CLUTCH ACTUATOR UNIT AND WASHING MACHINE

Abstract

An actuator to drive a clutch member provided in a washing machine is coupled to a sensor unit to constitute a clutch actuator unit. A first case of the actuator in which the drive mechanism is housed and a second case of the sensor unit in which a sensor is housed are coupled by a coupling unit provided outside the first case and outside the second case. The coupling unit is provided in an overlapping portion of a first protruding unit protruding from a first side surface of the first case, and a second protruding unit protruding from a second side surface of the second case.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the priority of patent Japan application serial no. 2019-079006, filed on Apr. 18, 2019, and Japan application serial no. 2019-235913, filed on Dec. 26, 2019. The entirety of the above-mentioned patent application is hereby incorporated by reference herein and made a part of this specification.

BACKGROUND

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a clutch actuator unit and a washing machine.

Description of the Related Documents

In a washing machine, a clutch device is provided at a position midway of a driving force transmission path from a motor for the washing machine to a washing tub, such that during washing, the clutch drive transmits the rotational driving force to a pulsator without transmitting to the washing tub, and during spin-drying, the clutch device transmits the rotational driving force to the washing tub and the pulsator. The clutch device has an actuator for driving a clutch member, and the actuator has a case including a plurality of members and a drive mechanism housed inside the case (see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2014-68854).

A washing machine may be provided with a sensor for detecting the rotation of the washing tub, and in this case, if a sensor unit formed by housing the sensor in a case and an actuator are coupled to form a clutch actuator unit, it becomes easy to assemble the washing machine. For example, if a part of the case of the sensor unit is sandwiched between a plurality of members constituting the case of the actuator, and both the cases are coupled, it is possible to couple the sensor unit and the actuator.

Because the actuator is arranged at a position downward of the washing tub, it is preferable that in the case of the actuator, a side surface of the case has a waterproof structure except for a location where an output member that drives the clutch member protrudes out. However, when the sensor unit and the actuator are coupled so that a part of the case of the sensor unit is sandwiched between the plurality of members constituting the case of the actuator, there is a problem that the waterproof property of the side surface of the case of the actuator tends to decline.

In view of the above problem, an object of the present invention is to provide a clutch actuator unit and a washing machine by which it is possible to couple a first case of the actuator and a second case of the sensor unit without causing a decline in the waterproof property of the first case and the second case.

SUMMARY

To solve the above problem, a clutch actuator unit according to at least an embodiment of the present invention includes an actuator including a drive mechanism to drive a clutch member arranged in a driving force transmission path from a washing machine motor to a washing tub, and a first case in which the drive mechanism is housed and a sensor unit including a sensor to detect rotation of the washing tub, and a second case in which the sensor is housed. In the clutch actuator unit, a coupling unit to couple the first case and the second case is provided outside the first case and outside the second case.

According to at least an embodiment of the present invention, because the coupling unit to couple the first case of the actuator and the second case of the sensor unit is provided outside the first case and outside the second case, it is possible to couple the first case of the actuator and the second case of the sensor unit without causing a decline in the waterproof property of the first case and the second case.

In at least an embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to adopt a mode in which the coupling unit is provided in an overlapping portion of a first protruding unit protruding from a first side surface being a side surface of the first case, and a second protruding unit protruding toward the first case from a second side surface being a side surface of the second case. According to the mode, it is possible to easily provide the coupling unit between the first case and the second case outside the first case and outside the second case.

In at least an embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to adopt a mode in which in the first case, the first side surface is formed by a plurality of first members stacked in an up-down direction, and in the second case, the second side surface is formed by a plurality of second members stacked in the up-down direction, the first protruding unit is provided in any one of the plurality of first members, and the second protruding unit is provided in any one of the plurality of second members.

In at least an embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to adopt a mode in which among the plurality of first members, the first protruding unit is provided in a first member arranged on one of an uppermost side and a lowermost side, and among the plurality of second members, the second protruding unit is provided in a second member arranged on the other of the uppermost side and the lowermost side so as to overlap the first protruding unit from the other side. According to the mode, it is easy to realize a structure in which the first protruding unit and the second protruding unit overlap in the up-down direction.

In at least an embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to adopt a mode in which in each of the first protruding unit and the second protruding unit, a hole is provided through which a fastening member to fix the first case and the second case to a washing machine passes. According to the mode, it is possible to fix the first case and the second case to the washing machine using the first protruding unit and the second protruding unit.

In at least an embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to adopt a mode in which in the first member provided with the first protruding unit and the second member provided with the second protruding unit, a hole is provided through which a fastening member to fix the first case and the second case to a washing machine passes, in an inner peripheral surface of the hole provided in the first member, or an inner peripheral surface of the hole provided in the second member, a fastening member holding unit protruding radially inward is provided, and the fastening member is held in the fastening member holding unit. This allows the fastening member to be temporarily fixed to the fastening member holding unit in advance and shipped together with the clutch actuator unit. Therefore, in a step of fixing the clutch actuator unit to the washing machine, it is not necessary to separately supply a fastening member. Further, because it is possible to perform the fixing operation to the washing machine from a state in which the fastening member is arranged in the fixing hole in advance, the fixing operation to the washing machine is easy.

In at least an embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to adopt a mode in which an inner peripheral surface of the fastening member holding unit is a positioning unit to come into contact with a positioning pin provided on a jig. By adopting the mode, it is also possible to use the fastening member holding unit as a positioning unit for positioning with respect to the jig. Therefore, there is no need to separately form a positioning unit, because of which it is possible to simplify the configuration of the first member or the second member.

In at least an embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to adopt a mode in which the fastening member holding unit is formed on the entire circumference. By adopting the mode, the fastening member can be held by the entire circumference.

In at least an embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to adopt a mode in which as compared to an end unit of the hole on a first side, the fastening member holding unit is located on a second side opposite to the first side, and as compared to an end unit of the hole on the second side, the fastening member holding unit is located on the first side. By adopting the mode, if the fastening member is temporarily fixed to the fastening member holding unit, it is possible to prevent the leading end of the fastening member from projecting out from the end unit of the hole.

In at least an embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to adopt a mode in which the fastening member holding unit includes a contact surface facing the first side or the second side. By adopting the mode, it is possible to position the first case or the second case in the axial direction of the hole using the contact surface. Further, upon temporarily fixing of the fastening member, it is possible to prevent the leading end of the fastening member from projecting out from the hole by bringing the leading end surface of the fastening member in contact with the leading end surface of the positioning pin abutting against the contact surface.

In at least an embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to adopt a mode in which among the plurality of first members, the two first members stacked in the up-down direction have a fitting structure in which side plates of the two first members overlap in both the up-down direction and the inner-outer direction, and among the plurality of second members, the two second members stacked in the up-down direction have a fitting structure in which side plates of the two second members overlap in both the up-down direction and the inner-outer direction. According to the mode, it is possible to enhance the preventive property between the two first members stacked in the up-down direction, and the waterproof property between the two second members stacked in the up-down direction.

In at least an embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to adopt a mode in which among the two first members, the side plate of the first member located on the upper side overlaps the side plate of the first member located on the lower side from the outside, and among the two second members, the side plate of the second member located on the upper side overlaps the side plate of the second member located on the lower side from the outside. According to the mode, it is possible to prevent the water that has dropped from above from entering the inside of the first case from between the two first members stacked in the up-down direction, and also to prevent the water from entering the inside of the first case and the second case from between the two second members stacked in the up-down direction.

In at least an embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to adopt a mode in which the coupling unit includes an engagement protruding unit formed on one of the first case and the second case, and an engagement hole that is provided on the other of the first case and the second case and in which the engagement protruding unit is fitted.

