JPH03143496A - Controller of washing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To contrive the display of the washing time of a minimum level to be performed for a fixed time by displaying the residual washing time of the minimum level on a display means, for a fixed time, even when it is discriminated that the residual washing time is zero minute, after the saturation of the light transmission degree of liquid in a tank is detected under a washing process with a saturation detecting means on a control means. CONSTITUTION:By the output voltage VO of a light sensor circuit 23, dirt is detected, and it is judged whether it is saturated with the output voltage V0 or not, and if it is saturated, the dirt degree of an object to be washing is judged by output voltage Vsat and a washing time Tsat required till saturation, and through its dirt degree, a residual washing time necessary after the detection of the saturation is determined. According to the determined residual washing time, LED 1-6 are lit, and according to the lapse of a time after lighting, the LEDs emitting light are turned off in order. If the residual washing time is set on the seven steps of 12 minutes, 10 minutes, 8 minutes, 6 minutes, 4 minutes, 2 minutes, and 0 minute for example, in a case that the residual washing time is 12 minutes, the LED 1-6 are turned on all, and every 2 minutes, they are turned off one by one in order from the LED 6. Beside, when the residual washing time is 0 minute, then the object to be washing is prevented from being inclined, and in order to facilitate dehydration, just for 10 seconds, a washing motor 3 is inverted little by little more frequently than normal washing, and the while, the LED 1 is lit.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a washing machine control device that detects the degree of light transmission of liquid in a tub.

Conventional technology A conventional washing machine control device detects the saturation of the light transmittance of the liquid in the tub and does not display any information on the display if it determines that the washing time required thereafter is 0 minutes. 1゜Problems to be solved by the invention In the conventional display method of washing machines, if the remaining washing time is determined to be 0 minutes, the washing process is ended without any display. Therefore, there is a problem in that the user may feel uneasy about the operation of the washing machine.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to display the minimum level of washing time for a certain period of time when the remaining washing time is determined to be 0 minutes.

Means for Solving the Problems To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a light transmission degree detection means for detecting the degree of light transmission of the liquid in the tank, and a saturation detection means for detecting the saturation of the output signal of the light transmission degree detection means. a detection means, a display means for displaying the remaining washing time, and a control means for controlling the light transmission degree detection means, the saturation detection means, and the display means; Even if it is determined that 0 minutes of washing time remains after detecting the saturation of the light transmittance stage of the liquid, the display means displays the minimum level of remaining washing time for a certain period of time.

Effect According to the above configuration, even if it is determined that there are 0 minutes of washing time remaining after the saturation of the light transmittance of the liquid in the tank is detected during the washing process, the minimum level washing time is displayed for a certain period of time. By ending the washing process from the beginning, it is possible to eliminate the user's anxiety about the washing time determination operation.

Example Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of essential parts of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a washing machine according to the present invention. Apply AC voltage to the control device 2 from the AC power supply 1 as shown in the button in Figure 1 and in Figure 2,
A washing motor 3 having a phase advance capacitor 4 that drives a stirring blade that stirs the laundry in the tub by a control device 2, a water supply valve 6 that supplies water to the tub, and a drain valve 6 that drains water from the tub. Control.

The control device 2 includes a signal control circuit 20, an operation display device 21 that displays the washing progress status, settings for washing, rinsing, etc., and sets various washing courses, a washing motor 3, a water supply valve 5, and a drain valve 6.
It is comprised of a power control circuit 22 consisting of a switching element such as a bidirectional thyristor that controls the energization to the washing liquid, and an optical sensor circuit 23 that is a light transmittance detection means that detects the light transmittance of the washing liquid in the tub. The signal control circuit 20 is comprised of a saturation detection means 20m for detecting saturation of the output signal of the optical sensor circuit 23 and a control means 20B for controlling the operation display device 21.

FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of a display device that displays the remaining washing time after stain saturation during the washing process. That is, a plurality of LEDs 1 to LEDe are arranged in a part of the operation display device 21 to light up according to the remaining washing time after soil saturation, and the IEDs 1 to LEDe are turned on as the washing time becomes longer.

FIG. 4 shows the change in the output voltage vo of the optical sensor circuit 23 when the button is pressed during the washing process. When washing starts after the water supply ends, the output voltage v0 of the optical sensor circuit 23 gradually decreases. Generally, the light transmittance is expressed as VO/VsX10 (M) with respect to a reference voltage Vs set in the water supply. The degree of turbidity can be determined based on the transmittance or the value of l'1=Vs Vo.

