Washing machine
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2024225116
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-12-20
- Publication Date
- 2026-01-08
Smart Images
Figure 00000000_0000_ABST
Abstract
Description
[Technical field]
[0001] An embodiment of the present invention relates to a washing machine. [Background technology]
[0002] In recent years, in order to improve user convenience, washing machines equipped with an automatic dosing device have been developed that stores a laundry treatment agent in a treatment agent tank for automatic dosing in advance for multiple washes, and automatically doses the required amount from the treatment agent tank during each wash run. On the other hand, there is still a need for users to manually dosing the treatment agent for each run. For this reason, even washing machines equipped with an automatic dosing device are equipped with a conventional treatment agent case, that is, a treatment agent case for manual dosing, for manually dosing the laundry treatment agent to be used in one run, for each run.
[0003] Considering the ease of use and assembly for the user, it is preferable that the treatment agent tank and the treatment agent case are located close to each other and on the top surface of the washing machine. In this case, it is considered to provide a lid member for covering the treatment agent case and the treatment agent tank in consideration of the design of the top surface of the washing machine. The lid member is configured to be openable and closable by rotation, and when closed, covers the upper parts of the treatment agent tank and the treatment agent case, forming the top surface of the washing machine.
[0004] However, in this case, the cover member is likely to be large because it needs to cover both the treatment agent tank and the treatment agent case. If the cover member is large, the rotation radius becomes large, and the user's operability decreases. Furthermore, in general households, a shelf for placing treatment agents and the like is often provided on the top of the washing machine. Therefore, if the rotation radius of the cover member is large, it may come into contact with the shelf arranged on the top of the washing machine, preventing smooth opening and closing. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]
[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-011618 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]
[0006] Therefore, we provide a washing machine in which a treatment agent tank and a treatment agent case are arranged adjacent to each other, in which the rotation radius of the lid member that covers the upper part of the treatment agent tank and the treatment agent case in an openable and closable manner is reduced, thereby improving operability. [Means for solving the problem]
[0007] The washing machine of the embodiment includes an outer box, a water tub provided within the outer box, a treatment agent case that receives laundry treatment agent to be used for one operation and supplies the laundry treatment agent to the water tub, a treatment agent tank capable of storing laundry treatment agent to be used for multiple operations, a storage section provided within the outer box, formed in a box shape and having an opening with an open top side of the outer box, and capable of storing the treatment agent case and the treatment agent tank side by side, and a lid mechanism that is rotatably provided on the outer box and opens and closes the opening by rotation, and is configured to be foldable and rotatable in a folded-out state. [Brief description of the drawings]
[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a washing machine according to a first embodiment; [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an internal configuration of a washing machine according to a first embodiment; [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of the top surface of the washing machine according to a first embodiment with a lid mechanism removed from an outer box; [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration around the lid mechanism of the washing machine according to the first embodiment, showing the state in which the lid mechanism is entirely closed; [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration around a lid mechanism in the washing machine according to a first embodiment, showing a state in which a first lid part is closed and a second lid part is open; [Figure 6]FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration around a lid mechanism of the washing machine according to the first embodiment, showing a state in which the lid mechanism is folded open; [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration around a cover mechanism in the washing machine according to the first embodiment, showing a state in which the cover mechanism is folded open and the tank cover is open. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line X8-X8 of FIG. 3 for the washing machine according to the first embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of a portion indicated by line X9 in FIG. 8 in the washing machine according to the first embodiment, showing a state in which the second cover part is rotated relative to the first cover part. [Figure 10] FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of the portion indicated by the line X9 in FIG. 8 in the washing machine according to the first embodiment, showing a state in which the second cover part is closed. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the washing machine according to the first embodiment taken along line X11-X11 of FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the washing machine according to the first embodiment taken along line X12-X12 of FIG. 3; [Figure 13] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the washing machine according to the second embodiment taken along line X8-X8 of FIG. 3; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0009] Hereinafter, a number of embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the same components in each embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.
[0010] (First embodiment) First, the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, the washing machine 10 includes an outer box 11, a water tub 12, a rotating tub 13, a rotating tub motor 14, a drainage mechanism 15, an operation panel 16, a water supply mechanism 17, and a treatment agent injection mechanism 20. In Fig. 1, the installation surface side of the washing machine 10, i.e., the vertically lower side, is the lower side of the washing machine 10, and the opposite side of the installation surface, i.e., the vertically upper side, is the upper side of the washing machine 10. The left-right direction when the washing machine 10 is viewed from the front is the left-right direction of the washing machine 10. The washing machine 10 is, for example, a horizontal axis type in which the rotation axis of the rotating tub 13 is horizontal, or an oblique axis type inclined downward toward the rear, which is a drum type washing machine.