A washing machine including the clutch actuator unit according to at least an embodiment of the present invention includes the washing machine motor, the washing tub, a pulsator arranged in the washing tub, and a driving force transmission mechanism to transmit a rotational driving force of the washing machine motor to the washing machine tub and the pulsator. In the washing machine, the clutch actuator unit drives the clutch member to realize a connection state in which the rotational driving force is transmitted to the washing tub and the pulsator, and a disconnection state in which the rotational driving force is transmitted to the pulsator and is not transmitted to the washing tub.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings which are meant to be exemplary, not limiting, and wherein like elements are numbered alike in several Figures, in which:

FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view illustrating a schematic configuration of a washing machine to which at least an embodiment of the present invention is applied;

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a driving force transmission mechanism and the like illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a clutch device provided in the washing machine illustrated in FIG. 1 as viewed obliquely from above;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the clutch device illustrated in FIG. 3 as viewed obliquely from below;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a state where the actuator is fixed to the support member illustrated in FIG. 2 as viewed from above;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the clutch actuator unit in which the actuator and the sensor unit illustrated in FIG. 2 and the like are coupled to each other as viewed from the side opposite to the sensor unit;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a state where the actuator and the sensor unit are separated from the state illustrated in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the clutch actuator unit illustrated in FIG. 6 as viewed from the sensor unit side;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a state where the actuator and the sensor unit are separated from the state illustrated in FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of a first case, a second case, and the like of the clutch actuator unit illustrated in FIG. 6;

FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view of a drive mechanism, a sensor, and the like of the clutch actuator unit illustrated in FIG. 6;

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a waterproof structure of the first case and the second case illustrated in FIG. 10 and the like;

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the clutch actuator unit illustrated in FIG. 6 as viewed from below, and a cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which a fastening member is temporarily fixed to a cylindrical unit;

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the clutch actuator unit and an inspection jig illustrated in FIG. 6; and

FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of a cylindrical unit and a positioning pin.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

According to at least an embodiment of the present invention, because the coupling unit to couple the first case of the actuator and the second case of the sensor unit is provided outside the first case and outside the second case, it is possible to couple the first case of the actuator and the second case of the sensor unit without causing a decline in the waterproof property of the first case and the second case.

An embodiment for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. It is noted that in FIG. 2, FIG. 3, and FIG. 4 referenced below, an actuator 7 is schematically illustrated as a cuboid, and the actual appearance of the actuator 7 is illustrated in FIG. 6 and the like.

Entire Configuration

FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view illustrating a simplified configuration of a washing machine 1 to which at least an embodiment of the present invention is applied. In the washing machine 1 illustrated in FIG. 1, a cylindrical main body frame 2 has an opening unit 2a for taking out and putting in laundry such as clothes on an upper surface, and has an open lower surface. A bottomed cylindrical washing tub 3 is housed inside the main body frame 2 with an opening unit 3a facing upward. The washing tub 3 is suspended from the main body frame 2 via a buffer member (not illustrated), and is rotatable around the axis L0. A pulsator 4 is arranged on the bottom inside the washing tub 3.

A washing machine motor 5 is arranged below the washing tub 3. The rotational driving force of the washing machine motor 5 is transmitted to the washing tub 3 and the pulsator 4 via a driving force transmission mechanism 6. The driving force transmission mechanism 6 includes a clutch device 10 that connects and disconnects the transmission of the rotational driving force of the washing machine motor 5 to the washing tub 3 midway of a first driving force transmission path 1a from the washing machine motor 5 to the washing tub 3. A sensor for detecting a rotation of the washing tub 3 is arranged below the washing tub 3, and the configuration of the sensor will be described later. The clutch device 10 has a plate-shaped support member 19, and the clutch device 10 is supported by the main body frame 2 via the support member 19. The support member 19 is cup-shaped, as will be described later with reference to FIG. 5, but FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, which will be described later, illustrate only the bottom plate unit.

If the washing machine 1 operates in a state where clothes have been loaded inside the washing tub 3, the washing water is supplied inside the washing tub 3 via a water supply pipe (not illustrated). Thereafter, if the washing machine motor 5 is driven, the pulsator 4 rotates, and the clothes in the washing tub 3 are washed. During the washing operation, the clutch device 10 is in a disconnection state for disconnecting the transmission of the rotational driving force of the washing machine motor 5 to the washing tub 3. Therefore, the washing tub 3 is stopped.

If the washing operation ends and the washing water is discharged from the washing tub 3, a spin-drying operation is performed. In the spin-drying operation, the washing machine motor 5 is driven in a state where the clutch device 10 is in a connection state for transmitting the rotational driving force of the washing machine motor 5 to the washing tub 3. As a result, the pulsator 4 and the washing tub 3 rotate integrally, and the clothes in the washing tub 3 are dried.

Driving Force Transmission Mechanism

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a driving force transmission mechanism 6 and the like illustrated in FIG. 1, and (a) of FIG. 2 and (b) of FIG. 2 are respectively an exploded perspective view of the main parts of the driving force transmission mechanism 6, and an explanatory diagram of the support member 19. As illustrated in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the driving force transmission mechanism 6 includes a first rotating body 13 to which the rotational driving force of an output shaft 11 of the washing machine motor 5 is transmitted via an endless belt 12, a rotary shaft 17 coaxially attached to the first rotating body 13, a coupling member 15 coaxially connected to a lower end portion of the washing tub 3, and a second rotating body 20 coupled to the coupling member 15. The first rotating body 13 has a disk shape, and is arranged coaxially with the washing tub 3 below the washing tub 3. The circular outer peripheral surface of the first rotating body 13 is a mounting surface 13a on which the endless belt 12 is mounted.

The first rotating body 13 is provided with tooth units 13b arranged in a circumferential direction on an upper end surface. A lower end portion of the rotary shaft 17 is coupled to the first rotating body 13, and an upper end portion of the rotary shaft 17 is coupled to the pulsator 4 through the bottom unit of the washing tub 3. Therefore, the rotational driving force of the washing machine motor 5 is transmitted to the pulsator 4 via the endless belt 12, the first rotating body 13, and the rotary shaft 17. That is, a second driving force transmission path 1b including the endless belt 12, the first rotating body 13, and the rotary shaft 17 is formed between the washing machine motor 5 and the pulsator 4.

The rotary shaft 17 is arranged inside a cylindrical member 16. The cylindrical member 16 and the rotary shaft 17 are not coupled to each other, and the cylindrical member 16 is in a state of being relatively rotatable with respect to the rotary shaft 17. The outer peripheral side of the cylindrical member 16 is coupled to the coupling member 15, and the cylindrical member 16 and the coupling member 15 rotate integrally. The coupling member 15 includes a large-diameter flange unit 15a coupled to the washing tub 3, and a small-diameter cylindrical unit 15b smaller in diameter than the large-diameter flange unit 15a, from the top to bottom in the direction of the axis L0. The cylindrical member 16 is inserted inside the small-diameter cylindrical unit 15b, and the cylindrical member 16 is coupled to the small-diameter cylindrical unit 15b so as to rotate together with the coupling member 15. The second rotating body 20 is coaxially coupled to the outer peripheral side of the lower portion of the small-diameter cylindrical unit 15b.

While on one hand, a plurality of vertical grooves 26a are formed on the inner peripheral surface of the second rotating body 20, a plurality of ridges 26b constituting the vertical grooves 26a and serrations 26 are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the small-diameter cylindrical unit 15b. Therefore, as a result of the serrations 26, the second rotating body 20 is coupled in a state so as to be relatively movable in the direction of the axis L0 with respect to the coupling member 15, and be integrally rotatable with the coupling member 15.

