Washing machine

Abstract

To provide a washing machine capable of ensuring the strength of a balance ring.SOLUTION: A washing machine includes a water tank, a rotary tub having an opening, which is rotatably housed in the water tank, and a balance ring disposed along the whole circumference of the inner face of the opening, which has an internal space for encapsulating a liquid. The balance ring has a partition wall that partitions the internal space into an upper space and a lower space located below the upper space.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate to a washing machine.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a washing machine provided with an annular fluid balancer device above a washing and dewatering tub is known. The fluid balancer device is configured by watertightly fixing a lower balancer case and an upper balancer case, and a metal ring-shaped reinforcing plate is fixed inside the upper balancer case. Since the ring-shaped reinforcing plate can improve the pressure ring strength, for example, it is possible to suppress the amount of deformation of the washing and dewatering tub due to the centrifugal force caused by the imbalance due to the bias of the clothes during the dehydration operation.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, the correction force of a balance ring such as a fluid balancer device depends on the amount of liquid enclosed inside the balance ring. When trying to increase the washing capacity, it is necessary to increase the amount of liquid for balancing, which results in an increase in size. However, for this purpose, the radial thickness dimension of the balance ring is set to the minimum so as not to interfere with the loading and unloading of the laundry, and the height dimension is increased to secure the amount of the liquid while increasing the inner diameter dimension as the balance ring. As a result, the correction force of the balance ring is ensured, but since the balance ring becomes thin as a whole in the direction of the centrifugal force generated during dehydration rotation, a decrease in its strength becomes a problem. For this reason, there is room for improvement in terms of ensuring the strength of the balance ring.

[0005] Therefore, a washing machine capable of ensuring the strength of the balance ring is provided.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0006] The washing machine according to the present embodiment includes a water tank, a rotary tub having an opening and rotatably accommodated in the water tank, and a balance ring provided on the entire inner circumference of the opening and having an internal space filled with a liquid. The balance ring has a partition wall that partitions the internal space into an upper space and a lower space located below the upper space.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0007]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0008] Hereinafter, washing machines according to a plurality of embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. In each embodiment, substantially the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0009] (First Embodiment) First, the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4. The washing machine 1 shown in FIG. 1 is a so-called vertical-axis washing machine in which the rotation axis of the rotary tub 12 is oriented in the vertical direction. The washing machine 1 may be configured with a drying function or may not be configured with a drying function. In FIG. 1, the left side is defined as the front side of the washing machine 1, and the right side is defined as the rear side of the washing machine 1. Also, the installation surface side of the washing machine 1, that is, the vertically downward side, is defined as the lower side of the washing machine 1, and the side opposite to the installation surface, that is, the vertically upward side, is defined as the upper side of the washing machine 1. And the direction orthogonal to the front-rear direction and the up-down direction of the washing machine 1 is defined as the left-right direction. The upward direction in FIG. 1 corresponds to the open side of the washing machine main body 10, that is, the side where the laundry is taken out, and the downward direction in FIG. 1 corresponds to the closed side of the washing machine main body 10, that is, the side opposite to the side where the laundry is taken out. The washing machine 1 is not limited to a vertical-axis washing machine, and may be a so-called drum-type washing machine of a horizontal-axis type in which the rotation axis of the rotary tub is horizontal or an inclined-axis type in which the rotation axis slopes downward rearward.

[0010] As shown in FIG. 1, the washing machine 1 includes a washing machine main body 10, a water tank 11, a rotating tub 12, a motor 13, a stirring blade 14, a drainage device 15, and a water supply mechanism 20. The washing machine main body 10 constitutes the outer shell of the washing machine 1. The washing machine main body 10 has a box body 101, a top cover 102, a back cover 103, and a lid 104. The box body 101 is formed in a substantially rectangular box shape by, for example, a steel plate or the like, and has an open upper side. The top cover 102 is provided on the upper part of the box body 101. As shown in FIG. 1, the top cover 102 has an upper opening 102a on its inner side. The upper opening 102a communicates the inside and outside of the washing machine 1.

[0011] The back cover 103 is provided at the rear end part and a part of the upper part of the top cover 102. The back cover 103 is configured as a rectangular box shape that is long in the left-right direction of the washing machine 1 as a whole. Inside the back cover 103, for example, a part of the water supply mechanism 20 is accommodated. Also, when the washing machine 1 has a drying function, a drying unit (not shown) for generating warm air is accommodated inside the back cover 103. The lid 104 is provided on the upper part of the top cover 102 so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction about the rear side as an axis, and opens and closes the upper opening 102a of the top cover 102. The lid 104 is constituted by, for example, one lid body formed in a substantially rectangular plate shape as a whole.