[0011] The washing machine 10 may or may not have a drying function, such as a heat pump type or a heater type. The outer box 11 is generally made of a member such as a steel material or a resin material, and is configured as a rectangular box shape, constituting the outer shell of the washing machine 10. In the present embodiment, the upper surface 111 of the outer box 11 is formed as a flat surface. The water tub 12 is disposed in the outer box 11 and is elastically supported by a suspension (not shown). The spin tub 13 is disposed rotatably in the water tub 12. In this case, the water tub 12 and the spin tub 13 function as a washing tub that contains laundry. The spin tub motor 14 is provided outside the water tub 12 and connected to the spin tub 13, and rotates the spin tub 13 by driving it.
[0012] Drain mechanism 15 shown in FIG. 2 has a function of draining water stored in water tub 12 to the outside of washing machine 10. Drain mechanism 15 has drain path 151 and drain valve 152. Drain path 151 is, for example, a flexible drain hose, one end of which is connected to drain valve 152 and the other end of which is drawn out to the outside of washing machine 10. Drain valve 152 is, for example, an on-off valve for liquid that can be electromagnetically opened and closed. Drain valve 152 is provided between drain outlet 121 provided at the bottom of water tub 12 and drain path 151, and opens and closes drain path 151.
[0013] Operation panel 16 is provided on the front part of the top surface of outer box 11 as shown in FIG. 1. Operation panel 16 is provided with a power switch, a start key, various operation keys for the user to set the washing operation course, etc., although details are not shown. When executing the washing operation, the user can select using operation panel 16 whether to automatically dispense laundry treatment agent or to manually dispense one load of laundry treatment agent. In this embodiment, laundry treatment agent is a concept that includes liquid or powder detergent, fabric softener, and fragrance, but is not limited to these as long as it is an agent that can be used in the washing operation.
[0014] The water supply mechanism 17 is provided, for example, at the rear left part above the water tub 12 inside the outer casing 11. The water supply mechanism 17 receives water from a water supply source such as a tap and supplies the water to the water tub 12. As shown in Fig. 2, the water supply mechanism 17 has a connection port 171, a water supply path 172, and a water supply valve 173. The connection port 171 is provided so as to be exposed at the rear left part on the top surface of the outer casing 11. The connection port 171 is connected to an external water source such as a water faucet via a hose, for example.
[0015] The water supply path 172 is a path that connects the connection port 171 to the water tub 12 and the spin tub 13. The treatment agent dosing mechanism 20 is provided, for example, midway through the water supply path 172, and has the function of impregnating the water flowing through the water supply path 172 with a laundry treatment agent and supplying the water to the water tub 12 and the spin tub 13. As shown in FIG. 2, the treatment agent dosing mechanism 20 includes a storage section 21, a dosing pump 22, a treatment agent case 30, a treatment agent tank 40, and a lid mechanism 50.
[0016] The storage unit 21 is made of resin or metal and has a box or container shape, and has an opening 211 that is open at the top. The storage unit 21 is provided inside the outer box 11. The upper end of the storage unit 21, i.e., the opening 211, is located below the upper surface 111. In this embodiment, the storage unit 21 forms a part of the water supply path 172. In this case, the outlet of the water supply valve 173 is directly or indirectly connected to the storage unit 21. The storage unit 21 is then directly or indirectly connected to the water tank 12.
[0017] Dosing pump 22, together with treating agent tank 40, constitutes an automatic dosing device for automatically supplying laundry treating agent into water tub 12 and spin tub 13 during operation. Dosing pump 22 has the function of sucking a predetermined amount of laundry treating agent from treating agent tank 40 during operation and dosing the sucked laundry treating agent into a middle portion of water supply path 172. As a result, the laundry treating agent supplied to the middle of water supply path 172 is supplied into water tub 12 and spin tub 13 by the flow of water flowing through water supply path 172. In this way, washing machine 10 can automatically supply a predetermined amount of laundry treating agent into water tub 12 and spin tub 13 during operation.
[0018] The processing agent case 30 and the processing agent tank 40 are removably housed in the storage section 21. The processing agent case 30 and the processing agent tank 40 are disposed adjacent to each other within the storage section 21 and are aligned in a straight line in the front-to-rear or left-to-right direction. In the present embodiment, the processing agent case 30 and the processing agent tank 40 are housed aligned in the front-to-rear direction within the storage section 21. The processing agent case 30 is located in front of the processing agent tank 40.
[0019] The treatment agent case 30 receives the treatment agent to be used in one operation and, for example, supplies the treatment agent that was input before operation to the water tank 12 during operation. The treatment agent case 30 is made of, for example, resin, and is configured in a container-like shape that is rectangular and long in the front-to-back or left-to-right directions and has an open top. The treatment agent case 30 has a case-side input port 301. The case-side input port 301 is a portion that receives the laundry treatment agent input from the user, and is formed by an opening in the top of the container-like shape. The user inputs the laundry treatment agent into the treatment agent case 30 from the case-side input port 301.
