Washing machine

Abstract

To enhance durability of a leaf spring for locking a door part positioned in a closed position, to improve turning property when the door part is closed, and to improve sealing performance by the door part for a washing chamber.SOLUTION: A dishwasher 100 includes a body part 1 having an opening 1C for carrying dishes D, etc. into or out of a washing chamber 1B, and a door part 50 fixed to the body part 1. The door part 50 includes a door body part 51 for covering the opening 1C when the door part 50 is positioned in a closed position, a door holding part 52 protruding from the door body part 51, and a roller part 55 rotatably provided at the door holding part 52. The body part 1 is provided with a first leaf spring member 91 where a locking part 91b is formed in a part for locking the roller part 55 that moves accompanying the turning of the door holding part 52, in the closed position. The first leaf spring member 91 is arranged so that a fixed part 91a fixed to the body part 1 is positioned on a closing direction D2 side relative to the locking part 91b.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a washing machine for washing objects to be washed such as tableware.

Background Art

[0002] An under-counter type washing machine is known, which includes a main body having an opening for taking in and out an object to be washed into and out of a washing chamber, and a door portion rotatably fixed to the main body between a closed position for closing the opening and an open position for opening the opening. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a washing machine (dishwasher) including a door portion rotatable around a rotation axis extending horizontally below the opening, a roller that abuts against a front edge plate portion when the door portion is opened to restrict the rotation of the door portion, and a leaf spring (elastic member) that is elastically deformed by contact with a roller portion that moves as the door portion rotates when closing, and locks the roller portion that returns to the closed position after passing through the roller portion. According to the configuration of Patent Document 1, the rotation of the door portion when it is opened can be restricted by the roller portion, and the closed position of the door portion can be maintained by a simple configuration in which the roller portion is locked by the leaf spring.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the leaf spring provided in the above-described conventional washing machine, the locking portion that locks the roller portion when the door portion is closed is disposed vertically downward of the fixing portion to which the leaf spring is fixed with respect to the main body portion. For this reason, when the contact start portion (the portion where the roller portion pushes away the leaf spring) is defined as the portion where the roller portion that moves as the door portion is rotated when closing the door portion first contacts the leaf spring, the distance between the fixing portion and the locking portion is longer than the distance between the fixing portion and the contact start portion. For this reason, the stress when the roller portion contacts the contact start portion becomes relatively large, the durability of the leaf spring itself decreases, and the door portion is difficult to rotate (difficult to close). On the other hand, the stress when the roller portion is locked by the locking portion becomes relatively small, and the sealing property of the washing chamber by the door portion is weak.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a washing machine capable of enhancing the durability of a leaf spring that locks a door portion located at a closed position, enhancing the rotatability of the door portion, and improving the sealing property of a washing chamber by the door portion.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] (1) The washing machine of the present invention includes a main body portion having an opening through which an object to be washed is taken in and out of a washing chamber and opening forward, and a door portion fixed to the main body portion so as to be rotatable between a closed position for closing the opening and an open position for opening the opening. The door portion includes a door main body portion that covers the opening when the door portion is in the closed position, a door holding portion that is rotatably fixed to the main body portion and protrudes from the door main body portion toward the washing chamber side when the door portion is in the closed position, and a roller portion rotatably provided on the door holding portion. The main body portion is provided with a leaf spring in which a locking portion that locks the roller portion that moves as the door holding portion rotates is partially formed at the closed position. When the moving direction of the roller portion when the door portion rotates from the open position toward the closed position is defined as the closing direction, the leaf spring is arranged such that a fixing portion fixed to the main body portion is located on the closing direction side of the locking portion.

[0007] In the washing machine with this configuration, the leaf spring is arranged such that the fixing portion fixed to the main body portion is located closer to the closing direction side than the locking portion. As a result, the distance between the fixing portion and the contact start portion where the roller portion first contacts the leaf spring is longer than the distance between the fixing portion and the contact locking portion where the roller portion is contact-locked to the locking portion, and the stress of the leaf spring generated when the roller portion contacts the contact start portion is smaller than the stress of the leaf spring generated when the roller portion is locked to the contact locking portion. As a result, the durability of the leaf spring itself can be improved, and the door portion can be configured to be easily rotatable (easily closable). Furthermore, the distance between the fixing portion and the contact locking portion is shorter than the distance between the fixing portion and the contact start portion, and the stress of the leaf spring generated when the roller portion is locked to the contact locking portion is larger than the stress of the leaf spring generated when the roller portion contacts the contact start portion, so the sealing performance of the washing chamber by the door portion can be improved.

[0008] (2) In the washing machine according to (1) above, the door portion is rotatably fixed around a rotation axis extending horizontally below the opening, and the fixing portion may be located below the locking portion. In this configuration, even when a door portion that is rotatably fixed around a rotation axis extending horizontally below the opening is provided, the durability of the leaf spring that locks the door portion in the closed position can be enhanced, the rotatability of the door portion can be enhanced, and the sealing performance of the washing chamber by the door portion can be improved.

[0009] (3) In the washing machine according to (1) or (2) above, the leaf spring may be arranged such that the locking portion is located between the orbit of the rotation center of the roller portion when the door holding portion rotates and the rotation axis of the door holding portion. In this configuration, the locking portion will be arranged to contact the inside of the roller portion when the door portion rotates. As a result, compared with the locking portion arranged to contact the outside of the roller portion when the door portion rotates, the size of the locking portion and thus the size of the leaf spring can be reduced. As a result, the rotatability when closing the door portion can be enhanced, and the durability of the leaf spring can be improved.