FIG. 5 shows the change in the output voltage Vo of the optical sensor circuit 23 depending on the degree of dirt on the laundry during the washing process. Generally, the more dirty the laundry is, the lower the output voltage of the optical sensor circuit 23 will be! and saturates in a short time.

On the other hand, if the laundry is lightly soiled, the optical sensor circuit 2
The output voltage vo of No. 3 gradually decreases and saturates at a slightly higher value, taking a longer time than in the case of heavy dirt. By detecting the saturation of the output voltage vo of the optical sensor circuit 23, the degree of soiling of the laundry can be determined based on the voltage Vsat at the time of saturation and the washing time Tsat required from the start of washing to reaching saturation. You can determine the remaining washing time required.

Next, the program operation of the washing process of the signal control circuit 20 will be explained with reference to FIG. In the water supply process of step 201, the output voltage v of the optical sensor circuit 23.

When the water supply process is completed by controlling so that the value becomes equal to the reference value vs, the motor 3 is driven in step 202 to start stirring. In step 203, the output voltage v of the optical sensor circuit 23 is
Input o and detect the voltage change, 2v = vs - vO. In step 204, the larger the 1.2v, the more the number of LEDs 1 to 6 lit to indicate dirt is increased. In step 205, dirt is detected using the output voltage vo of the optical sensor circuit 23, and in step 206 it is determined whether the output voltage vo is saturated. If it is saturated, step 2
The degree of soiling of the laundry is determined based on the output voltage Vsat k at 07 and the washing time Tsat required for saturation at 1, and the remaining washing time required after saturation is detected is determined from the degree of soiling. Step 208゜209.210,211
Then, the LEDs 1 to 6 are turned on according to the determined remaining washing time, and the LEDs that are turned on are turned off one by one according to the elapse of time after turning on.

For example, the remaining washing time is 12.10, 8, 6, 4°2.0
If the remaining washing time is 12 minutes, all LEDs 1 to 6 will light up as shown in Figure 7, and
Every minute, the lights turn off one by one from L]1CD6. inside,
When the remaining washing time is 0 minutes, step 1 performs a balance control operation in which the washing motor 3 is reversed in smaller increments than normal washing for 10 seconds in order to prevent the laundry from shifting to one side and facilitate spin-drying. , during which time LED1 is lit. button, this balance control operation is performed during the final 10 seconds of the wash time even if the remaining wash time is other than 0 minutes.

If the output voltage vO does not vary in step 206,
The process advances to step 212, and if the washing time has not ended in step 212, the process returns to step 202 and repeats this series of operations.

Effects of the Invention As is clear from the above embodiments, according to the present invention, even if the remaining washing time is determined to be 0 minutes after the saturation of the light transmittance of the liquid in the tank during the washing process is detected, the minimum level of washing can be achieved. Since the washing process is ended after the time is displayed for a certain period of time, the user's anxiety about the washing time determination operation can be alleviated.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a washing machine control device showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a circuit of the same washing machine, and FIG.
The figure is a front view of the operation display device, Figure 4 is a diagram showing changes in the output of the optical sensor circuit when the button is pressed during the washing process, and Figure 6 is the output of the optical sensor circuit depending on the degree of dirt on the laundry during the washing process. Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing the dirt display and washing time display during the same washing, and Fig. 7 is a diagram showing the relationship between the remaining wash time and the lit LED after saturation detection during the same washing. ...Signal control circuit, 20 people...Saturation detection means, 20B...Control means, 21...
...Operation display device, 23... Light sensor circuit.

Claims (1)

[Claims] a light transmission degree detection means for detecting the degree of light transmission of the liquid in the tank; a saturation detection means for detecting saturation of an output signal of the light transmission degree detection means; a display means for displaying the remaining washing time; A control means is provided for controlling the transmittance level detection means, the saturation detection means, and the display means, and the control means detects the saturation of the light transmittance level of the liquid in the tank during the washing process by the saturation detection means, and then determines the remaining washing time. A washing machine control device that causes the display means to display a minimum level of remaining washing time for a certain period of time even when it is determined that the washing time is 0 minutes.