[0020] 2, the treatment agent case 30 has a communication hole 302 formed in the bottom. The treatment agent case 30 receives water supplied into the storage section 21 through the water supply valve 173. At that time, if a laundry treatment agent is placed in the treatment agent case 30, the laundry treatment agent is flushed down from the communication hole 302 in the bottom together with the water supplied to the treatment agent case 30 and supplied into the water tub 12.
[0021] The treatment agent tank 40 is configured to be able to store an amount of treatment agent to be used for multiple operations. The treatment agent tank 40 is, for example, made of resin, and is configured as a rectangular hollow container that is long in the front-rear or left-right direction, and can store liquid laundry treatment agent. The treatment agent tank 40 has a capacity sufficient to store an amount of laundry treatment agent to be used for multiple operations. In this case, the capacity of the treatment agent tank 40 is not particularly limited, but it is preferable to set it to at least several hundred mL to about 2 L in consideration of user convenience.
[0022] The treatment agent tank 40 has a tank-side inlet 401 and a tank lid 402. The tank-side inlet 401 is formed on the top surface of the treatment agent tank 40, and communicates between the inside and outside of the treatment agent tank 40. The tank lid 402 is attached to the top surface of the treatment agent tank 40, for example, via a hinge, and is configured to be able to open and close the tank-side inlet 401. With the tank lid 402 open to expose the tank-side inlet 401, the user can inject laundry treatment agent into the treatment agent tank 40 from the tank-side inlet 401.
[0023] In this embodiment, the washing machine 10 includes a detergent case 31 and a finishing agent case 32 as the treatment agent case 30, as shown in Fig. 3 etc. The detergent case 31 is for receiving an amount of detergent to be used in one operation from the user and supplying the detergent into the water tub 12. The finishing agent case 32 is for receiving an amount of finishing agent to be used in one operation from the user and supplying the finishing agent into the water tub 12.
[0024] In the present embodiment, the washing machine 10 includes a detergent tank 41 and a finishing agent tank 42 as the treatment agent tank 40. The detergent tank 41 is for storing a detergent in an amount used for multiple operations, in this case a liquid detergent. The finishing agent tank 42 is for storing a finishing agent in an amount used for multiple operations, in this case a liquid finishing agent.
[0025] The detergent case 31 and the finishing agent case 32 are arranged together on one side of the detergent tank 41 and the finishing agent tank 42. In this embodiment, the detergent case 31 and the finishing agent case 32 are arranged on the user side, i.e., the front side, of the detergent tank 41 and the finishing agent tank 42. In this case, the detergent case 31 and the finishing agent case 32 are formed in a horizontally elongated shape that is long in the left-right direction. Therefore, the detergent case 31 and the finishing agent case 32 are arranged side by side in the front-rear direction. Moreover, the detergent tank 41 and the finishing agent tank 42 are formed in a vertically elongated shape that is long in the front-rear direction. Therefore, the detergent tank 41 and the finishing agent tank 42 are arranged side by side in the left-right direction.
[0026] The lid mechanism 50 is rotatably provided on the outer box 11 and opens and closes the opening 211 of the storage section 21 by rotation, and is configured to be foldable and rotatable in a folded-out state. That is, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4 to 7, etc., the lid mechanism 50 is rotatably attached to the upper surface 111 of the outer box 11 and is configured to be able to open and close the opening 211 of the storage section 21. The lid mechanism 50 is configured to be foldable at least in two. The lid mechanism 50 is configured to be able to open and close the opening 211 by rotating in a folded-out state at least in two.
[0027] In this embodiment, the lid mechanism 50 is formed in a shape that conforms to the shape of the opening 211 of the storage section 21. When the opening 211 is entirely closed, that is, when the lid mechanism 50 is not folded, the lid mechanism 50 is formed in a rectangular plate shape that is long in the front-rear direction as a whole. In this embodiment, the longitudinal direction of the lid mechanism 50 is the front-rear direction of the lid mechanism 50, and the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and along the top surface portion 111 is the width direction of the lid mechanism 50. In this case, the front-rear direction of the lid mechanism 50 coincides with the front-rear direction of the washing machine 10, and the width direction of the lid mechanism 50 coincides with the left-right direction of the washing machine 10. In addition, the surface of the lid mechanism 50 is located on the same plane as the top surface portion 111 of the outer box 11. That is, the top surface portion 111 of the outer box 11 and the surface of the lid mechanism 50 are formed as a flat surface without any steps as a whole. As a result, the top surface of the washing machine 10 is formed as a flat surface without any steps as a whole.