[0010] (4) In the dishwasher according to any one of (1) to (3) above, the leaf spring extends from the base end portion, which is the fixed portion, through the locking portion toward the tip end portion, and the locking portion may be formed in a shape bent in a concave shape. In this configuration, since the bent portion is formed, the durability of the leaf spring portion is improved.

Effect of the Invention

[0011] According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to enhance the durability of the leaf spring that locks the door portion located in the closed position, improve the rotatability when closing the door portion, and improve the sealing performance of the washing chamber by the door portion.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0012]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Hereinafter, a dishwasher (cleaning machine) 100 according to an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. For convenience of explanation, in FIGS. 1, 4, and 5, the front-rear direction, left-right direction, and up-down direction are respectively set. The front-rear direction, left-right direction, and up-down direction in this specification indicate the directions shown in FIGS. 1, 4, and 5. Also, for convenience of explanation, in FIGS. 4, 7, and 8, the illustration of the door spring is omitted.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 1, the dishwasher 100 according to an embodiment is an under-counter type dishwasher in which a door portion 50 is provided in front of the cleaning chamber 1B. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the dishwasher 100 includes a main body portion 1, a door portion 50, a washing water tank 20, an upper nozzle 3, a lower nozzle 4, a washing pump 5, a rinsing water tank 6, a rinsing pump 7, a detergent supply pump 8, a rinse aid supply pump 9, and a controller 10.

[0015] The main body 1 is formed by including a frame (not shown), an exterior panel 11 made of stainless steel, and an interior panel 2. The exterior panel 11 has a pair of side panels 11A, 11A forming side surfaces in the left - right direction, an upper panel 11B, an upper front panel 11C, a lower front panel 11D, and a rear panel 11E. At least the lower front panel 11D is provided so as to be easily detachable from the frame. Legs 12 are attached to the four corners at the lower part of the main body 1. An operation display unit 13 that can operate various operations of the dishwasher 100 and display the state of the dishwasher 100 is provided on the upper front panel 11C.

[0016] In the lower region of the main body 1, a machine room 1A is formed that houses a washing water tank 20, a washing pump 5, a rinsing water tank 6, a rinsing pump 7, a detergent supply pump 8, and a rinse - aid supply pump 9. In the upper region of the main body 1, a washing chamber 1B is formed that houses a rack on which tableware (objects to be washed) D, etc. are set. The washing chamber 1B is a space above the washing water tank 20 and is constituted by the interior panel 2. The interior panel 2 mainly has a pair of side panels 2A, 2A, an upper panel 2B, and a rear panel (not shown). Rack rails 23 for supporting the rack are formed on the inner surfaces of the pair of side panels 2A, 2A. An opening 1C for taking in and out a rack on which tableware D, etc. are set into and from the washing chamber 1B faces forward in the main body 1.

[0017] The door part 50 is arranged outside the opening 1C. The door part 50 is fixed to the main body 1 so as to be rotatable between a closed position for closing the opening 1C and an open position for opening the opening 1C. When the door part 50 is in the open position, the washing chamber 1B inside the opening 1C is opened to the outside of the main body 1. The door part 50 is provided so as to be rotatable with a shaft extending in the left - right direction at the lower end of the door part 50 as a rotation axis A. The configuration of the door part 50 will be described in detail later.

[0018] The washing water tank 20 is provided below the washing chamber 1B. The washing water tank 20 has a storage section 22 for storing the washing water used for washing tableware D and the like accommodated in the washing chamber 1B. The washing water tank 20 is provided with a washing water detection section 24, a washing water heater 25A, and a washing water temperature sensor 25B. The washing water detection section 24 detects whether or not the water level of the washing water stored in the storage section 22 is at the fixed water level H1. The washing water heater 25A heats the washing water stored in the storage section 22 in order to improve the sterilization ability and the washing ability. The washing water temperature sensor 25B detects the temperature of the washing water stored in the storage section 22.

[0019] The upper nozzle 3 is provided above the washing chamber 1B. The upper nozzle 3 is rotatably provided on an upper support portion 21A provided above the washing chamber 1B. The upper nozzle 3 is provided with a washing injection hole 31 for injecting the washing water stored in the storage section 22 of the washing water tank 20 and a rinsing injection hole 33 for injecting the rinsing water stored in the rinsing water tank 6. An upper washing pipe 48 for supplying washing water and an upper rinsing pipe 78 for supplying rinsing water are connected to the upper nozzle 3.

[0020] The lower nozzle 4 is provided below the washing chamber 1B. The lower nozzle 4 is rotatably provided on a lower support portion 21B provided below the washing chamber 1B. The lower nozzle 4 is provided with a washing injection hole 35 for injecting the washing water stored in the storage section 22 of the washing water tank 20 and a rinsing injection hole 37 for injecting the rinsing water stored in the rinsing water tank 6. A lower washing pipe 49 for supplying washing water and a lower rinsing pipe 79 for supplying rinsing water are connected to the lower nozzle 4.

[0021] The tableware D arranged on the tableware rack is sprayed with washing water by the upper nozzle 3 and the lower nozzle 4 in the washing process, and is sprayed with rinsing water by the upper nozzle 3 and the lower nozzle 4 in the rinsing process.

