves to the second position. The configuration may be such that the second blade portion moves to the second position and switches between the form and the form in which the second blade portion moves to the first position. Alternatively, the first blade portion and the second blade portion move to the first position according to the rotation direction of the pulsator, and the first blade portion and the second blade portion are the second blade portion. It can be configured to switch between the form that moves to the position 2 and the form that moves to the position 2.

According to the above configuration, the laundry tends to move irregularly or complicatedly with the rotation of the pulsator in the left-right direction, so that the laundry can be easily swapped up and down. This is expected to reduce uneven cleaning and cloth damage.

According to the above configuration, it is possible to easily realize a configuration in which the protruding height of the blade portion is changed according to the rotation direction of the pulsator.

In the case of the above configuration, the moving portion may be further configured to further include a support surface that supports the blade portion after moving to the second position in the projecting direction of the blade portion. ..

With such a configuration, even if the blade is pushed downward by laundry or the like, the protruding blade portion is unlikely to be retracted toward the arrangement surface side.

The washing machine according to the second aspect of the present invention includes a washing tub in which laundry is housed, a pulsator arranged at the bottom of the washing tub, and a driving unit for driving the pulsator. Here, the pulsator is arranged on a base portion, an arrangement surface provided on the surface of the base portion, and a blade portion whose protrusion height protruding from the arrangement surface can be changed, depending on the rotation direction of the pulsator. A variable mechanism portion for varying the protruding height of the blade portion is included. The arrangement surface is formed with an opening through which the blade portion enters and exits when the protrusion height is changed . The edge of the opening is provided with a first concavo-convex group consisting of a plurality of continuous concavo-convex parts along the edge portion, and the blade portion is composed of a plurality of concavo-convex and the first concavo-convex group. A second concavo-convex group that meshes with is provided.

According to the above configuration, foreign matter such as coins is less likely to be caught in the gap between the blade portion and the opening portion, and laundry is less likely to be caught in the gap.

The washing machine according to the third aspect of the present invention includes a washing tub in which laundry is housed, a pulsator arranged at the bottom of the washing tub, and a driving unit for driving the pulsator. Here, the pulsator is arranged on a base portion, an arrangement surface provided on the surface of the base portion, and a blade portion whose protrusion height protruding from the arrangement surface can be changed, depending on the rotation direction of the pulsator. A variable mechanism portion for varying the protruding height of the blade portion is included. The blade portion is formed so that the back side is hollow . The blade portion is provided with a hole portion for removing the air accumulated on the back side.

According to the above configuration, when water is supplied to the washing tub, when water is accumulated up to the position of the blade portion, air can be evacuated from the back side of the blade portion, so that the air remaining on the back side of the blade portion is used. The buoyancy prevents the blades from undesirably protruding.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a washing machine capable of reducing cleaning unevenness and cloth damage and improving cleaning performance.

The effects or significance of the present invention will be further clarified by the description of the embodiments shown below. However, the following embodiments are merely examples when the present invention is put into practice, and the present invention is not limited to those described in the following embodiments.

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view of a fully automatic washer / dryer according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the upper part of the fully automatic washer / dryer according to the embodiment. 3 (a) and 3 (b) are perspective views of the pulsator viewed from above according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the pulsator viewed from above according to the embodiment. FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the pulsator viewed from below according to the embodiment. FIG. 6 (a) is a perspective view of the movable blade portion seen from the front upper side according to the embodiment, and FIG. 6 (b) is a perspective view of the movable blade portion seen from the rear upper side according to the embodiment. 6 (c) is a perspective view of a movable blade portion viewed from the front and lower sides according to the embodiment, and FIG. 6 (d) is a perspective view of an elevating rod according to the embodiment. be. FIG. 7A shows a pulsator in a state where the first movable blade portion does not protrude from the arrangement surface and the second movable blade portion protrudes from the arrangement surface according to the embodiment, and the periphery of the first movable blade portion. FIG. 7B is a cross-sectional view of the first movable blade portion according to the embodiment, showing a pulsator in a state where the first movable blade portion protrudes from the arrangement surface and the second movable blade portion does not protrude from the arrangement surface. It is sectional drawing around the blade part. 8 (a) and 8 (b) are perspective views of the pulsator viewed from above according to the first modification. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a rotating portion constituting the variable mechanism portion according to the first modification.

Hereinafter, the fully automatic washer / dryer 1 which is an embodiment of the washing machine of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view of the fully automatic washer / dryer 1 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the upper part of the fully automatic washer / dryer 1 according to the present embodiment.

The fully automatic washer / dryer 1 includes a housing 10 that constitutes the appearance. The housing 10 includes a rectangular tubular body portion 11 having open upper and lower surfaces, a top plate 12 that covers the upper surface of the body portion 11, and a pedestal 13 that supports the body portion 11. The top plate 12 is formed with an outer loading port 14 for loading laundry. The outer inlet 14 is covered with an openable and closable upper lid 15.

Inside the housing 10, the outer tank 20 is elastically suspended and supported by four suspension rods 21 having a vibration isolator. The outer tub 20 includes a substantially cylindrical outer tub main body 22a having an open upper surface, and an outer tub cover 22b constituting the upper surface of the outer tub 20 by covering the upper surface of the outer tub main body 22a. On the upper surface of the outer tub 20, that is, the outer tub cover 22b, an inner loading port 22c for loading laundry is formed at a position corresponding to the outer loading port 14. The inner inlet 22c is covered with the outer tank lid 23 so as to be openable and closable.