[0028] In this embodiment, the lid mechanism 50 is configured to be bent in two in the valley fold direction at the midpoint of the longitudinal direction of the lid mechanism 50. The lid mechanism 50 may be configured to be bent in two in a mountain fold, or may be configured to be bent in three or more in a valley fold or mountain fold. In this embodiment, the lid mechanism 50 has a first lid section 60 and a second lid section 70, which are connected to each other so as to be rotatable. The lid mechanism 50 is configured to be bent in the valley fold direction at the connection portion between the first lid section 60 and the second lid section 70.
[0029] In this embodiment, a valley fold means that the tip side of the second lid part 70 is bent upward from the connection part between the second lid part 70 and the first lid part 60, that is, the apex of the fold, i.e., in the direction away from the storage part 21. A mountain fold means that the connection part between the second lid part 70 and the first lid part 60, that is, the apex of the fold, is bent upward from the tip side of the second lid part 70, that is, in the direction away from the storage part 21.
[0030] The first lid portion 60 is provided at a position that covers the processing agent tank 40 when the lid mechanism 50 is in an open state. The first lid portion 60 is formed in a generally square shape in a plan view. The first lid portion 60 is formed in a rectangular shape, for example, in a plan view, with the left-right dimension being slightly longer than the front-rear dimension. That is, the first lid portion 60 is set so that the width dimension of the lid mechanism 50 is slightly longer than the longitudinal dimension of the lid mechanism 50. The first lid portion 60 is formed in a container shape in a closed state, as shown in Figs. 8 and 10, etc., with the upper side, i.e., the front side, being flat and the storage section 21 side, i.e., the lower side, i.e., the back side being shallow.
[0031] As shown in FIG. 8, the first lid portion 60 has a first rotation shaft 601 and is rotatably connected to the outer box 11 or the storage portion 21 via the first rotation shaft 601. In this case, the treatment agent case 30 is disposed on the opposite side of the treatment agent tank 40 from the first rotation shaft 601. The first rotation shaft 601 is, for example, a cylindrical member protruding from the left and right side surfaces of the first lid portion 60 to the left and right. In the case of this embodiment, the first rotation shaft 601 is the rotation center of the first lid portion 60 and also the rotation center of the entire lid mechanism 50. Therefore, when the first lid portion 60 rotates around the first rotation shaft 601, the second lid portion 70 also rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the first lid portion 60. In this case, the user can rotate the entire lid mechanism 50 by operating the first lid portion 60, or can rotate the entire lid mechanism 50 by operating the second lid portion 70. In this embodiment, the first rotating shaft 601 is the base end side of the lid mechanism 50 in the longitudinal direction of the lid mechanism 50, and the side opposite the first rotating shaft 601 in the longitudinal direction of the lid mechanism 50 is the tip side of the lid mechanism 50.
[0032] As shown in Figures 5 to 7 and 9, the first lid part 60 has a first handle part 62. The first handle part 62 is a part that a user can place his / her fingers on to operate the first lid part 60 to open or close the lid mechanism 50. The first handle part 62 can be formed, for example, by recessing the surface of the peripheral end face of the first lid part 60 on the second lid part 70 side.
[0033] As shown in Figs. 5 and 8, the second lid portion 70 is provided in a position that covers the processing agent case 30 when the lid mechanism 50 is in a closed state. That is, in the present embodiment, the second lid portion 70 constitutes the front portion of the lid mechanism 50. In this case, the first lid portion 60 constitutes the rear portion of the lid mechanism 50. The second lid portion 70 is formed, for example, in a square shape in a plan view or a rectangular shape whose left-right dimension is slightly longer than its front-rear dimension. In the present embodiment, the second lid portion 70 is set so that the width dimension of the lid mechanism 50 is slightly longer than the longitudinal dimension of the lid mechanism 50.
[0034] In this case, the front-rear dimension of the first lid part 60 is set to be equal to or slightly longer than the front-rear dimension of the second lid part 70. The width dimension of the first lid part 60 is equal to the width dimension of the second lid part 70. In this embodiment, the second lid part 70 is formed in a container shape in a closed state, with the upper side, i.e., the front side, being flat and the storage part 21 side, i.e., the lower side, being shallow, as shown in Figures 8 and 10, etc.
[0035] The second lid portion 70 is configured to be rotatable relative to the first lid portion 60. In this case, the first lid portion 60 has a support portion 61 as shown in FIG. 9 and FIG. 10. The support portion 61 is provided at two locations on both the left and right sides of the front end side of the first lid portion 60, i.e., the second lid portion 70 side. The support portion 61 is provided within the range of the thickness of the first lid portion 60 and the second lid portion 70, i.e., the range of the thickness of the lid mechanism 50. In addition, the two support portions 61 are located on the inside in the width direction of both edges of the second lid portion 70, i.e., both left and right edges. That is, as shown in FIG. 4, the lid mechanism 50 does not have a portion that protrudes outward to the left and right from the left and right side surfaces of the first lid portion 60 and the second lid portion 70. Therefore, the left and right side surfaces of the first lid portion 60 and the second lid portion 70 are continuous flat surfaces without steps along the longitudinal direction of the lid mechanism 50.