[0012] The water tank 11 and the rotating tank 12 are both formed in a so-called bottomed cylindrical shape, with one axial side (i.e., the upper side) of the cylindrical shape being open and the other side (i.e., the lower side) having a bottom. The water tank 11 and the rotating tank 12 function as a laundry storage tank for storing laundry. Since the water tank 11 needs to hold the washing liquid in a watertight manner, it is configured by, for example, integral molding of synthetic resin, and is disposed inside the box body 101 and elastically supported by a suspension (not shown). The rotating tank 12 needs to have a strength to withstand the centrifugal force during high-speed rotation during dehydration, so it is configured by, for example, a stainless steel plate and is rotatably provided inside the water tank 11. The rotating tank 12 can accommodate laundry and is rotationally driven by a motor 13. The user can put laundry in and out of the rotating tank 12 through the upper opening 102a and the balance ring 30 (described later) with the lid 104 open.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 1, a balance ring 30 is attached to the upper part of the rotating tank 12. The balance ring 30 is configured, for example, in an annular shape and is provided on the entire inner circumference of the opening 121 located on the upper surface of the rotating tank 12. The balance ring 30 has, for example, a liquid such as salt water enclosed therein, and when vibrations caused by, for example, unevenness of the laundry occur during rotation of the rotating tank 12, the enclosed liquid moves appropriately to balance and correct the vibrations.

[0014] The motor 13 is provided outside the bottom of the water tank 11 and rotates the rotating tank 12. The motor 13 is configured by, for example, an outer rotor type three-phase brushless DC motor. The stirring blade 14 is rotatably provided around a vertical axis at the inner bottom of the rotating tank 12. The stirring blade 14 is connected to the motor 13 and is rotationally driven by the motor 13. Further, although not shown on the back side, the stirring blade 14 has a well-known blade member for scooping up water and has a function of circulating the water in the water tank 11 through a circulation water path (not shown) provided between the rotating tank 12 and the water tank 11.

[0015] The drainage device 15 has the function of discharging the water stored in the water tank 11 to the outside of the washing machine 1. The drainage device 15 has a drain valve 151 and a drain pipe 152. The drain valve 151 is a liquid on-off valve that can be opened and closed electromagnetically. The drain pipe 152 is composed of, for example, a flexible hose. One end of the drain pipe 152 is connected to the drain valve 151, and the other end is drawn out to the outside of the washing machine 1. When the drain valve 151 is opened, the water stored in the water tank 11 is discharged to the outside of the washing machine 1 through the drain pipe 152.

[0016] The water supply mechanism 20 is connected to an external water source such as a water supply, for example, and has the function of injecting the water supplied from the external water source into the water tank 11 and the rotary tank 12. As shown in FIG. 1, the water supply mechanism 20 is provided at the upper rear side in the washing machine main body 10. The water supply mechanism 20 has a water supply valve unit 21, a water injection case 22, and a treatment agent case 23. The water supply mechanism 20 can be configured to have an automatic dosing device (not shown). The automatic dosing device stores the washing treatment agent required for a plurality of washing operations, and has the function of automatically injecting a predetermined amount of the washing treatment agent into the water tank 11 as the washing operation progresses. In this case, the water supply valve unit 21 has a plurality of water supply valves that can be opened and closed electromagnetically. The water supply valve unit 21 has the function of individually opening and closing a plurality of water supply paths leading from an external water source to the inside of the water tank 11 through the water injection case 22. The plurality of water supply paths include a manual water supply path passing through the treatment agent case 23 and an automatic water supply path passing through the automatic dosing device. That is, the water supply valve unit 21 includes a manual water supply valve for opening and closing the manual water supply path and an automatic water supply valve for opening and closing the automatic water supply path.

[0017] The water injection case 22 is formed, for example, in a rectangular box shape made of synthetic resin with an open front side. The upstream side of the water injection case 22 is connected to the water supply valve unit 21, and the downstream side is connected to the water tank 11 through a water injection hose (not shown). The water injection hose is composed of, for example, a flexible hose and is the part connecting the water injection case 22 and the water tank 11. The water supplied from the external water source into the water injection case 22 is supplied into the water tank 11 through the water injection hose.

[0018] The treatment agent case 23 is used when the user manually inputs the laundry treatment agent, and receives the input of the laundry treatment agent required for, for example, one laundry operation. The laundry treatment agent includes, for example, detergents such as powder detergents and liquid detergents, and finishing agents such as fabric softeners and fragrances. Although not shown in detail, in the treatment agent case 23, for example, a detergent storage portion and a fabric softener storage portion are arranged side by side left and right. When the manual water supply valve is opened and water is supplied from an external water source with the laundry treatment agent being put into the treatment agent case 23, the laundry treatment agent put into the treatment agent case 23 is mixed with the water supplied from the external water source and supplied into the water tank 11.

