Improvements for opening the drum and the tube doors of a top-loading washing machine

摘要

In a drum type washing machine, a drum 23 is mounted to rotate about a horizontal axis extending in the lateral direction in a tub 20. A tub opening 20b with a tub door 20a is formed in the tub 20 under the throw-in opening 3 formed in the front part of the top of the housing. A drum opening 23a with a drum door composed of a double door opening frontward and backward is formed in the peripheral wall of the drum 23. The drum 23 is stopped so that the drum opening 23b coincides with the tub opening 20b. The drum door 23a, forced into its opening direction, is held in a closed position by an engagement of a claw 43 and an engagement hole 53. When a user rotates a operation lever 63b for latching or unlatching the tub door 20, the drum door open/close mechanism 65 functions to make two rods 65a and 65b project or withdraw, whereby the drum door 23a is brought into an engaged or unengaged state. By this mechanism, the drum door 23a opens or closes with the opening or closing operation of the tub door 20a. Thus, the operation of the doors is simplified, and the laundry loaded into or unloaded out of the drum 23 by fewer working steps. <IMAGE>