JP7185654B2 - washing machine - Google Patents

Description

Embodiments of the present invention relate to washing machines.

The structure of a washing lid used in a conventional vertical washing machine is such that a hinge portion is a sheet metal base, and a shaft, a torsion coil spring, and a damper are used to control rotation. However, in many cases, a hard spring is used as the torsion coil spring, making it difficult to easily attach the spring.

JP 2007-195781 A

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a washing machine in which the movement of the spring is regulated and the degree of freedom in handling the spring is increased, thereby making it easier to attach the spring to the hinge portion of the lid.

The washing machine of this embodiment includes a washing machine main body, an opening for loading and unloading laundry provided at the top of the washing machine main body, a lid for opening and closing the opening, and provided at the tip of the lid, A handle extending in the lateral direction of the washing machine main body and configured to have the same dimension as the width in the lateral direction of the lid; and an operation panel provided on the upper part of the washing machine main body, the top surface of the lid support portion and the operation panel are flush with each other, and the handle portion includes the A lid protrudes toward the front side of the washing machine main body along the top surface of the lid when the opening is closed, and the operation panel is attached when the back surface of the lid is in contact with the top surface of the operation panel. form a gap between the upper surface of the

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the washing machine showing a configuration example of the washing machine according to the present embodiment, showing a closed state in which the lid is closed; 1 is a perspective view of the washing machine showing an example of the configuration of the washing machine according to the present embodiment, showing an open state with the lid opened; FIG. Side view of washing machine in open state Vertical side view showing the upper part of the washing machine in the closed state A perspective view showing an external configuration of a lid and a rotating shaft part. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration inside the rotating shaft portion; Front view showing a schematic configuration around the spring Perspective view from above showing a schematic configuration around the spring Perspective view from below showing a schematic configuration around the spring Cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a portion along line AA in FIG. (a) is a top view showing an enlarged schematic configuration of the first restricting portion, and (b) is a bottom view showing an enlarged schematic configuration of the second restricting portion. The perspective view from the upper part which shows the schematic structure around the spring which concerns on the modification of embodiment. Cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a portion along line AA in FIG. FIG. 2 is an enlarged top view showing the schematic configuration of the first restricting portion;

Hereinafter, washing machines according to embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, the same code|symbol is attached|subjected to the substantially same component part in embodiment, and description is abbreviate|omitted.
The washing machine 1 illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4 is a so-called vertical axis type washing machine in which the axis of rotation of the washing tub is in the vertical direction. The washing machine 1 includes a washing machine main body 2 and a rectangular plate-like lid 3 on the upper part of the washing machine main body 2 . The width of the lid 3 in the left-right direction is substantially the same as the width of the washing machine main body 2 in the left-right direction. In addition, hereinafter, "substantially the same size" includes the case where the two dimensions are completely the same, and also includes the case where the two dimensions are slightly different enough to be regarded as the same.

The washing machine main body 2 includes a rectangular box-shaped outer case 4 made of steel, for example, and a top cover 5 made of synthetic resin, for example. A top cover 5 is provided on top of the outer casing 4 . That is, the top cover 5 constitutes the upper portion of the washing machine main body 2 .

As illustrated in FIG. 4, inside the outer box 4, a water tank 6 for storing washing water is elastically supported by an elastic suspension mechanism (not shown). A washing tub 7 in which laundry is stored is rotatably provided inside the tub 6 . A rotation axis of the washing tub 7 is a vertical axis extending in the vertical direction of the washing machine main body 2 . A water tank cover 9 having an inner lid 8 is provided on the top of the water tank 6 .

The top cover 5 has a thin hollow box shape with an open lower surface and an upper surface that slopes downward toward the front. An opening 10 for loading and unloading laundry is provided in the center of the top cover 5 above the washing tub 7 . The opening 10 has an arcuate opening on the front side and a rectangular opening on the rear side. The opening 10 has the same shape from the upper surface to the lower surface of the top cover 5, that is, it has an arc shape on the front side and a rectangular shape on the rear side, and has depth in the vertical direction. In this case, since the upper surface of the top cover 5 slopes down toward the front, the depth of the opening 10 is deeper on the rear side than on the front side.