[0019] Next, the configuration of the balance ring 30 will be described in detail. As shown in FIG. 2, the balance ring 30 has a main body portion 31, an upper surface lid 32, a lower surface lid 33, a placement portion 34, and a partition wall 35. The main body portion 31 is configured, for example, in an annular shape and constitutes the main body of the balance ring 30. The main body portion 31 is formed in a hollow shape and extends in the vertical direction, with the upper surface and the lower surface being open. The main body portion 31 has an inner wall surface 311 and an outer wall surface 312. The inner wall surface 311 constitutes the inner side surface of the main body portion 31. The outer wall surface 312 is arranged parallel to the inner wall surface 311 and constitutes the outer side surface of the main body portion 31. The outer wall surface 312 is located outside the inner wall surface 311 in the radial direction. In other words, the inner wall surface 311 is located inside the outer wall surface 312 in the radial direction.

[0020] The upper surface lid 32 closes the upper surface of the main body portion 31. The lower surface lid 33 closes the lower surface of the main body portion 31. In the present embodiment, the upper surface lid 32 covers the upper surface of the main body portion 31. The lower surface lid 33 covers the lower surface of the main body portion 31. In the present embodiment, the upper surface of the main body portion 31 is located above the upper end of the side wall 122 of the rotary tub 12. The lower surface of the main body portion 31 is arranged at a position facing the side wall 122 of the rotary tub 12. That is, the upper surface lid 32 is located above the upper end of the side wall 122 of the rotary tub 12. On the other hand, the lower surface lid 33 is arranged at a position facing the side wall 122 of the rotary tub 12.

[0021] The internal space S of the balance ring 30 is formed by the main body 31, the upper cover 32, and the lower cover 33. The upper cover 32 and the lower cover 33 are configured in substantially the same shape and are formed in an annular shape. Therefore, the upper surface of the main body 31 and the lower surface of the main body 31 are configured in substantially the same opening shape although the diameter dimensions of the entire ring are different. The upper cover 32 and the lower cover 33 are formed, for example, with a substantially U-shaped cross section. In this case, the upper cover 32 and the lower cover 33 each have a cover body 321, 331 and a holding portion 322, 332. The cover bodies 321, 331 are configured, for example, in a flat plate shape. The holding portions 322, 332 are located at both ends of the cover bodies 321, 331 and are formed to protrude inward from the cover bodies 321, 331.

[0022] The upper cover 32 and the lower cover 33 are joined to the main body 31, for example, by spin welding. During spin welding, the main body 31 fixed to the fixing portion of a spin welding machine (not shown) and the covers 32, 33 supported by a rotatable movable portion 91 provided on the tip side of the spin welding machine are rotated while pressing the covers 32, 33 against the main body 31 with their central axes aligned with each other, so that the main body 31 and the covers 32, 33 are welded. In this case, the upper cover 32 and the lower cover 33 each have a recessed portion 323, 333. The recessed portions 323, 333 are portions that fit with the movable portion 91 of the spin welding machine.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 3(a), a plurality of, for example, two recessed portions 323, 333 are provided at positions facing each other in the radial direction. As shown in FIG. 3(b), the recessed portions 323, 333 are formed, for example, by being recessed inward from the outer peripheral surfaces of the upper cover 32 and the lower cover 33. By fitting the recessed portions 323, 333 to the movable portion 91 of the spin welding machine, the covers 32, 33 can be stably rotated in response to the drive of the movable portion 91. As shown in FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b), the recessed portions 323, 333 may be formed by being recessed outward from the inner peripheral surfaces of the upper cover 32 and the lower cover 33. Further, the joining method of the upper cover 32 and the lower cover 33 to the main body 31 is not limited to spin welding, and other welding methods such as ultrasonic welding and vibration welding may be used.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 2, the mounting portion 34 is formed, for example, in a plate shape and extends in a flange shape radially outward from the outer wall surface 312. The mounting portion 34 is in contact with the upper end of the side wall 122 of the rotation groove 12 in a state where the balance ring 30 is attached to the rotation groove 12. The radial length of the mounting portion 34 is set to be substantially the same as the thickness of the side wall 122 of the rotation groove 12 or larger than the thickness of the side wall 122.

