JP2019111126A - Drum type washing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a drum type washing machine which eliminates the waste of increasing/decreasing the rotational frequency just for detecting an unbalance amount, and which can shorten washing time by smoothly performing a dewatering step by smoothly detecting the unbalance amount from a low speed region to a high speed region.SOLUTION: When a drum is in a first rotational frequency region, unbalance is detected by a first detection mode utilizing a torque current. When the drum is in a second rotational frequency region which is higher than the first rotational frequency region, unbalance is detected by a second detection mode utilizing an acceleration sensor. Therefore, the waste of increasing/decreasing the rotational frequency just for detecting an unbalance amount is eliminated, and washing time can be shortened by smoothly performing a dewatering step by smoothly detecting the unbalance amount from a low speed region to a high speed region.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

  The present invention relates to a drum-type washing machine having a dewatering function.

  Some washing machines installed in general homes or coin laundry have washing and dewatering functions and washing and dewatering and drying functions.

  In the washing machine having a dewatering function, vibration and noise are generated due to the deviation of the laundry in the drum. Further, if the deviation of the laundry is large, the amount of eccentricity of the drum at the time of rotation becomes large, and a large torque is required for the rotation, so the dewatering operation can not be started.

  Moreover, in the conventional washing machine, the structure which mechanically detects the unbalance amount of a drum with the micro switch located in the vicinity of the washing tub was taken. In the case of the structure provided with the microswitch, it is necessary to make adjustment operations to precisely adjust the working distance of the microswitch at the time of manufacture so that the microswitch can operate.

  Further, depending on the installation condition of the washing machine, the position of the washing tub may be deviated from the predetermined position, and this positional deviation causes a shift of the working distance of the micro switch, and vibration detection, that is, imbalance of the washing tub. The problem was that the quantity could not be detected accurately.

  Further, as a method of detecting an imbalance amount not using a micro switch, a method using a motor control circuit also called a drum inverter for controlling a motor for driving a drum has been proposed. This detection method forms a motor control circuit focusing on the fact that the motor current fluctuation is caused by the load torque fluctuation and the peak of the motor current is generated at the timing when the load torque becomes maximum within one rotation period of the drum. The fluctuation of the torque is detected through the torque current of the inverter, and the imbalance amount which is the deviation of the laundry is detected from the fluctuation of the torque (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Patent No. 3332769

  However, as a characteristic of the torque current of the inverter, there is a disadvantage that the torque current can be detected only in the low rotation range. In other words, the imbalance amount can not be detected at medium-speed rotations or more, and in the case of clothes with different ways of removing water due to dehydration, clothing balance collapses at high-speed rotation even if balance is maintained at low-speed rotation Vibration may occur.

  As described above, in order to detect the unbalanced amount of the washing tub in which the rotational speed is high, it is necessary to once decrease the rotational speed and then detect the unbalanced amount by the motor control circuit. That is, to once lower the rotational speed and then to increase it means that the time of the dehydration step becomes long.

  On the other hand, it is also conceivable to use an acceleration sensor. While the acceleration sensor can not be covered by the motor control circuit, it is possible to detect the unbalance amount of the drum in a high speed region. However, since the acceleration sensor can not detect the unbalance amount of the drum in the low speed region, the drum is once accelerated to a detectable rotational speed, and if the unbalance occurs, the speed is reduced again and brake control etc. Control to reduce the amount of unbalance of

  That is, when detecting the amount of unbalance by the torque current, at the stage where it is unknown whether or not there is an unbalance, the number of rotations is temporarily reduced from the middle and high speed regions to detect the unbalance amount. Processing is required to detect On the other hand, when detecting the unbalance amount by the acceleration sensor, at the stage where it is unknown whether or not there is an unbalance, the rotational speed is once raised from the low speed region to the middle or high speed region to detect the unbalance amount. Processing to detect the amount of imbalance is required.

  Such control causes a delay in the start-up time up to the maximum dewatering speed, which in turn causes the entire washing time to be extended.

  The present invention eliminates the waste of increasing or decreasing the rotational speed only for detecting the amount of imbalance, and smoothly detects the amount of imbalance from the low speed region to the high speed region, thereby performing the dehydration process without delay, along with quiet operation. It is an object of the present invention to provide a drum-type washing machine capable of shortening the washing time.

