Drum-type washing machine

Abstract

To provide a drum type washing machine which comprises an outer tub and a housing, and is suppressed in vibration of the outer tub in a front-rear direction, and which enables suppression of increase in vibration transmitted to a housing and an installation floor.SOLUTION: In a plan view in which a clothing input opening 11op of an outer tub 11 is viewed from the front, when a Y-Y division line in the gravity direction passing the center of the clothing input opening part is virtually set, at least one vibration-proof damper 24d of a plurality of vibration-proof dampers 24 is installed in a region on the left side of the division line, in the case where a rotation direction of the dewatering operation of a rotary drum 21 is left rotation, and the vibration-proof dampers 24 is installed in a region on the right side of the division line, in the case where the rotation direction of the dewatering operation of the rotary drum is right rotation. Furthermore, an outer tub side mounting portion 11d of the one vibration-proof damper 24d and the outer tub 11 is arranged closer to the side of the clothing input opening part, in view of an axial line direction of the outer tub, and a housing side mounting portion 1d of the one vibration-proof damper 24d and the housing is arranged farther away from the outer tub side mounting portion 11d from the clothing input opening part 11op, in view of the axial line direction of the outer tub 11.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7A

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a washing machine for washing clothes, and particularly to a drum-type washing machine in which a washing tub is disposed horizontally. [Background Art]

[0002] Generally, a drum-type washing machine includes an outer tub for storing water, a rotatable drum as a washing tub enclosed in the outer tub, and a housing that encloses the outer tub and the rotatable drum. The outer tub is supported to the housing via a vibration-proof structure such as a vibration-proof damper or a suspension spring. During a spin-drying operation of clothes, the rotatable drum is rotated at a high speed to perform spin-drying by centrifugal force. Therefore, if uneven distribution of clothes occurs in the rotatable drum, vibration is generated in the outer tub.

[0003] For this reason, vibration of the outer tub is suppressed by the vibration-proof damper or the suspension spring. As examples of vibration-proof dampers that suppress vibration of the outer tub, the vibration-proof dampers described in, for example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2015-53947 (Patent Document 1) and Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. Hei 5-84389 (Patent Document 2) are known.

[0004] In the drum-type washing machine of Patent Document 1, the vibration-proof damper includes a first vibration-proof damper provided on a rotation direction side of the drum, disposed at a position closer to a front side than a center of gravity position of a tub unit, and a second vibration-proof damper disposed at a position closer to a rear side than the center of gravity position of the tub unit, and a housing connecting portion to which the first vibration-proof damper and the second vibration-proof damper are connected is attached to the washing machine housing via a third cushioning material A and a third cushioning material B. The vibration of the tub unit can be damped also in the front-rear and left-right directions by the first vibration-proof damper, the second vibration-proof damper, the third cushioning material A, and the third cushioning material B.

[0005] In the drum-type washing machine of Patent Document 2, the drum-type washing machine includes a water tank supported in a suspended manner, and a drum rotating in the water tank, and a pair of dampers are provided between a lower portion of the water tank and a washing machine body, the pair of dampers being attached in an inclined manner in the front-rear direction and disposed at an angle θ between the lower portion of the water tank and the washing machine body. A damping force can be generated also in the front-rear direction by the pair of dampers, thereby suppressing vibration of the water tank. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2015-53947 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 5-84389 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] As is well known, in the spin cycle of a drum-type washing machine, the rotation speed of the rotating drum is gradually increased to perform centrifugal spinning at high speed, which often causes vibrations in the outer tub due to uneven distribution of clothes during spinning. If the outer tub vibrates excessively, it can lead to abnormal vibrations due to contact between the outer tub and the casing, or in the worst case, damage to the drum-type washing machine. In particular, in drum-type washing machines with a long drum depth, even if the amount of uneven distribution of clothes is small, the moment arm becomes large, and vibrations in the front-to-back direction due to the oscillating motion of the outer tub become a problem.

[0008] By increasing the damping performance of the vibration isolation mechanism (so-called vibration damper) connecting the outer tub and the casing, vibrations of the outer tub can be suppressed in the rotational speed range where the outer tub resonates. On the other hand, with a vibration isolation mechanism that has high damping performance, vibrations of the outer tub are transmitted to the casing at high rotational speeds, causing the casing and the floor on which the drum-type washing machine is installed to vibrate. Since vibrations of the casing and the installation floor can lead to discomfort for the user, it is necessary to suppress both the vibrations of the outer tub and the vibrations of the casing and installation floor.

[0009] In Patent Document 1, vibrations of the outer tub in the left-right, up-down, and front-back directions, as viewed from the front of the washing machine, are suppressed by providing multiple vibration-damping dampers at the bottom of the outer tub and cushioning material at the connection between the vibration-damping dampers and the casing.

[0010] The vibration dampers are installed in a position that dampens vibrations in the lateral and vertical directions of the outer tank, while vibrations in the longitudinal direction are mainly suppressed by the damping of the cushioning material. Therefore, a cushioning material with high damping performance is required, which may lead to an increase in vibrations transmitted to the housing and the installation floor at high rotational speeds.