A lid 3 for opening and closing the opening 10 is provided on the upper surface of the top cover 5 so as to be rotatable in the front-rear direction. That is, a rotating shaft portion 11 extending in the left-right direction is provided at the base end portion of the lid 3 . The rotating shaft portion 11 is a support member that rotatably supports the lid 3 with respect to the washing machine main body 2 . The rotating shaft portion 11 has a cylindrical shape extending in the lateral direction of the lid 3 at the base end portion of the lid 3 .

On the other hand, a concave portion 12 extending in the left-right direction of the top cover 5 is provided in a portion behind the opening 10 in the upper portion of the top cover 5 . The concave portion 12 has a concave shape with an arcuate cross section so as to correspond to the shape of the cylindrical rotating shaft portion 11 . The width of the concave portion 12 in the left-right direction is substantially the same as the width of the top cover 5 in the left-right direction, in other words, the width of the washing machine main body 2 in the left-right direction. Therefore, the concave portion 12 is not closed at both ends in the left-right direction, and is exposed toward the side of the washing machine main body 2 . The rotating shaft portion 11 of the lid 3 is accommodated in the concave portion 12 on the side of the washing machine body 2 . Thereby, the lid 3 is rotatably supported on the upper part of the washing machine main body 2 .

A lid supporting portion 13 for supporting the lid 3 with the opening portion 10 closed is provided on the upper portion of the top cover 5, in other words, the upper portion of the washing machine main body 2. As shown in FIG. The lid support portion 13 is provided in a planar shape around the opening portion 10 . In this case, the lid supporting portion 13 is formed so as to surround the opening 10 except for the front end portion of the opening 10 .

An operation panel 14 for inputting various operations to the washing machine 1 is provided on the upper front portion of the top cover 5 , in other words, on the upper front portion of the washing machine main body 2 . The operation panel 14 is provided on the front portion of the lid support portion 13 so as to be continuous with the lid support portion 13 . The upper surface of the lid support portion 13 and the upper surface of the operation panel 14 are flush with each other. As a result, the periphery of the opening 10 is in a state of being surrounded by a continuous plane portion without steps, which is composed of the upper surface of the lid supporting portion 13 and the upper surface of the operation panel 14 . A central portion of the rear portion of the operation panel 14 is provided with a recessed portion 15 that is recessed in an arc shape along the opening shape on the front side of the opening portion 10 .

The main body of the lid 3 has a glass sticking member 18 between the rear cover 16 and the glass panel 17 . The back cover 16 is made of, for example, a crystalline synthetic resin material and has a thin rectangular box shape. The back cover 16 constitutes the back of the lid 3 . The back surface of the lid 3 is the bottom surface when the lid 3 closes the opening 10 as illustrated in FIG. is the front face.

The glass attaching member 18 is made of, for example, a synthetic resin material, and is housed inside the back cover 16 . The glass surface material 17 is made of, for example, a hard glass plate and has a rectangular thin plate shape. The glass surface material 17 may be colored or transparent. The glass surface material 17 is attached to the upper surface of the glass attaching member 18 via a double-sided adhesive tape (not shown). The glass surface material 17 constitutes the surface of the lid 3 . The surface of the lid 3 is the upper surface when the lid 3 closes the opening 10 as illustrated in FIG. is the rear surface.

A handle portion 20 extending in the left-right direction of the lid 3 , in other words, in the left-right direction of the washing machine main body 2 is provided at the tip of the lid 3 . The handhold portion 20 is for the user to put a finger on when opening and closing the lid 3 . In this case, the handle portion 20 has substantially the same dimension as the lateral width of the lid 3, in other words, the lateral width of the washing machine main body 2. As shown in FIG. The handle portion 20 may be shorter than the width of the lid 3 in the left-right direction, in other words, the width of the washing machine main body 2 in the left-right direction. In other words, the washing machine according to the present embodiment may have a configuration in which the handle portion is provided only at a portion of the front end portion of the lid 3 .

