KR100413290B1 - Failure analysis system of laundry machine - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a failure analysis system of a washing machine for accurately estimating a failure site that causes a failure when an abnormality occurs in a washing machine. When the washing machine 1 has an abnormality, the washing machine control unit sends an error code to a server. (8), the host 4 transmits to the host 4 via the Internet 3, and the host 4 compares the error code and maintenance information and returns a failure analysis program, and on the basis of that, the washing machine controller executes a test operation. The host receives the test result and executes the failure analysis.

Description

Failure analysis system of washing machine {FAILURE ANALYSIS SYSTEM OF LAUNDRY MACHINE}

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a washing machine control device connected to a host that stores various types of information about a washing machine through a communication line, and receiving information from the host to control the washing machine.

Conventionally, in a washing machine such as a washing machine or a dryer, when an abnormality occurs during washing, a buzzer sounds to indicate this and an error code according to the abnormality is displayed. In this case, the washing machine stops the washing operation until the cause of the abnormality is removed. Therefore, the user may consider the response by looking at the instruction manual, for example, to resume the washing operation.

In this case, the user himself or herself responds when the cause of the error can be corrected by mistake or relatively simple. On the other hand, when a failure or damage of a component is the cause of an error, the user cannot cope with it, and the user must request a service center to replace or repair the component by telephone or the like.

At this time, if the user can accurately understand the cause of the error by looking at the instruction manual, the service center requested by the user can respond quickly and accurately.

By the way, since various causes are actually entangled with each other, it is difficult for the user who reads the instruction manual to accurately understand the cause of the error. For this reason, there is a problem that the service center cannot make an accurate response, and when the service man actually visits the user's house, the labor takes a lot of trouble, or the repair method is wrong.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a failure analysis system for a washing machine capable of accurately estimating a failure site that causes an abnormality in the case of an abnormality in a washing machine.

1 is a block diagram schematically showing the electrical configuration of the failure analysis system of a washing machine showing an embodiment of the present invention,

2 is a block diagram of a washing machine;

3 is a view showing the overall configuration of the washing machine centered on the water supply system;

4 is an administrative view showing the contents of operation control of an automatic driving course;

5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the entire system when an abnormality occurs;

6 is a flowchart showing the operation of the entire system when an abnormality occurs;

7 is an explanatory diagram showing an information flow of the entire system when an abnormality occurs;

8 is a view showing the contents of maintenance information;

9 is a view showing a display screen (a) of the server display unit and a display screen (b) of the washing machine display unit when a water supply failure occurs;

10 is a flow chart showing a failure analysis test program of the washing water supply valve,

11 is a block diagram of a washing water supply valve peripheral portion of the washing machine,

12 is a view showing a display screen (a) of the server display unit and a display screen (b) of the washing machine display unit when a water level abnormality occurs;

FIG. 13 is a block diagram schematically showing a configuration of a washing machine control unit as a second embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 14 is a diagram corresponding to Fig. 3 showing a third embodiment of the present invention.

* Explanation of symbols for main parts of the drawings

1: washing machine 2: washing machine controller

3: Internet (communication line) 4: Host

5: Host control unit (failure analysis means) 6a: Global database

10, 29a: display unit (display means) 21: washing machine motor

22: washing machine control unit (motor control means, water supply and drain control means, heater control means)

51: control unit for electric equipment drive 52: control unit for communication

53: electronics 62: power circuit breaker

The failure analysis system of the washing machine according to claim 1 of the present invention has a database for storing abnormal occurrence information about a washing machine to be managed together with an abnormality identification code and is accessible from the outside through a communication line. A washing machine control device connected to the host through a line and accessing the database through the host to receive the abnormality information corresponding to the abnormality when the abnormality occurs in the washing machine; And failure analysis means for estimating the failure site which causes the abnormality by analyzing the abnormality occurrence information.

According to the above constitution, when an abnormality occurs in the washing machine, the washing machine control device receives the abnormality occurrence information corresponding to the abnormality content, and the failure analysis means estimates the failure site by analyzing the abnormality content and the abnormality occurrence information. Therefore, the user can respond quickly and accurately based on the estimated failure site.

In this case, the display means which responds to the failure based on the analysis result of the failure analysis means and displays the corresponding method may be provided in the washing machine controller (Invention 2). According to the above configuration, the user can clearly know how to deal with the failure. In particular, when a repair is required, for example, by a service man as a response, a host can automatically contact the service center and display it on the display unit, thereby eliminating the trouble of the user contacting the service center. It becomes convenient.