[0011] Furthermore, Patent Document 2 describes a system with multiple vibration-isolating dampers mounted at an angle in the front-to-back direction on the lower part of the outer tank, thereby suppressing vibrations of the outer tank by damping vibrations in the front-to-back direction. However, since it does not take into account the front-to-back vibration modes during resonance of the outer tank, even if large front-to-back vibrations occur due to the oscillating motion of the outer tank, the vibration-isolating dampers may not be able to stroke far enough, and conversely, vibration-isolating dampers with low damping performance may not be able to sufficiently dampen the vibrations. Therefore, in order to suppress front-to-back vibrations, it is necessary to use vibration-isolating dampers with high damping performance, which, like Patent Document 1, may lead to an increase in vibrations transmitted to the housing and the installation floor when rotating at high speeds.

[0012] The object of the present invention is to provide a drum-type washing machine that can suppress vibrations of the outer tub in the front-to-back direction, as well as suppress the increase in vibrations transmitted to the housing and the installation floor. [Means for solving the problem]

[0013] The present invention relates to a drum-type washing machine comprising a housing, an outer tub supported within the housing and capable of storing washing water, a rotating drum enclosed within the outer tub and rotated by an electric motor, and a plurality of vibration damping dampers connecting the lower part of the outer tub and the bottom of the housing, In a plan view of the outer tub's clothing loading opening from the front, when a hypothetical dividing line in the direction of gravity is set passing through the center of the clothing loading opening, at least one of the multiple vibration dampers is, When the rotating drum rotates counterclockwise during the dewatering operation, it is installed in the area to the left of the dividing line; when the rotating drum rotates clockwise during the dewatering operation, it is installed in the area to the right of the dividing line. Furthermore, an outer tub-side mounting portion between one vibration-proof damper and the outer tub is arranged closer to a clothes input opening when viewed in the axial direction of the outer tub, and a casing-side mounting portion between one vibration-proof damper and the casing is arranged farther from the clothes input opening than the outer tub-side mounting portion when viewed in the axial direction of the outer tub.

Effects of the Invention

[0014] Vibration of the outer tub in the front-rear direction can be suppressed, and an increase in vibration transmitted to the casing and an installation floor can be suppressed.

Brief Description of Drawings

[0015] [Figure 1] It is a perspective view of a drum-type washing machine to which the present invention is applied. [Figure 2] It is a cross-sectional view showing a vertical cross-section for explaining an internal configuration of the drum-type washing machine. [Figure 3] It is a chart diagram showing a control pattern of the rotation speed of a rotating drum during a dewatering step. [Figure 4] It is an explanatory diagram for explaining changes in vibration phases of the outer tub in respective vibration directions. [Figure 5] It is an explanatory diagram for explaining a vibration trajectory viewed from the clothes input opening side of the outer tub. [Figure 6] It is an explanatory diagram for explaining a swinging motion of the outer tub. [Figure 7A] It is a configuration view viewed from the front of the outer tub for explaining the arrangement relationship of the outer tub, the casing, and the vibration-proof dampers according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7B] It is a configuration view viewed from the side of the outer tub for explaining the arrangement relationship of the outer tub, the casing, and the vibration-proof dampers according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8A] It is an explanatory diagram for explaining a first behavior of the vibration-proof damper in the present embodiment. [Figure 8B] It is an explanatory diagram for explaining a second behavior of the vibration-proof damper in the present embodiment.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0016] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments, and various modifications and application examples are also included in the scope within the technical concept of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a drum-type washing machine 100 to which the present invention is applied, and Figure 2 is a side view showing the internal structure of the drum-type washing machine 100. Hereinafter, the general configuration and operation of the drum-type washing machine 100 will be described with reference to Figure 1 and Figure 2.

[0018] A housing 1 that constitutes the outer shell of the drum-type washing machine 100 shown in Figure 1 is mounted on a housing base 1a, and is composed of left and right side plates 1b (only the right side plate is shown in Figure 1), a front cover 1c, a rear cover 1d (see Figure 2), a top cover 1e, and a lower front cover 1f.

[0019] The top cover 1e is provided with a water supply hose connection port 30 for supplying water from a tap to the drum-type washing machine 100. The housing 1, including the base 1a, forms a box-shaped outer frame and has sufficient strength as an outer frame.

[0020] The door 2 is for closing a clothing insertion opening (not shown) provided substantially at the center of the front cover 1c for putting in and taking out clothing, and is openably and closably supported by a hinge (not shown) provided on the front cover 1c. The door 2 is unlocked and opened by pulling the door opening handle 2a toward the user, and is locked and closed by pressing the door 2 against the front cover 1c. The front cover 1c is substantially concentric with a clothing insertion opening of an outer tub 11 described later, and has a circular clothing insertion opening for putting in and taking out clothing.

[0021] The operation / display panel 3, located on the top of the housing 1, includes a power switch 4, an operation switch 5, and a display unit 6. The operation / display panel 3 is electrically connected to the control unit 7 (see Figure 2), which is located on the upper reinforcing member 13 (see Figure 2) located on the top of the housing 1. A cooling fan (not shown) is attached to the control unit 7. The control unit 7 also has a memory capable of recording the operation of the drum-type washing machine. A drain hose 14 for draining water is attached near the housing base 1a.

[0022] The drum-type washing machine 100 shown in Figure 2 has an outer tub 11 for holding water inside its casing 1. The upper part of the outer tub 11 is connected by two sets of suspension means 8, which are made of coil springs, to maintain the posture of the outer tub 11. The lower part of the outer tub 11 is connected by a plurality of vibration-damping dampers 24a to 24d attached to the casing 1. The ends of the vibration-damping dampers 24a to 24d and the connection points between the outer tub 11 and the casing 1 are mounted in a manner that allows them to swing relative to the vibration direction of the outer tub 11.