Further, as illustrated in FIG. 4 , a rotation shaft 11 a serving as a rotation center of the lid 3 is provided inside the rotation shaft portion 11 . The rotating shaft 11 a is provided within a range that can be accommodated between the front surface and the back surface of the lid 3 . The height of the rotary shaft 11a always fluctuates at a position higher than the rear end of the opening 10 regardless of whether the lid 3 closes or opens the opening 10. maintained without A damper holder 32 is provided on the rotating shaft portion 11 , and a lower portion of the damper holder 32 is inserted into and held by a holder holding portion 34 provided on the top cover 5 . The holder holding portion 34 is composed of, for example, a reinforcing plate made of metal.

On the other hand, as illustrated in FIG. 2, the operation panel 14 has a reed switch 24 on a board 23 inside. The reed switch 24 is positioned below the portion covered by the operation panel corresponding portion 21 having the magnet 22 in the closed state in which the lid 3 closes the opening 10 . The reed switch 24 turns on when the magnet 22 approaches within a predetermined distance, and turns off when the magnet 22 leaves the predetermined distance or more. A control device (not shown) that controls the overall operation of the washing machine 1 detects opening and closing of the lid 3 based on the ON/OFF state of the reed switch 24 .

Further, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, a rear cover 16 is provided on the rear surface of the lid 3, and a plurality of elastic members 26 are attached to the rear cover 16. As shown in FIG. These elastic members 26 contact the upper surface of the washing machine body 2 when the lid 3 is closed. Thereby, the elastic member 26 absorbs the impact generated when the lid 3 is closed. In this case, the elastic member 26 is provided only on the portion of the back surface of the lid 3 that contacts the top surface of the lid support portion 13 , and is provided on the portion of the back surface of the lid 3 that contacts the top surface of the operation panel 14 . not The elastic member 26 may also be provided on a portion of the rear surface of the lid 3 that contacts the upper surface of the operation panel 14 .

The washing machine 1 also includes a level 27 and a lid lock mechanism 28 . The level 27 serves as a reference for maintaining the horizontal installation state of the washing machine 1 . The lid lock mechanism 28 includes an insertion hole portion 30 into which a projection hole portion 29 provided on the back surface of the lid 3 is inserted, and an insertion hole portion 30 that locks the projection hole portion 29 of the lid 3 inserted into the insertion hole portion 30 . and a locking portion that does not. The lid lock mechanism 28 locks a locking portion (not shown) to the projection hole 29 inserted into the insertion hole 30 as the lid 3 closes the opening 10 . As a result, the lid lock mechanism 28 locks the lid 3 so that it cannot rotate with the opening 10 closed.

The level 27 and the lid lock mechanism 28 are arranged in the upper part of the washing machine main body 2 so as to be divided into right and left with the front part of the opening 10 interposed therebetween. In this case, the level 27 and the lid lock mechanism 28 are both provided in front of the lid support 13 in the upper part of the washing machine main body 2 .

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the external configuration of the lid 3 and the rotary shaft portion 11 connecting the lid 3 and the top cover 5. As shown in FIG. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration inside the rotation shaft portion 11. As shown in FIG. 7, 8, and 9 are a front view, a perspective view from above, and a perspective view from below, respectively, showing a schematic configuration around the spring 36. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a portion taken along line AA of FIG. 7. FIG. 11A is an enlarged top view showing the schematic configuration of the first restricting portion 43, and FIG. 11B is an enlarged bottom view showing the schematic configuration of the second restricting portion 44. FIG.

As shown in FIG. 5 , a rotating shaft portion 11 extending in the left-right direction is provided at the base end portion of the lid 3 that opens and closes the opening 10 and is covered with a hinge cover 31 . The rotating shaft portion 11 is held by inserting and fitting the lower portion 32a of the damper holder 32 into the holder holding portion 34 (see FIG. 4) provided on the top cover 5 of the washing machine body 2, thereby holding the lid. 3 is fixed to the washing machine main body 2. The holder holding portion 34 is made of, for example, a reinforcing plate made of metal, and as shown in FIG.