In the outer tub 20, a substantially cylindrical washing / dehydrating tub 24 having an open upper surface is arranged. A large number of dehydration holes 24a are formed on the inner peripheral surface of the washing / dehydrating tub 24 over the entire circumference. A balance ring 25 is provided on the upper part of the washing / dehydrating tub 24. A pulsator 26 is arranged at the bottom of the washing / dehydrating tub 24. The washing / dehydrating tub 24 corresponds to the washing tub of the present invention.

At the outer bottom of the outer tub 20, a drive unit 30 that generates torque for driving the washing / dehydrating tub 24 and the pulsator 26 is arranged. The drive unit 30 includes a drive motor 31, a transmission mechanism unit 32, a blade shaft 33, and a dehydration tank shaft 34. The blade shaft 33 is connected to the pulsator 26, and the dehydration tub shaft 34 is connected to the washing / dehydrating tub 24. The transmission mechanism unit 32 has a clutch mechanism, and in the washing step and the rinsing step, the torque of the drive motor 31 is transmitted only to the blade shaft 33 to rotate only the pulsator 26 by the switching operation by the clutch mechanism, and the dehydration step. Then, the torque of the drive motor 31 is transmitted to the blade shaft 33 and the dehydration tank shaft 34 to rotate the pulsator 26 and the washing / dehydration tank 24 integrally. The drive unit 30 corresponds to the drive unit of the present invention.

A drainage port 20a is formed on the outer bottom of the outer tank 20. A drain valve 40 is provided in the drain port portion 20a. The drain valve 40 is connected to the drain hose 41. When the drain valve 40 is opened, the water stored in the washing / dehydrating tub 24 and the outer tub 20 is discharged to the outside of the machine through the drain hose 41.

At the rear part of the housing 10, a drying device 50 and a water supply device 60 are arranged above the outer tank 20. The drying device 50 and the water supply device 60 are attached to a fixing plate 16 arranged at the rear of the upper surface of the body portion 11 and covered with the upper surface plate 12.

The drying device 50 dries the laundry contained in the washing / dehydrating tub 24. The drying device 50 includes a circulation air passage 50a in which a heater and a blower fan are arranged, and the circulation air passage 50a is connected to the inside of the outer tank 20 by an intake duct 71 and an exhaust duct 72. The intake duct 71 and the exhaust duct 72 are flexible ducts, are made of an elastic material such as rubber, and have a bellows portion (not shown) in an intermediate portion. The warm air generated by the operation of the heater and the blower fan is discharged from the circulation air passage 50a and introduced into the outer tank 20 through the intake duct 71. Further, the warm air discharged from the outer tank 20 is introduced into the circulation air passage 50a through the exhaust duct 72. In this way, warm air circulates between the circulation air passage 50a and the outer tank 20.

The drying device 50 performs a circulation drying operation by circulating warm air, and subsequently an exhaust drying operation for discharging a part of the circulating warm air to the outside. The upper surface plate 12 is provided with an exhaust port 51 which is composed of a large number of exhaust holes and discharges warm air.

In the water supply device 60, a water supply port 61 exposed to the outside is connected to an external water supply hose (not shown) extending from the faucet. The water supply device 60 includes a water supply valve and a detergent container, and when the water supply valve is opened, tap water from the faucet is supplied into the outer tank 20 together with the detergent contained in the detergent container. The water supply device 60 may include a bath water pump.

In the fully automatic washer / dryer 1, the washing operation, the washing / drying operation, or the drying operation of various operation courses is performed. The washing operation is an operation in which only washing is performed, and a washing step, an intermediate dehydration step, a rinsing step, and a final dehydration step are executed in order. The washing / drying operation is an operation in which washing to drying are continuously performed, and a drying step is executed following the final dehydration step. The drying operation is an operation in which only drying is performed, and only the drying step is executed.

In the washing step and the rinsing step, the pulsator 26 rotates to the right and to the left with water stored in the washing / dehydrating tub 24. The laundry in the washing / dehydrating tub 24 is washed or sooted by the action of the water flow generated by the rotation of the pulsator 26.

In the intermediate dehydration step and the final dehydration step, the washing / dehydrating tub 24 and the pulsator 26 are integrally rotated at high speed. The laundry is dehydrated by the action of the centrifugal force generated in the washing / dehydrating tub 24.

In the drying step, the inside air circulation drying step is first performed, and then the outside air introduction drying step is performed. In the inside air circulation drying step, a circulation drying operation is performed by the drying device 50, and warm air circulates between the circulation air passage 50a and the outer tank 20. Due to the circulation of the dry air, the temperature inside the washing / dehydrating tub 24 rises rapidly. The pulsator 26 rotates, and the laundry is agitated and dried by the circulating warm air. When the temperature inside the washing / dehydrating tub 24 rises and the water evaporates from the laundry so that the warm air contains a large amount of water, the process is switched to the outside air introduction / drying step. In the outside air introduction drying step, the exhaust drying operation is performed by the drying device 50, the outside air is introduced into the circulation air passage 50a, and a part of the warm air circulating from the circulation air passage 50a is exhausted. Moisture evaporated from the laundry is effectively discharged from the inside of the outer tub 20 to the outside of the housing 10, and the inside of the outer tub 20 is easily dehumidified, so that the drying of the laundry is promoted.

Next, the configuration of the pulsator 26 will be described in detail.