[0023] The number of vibration-damping dampers 24 is limited to two or more, and their configuration is not restricted. In this embodiment, as described above, four are used. In particular, this embodiment has a distinctive arrangement of vibration-damping dampers 24d located on the side of the outer tank 11 closest to the door 2 when the door 2 side is facing forward. This will be explained using Figures 7A and 7B.

[0024] The outer tub 11 contains a rotating drum 21 for washing clothes. An electric motor 22 for rotating the rotating drum 21 is located at the rear of the outer tub 11. The electric motor 22 has a shaft 22a that passes through the outer tub 11 and is mechanically connected to the rotating drum 21. When the electric motor 22 rotates and is driven, the rotating drum 21 is driven to rotate in both forward (counterclockwise when viewing the door 2 of the drum-type washing machine 100 from the front) and reverse (clockwise when viewing the door of the drum-type washing machine 100 from the front).

[0025] The rotation axis Az of the rotating drum 21 shown in Figure 2 is horizontal from the front to the rear on the door 2 side of the drum-type washing machine 100, or inclined so that the rear side is downward (Figure 2 shows it inclined so that the rear side is downward). The electric motor 21 is equipped with a rotation speed detection device 10 that detects the rotation speed.

[0026] The inner surface of the rotating drum 21 is provided with multiple dewatering holes 21b for draining the washing water inside the rotating drum 21 to the outer tub 11, and multiple baffles 23 (only one is shown in Figure 2) spaced apart in the circumferential direction of the rotating drum 21 for lifting the clothes placed inside the rotating drum 21. The baffles 23 extend in the front-to-back direction of the rotating drum 21.

[0027] A cylindrical fluid balancer 21c is provided at the front end (door 2 side) of the rotating drum 21. The outer tub 11 forms a roughly cylindrical shape with a bottom, with an opening at the front and a closed rear. The clothing input opening of the outer tub 11 and the clothing input opening of the housing 1 are connected by a bellows 16 that expands and contracts in the front-to-back direction. The bellows 16 is an annular packing that seals the rotating drum 21 with water when the door 2 is closed.

[0028] Furthermore, the clothing input opening of the housing 1, the clothing input opening of the outer tub 11, and the clothing input opening of the rotating drum 21 are all connected, and opening the door 2 allows clothing to be loaded into and unloaded from the rotating drum 21. The outer tub 11 can also be divided into the side containing the clothing input opening and the side to which the electric motor 22 is attached.

[0029] A drain port 19 located at the bottom of the outer tub 11 is connected to an internal drain hose 14. A lint collection box 17 is equipped with a circulation pump 20 for circulating the wash water, which is sprayed into the rotating drum 21 via a circulation path 20a. An external drain hose 15 is equipped with a drain valve 15a. By closing the drain valve 15a and supplying water, water is accumulated in the outer tub 11, and by opening the drain valve 15a, the water in the outer tub 11 is discharged to the outside of the machine.

[0030] Furthermore, an outer tub vibration detection unit 18 is provided at the bottom of the outer tub 11 to detect vibrations of the outer tub 11. If the vibration of the outer tub 11 exceeds a preset threshold, the rotation of the rotating drum 21 is temporarily stopped, the uneven distribution of clothes is corrected, and the dewatering process is restarted. Only when the vibration is below the threshold is the rotation speed of the rotating drum 21 increased to suppress the occurrence of excessive vibrations.

[0031] Next, the operation of the drum-type washing machine 100 in the above configuration will be explained. In the drum-type washing machine 100 configured in this way, the washing machine 100 starts up when the user presses the power switch 4.

[0032] The user then pulls the door opening handle 2a to open door 2 and puts clothes into the rotating drum 21. After closing door 2, the user starts operation by operating the control switch 5.

[0033] When operation starts, the rotating drum 21 rotates to calculate the amount of laundry before water is added. The amount of laundry is calculated based on the rotation speed and current value of the electric motor 22. At this time, the more laundry there is, the greater the load on the electric motor 22, so the current value increases, and the amount of laundry is determined by the current value. Then, the amount of detergent to be added is displayed on the display 6 based on the amount of laundry. At this time, the more laundry you calculate, the more detergent you add. The user checks the display on the display 6, adds the predetermined amount of detergent to the detergent container 12, and starts the washing process.

[0034] In the washing process, the water supply valve 32 is opened, and water supplied from the water supply hose connection port 30 is supplied to the outer tub 11 along with the detergent via the internal water supply hose 31 and the detergent container 12. At this time, the larger the calculated amount of clothing, the greater the amount of water supplied in the washing process. Furthermore, the undissolved detergent and water are agitated in the circulation pump 20. This efficiently dissolves the detergent and generates a highly concentrated detergent solution. After this operation is performed for a predetermined time, the rotating drum 21 is rotated forward, stopped, reversed, and stopped repeatedly in a washing operation for a predetermined time. During this time, the clothes are washed by repeatedly lifting them up by the baffles 23 and dropping them.