Configuration of Clutch Device 10

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the clutch device 10 provided in the washing machine 1 illustrated in FIG. 1 as viewed obliquely from above, (a) of FIG. 3 and (b) of FIG. 3 are respectively a perspective view and an exploded perspective view of the entire clutch device 10. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the clutch device 10 illustrated in FIG. 3 as viewed obliquely from below, (a) of FIG. 4 and (b) of FIG. 4 are respectively a perspective view and an exploded perspective view of the entire clutch device 10.

As illustrated in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the clutch device 10 includes the second rotating body 20 that can be engaged with the first rotating body 13, a clutch member 40 for displacing the second rotating body 20, and the actuator 7 that causes the clutch member 40 to move to-and-fro between a connection position where the second rotating body 20 and the first rotating body 13 are mechanically connected, and a disconnection position where the mechanical connection between the second rotating body 20 and the first rotating body 13 is released. In the clutch device 10, a compression coil spring 14 illustrated in FIG. 2 urges the clutch member 40 downward via the second rotating body 20. The clutch member 40 has an annular unit 41 and an engagement plate unit 42 protruding radially outward from one location in the circumferential direction of the annular unit 41, and the actuator 7 causes the clutch member 40 to swing to-and-fro around an axis L0 passing through the center of the annular unit 41.

The clutch device 10 includes a cover 30 that houses the clutch member 40 and the like, and the cover 30 has a lower cover 31 that covers the clutch member 40 and the like from below, and an upper cover 32 that covers the clutch member 40 and the like from above.

The lower cover 31 has a cylindrical first cover unit 311, and a second cover unit 312 having a square tube shape and protruding radially outward from the first cover unit 311. The upper cover 32 has an annular third cover unit 321 overlapping the first cover unit 311 of the lower cover 31, and a fourth cover unit 322 having a square tube shape and protruding radially outward from the third cover unit 321 to overlap the second cover unit 312 of the lower cover 31. The lower cover 31 and the upper cover 32 are arranged to overlap each other via the support member 19, and an engagement hole of a plate unit 313 protruding upward from the lower cover 31 is engaged with an engagement protruding unit 323 formed on the side surface of the upper cover 32 to perform coupling. In this state, the second rotating body 20 and the annular unit 41 of the clutch member 40 are arranged between the first cover unit 311 and the third cover unit 321 so as to be rotatable around the axis L0.

The first cover unit 311 has an annular bottom plate unit 314, a cylindrical first body unit 315 protruding upward from an outer peripheral edge of the bottom plate unit 314, and a cylindrical second body unit 317 connected to the first body unit 315 at an upper side. The second body unit 317 has a larger diameter than the first body unit 315. For this reason, on the inner peripheral surface of the first cover unit 311, an annular step unit 316 facing upward is formed between the first body unit 315 and the second body unit 317.

Configuration of Second Rotating Body 20

The second rotating body 20 has a cylindrical first body unit 21, an annular flange unit 27 the diameter of which expands at the upper end unit of the first body unit 21, a cylindrical second body unit 22 protruding downward from the first body unit 21, and a third body unit 23 protruding downward from an outer edge of the flange unit 27, and in the third body unit 23, a slit 230 detected by a photo interrupter (sensor 83) described later with reference to FIG. 11 is formed.

The plurality of vertical grooves 26a constituting the serrations 26 are formed on an inner peripheral surface of the first body unit 21. Because the flange unit 27 has a larger diameter than the first body unit 21, a ring-shaped first step unit 24 facing downward is formed between the flange unit 27 and the first body unit 21 on the outer peripheral surface of the second rotating body 20. The first step unit 24 overlaps the annular bottom plate unit 314 of the lower cover 31 upward through the annular unit 41 of the clutch member 40. Moreover, because the second body unit 22 has a smaller diameter than the first body unit 21, a ring-shaped second step unit 25 facing downward is formed between the second body unit 22 and the first body unit 21 on the outer peripheral surface of the second rotating body 20.

The lower end unit of the second body unit 22 is exposed downward (on the side where the first rotating body 13 is located) through a hole 314a formed in the bottom plate unit 314 of the lower cover 31. Further, tooth units 22a formed of a plurality of ridges extending radially at equal angular intervals are formed on the lower surface of the second body unit 22, and the tooth units 22a can be engaged with the tooth units 13b of the first rotating body 13 if the second rotating body 20 is moved downward.

Therefore, if the second rotating body 20 moves downward in the direction of the axis L0 and the tooth units 13b of the first rotating body 13 engage with the tooth units 22a, the second rotating body 20 rotates integrally with the first rotating body 13 in a coaxial state. As a result, the rotational driving force of the washing machine motor 5 illustrated in FIG. 1 is transmitted to the washing tub 3 via the first driving force transmission path 1a including the endless belt 12, the first rotating body 13, the second rotating body 20, and the coupling member 15.

The clutch member 40 is arranged between the lower cover 31 and the second rotating body 20. The clutch member 40 has the annular unit 41 and an engagement plate unit 42 protruding radially outward from one circumferential direction of the annular unit 41, and an elongated hole 43 extending in the radial direction is formed in the engagement plate unit 42. A drive pin 782 formed on an output member 78 of the actuator 7 is fitted in the elongated hole 43. The annular unit 41 has the same size as the ring-shaped bottom plate unit 314 of the lower cover 31 and the ring-shaped first step unit 24 of the second rotating body 20, and the first step unit 24 of the second rotating body 20 overlaps the bottom plate 314 of the first cover unit 311 of the lower cover 31 via the annular unit 41 of the clutch member 40.

While on one hand, the upper surface 41a of the annular unit 41 is a flat surface without irregularities, the first step unit 24 of the second rotating body 20 is also a flat surface without irregularities. Therefore, the upper surface 41a of the annular unit 41 and the first step unit 24 of the second rotating body 20 overlap each other in a state of surface contact. A guide mechanism 50 is formed between the lower surface 41b of the annular unit 41 and the bottom plate unit 314 of the lower cover 31. If the clutch member 40 rotates around the axis L0 passing through the center of the annular unit 41, the guide mechanism 50 causes the clutch member 40 to move to the connection position or the disconnection position described later. In the present embodiment, if the clutch member 40 rotates around the axis L0 passing through the center of the annular unit 41, the clutch member 40 is moved in the direction of the axis L0 to move to the disconnection position or the connection position. Therefore, the guide mechanism 50 formed between the lower surface 41b of the annular unit 41 and the ring-shaped bottom plate unit 314 of the lower cover 31 includes a cam mechanism 51.

The cam mechanism 51 has a first projecting unit 56 protruding downward so that an inclined surface 56a faces one side L1 around the axis L0, on the lower surface 41b of the annular unit 41 of the clutch member 40, and the first projecting unit 56 has a flat lower end surface 56b orthogonal to the axis L0 in a portion adjacent to the other side L2 around the axis L0 with respect to the inclined surface 56a. In the present embodiment, the first projecting unit 56 is formed at three locations in the circumferential direction, and portions of the lower surface 41b where the first projecting units 56 are not formed are flat surfaces orthogonal to the axis L0.

In addition, the cam mechanism 51 has a second projecting unit 57 protruding upward so that an inclined surface 57a (the first cam surface) faces the other side L2 around the axis, on the upper surface of the bottom plate unit 314 of the lower cover 31, and the second projecting unit 57 has a flat upper end surface 57b (the second cam surface) orthogonal to the axis L0 in a portion adjacent to one side L1 around the axis L0 with respect to the inclined surface 57a. In the present embodiment, the second projecting unit 57 is formed at three locations in the circumferential direction, and portions of the upper surface of the bottom plate unit 314 where the second projecting units 57 are not formed are flat surfaces (the third cam surfaces) orthogonal to the axis L0.

