washing machine

Abstract

To achieve excellent workability of installation, maintenance, inspection, and the like of a communication device in a washing machine allowing the communication device to be installed and to enable wiring processing between the communication device and a control unit to be easily executed.SOLUTION: A washing machine of the embodiment comprises: a washing machine body; a control unit disposed inside the washing machine body; and a communication device case, which detachably houses a communication device that is disposed on the control unit, enables wireless communication with an external device, and obtains information of the washing machine. The communication device case is mounted on a vicinity of a wiring hole provided in the control unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] An embodiment of the present invention relates to a washing machine. [Background technology]

[0002] It is considered to make washing machines IT (information technology)-based so that information about the washing machine can be obtained by an external terminal and information from the outside can be given to the washing machine. In this case, a communication device capable of wireless communication with a home terminal installed in the home is installed in the washing machine. When installing the communication device in the washing machine, it is considered to install it behind a front cover that is detachably attached to the front of the washing machine body. This has the advantage that the work of installing the communication device and performing maintenance and inspection can be easily performed by removing the front cover. In this case, the communication device needs to be electrically connected to the control unit of the washing machine body, but if the communication device and the control unit are separated from each other, there is a problem that the wiring process for connecting them becomes troublesome. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 3915897 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In view of the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a washing machine in which a communication device can be installed, which allows easy installation, maintenance and inspection of the communication device, and which also allows easy wiring between the communication device and a control unit. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The washing machine of this embodiment comprises a washing machine main body, a control unit provided inside the washing machine main body, and a communication device case in which a communication device provided in the control unit and capable of wireless communication with external devices and acquiring information about the washing machine is removably stored, and the communication device case is attached near a wiring port provided in the control unit. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an external perspective view showing a washing machine according to an embodiment with a front cover removed and a control unit pulled out. [Diagram 2] A front perspective view of the communication device case attached to the control unit. [Diagram 3] A perspective view of the communication device case and the control unit from the rear. [Figure 4] 1 is a front perspective view of a communication device case and a control unit; FIG. [Diagram 5] Side view broken along line X5-X5 in Figure 2 [Figure 6] Exploded perspective view of the communication device case and IT adapter (communication device) [Figure 7] Front view of the case body side with the connector temporarily fixed to the temporary fixing part of the case body [Figure 8] Front view of the case body with the IT adapter stored inside the case body [Figure 9] A vertical cross-sectional side view of the connector temporarily attached to the case body with the lid closed. [Figure 10] A diagram showing the electrical relationship between the control device, IT adapter, and reed switch. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0007] An embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. First, in FIG. 1, the washing machine 1 of this embodiment is a drum type washing machine driven by a horizontal shaft. The outer box 3 constituting the outer shell of the washing machine main body 2 in this washing machine 1 is configured as a substantially rectangular box shape as a whole by combining a front frame 4, left and right side panels 5, a top plate 6, a back plate 7, a base plate 9 having legs 8, and a front cover 10. Among them, the front frame 4 is inclined downward from the front, and a door 12 for opening and closing a laundry entrance 11 is provided at its approximately center so as to be rotatable in the front-rear direction via a hinge part. The upper part of the front frame 4 extends to the front part of the upper surface of the outer box 3, and an operation panel 13 is provided at the front part of the upper surface. In addition, a detergent case 14 is provided at the upper left part of the front frame 4 so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction. A lint filter device 15 is attached to the right side of the top plate 6 so as to be able to be inserted and removed in the vertical direction.

[0008] The front cover 10 is U-shaped when viewed from above, and is positioned between the front frame 4 and the base plate 9, and is detachably attached from the front with screws 16. In this case, the front frame 4, base plate 9, and front cover 10 are made of synthetic resin, while the other left and right side plates 5, top plate 6, and back plate 7 are made of metal plates such as steel plates.

[0009] Inside washing machine main body 2 (outer box 3), although not shown, there are arranged a water tub capable of storing water, a drum capable of storing laundry, a motor for rotating the drum, a heat pump mechanism for drying, a water supply valve, a drain valve, and various sensors including a water level sensor. Washing machine 1 is designed to perform washing, spin-drying, and drying automatically. The water tub and drum are horizontally cylindrical with an open front and are arranged in a tilted manner with the front upward, with their respective front openings communicating with a laundry entrance / exit 11. Laundry is stored so that it can be taken in and out of the drum through laundry entrance / exit 11.