[0035] After the washing process, a dewatering process is performed. The dewatering process will be explained with reference to Figure 3. Figure 3 shows the control pattern of the rotation speed of the rotating drum 21 during the dewatering process. First, after the washing process is completed, the drain valve 15a is opened, and the water in the outer tub 11 is discharged to the outside of the drum-type washing machine 100 (outside the machine) via the drain hose 14. In the dewatering process, the rotation speed of the rotating drum 21 is increased to the target rotation speed range (t5~t6), passing through a low rotation speed range (t1~t2) where the clothes are spread out and adhered to the inner surface of the rotating drum 21, the resonance range of the outer tub 11 (t2~t3), the resonance range of the housing 1 (t3~t4), and the post-resonance range of the housing 1 (t4~t5), thereby centrifugal dewatering of the water contained in the clothes.

[0036] In the low-speed rotation range, the rotation speed of the rotating drum 21 is increased to ω0 (for example, 50 r / min). At this time, the clothes that have absorbed water during the washing process are lifted by the baffle 23 as the rotating drum 21 rotates, and spread out on the inner surface of the rotating drum 21 as the clothes fall. Once the rotation speed of the rotating drum 21 reaches ω0, the rotating drum 21 is operated at ω0 for a time T1 (for example, 10 seconds) to detect the uneven distribution of clothes at ω0.

[0037] Clothing imbalance in the low-speed rotation range is determined by the magnitude of rotational fluctuations. Rotational fluctuations are calculated, for example, from the difference between the speed at which the clothing is lifted from below to above the rotating drum 21 (minimum speed) and the speed at which the clothing is lowered from above to below the rotating drum 21 (maximum speed) during one rotation of the rotating drum 21. The smaller the rotational fluctuation, the less clothing imbalance can be confirmed. In the detection of clothing imbalance at ω0, if it is determined that the rotational fluctuation is below a preset threshold, the rotational speed of the rotating drum 21 is increased from ω0 to ω1 (for example, 80 r / min).

[0038] When the rotation speed of the rotating drum 21 reaches ω1, it is operated at ω1 for a time T2 (for example, 5 seconds) in order to detect uneven distribution of the clothing. Note that ω0 and ω1 are rotation speeds that detect the degree to which the clothing is sticking to the drum; ω0 is the rotation speed at which the clothing begins to stick to the inner surface of the rotating drum 21, and ω1 is the rotation speed at which the clothing is completely stuck to the inner surface of the rotating drum 21.

[0039] After operating at ω1 for a predetermined time, if the clothing imbalance detection at ω1 determines that the rotational fluctuation is below a preset threshold, the rotational speed of the rotating drum 21 is increased to ω2 (e.g., 400 r / min) to pass through the resonance zone of the outer tub 11. When passing through the resonance zone of the outer tub 11, if the vibration amplitude of the outer tub 11 is smaller than a predetermined value, the rotational speed of the rotating drum 21 is increased to ω3 (e.g., 600 r / min) to pass through the resonance zone of the housing 1.

[0040] When passing through the resonant section of the housing 1, if the vibration amplitude of the outer tub 11 is smaller than a predetermined value, the rotational speed of the rotating drum 21 is increased to a target (e.g., 900 r / min). In the target rotational speed section, the rotating drum 21 is operated for a predetermined time at T3 (e.g., 180 seconds), and then the rotational speed of the rotating drum 21 is reduced to 0 r / min (t6~t7) to end the dewatering process.

[0041] During the dewatering process, if there is a significant uneven distribution of clothing stuck to the inner surface of the rotating drum 21, the rotational fluctuations of the rotating drum 21 and the vibration amplitude of the outer tub 11 will exceed a threshold. Therefore, the rotational speed of the rotating drum 21 is reduced, or the rotation of the rotating drum 21 is stopped, and a loosening operation is performed by repeatedly rotating the rotating drum 21 in the forward and reverse directions, or water is added to correct the uneven distribution of clothing.

[0042] Next, after the dewatering process, a rinsing process is performed. In this rinsing process, the water supply valve 32 is opened, and tap water supplied from the water supply hose connection port 30 is supplied to the outer tub 11 via the water supply hose 31 and the detergent container 12. Also, as with the washing process, the amount of water supplied increases as the calculated amount of clothing increases. In this rinsing process, as with the washing process, the rotating drum 21 repeats the operation of forward rotation, stopping, reverse rotation, and stopping. At this time, an agitation operation is performed for a predetermined time in which the clothing lifted by the baffle 23 falls.

[0043] Subsequently, the dewatering and rinsing processes described above are repeated a predetermined number of times, and the process moves on to the final dewatering process. The operating time in the target rotation speed range during this final dewatering process is set to be longer than that of the dewatering process (for example, 300 seconds).

[0044] Thus, in the dewatering process, there are multiple resonance regions depending on the rotation speed and the uneven distribution of the clothes, and the vibration of the drum-type washing machine 100 changes. Figure 4 shows the rotation speed of the rotating drum 21 and the changes in the vibration phase in each direction (up and down, left and right, front and back) in the resonance range of the outer tub (for example, 100 r / min to 400 r / min).

[0045] Here, (1) vertical vibration refers to vibration in the direction of gravity in a plan view with the door 2 facing forward, with the drum-type washing machine installed on the floor of the house; (2) horizontal vibration refers to vibration in a direction perpendicular to the direction of gravity in a plan view with the door 2 facing forward; and (3) front-back vibration refers to vibration in the direction in which the rotation axis Az (see Figure 2) of the rotating drum 21 extends, and also in the direction around the center of gravity. Furthermore, the reference for the vibration phase is set to "0°" (the right part where it intersects with the XX division line in Figure 5) when the uneven distribution of clothes is at the far right of the outer tub 11.