Therefore, if the clutch member 40 is driven by the drive pin 782 of the actuator 7 and rotates to one side L1 around the axis L0, the first projecting unit 56 of the clutch member 40 runs on to the inclined surface 57a of the second projecting unit 57 formed on the bottom plate unit 314 of the lower cover 31, and the first projecting unit 56 overlaps the upper end surface 57b of the second projecting unit 57. As a result, the clutch member 40 pushes the second rotating body 20 upward against the urging force of the compression coil spring 14 illustrated in FIG. 1. As a result, the engagement between the tooth units 22a of the second rotating body 20 and the tooth units 13b of the first rotating body 13 is released, and the mechanical connection between the second rotating body 20 and the first rotating body 13 is released. Therefore, even if the first rotating body 13 rotates, the second rotating body 20 does not rotate, and as a result, the pulsator 4 illustrated in FIG. 1 rotates but the washing tub 3 does not rotate.

From this state, if the clutch member 40 is driven by the drive pin 782 of the actuator 7 and rotates to the other side L2 around the axis L0, the first projecting unit 56 gets down the inclined surface 57a of the second projecting unit 57 formed on the bottom plate unit 314 of the lower cover 31. As a result, the clutch member 40 and the second rotating body 20 move downward by the urging force of the compression coil spring 14. For this reason, because the tooth units 22a and the tooth units 13b of the first rotating body 13 are engaged, the second rotating body 20 and the first rotating body 13 are mechanically connected. Accordingly, if the first rotating body 13 rotates, the second rotating body 20 also rotates, so that both the pulsator 4 and the washing tub 3 illustrated in FIG. 1 rotate.

Configuration of Support Member 19

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the state where the actuator 7 is fixed to the support member 19 illustrated in FIG. 2 as viewed from above. The support member 19 illustrated in FIG. 2 and FIG. 5 is a member for supporting the clutch device 10 at a predetermined position below the washing tub 3, and is suspended from the main body frame 2 via a buffer member (not illustrated) together with the washing tub 3. The support member 19 is arranged between the upper cover 32 and the lower cover 31, and supports the clutch device 10.

The support member 19 includes a ring-shaped protruding unit 19b the center portion of which is a through hole 19a through which the small-diameter cylindrical unit 15b of the coupling member 15 passes in the direction of the axis L0. In the support member 19, the upper-surface side of the ring-shaped protruding unit 19b is a ring-shaped recessed unit 19c, and in the recessed unit 19c, a ring-shaped bearing (not illustrated) that rotatably supports the washing tub 3 from below via the coupling member 15 is arranged.

In the part below the flange units 19d provided around the ring-shaped protruding unit 19b in the support member 19, the actuator 7 is fixed by two fastening members 98 and 99, described later, on the side of the ring-shaped protruding unit 19b.

Overall Configuration of Actuator 7

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a clutch actuator unit 9 in which the actuator 7 and a sensor unit 8 illustrated in FIG. 2 and the like are coupled to each other as viewed from the side opposite to the sensor unit 8. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a state where the actuator 7 and the sensor unit 8 are separated from the state illustrated in FIG. 6. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the clutch actuator unit 9 illustrated in FIG. 6 as viewed from the sensor unit 8 side. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a state where the actuator 7 and the sensor unit 8 are separated from the state illustrated in FIG. 8. FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of a first case 70, a second case 80, and the like of the clutch actuator unit 9 illustrated in FIG. 6. FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view of a drive mechanism 7a, a sensor 8a, and the like of the clutch actuator unit 9 illustrated in FIG. 6. It is noted that FIG. 10 illustrates only the output member 78 and the connector 88 among the members illustrated in FIG. 11.

As illustrated in FIGS. 6, 7, 8, and 9, the actuator 7 and the sensor unit 8 are coupled to each other to constitute the clutch actuator unit 9, and as illustrated in FIG. 5, the actuator 7 and the sensor unit 8 are integrally fixed below the support member 19.

The actuator 7 includes the drive mechanism 7a (see FIG. 11) that drives the clutch member 40 illustrated in FIG. 3, and a first case 70 in which the drive mechanism 7a is housed.

As illustrated in FIG. 10, the first case 70 includes a plurality of first members stacked in the up-down direction, and in the present embodiment, the first case 70 includes a lowermost first member 71, an intermediate first member 72 arranged on the first member 71, and an uppermost first member 73 arranged on the intermediate first member 72.

In FIG. 10 and FIG. 11, a clutch motor 76 being the drive source and a rotation transmission mechanism 77 that transmits the rotation of the clutch motor 76 are arranged between the first member 72 and the first member 73, and the output member 78 and a switch device 74 that detects the position of the output member 78 are arranged between the first member 71 and the first member 72.

The clutch motor 76 is a synchronous motor and can rotate only in one direction. The clutch motor 76 is provided with a terminal block 765 that holds two terminals 796. The rotation transmission mechanism 77 includes a first gear 771 geared with a motor pinion (not illustrated), a second gear 772 geared with the first gear 771, a third gear 773 geared with the second gear 772, a fourth gear 774 geared with the third gear 773, and a fifth gear 775 geared with the fourth gear 774. All of the first gear 771, the second gear 772, the third gear 773, and the fourth gear 774 are compound gears in which a small-diameter gear and a large-diameter gear are integrally formed. The rotation transmission mechanism 77 is a reduction gear mechanism that reduces the rotation of the clutch motor 76 and transmits the reduced rotation to the fifth gear 775. A gear-shaped small-diameter unit 775b of the fifth gear 775 protrudes downward through a hole 72p formed in the bottom wall of the first member 72.

In the second space demarcated by the first member 71 and the first member 72, the base-end side of the output member 78, a cam gear 79, and the switch device 74 are arranged. The cam gear 79 has a disc unit 791 and a cylindrical body unit 793 protruding upward from the disc unit 791, and in a cylindrical unit 794 inside the body unit 793, a female screw that gears with the small-diameter unit 775b of the fifth gear 775 is formed. Therefore, the rotation of the clutch motor 76 is transmitted to the cam gear 79 via the fifth gear 775. In the cam gear 79, the disc unit 791 has an eccentric pin 792 protruding downward from the disc unit 791 at a position separated from the rotation center axis of the cam gear 79.

The output member 78 has an extending unit 785 the leading end side of which is protruding outside the first case 70, and a drive pin 782 that protrudes from the extending unit 785 in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the extending unit 785 extends. The leading end side of the output member 78 protrudes outside the first case 70 through an opening unit 706 (see FIG. 6) provided in the first case 70, and is fitted in the elongated hole 43 of the clutch member40 described with reference to FIG. 3, FIG. 4, and the like.

An elongated hole 780 in which the eccentric pin 792 of the cam gear 79 fits is formed in the extending unit 785 of the output member 78. A shaft unit 781 is formed on the base-end side of the output member 78, and the shaft unit 781 is rotatably fitted inside a cylindrical unit (not illustrated) formed on the first member 72. Therefore, if the clutch motor 76 rotates and thus the cam gear 79 rotates, the output member 78 swings about the shaft unit 781 to cause the clutch member 40 illustrated in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 to rotate around the axis L0. If the cam gear 79 rotates further, the output member 78 swings in the opposite direction about the shaft unit 781 to cause the clutch member 40 to rotate in the opposite direction around the axis L0, thereby connecting and disconnecting the mechanical connection.