[0010] A control unit 17 is detachably disposed at the bottom inside the washing machine main body 2 by means of screws 18 fastened from the front. As shown in Figs. 2 to 4, a unit case 19 of the control unit 17 is composed of a unit case body 20 having a rectangular container shape and a unit lid 21 detachably attached to the upper side of the unit case body 20. The side walls surrounding the unit lid 21 extend to near the bottom of the lower part of the unit case body 20 (see Fig. 5). A control device 22 (see Fig. 10) mainly composed of a microcomputer is disposed inside the unit case 19.

[0011] The control device 22 is configured by mounting a microcomputer, a power supply circuit, and various electronic components on a printed circuit board (not shown), and functions as a control means for controlling the entire washing machine 1. A wiring port 23 is formed in the lower left front corner of the unit case 19 as shown in FIG. 4, and a number of connecting wires 24 are passed through this wiring port 23. One end of the connecting wire 24 is connected to the control device 22 inside the unit case 19, and the other end is wired to be connected to electric devices such as a motor, various sensors, and a panel control unit of the operation panel 13. The control unit 17 is disposed inside the front part of the washing machine main body 2 in a state of being slightly inclined upward toward the front. The front cover 10 is attached so as to cover the control unit 17 from the front.

[0012] In the washing machine 1 of this embodiment, a communication device case 25 is provided to accommodate IT. The communication device case 25 is attached to the front of the unit case 19 in the control unit 17, near the wiring port 23 and toward the left. A specific attachment structure will be described later. As shown in FIG. 6, the communication device case 25 is composed of a rectangular container-shaped case body 26 and a lid 28 rotatably attached to the case body 26 via a hinge portion 27. The lid 28 opens and closes the opening of the case body 26. Both the case body 26 and the lid 28 are made of synthetic resin.

[0013] Among these, the case body 26 is provided with a storage section 30 for storing an IT adapter 29 constituting the communication device, an electric wire insertion port 32 for passing the connecting electric wire 31, a meandering wiring section 33 for wiring the connecting electric wire 31 in a meandering manner, and a magnet storage section 34. One end of the connecting electric wire 31 is arranged inside the case body 26 through the electric wire insertion port 32, and a connector 35 for connecting to the IT adapter 29 is provided at its tip. The other end of the connecting electric wire 31 is arranged outside the case body 26, and a connector 36 for connecting to a corresponding electric wire among the connecting electric wires 24 is provided at its tip. A clamp 37 (see FIG. 3) for holding the connecting electric wire 31 in a non-detachable state is also provided on the back side of the case body 26. There are a plurality of connecting electric wires 31, and the parts other than the ends are bundled together and covered with an electrically insulating tube.

[0014] The storage section 30 is provided with two positioning protrusions 38 positioned diagonally, and a temporary fixing section 39 consisting of a recess at the bottom of the lower side. The temporary fixing section 39 has a shape corresponding to the shape of the front side of the connector 35. When the IT adapter 29 is not stored in the storage section 30, the connector 35 can be temporarily fixed by inserting and fitting the tip of the connector 35 into the temporary fixing section 39 as shown in Figs. 7 and 9. When the lid 28 is closed as shown in Fig. 9 with the connector 35 temporarily fixed to the temporary fixing section 39, the inner surface of the lid 28 comes into contact with the connecting electric wire 31 connected to the connector 35, and the connector 35 is prevented from coming off. A guide section 40 is protruding from the lower part inside the storage section 30. This guide section 40 is cylindrical and is located slightly to the left of the temporary fixing section 39. The guide section 40 also serves as a boss section for screw fixing, as described later.

[0015] The meandering wiring section 33 and the magnet storage section 34 are disposed on the left side of the storage section 30, and the meandering wiring section 33 and the magnet storage section 34 are partitioned into left and right by a partition section 41 between the storage section 30 and the meandering wiring section 33 and the magnet storage section 34. A gap 42 is formed between the lower end of the partition section 41 and the lower side wall of the case main body 26, and the connecting electric wire 31 can be disposed in the gap 42. The meandering wiring section 33 is provided with a middle partition section 43. The middle partition section 43 extends in parallel with the partition section 41. A gap 44 is also formed between the end of the middle partition section 43 on the magnet storage section 34 side and the side wall 34a of the magnet storage section 34, and the connecting electric wire 31 can also be disposed in the gap 44. With this configuration, the connecting electric wire 31 disposed in the case main body 26 can be wired in the meandering wiring section 33 in a meandering manner in the vertical direction, as shown in FIG. 7.

[0016] Here, the IT adapter 29 has a rectangular, flat block shape as shown in Fig. 6, and has two fitting holes (not shown) formed on the back side for fitting with the positioning protrusions 38, and a connector 45 for detachably mounting the connector 35 is provided on the bottom side. Inside the IT adapter 29, a communication unit and an antenna (not shown) are provided for wireless communication with an external device, for example, a home terminal (router) provided in the home.