[0046] In Figure 4, as the rotational speed of the rotating drum 21 increases, the vibration phase in each direction changes, and the vibration mode of the outer tank 11 changes. The vibration phase in the longitudinal direction is initially at the time of resonance of the outer tank 11 (expressed as the resonant rotational speed Nrm). Ai Then it moves about 90°, and then as the rotation speed of the rotating drum 21 increases, it returns to its initial position. AiThe movement then shifts to a 180° motion. Furthermore, due to the spring component of the suspension means 8 and other components that support the posture of the outer tank 11, the rotational speed at which the vibration phase resonates in the vertical direction becomes higher than that at which the vibration phase resonates in the horizontal direction. As the rotational speed of the rotating drum 21 increases further, resonance in the front-rear direction occurs due to the oscillating motion of the outer tank 11.

[0047] Figure 5 shows the vibration trajectory of the outer tub 11 when a resonance mode of vibration in the front-to-back direction occurs, as viewed from the front (clothes loading opening side). Similarly, Figure 6 shows the vibration trajectory of the outer tub 11 when viewed at an angle. In Figure 5, for the sake of explanation, the outer tub 11op is virtually divided into four regions: the "upper right region," the "lower right region," the "upper left region," and the "lower left region," by a YY division line in the vertical direction (direction of gravity) passing through the center C of the clothes loading opening 11op, and an XX division line in the horizontal direction perpendicular to the YY line and passing through the center C. Note that the clothes loading opening 11op is shown without displaying related parts such as the bellows 16.

[0048] Furthermore, at rotational speed Nrm (see Figure 4), where a resonance mode of vibration in the front-to-back direction occurs in the outer tub 11, the phase difference between the vibration phase in the left-to-right direction and the vibration phase in the up-to-down direction of the outer tub 11 is considerably smaller than 90°, for example, in Figure 4, the phase difference is approximately 25°. Therefore, when the rotating drum 21 performs a dewatering operation in the forward direction (counter-clockwise rotation), the outer tub 11 vibrates in an elliptical vibration trajectory that slopes upward to the right, spanning from the lower left region to the upper right region, when viewed from the front of the clothing input opening 11op of the outer tub 11.

[0049] Thus, it was found that the upper right and lower left regions of the outer tub 11 vibrate with a large oscillating motion. In the resonance mode of vibration in the front-to-back direction of the outer tub 11, as shown in Figure 6, the upper right portion of the upper right region and the lower left portion of the lower left region on the front end of the outer tub 11 (the side where the clothing input opening 11op is formed) vibrate with a large oscillating motion. On the other hand, when the rotating drum 21 performs a spin-drying operation in the reverse direction (clockwise rotation), the upper left portion of the upper left region and the lower right portion of the lower right region on the front end of the outer tub 11 vibrate with a large oscillating motion.

[0050] In other words, in the resonance mode of vibration in the front-to-back direction of the outer tub 11, when the rotating drum 21 is rotating in the forward direction, the upper right and lower left portions vibrate significantly back and forth, resulting in an oscillating vibration. When the rotating drum 21 is rotating in the reverse direction, the upper left and lower right portions vibrate significantly back and forth, resulting in an oscillating vibration. This oscillating motion leads to an increase in vibration transmitted to the casing and the floor on which the drum-type washing machine is installed.

[0051] Therefore, this embodiment proposes an arrangement configuration for vibration-damping dampers to suppress this oscillating vibration. Although friction dampers are used as vibration-damping dampers, oil-filled dampers may also be used, and various types of dampers can be used as needed.

[0052] Figures 7A and 7B show the arrangement of vibration-damping dampers 24 (four used) that suppress vibrations in the vertical and horizontal directions, including the oscillating vibration of the outer tub 11. Here, Figure 7A shows the configuration as viewed from the side of the clothing input opening 11op on the front of the outer tub 11, and Figure 7B shows the configuration as viewed from the side of the outer tub 11. Also, in Figure 7A, as in Figure 5, the vertical YY division line and the horizontal XX division line perpendicular to it are shown. The following description will focus on the case when the rotating drum 21 is rotated in the forward direction.

[0053] In Figures 7A and 7B, two vibration dampers 24a and 24b are provided in the lower right portion of the lower right region of the outer tank 11, along the axis of the outer tank 11 (corresponding to the rotation axis Az) and in the front-rear direction of the outer tank 11. The outer tank 11 can be divided into a front region and a rear region in the axial direction, with the center line Cc of the outer tank 11 shown in Figure 7B as the boundary. The right front vibration damper 24a is attached to the front region of the outer tank 11, and similarly, the right rear vibration damper 24b is attached to the rear region of the outer tank 11.

[0054] The vibration dampers 24a and 24b are mounted in the same manner at the mounting points 11a and 11b of the outer tank 11 (outer tank side mounting points) and at the mounting points 1a and 1b of the housing 1 (housing side mounting points). In other words, the vibration dampers 24a and 24b are mounted in a manner that allows them to swing mainly in the left-right and up-down directions.

[0055] Specifically, the mounting portions 11a and 11b of the outer tank 11 and the mounting portions 1a and 1b of the housing 1 are equipped with a pair of flanges that extend in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the outer tank 11 and sandwich both ends of the vibration damping dampers 24a and 24b. The ends of the vibration damping dampers 24a and 24b are sandwiched between this pair of flanges and fixed by inserting bolts through them.