[0022] The cleaning pump 5 is arranged in the machine room 1A. The cleaning pump 5 sends out the cleaning water stored in the storage part 22 of the cleaning water tank 20 to the cleaning chamber 1B that houses the tableware D and the like. The cleaning pump 5 takes in the cleaning water of the cleaning water tank 20 through the connection part 40 and sends out the cleaning water to the upper nozzle 3 and the lower nozzle 4. The upper cleaning pipe 48 is connected to the first discharge port 5a of the cleaning pump 5. The upper cleaning pipe 48 is connected to the upper nozzle 3. The lower cleaning pipe 49 is connected to the second discharge port 5b of the cleaning pump 5. The lower cleaning pipe 49 is connected to the lower nozzle 4.

[0023] The separator 30 is arranged between the cleaning chamber 1B and the cleaning water tank 20 so as to partition the cleaning chamber 1B and the cleaning water tank 20. The separator 30 is a plate-shaped member and is detachably arranged with respect to the main body part 1. The separator 30 is formed with a through hole 30a into which the overflow pipe 28 is inserted. The edge part of the through hole 30a is formed by burring.

[0024] The cleaning water tank 20 is provided with an overflow pipe 28 extending in the vertical direction. The overflow pipe 28 allows the water exceeding the high water level H2, which is a water level higher than the fixed water level H1 in the storage part 22, to flow in from its upper end and drain to the outside of the cleaning water tank 20, thereby regulating the water level of the cleaning water stored in the storage part 22. A through hole 20b communicating with the connection part 40 is formed in the bottom surface 20a of the cleaning water tank 20. The through hole 20b is covered with a pump guard 26 in which the through hole for the overflow pipe is burring-processed. The overflow pipe 28 passes through the through hole of the pump guard 26, and the lower end of the overflow pipe 28 is detachably inserted into a drain hole 40a formed in the connection part 40. A drain pipe 29 for discharging water to the outside of the main body part 1 is connected to the drain hole 40a. By pulling out the lower end of the overflow pipe 28 from the drain hole 40a, the cleaning water stored in the storage part 22 can be discharged to the outside of the main body part 1 through the through hole 20b and the drain hole 40a.

[0025] The rinsing water tank 6 is disposed in the machine room 1A. The rinsing water tank 6 stores rinsing water used for rinsing tableware D and the like. Water is supplied to the rinsing water tank 6 from an external water source via a water supply pipe 60. A strainer 60A is provided in the water supply pipe 60. A water supply valve 67 is provided on the downstream side of the strainer 60A in the water supply pipe 60. The water supply valve 67 has a valve portion 68 that opens and closes the water supply pipe 60 and a drive portion 69 that drives the valve portion 68, and switches the presence or absence of water supply to the rinsing water tank 6.

[0026] The rinsing water tank 6 is provided with a rinsing water detection unit 62, an overflow unit 63, a rinsing water heater 64A, and a rinsing water temperature sensor 64B. The rinsing water detection unit 62 detects whether the water stored in the rinsing water tank 6 is at a fixed water level H3. The overflow unit 63 discharges water that exceeds a high water level H4, which is a water level higher than the fixed water level H3 in the rinsing water tank 6. The rinsing water heater 64A heats the rinsing water stored in the rinsing water tank 6 in order to improve the sterilization ability and the rinsing ability. The rinsing water temperature sensor 64B detects the temperature of the rinsing water. The rinsing pump 7 takes in the rinsing water stored in the rinsing water tank 6 via a suction pipe 77A, and sends the rinsing water to the cleaning chamber 1B via the upper nozzle 3 and the lower nozzle 4. An upper rinsing pipe 78 and a lower rinsing pipe 79 are connected to the discharge port of the rinsing pump 7 via a rinsing pipe 77. The upper rinsing pipe 78 is connected to the upper nozzle 3. The lower rinsing pipe 79 is connected to the lower nozzle 4.

[0027] The detergent supply pump 8 is disposed in the machine room 1A. The detergent supply pump 8 supplies the detergent stored in the detergent tank 8A to the cleaning chamber 1B via a pipe 8B. The rinse agent supply pump 9 is disposed in the machine room 1A. The rinse agent supply pump 9 supplies the rinse agent stored in the rinse agent tank 9A to the rinsing pipe 77 via a pipe 9B.

[0028] The controller 10 is disposed between the upper panel 11B in the main body 1 and the upper panel 2B constituting the cleaning chamber 1B. The controller 10 is a computer system or a processor implemented on an integrated circuit. The controller 10 is composed of a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), an input / output interface, and the like. Various programs or data are stored in the ROM.

[0029] As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the door unit 50 includes a door main body 51, a door holding portion 52, and a door hinge 53. The door main body 51 is a portion that covers the opening 1C when the door unit 50 is in the closed position. The door holding portion 52 is a plate-like member having a thickness in the left-right direction in a state where the door unit 50 is attached to the main body 1. The door holding portion 52 is fixed to both ends in the left-right direction at the lower side portion of the door main body 51. The door holding portion 52 protrudes from the door main body 51 toward the cleaning chamber 1B side when the door unit 50 is in the closed position.

