Vertical washing machine

Abstract

To provide a vertical washing machine having a twofold top cover without losing maintenance property for the top cover.SOLUTION: A vertical washing machine has an enclosure 2 and a top cover 10 capable of opening and closing the enclosure 2. The top cover 10 is longitudinally divided into two parts, a rear part 20 and a front part 30. The top cover comprises: the rear part 20 having a flat top face; the front part 30 having a flat top face; a hinge to connect the rear part 20 and the front part 30 so as to be folded in two; and a grip part 44 disposed at least on a portion of a front end of the front part 30. The grip part 44 has a flat top face, a rotary axis extending in right-left direction on a rear end, and a space allowing a user to place his / her hand under a front end on front side of the rotary axis.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a top-loading washing machine. [Background technology]

[0002] There are two types of top lids for vertical washing machines: a single-piece type and a bi-fold type (for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

[0003] The one-piece top cover is made up of a single part that is continuous in the front-to-rear direction. A known configuration of the one-piece top cover is that a handle is provided on the underside of the front end for a user to place their hand on to push up the top cover.

[0004] The bi-fold type top cover is configured by dividing the top cover into two parts, a rear part and a front part, connected by a hinge. In order to facilitate folding the top cover in half when opening it, a handle is provided on the top surface of the front part near the hinge, and a recess is provided on the top surface of the front part near the handle for a user to place their hand on the handle. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2016-202439 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2020-089458 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In the case of a single-piece lid, since the handle is not disposed on the top surface of the lid, the top surface of the lid is flat, and it is easy to clean the top surface of the lid from dirt, etc. On the other hand, since the single-piece lid does not fold in half when opening, it is necessary to secure a relatively large space above the washing machine in order to open the lid.

[0007] In the case of a bi-fold type top cover, since it is folded in half when opening, the space above the washing machine for opening the top cover can be made relatively small. On the other hand, in the case of a bi-fold type top cover, since the handle and the recess are located on the top surface of the top cover, it is difficult to adequately clean these parts, and the ease of cleaning the top surface of the top cover is impaired.

[0008] The present disclosure aims to provide a vertical washing machine equipped with a bi-fold type top lid that does not impair the ease of cleaning the top lid. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] (1) A vertical washing machine according to the present disclosure is a vertical washing machine including a housing and a top cover that can be opened and closed relative to the housing, the top cover being divided into two parts in the front-rear direction, a rear part and a front part, the rear part having a flat top surface and the front part having a flat top surface, a hinge that connects the rear part and the front part so that the rear part can be folded in half, and a handle disposed on at least a part of a front end of the front part. The handle has a flat top surface and a pivot shaft that extends in the left-right direction at the rear end, and a space for a user to place his / her hand on is formed below the front end forward of the pivot shaft.

[0010] According to the vertical washing machine of the present disclosure, the handle is disposed under the front end of the front part of the top lid, as in the conventional single-piece top lid, and the top surface of the handle can be made flat when the top lid is closed. As a result, the top surfaces of the rear part, the front part, and the handle are flat, so that the top surface of the top lid is easy to clean.

[0011] When opening the top cover, as with a conventional one-piece top cover, the force with which a user places their hand under the handle at the front end and pushes the handle up is the opposite force to the force that folds the rear and front parts in half at the hinge, making it difficult to fold the top cover in half.

[0012] In this regard, in the vertical washing machine according to the present disclosure, since the handle rotates, a force pushing the handle backward can be generated in addition to a force pushing the handle up, so that the rear part and the front part can be folded in half at the hinge.

[0013] Specifically, the user places the four fingers other than the thumb under the handle and places the thumb on the top surface of the handle. This allows the user to rotate the handle rearward about the rotation axis and push the handle and the front part rearward when lifting the handle. This allows the top cover to be opened by folding the rear part and the front part in half at the hinge.