A slit 31a is provided in the hinge cover 31, and a first spring end portion 36a of a spring 36 provided inside the rotating shaft portion 11 protrudes from the slit 31a. A spring 36 applies a biasing force to the open side of the lid 3 . The spring 36 and the first spring end 36a will be described later. Further, the rotation shaft portion 11 is provided with a gap portion 31b through which the shaft 38 provided inside is exposed. A shaft holding portion (not shown) provided in the top cover 5 holds the shaft 38 in the gap 31b, so that the lid 3 is rotatably held.

As shown in FIG. 6, the rotating shaft portion 11 has a reinforcing member 42, which is provided with a damper holder 32, a damper cover 40 for holding a damper (not shown) inside, a spring 36, and a shaft 38. ing. As shown in FIG. 10, the reinforcing member 42 is a metal plate member having a substantially S-shaped cross section and extending in the left-right direction. have. The portion having the substantially S-shape is a portion where an upper folded portion 42e, which will be described later, is provided. The reinforcing member 42 has a screw hole 40b and is attached to the lid 3 with a screw (not shown). The reinforcing member 42 has a pair of shaft fixing portions 38a and 38b projecting forward on the left and right sides of the back portion 42g and having through holes 38c. It is fitted through.

Further, the reinforcing member 42 is an upper portion which is a folded portion formed by bending the first restricting portion 43 for locking the first spring end portion 36a of the spring 36 backward at a substantially right angle at the upper portion of the front surface portion 42a. A folded portion 42e and a lower folded portion 42f formed by bending the lower portion of the front surface portion 42a rearward substantially at a right angle are provided. Further, the reinforcing member 42 has a second restricting portion 44 for locking the second spring end portion 36b of the spring 36 on the bottom surface portion 42b.

The spring 36 is a torsion coil spring, and includes a coil portion 36c formed by winding a metal wire, and a linear first spring end portion 36a and a linear second spring end portion 36b at both ends of the coil portion 36c. The first spring end 36a and the second spring end 36b have an angle of approximately 180 degrees with no torsional force applied to the spring. The coil portion 36c is composed of a metal wire directly wound around the coil axis, and a cavity is formed along the coil axis. As shown in FIG. 7, the spring 36 has a shaft 38 passing through a cavity of a coil shaft of a coil portion 36c, a first spring end portion 36a is locked to a first restricting portion 43, and a second spring end portion 36b is locked to the second restricting portion 44 and held.

The damper holder 32 inscribes and holds about half of a damper (not shown) held in the damper cover 40 . The damper holder 32 is integrally attached to the lid 3 by a damper cover 40 that secures the damper to the lid 3 . The damper cover 40 is screwed to the reinforcing member 42 with screws 40a. The damper holder 32 and the damper held inside the damper holder 32 constitute a damper mechanism. The damper holder 32 is configured to be rotatable with a damper held therein as a rotating shaft, while receiving a resistance force from the damper. That is, the damper mechanism slows down the movement of the lid 3 by applying a resistance force to the opening and closing operation of the lid 3 so that the lid 3 operates slowly.

A first spring end portion 36a of the spring 36 is engaged with a first restricting portion 43, as shown in FIGS. As also shown in FIGS. 10 and 11(a), the first restricting portion 43 includes a rear restricting portion 43a, a left restricting portion 43b, a right restricting portion 43c, and a front restricting portion 43d. 11(a) is a top view of the first restricting portion 43 viewed from the direction D shown in FIGS. 7 to 10. FIG. An upper folded portion 42e is formed at the upper end of the front surface portion 42a so as to be bent rearward so as to form a substantially right angle. Three inner sides of the portion 42c are configured to be a rear restricting portion 43a, a left restricting portion 43b, and a right restricting portion 43c. The rear restricting portion 43a, the left restricting portion 43b, and the right restricting portion 43c are provided at the upper end of the reinforcing member 42, and are located on the same plane as the upper folded portion 42e. The front portion of the left restricting portion 43b of the U-shaped notch portion 42c is open to the outside, through which the first spring end portion 36a can be inserted and removed.