3A and 3B are perspective views of the pulsator 26 as viewed from above according to the present embodiment. FIG. 3A shows the form when the pulsator 26 is rotated to the left when viewed from above, and FIG. 3B shows the pulsator 26 being rotated to the right when viewed from above. Shows the form of time.

The pulsator 26 includes a base portion 100, two movable blade portions 200, and a variable mechanism portion 300. The base portion 100 is provided with two fixed blade portions 130, and is movable so that the protrusion height protruding from the arrangement surface 100a can be changed on the arrangement surface 100a which is the top surface of each fixed blade portion 130. The blade portion 200 is arranged. The variable mechanism unit 300 changes the protruding height of each movable blade unit 200 according to the rotation direction of the pulsator 26. The movable blade portion 200 corresponds to the blade portion of the present invention.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, in the form of the pulsator 26, one movable blade portion 200 protrudes from the arrangement surface 100a and the other is movable, depending on the rotation direction of the pulsator 26. The blade portion 200 is switched between a form in which the blade portion 200 does not protrude from the arrangement surface 100a and a form in which one movable blade portion 200 does not protrude from the arrangement surface 100a and the other movable blade portion 200 protrudes from the arrangement surface 100a. When the movable blade portion 200 protrudes from the arrangement surface 100a, the protrusion height becomes a predetermined height H1, for example, about 30 mm, and when the movable blade portion 200 does not protrude from the arrangement surface 100a, the protrusion height is It becomes almost 0.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the pulsator 26 as viewed from above according to the present embodiment. FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the pulsator 26 as viewed from below according to the present embodiment.

The base portion 100 includes a main body portion 110 which is made of a resin material such as polypropylene and has a substantially disk shape, a mounting portion 120 on which the variable mechanism portion 300 is mounted, and two fixed blade portions 130. The mounting portion 120 and the fixed blade portion 130 are integrally formed with the main body portion 110.

On the surface of the main body 110, a circular concave surface 112 is formed inside the flat outer peripheral surface 111. A large number of drain holes 113 penetrating the front and back are formed on the recessed surface 112. When draining from the washing / dehydrating tub 24, that is, the outer tub 20, the water collected in the recessed surface 112 is discharged from the drain hole 113.

On the back surface of the main body 110, a plurality of back blades 114 extending radially from the central side to the outer peripheral side are provided at a portion other than the mounting portion 120 and the two fixed blade portions 130. Although not shown in FIG. 1, a pump chamber for accommodating the back blade 114 is provided at the bottom of the washing / dehydrating tub 24, and a circulation water channel extending vertically along the inner wall surface of the washing / dehydrating tub 24 is provided in the pump chamber. It leads to. A discharge port is provided at the tip of the circulation channel. By the rotation of the back blade 114, the water in the pump chamber is sent to the circulation water channel and discharged from the discharge port toward the inside of the washing / dehydrating tub 24. As a result, circulating water is applied to the laundry located on the upper side in the washing / dehydrating tub 24. A lint filter may be attached to the discharge port. In this case, the lint contained in the circulating water is collected by the lint filter.

The mounting portion 120 rises upward from the recessed surface 112 at the central portion of the main body portion 110. As a result, the mounting portion 120 is formed with a substantially circular mounting recess 121 that is recessed upward on the back side thereof. A circular opening 122 is formed in the central portion on the top surface of the mounting portion 120, and an annular groove portion 123 is formed around the opening 122. An annular sliding rib 124 is formed in the mounting recess 121 at a position on the back side of the groove 123. Further, on the outside of the mounting recess 121, a sliding wall portion 115 formed in an arc shape concentric with the mounting recess 121 is provided on the back surface of the main body portion 110.

The two fixed blade portions 130 are provided so as to face each other on the recessed surface 112 of the main body portion 110 with the mounting portion 120 interposed therebetween. On the base portion 100, the directions of the two fixed blade portions 130 are the same. Each fixed blade portion 130 has a substantially trapezoidal columnar shape, and is formed so that the back side is hollow. Each fixed blade portion 130 is inclined so that the first side surface 130a and the second side surface 130b on the circumferential direction side of the base portion 100 are steeper than the second side surface 130b.

The top surface of each fixed blade portion 130 is formed on a substantially rectangular flat surface to form an arrangement surface 100a. The height position of the arrangement surface 100a is the same as the height position of the outer peripheral surface 111 of the main body 110. A substantially rectangular opening 131 is formed on the arrangement surface 100a so as to occupy almost the entire arrangement surface 100a. At the four edges of the opening 131, a fixed-side uneven group 132 composed of a plurality of continuous irregularities along the edges is provided by a plurality of ribs 132a arranged at predetermined intervals along the edges. The fixed-side unevenness group 132 corresponds to the first unevenness group of the present invention.

On the back side of each fixed blade portion 130, a pair of bearing portions 133 having a shaft hole 133a is provided in the vicinity of the edge portion on the second side surface 130b side of the opening 131. In the bearing portion 133 on the central side, the shaft hole 133a does not penetrate the bearing portion 133, and in the bearing portion 133 on the outer peripheral side, the shaft hole 133a penetrates the bearing portion 133. Further, a stopper rib 116 extending from the central side to the outer peripheral side is provided on the back surface of the main body 110 at a position slightly away from the first side surface 130a of each fixed blade 130.

