washing machine

Abstract

To provide a washing machine that can improve ease of use. [Solution] The washing machine comprises a water tank, a rotating drum having an opening and rotatably housed within the water tank, a balance ring provided around the entire inner circumference of the opening, a water passage through which water from the water tank, pumped from the bottom of the water tank, flows, and a discharge port for discharging the water that has flowed through the water passage into the rotating drum. The balance ring is constructed by stacking a plurality of balancers, each having an internal space in which liquid is sealed, along the axial direction of the rotating drum, and the discharge port is formed sandwiched between one balancer and the other balancer.

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a washing machine having an annular balance ring provided above a rotating tub is known. The correcting force of the balance ring depends on the amount of liquid enclosed inside the balance ring. For example, in order to increase the washing capacity, the inner diameter of the balance ring, that is, the input diameter, may be enlarged so that a large amount of laundry can easily pass through. In this case, in order to maintain the amount of liquid enclosed inside the balance ring, it is conceivable to maintain the volume of the space inside the balance ring by setting the radial dimension of the balance ring to be as thin as possible and increasing the dimension in the height direction. Also, in a washing machine, washing water is pumped up along the inner peripheral surface of the rotating tub by the centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the back blades of the stirring blades provided at the inner bottom of the rotating tub, and is sprayed into the rotating tub from above the rotating tub.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a balancer having an inverted L-shaped longitudinal cross-sectional shape. The balancer has a main balancer portion with an inner surface width of 10 to 15 mm and a balancer reinforcement portion located above the main balancer portion with an inner surface width of 40 to 50 mm. Also, in Patent Document 1, an opening of a circulation water channel is provided at a portion where a part of the balancer reinforcement portion is cut out.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, in the configuration of Patent Document 1, the opening of the circulating water channel is provided along the inner surface of the balancer, which makes it difficult to load and unload laundry and worsens work efficiency. Furthermore, if the opening of the circulating water channel is provided below the balancer to prevent the aforementioned deterioration in work efficiency, the discharge position of the water that has risen through the circulating water channel will be lowered, making it difficult to spray water on the upper part of the laundry contained in the rotating tub. For this reason, there was room for improvement in terms of improving the usability of the washing machine in the conventional configuration.

[0006] Therefore, we will provide a washing machine that can improve ease of use. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The washing machine according to this embodiment comprises a water tank, a rotating drum having an opening and rotatably housed within the water tank, a balance ring provided around the entire inner circumference of the opening, a water passage through which water from the water tank, pumped from the bottom of the water tank, flows, and a discharge port for discharging the water that has flowed through the water passage into the rotating drum. The balance ring is constructed by stacking a plurality of balancers, each having an internal space in which liquid is sealed, along the axial direction of the rotating drum, and the discharge port is formed sandwiched between one balancer and the other. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] A schematic cross-sectional view showing the internal configuration of the washing machine according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] A cross-sectional view of the washing machine according to the first embodiment, showing the state in which the water passage forming member is attached to the rotating drum, along the line X2-X2 in Figure 1. [Figure 3] This cross-sectional view schematically shows an example of the configuration of the balance ring in a washing machine according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] This cross-sectional view shows the schematic configuration of the water passage and discharge port located inside the balance ring of the washing machine according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] This diagram schematically shows the configuration around the discharge port of the washing machine according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] Regarding the washing machine according to the first embodiment, (a) is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of the bottom surface of the first balancer, and (b) is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of the top surface of the second balancer. [Figure 7] This figure shows another example of the configuration of the discharge channel and discharge port for the washing machine according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] This cross-sectional view schematically shows an example of a balance ring in a washing machine according to the second embodiment, in which three balancers are stacked on top of each other. [Figure 9] A cross-sectional view showing the schematic configuration of the water passage and discharge port located inside the balance ring of the washing machine according to the second embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The following describes washing machines according to several embodiments, with reference to the drawings. In each embodiment, substantially identical elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions are omitted. Furthermore, in the following embodiments, the terms "first" and "second" attached to the components are simply for distinguishing similar components and do not imply any superiority or inferiority between them.

[0010] (First Embodiment) First, the first embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 7. The washing machine 1 shown in Figure 1 is a so-called vertical-axis washing machine in which the rotation axis of the rotating tub 13 is oriented vertically. The washing machine 1 may or may not have a drying function. The left side of Figure 1 is the front of the washing machine 1, and the right side of Figure 1 is the rear of the washing machine 1. The side of the washing machine 1 that is on the installation surface, i.e., the vertically downward side, is the bottom of the washing machine 1, and the side opposite the installation surface, i.e., the vertically upward side, is the top of the washing machine 1. The direction perpendicular to the front-to-back and up-and-down directions of the washing machine 1 is the left-to-right direction.