The rear restricting portion 43a abuts the first spring end portion 36a, which is biased in the rearward direction, from the rear direction to the front direction, thereby restricting the movement of the first spring end portion 36a in the rearward direction. The left restricting portion 43b has a projecting shape and protrudes forward. A side surface is formed on the right side of the left restricting portion 43b. The left restricting portion 43b contacts the first spring end portion 36a with this side surface to restrict its leftward movement. The right restricting portion 43c constitutes the right side surface of the rear restricting portion 43a, and contacts the first spring end portion 36a to restrict its rightward movement. In addition, although the example which provided the right restricting part 43c in the notch part 42c of the upper folding part 42e was shown in embodiment, it is not necessary to restrict to this. For example, the right restricting portion 43c may be provided in the hole portion 42d of the lower folded portion 42f, that is, at a position adjacent to the front restricting portion 43d.

A hole portion 42d is formed in a lower folded portion 42f provided in the reinforcing member 42 located below the rear restricting portion 43a. A front end portion of the hole portion 42d constitutes a front restricting portion 43d. The front restricting portion 43d contacts the first spring end portion 36a from the front to restrict the forward movement of the first spring end portion 36a indicated by the arrow E in FIG. Positioning of the first spring end portion 36a in the front-rear direction is performed by the rear restricting portion 43a and the front restricting portion 43d. During assembly, the first spring end portion 36a is engaged with the first restricting portion 43 through the hole portion 42d and the notch portion 42c.

The hole portion 42d and the notch portion 42c are formed large. As the hole portion 42d and the notch portion 42c are larger, the degree of freedom of the spring 36 increases and the handling becomes easier.

Further, the front restricting portion 43d restricts the forward movement of the first spring end portion 36a indicated by the arrow E in FIG. As a result, the biasing force of the spring 36 suppresses the biasing force that pushes the spring 36 forward. Therefore, the inside of the hollow portion of the coil portion 36c of the spring 36 is prevented from coming into contact with the shaft 38. As shown in FIG. By suppressing the contact of the spring 36 with the shaft 38, the friction is eliminated, so the opening/closing torque when opening/closing the lid 3 can be reduced, so that the lid 3 can be smoothly opened/closed.

Further, the position where the first spring end portion 36a contacts the rear restricting portion 43a is different from the position where it contacts the front restricting portion 43d. That is, as shown in FIG. 10, the length L1 from the coil portion 36c of the spring 36 to the position where the first spring end portion 36a contacts the rear restricting portion 43a is equal to the distance from the coil portion 36c of the spring 36 to the front restricting portion 43d. In other words, the rear restricting portion 43a is located farther from the coil portion 36c than the front restricting portion 43d. In this manner, the first spring end portion 36a is positioned between the rear restricting portion 43a that restricts the rearward movement of the first spring end portion 36a and the coil portion 36c of the spring 36 that generates the biasing force of the spring 36. By locating the front restricting portion 43d that restricts the forward movement of the spring 36, it is possible to effectively suppress the forward movement of the spring 36 by its urging force. As a result, the inner side of the hollow portion of the coil shaft of the spring 36 can be prevented from contacting the shaft 38, thereby avoiding the occurrence of friction due to contact, thereby reducing the opening/closing torque when opening/closing the lid 3. Since it is reduced, the lid 3 can be smoothly opened and closed.

The second spring end portion 36b is engaged with the second restricting portion 44 . A second restricting portion 44 to which the second spring end portion 36b is locked is a slit opened forward. When assembling the washing machine 1, the second spring end 36b is detached through the slit to facilitate attachment of the spring 36. As shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 11(b), the second restricting portion 44 is a slit portion 44d provided in the bottom surface portion 42b. It has In addition, FIG.11(b) is the bottom view which visually recognized the 2nd control part 44 from the F direction shown to FIGS. 7-10.