[0014] In this way, when the handle is lifted, the handle rotates rearward about the rotation axis, thereby assisting in folding the rear portion and the front portion in half at the hinge (assist structure).

[0015] (2) In the vertical washing machine described in (1), in a pre-rotation state before the handle rotates about the pivot shaft, the upper surface of the handle is flat along the upper surface of the front part, and the handle rotates about the pivot shaft in response to a force applied to the upper surface and lower side of the handle, and the handle may further have a spring member for returning the handle to the pre-rotation state.

[0016] This configuration allows the handle portion to return to its natural position.

[0017] (3) In the vertical washing machine according to (1) or (2), at least a portion of at least one of the rear portion and the front portion is made of a transparent material.

[0018] According to this configuration, the state of the laundry inside the washing tub can be safely checked during the washing operation without opening the top lid. Effect of the Invention

[0019] According to the present disclosure, in a vertical washing machine equipped with a bi-fold type top lid, ease of maintenance of the top lid is not compromised. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] 1 is a side view showing a top-loading washing machine according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure, as viewed from the right side. [Diagram 2] 2 is a perspective view showing the top lid of the vertical washing machine shown in FIG. 1 in a closed state, from above, front and right. [Diagram 3] 2 is a perspective view showing a top lid of the vertical washing machine shown in FIG. 1 in an open state, from above, front and right. [Figure 4] 4 is a perspective view showing a part of the housing shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3. [Diagram 5] 3 is a perspective view showing the upper cover shown in FIG. 2 from the back side. [Figure 6] 6 is a perspective view showing a rear portion of the top cover shown in FIG. 5. FIG. [Figure 7] 6 is a perspective view showing a front portion of the upper cover shown in FIG. 5. FIG. [Figure 8] 6 is a perspective view showing a handle portion of the upper cover shown in FIG. 5. FIG. [Figure 9] 6 is a perspective view showing a handle portion of the upper cover shown in FIG. 5. FIG. [Figure 10] 2A to 2C are side views showing the opening and closing operations of a top lid of the vertical washing machine according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a side view showing a top-loading washing machine according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure, as viewed from the right side. [Figure 12] 12 is a perspective view showing the top lid of the vertical washing machine shown in FIG. 11 in a closed state, from above, front and right. [Figure 13] 12 is a perspective view showing the top lid of the vertical washing machine shown in FIG. 11 in an open state, from above, front and right. FIG. [Figure 14] 13 is a perspective view showing the top cover shown in FIG. 12 from the back side. [Figure 15]15 is a perspective view showing a rear portion of the top cover shown in FIG. 14. [Figure 16] 15 is a perspective view showing a front portion of the top cover shown in FIG. 14. FIG. [Figure 17] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the inside of the rear portion of the top cover. [Figure 18] 11A to 11C are side views showing the opening and closing operations of a top lid of a vertical washing machine according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0021] Hereinafter, an example of an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the same or corresponding parts in each drawing are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0022] (First embodiment) FIG. 1 is a side view showing a vertical washing machine according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure from the right side, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the top lid of the vertical washing machine shown in FIG. 1 in a closed state from the top, front and right sides, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the top lid of the vertical washing machine shown in FIG. 1 in an open state from the top, front and right sides. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a part of the housing shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, and FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the top lid shown in FIG. 2 from the back side. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the rear part of the top lid shown in FIG. 5, FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the front part of the top lid shown in FIG. 5, FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view showing the handle part of the top lid shown in FIG. 5, and FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the handle part of the top lid shown in FIG. 5. In FIG. 1 to FIG. 9, the upper side, lower side, right side, left side, right side, front side and rear side of the vertical washing machine are referred to as the upper side, lower side, right side, left side, right side, front side and rear side.

[0023] As shown in Fig. 1, the vertical washing machine 1 includes a housing 2 with an opening formed on the upper side, and a top lid 10 disposed at the upper opening of the housing 2. The top lid 10 can be opened and closed relative to the housing 2 by rotating upward relative to the housing 2. The top lid 10 is a bi-fold type top lid that can be folded in half in the front-rear direction when opened.