[0011] The washing machine 1 comprises an outer casing 10, a lid 11, a water tank 12, a rotating drum 13, a motor 14, agitator blades 15, a drainage device 16, and a water supply mechanism 20. The outer casing 10 constitutes the outer shell of the washing machine 1. The outer casing 10 has a box body 101, a top cover 102, and a back cover 103. The box body 101 is formed in a roughly rectangular box shape from, for example, a steel plate, and has an opening at the top. The top cover 102 is provided on the top of the box body 101. As shown in Figure 1, the top cover 102 has an upper opening 102a on its inside. The upper opening 102a connects the inside and outside of the washing machine 1.

[0012] The back cover 103 is provided on the rear and part of the upper part of the top cover 102. The back cover 103 as a whole is configured as a rectangular box shape that is long in the left-right direction of the washing machine 1. Part of the water supply mechanism 20 is housed inside the back cover 103, for example. Also, if the washing machine 1 has a drying function, a drying unit (not shown) for generating hot air is housed inside the back cover 103. The lid 11 is provided on the upper part of the top cover 102 so as to be rotatable vertically around its rear edge as an axis, and opens and closes the upper opening 102a of the top cover 102.

[0013] The water tank 12 and the rotating tub 13 function as laundry storage tanks for holding laundry. The water tank 12 is formed in a so-called bottomed cylindrical shape, with one axial side, i.e., the upper side, open and the other side, i.e., the lower side, having a bottom. The water tank 12 is constructed from, for example, a single piece of molded synthetic resin, in order to keep the laundry liquid watertight. The water tank 12 is elastically supported by a suspension (not shown) located inside the box body 101. The rotating tub 13 is formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape, with the upper side of the cylindrical body 13a open and the lower side having a bottom 13b. The body 13a constitutes the inner circumferential surface of the rotating tub 13. The rotating tub 13 is constructed from, for example, stainless steel plate, in order to withstand the centrifugal force caused by high-speed rotation during dewatering, and is rotatably installed inside the water tank 12. The rotating tub 13 is capable of holding laundry and is rotationally driven by a motor 14. With the lid 11 open, the user can load and unload laundry from the rotating tub 13 through the upper opening 102a and the balance ring 30, which will be described later.

[0014] As shown in Figure 1, a balance ring 30 is attached to the top of the rotating tub 13. The balance ring 30 is, for example, an annular shape and is provided around the entire inner circumference of the opening 131 located on the top surface of the rotating tub 13. The balance ring 30 is filled with a liquid, such as saltwater, and has the function of correcting vibrations caused by uneven distribution of laundry during the rotation of the rotating tub 13 by moving the enclosed liquid as needed to maintain balance.

[0015] The motor 14 is provided outside the bottom of the water tank 12 and rotates the rotating tank 13. The motor 14 is composed of, for example, an outer-rotor type three-phase brushless DC motor. The stirring blade 15 is rotatably provided around a vertical axis on the inner bottom of the rotating tank 13. The stirring blade 15 is connected to the motor 14 and is rotationally driven by the motor 14. A plurality of back blades 151 are provided on the lower surface of the stirring blade 15. Also, a back blade accommodating portion 152 capable of accommodating the back blades 151 is formed in the space between the bottom 13b of the rotating tank 13 and the lower surface of the stirring blade 15. When the back blades 151 rotate as the stirring blade 15 rotates, the water in the back blade accommodating portion 152 is pushed radially outward.

[0016] The drainage device 16 has a function of discharging the water stored in the water tank 12 outside the washing machine 1. The drainage device 16 has a drain valve 161 and a drain pipe 162. The drain valve 161 is a liquid on-off valve that can be opened and closed electromagnetically. The drain pipe 162 is composed of, for example, a flexible hose, one end of which is connected to the drain valve 161, and the other end is drawn out outside the washing machine 1. When the drain valve 161 is opened, the water stored in the water tank 12 is discharged outside the washing machine 1 through the drain pipe 162.

[0017] The water supply mechanism 20 is connected to an external water source such as a water supply, for example, and has a function of injecting the water supplied from the external water source into the water tank 12 and the rotating tank 13. As shown in FIG. 1, the water supply mechanism 20 is provided at the upper rear side inside the outer box 10. The water supply mechanism 20 has a water supply valve unit 21 and a water injection case 22. 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 a 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 12 via the water injection case 22. 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 12 via a water injection hose not shown. The water injection case 22 is configured to be able to take in and out a treatment agent case 23 that receives washing treatment agents such as detergents and softeners.