[0017] The IT adapter 29 can be stored in the storage section 30 by connecting the connector 35 of the connecting wire 31 to the connector 45, and with the connector 35 facing downward, fitting the fitting hole on the back side into the corresponding positioning protrusion 38. At this time, as shown in Fig. 8, an elastic engagement claw 46 integrally provided on the partition section 41 engages with the surface of the IT adapter 29, thereby preventing the IT adapter 29 from coming off in the thickness direction. A slope is formed at the tip of the elastic engagement claw 46, and when the IT adapter 29 is stored in the storage section 30, the back side of the IT adapter 29 hits the slope of the elastic engagement claw 46, so that the elastic engagement claw 46 retracts from the storage section 30, making it easier to store the IT adapter 29.

[0018] An engagement piece 48 having an engagement hole 48a is integrally provided on the left outer side surface of the case body 26. An elastic engagement claw 49 (see FIG. 6) that engages with the engagement hole 48a in the closed state is integrally provided on the side of the lid 28. A permanent magnet 50 (also see FIG. 6) is attached to the inner surface of the lid 28 at a position corresponding to the magnet storage section 34 in the closed state. A reed switch 51 is provided on the back side of the magnet storage section 34. When the lid 28 is closed on the case body 26, the permanent magnet 50 is stored in a state of being inserted into the magnet storage section 34, and the permanent magnet 50 is brought into close proximity to the reed switch 51, so that the reed switch 51 is turned on (closed). The reed switch 51 functions as a means for detecting whether the lid 28 is open or closed, and also functions as an interlock switch for the communication device case 25.

[0019] Lid 28 is provided with a recessed recess 52 (see FIG. 2) to avoid interference with elastic engagement claws 46 when closed relative to case body 26. Recess 52 protrudes to the outer surface side of lid 28. Lid 28 is also provided with a screw attachment portion 53 at a position corresponding to guide portion 40, and lid 28 can be fixed in the closed state by threading a screw 54 that has passed through screw attachment portion 53 into a hole in guide portion 40.

[0020] Next, the mounting structure of the communication device case 25 to the unit case 19 of the control unit 17 will be described. Two hook pieces 55 are provided on the lower part of the back side of the case body 26 of the communication device case 25. Each hook piece 55 protrudes backward and has an upward tip, forming an L shape. A mounting part 56 having a screw insertion hole 56a is provided on the upper part of the back side of the case body 26. On the other hand, a cylindrical boss part 57 extending upward is integrally provided on the upper part of the front side of the unit cover 21 of the unit case 19.

[0021] Thus, when attaching the communication device case 25 to the unit case 19, this is done before attaching the control unit 17 to the washing machine main body 2 or with the control unit 17 removed from the washing machine main body 2. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 4, with the communication device case 25 positioned in front of the unit case 19, two hook pieces 55 on the back side of the communication device case 25 are hooked onto the lower end of the front side wall 21a of the unit lid 21, and with the mounting portion 56 facing the upper surface of the boss portion 57, the screw 58 inserted into the screw insertion hole 56a of the mounting portion 56 is screwed into the hole of the boss portion 57, whereby the communication device case 25 can be fixedly attached to the front surface of the unit case 19 (see Fig. 5).

[0022] The control unit 17 is attached to the washing machine body 2 by inserting it from the front side into the washing machine body 2 with the communication device case 25 attached to the unit case 19 as described above and fixing it with the screws 18. At this time, the unit case 19 of the control unit 17 is attached in a state in which it is inclined upward so that the front part is slightly higher than the rear part (see Figs. 5 and 9). In this state, as shown in Fig. 9, in the communication device case 25 attached to the front part of the unit case 19, the inner surface 60 of the side wall 26a on the lower side of the case body 26 is inclined downward so that the tip side is lower. In addition, the inner surface 61 of the side wall 28a on the lower side of the lid 28 is also inclined so that the tip side is lower. Therefore, even if water infiltrates into the communication device case 25 from the outside or condenses inside and turns into water droplets, the water easily flows along the inclination of the inner surfaces 60 and 61 as shown by the arrows in Fig. 9, so that the drainage performance can be improved.

[0023] Next, a case where the IT adapter 29 is attached to the communication device case 25 will be described. In this case, the attachment can be performed in a state where the control unit 17 to which the communication device case 25 is attached is attached inside the washing machine main body 2, or in a state where the control unit 17 is removed from the washing machine main body 2. Specifically, in either case, as shown in FIG. 6, first, with the lid 28 of the communication device case 25 open, the connecting wire 31 provided in the communication device case 25 is pulled out, and the connector 35 is connected to the connector 45 of the IT adapter 29 on the outside of the case main body 26.