[0024] 2 to 9, the top cover 10 is divided in the front-rear direction into a rear portion 20 and a front portion 30. The top cover 10 also includes a handle portion 40, a first hinge 51, a second hinge 52, and a third hinge 53.

[0025] As shown in Fig. 2, the top cover 10 has a flat upper surface when closed. This makes it easy to clean the top surface of the top cover 10. On the other hand, as shown in Fig. 3, the top cover 10 is folded in half when opened. This makes it possible to make the space above the washing machine for opening the top cover relatively small.

[0026] As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the rear portion 20 has a flat plate member 22, a frame 24, and connecting portions 26R and 26F.

[0027] The flat plate member 22 is disposed on the upper surface of the rear portion 20. As a result, the upper surface of the rear portion 20 is flat. The flat plate member 22 may be made of a non-transparent material, or may be made of a transparent material. Examples of non-transparent materials include resin, etc. Examples of transparent materials include glass, etc.

[0028] Frame 24 is disposed around flat plate member 22 on the rear side of flat plate member 22. Examples of materials for frame 24 include resin. When flat plate member 22 is made of a transparent material, the inside of washing machine 1 can be seen from the inner region of frame 24 even when top lid 10 is closed. This allows the state of laundry in the washing tub to be safely checked during washing operation without opening top lid 10.

[0029] A connecting portion 26R is disposed at the rear end of the frame 24. The connecting portion 26R is rotatably connected to a connecting portion 2R (FIG. 4) of the housing 2. The connecting portion 26R at the rear end of the rear portion 20 and the connecting portion 2R of the housing 2 form a first hinge 51. As a result, the top cover 10 rotates at the first hinge 51 to open and close.

[0030] A connecting portion 26F is disposed at the front end portion of the frame 24. The connecting portion 26F is connected to a connecting portion 36R at the rear end portion of the front portion 30, which will be described later.

[0031] As shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, the front portion 30 has a flat plate member 32, a frame 34, and a connecting portion 36R.

[0032] The flat plate member 32 is disposed on the upper surface of the front portion 30. As a result, the upper surface of the front portion 30 is flat. The flat plate member 32 may be made of a non-transparent material, or may be made of a transparent material. Examples of non-transparent materials include resin, etc. Examples of transparent materials include glass, etc.

[0033] Frame 34 is disposed around flat plate member 32 on the rear side of flat plate member 32. Examples of materials for frame 34 include resin. When flat plate member 32 is made of a transparent material, the inside of washing machine 1 can be seen through the inner region of frame 34 even when top lid 10 is closed. This allows the state of laundry in the washing tub to be safely checked during washing operation without opening top lid 10.

[0034] A connecting portion 36R is disposed at the rear end of the frame 34. The connecting portion 36R is rotatably connected to a connecting portion 26F at the front end of the rear portion 20. The connecting portion 36R at the rear end of the front portion 30 and the connecting portion 26F at the front end of the rear portion 20 form a second hinge 52. This allows the upper cover 10 to be folded in half at the second hinge 52, with the rear portion 20 and the front portion 30 being folded in half.

[0035] 5 and 8, the handle portion 40 is disposed in the left-right center of the front end portion of the front portion 30. The handle portion 40 has a frame 42, a handle 44, a connecting portion 46, and a spring member 48.

[0036] The frame 42 rotatably holds a handle 44. The frame 42 is fixed to the front end portion of the front section 30 at the center in the left-right direction by a fixing portion 43 using a screw or the like.

[0037] The handle 44 has a flat upper surface. As a result, the rear portion 20, the front portion 30 and the handle 44, i.e., the top cover 10, have a flat upper surface.