In addition, the abnormality occurrence information is configured to include maintenance maintenance information consisting of a generation administration, a frequency of occurrence, and a corresponding method for each failure region that causes the occurrence of failure, and the failure analysis means interprets the maintenance maintenance information by the failure analysis means. It is also a good constitution to estimate the ratio (the invention of claim 3).

In this case, if the failure analyzing means is configured to analyze in order from a failure portion having a high frequency of occurrence, it is possible to execute efficient analysis (invention of claim 4).

Further, the abnormality occurrence information is configured to include a failure analysis test program, and a program executing means for executing the test program in the washing machine is installed in the washing machine control device, and the failure analysis means is executed in the execution of the test program. It is also a good constitution to estimate the failure site based on the result (invention of claim 5).

In this case, when the abnormality occurrence information is provided with a plurality of failure analysis test programs corresponding to each abnormality content, more accurate failure analysis can be executed (invention 6).

In addition, it is also a good configuration to install the failure analysis means in the washing machine control device (invention of claim 7).

A solenoid valve may be provided between the water pipe for supplying tap water for water supply to the washing machine and the faucet, and the washing machine controller may be configured to control the solenoid valve (the invention of claim 8).

According to the said structure, it can analyze that forgetting to open a faucet by opening and closing the said solenoid valve, and leaking a water pipe are the cause of abnormality.

In addition, a portable terminal having a portable terminal accessible to the washing machine control device through a communication line, and the portable terminal may be configured to operate the solenoid valve by accessing the washing machine control device through the communication line ( Invention of claim 9).

According to the above configuration, it is possible to close the faucet and shut off the supply of tap water by closing the solenoid valve by the portable terminal at the place where the user who has gone out goes out.

In addition, the washing machine control device is a control unit for driving the electrical appliance for controlling the electrical equipment of the washing machine, a communication control unit for communicating with the host via a communication line, and receives the occurrence of abnormality information from the host when the abnormality occurs It is also a good configuration to provide a power cut-off device that automatically cuts off the power supply to the electric component drive unit (invention of claim 10).

According to the above configuration, when the abnormality occurring in the washing machine is, for example, a high temperature abnormality based on a short circuit, the power supply to the control unit for controlling the electric appliance can be cut off quickly, and the abnormal state can be prevented from continuing for a long time.

In addition, the portable terminal having a portable terminal accessible to the washing machine control device through a communication line, the portable terminal is preferably configured to operate the power circuit breaker by accessing the washing machine control device through the communication line (claims) 11 invention).

According to the above configuration, the user can cut off the power supply to the control unit for driving the electronic device by the portable terminal at the place of going out.

Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 12.

First, the washing machine control system according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 1 is a block diagram schematically showing an electrical configuration of a washing machine control system according to the present embodiment.

This system is configured to manage the washing machine 1 used in the house, and the division as a user is set in individual house units. That is, in FIG. 1, the washing machine control device 2 is connected to the host server 4 via a communication line, for example, the Internet 3. The host server 4 is configured around the host control section 5 and has a global database 6a as a storage means. The global database 6a stores and stores washing machine information such as emergency operation information, device information, device control information, management information, service information, etc. for all types of washing machines 1 to be managed. .

Here, the emergency operation information is information necessary when an abnormality occurs in the washing machine 1, and includes, for example, abnormality occurrence information composed of maintenance maintenance information, a failure analysis program, an emergency operation program, and the like. The host server 4 is connected to, for example, a providing host 7 such as a clothing manufacturer, a laundry or a service center via the Internet 3, and is configured to exchange information with the providing host 7. have.

In addition, the host control section 5 is provided with a personal management database 6b capable of storing and managing the washing information of the washing machine 1 stored in the unit of the user in each house.

On the other hand, the washing machine control device (2) is directly connected to the host (4) via the Internet (3) and communicates with the host (4) for performing information exchange, and the server (8) It consists of a washing machine (1) connected via a communication line. The server 8 and the washing machine 1 are configured to enable two-way communication via a communication line, for example, a wireless network such as blue tooth or a wired network such as the Internet. The server 8 is installed in the front of the refrigerator door, for example, used in the same house in which the washing machine 1 is installed.