[0018] Further, the washing machine 1 includes a plurality of water passage forming members 17. As shown in FIG. 1, the water passage forming members 17 are provided on the inner peripheral side of the rotary tub 13 and extend along the inner peripheral surface of the rotary tub 13. The water passage forming members 17 are provided, for example, facing the inner peripheral surface of the rotary tub 13. In the axial direction of the rotary tub 13, the water passage forming members 17 extend, for example, from the outer peripheral portion of the stirring blade 15 to the lower end of the balance ring 30. In this case, the upper end of the water passage forming member 17 is provided at a position where it contacts the lower end of the balance ring 30. A plurality of water passage forming members 17 are provided at a predetermined interval along the circumferential direction of the rotary tub 13, for example, four of them. The number of the plurality of water passage forming members 17 is not limited to four.

[0019] The washing machine 1 includes a water passage 18. The water passage 18 allows the water in the water tank 12 pumped up from the bottom of the water tank 12 to flow through. When the stirring blade 15 rotates, the water pushed radially outward by the back blade 151 of the stirring blade 15 can pass through the water passage 18. That is, the back blade 151 has a pump function of raising the water in the water tank 12 through the water passage 18. Note that the washing machine 1 may be configured to include a dedicated pump device instead of the back blade 151, and the water stored in the water tank 12 may be circulated into the water passage 18 by the pump device. A water lifting passage 181 that forms a part of the water passage 18 is formed between the inner peripheral surface of the rotary tub 13 and the outer peripheral surface of the water passage forming member 17. The water lifting passage 181 extends in the vertical direction, that is, in the axial direction of the rotary tub 13, along the inner peripheral surface of the rotary tub 13.

[0020] As shown in Figure 2, the water channel forming member 17 is formed in an arc shape that is convex radially outward from the rotating tank 13. The side walls 171 that constitute the lateral surface of the water channel forming member 17 are in contact with the rotating tank 13. Protrusions 172 are provided on the inner side of each side wall 171. The protrusions 172 are formed extending outward from the inner surface of the water channel forming member 17. Inside the water channel forming member 17, the pumping channel 181 is located between two circumferentially adjacent protrusions 172. A sealing member 173 is provided in the space formed between the inner circumferential surface of the rotating tank 13, the side walls 171 of the water channel forming member 17, and the protrusions 172. The sealing member 173 is for suppressing water leakage from the pumping channel 181 and ensures the watertightness of the water channel forming member 17.

[0021] The water passage 18 includes a discharge passage 182 located downstream of the pumping passage 181. The discharge passage 182 is formed between the upper end 30a and the lower end 30b of the balance ring 30 and extends along the radial direction of the rotating tank 13. In this embodiment, the discharge passage 182 extends perpendicular to the pumping passage 181. The upstream side of the discharge passage 182 is connected to the pumping passage 181, and the downstream side of the discharge passage 182 is connected to the discharge port 183. Also, one discharge passage 182 is connected to one pumping passage 181. Furthermore, the pumping passage 181 and the discharge passage 182 communicate with each other on the back side, i.e., radially outward, of the balance ring 30. In other words, the pumping passage 181 extends in the axial direction of the rotating tank 13 from the agitator 15 to partway along the balance ring 30.

[0022] The discharge port 183 constitutes the outlet of the water passage 18 and discharges the water that has flowed through the water passage 18 into the rotating tank 13. That is, the discharge water passage 182 allows water to pass toward the discharge port 183. As shown in Figure 1 and other figures, the discharge port 183 is formed to open toward the front surface, i.e., radially inward, of the balance ring 30. The discharge direction of the multiple discharge ports 183 can be configured, for example, to face toward the center of the rotating tank 13. The water pushed out from the back blade housing 152 by the back blade 151 of the agitator blade 15 rises through the water lifting passage 181, then flows through the discharge water passage 182 from the outside to the inside of the rotating tank 13, and is then returned to the rotating tank 13 from the discharge port 183. In this way, the washing machine 1 can circulate the water in the water tank 12 via the water passage 18.

[0023] Next, the configuration of the balance ring 30 will be described in detail. As shown in Figure 3 and other figures, the balance ring 30 is constructed by stacking multiple balancers 40 and 50 along the axial direction of the rotating tank 13. In this embodiment, the balance ring 30 is constructed by stacking two balancers 40 and 50, consisting of a first balancer 40 and a second balancer 50, along the axial direction of the rotating tank 13. By constructing the balance ring 30 by stacking multiple balancers 40 and 50, the radial dimension of the balance ring 30 can be set to be as thin as possible, while the height dimension can be set to be large. This makes it possible to make the balance ring 30 thinner.

[0024] The first balancer 40 constitutes the upper side of the balance ring 30, and the second balancer 50 constitutes the lower side of the balance ring 30. In other words, the first balancer 40 is located above the second balancer 50. To put it another way, the second balancer 50 is located below the first balancer 40. In this case, the first balancer 40 corresponds to one balancer, and the second balancer 50 corresponds to the other balancer. The first balancer 40 and the second balancer 50 are configured, for example, in a ring shape.