The switch device 74 includes a switch lever 740 rotatably supported around an axis La by a shaft unit (not illustrated) of the first member 72, an urging member 746 for urging the switch lever 740 in one direction around the axis La, and a push-type switch 747 the state of which is switched by the displacement of the switch lever 740, and the push-type switch 747 is mounted on a substrate 748. The switch lever 740 has a first lever unit 741 and a second lever unit 742 extending in directions intersecting each other, and rotates around the axis La in conjunction with the output member 78. More specifically, the outer peripheral surface of the body unit 793 of the cam gear 79 is a cam surface 793c, and the first lever unit 741 of the switch lever 740 is elastically brought in contact with the cam surface 793c by the urging force of the urging member 746. Therefore, if the leading end unit of the first lever unit 741 is in contact with the small-diameter unit of the cam surface 793c, the leading end unit of the second lever unit 742 turns ON to push the switch 747. Then, if the cam gear 79 rotates from the ON state and the leading end unit of the first lever unit 741 comes in contact with the large-diameter unit of the cam surface 793c, the switch lever 740 rotates in the other direction around the axis La, because of which the leading end unit of the second lever unit 742 turns OFF to be separated from the switch 747. Therefore, based on the output from the switch 747, it is possible to monitor connection and disconnection between the tooth units 22a of the second rotating body 20 and the tooth units 13b of the first rotating body 13 illustrated in FIG. 3, etc.

Configuration of First Case 70

As illustrated in FIG. 6 through FIG. 10, the lower first member 71 includes a bottom wall unit 710, and a side plate unit 711 protruding upward from an edge of the bottom wall unit 710 toward the intermediate first member 72. The first member 72 includes a bottom wall unit 720 facing the bottom wall unit 710 of the first member 71 at an upper side, and a side plate unit 721 protruding in the up-down direction from an edge of the bottom wall unit 720. The first member 73 includes a bottom wall unit 730 facing the bottom wall unit 720 of the first member 72 at an upper side, and a side plate unit 731 protruding downward from an edge of the bottom wall unit 730 toward the first member 72.

In the first case 70, the side plate unit 721 of the first member 71, the side plate unit 721 of the first member 72, and the side plate unit 731 of the first member 73 are connected to each other to form the first side surface 705 of the first case 70. More specifically, a plurality of engagement protruding units 731e and 731f are formed on the outer surface of the side plate unit 731 of the first member 73. A plurality of plate units 716 protruding upward toward each of the plurality of engagement protruding units 731e are formed in the first member 71, and an engagement hole 716e in which the engagement protruding unit 731e is fitted is formed in each of the plurality of plate units 716. Further, a plurality of plate units 726 protruding upward toward each of the plurality of engagement protruding units 731f are formed in the first member 72, and an engagement hole 726f in which the engagement protruding unit 731f is fitted is formed in each of the plurality of plate units 726. Accordingly, it is possible to form the first case 70 by coupling the three first members 71, 72, and 73, and the first side surface 705 being the side surface of the first case 70 is constituted by the side plate unit 711 of the first member 71, the side plate unit 721 of the first member 72, and the side plate unit 731 of the first member 73.

Configuration of Second Case 80

As illustrated in FIGS. 10 and 11, the sensor unit 8 includes a wiring board 86, and the second case 80 that houses the wiring board 86, and the sensor 8a and a connector 88 are mounted on the wiring board 86. Accordingly, the sensor 8a and the connector 88 are housed in the second case 80. The sensor 8a includes a light emitting element 891 mounted on a projecting unit 861 and a light receiving element 892 mounted on a projecting unit 862 among the two projecting units 861 and 862 protruding upward on the wiring board 86. The light emitting element 891 and the light receiving element 892 face each other to constitute a photo interrupter.

The second case 80 includes a plurality of second members stacked in the up-down direction, and in the present embodiment, the second case 80 includes a second member 81 and a second member 82 arranged on the second member 81. In the second case 80, the lower second member 81 has a bottom unit 810 that covers the connector 88 and the wiring board 86 from below, and a side plate unit 811 protruding upward from the bottom unit 810. A plurality of engagement protruding units 811e are formed on the outer surface of the side plate unit 811. The upper second member 82 has a cover unit 820 that covers the connector 88 and the wiring board 86 from above, and a side plate unit 821 protruding downward from the cover unit 820. A plurality of plate units 826 protruding downward toward the plurality of engagement protruding units 811e are formed on the outer surface of the side plate unit 821, and an engagement hole 826e in which the engagement protruding unit 811e is fitted is formed in each of the plurality of plate units 826. Accordingly, it is possible to form the second case 80 by coupling the two second members 81 and 82, and the second side surface 805 being the side surface of the second case 80 is constituted by the side plate unit 811 of the second member 81 and the side plate unit 821 of the second member 82.

Two hollow projecting units 828 and 829 protruding upward are formed in the cover unit 820 of the second member 82. The projecting unit 861 of the wiring board 86 on which the light emitting element 891 is mounted is located inside the projecting unit 828, and the projecting unit 862 of the wiring board 86 on which the light receiving element 892 is mounted is located inside the projecting unit 829. Therefore, as described with reference to FIG. 5, if the sensor unit 8 is fixed to the support member 19 together with the actuator 7, the projecting units 828 and 829 protrude upward from the opening unit 190 of the support member 19, and the third body unit 23 of the second rotating body 20 illustrated in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 is located between the projecting units 828 and 829. Thus, the sensor 8a can detect the rotation of the washing tub 3 via the second rotating body 20. It is noted that a wiring member 701 including a lead wire drawn out from the actuator 7 is electrically connected to the wiring board 86. Therefore, power is supplied to the actuator 7 and the signal of the sensor 8a is output through the connector 88. The driving of the actuator 7 is executed independently of the detection result of the rotation of the washing tub 3.

Waterproof Structure of First Case 70

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the waterproof structure of the first case 70 and the second case 80 illustrated in FIG. 10 and the like. In the present embodiment, among the plurality of first members 71, 72, and 73 constituting the first case 70, the two first members stacked in the up-down direction have a fitting structure in which the respective side plates overlap in both the up-down direction and the inner-outer direction. Further, among the two first members, the side plate of the first member located on the upper side overlaps the side plate of the first member located on the lower side from the outside.

More specifically, as illustrated in FIGS. 10 and 12, in the side plate unit 711 of the lower first member 71, the end unit on the first member 72 side (upper side) has a shape where a portion equivalent to approximately ½ of the plate thickness has been cut out on the outside. For this reason, a thin plate portion 711a is formed on the inner side, and a step unit 711b is formed on the outer side at the end unit of the side plate unit 711. On the other hand, in the side plate unit 721 of the intermediate first member 72, the end unit on the first member 71 side (lower side) has a shape where a portion equivalent to approximately ½ of the plate thickness has been cut out on the inside. For this reason, a thin plate portion 721a is formed on the outer side, and a step unit 721b is formed on the inner side at the end unit of the lower side of the side plate unit 721. Therefore, if the first members 71 and 72 are stacked in the up-down direction, the thin plate portion 721a of the side plate unit 721 of the first member 72 overlaps the thin plate portion 711a of the side plate unit 711 of the first member 71 from the outside, and at the same time, overlaps the step unit 711b from above. Further, the thin plate portion 711a of the side plate unit 711 of the first member 71 overlaps the step unit 721b of the side plate unit 721 of the first member 72 from below.

Further, in the side plate unit 721 of the intermediate first member 72, a portion equivalent to approximately ½ of the plate thickness has been cut out on the outside of the end unit on the first member 73 side (upper side). For this reason, a thin plate portion 721c is formed on the inside and a step unit 721d is formed on the outside of the upper end unit of the side plate unit 721. On the other hand, in the side plate unit 731 of the upper first member 73, the end unit on the first member 72 side (lower side) has a shape where a portion equivalent to approximately ½ of the plate thickness has been cut out on the inside. For this reason, a thin plate portion 731c is formed on the outside and a step unit 731d is formed on the inside of the lower end unit of the side plate unit 731. Therefore, if the first members 72 and 73 stacked in the up-down direction, the thin plate portion 731c of the side plate unit 731 of the first member 73 overlaps the thin plate portion 721c of the side plate unit 721 of the first member 72 from the outside, and at the same time, overlaps the step unit 721d from above. Further, the thin plate portion 721c of the side plate unit 721 of the first member 72 overlaps the step unit 731d of the side plate unit 731 of the first member 73 from below.