FIG. 6A is a perspective view of the movable blade portion 200 seen from the front upper side according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 6B is a perspective view of the movable blade portion 200 seen from the rear upper side according to the present embodiment. It is a perspective view of the part 200, FIG. 6C is a perspective view of the movable blade part 200 seen from the front lower side according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 6D is the perspective view of the present embodiment. , Is a perspective view of the elevating rod 250.

The two movable blade portions 200 are formed of a resin material such as polypropylene in a substantially triangular columnar shape having a hollow back side. Each movable blade portion 200 includes two substantially triangular side surfaces 210 and a first inclined surface 220 and a second inclined surface 230 provided between the two side surfaces 210, and another side between the two side surfaces 210. One side is open. The first inclined surface 220 is made steeper than the second inclined surface 230. On the back side of the two side surfaces 210 of the movable blade portion 200, a pair of shaft mounting portions 240 having shaft holes 241 are provided at corner portions not in contact with the first inclined surface 220. The shaft hole 241 penetrates the shaft mounting portion 240 and the side surface 210.

The two side surfaces 210 are composed of a plurality of irregularities by forming a plurality of ribs 211 extending in a direction intersecting the direction from the first inclined surface 220 toward the shaft hole 241 at predetermined intervals. The movable side uneven group 212 is provided. Further, each side surface 210 is provided with a stopper portion 213 on the lower edge portion so as to project laterally. Further, on each side surface 210, ribs 214 having a shape corresponding to the bearing portion 133 of the fixed blade portion 130 are formed so as to surround the shaft hole 241.

The first inclined surface 220 is formed on a curved surface having the shaft hole 241 as the center of curvature. The first inclined surface 220 is provided with a movable side uneven group 222 composed of a plurality of unevenness by forming a plurality of ribs 221 extending in the inclined direction at predetermined intervals along a direction orthogonal to the inclined direction. Further, on the first inclined surface 220, a plurality of holes 223 penetrating the front and back are formed in the vicinity of the top of the movable blade portion 200.

The lower end portion of the second inclined surface 230 is formed on a curved surface having the center of curvature of the shaft hole 241, and the other portions are formed on a flat surface. At the lower end portion of the second inclined surface 230, a plurality of ribs 231 extending in the inclined direction are formed at predetermined intervals along a direction orthogonal to the inclined direction, so that a movable side uneven group 232 composed of a plurality of irregularities is formed. It will be provided. The movable side uneven group 212, 222, 232 corresponds to the second uneven group of the present invention.

On the back side of the movable blade portion 200, an elevating rod 250 is attached at a position substantially directly below the top of the movable blade portion 200 so as to be parallel to the first inclined surface 220. The elevating rod 250 is formed by bending a round bar made of metal, for example, stainless steel, and has an elevating portion 251 extending linearly and an L-shaped insertion portion 252 provided on both sides of the elevating portion 251. And include. The lifting rod 250 has a smaller coefficient of friction than the movable blade portion 200. On the back side of the movable blade portion 200, a mounting portion 260 to which the elevating rod 250 is attached is provided. The mounting portion 260 is composed of two insertion hole portions 261 into which the insertion portion 252 of the elevating rod 250 is inserted, and a support portion 262 that supports the elevating portion 251 between these insertion hole portions 261.

Returning to FIGS. 4 and 5, when the two movable blade portions 200 are attached to the base portion 100, the shaft holes 241 of the pair of shaft mounting portions 240 of the movable blade portion 200 are the pair of bearing portions of the fixed blade portion 130. A shaft 270 made of metal, for example, stainless steel, is passed through the shaft holes 241 and 133a from the outer peripheral side so as to be fitted into the shaft holes 133a of 133. At this time, by fitting the tip portion of the bearing portion 133 into the inside of the rib 214 of each side surface 210 of the movable blade portion 200 from below, the shaft holes 241 and 133a can be easily aligned with each other, and the shaft 270 can be easily aligned. Can be installed. After the shaft 270 is passed, the retaining screw 280 is attached to the shaft hole 133a of the bearing portion 133 on the outer peripheral side, whereby the shaft 270 is prevented from coming off. The movable blade portion 200 can rotate about the shaft 270 with respect to the base portion 100, and can move between a non-protruding position that does not protrude from the arrangement surface 100a and a protruding position that protrudes from the arrangement surface 100a. .. Within the range in which the movable blade portion 200 rotates, the movable side uneven group 212, 222, 232 of the movable blade portion 200 and the fixed side uneven group 132 of the fixed blade portion 130 mesh with each other.

In the following, when the two movable blade portions 200 attached to the base portion 100 are referred to separately, when the pulsator 26 rotates to the right when viewed from above, the first inclined surface 220 is movable facing in the rotation direction. The blade portion 200 is referred to as a first movable blade portion 200A, and the movable blade portion 200 with the first inclined surface 220 facing in the rotational direction when the pulsator 26 rotates to the left when viewed from above is referred to as a second movable blade portion 200B. Refer to. Similarly, when the fixed blade portion 130 is referred to separately, the fixed blade portion 130 in which the first movable blade portion 200A is arranged is referred to as the first fixed blade portion 130A, and the fixed blade portion in which the second movable blade portion 200B is arranged is referred to. The 130 is referred to as a second fixed blade portion 130B. The first movable blade portion 200A and the second movable blade portion 200B correspond to the first blade portion and the second blade portion of the present invention, respectively.