[0030] The door hinge 53 is a member for attaching the door unit 50 to the main body 1. One end 53a of the door hinge 53 is rotatably fixed to the fixing portion 52b of the door holding portion 52, and the other end 53b of the door hinge 53 is fixed to the main body 1. In a state where the door hinge 53 is fixed to the main body 1, the door main body 51 fixed to the door holding portion 52 that is rotatable with respect to the door hinge 53 rotates around a rotation axis A1 extending in the left-right direction and the horizontal direction below the opening 1C. Thereby, the door unit 50 rotates between a closed position where the door main body 51 covers the opening 1C and an open position where the door main body 51 opens the opening 1C.

[0031] When the door unit 50 is in the closed position (Fig. 4), the door holding portion 52 has a main body portion 52a that extends rearward at the lower part of the door main body portion 51, a fixing portion 52b formed at the front in the lower part of the main body portion 52a, a portion to be locked 52c formed at the rear in the lower part of the main body portion 52a, and a connecting portion 52d connected to the door main body portion 51. A part of the door holding portion 52 is housed in a housing portion 80 formed between the side panel 2A of the interior panel 2 and the side panel 11A of the exterior panel 11.

[0032] The fixing portion 52b is a portion that is fixed to one end 53a of the door hinge 53 so as to be rotatable around the rotation axis A1. In other words, the fixing portion 52b is a portion that is fixed to the main body portion 1 via the door hinge 53 so as to be rotatable around the rotation axis A1. The fixing portion 52b is located directly below the door main body portion 51 when the door unit 50 is in the closed position.

[0033] The portion to be locked 52c is a portion that is locked to the locking portion 91b of the first leaf spring member (leaf spring) 91 when the door unit 50 is in the closed position, and is a portion that is locked to the contact portion 86c of the third leaf spring member 86 when the door unit 50 is in the open position. That is, the portion to be locked 52c is a positioning member for maintaining the door unit 50 in the closed state and the open state. The portion to be locked 52c moves within the housing portion 80 as the door unit 50 rotates. A roller portion 55 that contacts the first leaf spring member 91, the second leaf spring member 84, and the third leaf spring member 86, which will be described in detail later, is rotatably fixed to the portion to be locked 52c.

[0034] As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, a first leaf spring member 91, a second leaf spring member 84, a third leaf spring member 86, a first fixing pin 57A, a second fixing pin 57B, and a door spring 59 are arranged in the housing portion 80. Note that the configuration of the housing portion 80 and the members housed in the housing portion 80 are provided on both the left and right sides of the main body portion 1, but in this specification, the configuration provided on the right side of the main body portion 1 will be described as an example.

[0035] As shown in FIGS. 4, 5, 6(A), 7(A) and 7(B), the first leaf spring member 91 is provided at a position where the roller portion 55 provided on the door holding portion 52 can come into contact with the door portion 50 located at the closed position. More specifically, the first leaf spring member 91 is provided at a position where the roller portion 55 that moves as the door holding portion 52 of the door portion 50 rotates can come into contact with it. The first leaf spring member 91 includes a fixed portion 91a which is a portion attached to the support portion 92, a locking portion 91b which locks the roller portion 55 of the door portion 50 located at the closed position, and a buffer portion 91c which is a portion that contacts the roller portion 55 moving in the closing direction D2 as the door portion 50 rotates and dampens its momentum.

[0036] The first leaf spring member 91 extends from the base end portion which is the fixed portion 91a, through the locking portion 91b, toward the tip end portion which is the buffer portion 91c. The fixed portion 91a, the locking portion 91b, and the buffer portion 91c are formed by bending a plate-shaped metal member. The locking portion 91b is formed by being bent so that the locking surface of the roller portion 55 is concave. The locking portion 91b of the present embodiment is bent in a trapezoidal shape in a side view. The locking portion 91b has a straight portion 91ba that forms the bottom surface portion of the concave shape, a first inclined portion 91bb that rises from the straight portion toward the base end portion, and a second inclined portion 91bc that rises from the straight portion toward the tip end portion.

[0037] The locking portion 91b locks the roller portion 55 when at least a part of the second inclined portion 91bc among the straight portion 91ba, the first inclined portion 91bb, and the second inclined portion 91bc comes into contact with the roller portion 55. In the present embodiment, in a side view, it is bent in a U-shape from the buffer portion 91c to the locking portion 91b, and a part of the lower side portion (i.e., the second inclined portion 91bc) of this U-shape comes into contact with the roller portion 55 to lock the roller portion 55. When the first leaf spring member 91 locks the roller portion 55, a part of the locking portion 91b that comes into contact with the roller portion 55 is also referred to as a "contact locking portion". Hereinafter, the part simply expressed as "the roller portion 55 is locked by the locking portion 91b" means "the roller portion 55 is locked by bringing it into contact with the contact locking portion of the locking portion 91b". Note that the locking portion 91b may lock the roller portion 55 when all of the straight portion 91ba, the first inclined portion 91bb, and the second inclined portion 91bc come into contact with the roller portion 55.

[0038] The first leaf spring member 91 functions as a leaf spring. The first leaf spring member 91 absorbs the impact when the door portion 50 is in the closed state. The first leaf spring member 91 also has a function of holding the door portion 50 in the closed state by locking the roller portion 55 provided on the door holding portion 52 of the door portion 50 in the closed state with the locking portion 91b. The support portion 92 is fixed to the inner surface of the side panel 11A by bolts or the like.