  According to the present invention, in order to achieve the above object, a bottomed cylindrical drum configured to be rotatable about an axis extending in a horizontal direction or a tilt direction, and a rotational speed for controlling the rotational speed of the drum through a motor control circuit. A control unit; a torque current detection unit detecting a torque current of the motor control circuit; an acceleration sensor detecting and outputting a vibration of the drum; a drum position detection unit detecting and outputting a rotational position of the drum And an unbalance detection unit for detecting unbalance in the drum. The unbalance detection unit detects the unbalance amount and the unbalance position in the drum based on the torque current and the drum rotational position, the output of the acceleration sensor, and the drum rotational position. And a second detection mode for detecting an unbalanced amount and an unbalanced position in the drum. The rotational speed control unit controls the rotational speed of the drum based on the imbalance amount and the unbalanced position in the drum detected by the first detection mode when in the first rotational speed range. When the rotation of the drum is in a second rotation number range higher than the first rotation number range, the amount of imbalance in the drum and the unbalanced position detected by the second detection mode are detected. It is characterized in that the number of rotations is controlled.

  Further, according to the present invention, an intermediate rotation number range is provided between the first rotation number range and the second rotation number range, and the rotation speed control unit determines that the rotation of the drum is in the middle rotation number range. The number of revolutions of the drum is determined based on the unbalance amount and position in the drum detected by the first detection mode and the unbalance amount and position in the drum detected by the second detection mode. It is characterized by controlling.

  Further, the first rotation speed range in the present invention is set to a rotation speed range before dehydration starts, and the rotation speed control unit is configured to determine an imbalance amount detected in the first detection mode in advance. When 1 dewatering threshold or less, it accelerates toward dewatering maximum speed, when it is larger than 1st dewatering threshold, it features that brake control in order to disperse the contents in the drum is done.

  Further, the intermediate rotational speed range in the present invention is set in a region where a detection range by a torque current and a detection range by an acceleration sensor partially overlap, and the rotational speed control unit performs the first detection mode or the second detection mode. When any of the detection modes is below the middle dehydration threshold, acceleration is performed toward the maximum dehydration speed, and when either the first detection mode or the second detection mode is greater than the middle dehydration threshold, It is characterized in that brake control is performed to disperse the contents in the drum.

  Further, the second rotation speed range in the present invention is set to a medium / high speed rotation speed range, and the rotation speed control unit is configured to set a second unbalance amount detected in the second detection mode in advance. When it is below the dewatering threshold, acceleration is performed toward the maximum dewatering speed, and when it is larger than the second dewatering threshold, brake control for dispersing the contents in the drum is performed.

  In the present invention, the initial imbalance measurement rotation number is set in a region lower than the first rotation number region, and the rotation speed control unit determines in advance the imbalance amount detected in the first detection mode. When it is less than the initial dispersion threshold, acceleration is performed toward the maximum dewatering speed, and when it is larger than the initial dispersion threshold, brake control for dispersing the contents in the drum is performed.

  Further, according to the present invention, the dispersion start rotational speed at which the gravity and the centrifugal force are substantially balanced and the dispersion rotational speed at which the gravity exceeds the centrifugal force are set in a region lower than the first rotation speed region in order to perform brake control of the drum. When the brake control is performed, the rotational speed control unit keeps the rotational speed of the drum at the dispersion start rotational speed, and performs control to decelerate toward the distributed rotational speed when the unbalance is positioned at the upper portion of the drum It is characterized by doing.

  According to the present invention, when the drum is in the first rotational speed range, an imbalance is detected by the first detection mode using torque current, and the drum has a second rotational speed range higher than the first rotational speed range. When the sensor is in the second mode, the unbalance is detected by the second detection mode using the acceleration sensor. For this reason, wastes of increasing or decreasing the number of revolutions only for detecting the amount of imbalance are eliminated, and the washing process is performed smoothly by performing the dehydration process smoothly by detecting the imbalance from the low speed region to the high speed region. Time can be shortened.

  Further, the present invention combines the first detection mode using a torque current and the second detection mode using an acceleration sensor in an intermediate rotation speed range between the first rotation speed range and the second rotation speed range. Do. For this reason, it is possible to accurately detect an imbalance between the range in which the torque current functions effectively and the gap in which the acceleration sensor functions effectively.