[0025] The first balancer 40 has a first main body 41, a first lid member 42, and a support member 43. The first main body 41 is formed in the shape of a container, for example, with an open top, and extends in the vertical direction. The upper end of the first main body 41 is located above the upper end of the body 13a of the rotating tank 13. The first main body 41 constitutes the main body of the first balancer 40. The first main body 41 has an inner wall surface 411, an outer wall surface 412, and a bottom surface 413. The inner wall surface 411 constitutes the inner surface of the first main body 41. The outer wall surface 412 is arranged parallel to the inner wall surface 411 and constitutes the outer surface of the first main body 41.

[0026] The bottom surface 413 constitutes the bottom surface of the first main body portion 41. The bottom surface 413 is formed as an annular horizontal surface overall. Both radial ends of the bottom surface 413 are connected to the inner wall surface 411 and the outer wall surface 412, respectively. The bottom surface 413 has fitting holes 413a and recesses 413b formed therein. In the circumferential direction, the fitting holes 413a and recesses 413b are formed at different positions from each other. As shown in Figure 3, the fitting holes 413a are provided on the outer wall surface 412 side of the first main body portion 41 and are provided in multiples at predetermined intervals along the circumferential direction of the first main body portion 41.

[0027] The fitting hole 413a is formed by recessing a part of the bottom surface 413 into a cylindrical shape. The inner circumferential surface of the fitting hole 413a is, for example, threaded. In addition, a through hole 13c is formed in the body portion 13a of the rotating tank 13 at a position corresponding to the fitting hole 413a. The inner circumferential surface of the through hole 13c may or may not be threaded. The shaft portion 191 of a connecting member 19, which is made of a screw member, can be inserted into the through hole 13c and the fitting hole 413a. The outer circumferential surface of the shaft portion 191 is, for example, threaded.

[0028] The connecting member 19 is detachable from the through hole 13c and the fitting hole 413a. The first balancer 40 is attached to the rotating tank 13 by fastening the connecting member 19 to the fitting hole 413a through the through hole 13c. The connecting member 19 is for detachably connecting the rotating tank 13 to the uppermost balancer 40 among the multiple balancers 40, 50. Alternatively, the connecting member 19 may be made of a screw, for example, and the screw may be screwed into the body 13a and the bottom surface 413 to attach the first balancer 40 to the rotating tank 13.

[0029] As shown in Figures 4, 5, and 6(a), the recesses 413b are formed by recessing the bottom surface 413 upward, and multiple recesses 413b are provided at predetermined intervals along the circumferential direction of the bottom surface 413. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the multiple recesses 413b are provided at positions corresponding to the water passage forming member 17. That is, the recesses 413b are provided at positions that overlap with the pumping channel 181 in the circumferential direction. The recesses 413b are formed in a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from the front, for example.

[0030] The first lid member 42 is formed in an annular shape. The first lid member 42 closes the upper end of the first main body 41. In this case, the first lid member 42 covers the upper end of the first main body 41. The first lid member 42 is formed, for example, in a roughly U-shape in cross-section. The first lid member 42 is joined to the first main body 41 in a watertight manner, for example, by spin welding. The method of joining the first lid member 42 and the first main body 41 is not limited to spin welding, but may be other welding methods such as ultrasonic welding or vibration welding. Inside the first balancer 40, an internal space S1 is formed by the first main body 41 and the first lid member 42. Liquid is sealed in the internal space S1.

[0031] As shown in Figure 3 and other figures, the support portion 43 is formed, for example, in the shape of a plate and extends radially outward from the outer wall surface 412 in a flange shape. When the first balancer 40 is attached to the rotating tank 13, the support portion 43 is in contact with the upper end of the body portion 13a of the rotating tank 13. The radial length of the support portion 43 is set to be equal to or greater than the thickness of the body portion 13a, for example.

[0032] The second balancer 50 has a second main body 51 and a second lid member 52. The second main body 51 is formed in the shape of a container, for example, with an open top, and extends in the vertical direction. The second main body 51 constitutes the main body of the second balancer 50. The second main body 51 has an inner wall surface 511, an outer wall surface 512, and a bottom surface 513. The inner wall surface 511 constitutes the inner surface of the second main body 51. In the radial direction, the inner wall surface 511 is located substantially on the same plane as the inner wall surface 411 of the first balancer 40. The outer wall surface 512 is arranged parallel to the inner wall surface 511 and constitutes the outer surface of the second main body 51. The bottom surface 513 constitutes the bottom surface of the second main body 51. The bottom surface 513 is formed as a flat, annular surface. The bottom surface 513 has both radial ends connected to the inner wall surface 511 and the outer wall surface 512, respectively.