[0039] When the moving direction of the roller portion 55 when the door portion 50 rotates from the open position toward the closed position is defined as the closing direction D2, the first leaf spring member 91 is fixed to the main body portion 1 such that the fixing portion 91a fixed to the exterior panel 11 (main body portion 1) via the support portion 92 is located on the closing direction D2 side of the locking portion 91b. In the present embodiment, the fixing portion 91a is located vertically below the locking portion 91b.

[0040] The first leaf spring member 91 is arranged such that a locking portion 91b is positioned between the movement locus of the rotation center of the roller portion 55 when the door portion 50 rotates and the rotation axis A1 of the door portion 50. The center (rotation axis) of the roller portion 55 moves along a circular orbit (movement locus: the dashed line shown in FIGS. 7(A) and 7(B)) as the door portion 50 rotates. The first leaf spring member 91 is arranged inside the circular orbit (the side closer to the door portion 50). And the locking portion 91b of the present embodiment is arranged to be positioned on the inner orbit of the roller portion 55 (movement locus: the two-dot chain line shown in FIGS. 7(A) and 7(B)), that is, to be in contact with the inside of the roller portion 55.

[0041] The third leaf spring member 86 is provided at a position where the roller portion 55 provided on the door holding portion 52 can contact the door portion 50 in the open position. The third leaf spring member 86 has an attachment portion 86a which is a portion attached to the support portion 85, a main body portion 86b, and a contact portion 86c which is a portion where the roller portion 55 contacts. The attachment portion 86a, the main body portion 86b, and the contact portion 86c are formed by bending a plate-shaped metal member. The third leaf spring member 86 functions as a leaf spring. The third leaf spring member 86 absorbs the impact when the door portion 50 is opened. The support portion 85 is fixed to the inner surface of the side panel 11A by bolts or the like.

[0042] The second leaf spring member 84 is provided at a position where the roller portion 55 provided on the door holding portion 52 can contact the door portion 50 at a position slightly before the open position in the rotation direction from the closed position to the open position. The second leaf spring member 84 has an attachment portion 84a which is a portion attached to the support portion 82, a main body portion 84b, and a contact portion 84c which is a portion where the roller portion 55 contacts. The attachment portion 84a, the main body portion 84b, and the contact portion 84c are formed by bending a plate-shaped metal member. The second leaf spring member 84 functions as a leaf spring. The second leaf spring member 84 also absorbs the impact when the door portion 50 is rotated to the open position, similar to the third leaf spring member 86.

[0043] The first fixing pin 57A fixes one end of the door spring 59. The first fixing pin 57A is provided near the roller portion 55 in the door holding portion 52. The second fixing pin 57B fixes the other end of the door spring 59. The second fixing pin 57B is provided on the inner surface of the side panel 11A below the support portion 92 that supports the first leaf spring member 91. One end of the door spring 59 is fixed to the first fixing pin 57A, and the other end thereof is fixed to the second fixing pin 57B. The door spring 59 biases the door portion 50 in the direction toward the closing direction D2 when the door portion 50 is opened.

[0044] Here, the operation when the door portion 50 rotates from the open position to the closed position will be described. When the door portion 50 located at the open position as shown in FIG. 1 is rotated in the closing direction D2 as shown in FIG. 7(A) toward the closed position, at a position slightly before reaching the closed position, the roller portion 55 comes into contact with the buffer portion 91c of the first leaf spring member 91, and the buffer portion 91c is pressed by the roller portion 55. As a result, the buffer portion 91c and the locking portion 91b are deformed. At this time, the buffer portion 91c and the locking portion 91b are in a state of being bent (curved) more than the initial state with respect to the fixing portion 91a, and a restoring force is generated. As a result, a reaction force acts on the roller portion 55 that contacts the buffer portion 91c, and the rotational momentum of the door portion 50 toward the closed state is weakened.

[0045] Furthermore, when the door portion 50 rotates in the closing direction D2, the buffer portion 91c further deforms, and the roller portion 55 gets over the buffer portion 91c. Then, as shown in FIG. 7(B), the roller portion 55 fits into the recess of the locking portion 91b formed in a concave shape. Thereby, the locking portion 91b comes to lock the roller portion 55 that moves as the door holding portion 52 rotates in the closed position. At this time, the first leaf spring member 91 is deformed from the state of FIG. 7(A) to the state of FIG. 7(B) by being pressed by the roller portion 55. That is, the first leaf spring member 91 is deformed such that the straight portion 91ba of the locking portion 91b inclines slightly to the right and the lower surface of the second inclined portion 91bc presses the roller portion 55. For this reason, a restoring force acts on the first leaf spring member 91, and the second inclined portion 91bc firmly holds the roller portion 55 of the door portion 50 located in the closed position.

[0046] Next, the operation when the door portion 50 is rotated from the closed position to the open position will be described. When the door portion 50 located in the closed position as shown in FIG. 4 is rotated in the opening direction (the direction opposite to the closing direction D2), the buffer portion 91c of the first leaf spring member 91 is pressed by the roller portion 55. Thereby, the buffer portion 91c and the locking portion 91b are deformed, and the roller portion 55 gets over the buffer portion 91c. Further, when the door portion 50 is rotated in the opening direction, in a state slightly before the open state (see FIG. 1), the roller portion 55 contacts and presses the contact portion 84c of the second leaf spring member 84. Thereby, the main body portion 84b and the contact portion 84c are deformed. At this time, the main body portion 84b of the second leaf spring member 84 is in a state of being bent (curved) more than the initial state with respect to the mounting portion 84a, and a restoring force is generated. As a result, a reaction force acts on the roller portion 55 that contacts the second leaf spring member 84, and the momentum of the rotation of the door portion 50 toward the open state is weakened.