The rear restricting portion 44a restricts the rearward movement of the second spring end portion 36b, the left restricting portion 44b restricts the leftward movement, and the right restricting portion 44c restricts the rightward movement. When the spring 36 is attached, the second spring end portion 36b is biased rearward and adheres to the rear restricting portion 44a, and is positioned by the rear restricting portion 44a, the left restricting portion 44b, and the right restricting portion 44c. .

The slit portion 44d is opened forward, and when the lid 3 is closed with the second spring end portion 36b engaged with an engagement hole (not shown) provided in the top cover 5, the second The spring end portion 36b rotates forward of the slit portion 44d.

12 to 14 are diagrams showing modifications of the washing machine 1 according to the embodiment. 12 is a view corresponding to FIG. 8, FIG. 13 is a view corresponding to FIG. 10, and FIG. 14 is a view corresponding to FIG. 11(a). The difference in the modified example is that the notch portion 42c in FIG. 8 is replaced with a hole portion 46 provided in the upper folded portion 42e as shown in FIGS. 12 to 14 . The first spring end portion 36 a is engaged with the hole portion 46 by passing through the hole portion 46 . When the first spring end portion 36a is attached, the first spring end portion 36a is biased against the rear wall of the hole portion 46 by the rearward biasing force of the spring 36. As shown in FIG. Other configurations are the same as those of the embodiment described in FIGS.

With this configuration, movement of the first spring end portion 36a in the front, rear, left, and right directions is restricted in all directions, so that the first spring end portion 36a is prevented from falling out of the hole portion 46 when the lid 3 is opened and closed. As a result, the first spring end portion 36a is positioned in the front, rear, left, and right directions, so that the spring 36 can be prevented from moving in the front, rear, left, and right directions when the shaft 38 is attached, and the shaft 38 can be easily attached.

The washing machine 1 according to the embodiment has the following effects.
In the washing machine 1 according to the embodiment, the first spring end portion 36a of the spring 36 abuts and is locked to the rear restricting portion 43a and the front restricting portion 43d. As a result, the first spring end portion 36a is restricted from moving backward by the rear restricting portion 43a, and is restricted from moving forward by the front restricting portion 43d. Therefore, the spring 36 is restrained from being pushed forward by the urging force of the spring 36 in the opening direction. . Therefore, since the contact of the spring 36 with the shaft 38 is suppressed, the opening and closing torque when opening and closing the lid 3 can be reduced, so that the lid 3 can be smoothly opened and closed.

Further, in the washing machine 1 according to the embodiment, the leftward movement of the first spring end portion 36a is restricted by the left restricting portion 43b. This prevents the first spring end 36a from coming off to the left. The right restricting portion 43c restricts the rightward movement of the first spring end portion 36a, thereby preventing the rightward detachment of the first spring end portion 36a. In addition, since the first spring end portion 36a is positioned in the left-right direction, the first spring end portion 36a is prevented from coming off in the left-right direction. Furthermore, since the spring 36 can be restrained from laterally moving when the shaft 38 is attached, the operation of attaching the shaft 38 is facilitated.

In addition, in the washing machine 1 according to the embodiment, the front portion of the left restricting portion 43b is opened outward and has a large notch portion 42c. A hole portion 42d is formed in the lower folded portion 42f provided in the reinforcing member 42, and the front end portion of the hole portion 42d constitutes a front restricting portion 43d. As a result, when the first spring end portion 36a is routed during assembly of the washing machine 1, it is formed in the open portion of the front portion of the left restricting portion 43b, the large cutout portion 42c, and the lower folded portion 42f. It is possible to use the hole 42d that has been formed. Therefore, a large space for handling the first spring end portion 36a can be set, and the coil portion 36c can be easily arranged at a position suitable for inserting the shaft 38, so that the spring 36 can be easily attached.