[0025] The partition wall 35 is provided between the inner wall surface 311 and the outer wall surface 312 and partitions the internal space S of the balance ring 30 into an upper space S1 and a lower space S2. The upper space S1 is formed by the inner wall surface 311, the outer wall surface 312, the upper lid 32, and the partition wall 35, and is located above the partition wall 35 in the internal space S. The lower space S2 is formed by the inner wall surface 311, the outer wall surface 312, the lower lid 33, and the partition wall 35, and is located below the partition wall 35 in the internal space S. The upper space S1 and the lower space S2 are configured, for example, to have the same internal volume. The upper space S1 and the lower space S2 may be configured to have different internal volumes. When the upper space S1 and the lower space S2 are configured to have different internal volumes, from the viewpoint of ensuring the correction force, it is preferable that the internal volume of the upper space S1 is larger than the internal volume of the lower space S2. The amounts of liquid enclosed in the upper space S1 and the lower space S2 may be the same or different. Hereinafter, the portion of the inner wall surface 311 located above the partition wall 35 may be referred to as an upper inner wall surface 311a, and the portion of the inner wall surface 311 located below the partition wall 35 may be referred to as a lower inner wall surface 311b. Also, the portion of the outer wall surface 312 located above the partition wall 35 may be referred to as an upper outer wall surface 312a, and the portion of the outer wall surface 312 located below the partition wall 35 may be referred to as a lower outer wall surface 312b.

[0026] The partition wall 35 is provided near the center of the main body 31 in the vertical direction. In this case, with the balance ring 30 attached to the rotating groove 12, the partition wall 35 is disposed below the upper edge of the opening 121 of the rotating groove 12, that is, below the upper end of the side wall 122. The partition wall 35 is provided at a position overlapping the side wall 122 in the vertical direction. And the balance ring 30 is configured to have a substantially H-shaped cross section by the main body 31 and the partition wall 35. Thereby, the rigidity of the balance ring 30 in the radial direction is improved.

[0027] Also, in the present embodiment, the partition wall 35 is formed to protrude integrally from the inner wall surface 311 and the outer wall surface 312, that is, the side surfaces of the balance ring 30. The partition wall 35 constitutes a single wall common to the upper space S1 and the lower space S2. The thickness of the partition wall 35, in this case the dimension in the vertical direction, is the same as or different from the thicknesses of the inner wall surface 311 and the outer wall surface 312. In the present embodiment, the thickness of the partition wall 35 is set to be larger than the thicknesses of the inner wall surface 311 and the outer wall surface 312. Thereby, the rigidity of the balance ring 30 in the radial direction can be ensured. The thickness of the partition wall 35 may be set to be smaller than the thicknesses of the inner wall surface 311 and the outer wall surface 312. According to this, a larger internal volume of the balance ring 30 can be ensured and the filling amount of the liquid can be increased, so that the correcting force of the balance ring 30 can be improved.

[0028] The balance ring 30 can be configured to have an inclined portion 36 and a fitting hole 37. As shown in FIG. 2, the inclined portion 36 is located between the upper space S1 and the lower space S2, and is composed of an inner wall surface 311, an outer wall surface 312, and a partition wall 35. The inclined portion 36 is inclined radially inward from top to bottom. In a state where the balance ring 30 is attached to the rotating groove 12, a gap D is formed by the inclined portion 36 between the lower surface cover 33, the outer wall surface 312, and the side wall 122 of the rotating groove 12. That is, in a state where the balance ring 30 is attached to the rotating groove 12, the lower surface cover 33 is disposed at a position away from the side wall 122. The gap D is for preventing contact between the rotating groove 12 and the lower surface cover 33 and for preventing vibration of the rotating groove 12 from being transmitted to the lower surface cover 33. In this case, the lower surface cover 33 is located radially inside the upper surface cover 32. Further, the lower inner wall surface 311b is located radially inside the upper inner wall surface 311a. Furthermore, the lower outer wall surface 312b is located radially inside the upper outer wall surface 312a.

[0029] The fitting hole 37 is provided on the outer wall surface 312 side of the main body portion 31 at a position overlapping the partition wall 35. A plurality of fitting holes 37 are provided at predetermined intervals along the circumferential direction of the main body portion 31. The fitting hole 37 is formed by recessing a part of the outer wall surface 312 and the partition wall 35 into a cylindrical shape. For example, female thread processing is performed on the inner peripheral surface of the fitting hole 37. Further, a through hole 122a is formed in the side wall 122 of the rotating groove 12 at a position corresponding to the fitting hole 37. Female thread processing may or may not be performed on the inner peripheral surface of the through hole 122a.

[0030] The through hole 122a and the fitting hole 37 are capable of inserting the shaft portion 41a of a connection member 41 formed of, for example, a screw member. For example, male screw processing is performed on the outer peripheral surface of the connection member 41. The connection member 41 is detachable from the through hole 122a and the fitting hole 37. Then, when the connection member 41 is tightened to the fitting hole 37 through the through hole 122a, the balance ring 30 is attached to the rotary tub 12. Note that the connection member 41 may be configured by, for example, a screw, and the balance ring 30 may be attached to the rotary tub 12 by screwing the screw to the side wall 122, the outer wall surface 312, and the partition wall 35.