Thus, in the first case 70, except for the opening unit 706 that causes the leading end unit of the output member 78 to protrude outward, waterproofness is ensured between the side plate units 711 and 721 of the first members 71 and 72, and the side plate units 721 and 731 of the first members 72 and 73. Further, the side plate unit 721 of the first member 72 located above overlaps the side plate unit 711 of the first member 71 located below from the outside, and the side plate unit 731 of the first member 73 located above overlaps the side plate unit 721 of the first member 72 located below from the outside. Therefore, it is possible to achieve excellent waterproofness against the water dripping from above.

Waterproof Structure of Second Case 80

In the second case 80, the two second members 81 and 82 stacked in the up-down direction have a fitting structure in which the respective side plate units 811 and 821 overlap in both the up-down direction and the inner-outer direction. Further, among the two second members 81 and 82, the side plate unit 821 of the second member 82 located on the upper side overlaps the side plate unit 811 of the second member 81 located on the lower side from the outside.

More specifically, in the side plate unit 811 of the second member 81, the end unit on the second member 82 side (upper side) has a shape where a portion equivalent to approximately ½ of the plate thickness has been cut out on the outside. For this reason, a thin plate portion 811a is formed on the inner side, and a step unit 811b is formed on the outer side at the end unit of the upper side of the side plate unit 811. On the other hand, in the side plate unit 821 of the second member 82, the end unit on the second member 81 side (lower side) has a shape where a portion equivalent to approximately ½ of the plate thickness has been cut out on the inside. For this reason, a thin plate portion 821a is formed on the outer side, and a step unit 821b is formed on the inner side at the end unit of the lower side of the side plate unit 821. Therefore, if the second members 81 and 82 are stacked in the up-down direction, the thin plate portion 821a of the side plate unit 821 of the second member 82 overlaps the thin plate portion 811a of the side plate unit 811 of the second member 81 from the outside, and at the same time, overlaps the step unit 811b from above. Further, the thin plate portion 811a of the side plate unit 811 of the second member 81 overlaps the step unit 821b of the side plate unit 821 of the second member 82 from below.

In this manner, in the second case 80, waterproofness between the side plate units 811 and 821 of the second members 81 and 82 is ensured throughout the entire circumference. Further, the side plate unit 821 of the second member 82 located on the upper side overlaps the side plate unit 811 of the second member 81 located on the lower side from the outside. Therefore, it is possible to achieve excellent waterproofness against the water dripping from above.

Coupling Structure of First Case 70 and Second Case 80

To couple the actuator 7 and the sensor unit 8 to form the clutch actuator unit 9, a coupling unit 90 to couple the first case 70 and the second case 80 is provided outside the first case 70 and outside the second case 80. In the present embodiment, the coupling unit 90 is provided in an overlapping portion of a first protruding unit 75 protruding from the first side surface 705 of the first case 70, and a second protruding unit 85 protruding from the second side surface 805 of the second case 80.

More specifically, in the first case 70, the first side surface 705 is formed by each side plate unit 711, 721, and 731 of the plurality of first members 71, 72, and 73 stacked in the up-down direction, and the first protruding unit 75 is provided on the side plate unit of any one of the first members 71, 72, and 73. In the second case 80, the second side surface 805 is formed by each side plate unit 811 and 821 of the plurality of second members 81 and 82 stacked in the up-down direction, and the second protruding unit 85 is provided on the side plate unit of any one of the second members 81 and 82. Further, among the plurality of first members 71, 72, and 73, the first protruding unit 75 is provided in the side plate unit of the first member arranged on one of an uppermost side and the lowermost side, and among the plurality of second members 81 and 82, the second protruding unit 85 is provided in the side plate unit of the second member arranged on the other of the uppermost side and the lowermost side so as to overlap the first protruding unit 75 from the other side.

In the present embodiment, among the plurality of first members 71, 72, and 73, the first protruding unit 75 is provided in the side plate unit 731 of the first member 73 arranged at the uppermost side, and among the plurality of second members 81 and 82, the second protruding unit 85 is provided in the side plate unit 811 of the second member 81 arranged at the lowermost side so as to overlap the first protruding unit 75 from the other side (lower side).

Here, the first protruding unit 75 has a bottom plate unit 750 protruding outward from the side plate unit 731 of the first member 73, and a side plate unit 751 protruding upward from the bottom plate unit 750, and engagement protruding units 752 are formed on the outer surfaces of the two opposing side plate units 751. The second protruding unit 85 has a bottom plate unit 850 protruding outward from the side plate unit 811 of the second member 81 and overlapping the bottom plate unit 750 of the first protruding unit 75 from below. In the first protruding unit 75, the engagement protruding unit 752 is formed on an outer surface of the opposing side plate units 751. On the other hand, in the second protruding unit 85, a plate unit 851 protruding upward from the two opposing sides of the bottom plate unit 850 toward the engagement protruding unit 752 and overlapping the side plate unit 731 of the first protruding unit 75 is formed, and in the plate unit 851, an engagement hole 851a into which the engagement protruding unit 752 of the first protruding unit 75 fits is formed. Therefore, as illustrated in FIGS. 6 to 9, if the bottom plate unit 850 of the second protruding unit 85 is overlapped on the bottom plate unit 750 of the first protruding unit 75 from below, the engagement protruding unit 752 of the first protruding unit 75 elastically engages with the engagement hole 851a of the second protruding unit 85, and the first case 70 and the second case 80 are thus coupled.

Structure for Fixing Clutch Actuator Unit 9

In the present embodiment, a cylindrical unit 755 passing through in the up-down direction is formed in the bottom plate unit 750 of the first protruding unit 75, and a hole 855 that communicates with the hole 755a of the cylindrical unit 755 is formed in the bottom plate unit 850 of the second protruding unit 85. Therefore, as illustrated in FIG. 5, to fix the clutch actuator unit 9 to the support member 19 of the washing machine 1, the shaft unit of the fastening member 98 such as a bolt is passed through the hole 855 and the hole 755a of the cylindrical unit 755, and then the fastening member 98 is fixed to the support member 19, and thereby the clutch actuator unit 9 can be fixed to the support member 19. Further, in the present embodiment, a cylindrical unit 735 is formed in the first member 73 used for the first case 70 of the actuator 7. To fix the clutch actuator unit 9 to the support member 19 of the washing machine 1, as illustrated in FIG. 5, the shaft unit of the fastening member 99 such as a bolt is passed through a hole 735a of the cylindrical unit 735, and then the fastening member 99 is fixed into a hole 196 formed in the flange unit 19d of the support member 19, and thereby the clutch actuator unit 9 can be fixed to the support member 19.

It is noted that the first case 70 is provided with positioning projecting units 736 and 737 protruding upward from the bottom wall unit 730 of the first member 73. By fitting each of the positioning projecting units 736 and 737 into the holes 197 and 198 formed in the flange units 19d of the support member 19, the positioning of the clutch actuator unit 9 is performed.

Structure for Temporarily Fixing Fastening Member

(a) of FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the clutch actuator unit 9 illustrated in FIG. 6 as viewed from below. (b) of FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which the fastening member 99 is temporarily fixed to the cylindrical unit 735, and is a cross-sectional view taken along a line A-A in (a) of FIG. 13. In FIG. 13, FIG. 14, and FIG. 15, the up-down direction is the Z direction, one side of the up-down direction Z is defined as a first side Z1, and the other side of the up-down direction Z is defined as a second side Z2. The first side Z1 is the lower side and the second side Z2 is the upper side.