[0033] The second lid member 52 is formed in an annular shape. The second lid member 52 closes the upper end of the second main body 51. The radial length of the second lid member 52 is set to be approximately the same as the radial length of the second main body 51. The second lid member 52 is formed, for example, in a roughly U-shape in cross-section. The second lid member 52 is joined to the second main body 51 in a watertight manner, for example, by spin welding. The method of joining the second lid member 52 and the second main body 51 is not limited to spin welding; other welding methods such as ultrasonic welding or vibration welding may also be used. Inside the second balancer 50, an internal space S2 is formed by the second main body 51 and the second lid member 52. Liquid is sealed in the internal space S2. As shown in Figure 3, in the axial direction of the rotating tank 13, the dimension H2 of the second balancer 50 is set to be larger than the dimension H1 of the first balancer 40.

[0034] The second main body portion 51 may be configured to have an open lower end. In this case, the second cover member 52 closes the lower end of the second main body portion 51. The top surface of the second main body portion 51 constitutes the top surface of the second balancer 50, and the bottom surface of the second cover member 52 constitutes the top surface of the second balancer 50.

[0035] The second balancer 50 is placed on the inner surface of the body 13a of the rotating tank 13 when the balance ring 30 is attached to the rotating tank 13. In this case, the body 13a has a mounting surface 13d. The mounting surface 13d is formed in the middle of the body 13a in the vertical direction and is formed so that the body 13a expands in a stepped manner toward the radially outward direction. The mounting surface 13d is formed as a flat surface around the entire circumference of the body 13a. The mounting surface 13d is on which the second balancer 50 can be placed and supports the area around the outer edge of the bottom surface 513 of the second balancer 50 from below. Therefore, when the balance ring 30 is attached to the rotating tank 13, the second balancer 50 is positioned so as to be sandwiched from above and below by the mounting surface 13d and the first balancer 40. In this case, the balance ring 30 does not have a configuration that integrally fixes the first balancer 40 and the second balancer 50 in the vertical direction.

[0036] In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 5 and 6(b), the second balancer 50 has recessed portions 53 and a plurality of protrusions 54. The recessed portions 53 are formed by recessing the outer circumferential surface of the second balancer 50 inward, and a plurality of them are provided at predetermined intervals along the circumferential direction of the second balancer 50. The recessed portions 53 are formed, for example, in a substantially rectangular shape and extend along the entire length of the second balancer 50 in the height direction. The plurality of recessed portions 53 are each provided at positions corresponding to the recesses 413b of the first balancer 40. In a plan view, the recessed portions 53 are provided so as to fit within the area of ​​the recesses 413b, for example. Furthermore, the recessed portions 53 are provided at positions that overlap with the pumping channel 181 in the circumferential direction.

[0037] The protrusions 54 are formed to protrude upward from the top surface of the second balancer 50, that is, from the top surface 52a of the second lid member 52. The protrusions 54 are formed, for example, from a plate-shaped member extending radially. As shown in Figure 6(b), multiple protrusions 54 are provided at positions corresponding to the recess 53, and are located along both circumferential edges of the recess 53. In this case, as shown in Figure 5, when the balance ring 30 is attached to the rotating tank 13, the multiple protrusions 54 are each arranged along the circumferential inner surface of the recess 413b of the first balancer 40. Furthermore, the radial length of the protrusions 54 is set to be approximately the same as the radial length of the second lid member 52 located in the region overlapping with the recess 53. As a result, the multiple protrusions 54 fit into the recess 413b, thereby restricting the rotational movement of the second balancer 50 in the circumferential direction by the first balancer 40. Furthermore, the height dimension of the protrusion 54 is set to be smaller than the height dimension of the recess 413b of the first balancer 40.

[0038] Next, the configuration for discharging water that has passed through the water passage 18 into the rotating tank 13 will be described in detail. As shown in Figure 4, the downstream side of the pumping channel 181 is located outside the second balancer 50. In other words, a part of the pumping channel 181 is formed by the space between the outer surface of the second balancer 50 and the body 13a of the rotating tank 13. The discharge channel 182 is formed by the space sandwiched between the first balancer 40 and the second balancer 50. In this case, the discharge channel 182 is formed by the space formed by the recess 413b of the first main body 41 and the top surface 52a of the second lid member 52. The flow path cross-sectional area of ​​the discharge channel 182 is substantially uniform, for example, from the upstream side to the downstream side. And, as shown in Figure 5, a protrusion 54 is provided at the boundary between the recess 413b of the first main body 41 and the top surface 52a of the second lid member 52. The protrusion 54 prevents water flowing through the discharge channel 182 from leaking outside the discharge channel 182. The protrusion 54 functions as a leak suppression unit that suppresses water leakage from the discharge channel 182.