The variable mechanism unit 300 includes a rotating unit 310, a holder 320, a cap 330, a lower washer 340, and an upper washer 350. The rotating portion 310, the holder 320, and the cap 330 are formed of a resin material such as polypropylene.

The rotating portion 310 has a configuration in which a central hub portion 311 and two arm portions 312 extending in opposite directions from the hub portion 311 are integrally formed. The hub portion 311 is a substantially cylindrical body having a closed top surface, and the back side thereof is recessed in a circular shape to serve as a boss mounting portion 313. A metal mounting boss 360 is mounted on the boss mounting portion 313. The blade shaft 33 is attached to the attachment boss 360. The upper end of the mounting boss 360 penetrates the top surface of the hub portion 311 and slightly protrudes upward. An annular rib 314 having an outer diameter substantially equal to the inner diameter of the opening 122 of the mounting portion 120 of the base portion 100 is formed on the top surface of the hub portion 311. Further, on the top surface of the hub portion 311, a plurality of screw holes 315 are formed inside the annular rib 314. At the lower part of the hub portion 311, an arcuate sliding wall portion 316 is formed in a portion where the arm portion 312 is not formed, and a metal, for example, stainless steel sliding plate is formed on the surface of the sliding wall portion 316. 370 is attached. The sliding plate 370 has a smaller coefficient of friction than the rotating portion 310.

Each of the two arm portions 312 is provided with a moving cam 317 at a position corresponding to the two movable blade portions 200. The moving cam 317 is formed with an inclined surface 318 and a flat supporting surface 319 extending in the horizontal direction from the top of the inclined surface 318. The moving cams 317 of the two arm portions 312 have their inclined surfaces 318 facing in the same direction. The moving cam 317 corresponds to the moving portion of the present invention.

The holder 320 is formed in a substantially disk shape. The holder 320 is formed with a circularly recessed recess 321 in the center. The back side of the recess 321 projects downward. On the bottom surface of the recess 321, an opening 322 into which the tip of the mounting boss 360 is inserted is formed in the central portion, and a plurality of screw holes 323 are formed around the opening 322. Further, on the back surface of the holder 320, an annular sliding rib 324 is formed on the outer peripheral portion.

The cap 330 is formed in a substantially disk shape and has an outer diameter substantially equal to the inner diameter of the recess 321 of the holder 320. The lower washer 340 and the upper washer 350 are metal annular plates. The lower washer 340 has a smaller coefficient of friction than the rotating portion 310, and the upper washer 350 has a smaller coefficient of friction than the holder 320.

When the variable mechanism portion 300 is attached to the base portion 100, first, the rotating portion 310 is attached to the back surface side of the base portion 100 from below. The hub portion 311 is inserted into the mounting recess 121, and the lower washer 340 is sandwiched between the top surface of the hub portion 311 and the upper surface of the mounting recess 121. The sliding rib 124 on the upper surface of the mounting recess 121 abuts on the lower washer 340. Further, the annular rib 314 on the top surface of the hub portion 311 is fitted into the opening 122 of the mounting portion 120. The inner top surface of the annular rib 314 in the hub portion 311 faces upward through the opening 122. Next, the holder 320 is attached to the inner top surface of the annular rib 314 in the hub portion 311 from above. At this time, the back surface of the recess 321 of the holder 320 and the top surface of the hub portion 311 come into contact with each other, and the screw holes 323 and 315 coincide with each other. Screws (not shown) are fastened to the two screw holes 323 and 315, and the holder 320 is fixed to the hub portion 311. The upper washer 350 is sandwiched between the holder 320 and the groove portion 123 on the top surface of the mounting portion 120. The sliding rib 324 on the back surface of the holder 320 comes into contact with the upper washer 350. Finally, the cap 330 is attached to the recess 321 of the holder 320, and the recess 321 is covered with the cap 330.

The rotating portion 310 can rotate about the central axis of the base portion 100 with respect to the base portion 100 within a range not hitting the two stopper ribs 116 provided on the back surface of the base portion 100. When the rotating portion 310 rotates with respect to the base portion 100, the sliding plate 370 of the sliding wall portion 316 of the hub portion 311 slides on the inner surface of the sliding wall portion 115 of the base portion 100 on the back side of the base portion 100. At the same time, the sliding rib 124 on the upper surface of the mounting recess 121 slides on the surface of the lower washer 340. Further, on the front side of the base portion 100, the sliding rib 324 on the back surface of the holder 320 slides on the surface of the upper washer 350. As a result, the rotating portion 310 rotates smoothly with respect to the base portion 100.

Next, an operation in which the protrusion height of the movable blade portion 200 with respect to the top surface of the fixed blade portion 130, that is, the arrangement surface 100a is changed by the variable mechanism portion 300 will be described. Here, the operation of varying the protruding height of the first movable blade portion 200A will be described, but the variable operation of the second movable blade portion 200B is the same as the variable operation of the first movable blade portion 200A.

FIG. 7A shows a pulsator 26 in a state in which the first movable blade portion 200A does not protrude from the arrangement surface 100a and the second movable blade portion 200B protrudes from the arrangement surface 100a according to the present embodiment. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the periphery of the movable blade portion 200A, in FIG. 7B, the first movable blade portion 200A according to the present embodiment protrudes from the arrangement surface 100a, and the second movable blade portion 200B is the arrangement surface 100a. It is sectional drawing around the 1st movable blade part 200A which shows the pulsator 26 in the state which does not protrude from.