  Further, according to the present invention, in the first rotation speed range before dehydration starts, imbalance is detected as compared with the first dehydration threshold in the first detection mode using torque current, and is equal to or less than the first dehydration threshold If the acceleration is continued, if it exceeds the first dewatering threshold, the control shifts to the brake control. For this reason, the drum can be efficiently directed to the intermediate rotation speed range while maintaining a state in which unbalance in the low speed range can be accurately captured.

  Further, the present invention provides an intermediate dehydration threshold for the first detection mode and an intermediate dehydration threshold for the second detection mode in the intermediate rotation speed region, and continues acceleration when both are below the intermediate dehydration threshold. If any one of them exceeds the intermediate dewatering threshold, the control shifts to the brake control. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately connect the transition from the unbalance detection by the torque current to the unbalance detection by the acceleration sensor.

  Further, the present invention detects imbalance in the second detection mode using the acceleration sensor in the second rotation speed range which is the middle and high speed rotation speed range, and detects an imbalance in comparison with the second dewatering threshold. The acceleration is continued if it is below, and if it exceeds the second dehydration threshold, the control shifts to the brake control. Therefore, the drum can be efficiently directed to the maximum rotation speed while maintaining a state in which unbalance in the middle and high speed rotation speed regions can be accurately captured.

  The present invention detects imbalance at the initial imbalance measurement rotational speed in the first detection mode using torque current in comparison with the initial dispersion threshold, and continues acceleration if the imbalance is less than the initial dispersion threshold, If the initial dispersion threshold value is exceeded, the control shifts to brake control. For this reason, an imbalance can be caught early and appropriately at the time of launch.

  Further, according to the present invention, after the drum is maintained at the dispersion start rotational speed lower than the first rotational speed range, the dispersion processing is performed by decelerating when the unbalance is positioned above the drum in the first detection mode. Therefore, appropriate imbalance control can be performed when transitioning from any rotation speed range.

It is a typical sectional view of washing machine 1 concerning one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing an overview of control in the washing machine 1; It is a graph which shows the detection value of the acceleration sensor of the washing machine 1, and a proximity sensor. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of control of the spin-drying | dehydration process in the embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of control of the spin-drying | dehydration process in the embodiment.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail based on the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the washing machine 1 of the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the washing machine 1 of the present embodiment.

  The washing machine 1 of the present embodiment can be suitably used, for example, in a launderette or at home, and comprises a washing machine body 1a, an outer tub 3 having an axis S1 extending substantially horizontally, and a drum 2 A so-called drum-type washing machine including a washing tub 1b, a drive device 40, and a control unit 30 shown only in FIG.

  In this embodiment, when the unbalance detecting unit 3A detects unbalance of the drum 2, the rotation speed control unit 33 controls the drum 2 to be braked to disperse the laundry. At this time, in the first rotation speed range N1 which is a low speed range, determination of unbalance is performed under the first detection mode using the torque current It of the inverter 34 which is a motor control circuit. Further, in the second rotation speed range N2 which is the middle and high speed range, the determination of unbalance is performed under the second detection mode using the output Sα of the acceleration sensor 12. Further, in the intermediate rotation speed range Nm between the first rotation speed range N1 and the second rotation speed range N2, a first detection mode using the torque current It and a second detection mode using the output sα of the acceleration sensor 12 The determination of imbalance is performed using the detection mode of.

  Hereinafter, a specific configuration and control procedure for that will be described.

  The washing machine main body 1a shown in FIG. 1 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The front face 10a of the washing machine body 1a is formed with an opening 11 for taking in and out the laundry with respect to the drum 2, and an open / close lid (not shown) capable of opening and closing the opening 11 is attached. The washing machine 1 which concerns on this embodiment is called a drum type fully automatic washing machine in which the washing tub 1b was attached in the substantially horizontal direction.

  The outer tub 3 is a bottomed cylindrical member disposed inside the washing machine main body 1a, and can store washing water inside. As shown in FIG. 1, an acceleration sensor 12 capable of detecting acceleration in three directions, for example, in the left-right direction, the up-down direction, and the front-rear direction, is attached to the outer peripheral surface 3 a of the outer tub 3. In the present embodiment, as an example, the acceleration sensor 12 is a three-axis sensor that can detect acceleration in the lateral direction, the vertical direction, and the longitudinal direction. Further, a discharge passage 3 b capable of discharging the washing water to the outside is connected to the outer tub 3. The discharge passage 3b is provided with a discharge valve 32 provided so as to be able to open and close.