[0039] Furthermore, the cross-sectional area of ​​the discharge channel 182 may be configured to expand from the upstream side to the downstream side. In this case, the side wall of the recess 413b can be configured to be inclined outward in the circumferential direction from the upstream side to the downstream side. However, the discharge channel 182 may also be formed so that its vertical dimension expands from the upstream side to the downstream side. This makes it easier to spread the water that has passed through the water channel 18 over the laundry in the rotating tub 13, allowing the laundry to be wetted quickly and evenly.

[0040] The discharge port 183, located downstream of the discharge channel 182, is formed sandwiched between the first balancer 40 and the second balancer 50. In other words, the discharge port 183 is formed by the first balancer 40 and the second balancer 50, which are formed independently of each other along the axial direction of the rotating tub 13. In this embodiment, as described above, the dimension H2 of the second balancer 50 is set to be larger than the dimension H1 of the first balancer 40 in the axial direction of the rotating tub 13, so the discharge port 183 is located above the center of the balance ring 30 in the height direction. This allows water to be sprayed from an appropriate position onto laundry located at the top of the rotating tub 13. Note that in Figure 5, the discharge port 183 is hatched to make the configuration easier to understand.

[0041] According to the embodiment described above, the washing machine 1 comprises a water tank 12, a rotating drum 13, a balance ring 30, a water passage 18, and a discharge port 183. The rotating drum 13 has an opening 131 and is rotatably housed in the water tank 12. The balance ring 30 is provided around the entire inner surface of the opening 131. Water from the water tank 12, which is pumped up from the bottom of the water tank 12, flows through the water passage 18. The discharge port 183 discharges the water that has flowed through the water passage 18 into the rotating drum 13. The balance ring 30 is constructed by stacking a plurality of balancers 40, 50, each having an internal space S1, S2 in which liquid is sealed, along the axial direction of the rotating drum 13. The discharge port 183 is formed sandwiched between the first balancer 40 and the second balancer 50.

[0042] According to this design, the balance ring 30 can be made thinner so as not to obstruct the loading and unloading of laundry. Furthermore, it allows for proper water distribution to laundry located at the top of the rotating tub 13. This ensures washing performance while suppressing prolonged operating time. As a result, the usability of the washing machine 1 can be improved.

[0043] Furthermore, the second balancer 50 is located below the first balancer 40. In the axial direction of the rotating tub 13, the dimension H2 of the second balancer 50 is set to be larger than the dimension H1 of the first balancer 40. This allows the discharge port 183 to be located at a higher position. This makes it possible to properly spray water onto the laundry located in the upper part of the inside of the rotating tub 13. Thus, the washing effect can be further improved.

[0044] The water passage 18 is formed by a space sandwiched between the first balancer 40 and the second balancer 50, and has a discharge water passage 182 that allows water to pass towards the discharge port 183. The balance ring 30 has a plurality of protrusions 54. The plurality of protrusions 54 suppress water leakage from the discharge water passage 182. As a result, the water flowing through the water passage 18 can be properly applied to the laundry contained in the rotating tub 13 via the discharge port 183. This allows the laundry to be wet quickly, thus efficiently achieving washing performance.

[0045] The washing machine 1 further includes a connecting member 19. The connecting member 19 detachably connects the rotating tub 13 to the uppermost balancer 40 among the multiple balancers 40, 50. This allows the balance ring 30 to be attached to the rotating tub 13 in a simple manner. This improves usability without compromising the manufacturability of the washing machine 1.

[0046] Regarding the configuration of the water channels 18, it is not limited to a configuration in which one discharge channel 182 is connected to one pumping channel 181, but may also be configured in which multiple discharge channels 184 are connected to one pumping channel 181. In this case, as shown in the example in Figure 7, the second balancer 50 has multiple water guide ribs 55. The water guide ribs 55 are formed in a plate shape that extends upward from the top surface 52a of the second balancer 50, for example, and are formed in a curved or straight shape along the radial direction. One end of the water guide rib 55 is connected to the outer edge of the recessed portion 53, and the other end of the water guide rib 55 is connected to the inner wall surface 511 of the second balancer 50. The multiple discharge channels 184 are formed between adjacent water guide ribs 55. In the example in Figure 7, five discharge channels 184 are connected to one pumping channel 181. The number of discharge channels 184 corresponding to the pumping channel 181 can be set arbitrarily.

