EP0732436A1 - Verfahren und Vorrichtung zum Auswuchten in Waschmaschinen - Google Patents

Verfahren und Vorrichtung zum Auswuchten in Waschmaschinen Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0732436A1
EP0732436A1 EP95103527A EP95103527A EP0732436A1 EP 0732436 A1 EP0732436 A1 EP 0732436A1 EP 95103527 A EP95103527 A EP 95103527A EP 95103527 A EP95103527 A EP 95103527A EP 0732436 A1 EP0732436 A1 EP 0732436A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
drum
load
speed
stage
motor
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
EP95103527A
Other languages
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0732436B1 (de
Inventor
Claudio C/O Whirlpool Italia S.R.L. Civanelli
Rocco c/o Whirlpool Italia s.r.l. Galli
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Whirlpool Europe BV
Original Assignee
Whirlpool Europe BV
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Whirlpool Europe BV filed Critical Whirlpool Europe BV
Priority to DE69513800T priority Critical patent/DE69513800T2/de
Priority to EP95103527A priority patent/EP0732436B1/de
Priority to ES95103527T priority patent/ES2141855T3/es
Publication of EP0732436A1 publication Critical patent/EP0732436A1/de
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0732436B1 publication Critical patent/EP0732436B1/de
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
    • D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • D06F—LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES
    • D06F33/00—Control of operations performed in washing machines or washer-dryers 
    • D06F33/30—Control of washing machines characterised by the purpose or target of the control 
    • D06F33/32—Control of operational steps, e.g. optimisation or improvement of operational steps depending on the condition of the laundry
    • D06F33/40—Control of operational steps, e.g. optimisation or improvement of operational steps depending on the condition of the laundry of centrifugal separation of water from the laundry
    • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
    • D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • D06F—LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES
    • D06F2103/00—Parameters monitored or detected for the control of domestic laundry washing machines, washer-dryers or laundry dryers
    • D06F2103/24—Spin speed; Drum movements
    • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
    • D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • D06F—LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES
    • D06F2103/00—Parameters monitored or detected for the control of domestic laundry washing machines, washer-dryers or laundry dryers
    • D06F2103/26—Imbalance; Noise level
    • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
    • D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • D06F—LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES
    • D06F2103/00—Parameters monitored or detected for the control of domestic laundry washing machines, washer-dryers or laundry dryers
    • D06F2103/44—Current or voltage
    • D06F2103/46—Current or voltage of the motor driving the drum
    • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
    • D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • D06F—LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES
    • D06F2105/00—Systems or parameters controlled or affected by the control systems of washing machines, washer-dryers or laundry dryers
    • D06F2105/56—Remaining operation time; Remaining operational cycles
    • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
    • D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • D06F—LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES
    • D06F33/00—Control of operations performed in washing machines or washer-dryers 
    • D06F33/30—Control of washing machines characterised by the purpose or target of the control 
    • D06F33/48—Preventing or reducing imbalance or noise
    • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
    • D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • D06F—LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES
    • D06F34/00—Details of control systems for washing machines, washer-dryers or laundry dryers
    • D06F34/14—Arrangements for detecting or measuring specific parameters
    • D06F34/16—Imbalance