The server 8 has a database function, a communication function, an update function, and a learning function. The server 8 is connected to the server control unit 9, which is composed mainly of a microcomputer and includes ROM, RAM, and the like. The display unit 10, the operation unit 11, the external network communication unit 12, and the communication interface 13. The server 8 can access the Internet 3 by an external network communication unit 12. The server 8 also exchanges information with the washing machine 1 via the communication interface 13.

In addition, detailed description is omitted since it departs from the gist of the present invention, but the server 8 includes all home appliances other than the washing machine 1 used in a house, for example, a refrigerator, a microwave oven (not shown), an air conditioner, and the like. It is connected via the in-house network, and is comprised so that control and management of such home appliances may be performed.

Next, with reference to FIG. 2, the electrical structure of the washing machine 1 is demonstrated. That is, the DC power supply circuit 18 including the diode bridge rectifier circuit 15 and the smoothing capacitors 16 and 17 is connected to the 100 V commercial AC power supply 14. That is, the input terminal 15a of the rectifier circuit 15 is connected to the power supply terminal 14a of the AC power supply 14, and the input terminal 15b of the rectifier circuit 15 is the power supply terminal of the AC power supply 14. It is connected to 14b. In addition, the smoothing capacitors 16 and 17 are connected in series between the output terminals 15c and 15d of the rectifying circuit 15. The common connection point of the smoothing capacitors 16 and 17 and the rectifying circuit 15 The input terminal 15a is connected.

The DC power supply circuit 18 is connected to a constant voltage circuit 19 and an inverter main circuit 20 which is a motor driving circuit.

The inverter main circuit 20 is configured by, for example, connecting three-phase bridges of switching elements 20a to 20f made of IGBTs. The output terminal of each phase bridge is connected to each phase winding of the stator of the washing machine motor 21. That is, the washing machine motor 21 is driven to be controlled by the inverter main circuit 20. The switching elements 20a to 20f of the inverter main circuit 20 are controlled by the washing machine controller 22.

The washing machine control unit 22 includes a ROM, a RAM, and the like mainly composed of a microcomputer. The washing machine controller 22 has a function of controlling overall washing and drying operations, and stores a control program and various data for this purpose.

In addition, the drive circuit 23 is connected to the power supply terminal 14a of the AC power supply 14, and the washing water supply valve 24, the softener valve 25, and the drainage are provided between the power supply terminal 14b and the drive circuit 23. The valve 26, the feed water pump 27, and the heater 28 are connected. In addition, the washing machine control unit 22 is connected to a display circuit 29 having a display unit 29a. In addition, the washing machine controller 22 includes an operation circuit 30 having various switches, a water level sensor 31 for detecting the water level in the rotating tank, and a rotation sensor 32 for detecting the rotation speed of the washing machine motor 21. , Detection signal from the presence / absence detection sensor 34 for checking that the faucet 33 (see FIG. 3) is forgotten to open, the flow sensor 35 for detecting the water supply flow rate, and the cover opening / closing detection sensor 36 are provided. It is configured to do so. The washing machine controller 22 is configured to supply the washing water supply valve 24, the softener valve 25, the drain valve 26, and a water supply pump based on a switch signal from the operation circuit and a detection signal from each sensor. (27), the heater 28 is controlled via the drive circuit (23).

Here, the water supply system of the washing machine 1 is briefly described with reference to FIG. The washing machine 1 according to the present embodiment is, for example, a drum type automatic laundry dryer having a washing and drying function, and a plurality of suspensions in which the drum-shaped water tank 38 is provided as an elastic support means in the outer case 37. It is elastically supported by 39, and is comprised. A drum-shaped rotating tank (not shown) is provided inside the water tank 38, and is configured to rotate by the motor 21. As shown in FIG. In addition, a water supply system for performing a water supply operation into the water tank 38 is installed at an upper portion of the inside of the outer case 37.

The water supply system is composed of a detergent dispenser (41) having a detergent storage chamber (41a) and a softener storage chamber (41b), a water feed pump (27) disposed inside the detergent dispenser (41), and a double water supply valve (42). have. The double water supply valve 42 includes the washing water supply valve 24 and the softener valve 25. When the washing water supply valve 24 is opened, the tap water is a water supply hose 42 and a detergent storage chamber 41a. Is supplied through the rotary tank 40, the tap water is supplied to the rotary tank 40 through the water supply hose 42, the softener storage chamber 41b when the softener valve (41b) is opened. Therefore, the washing water supply valve 24 constitutes a first valve, and the softener valve 25 constitutes a second valve.