[0024] Then, with the connector 35 facing downward (guide section 40 side), the fitting holes on the back side of the IT adapter 29 are fitted into the corresponding positioning protrusions 38, and the elastic engagement claws 46 are engaged with the surface of the IT adapter 29, so that the IT adapter 29 is housed in the storage section 30. When the IT adapter 29 is housed in the storage section 30, the fitting holes are fitted into the positioning protrusions 38 to position the IT adapter 29 in the lateral direction (plane direction), and the elastic engagement claws 46 are engaged with the surface of the IT adapter 29 to prevent the IT adapter 29 from coming off in the thickness direction. Then, as shown in FIG. 8, the connecting electric wire 31 is wired in a meandering manner along the meandering wiring section 33 in the case main body 26. At this time, the portion of the connecting electric wire 31 close to the connector 35 is arranged below the guide section 40 so as to pass below the connector 35. With this configuration, even if water adheres to the connecting electric wire 31, the water can be prevented from flowing down the connecting electric wire 31 and entering the connector 35 side.

[0025] Thereafter, the lid 28 is closed and the elastic engagement claw 49 is engaged with the engagement hole 48a of the engagement piece 48, thereby maintaining the lid 28 in a closed state. In this closed state, the permanent magnet 50 on the lid 28 side is inserted into the magnet housing portion 34 of the case body 26 and is in close proximity to the reed switch 51, which in turn turns on the reed switch 51. Then, the screw 54 inserted through the screw attachment portion 53 of the lid 28 is screwed into the hole in the guide portion 40 which also serves as the boss portion, thereby fixing the lid 28 in the closed state. This completes the attachment of the IT adapter 29 to the communication device case 25.

[0026] Fig. 10 shows a schematic diagram of the electrical relationship between the control device 22, the IT adapter 29, and the reed switch 51. In Fig. 10, both ends of the reed switch 51 are connected to the control device 22. Of the connection wires 31 connected to the IT adapter 29 via the connector 35, two signal wires 31a are connected to the control device 22, a power supply wire 31b connected to the positive terminal of the DC power supply is connected to the control device 22 via a relay switch 62a, and a power supply wire 31c connected to the negative terminal of the DC power supply is connected to earth. One end of the relay switch 62a and the relay coil 62b constituting the relay 62 is connected to the control device 22, and the other end is earthed.

[0027] In this configuration, when the connector 35 of the connecting wire 31 is connected to the IT adapter 29 and the lid 28 is closed while the IT adapter 29 is stored in the storage section 30 of the communication device case 25, the reed switch 51 is turned on. When the control device 22 receives an on signal from the reed switch 51, it energizes the relay coil 62b to turn on the relay switch 62a. Based on this, power is supplied to the IT adapter 29 via the connector 35. In addition, when the lid 28 of the communication device case 25 is opened in this state, the permanent magnet 50 moves away from the reed switch 51, and the reed switch 51 is switched to the off state. Then, the control device 22 de-energizes the relay coil 62b to turn off the relay switch 62a. Based on this, the supply of power to the IT adapter 29 is stopped.

[0028] According to the above-described embodiment, the following advantageous effects can be obtained. First, the washing machine main body 2 has a removable front cover 10, a control unit 17 is provided inside the washing machine main body 2 while being covered from the front by the front cover 10, and a communication device case 25 is provided in the control unit 17 and detachably stores an IT adapter 29 capable of wireless communication with an external device, in this case a home terminal. With this, the IT adapter 29 can be installed in the communication device case 25 and the IT adapter 29 can be maintained and inspected by removing the easily removable front cover 10 without moving the washing machine main body 2, which is a heavy object, and these operations can be easily performed. Moreover, since the communication device case 25 is attached to the control unit 17, the communication device case 25 and the control unit 17 are close to each other, and the connection line electrically connecting them can be short. Therefore, the wiring process of the connection line between the communication device case 25 and the control unit 17 can be easily performed, and there is also an advantage that noise is less likely to enter the connection line. Since the communication device case 25 is attached near the wiring port 23 of the control unit 17, wiring can be handled more easily.

[0029] Communications device case 25 includes case body 26 attached to control unit 17 and lid 28 that can be opened and closed relative to case body 26, and is configured such that, with case body 26 attached to control unit 17, lid 28 can be opened and closed to detachably store IT adapter 29 in case body 26. With this, IT adapter 29 can be attached and detached relative to case body 26 while communications device case 25 remains attached to control unit 17, making it even easier to attach and detach IT adapter 29 and to perform maintenance and inspection work.