[0036] As shown in FIG. 11, the support portion 61 has a second rotating shaft 602. The second rotating shaft 602 can be formed of a cylindrical member protruding from the left and right side surfaces of the support portion 61 to the left and right sides, for example, similar to the first rotating shaft 601. The second rotating shaft 602 is inserted, for example, into the inner wall portion of the second lid portion 70. This allows the second lid portion 70 to rotate with respect to the first lid portion 60, with the second rotating shaft 602 as the rotation center. In this case, the second lid portion 70 can rotate independently without rotating the first lid portion 60. Then, when the second lid portion 70 is opened with the first lid portion 60 closed, the case-side inlet 301 of each treatment agent case 30 is exposed, as shown in FIG. 5.
[0037] As shown in FIG. 10, the support portion 61 is formed in a so-called L-shape bent toward the first lid portion 60 or a U-shape opened toward the first lid portion 60 when viewed from the side. The support portion 61 has an inner portion bent into this L-shape or U-shape as a relief portion 611. As shown in FIG. 9, when the second lid portion 70 is in the open state, the relief portion 611 can receive the rear end portion 71 of the second lid portion 70, i.e., the end portion 71 on the first lid portion 60 side, inwardly and allow it to escape. That is, when the second lid portion 70 rotates and opens relative to the first lid portion 60, the end portion 71 of the second lid portion 70 on the first lid portion 60 side slips under the support portion 61, i.e., under the second rotation shaft 602.
[0038] As a result, in a configuration in which the support portion 61 does not protrude laterally from the left and right sides of the lid mechanism 50, the rear end portion 71 of the second lid portion 70 can be brought as close as possible to the front end portion 63 on the surface side of the first lid portion 60 while avoiding the rear end portion 71 of the second lid portion 70 from interfering with the first lid portion 60. Therefore, when the lid mechanism 50 is closed, the gap between the first lid portion 60 and the second lid portion 70 can be made as small as possible. In this case, as shown in FIG. 4, when the lid mechanism 50 is closed, the boundary portion 51 between the first lid portion 60 and the second lid portion 70 that appears on the upper surface portion 111 of the outer box 11 is formed in a straight line extending in the left-right direction, that is, in a straight line without any bends.
[0039] The first lid portion 60 has an inclined surface 631 as shown in FIG. 9. The inclined surface 631 is provided at the front end portion of the first lid portion 60, and is formed in a shape inclined downward toward the second lid portion 70 in a cross section viewed from the side as shown in FIG. 9. In this case, the inclined surface 631 is inclined so as to descend toward the support portion 61 side, that is, toward the tip side of the lid mechanism 50. In this embodiment, the angle θ1 of the inclined surface 631 with respect to the surface of the first lid portion 60 is set to about 70° to 80°. The inclined surface 631 has a function of restricting the rotation of the second lid portion 70 by making surface contact with the surface of the second lid portion 70 when the second lid portion 70 rotates relative to the first lid portion 60. In this case, the maximum value θ2 of the rotation angle of the second lid portion 70 is determined by the inclination angle θ1 of the inclined surface 631. In this case, the angle between the surface of the second lid part 70 and the surface of the first lid part 60 coincides with the inclination angle of the inclined surface 631. In this embodiment, the maximum value θ2 of the rotation angle of the second lid part 70 relative to the first lid part 60 is set to a value greater than 90°, for example, between 110° and 120°.
[0040] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the lid mechanism 50 can rotate about the first rotation shaft 601 with the second lid part 70 rotated to the maximum relative to the first lid part 60, that is, folded to the maximum angle. In this case, as shown in Figure 8, the distance L2 from the first rotation shaft 601 to the rear end part 702 of the second lid part 70 is greater than the distance L1 from the first rotation shaft 601 to the rear base end part 701 of the second lid part 70. Therefore, the rotation radius of the lid mechanism 50 with the second lid part 70 folded is the distance L2 from the first rotation shaft 601 to the rear end part 702 of the second lid part 70.
[0041] The second lid portion 70 also has a second handle portion 72. The second handle portion 72 is a portion on which the user can place his or her fingers when operating the second lid portion 70 to open or close the lid mechanism 50. The second handle portion 72 is configured by forming the tip side of the peripheral end surface of the second lid portion 70 into an inclined surface.