The water presence detection sensor 34 is installed between the double water supply valve 42 and the water supply hose 43, and detects the presence or absence of water in the water supply hose 43, that is, the opening and closing state of the faucet 33. In addition, the flow rate sensor 35 is installed between the double water supply valve 42 and the detergent injector 41 to detect the flow rate during the water supply operation.

The washing machine controller 22 is configured to execute various washing courses on the basis of a control program stored in advance in accordance with the switch signal and the detection signal at the normal time when no abnormality occurs. For example, when the automatic driving course (standard course) among the various washing courses is executed, the washing water supply valve 24, the softer valve 25, the drain valve 26, and the motor ( 21) and energization control of the heater 28 and the like. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the washing machine control unit 22 functions as a motor control unit, a water supply and drainage control unit, and a heater control unit.

That is, the automatic driving course consists of three strokes: (1) washing stroke, (2) rinsing stroke, and (3) dehydrating stroke, and the motor 21, washing water supply valve 24, and softener valve 25 , The drain valve 26 and the heater 28 are respectively controlled to operate on the marked stroke. In addition, the motor 21 is energized control to detect the weight in the washing stroke, washing, unwinding operation, rinsing, unwinding operation during the soaking rinsing stroke alternately to rotate in the forward and reverse directions, and energized to rotate in one direction otherwise.

In detail, as will be described later, the washing machine control unit 22 has a function of detecting that an abnormality has occurred in the washing machine 1 based on the detection signals described above. The contents are displayed on the display unit 29a, and an error code as an abnormal identification code according to the abnormal contents is output to the server control unit 9. FIG.

Next, the operation of the present embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. Here, the general operation of the whole system at the time of abnormality will be described with reference to Figs. 5 to 7, and the specific operation when water supply abnormality has occurred will be described with reference to Figs. 5 and 6 are flowcharts showing the operation of the entire system when an abnormality occurs, and FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the information flow of the entire system.

First, in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, when an abnormality occurs in the washing machine 1, the washing machine control unit 22 displays on the display unit 29a that an abnormality has occurred (step S1), and the abnormal content. The error code according to the present invention is transmitted (step S2).

The server control unit 9 enters a standby state for receiving an error code transmitted from the washing machine 1, and displays an abnormality on the display unit 10 when an error code is received (step T1). The code is transmitted from the external network communication unit 12 to the host 4 via the Internet 3 (step T2).

When the host control unit 5 receives the error code from the server 8, the host control unit 5 inquires about the maintenance maintenance information of the global database 6a and maintains maintenance maintenance information corresponding to the type of the washing machine 1 used by the user. Input to personal management database 6b (step R1). Then, maintenance maintenance information of the personal management database 6b is retrieved and the failure analysis program corresponding to the error code is returned to the server 8 (step R2).

Further, as shown in Fig. 8, for example, the maintenance maintenance information includes the number of occurrences (frequency) of occurrences corresponding to each error code, the occurrence administration, the result of the failure analysis, the presence or absence of service correspondence, the failure analysis program number, and the emergency operation program. Consists of numbers. The maintenance information is based on information transmitted from each washing machine control unit 22 to the host control unit 5 through the server control unit 9 when an error occurs in all the washing machines 1 managed by the host 4. Is written.

In addition, the failure analysis program is a program for estimating a failure part that causes an abnormal occurrence. In this embodiment, the failure analysis program is configured to be transmitted in a program order corresponding to a failure part having a large number of occurrences. In addition, the emergency operation program "P1" is a program transmitted when it is determined that the cause of the error is "the failure of the water supply valve." As shown in Fig. 8, in this embodiment, a plurality of fault analysis programs corresponding to respective error codes are provided.

In the flowcharts of FIGS. 5 and 6, when the server control unit 9 receives the failure analysis program, the server control unit 9 displays on the display unit 10 that the test operation for the failure analysis is being executed (step T3), and the received failure. The analysis program is transmitted toward the washing machine 1 (step T4).

When the washing machine control unit 22 receives the failure analysis test program, it displays on the display unit 29a that the test operation for failure analysis is being executed (step S3), and executes the failure analysis test program (step S3). (S4)). When the failure analysis test program ends (YES in step S5), the display unit 29a indicates that the failure analysis is being performed (step S6), and the execution result of the program is transmitted (step S7). .