[0030] The communication device case 25 is provided with a connector 35 connectable to the IT adapter 29, and a temporary fixing portion 39 for temporarily fixing the connector 35 is provided inside the communication device case 25. When the IT adapter 29 is not stored in the communication device case 25, the connector 35 is fitted into the temporary fixing portion 39 to be temporarily fixed, and the lid 28 is closed. In this state, even if the washing machine 1 is operated and vibrations occur in the washing machine main body 2 during the washing operation or spin-drying operation, the connector 35 can be prevented from rattling inside the communication device case 25, and the generation of rattling noises and damage due to vibration can be prevented. In addition, since the connector 35 can be prevented from rattling inside the communication device case 25, damage and disconnection of the connecting wire 31 connected to the connector 35 can also be prevented. Moreover, the inner surface of the lid 28 comes into contact with the connecting wire 31 connected to the connector 35, so that the connector 35 can be prevented from coming out of the temporary fixing portion 39 (see FIG. 9).

[0031] The communication device case 25 is provided with a connecting electric wire 31 connected to a connector 35 connectable to an IT adapter 29, and a meandering wiring section 33 for wiring the connecting electric wire 31 in a meandering manner is provided inside the communication device case 25. With this, when connecting the connector 35 to the IT adapter 29, the connecting electric wire 31 has a sufficient length to be drawn out of the communication device case 25, so that the connection work can be easily performed outside the communication device case 25. After connection, by wiring the connecting electric wire 31 in a meandering manner in the meandering wiring section 33, the connecting electric wire 31 can be stored in a good shape even if it is long, and even if the connecting electric wire 31 is pulled from the outside, the pulling force is unlikely to be transmitted to the connection part of the connector 35.

[0032] With communication device case 25 attached to unit lid 21 of control unit 17, control unit 17 can be removed from washing machine body 2, and unit lid 21 of control unit 17 and lid 28 of communication device case 25 can be opened and closed independently. This allows work such as inspection of communication device case 25 and unit case 19 to be performed with communication device case 25 attached to unit lid 21 of control unit 17, improving maintainability.

[0033] The front cover 10 that covers the communication device case 25 from the front is made of synthetic resin, so that radio wave attenuation can be minimized during wireless communication between the IT adapter 29 stored in the communication device case 25 and a home terminal in the home. The communication device case 25 is provided with a clamp 37 that holds the connecting wire 31 in a non-disconnecting state, so that the connecting wire 31 can be prevented from accidentally coming out of the communication device case 25.

[0034] (Other embodiments) Although the communication device case 25 is configured to be attached to the unit lid 21 side of the unit case 19 in the control unit 17, it may also be configured to be attached to the unit case main body 20 side depending on the configuration of the unit case 19.

[0035] In the communication device case 25, the means for detecting whether the lid 28 is opened or closed may be a permanent magnet 50 and a Hall element instead of the permanent magnet 50 and the reed switch 51. Also, a tact switch that is turned on by pressing an operator may be used.

[0036] As described above, according to the washing machine of this embodiment, by removing the easily attachable and detachable front cover from the washing machine body, the communication device can be installed in the communication device case, and the communication device can be maintained and inspected, and these operations can be easily performed. Moreover, since the communication device case is provided in the control unit, the communication device case and the control unit are close to each other, and the connecting wires electrically connecting them can be short. Therefore, it is easy to wire the connecting wires between the communication device case and the control unit, and there is also the advantage that noise is less likely to enter the connecting wires.

[0037] Although some embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents described in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0038] In the drawings, 1 is a washing machine, 2 is a washing machine main body, 3 is an outer box, 10 is a front cover, 17 is a control unit, 19 is a unit case, 20 is a unit case main body, 21 is a unit lid, 22 is a control device, 23 is a wiring port, 25 is a case for a communications device, 26 is a case main body, 27 is a lid, 29 is an IT adapter (communications device), 31 is a connecting wire, 33 is a serpentine wiring section, 35 is a connector, 37 is a clamp, 39 is a temporary fixing section, 40 is a guide section, 50 is a permanent magnet, 51 is a reed switch, and 60 and 61 are inner surfaces.

Claims

[Claim 1] The washing machine body, A control unit provided inside the washing machine body; a communication device case that is attached to the unit case of the control unit and that detachably houses a communication device that is capable of wireless communication with an external device and acquires information about the washing machine; Equipped with the communication device case is attached near a wiring port provided in a unit case of the control unit, The washing machine according to claim 1, wherein no other communication device case is interposed between the communication device case and the wiring port.

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