[0047] The door part 50 where the roller part 55 contacts the second leaf spring member 84 has a reduced tendency to rotate towards the open state. Next, the roller part 55 contacts the third leaf spring member 86 and presses the contact part 86c. As a result, the main body part 86b of the third leaf spring member 86 is bent more than the initial state with respect to the mounting part 86a, and a restoring force is generated. As a result, a reaction force acts on the roller part 55 that contacts the third leaf spring member 86, further weakening the tendency of the door part 50 to rotate towards the open state. Thereby, the contact part 86c of the third leaf spring member 86 comes to lock the roller part 55 that moves as the door holding part 52 rotates at the open position.

[0048] Before explaining the operation and effect of the dishwasher 100, the configuration of the door part in a conventional dishwasher will be described with reference to FIGS. 6(B), 8(A), and 8(B). In a conventional dishwasher, the configuration of the first leaf spring member 191 in which a locking part 191c for locking the roller part 55 that moves as the door holding part 52 rotates is partially formed is different from the configuration of the first leaf spring member 91 of the above embodiment.

[0049] As shown in FIGS. 8(A) and 8(B), the first leaf spring member 191 is provided at a position where the roller part 55 provided on the door holding part 52 can contact in the door part 50 located at the closed position. The first leaf spring member 191 has a fixed part 191a that is a part attached to the support part 192, a main body part 191b having a contact start part where the roller part 55 that moves as the door holding part 52 rotates first contacts, and the locking part 191c. As shown in FIG. 6(B), the fixed part 191a, the main body part 191b, and the locking part 191c are formed by bending a plate-shaped metal member.

[0050] The fixing portion 191a extends in the vertical direction, the main body portion 191b inclines downward from the fixing portion 191a side toward the front, and the locking portion 191c inclines downward from the main body portion 191b side toward the rear. The first leaf spring member 191 is formed in an inverted V shape in a side view from the main body portion 191b to the locking portion 191c. The first leaf spring member 191 functions as a leaf spring. The first leaf spring member 191 absorbs the impact when the door portion 50 is in the closed state. The support portion 192 is fixed to the inner surface of the side panel 11A.

[0051] As shown in FIGS. 8(A) and 8(B), in the conventional washing machine, when the distance from the fixing portion 191a to the contact start portion (the portion where the roller portion 55 pushes back the first leaf spring member 191) is defined as the distance D11, and the distance from the fixing portion 191a to the contact locking portion (the portion where the roller portion 55 locks the first leaf spring member 191) is defined as the distance D12, the distance D12 is longer than the distance D11. In other words, the first leaf spring member 191 is arranged such that the fixing portion 191a is located on the opening direction (the direction opposite to the closing direction D2) side with respect to the locking portion 191c. That is, the first leaf spring member 191 is arranged such that the fixing portion 191a is located vertically above the locking portion 191c.

[0052] As a result, the distance D11 between the fixing portion 191a and the contact start portion becomes shorter than the distance D12 between the fixing portion 191a and the locking portion 191c, and the stress of the first leaf spring member 191 generated when the roller portion 55 contacts the contact start portion becomes larger than the stress of the first leaf spring member 191 generated when the roller portion 55 is locked to the contact locking portion. As a result, the durability of the first leaf spring member 191 itself decreases, and the door portion 50 is difficult to rotate (difficult to close). Further, the distance D12 between the fixing portion 191a and the contact locking portion becomes longer than the distance D11 between the fixing portion 191a and the contact start portion, and the stress of the first leaf spring member 191 generated when the roller portion 55 is locked to the locking portion 191c becomes smaller than the stress of the first leaf spring member 191 generated when the roller portion 55 contacts the contact start portion. Therefore, the sealing performance of the washing chamber 1B by the door portion 50 is weak.

[0053] Therefore, in the dishwasher 100 of the above embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 7(A) and 7(B), the first leaf spring member 91 is arranged such that the fixing portion 91a fixed to the main body portion 1 is located closer to the closing direction D2 side than the locking portion 91b (in other words, the first leaf spring member 91 is arranged such that the fixing portion 91a is located below the locking portion 91b in the vertical direction), and the distance D11 between the fixing portion 91a and the contact start portion (the portion where the roller portion 55 first pushes away the first leaf spring member 91, and in this embodiment, a part of the upper surface of the buffer portion 91c) is made longer than the distance D12 between the fixing portion 91a and the contact locking portion (the portion where the roller portion 55 is locked by contacting the first leaf spring member 91, and in this embodiment, a part of the lower surface of the second inclined portion 91bc). That is, the dishwasher 100 of the above embodiment is configured such that the relationship between the distance D11 and the distance D12 is opposite to that of the above conventional configuration.