[0031] According to the embodiment described above, the washing machine 1 includes a water tub 11, a rotary tub 12, and a balance ring 30. The rotary tub 12 has an opening 121 and is rotatably accommodated in the water tub 11. The balance ring 30 is provided on the entire circumference of the inner surface of the opening 121 and has an internal space S filled with liquid. The balance ring 30 has a partition wall 35. The partition wall 35 partitions the internal space S of the balance ring 30 into an upper space S1 and a lower space S2 located below the upper space S1. According to this, the rigidity in the radial direction of the balance ring 30 can be improved by the partition wall 35. Thereby, since the strength of the balance ring 30 can be ensured against the centrifugal force generated by high-speed rotation during dehydration, as a result, the opening 121 of the rotary tub 12 can be enlarged. That is, while setting the radial thickness dimension of the balance ring 30 to the minimum so that the balance ring 30 does not hinder the loading and unloading of laundry, the dimension in the height direction can be increased, and thereby, the balance ring 30 can be made thin as a whole while sufficiently ensuring the correcting force as the balance ring 30.

[0032] The partition wall 35 is disposed below the upper end edge of the opening 121. According to this, the balance ring 30 can be stably supported on the inner surface of the rotary tub 12 having high rigidity at the portion where the balance ring 30 has the highest strength. Thereby, the occurrence of problems such as deformation and damage of the balance ring 30 can be suppressed, and the reliability of the washing machine 1 can be improved.

[0033] The balance ring 30 has a main body portion 31, an upper lid 32, and a lower lid 33. The main body portion 31 is formed in a hollow shape and extends in the vertical direction. The upper lid 32 closes the upper surface of the main body portion 31. The lower lid 33 closes the lower surface of the main body portion 31. And the internal space S is formed by the main body portion 31, the upper lid 32, and the lower lid 33. According to this, liquid can be enclosed in either the upper or lower space S1, S2 of the internally partitioned space S by the partition wall 35. Thereby, the correcting force of the balance ring 30 can be appropriately ensured.

[0034] A gap D is provided between the lower lid 33 and the rotating groove 12. According to this, contact between the lower lid 33 and the rotating groove 12 is suppressed. Thereby, for example, transmission of vibrations or the like of the rotating groove 12 to the lower lid 33 is suppressed, so that the lower lid 33 can be stably fixed to the main body portion 31. Therefore, the balance ring 30 can be made to have a longer life.

[0035] The partition wall 35 is formed to project integrally from the inner wall surface 311 and the outer wall surface 312 of the balance ring 30, and constitutes a single wall common to the upper space S1 and the lower space S2. According to this, the main body of the balance ring 30 can be configured in an H-shaped structure including the partition wall 35. Thereby, since the balance ring 30 does not have a complicated shape, strength can be improved at low cost.

[0036] The thickness of the partition wall 35 is different from the thicknesses of the inner wall surface 311 and the outer wall surface 312 of the balance ring 30. According to this, for example, when the thickness of the partition wall 35 is made larger than the thicknesses of the inner wall surface 311 and the outer wall surface 312 of the balance ring 30, the strength of the balance ring 30, in this case, the rigidity in the radial direction can be ensured. On the other hand, when the thickness of the partition wall 35 is made smaller than the thicknesses of the inner wall surface 311 and the outer wall surface 312 of the balance ring 30, a larger internal volume of the balance ring 30 can be ensured and the amount of liquid enclosed can be increased, so that the correcting force of the balance ring 30 can be improved.

[0037] The washing machine 1 further includes a connection member 41. The connection member 41 is formed in a shape corresponding to the fitting holes 37 provided in the outer wall surface 312 and the partition wall 35 of the balance ring 30, and is detachably attached to the fitting holes 37 through the through holes 122a formed in the side wall 122 of the rotary tub 12. According to this, the balance ring 30 can be stably and reliably mounted in the rotary tub 12 by using the partition wall 35.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 5, the balance ring 30 may be configured to have a protruding portion 313 instead of the inclined portion 36. In the example of FIG. 5, the protruding portion 313 is provided to protrude outside the outer wall surface 312. The protruding portion 313 is formed over the entire circumference of the main body portion 31. The protruding portion 313 extends in the vertical direction across the upper outer wall surface 312a and the lower outer wall surface 312b. In this case, the fitting hole 37 is provided in the protruding portion 313. The radial dimension of the protruding portion 313 is larger than the thickness, that is, the radial dimension of the holding portion 332 of the lower surface lid 33. Also by this, a gap D can be formed between the lower surface lid 33 and the side wall 122 of the rotary tub 12. For this reason, contact between the lower surface lid 33 and the rotary tub 12 is suppressed, and the lower surface lid 33 can be stably fixed to the main body portion 31. Therefore, the service life of the balance ring 30 can be extended. Moreover, since the upper surface lid 32 and the lower surface lid 33 can be configured to be the same, the number of molding die devices can be reduced.