Definitions

  • This invention relates to a method and arrangement for achieving load balance in washing machines provided with a drum operated by a variable speed electric motor, tachometer means for measuring the rotational speed of the motor and hence of the drum, or amperometer means for measuring the motor absorbed current or the motor control current, and electronic control means for controlling the motor speed so that between the end of the wash stage plus water discharge and the load spinning stage there is introduced a pre-spinning stage in which the motor accelerates to a speed less than the spinning speed.
  • the clothes firstly "roll” randomly until they reach a critical speed (known as the orbital speed) at which the centrifugal force acting on the clothes equals the force of gravity and makes the clothes remain adhering to the inner surface of the drum in a substantially fixed position.
  • the orbital speed a critical speed at which the centrifugal force acting on the clothes equals the force of gravity and makes the clothes remain adhering to the inner surface of the drum in a substantially fixed position.
  • the clothes are not uniformly distributed within the drum at this orbital speed, with the result that further increase in speed with the load of clothes unbalanced can produce that vibration and knocking which are prejudicial to both machine stability and operational integrity, and cause the considerable noise generated by the washing machine when in this operating condition.
  • the objects of the present invention are therefore to provide a method and arrangement which reduce the duration of the washing machine operating cycle while simultaneously statistically increasing the percentage of balanced loads obtainable during spinning, with consequent reduction in vibration and knocking and increased machine stability, and also the possibility of lightening the machine mechanical structure leading to cost reduction, while using components (tachometer, electronic control modules and microprocessors) already present in current washing machines, resulting in further reduction in the additional costs of its implementation and obtaining a reduction in those cases in which the washing machine generates further noise associated with load unbalance.
  • the inventive concept is such that after the final wash stage plus discharge of free wash liquid and before the complete orbital speed of the load is reached, a stage follows in which the washing machine is made to gradually increase the rotational speed of its drum, during which a physical quantity (for example the motor rotational speed, its absorbed current or the current controlling the static switch connected in series with the motor) is continuously monitored.
  • This physical quantity is one which is indicative of the state of balance or unbalance of the drum, so that the initial moment in which the load is balanced in an acceptable form can be determined, to be followed by sudden increase in the motor speed up to for example spinning speed.
  • Figure 1 the reference numeral 1 indicates overall a washing machine of known structure.
  • Figure 1 shows only those parts required or may be required for a clear understanding of the invention, and which comprise: an outer tub 2 with a clothes loading and unloading aperture 3; a drum 4 with access mouth 5, mounted rotatable within the tub 2 and carrying the load; a shaft 6 rotatably supported by the tub 2 and torsionally rigid at one end with the drum 4; a first pulley 7 keyed onto the other end of said shaft; a transmission belt 8 cooperating with the first pulley 7; an electric motor 10 rigid with the tub 2; a second pulley 9 keyed onto the motor shaft 11 and cooperating with the transmission belt 8; a tachometer 12 operationally connected to the shaft 11 of the motor 10 to measure its speed; an electronic control module 14 controlling the motor with regard both to the absorbed current and hence power and to the relative r.p.m.; an interface 13 for converting the analog speed signal of the tachometer 12 into a digital signal accessible to
  • an amperometric sensor with relative interface can be used to measure the current absorbed by the motor or to measure the control current of a static switch connected in series with the motor.
  • the electronic module 14 powers the motor 10 under the control of the timer 15 such that the operating conditions scheduled for each stage of the wash cycle are respected in relation to the particular state of the timer, as is well known to the expert of the art. For example, if during the wash cycle there is a stage in which the motor has to operate at a given speed and at predetermined time intervals, the timer 15 transmits the corresponding information to the electronic module 14, which via the feedback loop formed by the module and, for example, the tachometer 12 causes the motor to operate in a corresponding manner, independently of factors which tend to modify the predetermined conditions.
  • the electronic module 14 When the electronic module 14 has received the command from the timer 15 to implement the pre-spinning of the clothes contained in the drum 4, ie after the wash and the discharge of the free wash liquid, it firstly controls the r.p.m. and power of the motor 10 such that the motor r.p.m. increases gradually (see Figure 3), for example from 55 r.p.m. to 120 r.p.m. within 10-30 seconds. During this acceleration the electronic module 14 receives signals from the tachometer 14 or amperometric sensor which indicate any fluctuations in the current or in the motor r.p.m. consequent on load unbalance, these being continuously monitored, for example by conventional comparator circuits and logic gates.
  • the signal relative to the speed sensor or current sensor reaching the electronic module indicates that these fluctuations have been substantially reduced to an acceptable predetermined level (point X of Figure 3) and that at that moment the load is distributed in a substantially balanced manner over the wall of the drum 4.
  • the electronic module 14 On sensing this state of equilibrium the electronic module 14 passes this information to the timer 15 which, conversely, causes the electronic module 14 to feed maximum power to the motor 10, which undergoes the highest acceleration (sections P and Q of Figure 3) provided for spinning, so orbiting the load. If balanced load distribution does not occur before the point of complete load orbiting, the spinning speed can be reduced in known manner.
  • the timer 15 feeds to the electronic control module 14 a signal by which this latter causes the motor 10 to start rotating the drum at gradually increasing speed (pre-spinning).
  • the information which the electronic module 14 continuously receives via the feedback loop ( Figure 2) into which the sensor (12 and tachometer interface 13) is connected can represent either a balanced condition or an unbalanced condition for the load of clothes contained in the drum.
  • the electronic module 14 continuously checks, by comparison with predetermined values present in the memory, whether this information corresponds to a balanced or an unbalanced load condition. If at a certain moment (for example at the point X of Figure 2, after a time ⁇ t 1 ) the information corresponds to a balanced load, the electronic module 14 causes the motor 10 to suddenly increase its speed (as shown by the section P of Figure 3), so that the load 7A stabilises in the balanced state and the spinning stage commences. If instead the information continues to show a load-unbalanced condition in relation to the reference values compared by the electronic module 14, this latter feeds a command to the motor 10 to continue to increase its speed only gradually, and consequently that of the drum containing the load.
  • the motor 10 is set to a reduced spinning speed.
  • the load distribution stage could be repeated by firstly reducing the speed (along the section from Y to I in Figure 3 where I is the commencement point of the acceleration stage which follows the wash stage) and then repeating the already described balancing and monitoring procedure.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Textile Engineering (AREA)
  • Control Of Washing Machine And Dryer (AREA)
  • Control Of Multiple Motors (AREA)
EP95103527A 1995-03-11 1995-03-11 Verfahren und Vorrichtung zum Auswuchten in Waschmaschinen Expired - Lifetime EP0732436B1 (de)