  The drum 2 is a bottomed cylindrical member disposed coaxially with the outer tank 3 in the outer tank 3 and rotatably supported. The drum 2 can accommodate laundry inside, and has a number of water holes in its wall surface.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the driving device 40 rotates the pulley 15 and the belt 15 b by the motor 10 and rotates the driving shaft 17 extending toward the bottom 2 c of the drum 2 to drive the drum 2 with a driving force. Feed and rotate drum 2. Further, in the vicinity of one pulley 15, a proximity sensor 14 capable of detecting the passage of a mark 15a formed on the pulley 15 is provided as a drum position detection unit of the present invention. And in this embodiment, this proximity sensor 14 is equivalent to a drum position detection device.

  Further, in the present embodiment, a drum inverter 34 connected to the motor 10 is provided as one component of the drive device 40.

  FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing an overview of control of the washing machine 1 of the present embodiment. The operation of the washing machine 1 is controlled by a control unit 30 including a microcomputer. The control unit 30 includes a central control unit 31 which controls the entire system, and a memory (not shown) in which various control values described in detail below are stored is connected to the control unit 30, respectively. In addition, the microcomputer executes the program stored in the memory by the control unit 30 to perform a predetermined driving operation, and temporarily use, for example, data used when executing the program in the memory. Are stored.

  The central control unit 31 outputs a control signal to the rotational speed control unit 33, and further outputs the control signal to a motor control circuit (drum inverter) 34 to control the rotation of the motor 10. The rotational speed control unit 33 inputs the torque current It of the motor 10 in real time from the torque current detection unit 34a in the motor control circuit 34, and uses it as a control element.

  The motor control circuit 34 and the acceleration sensor 12 are connected to the unbalance amount detection unit 35. The motor control circuit 34, the acceleration sensor 12, and the proximity sensor 14 are connected to the unbalanced position detection unit 36. The unbalance amount detection unit 35 and the unbalance position detection unit 36 constitute an unbalance detection unit 3A.

  In this embodiment, the unbalance detection unit 3A has a first detection mode and a second detection mode. In the first detection mode, the unbalanced amount M and the unbalanced position L are detected by the torque current It from the motor control circuit 34 and the output ps from the proximity sensor 14. In the second detection mode, the unbalanced amount M and the unbalanced position L are detected by the output sα of the acceleration sensor 12 and the output ps from the proximity sensor 12.

  First, a second detection mode in which dehydration is substantially performed will be described.

  The unbalance amount detection unit 35 calculates the unbalance amount M of the drum 2 from the magnitude of the output sα when the output sα reflecting the vibration in the left-right direction, the up-down direction and the front-back direction is made from the acceleration sensor 12 It outputs to the central control unit 31.

  The unbalanced position detection unit 36 calculates the unbalanced position L from the output sα of the acceleration sensor 12 and the output ps from the proximity sensor 14, and outputs the unbalanced position L to the central control unit 31. Here, the unbalanced position L is a relative angle based on any point in the circumferential direction of the axis S1.

  Subsequently, a method of unbalance detection and distributed processing will be specifically described.

  In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, in the dewatering process, an arbitrary time point at the output sα indicating at least one cycle t2 of the drum 2 transmitted from the acceleration sensor 12 and a timing of the output ps transmitted from the proximity sensor 14 And the time difference t1 between Then, the unbalanced position L in the circumferential direction in the drum 2 is calculated from the relationship between the time difference t1 and the rotational speed of the drum 2 by comparing the relationship between the output sα of the acceleration sensor 12 and the output ps of the proximity sensor 14.

  FIG. 3 is a graph showing the relationship between the output sα from the acceleration sensor 12 and the output ps from the proximity sensor 14. In FIG. 3, for the sake of convenience, the unbalanced position L is calculated from the time difference t1 between the maximum value (max) of the output sα from the acceleration sensor 12 and the output ps from the proximity sensor 14. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the unbalanced position L is calculated from the maximum value (max) and the minimum value (min) of the acceleration as an example, but the acceleration zero is another embodiment of the present invention. The unbalanced position L may be calculated from one or more of the point, the maximum value (max) of the acceleration, and the minimum value (min).