When the server control unit 9 receives the execution result of the test program, it displays on the display unit 10 that the failure is being analyzed (step T5), and the host 4 via the Internet 3 in the external network communication unit 12. ), The execution result of the test program is transmitted (step T6).

When the host controller 5 receives the execution result of the test program from the server 8, it executes a failure analysis based on the result (step R3), and when it determines a failure site (step R4). For example, if the process proceeds to the next step R5 and cannot be determined (NO in step R4), the process returns to step R2 and the above process is repeated.

In step R5, it is determined based on the determination result whether or not visiting service by a service man is necessary. When no repair is required (NO in step R5), the analysis result is returned to the server 8 (step R6). When the server control unit 9 receives the analysis result from the host 4, the server control unit 9 displays the analysis result on the display unit 10 (step T7) and transmits the result toward the washing machine 1 (step T8). . Moreover, when the washing machine control part 22 receives an analysis result from the server 8, it displays the analysis result on the display part 29a (step S8).

In this case, the case where the repair is not necessary is a case where the failure site is compatible with the user. Therefore, the user can respond appropriately to the analysis results displayed on the display unit 29a of the washing machine 1 or the display unit 10 of the server 8, thereby quickly eliminating the cause of the abnormality and performing the laundry operation. You can resume.

On the other hand, if the failure site is not available on the user's side and visits are required (YES in step R5), the host control unit 5 inquires of the server 8 to receive user information, and then accesses the Internet 3. The analysis result and the repair method (repair procedure, replacement part, etc.) are transmitted to the service host providing host 7 together with the user information (step R7). For this reason, the service center can grasp the abnormality which occurred in the washing machine 1 which a user manages, and can take an accurate and quick response.

In addition, the host control unit 5 also transmits the analysis result and the emergency operation program corresponding to the analysis result to the server 8 (step R8). When the server control unit 9 receives the analysis result and the emergency operation program from the server 8, it executes the display of the analysis result and the emergency operation execution (step T9). At this time, the display unit 10 is made to indicate that the contact with the service center has been completed and that the service man is urged to wait for a repair. At the same time, the server control unit 9 transmits the analysis result and the emergency operation program to the washing machine 1 (step T10).

When the washing machine control unit 22 receives the analysis result and the emergency operation program from the server 8, the display unit 20a executes the display of the analysis result and the emergency operation (step S9) and performs emergency operation. It executes (step S10).

Next, a detailed operation will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11 when a water supply abnormality occurs.

When a water supply abnormality occurs in the washing machine 1, the washing machine control unit 22 transmits an error code "E5". At this time, the display sections 29a and 10 of the washing machine 1 and the server 8 are displayed as shown in Fig. 9A, respectively, indicating that "water supply abnormality has occurred" (steps S1, S2), step T1).

On the other hand, when the host control section 5 receives the error code "E5" from the server 8, the host control section 5 corresponds to a failure part with a high number of occurrences based on maintenance maintenance information (see FIG. 8) corresponding to the error code "E5". Transmit in the order of the failure analysis test program (steps R1 and R2). In other words, in case of water supply abnormality, "Forget to open the faucet", "Dirt mixed in the water supply valve", "Failure of the water supply valve" Trouble analysis test programs "E5-T1", "E5-T2", "E5-T3" It is transmitted in this order.

Then, the display sections 29a and 10 of the washing machine 1 and the server 8 are displayed as shown in FIG. 9B, respectively, indicating that the water supply system is checked (steps T3 and S3). )). In addition, when the washing machine control unit 22 receives the failure analysis test program of the water supply system from the host 4 via the server 8, it executes a test operation (steps S4 and S5) and returns the test result to the server. The transmission is made to the host 4 via (8) (steps S7, T6). The host 4 then determines the failure site based on the test result (steps R3 and R4). At this time, the display sections 29a and 10 of the washing machine 1 and the server 8 are displayed as shown in Fig. 9C, indicating that the water supply system has been analyzed for failure. S6, T5)).