[0047] Furthermore, discharge ports 185 are connected to the downstream side of each of the multiple discharge channels 184. In this case, the discharge ports 185 are arranged radially around almost the entire circumference of the balance ring 30. As a result, as shown by the black arrows in Figure 7, water can be sprayed over the entire circumference of the rotating tub 13 via the multiple discharge ports 185. This makes it easier to widely spray the water that has passed through the multiple discharge ports 185 onto the laundry in the rotating tub 13. Therefore, the laundry can be wetted evenly and quickly, thus ensuring more efficient washing performance. Note that, in order to make the drawing easier to read, only some of the reference numerals for the water guiding ribs 55, discharge channels 184, and discharge ports 185 are shown in Figure 7, and the reference numerals for the other water guiding ribs 55, discharge channels 184, and discharge ports 185 are omitted.

[0048] (Second Embodiment) Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 8 and 9. In this second embodiment, the structure of the rotating tank 13 and the balance ring 30 differs from that of the first embodiment. Specifically, in the first embodiment, the balance ring 30 was constructed by stacking two balancers 40 and 50 in the vertical direction, whereas in this second embodiment, the balance ring 30 is constructed by stacking three balancers 40, 50, and 60. In this case, a third balancer 60 is provided between the first balancer 40 and the second balancer 50. That is, in the balance ring 30, the first balancer 40 is located above the third balancer 60, and the second balancer 50 is located below the third balancer 60. In this case, when viewed with reference to the third balancer 60, the first balancer 40 corresponds to one balancer, and the third balancer 60 corresponds to the other balancer. Furthermore, when viewed from the perspective of the second balancer 50, the third balancer 60 corresponds to one of the balancers, and the second balancer 50 corresponds to the other balancer. Note that the number of layers in which multiple balancers are stacked is not limited to three, but may be four or more.

[0049] The third balancer 60 has a third main body 61 and a third lid member 62. The third main body 61 is formed in the shape of a container, for example, with an open top, and extends in the vertical direction. The third main body 61 has an inner wall surface 611, an outer wall surface 612, and a bottom surface 613. The inner wall surface 611 constitutes the inner surface of the third main body 61. The outer wall surface 612 is arranged parallel to the inner wall surface 611 and constitutes the outer surface of the third main body 61. The bottom surface 613 constitutes the bottom surface of the third main body 61. The bottom surface 613 is formed as an annular horizontal surface overall. Both radial ends of the bottom surface 613 are connected to the inner wall surface 611 and the outer wall surface 612, respectively. As shown in Figure 9, a recess 613a is formed in the bottom surface 613. The recess 613a has the same configuration as the recess 413b of the first balancer 40, so a detailed explanation is omitted.

[0050] The third lid member 62 is formed in an annular shape. The third lid member 62 closes the upper end of the third main body 61. The radial length of the third lid member 62 is set to be approximately the same as the radial length of the third main body 61. The third lid member 62 is formed, for example, in a roughly U-shape in cross-section. The third lid member 62 is joined to the third main body 61 in a watertight manner, for example, by spin welding. The method of joining the third lid member 62 and the third main body 61 is not limited to spin welding; other welding methods such as ultrasonic welding or vibration welding may also be used. Inside the third balancer 60, an internal space S3 is formed by the third main body 61 and the third lid member 62. Liquid is sealed inside the internal space S3.

[0051] As shown in Figure 8, in the axial direction of the rotating tank 13, the dimension H3 of the third balancer 60 is set to be larger than the dimension H1 of the first balancer 40 and smaller than the dimension H2 of the second balancer 50. That is, the multiple balancers 40, 50, and 60 are configured so that their height increases sequentially from the bottom to the top. Note that the dimension H3 of the third balancer 60 may be set to be approximately the same as the dimension H1 of the first balancer 40 or approximately the same as the dimension H2 of the second balancer 50.

[0052] The third balancer 60 is provided on the body 13a of the rotating tank 13 in the same manner as the second balancer 50. When the balance ring 30 is attached to the rotating tank 13, it is placed on the inner surface of the body 13a of the rotating tank 13. In this embodiment, the body 13a has a mounting surface 13e, as shown in Figure 8. The mounting surface 13e is located above the mounting surface 13d and has the same shape as the mounting surface 13d. The mounting surface 13e is formed in the middle of the body 13a in the vertical direction and is formed so that the body 13a expands in a stepped manner toward the radially outward direction. The mounting surface 13e is formed as a flat surface around the entire circumference of the body 13a.

[0053] The mounting surface 13e is on which the third balancer 60 can be mounted and supports the area around the outer edge of the bottom surface 613 of the third balancer 60 from below. Therefore, when the balance ring 30 is attached to the rotating tank 13, the third balancer 60 is positioned so as to be sandwiched from above and below by the mounting surface 13e, the second balancer 50, and the first balancer 40. In this case, the third balancer 60 does not have a configuration that integrally fixes it in the vertical direction to the first balancer 40 and the second balancer 50, respectively.