  That is, the unbalanced position L is calculated based on the relative value of the time difference t1 with respect to one cycle t2 obtained from the output ps from the proximity sensor 14 as shown in FIG. As an example, the central control unit 31 stores in advance the range of values of the time difference t1 and the respective regions obtained by dividing the inside of the drum 2 in the circumferential direction in advance. Then, from the obtained value of t1, it is specified which area the unbalanced position L is in. Further, the association between the time difference t1 and the unbalanced position L does not disturb the mode of changing by the number of rotations of the drum 2 or the number of resonant rotations of the drum 2.

  The same applies to the first detection mode. When the torque current It is used, the waveform of the torque current It from the motor control circuit 12 is used instead of the output s α of the acceleration sensor 12 of FIGS. The imbalance amount M is proportional to the amplitude of the torque current It, and the detection of the imbalance position L can be obtained from the relationship between the torque current It and the output ps from the proximity sensor 14 in exactly the same manner as described above.

  In the present embodiment, when the central control unit 31 receives an input signal from a dehydration button (not shown) or a signal indicating that the dehydration process should be started during the washing course operation, the dehydration main routine is mainly executed through the rotation speed control unit 33. To start.

  The rotational speed control unit 33 controls the rotational speed of the drum based on the unbalanced amount M and the unbalanced position L in the drum 2 detected in the first detection mode in the first rotational speed range N1. Further, the rotational speed control unit 33 sets the imbalance amount M and the imbalance position L in the drum 2 detected by the second detection mode in the second rotation speed range N2 higher than the first rotation speed range N1. The rotational speed control of the drum 2 is performed based on it. Further, the rotation speed control unit 33 detects the unbalance amount in the drum 2 detected by the first detection mode in the intermediate rotation speed area Nm between the first rotation speed area N1 and the second rotation speed area N2. The rotational speed control of the drum 2 is performed based on the unbalanced amount L and the unbalanced amount L in the drum 2 detected by the M and the unbalanced position L and the second detection mode.

  In this embodiment, the first rotation speed range N1 is set to 80 to 150 rpm, the second rotation speed range is set to a rotation speed range exceeding 200 rpm, and the intermediate rotation speed is set to 150 to 200 rpm. Further, in this embodiment, 80 rpm is set as the initial imbalance measurement rotational speed Nm after dehydration is started, and 800 rpm is set as the maximum dehydration speed Nmax.

  FIGS. 4 and 5 are flowcharts showing processing procedures executed by the central processing unit 31 in cooperation with the rotational speed control unit 33, the unbalance amount detection unit 35, and the unbalance position detection unit 36. The outline is that in steps S1 to S15 described below, an initial unbalance measurement rotational speed Np (= 80 rpm) and a first rotational speed range N1 (80 to 150 rpm) in a first detection mode using torque current The balance is determined (steps S2 and S8). Further, unbalance is determined in the second detection mode using the acceleration sensor in the second rotation speed range N2 (rotation speed exceeding 200 rpm) (step S9). Further, the imbalance is determined by using the first detection mode using the torque current It in the intermediate rotation speed range Nm (150 to 200 rpm) and the second detection mode using the output sα of the acceleration sensor 12 in combination (step S10, S13).

  The following will be described in order.

<Step S1>
In step S1, the rotational speed control unit 33 accelerates the drum 2 to an initial unbalance measurement rotational speed Np, eg, 80 rpm, at which the centrifugal force becomes equal to or slightly larger than gravity, and the process proceeds to step S2.

<Step S2>
Here, the unbalance amount M is determined by the first detection mode using the torque current It. That is, it is determined whether the imbalance amount M is equal to or less than the initial dispersion threshold αp suitable for acceleration. And if it is YES, it will progress to step S3, and if it is NO, it will progress to step S4.

<Step S3>
In step S3, the drum 2 is accelerated toward the maximum dehydration speed Nmax in response to the judgment that the unbalance is small in step S2, and the process proceeds to step S6.

<Step S4>
In step S4, the unbalance position L calculated in step S2 is positioned above the drum 2 in response to the determination that the unbalance amount M is an inappropriate value for acceleration in step S2. It is determined whether or not it is in timing. And in YES, it progresses to step S5, and, in NO, repeats judgment of step S4.