For example, in the case of the test program "E5-T1", the washing machine control unit 22 executes an operation for detecting the presence or absence of water in the water supply hose 43 by the water presence sensor 34, and transmits the detection result to the server ( 8) through the host 4. When it is detected that no water is present in the water supply hose 43, the host controller 5 determines that the fork 33 is forgotten (Yes in step R4). In addition, when it is detected that water is present in the water supply hose 43, since the faucet 33 is open, it is determined that the failure site cannot be determined (NO in step R4), and the process returns to step R2. Transmits the next test program "E5-T2".

In the case of the test program "E5-T2", the washing machine control unit 22 executes the flow rate detection by the flow rate sensor 35 and transmits the detection result to the host 4 via the server 8. When the detection flow rate is less than the predetermined value, the host control section 5 determines that the dust is mixed in the water supply valve (YES in step R4). If the detection flow rate is equal to or greater than the predetermined value, the host control section 5 determines that the failure site cannot be determined (NO in step R4), and returns to step R2 to transmit the next test program "E5-T3". do.

In the case of the test program "E5-T3", the host control section 5 causes the washing machine control section 22 to execute the flowchart shown in FIG. In addition, the electrical structure of the washing machine is shown in FIG. 11 by taking out the peripheral part of the washing water supply valve 24, and the flowchart of FIG. 10 is demonstrated, referring FIG. That is, first, the washing machine control part 22 turns off the triac (TRIAC) 23a as a drive circuit of the water supply valve 24 (step P1), and the voltage between V1-V2 at that time is 100V. It is judged whether or not is equivalent to (step P2). In the case of NO, it is determined that the water supply valve 24 has failed or the connector (not shown) of the lead wire unit of the water supply valve 24 is out of position (step P3). When the voltage between V1-V2 is equal to 100V (YES in step P2), the triac 23a is turned on (step P4) and it is determined whether or not the voltage between V1-V2 is 0V. It judges (step P5). If it is 0 V (Yes), it is determined that the water supply valve is broken (step P6), and if it is not 0 V (No), it is determined that the washing machine controller 22 does not operate normally (step ( P7)).

In this case, the test result transmitted from the washing machine control unit 22 to the host control unit 5 through the server is a voltage between V1 and V2, and the host control unit 5 performs abnormal analysis based on the voltage.

When the failure site is determined as described above, the host control section 5 proceeds to step R5 to determine whether or not the visit repair by the service man is necessary. In this case, when it is determined that the failure part is `` breakdown of the water supply valve '', `` out of connector of the lead wire unit '', `` breakdown of the control unit '', it is determined that visiting repair is necessary, `` forget to open the faucet '', `` water supply '' If it is determined that dust is mixed in the valve, it is determined that a visit note is not necessary.

If it is determined that the repair is necessary, the host controller 5 transmits the analysis result, repair method (repair procedure, replacement parts, etc.) and user information to the host 7 of the service center via the Internet 3 (step). (R7)). For this reason, the service center can know in advance the specific cause of the abnormality (failure part), so that the service center can respond quickly, such as checking the stock of the defective part.

In addition, the host control unit 5 also transmits the analysis result and the emergency operation program corresponding to the analysis result to the washing machine 1 via the server 8 (step R8). At this time, the display portions 10 and 29a of the server 8 and the washing machine 1 are first shown in Fig. 8D, and the water supply valve is broken. "You have contacted the service center" is displayed, followed by the display "Switch to recovery operation."

Specifically, when the water supply valve 24 has failed, the washing machine control unit 22 executes emergency operation of performing the water supply operation using the softer valve 25 instead of the water supply valve 24. That is, when an abnormality occurs during the execution of the automatic driving course, the water supply operation and the water injection operation shown in Fig. 4 are controlled to be executed using the softer valve 25. That is, in the water supply operation and the water injection operation, only the softener storage chamber 41b of the detergent injector 41 can be used.

Therefore, in order to prompt the user to put the detergent in the softener storage compartment 41b and to perform the washing operation, the display units 10 and 29a of the server 8 and the washing machine 1 display "Switch to recovery operation." In addition, the warning message "The softener cannot be used" is displayed. This allows the user to recognize that the softener cannot be used.

According to the present embodiment as described above, when an abnormality occurs in the washing machine 1, the abnormality is analyzed and the failure site is estimated, and the cause of the abnormality is indicated when the user can respond. Therefore, the user can see the display of the display unit 10 or 29a and make an appropriate response. In addition, when the cause of abnormality cannot be responded to by the user himself and needs to be repaired by the service man, it is displayed and the emergency washing operation based on the estimated result is executed. For this reason, the problem that a washing operation cannot be performed until repair is completed can be eliminated.