Priority Applications (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DE69513800T DE69513800T2 (de) 1995-03-11 1995-03-11 Verfahren und Vorrichtung zum Auswuchten in Waschmaschinen
EP95103527A EP0732436B1 (de) 1995-03-11 1995-03-11 Verfahren und Vorrichtung zum Auswuchten in Waschmaschinen
ES95103527T ES2141855T3 (es) 1995-03-11 1995-03-11 Metodo y disposicion para conseguir un equilibrio de carga en maquinas lavadoras.

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP95103527A EP0732436B1 (de) 1995-03-11 1995-03-11 Verfahren und Vorrichtung zum Auswuchten in Waschmaschinen

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0732436A1 true EP0732436A1 (de) 1996-09-18
EP0732436B1 EP0732436B1 (de) 1999-12-08

Family

ID=8219067

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP95103527A Expired - Lifetime EP0732436B1 (de) 1995-03-11 1995-03-11 Verfahren und Vorrichtung zum Auswuchten in Waschmaschinen

Country Status (3)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0732436B1 (de)
DE (1) DE69513800T2 (de)
ES (1) ES2141855T3 (de)

Cited By (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
ES2134161A1 (es) * 1996-11-18 1999-09-16 Bitron Spa Sistema de control de una maquina de lavar ropa.
EP1548169A1 (de) * 2002-07-22 2005-06-29 Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba Trommelwaschmaschine
EP1760182A2 (de) * 2005-08-31 2007-03-07 Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. Verfahren zur Erkennung einer Unwucht und dieses verwendende Waschmaschine
EP1783261A1 (de) * 2005-11-07 2007-05-09 Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. Waschmaschine und Verfahren zur Ermittlung der Wäscheunwucht
EP2112264A1 (de) * 2008-04-21 2009-10-28 BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeräte GmbH Hausgerät zur Trocknung von Wäschestücken und Verfahren zum Betreiben eines derartigen Hausgeräts
US20100011515A1 (en) * 2006-12-21 2010-01-21 David Charles Rhodes Laundry appliance
US8930031B2 (en) 2008-12-17 2015-01-06 Fisher & Paykel Appliances Limited Laundry machine
US9428854B2 (en) 2010-07-30 2016-08-30 Haier Us Appliance Solutions, Inc. Method and apparatus for balancing an unbalanced load in a washing machine