[0038] A connecting portion 46 is disposed at the rear end of the handle 44. The connecting portion 46 is rotatably connected to the frame 42. The connecting portion 46 of the handle 44 constitutes a third hinge 53. As a result, the handle 44 has a rotation shaft 47 that extends in the left-right direction along the connecting portion 46 of the third hinge 53. The handle 44 is rotatable rearward along the rotation shaft 47.

[0039] Below the handle 44, at the front end portion forward of the connecting portion 46, i.e., the rotating shaft 47, a space for a user to place his / her hand is formed.

[0040] In a pre-rotation state before the handle 44 rotates about the rotation shaft 47, for example, when the top cover 10 is in a closed or open state, the upper surface of the handle 44 is flat along the upper surface of the front portion 30.

[0041] 9, in response to a force applied to the upper and lower surfaces of the handle 44, the handle 44 rotates rearward about the rotation shaft 47. This allows the user to place his or her hands on the handle 44 and open the top lid 10.

[0042] The spring member 48 is disposed in the connecting portion 46. The spring member 48 acts to return the handle 44 to the state before the handle 44 was rotated.

[0043] Next, the opening and closing operation of the top lid 10 of the vertical washing machine 1 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Fig. 10. Fig. 10 is a side view showing the opening and closing operation of the top lid 10 of the vertical washing machine 1 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0044] As shown in (a) of FIG. 10, when the top cover 10 is closed and the handle portion 40 is in a pre-rotation state before rotation, the user places his / her hand under the handle 44 and lifts it. Specifically, the user places four fingers other than the thumb under the handle 44 and places the thumb on the upper surface of the handle 44. By holding the handle 44 in this manner, as shown in (b) to (d) of FIG. 10, the user can rotate the handle 44 rearward about the rotation shaft 47 and push the front portion 30 rearward according to the force applied to the upper and lower surfaces of the handle 44 when lifting the handle 44. This allows the top cover 10 to be opened so that the rear portion 20 and the front portion 30 are folded in half at the second hinge 52.

[0045] 10(e), when the top cover 10 is in the open state, the user releases the handle 44. Then, the spring member 48 returns the handle 44 to the state before the rotation. In other words, the upper surface of the handle 44 is flat along the upper surface of the front portion 30.

[0046] As described above, according to the vertical washing machine 1 of the first embodiment, the handle 44 is disposed under the front end of the front part 30 of the top cover 10, as in the conventional single-piece top cover, and the top surface of the handle 44 can be made flat when the top cover 10 is closed. As a result, the top surfaces of the rear part 20, the front part 30 and the handle 44 are flat, so that the ease of cleaning the top surface of the top cover 10 is not impaired.

[0047] Here, when opening the top cover 10, as with a conventional one-piece top cover, the force with which a user places their hand under the handle 44 at the front end and pushes up the handle 44 is a force in the opposite direction to the force that folds the rear portion 20 and the front portion 30 in half at the second hinge 52. Therefore, it is difficult to fold the top cover 10 in half.

[0048] In this regard, according to the vertical washing machine 1 of the first embodiment, since the handle 44 rotates, a force pushing the handle 44 rearward can be generated in addition to a force pushing the handle 44 up. This allows the rear portion 20 and the front portion 30 to be folded in half at the second hinge 52.

[0049] Specifically, the user places four fingers other than the thumb under the handle 44 and places the thumb on the upper surface of the handle 44. As a result, when lifting the handle 44, the handle 44 can be rotated rearward about the rotation shaft 47, and the handle 44 and the front portion 30 can be pushed rearward. As a result, the top lid 10 can be opened by folding the rear portion 20 and the front portion 30 in half at the second hinge 52.

[0050] In this way, when the handle 44 is lifted, the handle 44 rotates rearward about the pivot shaft 47, thereby assisting in folding the rear portion 20 and the front portion 30 in half at the second hinge 52 (assist structure).