[0039] (Second Embodiment) Next, the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 6. In this second embodiment, the configuration of the balance ring 30 is different from that of the first embodiment described above. Specifically, in this embodiment, the balance ring 30 has a communication portion 38. The communication portion 38 is formed in a hollow shape through which liquid can pass, and communicates the upper space S1 and the lower space S2. The communication portion 38 is, for example, configured separately from the main body portion 31. The communication portion 38 may be a passage formed integrally with the main body portion 31 during the molding of the main body portion 31. In this embodiment, one end of the communication portion 38 extends to a position substantially the same as the upper ends of the inner wall surface 311 and the outer wall surface 312 of the balance ring 30, and the other end extends to a position substantially the same as the lower end of the partition wall 35.

[0040] A plurality of communication portions 38 are provided at intervals in the circumferential direction. When enclosing liquid in the balance ring 30, the plurality of communication portions 38 have a function of supplying liquid from the upper space S1 toward the lower space S2 and a function of discharging the air inside the lower space S2 to the outside of the lower space S2. That is, in the liquid injection process during the manufacture of the balance ring 30, with the lower surface cover 33 attached to the main body portion 31 in advance, as shown by the black arrow in FIG. 6, liquid can be injected from the upper space S1 toward the lower space S2 through the communication portion 38. And the opening on one end side of the communication portion 38 is closed simultaneously with the upper surface of the main body portion 31 when the upper surface cover 32 is welded to the main body portion 31. Note that the opening on one end side of the communication portion 38 is not limited to the configuration of being closed by the upper surface cover 32, and may be configured to be always open.

[0041] Here, when centrifugal force acts due to the rotation of the rotating tank 12, the liquid in the balance ring 30 moves radially outward. Therefore, the communication portion 38 is provided on the inner wall surface 311 side. By providing the communication portion 38 on the inner wall surface 311 side in this way, even if the liquid in the balance ring 30 moves radially outward, it can be made difficult for the moved liquid to flow into the communication portion 38. Thereby, the outflow of the liquid in the upper space S1 to the lower space S2 side through the communication portion 38 is suppressed.

[0042] Also according to such a second embodiment, the same operational effects as those of the first embodiment are achieved. Further, by using the communication portion 38, liquid can be injected into the upper space S1 and the lower space S2 in one process. Thereby, since the liquid injection process during the manufacture of the balance ring 30 can be simplified, the manufacturability of the balance ring 30 can be improved.

[0043] (Third Embodiment) Next, the third embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8. In this third embodiment, the balance ring 30 has a partitioning member 39. Note that the configuration of the third embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment except for having the partitioning member 39. The partitioning member 39 partitions one or both of the upper space S1 and the lower space S2 into a plurality of parts respectively. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, the partitioning member 39 is provided in both the upper space S1 and the lower space S2. The partitioning member 39 is formed, for example, with a rectangular cross-section and is formed in an annular shape along the inner wall surface 311 and the outer wall surface 312 of the balance ring 30. One end of the partitioning member 39 is joined to the partition wall 35, and the other end is joined to the lids 32 and 33. That is, the partitioning member 39 is configured to extend in the vertical direction.

[0044] In the manufacturing process of the balance ring 30, the other end of the partitioning member 39 is spin-welded to the lids 32 and 33 simultaneously with the main body portion 31. The partitioning member 39 is located, for example, in the middle between the inner wall surface 311 and the outer wall surface 312 in the radial direction. In this case, the partitioning member 39 bisects the upper space S1 and the lower space S2 in the radial direction respectively. That is, the internal space S is divided into four equal parts as a whole. Note that the partitioning member 39 may be arranged closer to either one side of the inner wall surface 311 or the outer wall surface 312. Also, a configuration in which a plurality of partitioning members 39 are provided in each of the spaces S1 and S2 may be adopted. Further, the partitioning member 39 may be configured to extend in the radial direction so as to connect the inner wall surface 311 and the outer wall surface 312.