[0056] As a result, the vibration dampers 24a and 24b can swing around the bolts in response to vibrations on a plane perpendicular to the axis of the outer tank 11. The mounting angle of the right front vibration damper 24a with respect to the horizontal is "θa", and the mounting angle of the right rear vibration damper 24b is "θb", with the relationship "θa < θb". These mounting angles are appropriately selected mainly based on the direction and magnitude of vibrations in the left-right and up-down directions.

[0057] Similarly, in Figures 7A and 7B, two vibration dampers 24c and 24d are provided in the lower left portion of the lower left region of the outer tank 11, in the front-rear direction along the axis of the outer tank 11 (corresponding to the rotation axis Az). As shown in Figure 7B, the left rear vibration damper 24c is attached to the rear region of the outer tank 11, and the left front vibration damper 24d is attached to the front region of the outer tank 11, with the center line Cc of the outer tank 11 as the boundary in the axial direction.

[0058] The mounting portion 11c (outer tank side mounting portion) 11c of the left rear vibration isolation damper 24c to the outer tank 11 and the mounting portion 1c (housing side mounting portion) 1c of the left rear vibration isolation damper 24c to the housing 1 are mounted in the same manner as the vibration isolation dampers 24a and 24b described earlier. In other words, the left rear vibration isolation damper 24c is mounted in a manner that allows it to swing mainly in response to vibrations in the left-right and up-down directions.

[0059] Specifically, the mounting portion 11c of the outer tank 11 and the mounting portion 1c of the housing 1 are equipped with a pair of flanges that extend in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the outer tank 11 and sandwich both ends of the vibration damping damper 24c. The left rear vibration damping damper 24c is sandwiched between this pair of flanges and fixed by inserting bolts through them.

[0060] This allows the vibration-isolating damper 24c to oscillate around the bolt in response to vibrations on a plane perpendicular to the axis of the outer tank 11. The mounting angle of the left rear vibration-isolating damper 24c is "θc", and the relationship "θa < θb < θc" is set. These angles are appropriately selected mainly based on the direction and magnitude of vibrations in the left-right and up-down directions.

[0061] Next, the left front vibration damper 24d is mounted with its mounting direction rotated by 90° relative to the left rear vibration damper 24c. In other words, the mounting portion 11d of the left front vibration damper 24d to the outer tank 11 (outer tank side mounting portion) and the mounting portion 1d of the left front vibration damper 24d to the housing 1 (housing side mounting portion) are mounted with a rotation of 90° relative to the mounting portions 11a to 11c on the outer tank 11 side and the mounting portions 1a to 1c on the housing 1 side of the vibration dampers 24a to 24c described earlier. In other words, the left front vibration damper 24d is mounted in a state that allows it to swing mainly in response to oscillating vibrations in the front-to-back direction.

[0062] Specifically, the mounting portion 11d of the outer tank 11 and the mounting portion 1d of the housing 1 are equipped with a pair of flanges that extend in the direction of the axis of the outer tank 11 and sandwich both ends of the vibration-damping damper 24d. The ends of the vibration-damping damper 24d are sandwiched between this pair of flanges and fixed by inserting bolts through them. As a result, the left front vibration-damping damper 24d can swing around the bolts in response to oscillating vibrations on a plane along the axis of the outer tank 11.

[0063] Here, the mounting positions of the mounting portion 11d on the outer tub 11 and the mounting portion 1d on the housing 1 are as follows. As shown in Figure 7B, the mounting portion 11d on the outer tub 11 is positioned closer to the garment loading opening 11op in the front region of the outer tub 11, while the mounting portion 1d on the housing 1 is positioned further away from the garment loading opening 11op of the outer tub 11 compared to the mounting portion 11d. The mounting angle of the left front vibration damping damper 24d at this time is "θd", and this angle is appropriately selected depending on the direction and magnitude of vibration in the front-rear direction.

[0064] As explained in Figures 5 and 6, in the resonance mode of the longitudinal vibration of the outer tank 11, the upper right and lower left portions of the outer tank 11 undergo large oscillating vibrations. Therefore, the left front vibration isolation damper 24d, which is tilted in the longitudinal direction along the axis of the outer tank 11, can be positioned to the lower left of the outer tank 11 rather than the lower right, thereby providing sufficient damping force against the oscillating motion of the outer tank 11 and suppressing longitudinal vibrations.

[0065] Next, we will explain the effect of vibration transmission to the installation floor based on the arrangement of vibration isolation dampers 24a to 24d shown in Figures 7A and 7B. Note that the damping performance of vibration isolation dampers 24a to 24d is assumed to be the same regardless of their placement.

[0066] As shown in Figure 3, at rotational speeds higher than the resonance interval of the outer tank 11, the resonance interval of the housing 1 (e.g., 450 r / min) exists, so the force transmitted to the installation floor increases. Subsequently, as the rotational speed increases, the force transmitted to the installation floor decreases and the vibration converges. In the high-speed rotational speed region, the vibration of the outer tank 11 tends to converge to a constant value regardless of the arrangement configuration of the vibration isolation dampers 24a to 24d. Therefore, the vibration transmitted from the outer tank 11 to the installation floor depends on the damping performance of the vibration isolation dampers 24a to 24d and converges to a similar value regardless of the arrangement configuration of the vibration isolation dampers 24a to 24d.