[0042] 12, the washing machine 10 further includes a first restricting portion 81 and a second restricting portion 82. The first restricting portion 81 and the second restricting portion 82 are so-called locking mechanisms that require a predetermined force or more when switching the first lid portion 60 and the second lid portion 70 from a closed state to an open state, respectively. The first restricting portion 81 corresponds to the first lid portion 60, and the second restricting portion 82 corresponds to the second lid portion 70.
[0043] That is, when the first lid part 60 is in the closed state, if the force acting on the first lid part 60 in the opening direction of the first lid part 60 is less than a predetermined value, the first restricting part 81 restricts the rotation of the first lid part 60 in the opening direction to maintain the first lid part 60 in the closed state. Also, when the first lid part 60 is in the closed state, if the force acting on the first lid part 60 in the opening direction of the first lid part 60 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the first restricting part 81 releases the restriction on the rotation of the first lid part 60 in the opening direction.
[0044] Similarly, when the second lid part 70 is in the closed state, if the force acting on the second lid part 70 in the opening direction of the second lid part 70 is less than a predetermined value, the second restricting part 82 restricts the rotation of the second lid part 70 in the opening direction to maintain the second lid part 70 in the closed state. Also, when the second lid part 70 is in the closed state, if the force acting on the second lid part 70 in the opening direction of the second lid part 70 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the second restricting part 82 releases the restriction on the rotation of the second lid part 70 in the opening direction. In this case, the user may apply a force to the second lid part 70 by directly acting on the second lid part 70, or may apply a force to the second lid part 70 indirectly by operating the first lid part 60.
[0045] In this embodiment, the first restricting portion 81 and the second restricting portion 82 are respectively constituted by the claw portions 64, 73 and the receiving portions 112, 113 as shown in Figs. 3, 6, and 12, and function as a so-called snap fit. The claw portions 64, 73 are provided on the width direction, i.e., on both left and right side surfaces, of the first lid portion 60 and the second lid portion 70 as shown in Figs. 6 and 12. In addition, in this embodiment, the claw portions 64, 73 are provided forward of the center in the front-rear direction of the first lid portion 60 and the second lid portion 70. In other words, the claw portions 64, 73 are provided on the tip side of the center in the longitudinal direction of the lid mechanism 50 in each of the lid portions 60, 70. In addition, the receiving portions 112, 113 are configured to be able to engage the claw portions 64, 73, and are provided at positions corresponding to the claw portions 64, 73 of the outer box 11, for example.
[0046] When the first lid part 60 and the second lid part 70 are pushed into the closed state, the claw parts 64, 73 are engaged with the receiving parts 112, 113. This locks the first lid part 60 and the second lid part 70, respectively, so that they cannot be opened with a force less than a predetermined value. Furthermore, when a force equal to or greater than a predetermined value is applied to the first lid part 60 and the second lid part 70 in the opening direction, the claw parts 64, 73 are elastically deformed and come off the receiving parts 112, 113, respectively, and the first lid part 60 and the second lid part 70 become rotatable.
[0047] In this configuration, the user can open only the second lid part 70, for example, by rotating only the second lid part 70 with the first lid part 60 closed, as shown in Fig. 5. This allows only the treatment agent case 30 to be exposed out of the treatment agent case 30 and the treatment agent tank 40. Therefore, by opening only the second lid part 70, the user can add laundry treatment agent to the treatment agent case 30 without completely opening the lid mechanism 50.
[0048] Furthermore, with the second lid portion 70 open and the first lid portion 60 closed, the user can open the entire lid mechanism 50 by hooking their fingers on the first handle portion 62 of the first lid portion 60 and rotating the first lid portion 60. This causes the treatment agent tank 40 to be exposed to the outside as well, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, and the user can pour laundry treatment agent into the treatment agent tank 40 while leaving it in the storage portion 21, or remove the treatment agent tank 40 from the storage portion 21.
[0049] In the above-described embodiment, the washing machine 10 includes the outer box 11, the water tub 12, the treatment agent case 30, the treatment agent tank 40, the storage section 21, and the lid mechanism 50. The water tub 12 is provided in the outer box 11. The treatment agent case 30 is for receiving the laundry treatment agent used in one operation and supplying the treatment agent to the water tub 12. The treatment agent tank 40 is configured to be able to store the laundry treatment agent used in multiple operations. The storage section 21 is provided in the outer box 11, has an opening 211 formed in a box shape with the upper side of the outer box open, and is configured to be able to store the treatment agent case 30 and the treatment agent tank 40 side by side. The lid mechanism 50 is provided rotatably in the outer box 11, opens and closes the opening 211 by rotation, and is configured to be bendable and be able to rotate in a folded state.
[0050] According to this, since the lid mechanism 50 can be rotated in a folded state, the rotation radius of the lid mechanism 50 when rotating can be made smaller than the overall length of the lid mechanism 50. As a result, the operability for the user is improved, and even if a shelf or the like is installed above the washing machine 10, for example, the lid mechanism 50 can be prevented from interfering with the shelf when the lid mechanism 50 is rotated.