[0045] Here, when the correction force of the balance ring 30 is large relative to the washing capacity of the washing machine 1, for example, the burden on the mechanical parts such as the motor 13 increases, so the product life of the washing machine 1 may decrease. Therefore, the correction force of the balance ring 30 needs to be appropriately set relative to the washing capacity of the washing machine 1. Thus, in the present embodiment, in the internal space S of the balance ring 30, the partition wall 35 and the partitioning member 39 partition the space into a plurality of spaces, and by changing the space for injecting the liquid, that is, changing the amount of the liquid enclosed, the correction force of the balance ring 30 can be adjusted according to the washing capacity. The amount of the liquid enclosed in the plurality of spaces partitioned by the partition wall 35 and the partitioning member 39 can be set to the same amount, for example, 250 cc. Note that the amounts of the liquid enclosed in the plurality of spaces may be different.

[0046] For example, as shown in FIG. 8(a), when the washing capacity is 12 kg, for example, the liquid is injected into both the inner upper space S1a and the outer upper space S1b in the upper space S1, and both the inner lower space S2a and the outer lower space S2b in the lower space S2. As shown in FIG. 8(b), when the washing capacity is 10 kg, for example, the liquid is injected into both the inner upper space S1a and the outer upper space S1b in the upper space S1, and the outer lower space S2b in the lower space S2. In this case, for example, no liquid is injected into the inner lower space S2a in the lower space S2.

[0047] Then, as shown in FIG. 8(c), when the washing capacity is 9 kg, for example, the liquid is injected into the outer upper space S1b in the upper space S1 and the outer lower space S2b in the lower space S2. In this case, for example, no liquid is injected into the inner upper space S1a in the upper space S1 and the inner lower space S2a in the lower space S2. In this way, the smaller the washing capacity, the smaller the amount of the liquid enclosed in the inner spaces S1a and S2a compared to the outer spaces S1b and S2b.

[0048] According to such a third embodiment, the same operational effects as those of the above-described embodiments are achieved. In addition, in the third embodiment, the spaces S1a, S1b, S2a, and S2b partitioned by the partition wall 35 or the partitioning member 39 have different liquid filling amounts. As a result, by using a single balance ring 30, it is possible to set an appropriate correction force according to the washing capacity and to support a plurality of models with different washing capacities.

[0049] (Fourth Embodiment) Next, the fourth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 9. In this fourth embodiment, the configuration of the main body portion 31 of the balance ring 30 is different from that of each of the above embodiments. Specifically, in each of the above embodiments, the main body portion 31 is composed of a single member, whereas in this embodiment, the main body portion 31 is composed of a plurality of members, in this case two members. In this case, the main body portion 31 is composed of an upper main body portion 51 and a lower main body portion 52. The upper main body portion 51 and the lower main body portion 52 are configured separately from each other and are integrally combined by being joined in the vertical direction. The upper main body portion 51 and the lower main body portion 52 are formed, for example, with a substantially U-shaped cross section. The upper main body portion 51 and the lower main body portion 52 are set to have substantially the same internal volume, for example.

[0050] The upper main body portion 51 is configured, for example, in a container shape with an open upper surface. The upper surface of the upper main body portion 51 is configured to be, for example, spin-weldable with the upper surface lid 32. The upper main body portion 51 has an inner wall surface 511, an outer wall surface 512, and a lower surface 513. The inner wall surface 511 and the outer wall surface 512 are configured, for example, in an annular shape and face each other. The lower surface 513 is, for example, flat and constitutes the lower surface of the upper main body portion 51. Then, an upper space S1 is formed by the upper surface lid 32, the inner wall surface 511, the outer wall surface 512, and the lower surface 513. In this case, the lower surface 513 functions as an upper partition wall that constitutes the lower surface of the upper space S1. As shown in FIG. 9, the lower surface 513 has a recess 514. The recess 514 is formed by the lower surface 513 being recessed upward and is provided over the entire circumference of the lower surface 513.

[0051] The lower main body portion 52 is configured, for example, in a container shape with an open bottom surface. The bottom surface of the lower main body portion 52 is configured to be, for example, spin-weldable with the bottom cover 33. The lower main body portion 52 has an inner wall surface 521, an outer wall surface 522, and an upper surface 523. The inner wall surface 521 and the outer wall surface 522 are configured, for example, in an annular shape and face each other. The upper surface 523 is, for example, flat and constitutes the upper surface of the lower main body portion 52. And a lower space S2 is formed by the bottom cover 33, the inner wall surface 521, the outer wall surface 522, and the upper surface 523. In this case, the upper surface 523 functions as a lower partition wall that constitutes the upper surface of the lower space S2. As shown in FIG. 9, the upper surface 523 has a convex portion 524. The convex portion 524 is formed to protrude upward from the upper surface 523 and is provided over the entire circumference of the upper surface 523. The convex portion 524 is engageable with the concave portion 514 of the upper main body portion 51. And when the convex portion 524 and the concave portion 514 are engaged, the upper main body portion 51 and the lower main body portion 52 are in a state where the lower surface 513 and the upper surface 523 are in contact with each other. In a state where the lower surface 513 and the upper surface 523 are in contact with each other, the upper main body portion 51 and the lower main body portion 52 can be integrated, for example, by spin welding.