As illustrated in FIG. 6, the cylindrical units 735 and 755 of the first member 73 include the holes 735a and 755a through which the fastening members 98 and 99 for fixing the first case 70 and the second case 80 to the support member 19 pass. A fastening member holding unit 760 that temporarily fixes the fastening members 98 and 99 is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the holes 735a and 755a. As illustrated in (b) of FIG. 13, the fastening member holding unit 760 is a rib protruding radially inward from the inner peripheral surface of the hole 735a. Because the fastening member holding unit 760 according to the present embodiment is a cylindrical rib formed on the entire circumference on the inner peripheral surface of the hole 735a, the fastening member 99 can be held on the entire circumference. The fastening member 99 is held in the fastening member holding unit 760 by screwing a leading end unit to the inner peripheral surface of the fastening member holding unit 760. A fastening member holding unit 760 having the same shape as the fastening member holding unit 760 illustrated in (b) of FIG. 13 is formed in the hole 755a of the cylindrical unit 755 provided in the first protruding unit 75. Therefore, the fastening member 98 is held in the fastening member holding unit 760 by screwing a leading end unit to the fastening member holding unit 760.

After assembly, the clutch actuator unit 9 is shipped with the two fastening members 98 and 99 temporarily fixed to the fastening member holding units 760 formed in the holes 735a and 755a, respectively. Then, in the assembly process of the washing machine 1, the clutch actuator unit 9 is fixed to the support member 19 using the fastening members 98 and 99 held in the fastening member holding unit 760. In the present embodiment, as illustrated in (b) of FIG. 13, the fastening member 99 is inserted into the hole 735a from the lower side Z1 and temporarily fixed to the fastening member holding unit 760. Similarly, the fastening member 98 is inserted into the cylindrical unit 755 from the lower side Z1, and temporarily fixed to the fastening member holding unit 760. Upon fixing the clutch actuator unit 9 to the support member 19, as described above, the clutch actuator unit 9 is positioned with respect to the support member 19 using the positioning projecting units 736 and 737. Thereafter, the temporarily fixed fastening members 98 and 99 are further screwed to the upper side Z2, whereby the leading end units of the fastening members 98 and 99 are screwed and fixed to the flange unit 19d of the support member 19 (see FIG. 5).

The cylindrical units 735 and 755 of the first member 73 extend in the up-down direction Z, and the holes 735a and 755a open on the first side Z1 (lower side) and the second side Z2 (upper side). As illustrated in (b) of FIG. 13, the fastening member holding unit 760 is arranged in an intermediate portion in the up-down direction Z of the hole 735a. That is, the fastening member holding unit 760 is located on the second side Z2 as compared to the end unit 735b on the first side Z1 of the hole 735a, and is located on the first side Z1 as compared to the end unit 735c on the second side Z2 of the hole 735a. Similarly, the fastening member holding unit 760 provided in the hole 755a is located on the second side Z2 as compared to the end unit on the first side Z1 of the hole 755a, and is located on the first side Z1 as compared to the end unit on the second side Z2 of the hole 755a. In this way, by arranging the fastening member holding unit 760 at a position away from the end unit of the holes 735a and 755a, it is possible to temporarily fix the leading ends of the fastening members 98 and 99 so as not to project out from the holes 735a and 755a.

The fastening member holding unit 760 includes a contact surface 761 facing the first side Z1 or the second side Z2 in the up-down direction Z. As illustrated in (b) of FIG. 13, in the present embodiment, the end surface of the second side Z2 of the fastening member holding unit 760 (that is, the end surface facing upward) is the contact surface 761. By providing the contact surface 761 facing the up-down direction Z on the fastening member holding unit 760, the clutch actuator unit 9 can be positioned in the up-down direction Z (that is, the axial direction of the holes 735a and 755a). For example, as illustrated in (b) of FIG. 13, by bringing a leading end surface 102 of a positioning pin 101 protruding from a positioning jig 100 in contact with the contact surface 761, it is possible to position the clutch actuator unit 9 in the up-down direction Z with respect to the positioning jig 100. The positioning jig 100 can be used to temporarily fix the fastening members 98 and 99 to the clutch actuator unit 9. For example, the fastening member 99 is screwed until the leading end surface 99a of the fastening member 99 comes in contact with the leading end surface 102 of the positioning pin 101 abutting against the contact surface 761. Thereby, it is possible to temporarily fix the fastening member 99 at a position where the leading end of the fastening member 99 does not protrude from the hole 735a.

Positioning Structure by Fastening Member Holding Unit

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the clutch actuator unit 9 and an inspection jig 200 illustrated in FIG. 6. FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of the cylindrical unit 735 and the positioning pin 201, (a) of FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state before inserting the positioning pin 201 into the cylindrical unit 735, and (b) of FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which the clutch actuator unit 9 is positioned using the positioning pin 201 and the positioning unit 762.

The clutch actuator unit 9 is positioned on the inspection jig 200 to perform product inspection or the like after assembly. FIG. 14 illustrates an example of the inspection jig 200. The inspection jig 200 includes a jig main body 210 and two positioning pins 201 protruding from the jig main body 210. In addition, the inspection jig 200 includes holes 203 and 204 into which the positioning projecting units 736 and 737 formed on the first member 73 fit, and a hole 205 into which the projecting units 828 and 829 of the sensor unit 8 fit. As illustrated in FIG. 14, the positioning pin 201 is inserted into the holes 735a and 755a provided in the cylindrical units 735 and 755.

As illustrated in (a) of FIG. 15, the fastening member holding unit 760 provided in the cylindrical unit 735 includes a positioning unit 762 that comes into contact with the positioning pin 201. In the present embodiment, the inner peripheral surface of the fastening member holding unit 760 is the positioning unit 762. Before the fastening members 98 and 99 are temporarily fixed, the positioning unit 762 has a cylindrical surface. The inner diameter of the positioning unit 762 is substantially equal to the diameter of the positioning pin 201. Therefore, as illustrated in FIG. 15B, when the positioning pin 201 is inserted into the inner peripheral side of the fastening member holding unit 760, the positioning unit 762 and the outer peripheral surface of the positioning pin 201 come into contact with each other, and the clutch actuator unit 9 is positioned with respect to the inspection jig 200.

When the fastening members 98 and 99 are temporarily fixed to the fastening member holding unit 760 after product inspection, the positioning unit 762 is deformed by a male screw formed on the fastening members 98 and 99. That is, the fastening members 98 and 99 are temporarily fixed by screwing the fastening members 98 and 99 to the positioning unit 762 being a cylindrical surface.

Main Effects of Present Embodiment

As described above, according to the present embodiment, because the coupling unit 90 to couple the first case 70 of the actuator 7 and the second case 80 of the sensor unit 8 is provided outside the first case 70 and outside the second case 80, it is possible to couple the first case 70 of the actuator 7 and the second case 80 of the sensor unit 8 without causing a decline in the waterproof property of the first case 70 and the second case 80. In particular, in the present embodiment, the coupling unit 90 is provided in an overlapping portion of the first protruding unit 75 protruding from the first side surface 705 of the first case 70, and the second protruding unit 85 protruding from the second side surface 805 of the second case 80. Therefore, it is possible to easily provide the coupling unit 90 between the first case 70 and the second case 80 outside the first case 70 and outside the second case 80.

Further, among the plurality of first members 71, 72, and 73 constituting the first case 70, the first protruding unit 75 is provided on the uppermost first member 73, and among the plurality of second members8l and 82 constituting the second case 80, the second protruding unit 85 is provided on the lowermost second member 81 so as to overlap the first protruding unit 75. Therefore, it is easy to realize a structure in which the first protruding unit 75 and the second protruding unit 85 overlap in the up-down direction.