[0051] Second embodiment In the first embodiment, folding the top cover 10 in half is assisted by making the handle 44 rotatable. In the second embodiment, folding the top cover in half is assisted by using a rod-shaped member.

[0052] Fig. 11 is a side view showing a vertical washing machine according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure from the right side, Fig. 12 is a perspective view showing the top lid of the vertical washing machine shown in Fig. 11 in a closed state from the top, front and right sides, and Fig. 13 is a perspective view showing the top lid of the vertical washing machine shown in Fig. 11 in an open state from the top, front and right sides. Fig. 14 is a perspective view showing the top lid shown in Fig. 12 from the back side, Fig. 15 is a perspective view showing the rear part of the top lid shown in Fig. 14, Fig. 16 is a perspective view showing the front part of the top lid shown in Fig. 14, and Fig. 17 is a perspective view showing the inside of the rear part of the top lid. In Figs. 11 to 17, the top, bottom, right, left, right, front and rear of the vertical washing machine are referred to as the top, bottom, right, left, right, front and rear.

[0053] As shown in Fig. 11, the vertical washing machine 1A includes a housing 2A having an opening formed on the upper side, and a top cover 10A disposed in the upper opening of the housing 2A. The top cover 10A can be opened and closed relative to the housing 2A by rotating upward relative to the housing 2A. The top cover 10A is a bi-fold type top cover that can be folded in half in the front-rear direction when opened.

[0054] 12 to 17, the top cover 10A is divided into two parts in the front-rear direction: a rear part 20A and a front part 30A. The top cover 10A also has a handle part 40A, a first hinge 51, and a second hinge 52.

[0055] As shown in Fig. 12, the top cover 10A has a flat upper surface when closed. This makes it easy to clean the top surface of the top cover 10A. On the other hand, as shown in Fig. 13, the top cover 10A is folded in half when opened. This allows the space above the washing machine required to open the top cover to be relatively small.

[0056] As shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, the rear portion 20A has a flat plate member 22, a frame 24, and connecting portions 26R and 26F.

[0057] The flat plate member 22 is disposed on the upper surface of the rear portion 20A. As a result, the upper surface of the rear portion 20A is flat. The flat plate member 22 may be made of a non-transparent material, or may be made of a transparent material. Examples of non-transparent materials include resin. Examples of transparent materials include glass.

[0058] Frame 24 is disposed around flat plate member 22 on the rear side of flat plate member 22. Examples of materials for frame 24 include resin. When flat plate member 22 is made of a transparent material, the inside of washing machine 1A can be seen through the inner region of frame 24 even when top lid 10A is closed. This allows the state of laundry in the washing tub to be safely checked during washing operation without opening top lid 10A.

[0059] A connecting portion 26R is disposed at the rear end of the frame 24. The connecting portion 26R is rotatably connected to a connecting portion 2R (FIG. 4) of the housing 2. The connecting portion 26R at the rear end of the rear portion 20A and the connecting portion 2R of the housing 2 form a first hinge 51. As a result, the top cover 10A rotates at the first hinge 51 to open and close.

[0060] A connecting portion 26F is disposed at the front end portion of the frame 24. The connecting portion 26F is connected to a connecting portion 36R at the rear end portion of the front portion 30, which will be described later.

[0061] As shown in FIGS. 14 and 16, the front portion 30A has a flat plate member 32, a frame 34, and a connecting portion 36R.

[0062] The flat plate member 32 is disposed on the upper surface of the front portion 30A. As a result, the upper surface of the front portion 30A is flat. The flat plate member 32 may be made of a non-transparent material, or may be made of a transparent material. Examples of non-transparent materials include resin. Examples of transparent materials include glass.

[0063] Frame 34 is disposed around flat plate member 32 on the rear side of flat plate member 32. Examples of materials for frame 34 include resin. When flat plate member 32 is made of a transparent material, the inside of washing machine 1A can be seen through the inner region of frame 34 even when top lid 10A is closed. This allows the state of laundry in the washing tub to be safely checked during washing operation without opening top lid 10A.