As shown in FIG. 7A, when the first movable blade portion 200A is in a non-protruding position that does not protrude from the arrangement surface 100a, in the first movable blade portion 200A, the elevating portion 251 of the elevating rod 250 is the moving cam 317. It comes into contact with the moving cam 317 at a position below the inclined surface 318. In the pulsator 26, the blade shaft 33 is connected to the rotating portion 310 of the variable mechanism portion 300 instead of the base portion 100. Therefore, when the drive motor 31 rotates in the normal direction from this state, the torque of the drive motor 31 is transmitted to the rotating portion 310 via the blade shaft 33, and the rotating portion 310 rotates to the right when viewed from above. The rotating portion 310 rotates to the right with respect to the base portion 100, and the arm portion 312 of the rotating portion 310 moves in the direction toward the stopper rib 116 as shown by the solid line arrow. The first movable blade portion 200A is pushed by the moving cam 317 due to the movement of the arm portion 312, but the base portion 100 is difficult to rotate due to the resistance of water in the washing / dehydrating tub 24, so as shown by the broken line arrow. , The elevating part 251 climbs the inclined surface 318, and along with this, the first movable blade part 200A rotates upward around the shaft 270, and as shown by the alternate long and short dash line, the first movable blade part 200A is an arrangement surface. It protrudes from 100a.

As shown in FIG. 7B, when the arm portion 312 comes into contact with the stopper rib 116, the elevating portion 251 reaches the support surface 319 of the moving cam 317. As a result, the first movable blade portion 200A reaches the protruding position and is in the most protruding state with respect to the arrangement surface 100a. In this state, the stopper portion 213 of the first movable blade portion 200A hits the back side of the arrangement surface 100a, and further upward rotation of the first movable blade portion 200A is stopped. Further, the elevating portion 251 is supported upward, that is, in the projecting direction by the support surface 319. This prevents the first movable blade portion 200A from retracting toward the arrangement surface 100a even when pushed downward. After the arm portion 312 comes into contact with the stopper rib 116, the base portion 100 is integrated with the rotating portion 310 and rotates to the right. That is, the pulsator 26 rotates to the right. On the second movable blade portion 200B side, the elevating portion 251 completely descends the inclined surface 318 so that the second movable blade portion 200B does not protrude from the arrangement surface 100a.

Next, as shown in FIG. 7B, when the drive motor 31 reverses in a state where the first movable blade portion 200A is in the protruding position, the rotating portion 310 rotates to the left when viewed from above. The rotating portion 310 rotates to the left with respect to the base portion 100, and the arm portion 312 moves away from the stopper rib 116 as shown by the solid line arrow. As shown by the broken line arrow, the elevating part 251 descends the inclined surface 318, and along with this, the first movable blade part 200A rotates downward, and as shown by the alternate long and short dash line, the first movable blade part 200A is arranged. It retracts to the surface 100a side. As shown in FIG. 7A, when the elevating portion 251 completely descends the inclined surface 318, the first movable blade portion 200A does not protrude from the arrangement surface 100a. At this time, the second inclined surface 230 of the first movable blade portion 200A is substantially flush with the arrangement surface 100a.

On the second movable blade portion 200B side, the elevating portion 251 climbs the inclined surface 318 and the second movable blade portion 200B protrudes from the arrangement surface 100a. Further, on the second movable blade portion 200B side, the arm portion 312 comes into contact with the stopper rib 116, so that the base portion 100 is integrated with the rotating portion 310 and rotates to the left. That is, the pulsator 26 rotates to the left.

When the pulsator 26 rotates alternately in the left direction and the right direction, the first movable blade portion 200A does not protrude from the arrangement surface 100a as shown in FIG. 3A, and the second movable blade portion 200B is on the arrangement surface. The form in which the first movable blade portion 200A protrudes from the arrangement surface 100a and the second movable blade portion 200B does not protrude from the arrangement surface 100a as shown in FIG. 3B are alternately repeated. By switching the rotation direction of the pulsator 26, one movable blade portion 200 retracts toward the arrangement surface 100a and the protrusion height becomes low, that is, it becomes 0 in the present embodiment, and the other movable blade portion 200 is arranged. When the protrusion height is increased by protruding from the surface 100a, the laundry sinks on one side of the movable blade portion 200, and the laundry is pushed up on the other side of the movable blade portion 200. In this state, when the laundry is agitated by the other movable blade portion 200, the pushed-up laundry is likely to be dropped onto the sunken laundry. Due to such movement, in the washing / dehydrating tub 24, the laundry does not move regularly or monotonically in the left-right direction as the pulsator 26 rotates in the left-right direction, but irregularly or complicatedly. It becomes easier to move. This makes it easier to swap the top and bottom of the laundry.

Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is expected that uneven cleaning and cloth damage will be reduced.

Further, according to the present embodiment, the variable mechanism portion 300 includes a rotating portion 310 that can rotate with respect to the base portion 100 and a moving cam 317 that has an inclined surface 318 provided on the rotating portion 310 and rotates. The elevating portion 251 of the movable blade portion 200 moves up and down the inclined surface 318 as the portion 310 rotates, so that the protruding height of the movable blade portion 200 with respect to the arrangement surface 100a of the base portion 100 is changed. Therefore, it is possible to easily realize a configuration in which the protruding height of the movable blade portion 200 is changed according to the rotation direction of the pulsator 26.