<Step S5>
In step S5, the rotational speed control unit 33 executes so-called brake control to reduce the rotational speed of the drum 2 to the distributed rotational speed Nd where the centrifugal force is smaller than the gravity. The dispersion rotational speed Nd is set to a rotational speed slightly lower than, for example, 80 rpm as a rotational speed sufficient to disperse the clothes. Then, the process returns to step S1. By the steps S4 and S5, the clothes in the drum 2 are dispersed by gravity, and the unbalance is eliminated.

<Step S6>
In step S6, in response to the acceleration of the drum 2 in step S3, it is determined whether or not the dewatering rotation has entered from the first rotational speed range N1 to the intermediate rotational speed range Nm, that is, whether 150 rpm has been exceeded. And if it is YES, it will progress to step S7, and if it is NO, it will progress to step S8. This is to confirm whether or not the rotation of the drum 2 is rising within the range of the unbalance amount M that is permitted.

<Step S7>
In step S7, it is determined whether or not the dehydration rotation speed has entered the second rotation speed range N2 from the intermediate rotation speed range Nm while acceleration continues, that is, whether 200 rpm has been exceeded. And if it is YES, it will progress to step S9, and if it is NO, it will progress at step S10. Subsequently, it is to confirm whether or not the rotation of the drum 2 is increased within the range of the unbalance amount M which is permitted.

<Step S8>
In step S8, it is determined whether or not there is an inappropriate imbalance amount M, as it is determined in step S6 that the dewatering rotational speed is still in the first rotational speed range N1 of 150 rpm or less. Therefore, it is determined whether or not the imbalance amount M calculated using the torque current It in the first detection mode is equal to or less than the first dehydration threshold value α. When the answer is YES, since the rotation is simply rising, the process returns to the front of step S6, and when NO, it is determined that the acceleration can not be continued, and the process proceeds to step S11. This step S11 is a step of performing a deceleration process, and the details will be described later.

<Step S9>
In step S9, in response to the fact that the dewatering rotational speed exceeds 200 rpm in step S7, the imbalance determination is made from the first detection mode using the torque current It to the second detection mode using the acceleration sensor 12 Switch. Then, it is determined whether the imbalance amount M calculated using the output sα of the acceleration sensor 12 is equal to or less than the second dehydration threshold value β. If YES, then the process proceeds to step S13, and if NO, to the deceleration process of step S11. move on.

  When it is determined in step S7 that the dewatering rotational speed is in the intermediate rotational speed range Nm, in the following steps S10 and S12, the first detection mode using the torque current It and the second using the output sα of the acceleration sensor 12 Make a judgment in the detection mode of.

<Step S10>
In step 10, it is determined whether the imbalance amount M due to the torque current It is equal to or less than the intermediate dehydration threshold value αm. And in YES, it progresses to step S12, and, in NO, progresses to the deceleration process of step S11 for deceleration.

<Step S11>
In step S11, the drum rotational speed is decelerated to the dispersion start rotational speed Ndt for dispersion processing. The dispersion start rotational speed Nd of this embodiment is set to the same 80 rpm as the initial unbalance measurement rotational speed Np. Then, the distributed processing is performed in steps S4 and S5 described above.

<Step S12>
On the other hand, in step S12, in response to the determination of YES in step S10, the imbalance determination is made from the first detection mode using the torque current It to the second detection mode using the output sα of the acceleration sensor 12. Switch to perform an imbalance determination. That is, it is determined whether the imbalance amount M of the acceleration sensor 12 is equal to or less than the intermediate dehydration threshold value βm. And if it is YES, it will return to the front of step S6, and if it is NO, it will progress to the deceleration process of step S11. In this case, since the intermediate rotation speed range Nm is entered, the determination in step S6 is YES unless there is a deceleration factor, and the determination in step S7 is performed, and until unbalance occurs, step S12 is performed and YES again Become.

<Step S13>
In step S13, whether or not the dewatering rotational speed has reached the dewatering maximum speed Nmax while acceleration continues as there is no problem in the imbalance amount M also in the second rotation speed range N2 in step S9 described above To judge. And if it is YES, it will return to step S14, and if it is NO, it will return to the front of step S6. Also in this case, since the dewatering rotational speed is in the second rotational speed range N2 and there is no problem with the imbalance amount M, as long as there is no deceleration factor until step S13 becomes YES, steps S6 and S7 are performed. The determination is YES and the routine returning to step S9 is repeated.