[0064] A connecting portion 36R is disposed at the rear end of the frame 34. The connecting portion 36R is rotatably connected to a connecting portion 26F at the front end of the rear portion 20A. The connecting portion 36R at the rear end of the front portion 30A and the connecting portion 26F at the front end of the rear portion 20A form a second hinge 52. This allows the upper cover 10A to be folded in half at the second hinge 52, with the rear portion 20A and the front portion 30A being folded in half.

[0065] A handle portion 40A configured to form a space for a user to place his or her hands is disposed below the entire front end portion 30A in the left-right direction.

[0066] 17, the top cover 10A has a rod-shaped member 60 and a spring member 62. On the other hand, the housing 2A has a support member 70 in the housing 2 described above.

[0067] The rod-shaped member 60 is disposed at least on one of the left and right ends inside the rear portion 20A of the top cover 10A and extends in the front-rear direction. The rear end 60R of the rod-shaped member 60 is arc-shaped in a plane along the up-down direction and the front-rear direction.

[0068] Meanwhile, the support member 70 is disposed in the housing 2A in correspondence with the rear end 60R of the rod-shaped member 60. The support member 70 has, for example, an arc shape in the plane along the up-down direction and the front-rear direction. As a result, the support member 70 has a plane in the up-down direction and the front-rear direction that forms an angle greater than 0 degrees and less than 90 degrees with respect to the horizontal plane.

[0069] As a result, when the top cover 10 is in a closed or open state, the front end portion 60F of the rod-shaped member 60 does not protrude from the front end surface of the rear portion 20A.

[0070] On the other hand, when the top cover 10A is opened, the rear end 60R of the rod-shaped member 60 is gradually pushed by the support member 70 of the housing 2A, so that the front end 60F of the rod-shaped member 60 gradually protrudes forward from the front end face of the rear portion 20A. This allows the rod-shaped member 60 to push the rear end face of the front portion 30A and assist in folding the rear portion 20A and the front portion 30A in half at the second hinge 52 (assist structure), and the top cover 10A can be opened so that the rear portion 20A and the front portion 30A are folded in half at the second hinge 52.

[0071] The spring member 62 is disposed on the rod-shaped member 60. The spring member 62 acts to return the rod-shaped member 60 in the direction from the front end to the rear end of the rear portion 20A to the state before it protruded from the front end face of the rear portion 20A.

[0072] Next, the opening and closing operation of the top lid 10A of the vertical washing machine 1A according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Fig. 18. Fig. 18 is a side view showing the opening and closing operation of the top lid of the vertical washing machine according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0073] As shown in (a) of FIG. 18, when the top cover 10A is closed, the user places his / her hand under the handle portion 40A and pushes up the handle portion 40A. Then, as shown in (b) and (c) of FIG. 18 and FIG. 17, the rear end portion 60R of the rod-shaped member 60 is gradually pushed by the support member 70 of the housing 2A, so that the front end portion 60F of the rod-shaped member 60 gradually protrudes forward from the front end face of the rear portion 20A. As a result, the rod-shaped member 60 pushes the rear end face of the front portion 30A, and can assist in folding the rear portion 20A and the front portion 30A in half at the second hinge 52 (assist structure), and the top cover 10A can be opened so that the rear portion 20A and the front portion 30A are folded in half at the second hinge 52.

[0074] Here, when a user places his / her hand under the handle portion 40A, he / she places four fingers other than the thumb under the handle portion 40A and places the thumb on the upper surface of the handle portion 40A. By holding the handle portion 40A in this manner, as shown in (d) of FIG. 18, the user can push the upper surface and lower side of the handle portion 40A backward and push the front portion 30A backward. This allows the top cover 10A to be opened by folding the rear portion 20A and the front portion 30A in half at the second hinge 52.