Further, according to the present embodiment, since the moving cam 317 has a support surface 319, the protruding movable blade portion 200 can be supported in the projecting direction by the support surface 319. As a result, even if the movable blade portion 200 is pushed downward by laundry or the like, the movable blade portion 200 is less likely to be retracted toward the arrangement surface 100a.

Further, according to the present embodiment, the opening 131 of the arrangement surface 100a into which the movable blade portion 200 enters and exits is provided with the fixed side unevenness group 132 on the peripheral edge portion, and the movable blade portion 200 is provided with the fixed side unevenness. Since the movable side uneven group 212, 222, 232 that meshes with the group 132 is provided, it becomes difficult for foreign matter such as coins to get caught in the gap between the movable blade portion 200 and the opening 131, or for the laundry to get caught. ..

Further, according to the present embodiment, when water is stored up to the position of the movable blade portion 200 at the time of supplying water to the washing / dehydrating tank 24, the air accumulated on the back side of the movable blade portion 200 is removed from the hole portion 223. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the movable blade portion 200 from undesirably protruding due to the buoyancy caused by the air remaining on the back side of the movable blade portion 200.

Further, according to the present embodiment, the elevating portion 251 of the movable blade portion 200 that raises and lowers the inclined surface 318 of the moving cam 317 is formed of a member having a friction coefficient smaller than that of the movable blade portion 200. The 251 is easy to move up and down the inclined surface 318 smoothly, and the movable blade portion 200 is easy to rotate smoothly.

Further, according to the present embodiment, since the movable blade portion 200 has a mountain shape formed by the first inclined surface 220 and the second inclined surface 230, the laundry is flipped up and down when the pulsator 26 rotates. You can move it.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and the like, and the embodiments of the present invention can be changed in various ways other than the above. be.

<Change example 1>
Instead of the pulsator 26A of the above embodiment, the pulsator 26A of this modification can be used.

8 (a) and 8 (b) are perspective views of the pulsator 26A seen from above according to the first modification. FIG. 8A shows the form when the pulsator 26A is rotating to the left when viewed from above, and FIG. 8B shows the pulsator 26A rotating to the right when viewed from above. Shows the form of time. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the rotating portion 310 constituting the variable mechanism portion 300 according to the first modification.

In the pulsator 26A of this modification, as shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, the orientation of the first movable blade portion 200A and the first fixed blade portion 130A is the first movable blade in the case of the above embodiment. The orientation of the portion 200A and the first fixed blade portion 130A is reversed. Further, as shown in FIG. 9, in the rotating portion 310 constituting the variable mechanism portion 300, the direction of the arm portion 312 corresponding to the first movable blade portion 200A is the first movable blade portion 200A in the case of the above embodiment. By reversing the direction of the arm portion 312 corresponding to the above, the orientation of the moving cam 317 corresponding to the first movable blade portion 200A is the direction of the moving cam 317 corresponding to the first movable blade portion 200A in the case of the above embodiment. Reverse the orientation. As a result, in this modification, unlike the above embodiment, the first movable blade portion 200A protrudes from the top surface of the first fixed blade portion 130A, that is, the arrangement surface 100a when the pulsator 26A rotates to the left. When the pulsator 26A is rotated to the right, it does not protrude from the arrangement surface 100a.

Therefore, in this modification, when the pulsator 26A rotates alternately in the left direction and the right direction, both the first movable blade portion 200A and the second movable blade portion 200B are arranged on the arrangement surface 100a as shown in FIG. 8A. The form in which both the first movable blade portion 200A and the second movable blade portion 200B do not protrude from the arrangement surface 100a as shown in FIG. 8B are alternately repeated.

When the two movable blades 200 project from the arrangement surface 100a, the water in the washing / dehydrating tub 24 is agitated by the two fixed blades 130 and the movable blades 200. On the other hand, when the two movable blade portions 200 do not protrude from the arrangement surface 100a, the water in the washing / dehydrating tub 24 is agitated only by the two fixed blade portions 130. Therefore, when the two movable blades 200 do not protrude from the arrangement surface 100a, the water flow generated in the washing / dehydrating tub 24 becomes extremely weak as compared with the case where the two movable blades 200 protrude from the arrangement surface 100a. .. Therefore, when the pulsator 26A is rotated in the left direction and the right direction, an extreme difference in the strength of the water flow occurs in the washing / dehydrating tub 24. As a result, the laundry does not move regularly or monotonously in the left-right direction as the pulsator 26A rotates in the left-right direction, but tends to move irregularly or in a complicated manner. It becomes easy to be damaged.

Therefore, it is expected that the cleaning unevenness and the cloth damage will be reduced by this modification as well as the above-described embodiment.

Further, in this modification, when the two movable blade portions 200 do not protrude from the arrangement surface 100a, the load applied to the pulsator 26A due to the contact with water or laundry is reduced. As a result, the pulsator 26A becomes easy to rotate, and the pump-up effect of the back blade 114 becomes large, so that the amount of circulating water between the circulating water channel and the washing / dehydrating tub 24 increases. Therefore, when the pulsator 26A is rotated to the left and right, the amount of circulating water can be increased as a whole, and the laundry in the washing / dehydrating tub 24 can be sufficiently wet with the circulating water.

<Other changes>
In the pulsator 26 of the above embodiment, the fixed blade portion 130 is provided on the recessed surface 112 of the base portion 100, and the top surface of the fixed blade portion 130 is the arrangement surface 100a on which the movable blade portion 200 is arranged. However, a configuration is adopted in which the surface of the base portion 100 is made into a flat surface without denting, the fixed blade portion 130 is not provided, and a part of the flat surface is made into an arrangement surface 100a in which the movable blade portion 200 is arranged. May be done.