[0051] The treatment agent case 30 has a case-side input port 301 through which the laundry treatment agent is input by the user, and is disposed on the opposite side of the treatment agent tank 40 from the first pivot shaft 601. The lid mechanism 50 has a first lid portion 60 and a second lid portion 70. The first lid portion 60 has a function of covering the treatment agent tank 40 when the lid mechanism 50 is in a closed state. The second lid portion 70 is attached to the first lid portion 60 so as to be rotatable, i.e., bendable, and has a function of covering the case-side input port 301 of the treatment agent case 30 when the lid mechanism 50 is in a closed state. The lid mechanism 50 is configured so that the case-side input port 301 of the treatment agent case 30 is exposed when the first lid portion 60 is in a closed state and the second lid portion 70 is opened.
[0052] With this, the user can, for example, open only the second lid part 70 while keeping the first lid part 60 closed to expose the case-side input port 301 and input the laundry treatment agent into the treatment agent case 30. That is, when inputting the laundry treatment agent into the treatment agent case 30, the user can expose the case-side input port 301 by simply rotating the second lid part 70 without rotating the entire relatively long lid mechanism 50. This can further improve the operability and convenience for the user.
[0053] In addition, the first lid portion 60 has a handle portion 62 on the second lid portion 70 side that allows the user to place his / her fingers on the handle portion 62 provided on the first lid portion 60. This allows the user to place his / her fingers on the handle portion 62 provided on the first lid portion 60 to operate the second lid portion 70 when the second lid portion 70 is folded relative to the first lid portion 60, thereby improving operability. In this case, the lid mechanism 50 has a plurality of handle portions according to the folding state of the lid mechanism 50. In the case of this embodiment, the lid mechanism 50 has a first handle portion 62 provided on the first lid portion 60 and a second handle portion 72 provided on the second lid portion 70. The user can use the first handle portion 62 and the second handle portion 72 depending on the folding state of the lid mechanism 50.
[0054] The washing machine 10 also has a first restricting part 81 and a second restricting part 82. When the first lid part 60 is in the closed state, the first restricting part 81 has a function of restricting the rotation of the first lid part 60 in the opening direction to maintain the first lid part 60 in the closed state if the force acting on the first lid part 60 in the opening direction of the first lid part 60 is less than a predetermined value. The first restricting part 81 has a function of releasing the restriction on the rotation of the first lid part 60 in the opening direction when the force acting on the first lid part 60 in the opening direction of the first lid part 60 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.
[0055] Furthermore, when the second lid part 70 is in the closed state, if the force acting on the second lid part 70 in the opening direction of the second lid part 70 is less than a predetermined value, the second restricting part 82 has a function of restricting the rotation of the second lid part 70 in the opening direction to maintain the second lid part 70 in the closed state. Furthermore, the second restricting part 82 has a function of releasing the restriction on the rotation of the second lid part 70 in the opening direction when the force acting on the second lid part 70 in the opening direction of the second lid part 70 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.
[0056] That is, according to this embodiment, the washing machine 10 is provided with restricting portions 81, 82 corresponding to the rotatable lid portions 60, 70, respectively. According to this, by restricting the rotation of each of the lid portions 60, 70 by each of the restricting portions 81, 82 while the washing machine 10 is in operation, it is possible to suppress the lid portions 60, 70 from moving wildly due to, for example, vibrations during operation of the washing machine 10. As a result, it is possible to reduce noise and the like caused by the lid portions 60, 70 moving wildly.
[0057] The first lid portion 60 has a support portion 61. The support portion 61 rotatably supports the second lid portion 70. The end portion 71 of the second lid portion 70 on the first lid portion 60 side slips under the support portion 61 when the second lid portion 70 is folded relative to the first lid portion 60. With this, in a configuration in which the support portion 61 does not protrude to the left or right from the left or right side portion of the lid mechanism 50, the rear end portion 71 of the second lid portion 70 can be brought as close as possible to the front end portion 63 of the first lid portion 60 while avoiding the rear end portion 71 of the second lid portion 70 from interfering with the first lid portion 60. Therefore, when the lid mechanism 50 is closed, the gap between the first lid portion 60 and the second lid portion 70 can be made as small as possible. As a result, it is possible to prevent foreign matter and the like from entering the gap between the first lid portion 60 and the second lid portion 70, and to improve the design of the surface of the lid mechanism 50.
[0058] When the lid mechanism 50 is closed, the boundary portion 51 between the first lid portion 60 and the second lid portion 70 that appears on the top surface 111 of the outer box 11 is formed in a straight line. This can further improve the design of the surface of the lid mechanism 50.