[0075] Thereafter, when the top cover 10A is in the open state as shown in (e) of Figure 18, the spring member 62 causes the rod-shaped member 60 to return from the front end to the rear end of the rear portion 20A, returning it to the state before it protruded from the front end face of the rear portion 20A.

[0076] As described above, according to the vertical washing machine 1A of the second embodiment, as with the conventional one-piece type top lid, the handle portion 40A is disposed under the front end portion of the front portion 30A of the top lid 10A, and the handle portion 40A is not disposed on the top surface of the top lid 10A. As a result, the top surfaces of the rear portion 20A and the front portion 30A are flat, so that the ease of cleaning the top surface of the top lid 10A is not impaired.

[0077] Here, when opening the top cover 10A, as with a conventional one-piece top cover, the force with which a user places their hand under the handle portion 40A at the front end and pushes up the handle portion 40A is a force in the opposite direction to the force that folds the rear portion 20A and the front portion 30A in half at the second hinge 52. Therefore, it is difficult to fold the top cover 10A in half.

[0078] In this regard, according to the vertical washing machine 1A of the second embodiment, the rear part 20A has the rod-shaped member 60, so that when the handle part 40A is lifted, the rod-shaped member 60 gradually protrudes forward from the front end face of the rear part 20A and gradually presses the rear end face of the front part 30A. This allows the top lid 10 to be opened by folding the rear part 20A and the front part 30A in half at the second hinge 52.

[0079] In this way, when lifting the handle portion 40A, the rod-shaped member 60 protrudes from the front end face of the rear portion 20A and gradually pushes against the rear end face of the front portion 30A, thereby assisting in folding the rear portion 20A and the front portion 30A in half at the second hinge 52 (assist structure).

[0080] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and variations are possible. For example, in the above-described first embodiment, a form in which the handle portion 40 is disposed at the center in the left-right direction of the front end portion of the front part 30 is exemplified. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this, and the handle portion 40 may be disposed at least in a part of the front end portion of the front part 30, for example, the entire left-right direction of the front end portion of the front part 30.

[0081] In the above embodiment, it has been described that both the rear portion 20 and the front portion 30 may be made of a transparent material. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this, and at least a part of at least one of the rear portion 20 and the front portion 30 may be made of a transparent material. [Explanation of symbols]

[0082] 1,1A Vertical Washing Machine 2,2A housing 2R connection part 10,10A top lid 20,20A rear part 22 Flat plate members 24 Frames 26R,26F connection part 30,30A front part 32 Flat plate members 34 Frames 36R connection part 40,40A Handle part 42 Frames 43 Fixed part 44 Toride 46 Connecting part 47 Rotating shaft 48 Spring material 51 First hinge 52 Second hinge 53 3rd hinge 60 Rod-shaped member 60F front end 60R rear end 62 Spring parts 70 Support member

Claims

1. A vertical washing machine having a housing and a top cover that can be opened and closed relative to the housing, The top cover is a rear portion and a front portion divided into two in a front-rear direction, the rear portion having a flat upper surface and the front portion having a flat upper surface; a hinge that connects the rear portion and the front portion so as to be foldable in two; a handle disposed on at least a portion of a front end of the front portion; Equipped with The handle is It has a flat upper surface, A pivot shaft extending in the left-right direction is provided at the rear end, A space for a user to place his / her hand is formed below the front end portion forward of the pivot shaft. Vertical washing machine.

2. In a pre-rotation state before the handle rotates about the rotation shaft, an upper surface of the handle is flat along an upper surface of the front portion, The handle rotates about the rotation axis in response to a force applied to the upper surface and the lower surface of the handle, The handle further includes a spring member for returning the handle to the pre-rotation state.

2. The top load washing machine according to claim 1.

3. 3. The vertical washing machine according to claim 1, wherein at least a part of at least one of the rear portion and the front portion is made of a transparent material.

Images