Further, in the pulsator 26 of the above embodiment, two movable blade portions 200 are provided, but one or three or more movable blade portions 200 may be provided.

Further, in the pulsator 26 of the above embodiment, only the blade portion including the fixed blade portion 130 and the movable blade portion 200 is provided, but the pulsator fixes some of the blade portions among the plurality of blade portions. The blade portion may be composed of a blade portion 130 and a movable blade portion 200, or a blade portion composed of only the movable blade portion 200.

Further, in the pulsator 26 of the above embodiment, an elevating rod 250 having a small friction coefficient is used so that the elevating portion 251 of the movable blade portion 200 smoothly moves on the inclined surface 318 of the moving cam 317. However, it is also possible to provide the movable blade portion 200 with a roller as an elevating portion so that the roller rolls on the inclined surface 318. Further, instead of forming the elevating portion with another member such as the elevating rod 250, a part of the movable blade portion 200 may be configured to move the inclined surface 318 as the elevating portion.

Further, in the above embodiment, an example in which the present invention is applied to the fully automatic washer-dryer 1 equipped with a clothes drying function is shown. However, the present invention can also be applied to a fully automatic washing machine that is not equipped with a clothes drying function.

In addition, various modifications of the embodiment of the present invention can be made as appropriate within the scope of the technical idea shown in the claims.

1 Fully automatic washer / dryer (washing machine)
24 Washing / dehydrating tub (washing tub)
26 Parseta
30 Drive unit (drive unit)
100 base part
100a placement surface
132 Fixed side unevenness group (first unevenness group)
200 Movable blade (blade)
200A 1st movable blade (1st blade)
200B 2nd movable blade (2nd blade)
212 Movable side unevenness group (second unevenness group)
222 Movable side unevenness group (second unevenness group)
223 hole
232 Movable side unevenness group (second unevenness group)
251 Elevating part
300 Variable mechanism
310 rotating part
317 Moving cam (moving part)
318 Inclined surface
319 Support surface

Claims (5)

A washing tub that houses laundry and
The pulsator placed at the bottom of the washing tub and
A drive unit for driving the pulsator is provided.
The pulsator
With the base part
A blade portion arranged on an arrangement surface provided on the surface of the base portion and having a changeable protrusion height protruding from the arrangement surface, and a blade portion.
A variable mechanism portion that changes the protruding height of the blade portion according to the rotation direction of the pulsator , and the like.
The blade portion is held by the base portion so as to be able to move between the first position and the second position where the protrusion height is higher than the first position.
The variable mechanism unit is
A rotating portion that is arranged on the back surface side of the base portion and can rotate in the first rotation direction and the second rotation direction that are opposite to each other with respect to the base portion.
The blade portion is provided at a position corresponding to the blade portion in the rotating portion, and the blade portion is moved from the first position to the second position as the rotating portion rotates in the first rotation direction. Includes a moving portion that moves the blade portion from the second position to the first position as the rotating portion rotates in the second rotation direction.
The moving portion is provided with an inclined surface.
The blade portion comes into contact with the inclined surface, climbs the inclined surface when the blade portion moves from the first position to the second position, and the blade portion moves from the second position to the second position. An elevating part that descends the inclined surface when moving to the first position is provided.
A washing machine that features that. In the washing machine according to claim 1 ,
The moving portion further includes a support surface that supports the blade portion after moving to the second position in the projecting direction of the blade portion.
A washing machine that features that. A washing tub that houses laundry and
The pulsator placed at the bottom of the washing tub and
A drive unit for driving the pulsator is provided.
The pulsator
With the base part
A blade portion arranged on an arrangement surface provided on the surface of the base portion and having a changeable protrusion height protruding from the arrangement surface, and a blade portion.
A variable mechanism portion that changes the protruding height of the blade portion according to the rotation direction of the pulsator, and the like.
An opening through which the blade portion enters and exits when the protrusion height is changed is formed on the arrangement surface.
At the edge of the opening, a first uneven group composed of a plurality of continuous irregularities along the edge is provided.
The blade portion is provided with a second concavo-convex group which is composed of a plurality of concavo-convex parts and meshes with the first concavo-convex group.
A washing machine that features that. A washing tub that houses laundry and
The pulsator placed at the bottom of the washing tub and
A drive unit for driving the pulsator is provided.
The pulsator
With the base part
A blade portion arranged on an arrangement surface provided on the surface of the base portion and having a changeable protrusion height protruding from the arrangement surface, and a blade portion.
A variable mechanism portion that changes the protruding height of the blade portion according to the rotation direction of the pulsator, and the like.
The blade portion is formed so that the back side is hollow.
The blade portion is provided with a hole portion for removing air accumulated on the back side.
A washing machine that features that. In the washing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 4 .
The blade includes a first blade and a second blade that can move between a first position and a second position where the protrusion height is higher than the first position.
The first blade portion moves to the first position and the second blade portion moves to the second position according to the rotation direction of the pulsator, and the first blade portion moves to the second position. A form in which the second blade portion moves to a position and is switched between a form in which the second blade portion moves to the first position, or a form in which the first blade portion and the second blade portion move to the first position and said. Switching between the first blade portion and the form in which the second blade portion moves to the second position.
A washing machine that features that.

Images