In the present embodiment, the washing machine control unit 22 executes a failure analysis test program and executes the failure analysis based on the execution result. In addition, since different test programs are prepared for each fault site, high accuracy fault analysis can be executed.

In particular, since the host 4 is configured to analyze sequentially from the failure area having a large number of occurrences based on the maintenance information stored in the global database 6 included in the host 4, efficient analysis can be executed.

In addition, according to the present embodiment, since the user is configured to automatically execute a repair request to the service center, the user is convenient because there is no trouble to contact the service center.

In the above embodiment, the case where the abnormality occurs in the washing water supply valve 24 has been described, but the same emergency operation can be executed even when the abnormality occurs in the softener valve 25.

In addition, when parts other than the washing water supply valve 24 and the softener valve 25 fail, the following emergency operation may be performed.

That is, when it is analyzed that the abnormality has occurred in the water level sensor 31, the water supply operation or the drainage operation may be switched to the emergency operation for controlling the time. In this case, the washing machine control unit 22 is provided with a storage means such as a nonvolatile memory for storing the water supply flow rate and the drainage flow rate. You can set it. 12 shows the display screens of the display unit 10 and 29a of the server 8 and the washing machine 1 when the water level sensor 31 has failed. The display screens of Figs. 12A to 12E respectively correspond to Figs. 9A to 9E.

In addition, when it is determined that the cover opening / closing detection sensor 36 or the suspension 39 has failed, the rotation speed of the motor 21 may be set lower than usual during the dehydration operation, or only the dehydration operation during the washing operation may be prohibited.

In addition, when the heater 28 has failed, it is also a good configuration to switch to the emergency operation in which the heater 28 is not energized.

FIG. 13 shows a second embodiment of the present invention, which is different from the first embodiment. That is, in this embodiment, the washing machine control part 22 is comprised from the control unit 51 for electric equipment drive, and the control unit 52 for communication. The control unit 51 for driving the electric appliance is a washing machine motor 21, a washing water supply valve 24, a softener valve 25, a drain valve 26, a water supply pump 27, a heater 28 (both Fig. 2 And electric drive 53, and the electric drive unit 54 and the power supply unit 55 are provided.

On the other hand, the communication control unit 52 includes a communication operation unit 56 and a power supply unit 57 for communication, display and key input with the server 8 (see Fig. 2). The communication operation unit 56 is connected to the electric appliance driving unit 54.

The power supplies 55 and 57 are all connected to separate power plugs 60 and 61 through feed lines 58 and 59, respectively. In addition, a power interrupter 62 is provided in the power supply line 58 that connects the power supply unit 53 and the power plug 60 of the electric component drive unit 51.

When the abnormality occurrence information is transmitted from the host controller 5 to the washer controller 22 through the server controller 9, the power cut-off device 62 is automatically transferred to the control unit 51 for driving the electronic device. It is configured to cut off the power supply.

According to such a configuration, when the abnormality is a short circuit, for example, the power supply to the electric component drive control unit 51 can be cut off quickly, and the abnormal state can be prevented from continuing for a long time.

Fig. 14 shows a third embodiment of the present invention, which is different from the first embodiment. That is, in this third embodiment, a solenoid valve 45 is provided between the water pipe and the faucet 33. The driving of the solenoid valve 45 is configured to be controlled by the washing machine control unit 22.

In the present embodiment, when the washing machine control unit 22 receives the test program "E5-T1" from the host control unit 5 through the server 8, the water presence sensor (when the solenoid valve 45 is opened and closed) The detection operation by 34 is executed, and the detection result is transmitted to the host controller 5 via the server 8. The host control section 5 determines that the opening of the faucet 33 is forgotten based on the detection result.

That is, even in such a configuration, it can be determined that the forgotten to open the faucet 33 is forgotten. In addition, in the said structure, when it is determined that a leaking abnormality generate | occur | produced, the washing machine control part 22 may be comprised so that the said solenoid valve 45 may be closed. According to such a structure, it can respond quickly to a leaking abnormality.

In addition, this invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, For example, the following changes are possible.

A portable terminal accessible to the washing machine control unit 22 via the server 8 via the Internet 3 may be provided, and the portable terminal may be remotely operated by the portable terminal. . According to such a structure, since the user can cut off the power supply to the electrical component drive control unit 51 by the said portable terminal in the place of going out, it becomes excellent in safety.