[0054] As a result, the distance D11 between the fixing portion 91a and the contact start portion becomes longer than the distance D12 between the fixing portion 91a and the contact locking portion, and the stress of the first leaf spring member 91 generated when the roller portion 55 contacts the contact start portion becomes smaller than the stress of the first leaf spring member 91 generated when the roller portion 55 is locked to the contact locking portion. As a result, the durability of the first leaf spring member 91 itself can be improved, and the door portion 50 can be configured to be easily rotatable (easily closable). Further, the distance D12 between the fixing portion 91a and the contact locking portion becomes shorter than the distance D11 between the fixing portion 91a and the contact start portion, and the stress of the first leaf spring member 91 generated when the roller portion 55 is locked to the contact locking portion becomes larger than the stress of the first leaf spring member 91 generated when the roller portion 55 contacts the contact start portion, so that the sealing performance of the washing chamber 1B by the door portion 50 can be improved.

[0055] In the dishwasher 100 of the above embodiment, the door portion 50 is fixedly provided so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis A1 extending horizontally below the opening 1C, and the fixing portion 91a is located below the locking portion 91b in the vertical direction. Thereby, even when the door portion 50 is provided which is fixedly provided so as to be rotatable about the rotation axis A1 extending horizontally below the opening 1C, the durability of the first leaf spring member 91 for locking the door portion 50 located at the closed position can be enhanced, the rotational property when closing the door portion 50 can be enhanced, and the sealing property of the washing chamber 1B by the door portion 50 can be improved.

[0056] In the dishwasher 100 of the above embodiment, the first leaf spring member 91 is arranged such that the locking portion 91b is positioned between the orbit (moving locus: the dashed-dotted line in FIGS. 7(A) and 7(B)) of the rotation center of the roller portion 55 when the door holding portion 52 rotates and the rotation axis A1 of the door holding portion 52. In this configuration, the locking portion 91b is arranged to contact the inner orbit (moving locus: the two-dot chain line in FIGS. 7(A) and 7(B)) of the roller portion 55 when the door holding portion 52 rotates. Since the inner orbit of the roller portion 55 is shorter than the outer orbit of the roller portion 55, compared with the locking portion 91b arranged to contact the outer orbit (moving locus: the broken line in FIGS. 7(A) and 7(B)) of the roller portion 55 when the door portion 50 rotates, the size of the locking portion 91b and thus the size of the entire first leaf spring member 91 can be reduced. As a result, the rotational property when closing the door portion 50 can be more effectively enhanced, and the durability of the first leaf spring member 91 can be improved.

[0057] In the dishwasher 100 of the above-described embodiment, the first leaf spring member 91 extends from the base end portion, which is the fixed portion 91a, toward the tip end portion via the locking portion 91b, and the locking portion 91b is formed in a shape bent in a concave shape. In this configuration, since a bent portion is formed, the durability of the first leaf spring member 91 is improved. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 5, a door spring 59 is arranged around the first leaf spring member 91 where there is only a limited space. By forming the locking portion 91b in a trapezoidal shape, the overall length of the first leaf spring member 91 can be shortened, enabling it to be housed in a small space. Also, the roller portion 55 when the door portion 50 is in the closed position is formed so as to fit into the concave portion of the locking portion 91b formed in a trapezoidal shape. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the variation in the position of the roller portion 55 when the door portion 50 is in the closed position depending on the product, and it is possible to suppress the variation in the force (closing force) for maintaining the closed position in the door portion 50 depending on the product.

[0058] As described above, one embodiment has been explained, but the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. Various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0059] In the dishwasher 100 of the above-described embodiment, an example has been described in which the first leaf spring member 91 is arranged such that the locking portion 91b is positioned inside the orbit (moving locus: the dashed line in FIGS. 9(A) and 9(B)) of the rotation center of the roller portion 55 when the door portion 50 rotates. However, as shown in FIGS. 9(A) and 9(B), the locking portion 91b may be arranged such that it is positioned outside the orbit of the rotation center of the roller portion 55 (the side far from the door portion 50).

[0060] When the first leaf spring member 91 is arranged outside the orbit of the rotation center of the roller portion 55, for example, as shown in FIG. 9(A), the locking portion 91b of the first leaf spring member 91 can be arranged along the vertical direction. In this case, the shape (size) of the first leaf spring member 91 may be changed so as to be enlarged according to the outer orbit (moving locus: the broken line in FIGS. 9(A) and 9(B)) of the roller portion 55. Further, as shown in FIG. 9(B), the locking portion 91b of the first leaf spring member 91 may be arranged along the tangential direction of the outer orbit of the roller portion 55. In this case, since the entire first leaf spring member 91 can be arranged along the outer orbit of the roller portion 55 to a certain extent, the size change from the first leaf spring member 91 of the above embodiment can be reduced as compared with the arrangement method shown in FIG. 9(A).

[0061] Even in the arrangement of the first leaf spring member 91 according to such a modification, the distance D11 between the fixing portion 91a and the contact start portion is longer than the distance D12 between the fixing portion 91a and the contact locking portion. Thereby, the durability of the first leaf spring member 91 for locking the door portion 50 located at the closed position can be enhanced, and the rotatability when closing the door portion 50 can be enhanced. Further, even in the arrangement of the first leaf spring member 91 according to such a modification, the distance D12 between the fixing portion 91a and the contact locking portion is shorter than the distance D11 between the fixing portion 91a and the contact start portion. Thereby, the airtightness of the washing chamber 1B by the door portion 50 can be improved.