Further, because holes 755a and 855 through which the fastening members 98 and 99 for fixing the first case 70 and the second case 80 to the washing machine 1 pass are provided in the first protruding unit 75 and the second protruding unit 85, respectively, it is possible to couple the first case 70 and the second case 80, and also fix the first case 70 and the second case 80 to the washing machine 1 using the first protruding unit 75 and the second protruding unit 85.

Further, in the present invention, holes 735a and 755a through which the fastening members 98 and 99 for fixing the first case 70 and the second case 80 to the washing machine 1 pass are provided in the first member 73 in which the first protruding unit 75 is provided, the fastening member holding unit 760 protruding radially inward is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the holes 735a and 755a provided in the first member 73, or the inner peripheral surface of the hole provided in the second member 81, and the fastening members 98 and 99 are held in the fastening member holding unit 760. Therefore, it is possible to temporarily fix the fastening members 98 and 99 to the fastening member holding unit 760 in advance and ship together with the clutch actuator unit 9. Thus, in a step of fixing the clutch actuator unit 9 to the washing machine 1, it is not necessary to separately supply the fastening members 98 and 99. Further, it is possible to perform the fixing operation to the washing machine 1 from a state where the fastening members 98 and 99 are arranged in the fixing holes 735a and 755a in advance. This makes the fixing operation to the washing machine 1 simple.

Further, in the present embodiment, the inner peripheral surface of the fastening member holding unit 760 is the positioning unit 762 abutted against the positioning pin 201 provided on the inspection jig 200. Thus, the fastening member holding unit 760 can also be used as the positioning unit 762 for positioning with respect to the inspection jig 200, and as a result, there is no need to separately form the positioning unit 762. Therefore, the configuration of the first member 73 can be simplified.

It is noted that in the present embodiment, because the cylindrical units 735 and 755 including the holes 735a and 755a through which the fastening members 98 and 99 for fixing the first case 70 and the second case 80 to the washing machine 1 pass are provided in the first member 73 of the first case 70, the fastening member holding unit 760 and the positioning unit 762 are provided in the holes 735a and 755a of the first member 73, but it is also possible to adopt a configuration in which cylindrical units including the holes through which the fastening members 98 and 99 for fixing the first case 70 and the second case 80 to the washing machine 1 pass are provided in the second member 81 of the second case 80. In this case, the hole of the second member can be provided with a fastening member holding unit and a positioning unit that protrude from the inner peripheral surface of the hole.

Other Embodiments

In the embodiment described above, among the plurality of first members 71, 72, and 73 constituting the first case 70, the first protruding unit 75 is provided in the uppermost first member 73, and among the plurality of second members 81 and 82 constituting the second case 80, the second protruding unit 85 is provided in the lowermost second member 81, however, the first protruding unit 75 may be provided in the lowermost first member 71, and the second protruding unit 85 may be provided in the uppermost second member 82.

In the embodiment described above, the engagement protruding unit 752 is provided in the first protruding unit 75, and the plate unit 851 on which the engagement hole 851a is formed is provided in the second protruding unit 85, however, the engagement protruding unit may be provided in the second protruding unit 85, and the plate unit on which the engagement hole is formed may be provided in the first protruding unit 75.

In the embodiment described above, the drive pin 782 of the output member 78 is fitted in the elongated hole 43 of the clutch member 40, but, for example, a structure in which the engagement pin provided in the clutch member 40 is fitted in the elongated hole provided in the output member 78 may be adopted.

In the embodiment described above, the rotation of the clutch motor 76 is transmitted to the output member 78 as the rotary motion of the eccentric pin 792 of the cam gear 79, however, the present invention may be applied in a case where the rotary motion of the clutch motor 76 is converted to linear motion and the linear motion is transmitted to the output member 78. In the embodiment described above, the actuator 7 is arranged so that the drive pin 782 faces upward (toward the washing tub 3 side), but the actuator 7 may be arranged so that the drive pin 782 faces downward (toward the side opposite to the washing tub 3).

Claims

1. A clutch actuator unit, comprising:

an actuator comprising a drive mechanism to drive a clutch member arranged in a driving force transmission path from a washing machine motor to a washing tub, and a first case in which the drive mechanism is housed; and

a sensor unit comprising a sensor to detect rotation of the washing tub, and a second case in which the sensor is housed, wherein

a coupling unit to couple the first case and the second case is provided outside the first case and outside the second case.

2. The clutch actuator unit according to claim 1, wherein

the coupling unit is provided in an overlapping portion of a first protruding unit protruding from a first side surface being a side surface of the first case, and a second protruding unit protruding toward the first case from a second side surface being a side surface of the second case.

3. The clutch actuator unit according to claim 2, wherein

in the first case, the first side surface is formed by a plurality of first members stacked in an up-down direction, and

in the second case, the second side surface is formed by a plurality of second members stacked in the up-down direction,

the first protruding unit is provided in any one of the plurality of first members, and

the second protruding unit is provided in any one of the plurality of second members.

4. The clutch actuator unit according to claim 3, wherein

among the plurality of first members, the first protruding unit is provided in a first member arranged on one of an uppermost side and a lowermost side, and

among the plurality of second members, the second protruding unit is provided in a second member arranged on the other of the uppermost side and the lowermost side so as to overlap the first protruding unit from the other side.

5. The clutch actuator unit according to claim 4, wherein

in each of the first protruding unit and the second protruding unit, a hole is provided through which a fastening member to fix the first case and the second case to a washing machine passes.

6. The clutch actuator unit according to claim 4, wherein

in the first member provided with the first protruding unit and the second member provided with the second protruding unit, a hole is provided through which a fastening member to fix the first case and the second case to a washing machine passes,

in an inner peripheral surface of the hole provided in the first member, or an inner peripheral surface of the hole provided in the second member, a fastening member holding unit protruding radially inward is provided, and

the fastening member is held in the fastening member holding unit.

7. The clutch actuator unit according to claim 6, wherein

an inner peripheral surface of the fastening member holding unit is a positioning unit to come into contact with a positioning pin provided on a jig.

8. The clutch actuator unit according to claim 6, wherein

the fastening member holding unit is formed on the entire circumference.

9. The clutch actuator unit according to claim 6, wherein

as compared to an end unit of the hole on a first side, the fastening member holding unit is located on a second side opposite to the first side, and as compared to an end unit of the hole on the second side, the fastening member holding unit is located on the first side.

10. The clutch actuator unit according to claim 9, wherein

the fastening member holding unit comprises a contact surface facing the first side or the second side.

11. The clutch actuator unit according to claim 3, wherein

among the plurality of first members, the two first members stacked in the up-down direction have a fitting structure in which side plates of the two first members overlap in both the up-down direction and the inner-outer direction, and

among the plurality of second members, the two second members stacked in the up-down direction have a fitting structure in which side plates of the two second members overlap in both the up-down direction and the inner-outer direction.

12. The clutch actuator unit according to claim 11, wherein

among the two first members, the side plate of the first member located on the upper side overlaps the side plate of the first member located on the lower side from the outside, and

among the two second members, the side plate of the second member located on the upper side overlaps the side plate of the second member located on the lower side from the outside.

13. The clutch actuator unit according to claim 1, wherein

the coupling unit comprises an engagement protruding unit formed on one of the first case and the second case, and an engagement hole that is provided on the other of the first case and the second case and in which the engagement protruding unit is fitted.

14. A washing machine comprising the clutch actuator unit according to claim 1, the washing machine comprising:

the washing machine motor;

the washing tub;

a pulsator arranged in the washing tub; and

a driving force transmission mechanism to transmit a rotational driving force of the washing machine motor to the washing machine tub and the pulsator, wherein

the clutch actuator unit drives the clutch member to realize a disconnection state in which the rotational driving force is transmitted to the pulsator and is not transmitted to the washing tub, and a connection state in which the rotational driving force is transmitted to the washing tub and the pulsator.