[0067] Therefore, by using the arrangement configuration of the vibration-damping dampers 24a to 24d2 described in this embodiment, vibrations of the outer tank 11 in the vertical, horizontal, and longitudinal directions can be effectively suppressed, and vibrations transmitted to the installation floor can be effectively suppressed.

[0068] Next, the arrangement of the left front vibration damper 24d, which is inclined in the front-rear direction along the axis of the outer tub 11, will be described. In this embodiment, since the electric motor 22 is located at the rear of the outer tub 11, the case where the center of gravity 11g is located behind the center line Cc of the outer tub 11 will be described. Generally, the electric motor 22 is located on the opposite side of the clothing input opening 11op of the outer tub 11, as shown in Figure 2.

[0069] The oscillating vibration of the outer tub 11 is greater at positions farther from the center of gravity 11g (towards the clothing input opening), resulting in greater oscillating vibration at the front of the outer tub 11 than at the rear. Furthermore, if the uneven distribution of clothing is at the front of the rotating drum 21 (towards the clothing input opening), the moment arm with respect to the rotation center of the oscillating vibration is larger and the oscillating vibration is also larger under the same conditions compared to when the uneven distribution is at the rear (towards the electric motor). Therefore, it is better to attach the mounting part 11d to the outer tub 11 at the front (towards the clothing input opening).

[0070] Figures 8A and 8B show the relationship between the placement of the outer tub 11 and the left front vibration damping damper 24d. The cases in which the mounting part 11d is positioned close to the clothing loading opening 11op relative to the center of gravity 11g of the outer tub 11, the cases in which the mounting part 11d is positioned close to the center of gravity 11g of the outer tub 11, and the cases in which it is positioned close to each other will be explained.

[0071] As shown in Figure 8A, when the mounting portion 11d is provided close to the clothing loading opening 11op, the stroke dx of the left front vibration damping damper 24d increases in proportion to the magnitude of the oscillating vibration of the outer tub 11, thereby exhibiting damping performance and effectively suppressing the oscillating vibration of the outer tub 11.

[0072] On the other hand, as shown in Figure 8B, when the mounting portion 11d is positioned closer to the center of gravity 11g, the stroke dx becomes smaller compared to Figure 8A. In addition, the left front vibration damping damper 24d rotates around the mounting portion 1d of the housing 1, making it difficult to apply damping force to the oscillating motion of the outer tank 11. Therefore, sufficient damping performance cannot be provided compared to the arrangement in Figure 8A. Of course, it is possible to suppress the oscillating motion in Figure 8B as well, and this is merely a relative comparison.

[0073] Thus, the mounting portion 11d of the left front vibration damping damper 24d can be positioned as close as possible to the clothing loading opening 11op to more effectively suppress the oscillating vibration of the outer tub 11. In this embodiment, the mounting portion 11d of the left front vibration damping damper 24d is positioned between the center of the front region of the outer tub 11 and the clothing loading opening 11op of the outer tub 11, but the most preferable position is the clothing loading opening 11op.

[0074] Here, if the left front vibration damping damper 24d is mounted such that the mounting portion 11d of the outer tank 11 is on the rear side of the outer tank 11 and the mounting portion 1d of the housing 1 is on the front side of the outer tank 11, the left front vibration damping damper 24d will mainly rotate around the mounting connection portion 11d, making it difficult to apply damping force to the oscillating motion. Therefore, it is preferable to mount the left front vibration damping damper 24d so that the mounting portion 11d of the outer tank 11 is on the front side and the mounting portion 1d of the housing 1 is on the rear side, as shown in Figures 8A and 8B.

[0075] Furthermore, if a configuration is adopted in which a weight is attached to the outer tank 11, the center of gravity position 11g of the outer tank 11 may be located in front of the center line Cc of the outer tank 11. In this case, the left front vibration isolation damper 24d shown in Figure 7B will be replaced by the left rear vibration isolation damper 24c, and the left rear vibration isolation damper 24c will be replaced by the left front vibration isolation damper 24d. Also, in this case, the direction of inclination of the left front vibration isolation damper 24d will be reversed.

[0076] Next, we will explain the vibration damping dampers 24a to 24c, which are mounted at an angle in the left-right direction as shown in Figure 7A.

[0077] In a plan view of the clothing loading opening 11op of the outer tub 11 from the front, the vibration damping dampers 24a to 24c are installed in a position tilted at angles θa to θc in the left-right direction (with the horizontal plane being 0°), thereby suppressing vibrations mainly caused by resonance in the left-right and up-down directions.

[0078] The vibration damper 24c is located on the left side of the outer tank 11, while the vibration dampers 24a and 24b are located on the right side, supporting the outer tank 11. As described above, the lower left region of the outer tank 11 vibrates more significantly than the lower right region, so it is desirable to make the damping force of the vibration damper 24 stronger on the lower left side than on the lower right side.

[0079] As explained in Figure 5, near the rotational speed of the resonance mode in the front-to-back direction of the outer tank 11, it oscillates with an elliptical vibration trajectory that slopes upward to the right. Therefore, the right side of the YY division line of the outer tank 11 experiences greater vibration in the vertical direction than in the horizontal direction. For this reason, if either the attitude angle θa or θb of the vibration-damping dampers 24a and 24b, which are located on the right side of the YY division line of the outer tank 11, is tilted to 45° or more, the vertical vibration can be further suppressed.