[0054] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 9, the third balancer 60 has a recessed portion 63 and a protruding portion 64. The recessed portion 63 is formed by recessing the outer circumferential surface of the third balancer 60 inward. The protruding portion 64 is formed by protruding upward from the top surface of the third balancer 60, that is, from the top surface 62a of the third lid member 62, and suppresses leakage of water from the discharge channel 182 and restricts the rotational movement of the third balancer 60 in the circumferential direction. The recessed portion 63 and the protruding portion 64 have the same configuration as the recessed portion 53 and the protruding portion 54 of the second balancer 50, so a detailed explanation is omitted. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 9, the downstream side of the pumping channel 181 extends to the outside of the third balancer 60. That is, a part of the pumping channel 181 is formed between the outer surface of the third balancer 60 and the body portion 13a of the rotating tank 13. Furthermore, multiple discharge channels 182 and discharge ports 183 are formed along the axial direction of the rotating drum 13, in this case two. That is, the washing machine 1 can be configured to have N-1 discharge channels 182 and discharge ports 183 in the axial direction of the rotating drum 13, obtained by subtracting 1 from the number of layers N of balancers 40, 50, and 60 that constitute the balance ring 30. In this case, the discharge channel 182 includes a lower discharge channel 182a and an upper discharge channel 182b. Also, the discharge port 183 includes a lower discharge port 183a and an upper discharge port 183b.

[0055] The lower discharge channel 182a and the lower discharge port 183a are formed by the space sandwiched between the second balancer 50 and the third balancer 60. The upper discharge channel 182b and the upper discharge port 183b are formed by the space sandwiched between the third balancer 60 and the first balancer 40. In other words, the water that passes through the lower discharge channel 182a and the lower discharge port 183a is discharged into the rotating tank 13 from a lower position than the water that passes through the upper discharge channel 182b and the upper discharge port 183b.

[0056] According to this second embodiment, the same effects and advantages as those of the first embodiment are achieved. Furthermore, by providing multiple discharge ports 183a and 183b at different positions along the axial direction of the rotating tank 13, it is possible to switch between the discharge ports 183a and 183b used depending on the amount of laundry contained in the rotating tank 13. In this case, the switching between the discharge ports 183a and 183b can be done by changing the driving force of the agitator blade 15 to adjust the height of the water flowing through the water pumping channel 181.

[0057] Specifically, when there is a relatively small amount of laundry in the rotating tub 13, the driving force of the agitator blade 15 is reduced, and water can be sprayed into the rotating tub 13 mainly using the lower discharge port 183a, which is located at a lower position among the multiple discharge ports 183a and 183b. On the other hand, when there is a relatively large amount of laundry in the rotating tub 13, the driving force of the agitator blade 15 is increased, and water can be sprayed into the rotating tub 13 mainly from the upper discharge port 183b, which is located at a higher position among the multiple discharge ports 183a and 183b. This ensures washing performance while adjusting the driving force of the agitator blade 15 according to the amount of laundry, thereby achieving a washing method that minimizes damage to the laundry.

[0058] Furthermore, the above embodiments can be combined with each other. Alternatively, only the characteristic features of each embodiment can be extracted and combined.

[0059] Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments are presented as examples only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their variations are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as in the claims and their equivalents. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0060] 1...Washing machine, 12...Water tank, 13...Rotating tub, 131...Opening, 18...Water passage, 183, 185...Discharge port, 30...Balance ring, 40...First balancer (one balancer), 50...Second balancer (the other balancer), 60...Third balancer (one balancer, the other balancer)

Claims

1. A fish tank and A rotating tank having an opening and rotatably housed within the water tank, A balance ring is provided around the entire inner surface of the opening, A water channel through which water from the tank, which has been pumped up from the bottom of the tank, It comprises a discharge port for discharging the water that has flowed through the water channel into the rotating tank, The balance ring is constructed by stacking a plurality of balancers, each having an internal space in which a liquid is sealed, along the axial direction of the rotating tank. The discharge port is formed sandwiched between one balancer and the other balancer. washing machine.

2. The other balancer is provided below the first balancer. In the axial direction of the rotating tank, the dimensions of the other balancer are set to be larger than the dimensions of the first balancer. The washing machine according to claim 1.

3. The water passage is formed by a space sandwiched between one balancer and the other balancer and has a discharge water passage through which water passes toward the discharge port. The balance ring has a leakage suppression section that suppresses water leakage from the discharge channel. The washing machine according to claim 1.

4. The system further includes a connecting member that detachably connects the rotating tank to the uppermost balancer among the plurality of balancers. The washing machine according to claim 1.

5. The balance ring is constructed by stacking three or more of the balancers. The discharge ports are formed in multiple locations along the axial direction of the rotating tank. The washing machine according to claim 1.

6. The discharge ports are arranged radially around almost the entire circumference of the balance ring. The washing machine according to claim 1.

Images