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2425494A1 (fr) * 1978-05-12 1979-12-07 Boewe Boehler & Weber Kg Masch Procede et installation pour laver du linge et pour l'essorer dans une machine de nettoyage a sec
EP0071308A2 (de) * 1981-07-31 1983-02-09 Philips Electronics Uk Limited Anordnung zur Steuerung der Trommeldrehzahl einer Waschmaschine
EP0394177A2 (de) * 1989-04-17 1990-10-24 Emerson Electric Co. Verfahren und Vorrichtung zum Erfassen der Unwucht für Haushaltsgeräte
DE4038178A1 (de) * 1990-11-30 1992-06-04 Telefunken Electronic Gmbh Verfahren zur unwuchtmessung

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2425494A1 (fr) * 1978-05-12 1979-12-07 Boewe Boehler & Weber Kg Masch Procede et installation pour laver du linge et pour l'essorer dans une machine de nettoyage a sec
EP0071308A2 (de) * 1981-07-31 1983-02-09 Philips Electronics Uk Limited Anordnung zur Steuerung der Trommeldrehzahl einer Waschmaschine
EP0394177A2 (de) * 1989-04-17 1990-10-24 Emerson Electric Co. Verfahren und Vorrichtung zum Erfassen der Unwucht für Haushaltsgeräte
DE4038178A1 (de) * 1990-11-30 1992-06-04 Telefunken Electronic Gmbh Verfahren zur unwuchtmessung

Cited By (14)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
ES2134161A1 (es) * 1996-11-18 1999-09-16 Bitron Spa Sistema de control de una maquina de lavar ropa.
EP1548169A1 (de) * 2002-07-22 2005-06-29 Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba Trommelwaschmaschine
EP1548169A4 (de) * 2002-07-22 2006-08-16 Toshiba Kk Trommelwaschmaschine
EP1760182A2 (de) * 2005-08-31 2007-03-07 Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. Verfahren zur Erkennung einer Unwucht und dieses verwendende Waschmaschine
EP1760182A3 (de) * 2005-08-31 2009-05-13 Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. Verfahren zur Erkennung einer Unwucht und dieses verwendende Waschmaschine
EP1783261A1 (de) * 2005-11-07 2007-05-09 Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. Waschmaschine und Verfahren zur Ermittlung der Wäscheunwucht
US8590083B2 (en) 2006-12-21 2013-11-26 Fisher & Paykel Appliances Limited Laundry appliance
US20100011515A1 (en) * 2006-12-21 2010-01-21 David Charles Rhodes Laundry appliance
CN101611186B (zh) * 2006-12-21 2011-10-26 菲舍尔和佩克尔应用有限公司 改进的衣服器具
US20140042946A1 (en) * 2006-12-21 2014-02-13 Fisher & Paykel Appliances Limited Laundry appliance
US8955183B2 (en) * 2006-12-21 2015-02-17 Fisher & Paykel Appliances Limited Laundry appliance
EP2112264A1 (de) * 2008-04-21 2009-10-28 BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeräte GmbH Hausgerät zur Trocknung von Wäschestücken und Verfahren zum Betreiben eines derartigen Hausgeräts
US8930031B2 (en) 2008-12-17 2015-01-06 Fisher & Paykel Appliances Limited Laundry machine
US9428854B2 (en) 2010-07-30 2016-08-30 Haier Us Appliance Solutions, Inc. Method and apparatus for balancing an unbalanced load in a washing machine

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE69513800T2 (de) 2000-05-31
DE69513800D1 (de) 2000-01-13
ES2141855T3 (es) 2000-04-01
EP0732436B1 (de) 1999-12-08

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