In addition, in the washing machine 1 according to the embodiment, the first spring end portion 36a abuts against the rear restricting portion 43a and the front restricting portion 43d, thereby restricting the forward and rearward movements of the first spring end portion 36a. . If the front restricting portion 43d does not exist and the first spring end portion 36a is attached to the reinforcing member 42, the operator pushes the spring 36 backward while resisting the strong biasing force of the spring 36. The first spring end portion 36a is brought into contact with the first restricting portion 43, and at the same time, the shaft 38 is inserted into the spring 36 to fix the shaft 38 to the shaft fixing portions 38a and 38b. Become. Since the washing machine 1 according to the present embodiment has the rear regulating portion 43a and the front regulating portion 43d, if the first spring end portion 36a is brought into contact with these, the forward and backward movement of the spring 36 is regulated. can do. Therefore, when assembling the washing machine 1, difficult work such as inserting the shaft 38 into the spring 36 while resisting the strong biasing force of the spring 36 can be avoided, so that the spring 36 can be easily attached to the reinforcing member 42. . In addition, since the position of the coil portion 36c can be easily held at an appropriate position when assembling the washing machine 1, the work of passing the shaft 38 through the coil portion 36c is simplified, thereby improving the easiness of assembly.

Further, since the spring 36 applies a biasing force in the opening direction of the lid 3, the opening operation of the lid 3 is facilitated. At this time, the damper mechanism composed of the damper holder 32 and a damper (not shown) applies a resistance to the opening operation due to the biasing force of the spring 36, so that the opening operation of the lid 3 becomes slow and vigorous. Since the rotation of the lid 3 is suppressed, the opening operation of the lid 3 can be performed smoothly. In addition, when the lid 3 is closed, the weight of the lid 3 causes the damper mechanism to apply resistance to the forceful closing of the lid 3, so that the closing operation of the lid 3 slows down. It becomes possible to perform the closing operation of the lid 3 smoothly. In particular, when the lid 3 is made of the glass surface material 17 having a large mass, as in the embodiment, the spring 36 exerts a biasing force on the open side of the lid 3 to assist the opening operation and close the lid. The action of slowing the closing action by applying a resistance force by the damper mechanism during operation makes it possible to realize smooth operation of the lid 3, and thus matches the user's preference.

According to the washing machine 1 of the embodiment, the rotating shaft portion 11 (supporting member) includes the shaft 38 that serves as the rotating shaft of the lid 3, the spring 36 that applies a biasing force to the open side of the lid 3, and the shaft 38. , and a reinforcing member 42 to which the spring 36 is attached, the spring 36 having a coil portion 36c and linear first and second spring ends 36a (first end) and 36b ( The reinforcing member 42 comprises at least a rear restricting portion 43a for restricting the rearward movement of the first spring end portion 36a and a front restricting portion 43d for restricting the forward movement of the first spring end portion 36a. and have. With this configuration, the forward pushing motion of the spring 36 is suppressed, so the contact of the coil portion 36c of the spring 36 with the shaft 38 is suppressed, and the opening/closing torque when opening/closing the lid 3 can be reduced.

According to the washing machine 1 of the embodiment, the reinforcing member 42 includes the left restricting portion 43b that restricts the leftward movement of the first spring end portion 36a, and the right restricting portion 43c that restricts the rightward movement. . As a result, the first spring end portion 36a is positioned in the left-right direction, so that the first spring end portion 36a is prevented from falling off in the left-right direction. Since this can be suppressed, the work of attaching the shaft 38 is facilitated.

According to the washing machine 1 of the embodiment, the position where the first spring end portion 36a abuts the rear restricting portion 43a and the position where the first spring end portion 36a abuts the front restricting portion 43d are different. As a result, there is a difference in distance between the position where the first spring end portion 36a abuts the rear restricting portion 43a and the position where the first spring end portion 36a abuts the front restricting portion 43d. , the movement of the spring 36 that pushes the spring 36 forward due to its urging force can be effectively suppressed.

According to the washing machine 1 of the embodiment, either the front restricting portion 43d or the rear restricting portion 43a, and the left restricting portion 43b or the right restricting portion 43c is provided on the far side from the coil portion 36c. At least one restricting portion can be provided.