<Step S14>
In step 14, it is determined whether or not a predetermined dewatering time has elapsed. And if it is YES, a dehydration process will be complete | finished, and if it is NO, it will return to the front of step S6. Here, as long as there is no deceleration factor, the determination in step S6 is YES and the determination in step S7 is made, and the routine is YES with step S13 returning to step S14 again unless an imbalance occurs. For the dehydration time, for example, when YES is determined in step S13, the timer is operated, and it is determined in step S14 whether a predetermined time has elapsed.

  As described above, when the drum 2 is in the first rotation speed range N1, the drum-type washing machine according to the present embodiment detects unbalance in the first detection mode using the torque current It, and the drum 2 When it is in the second rotation speed range N2 higher than the 1 rotation speed range N1, the unbalance is detected by the second detection mode using the output sα of the acceleration sensor 12. For this reason, it is quiet by performing the dewatering process without delay by eliminating waste that increases or decreases the rotation speed only for detecting the unbalanced amount M and detecting the unbalanced amount M smoothly from the low speed region to the high speed region. Washing time can be shortened with driving.

  Further, in this embodiment, in the intermediate rotation speed range Nm between the first rotation speed range N1 and the second rotation speed range N2, the first detection mode using the torque current It and the output sα of the acceleration sensor 12 are obtained. The used second detection mode is also used. For this reason, it is possible to accurately detect the imbalance between the range in which the torque current It effectively functions and the gap in which the acceleration sensor 12 effectively functions.

  In the first embodiment, in the first rotation speed range N1 before dehydration starts, imbalance is detected in the first detection mode using the torque current It in comparison with the first dehydration threshold α, and In some cases, acceleration is continued, and in the event that the threshold is exceeded, control is shifted to brake control. For this reason, the drum 2 can be efficiently directed to the intermediate rotation speed range Nm while maintaining a state in which unbalance in the low speed range can be accurately captured.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the intermediate dehydration threshold αm for the first detection mode and the intermediate dehydration threshold βm for the second detection mode are provided in the intermediate rotation speed region Nm, and both are less than or equal to the intermediate dehydration threshold αm and βm. The acceleration is continued, and when at least one of the intermediate dehydration threshold values αm and βm exceeds the brake control. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately connect the transition from the unbalance detection by the torque current It to the unbalance detection by the acceleration sensor 12.

  In the second embodiment, the second detection mode using the output sα of the acceleration sensor 12 in the second rotation speed range N2, which is the middle and high-speed rotation speed range, is compared with the second dehydration threshold β and is unbalanced. Detection is continued, and acceleration is continued if it is less than or equal to the second dehydration threshold β, and if it exceeds the second dehydration threshold β, the process proceeds to brake control. Therefore, the drum 2 can be efficiently directed to the maximum rotation speed while maintaining a state in which unbalance in the middle and high speed regions can be accurately captured.

  In the first embodiment, the unbalance is detected as compared with the initial dispersion threshold p in the first detection mode using the torque current It at the initial unbalance measurement rotational speed Np and the imbalance is equal to or less than the initial dispersion threshold p. The acceleration is continued, and if it exceeds the initial dispersion threshold p, the control shifts to the brake control. For this reason, an imbalance can be caught early and appropriately at the time of launch.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, after the drum 2 is maintained at the dispersion start rotational speed Ndt lower than the first rotational speed range N, when the unbalance is positioned above the drum 2 in the first detection mode It decelerates and performs distributed processing. Therefore, appropriate imbalance control can be performed when transitioning from any rotation speed range.

  As mentioned above, although one embodiment of this embodiment was described, the concrete composition of each part is not limited only to the embodiment mentioned above, and various modification is possible in the range which does not deviate from the meaning of the present invention .

  For example, in the above embodiment, the present invention is applied to a washing machine of the type in which the drum 2 is opened in the horizontal direction, but it goes without saying that an oblique drum type washing machine in which the drum 2 is opened obliquely upward and a drying function are also provided. The present invention may be applied to the provided washer / dryer. In addition, various modifications can be made to details such as specific configurations of the acceleration sensor 12, the drum position detection unit 14, and the motor control circuit 34, and a specific calculation method of various values.