[0059] Second embodiment Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In the second embodiment, the inclination angle θ1 of the inclined surface 631 of the first lid portion 60 and the maximum value θ2 of the rotation angle of the second lid portion 70 relative to the first lid portion 60 are different from those in the first embodiment. The inclination angle θ1 of the inclined surface 631 in the second embodiment is set to an angle smaller than 70°. That is, the inclination angle of the inclined surface 631 in the second embodiment is set to an angle such that the maximum value θ2 of the rotation angle of the second lid portion 70 relative to the first lid portion 60 is greater than 110° to 120°.
[0060] In this case, the distance L2 from the first rotating shaft 601 to the rear end 702 of the second lid part 70 is smaller than the distance L1 from the first rotating shaft 601 to the rear end 701 of the second lid part 70. Therefore, in the second embodiment, the rotation radius of the lid mechanism 50 in the state in which the second lid part 70 is folded is the distance L1 from the first rotating shaft 601 to the rear end 701 of the second lid part 70.
[0061] In this manner, according to this embodiment, the turning radius of the lid mechanism 50 when the second lid portion 70 is folded can be further reduced compared to the first embodiment. As a result, it is possible to more effectively prevent the lid mechanism 50 from interfering with the shelf when the lid mechanism 50 is turned.
[0062] In each of the above embodiments, the lid mechanism 50 is configured to be bendable in a valley fold. However, the lid mechanism 50 may be configured to be bendable in a mountain fold. In addition, in each of the above embodiments, the lid mechanism 50 has a first lid portion 60 and a second lid portion 70 and is configured to be bendable into two parts, but it may also have three or more lid portions and be bendable into three or more parts. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the restricting portions 81, 82 are configured by so-called snap fits, but they may be configured by magnets, for example, and the rotation of each of the lid portions 60, 70 may be restricted by utilizing the attractive force of the magnets.
[0063] In addition, in each of the above embodiments, the processing agent case 30 and the processing agent tank 40 are arranged in the front-rear direction, and the lid mechanism 50 is also configured to be openable and closable in the front-rear direction with the rear part of the lid mechanism 50 as a fulcrum, but the arrangement of the processing agent case 30 and the processing agent tank 40 and the opening and closing direction of the auxiliary mechanism 50 are not limited to those described above. For example, the processing agent case 30 and the processing agent tank 40 may be arranged side-by-side in the left-right direction, in which case the lid mechanism 50 can be configured to be long in the left-right direction, for example, and to be openable and closable with one end in the left-right direction as a fulcrum.
[0064] Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents described in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]
[0065] 10... washing machine, 11... outer box, 12... water tank, 21... storage section, 211... opening, 30... treatment agent case, 301... case side inlet, 31... detergent case (treatment agent case), 32... finishing agent case (treatment agent case), 40... treatment agent tank, 41... detergent tank (treatment agent tank), 42... finishing agent tank (treatment agent tank), 50... lid mechanism, 51... boundary portion, 60... first lid portion, 61... support portion, 62... first handle portion (handle portion), 70... second lid portion, 701... rear base end portion, 702... rear tip portion, 71... end portion on first lid portion side, 81... first regulation portion (regulation portion), 82... second regulation portion (regulation portion)
Claims
1. The outer box and a water tank provided in the outer box; a treatment agent tank capable of storing laundry treatment agents to be used for multiple operations; a storage section provided within the outer box, the storage section being box-shaped and having an opening with an upper surface side of the outer box open, the storage section being capable of storing the processing agent tank; a lid mechanism that is rotatably provided on the outer box around a first rotation axis, that opens and closes the opening by rotation, and that is configured to be bendable and rotatable in a folded state; Equipped with The lid mechanism further includes a restricting section that, when the lid mechanism is in a closed state, restricts the rotation of the lid mechanism in the opening direction to maintain the lid mechanism in a closed state if the force acting on the lid mechanism in the opening direction of the lid mechanism is less than a predetermined value, and releases the restriction on the rotation of the lid mechanism in the opening direction if the force acting on the lid mechanism in the opening direction of the lid mechanism is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. washing machine.
2. The lid mechanism has a first lid part rotatably connected to the outer box or the storage part, and a second lid part rotatably attached to the first lid part, The restricting portion is provided on one or both of the first lid portion and the second lid portion. The washing machine according to claim 1.
3. The regulating portion is provided on one or both of the side surfaces of the first lid portion and the second lid portion. The washing machine according to claim 2.
4. The first rotation axis is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the treatment agent tank. The washing machine according to claim 1.
5. A treatment agent case is provided which receives the laundry treatment agent to be used in one operation and supplies the received laundry treatment agent to the water tank, the storage section is capable of storing the treatment agent case and the treatment agent tank side by side; The washing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 4.