In addition, the portable terminal is configured to remotely operate the solenoid valve 45, and the solenoid valve 45 is closed at the place where the user who has gone out forgets to close the faucet 33 and goes out. It is also a good configuration to block the supply of tap water.

If it is determined that the user is unable to respond as a result of the failure analysis, the server's display shows a screen for selecting whether to contact the service center and the user to contact the service center. Only when selected, it may be configured to contact a service center.

According to such a structure, when a user does not want to visit a service man, for example, when a washing machine breaks down, the service man visits until it thinks about buying and replacing without repairing.

In addition, although only sentences are displayed on the display unit of the server and the washing machine, the sentences and patterns corresponding thereto may be displayed. According to such a structure, the display content can be visually recognized.

The failure analysis may be configured to be executed by the washing machine control unit or the server control unit. That is, the washing machine controller may be configured to function as a failure analysis means.

As can be seen from the above description, according to the failure analysis system of the washing machine of the present invention, when an abnormality occurs in the washing machine, the washing machine control device accesses a database through a host through a communication line and generates an abnormality corresponding to the abnormal content. In addition to receiving the information, the fault analysis means analyzes the fault information and estimates the fault location that causes the fault, so that the user can clearly and accurately identify the fault site that causes the fault and respond quickly and accurately. Can be.

Claims (11)

A host having a database for storing abnormality occurrence information about the washing machine to be managed together with the abnormality identification code, and accessible from the outside through a communication line; A washing machine control device connected to the host through the communication line and receiving the abnormality occurrence information corresponding to the abnormality by accessing the database through the host when an abnormality occurs in the washing machine; And a failure analysis means provided in the host, the failure analysis means for estimating a failure point that causes a failure by analyzing the abnormality content and the abnormality occurrence information. The method of claim 1, And a display means in the washing machine control device for displaying a corresponding method based on an analysis result of the failure analyzing means and displaying a corresponding method. The method according to claim 1 or 2, The abnormality occurrence information includes maintenance maintenance information consisting of a generation administration, a frequency of occurrence, and a corresponding method for each failure site that causes the occurrence of the abnormality. The failure analysis means is a failure analysis system for a washing machine, characterized in that configured to estimate the failure site by analyzing the maintenance information. The method of claim 3, wherein The failure analysis means is a failure analysis system for a washing machine, characterized in that the analysis in order from the frequent occurrence of the failure site. The method according to claim 1 or 2, The abnormality information is configured to include a test program for failure analysis, The washing machine control device is provided with a program execution means for executing the test program in the washing machine, The failure analysis means is a failure analysis system of the washing machine, characterized in that for estimating the failure site based on the execution result of the test program. The method of claim 5, The abnormality occurrence information is provided with a plurality of failure analysis test programs corresponding to the respective contents of the failure analysis system of the washing machine. The method of claim 1, The failure analysis means is a failure analysis system of the washing machine, characterized in that installed in the washing machine control device. The method of claim 1, The washing machine is provided with a solenoid valve installed between the water pipe and the faucet for supplying tap water for water supply, The washing machine control device is a failure analysis system of the washing machine, characterized in that configured to control the solenoid valve. The method of claim 1, At the same time having a portable terminal accessible to the washing machine control device via a communication line, the washing machine is provided with a solenoid valve provided between the water pipe and the faucet for supplying tap water for water supply, And said portable terminal accesses said washing machine control device via said communication line to operate said solenoid valve. The method of claim 1, The washing machine control device includes a control unit for driving an electrical appliance for controlling the electrical equipment of the washing machine, a control unit for communication with the host through a communication line, and receiving the abnormality information from the host when an abnormality occurs, driving the electrical appliance. A breakdown analysis system for a washing machine, comprising a power circuit breaker that automatically cuts off the power supply to the control unit. The method of claim 1, While having a portable terminal accessible to the washing machine control device via a communication line, The washing machine control device is a control unit for driving the electrical equipment for controlling the electrical equipment of the washing machine, a communication control unit for communicating with the host via a communication line, and to cut off the power supply to the electronic device driving control unit With power circuit breaker, The portable terminal is a failure analysis system of the washing machine, characterized in that the power circuit breaker is operable by accessing the washing machine control device through the communication line.