2 ... drum 3A ... unbalance detection unit 12 ... acceleration sensor 14 ... drum position detection unit 33 ... rotational speed control unit 34 ... motor control circuit (inverter)
34a ... Torque current detection portion It ... Torque current N1 ... First rotation speed range N2 ... Second rotation speed range Nd ... Dispersion rotation speed Ndt ... Dispersion start rotation speed Nm ... Middle rotation speed range Nmax ... Dewatering maximum speed Np ... Initial imbalance measurement rotation number S1 ... Axis line α ... First dehydration threshold value αm ... Intermediate dehydration threshold value αp ... Initial dispersion threshold value βm ... Middle dehydration site β ... Second dehydration threshold value

Claims (7)

A bottomed cylindrical drum configured to be rotatable about an axis extending in a horizontal direction or an inclined direction, a rotational speed control unit that controls the rotational speed of the drum through a motor control circuit, and a torque current of the motor control circuit A torque current detection unit to detect, an acceleration sensor to detect and output the vibration of the drum, a drum position detection unit to detect and output the rotational position of the drum, and an imbalance to detect unbalance in the drum And a detection unit, and
The unbalance detection unit detects the unbalance amount and the unbalance position in the drum based on the torque current and the drum rotational position, the output of the acceleration sensor, and the drum rotational position. A second detection mode for detecting an imbalance amount and an imbalance position in the drum;
The rotational speed control unit controls the rotational speed of the drum based on the imbalance amount and the unbalanced position in the drum detected in the first detection mode when in the first rotational speed range, and the drum Rotation speed of the drum based on the imbalance amount and the imbalance position in the drum detected by the second detection mode when the rotation speed of the second rotation speed range is higher than the first rotation speed range Drum type washing machine characterized in that it controls.   An intermediate rotational speed range is provided between the first rotational speed range and the second rotational speed range, and the rotational speed control unit detects the first detection when the rotation of the drum is in the intermediate rotational speed range. The number of revolutions of the drum is controlled based on the imbalance amount and imbalance position in the drum detected by the mode and the imbalance amount and imbalance position in the drum detected by the second detection mode The drum-type washing machine according to claim 1.   The first rotational speed range is set to a rotational speed range before dehydration starts, and the rotational speed control unit determines that the imbalance amount detected in the first detection mode is equal to or less than a first dehydration threshold set in advance. The vehicle is accelerated to the maximum dewatering speed, and brake control is performed to disperse the material in the drum when the dewatering speed is greater than the first dewatering threshold. Drum type washing machine.   The intermediate rotational speed range is set to a region where a detection range by a torque current and a detection range by an acceleration sensor partially overlap, and the rotational speed control unit performs the first detection mode or the second detection mode. Acceleration is performed toward the maximum dewatering speed when all are below the intermediate dewatering threshold, and when either the first detection mode or the second detection mode is larger than the intermediate dewatering threshold, storage in the drum The drum type washing machine according to claim 2 or 3, wherein brake control is performed to disperse objects.   The second rotation speed range is set to a medium / high speed rotation speed range, and the rotation speed control unit determines that the imbalance amount detected in the second detection mode is equal to or less than a predetermined second dehydration threshold. The vehicle is accelerated to the maximum dewatering speed, and when it is larger than the second dewatering threshold, brake control is performed to disperse the contents in the drum. Drum type washing machine described in.   The initial imbalance measurement rotational speed is set in a region lower than the first rotational speed range, and the rotational speed control unit determines that the imbalance amount detected in the first detection mode is equal to or less than a predetermined initial dispersion threshold value. In some cases, acceleration is performed toward the maximum dewatering speed, and when larger than the initial dispersion threshold value, brake control is performed to disperse the contents in the drum. Drum type washing machine described in.   The dispersion start rotational speed at which gravity and centrifugal force are substantially balanced and the dispersion rotational speed at which gravity exceeds centrifugal force are set in a region lower than the first rotational speed region in order to perform brake control of the drum. The control unit holds the rotational speed of the drum at the dispersion start rotational speed when performing brake control, and performs control to decelerate toward the distributed rotational speed when the unbalance is positioned at the upper portion of the drum in the first detection mode The drum type washing machine according to any one of claims 3 to 6, characterized in that:

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