If the left restricting portion 43b and the right restricting portion 43c are arranged in the lower folded portion 42f, that is, the hole portion 42d, which is the restricting portion on the closer side, the front, right, and left movements on the side closer to the coil portion 36c are prevented. Since it is restricted, the operation of inserting the first spring end portion 36a becomes difficult. On the other hand, if one of the left restricting portion 43b or the right restricting portion 43c is arranged in the upper folded portion 42e, which is the restricting portion on the far side, the regulation by the hole portion 42d, which is the restricting portion on the near side, is limited to the left restricting portion. 43b or only one of the right restricting portion 43c. Therefore, the hole portion 42d can be formed to be larger in the left-right direction by that amount, and the mounting work of the spring 36 is facilitated. Further, when the left restricting portion 43b and the right restricting portion 43c are arranged in the restricting portion on the far side, it is not necessary to provide the left restricting portion 43b and the right restricting portion 43c in the hole portion 42d which is the restricting portion on the near side. . Therefore, the hole portion 42d can be formed larger in the left-right direction, and the mounting work of the spring 36 is further facilitated.

According to the washing machine 1 of the embodiment, either the front restricting portion 43 d or the rear restricting portion 43 a remote from the coil portion 36 c is formed in the upper folded portion 42 e of the reinforcing member 42 . As a result, since the first restricting portion 43 including the rear restricting portion 43a and the front restricting portion 43d can be provided on the same reinforcing member 42, the reinforcing member 42 can be easily processed, the strength can be improved, and further the assembly can be performed. Sometimes it is easier to position the first spring end 36a.

While several embodiments of the invention have been described, these embodiments have been presented by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. These embodiments and modifications thereof are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention described in the claims and equivalents thereof.

In the drawings, 1 is a washing machine, 2 is a washing machine body, 3 is a lid, 10 is an opening, 11 is a rotation shaft, 11a is a rotation shaft, 12 is a recess, 13 is a lid support, and 14 is an operation panel. , 15 is a recess portion, 20 is a handle portion, 21 is a portion corresponding to an operation panel, 22 is a magnet, 23 is a substrate, and 24 is a reed switch.

Claims (9)

washing machine body,
an opening for loading and unloading laundry provided at the top of the washing machine body;
a lid that opens and closes the opening;
a handle provided at the tip of the lid, extending in the horizontal direction of the washing machine body and having the same dimension as the width of the lid in the horizontal direction;
a lid support provided on the upper part of the washing machine body for supporting the lid with the opening closed;
and an operation panel provided on the upper part of the washing machine body,
an upper surface of the lid supporting portion and an upper surface of the operation panel are flush with each other;
The handle protrudes toward the front side of the washing machine main body along the upper surface of the lid when the lid closes the opening, and the rear surface of the lid faces the upper surface of the operation panel. A washing machine that forms a gap with the upper surface of the operation panel in a contact state. 2. The washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the lateral width of the lid is the same as the lateral width of the washing machine main body. a rotating shaft portion that rotatably supports the lid;
a recess provided in the upper portion of the washing machine main body at a rear portion of the opening and accommodating the rotating shaft portion;
3. The washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the width of said recess in the horizontal direction is the same as the width of said washing machine main body in the horizontal direction, and both ends of said recess are exposed. The rotating shaft portion includes a rotating shaft serving as a center of rotation of the lid,
4. The washing machine according to claim 3, wherein said rotating shaft is provided within a range that can be accommodated between the front surface and the back surface of said lid. 5. The thickness of the lid is larger than the dimension of the gap formed between the handle portion and the upper surface of the operation panel when the lid closes the opening. a washing machine as described above. The lid includes an operation panel corresponding portion having a magnet,
6. The operation panel according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the operation panel includes a reed switch responsive to the magnet on an internal substrate positioned below the operation panel corresponding portion when the opening is closed. washing machine. 7. The washing machine according to claim 6, wherein said magnet is provided at a position behind said gap when said lid closes said opening. The washing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the operation panel has a recess that is recessed along the opening shape of the opening. 9. The lid according to any one of claims 1 to 8 , wherein the lid holds the mutual positional relationship between the washing machine main body and the lid by fitting into the opening when the opening is closed. washing machine.

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