[0062] In the dishwasher 100 of the above embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7(B), the lower surface of the second inclined portion 91bc presses the roller portion 55, so that the roller portion 55 of the door portion 50 located at the closed position is firmly held and the position of the door portion 50 is fixed. However, for example, if the mounting positions of the roller portion 55 and the first leaf spring member 91 vary during manufacturing, the contact between the lower right portion of the roller portion 55 and the first inclined portion 91bb may occur earlier than the contact between the upper right portion of the roller portion 55 and the second inclined portion 91bc. In this case, the contact range between the upper right portion of the roller portion 55 and the lower portion of the second inclined portion 91bc decreases, and the force for pressing the roller portion 55 (that is, the force for closing the door portion 50) may become weak.

[0063] Therefore, for example, as shown in FIG. 10(A), the straight portion 91ba of the locking portion 91b in the first leaf spring member 91 in the above embodiment is lengthened, and as shown in FIG. 10(B), when the door portion 50 is closed and reaches the closed position, a gap is formed between the lower right portion of the roller portion 55 and the first inclined portion 91bb. In other words, the length of the straight portion 91ba of the locking portion 91b is set such that a gap is formed between the lower right portion of the roller portion 55 and the first inclined portion 91bb. As a result, even if the mounting positions of the roller portion 55 and the first leaf spring member 91 vary during manufacturing, the lower right portion of the roller portion 55 of the door portion 50 located at the closed position and the first inclined portion 91bb do not come into contact. As a result, the upper right portion of the roller portion 55 and the second inclined portion 91bc surely come into contact, and the roller portion 55 of the door portion 50 located at the closed position is firmly held.

[0064] The durability of the first leaf spring member 91 in the above embodiment and the modification example can be adjusted by adjusting the length L (see FIG. 6) of the portion that is not fixed to the support portion 92 over the entire length of the fixing portion 91a. More specifically described, the length L is the distance between the end portion on the first inclined portion 91bb side in the fixing portion 91a and the upper end of the portion in the fixing portion 91a that is in contact and fixed to the support portion 92. Note that FIG. 7(A) shows a state where the length L is approximately 0. As for the adjustment method, the longer the length L is, the more the load applied to the first leaf spring member 91 is dispersed, and its durability can be enhanced.

[0065] In the above embodiment and the modification example, the configuration of the housing portion 80 and the members housed in the housing portion 80 has been described assuming that the configurations such as the first leaf spring member 91 are provided on both the left and right sides of the main body portion 1. However, the first leaf spring member 91 described above may be provided only on one of the left and right sides of the main body portion 1. More specifically, the first leaf spring member 91 described above may be provided on one of the left and right sides of the main body portion 1, and the conventional first leaf spring member 191 described above may be provided on the other of the left and right sides of the main body portion 1.

[0066] In the above-described embodiments and modified examples, an example in which the locking portion 91b of the first leaf spring member 91 is formed in a trapezoidal shape has been described. However, it may be linear or inverted U-shaped.

[0067] In the above-described embodiments and modified examples, an example in which the door portion 50 rotates around the rotation axis A1 extending in the horizontal direction has been described. However, the door portion 50 may be configured to rotate around a rotation axis extending in the vertical direction. In this case, the first leaf spring member 91 may be arranged such that the fixing portion 91a is located behind the locking portion 91b in the horizontal direction.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0068] 1... main body portion, 1B... washing chamber, 1C... opening, 50... door portion, 51... door main body portion, 52... door holding portion, 52a... main body portion, 52b... fixing portion, 52c... locked portion, 52d... connecting portion, 53... door hinge, 55... roller portion, 59... door spring, 80... housing portion, 84... second leaf spring member, 86... third leaf spring member, 91... first leaf spring member, 91a... fixing portion, 91b... locking portion, 91c... buffer portion, 92... support portion, 100... dishwasher (washing machine), 191... conventional first leaf spring member, 191a... fixing portion, 191b... main body portion, 191c... locking portion, A1... rotation axis, D... tableware, D2... closing direction.

Claims

1. A main body portion having an opening through which an object to be cleaned is inserted and removed into and from a cleaning chamber, the opening facing forward; A door portion fixed to the main body portion so as to be rotatable between a closed position for closing the opening and an open position for opening the opening; The door portion includes: A door main body portion that covers the opening when the door portion is in the closed position; A door holding portion rotatably fixed to the main body portion and protruding from the door main body portion toward the cleaning chamber side when the door portion is in the closed position; A roller portion rotatably provided on the door holding portion; The main body portion is provided with a leaf spring having a locking portion formed in part for locking the roller portion that moves as the door holding portion rotates in the closed position; When the moving direction of the roller portion when the door portion rotates from the open position toward the closed position is defined as the closing direction, the leaf spring is arranged such that a fixing portion fixed to the main body portion is located on the closing direction side of the locking portion. A cleaning machine.

2. The door portion is rotatably fixed about a rotation axis extending horizontally below the opening; The fixing portion is located below the locking portion. The cleaning machine according to Claim 1.

3. The leaf spring is arranged such that the locking portion is located between the orbit of the rotation center of the roller portion when the door holding portion rotates and the rotation axis of the door holding portion. The cleaning machine according to Claim 1 or 2.

4. The leaf spring extends from a base end portion, which is the fixing portion, through the locking portion toward a tip end portion, and the locking portion is formed in a concave-bent shape. The cleaning machine according to Claim 1 or 2.

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