[0080] The arrangement of the vibration-damping dampers 24 described above is merely an example and should not be limited to this. For example, instead of having just one left front vibration-damping damper 24d tilted in the front-rear direction, there may be multiple vibration-damping dampers 24d. Also, by mounting the left rear vibration-damping damper 24c tilted in the front-rear direction, the damping force of vibrations in the front-rear direction can be increased, resulting in a configuration that further suppresses swaying vibrations.

[0081] In the embodiment described above, an example was explained in which the rotating drum 21 rotates in the forward direction (counterclockwise). However, if the drum 21 rotates in the reverse direction (clockwise), the left-right relationship to the arrangement of the vibration-damping dampers in this embodiment should be reversed, and the left front vibration-damping damper 24d, which suppresses vibrations in the front-rear direction, should be placed in the lower right region.

[0082] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are included. The embodiments described above are explained in detail for the purpose of clearly illustrating the present invention, and are not necessarily limited to those having all the configurations described. In addition, it is possible to replace parts of the configuration of one embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment, and it is also possible to add the configuration of another embodiment to the configuration of one embodiment. It is also possible to add, delete, or replace other configurations for the configuration of each embodiment. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0083] 1...Housing, 1a~1d...Mounting parts for housing and vibration damper, 11...Outer tub, 11a~11d...Mounting parts for outer tub and vibration damper, 11op...Clothing loading opening of outer tub, 21...Rotating drum, 24a~24d...Vibration damper, 100...Drum-type washing machine

Claims

1. A drum-type washing machine comprising a housing, an outer tub supported within the housing and capable of storing washing water inside, a rotating drum enclosed within the outer tub and rotated by an electric motor, and a plurality of vibration damping dampers connecting the lower part of the outer tub and the bottom of the housing, When the drum-type washing machine is installed on the floor and viewed from the front of the clothes loading opening of the outer tub in a plan view, if a dividing line in the direction of gravity passing through the center of the clothes loading opening is virtually set, then at least one of the plurality of vibration damping dampers is, When the rotating drum rotates counterclockwise during the dewatering operation, it is installed in the area to the left of the dividing line; when the rotating drum rotates clockwise during the dewatering operation, it is installed in the area to the right of the dividing line. Furthermore, the mounting portion on the outer tub side of the vibration damping damper between the outer tub and the outer tub is positioned closer to the clothing loading opening when viewed in the axial direction of the outer tub, and the mounting portion on the housing side of the vibration damping damper between the housing is positioned further away from the clothing loading opening than the mounting portion on the outer tub side when viewed in the axial direction of the outer tub. Viewed in the axial direction of the outer tank, the housing-side mounting portion is positioned closer to the center of gravity of the outer tank than the outer tank-side mounting portion. A drum-type washing machine characterized by the following features.

2. A drum-type washing machine according to Claim 1, Another vibration damper, separate from the aforementioned one, is installed in the area to the right of the dividing line when the rotation direction of the rotating drum during the dewatering operation is counterclockwise, and in the area to the left of the dividing line when the rotation direction of the rotating drum during the dewatering operation is clockwise. Furthermore, the other vibration damping damper is installed between the outer tank-side mounting portion and the housing-side mounting portion, in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the outer tank, and its mounting angle is set to 45° or more. A drum-type washing machine characterized by the following features.

3. A drum-type washing machine comprising a housing, an outer tub supported within the housing and capable of storing washing water inside, a rotating drum enclosed within the outer tub and rotated by an electric motor, and four vibration dampers connecting the lower part of the outer tub and the bottom of the housing, When the drum-type washing machine is installed on the floor and viewed from the front through the clothes loading opening of the outer tub in a plan view, a hypothetical dividing line in the direction of gravity passing through the center of the clothes loading opening is set, The four vibration-damping dampers are arranged such that the first and second vibration-damping dampers are installed in the area to the right of the dividing line, along the axial direction of the outer tank, and the third and fourth vibration-damping dampers are installed in the area to the left of the dividing line, along the axial direction of the outer tank, with the first and fourth vibration-damping dampers positioned closer to the clothing loading opening. When the rotation direction of the rotating drum during the dewatering operation is counterclockwise, the mounting portion of the fourth vibration damper to the outer tub is positioned closer to the clothing loading opening when viewed in the axial direction of the outer tub, and the mounting portion of the fourth vibration damper to the housing is positioned further away from the clothing loading opening than the mounting portion on the outer tub when viewed in the axial direction of the outer tub. The first vibration damper, the second vibration damper, and the third vibration damper are installed in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the outer tank, between the outer tank-side mounting portion to the outer tank and the housing-side mounting portion to the housing. When the rotation direction of the rotating drum during the dewatering operation is clockwise, the mounting portion on the outer tub side of the first vibration damper to the outer tub is positioned closer to the clothing loading opening when viewed in the axial direction of the outer tub, and the mounting portion on the housing side of the first vibration damper to the housing is positioned further away from the clothing loading opening than the mounting portion on the outer tub when viewed in the axial direction of the outer tub. The second vibration damper, the third vibration damper, and the fourth vibration damper are installed between the outer tank side mounting portion of the outer tank and the housing side mounting portion of the housing, in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the outer tank. A drum-type washing machine characterized by the following features.

4. A drum-type washing machine according to claim 3, When the rotating drum rotates counterclockwise, the mounting angles of the first vibration damper, the second vibration damper, and the third vibration damper are different, with respect to the direction perpendicular to the dividing line. A drum-type washing machine characterized by the following features.

Images