[0052] And in a state where the upper main body portion 51 and the lower main body portion 52 are integrated, a partition wall 35 is formed by the lower surface 513 and the upper surface 523. That is, in the present embodiment, the partition wall 35 is configured by combining the lower surface 513 of the upper main body portion 51 and the upper surface 523 of the lower main body portion 52 formed separately from the lower surface 513. Also by such a fourth embodiment, the same operational effects as those of the first embodiment are achieved. Further, without making the balance ring 30 have a complicated component configuration, it is possible to improve the strength and make it thinner so as not to hinder the insertion and removal of laundry.

[0053] When the main body portion 31 is configured by two members, as shown in FIG. 10, it may be configured to combine annular members 61 formed in the same shape and made common in the vertical direction. In the example of FIG. 10, the annular member 61 is, for example, in a container shape with an open upper surface and is configured in an annular shape. The annular member 61 may have a configuration with an open bottom surface. The upper surface of the annular member 61 is attached to the upper cover 32, for example, by spin welding.

[0054] The annular member 61 has an engaged portion 62. The engaged portion 62 is provided on both sides in the radial direction on the lower surface 611 of the annular member 61. The engaged portion 62 is formed by denting the lower surface 611 of the annular member 61 inward. In this case, the engaged portion 62 of one annular member 61a is configured to be engageable with the upper end of the side surface of the other annular member 61b. And in a state where the engaged portion 62 of one annular member 61a and the upper end of the side surface of the other annular member 61b are engaged, a plurality of annular members 61a, 61b can be integrated, for example, by spin welding. In this case, the upper space S1 is formed by the upper surface lid 32 and one annular member 61a. Also, the lower space S2 is formed by the lower surface 611a of one annular member 61a and the other annular member 61b. And the lower surface 611a of one annular member 61a functions as a partition wall. In this way, by using the common annular member 61, it is possible to reduce the number of parts while improving the strength of the balance ring 30 and making the balance ring 30 thinner so as not to hinder the loading and unloading of laundry.

[0055] As described above, a plurality of embodiments of the present invention have been described. However, 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, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are also included in the invention described in the claims and its equivalent scope.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0056] 1... Washing machine, 11... Water tank, 12... Rotating tub, 121... Opening, 30... Balance ring, 35... Partition wall, S... Internal space, S1... Upper space, S2... Lower space

Claims

1. A water tank, a rotating tank having an opening and rotatably accommodated in the water tank, and a balance ring provided on the entire inner circumference of the opening and having an internal space filled with a liquid. The balance ring has a partition wall that partitions the internal space into an upper space and a lower space located below the upper space. A washing machine.

2. The partition wall is disposed below the upper edge of the opening. The washing machine according to Claim 1.

3. The balance ring has a main body portion formed in a hollow shape and extending in the vertical direction, an upper surface lid closing the upper surface of the main body portion, and a lower surface lid closing the lower surface of the main body portion. The internal space is formed by the main body portion, the upper surface lid, and the lower surface lid. The washing machine according to Claim 1.

4. A gap is provided between the lower surface lid and the rotating tank. The washing machine according to Claim 3.

5. The main body portion has an inner wall surface constituting the inner side surface of the main body portion, an outer wall surface disposed parallel to the inner wall surface and constituting the outer side surface of the main body portion, and a protruding portion provided to protrude outside the outer wall surface. The washing machine according to Claim 4.

6. The partition wall is formed to protrude integrally from the side surface of the balance ring and constitutes a single wall common to the upper space and the lower space. The washing machine according to Claim 1.

7. The thickness of the partition wall is different from the thickness of the side surface of the balance ring. The washing machine according to Claim 1.

8. The washing machine further includes a connecting member formed in a shape corresponding to fitting holes provided in the side surface of the balance ring and the partition wall, and detachably attached to the fitting holes through through holes formed in the side wall of the rotating tank. The washing machine according to Claim 1.

9. The balance ring further has a communication portion formed in a hollow shape through which the liquid can pass and communicating the upper space and the lower space. The washing machine according to Claim 1.

10. The balance ring further has a partitioning member that partitions one or both of the upper space and the lower space into a plurality of parts respectively. The washing machine according to Claim 1.

11. The spaces partitioned by the partition wall or the partitioning member have different amounts of the liquid enclosed therein. The washing machine according to Claim 10.

12. The partition wall is configured by combining an upper partition wall that constitutes the lower surface of the upper space and a lower partition wall that is formed separately from the upper partition wall and constitutes the upper surface of the lower space. The washing machine according to claim 1.

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