EP2659051A2

EP2659051A2 - A washing machine

Info

Publication number: EP2659051A2
Application number: EP11805809.8A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Omer Dogan; Ergun Kiran
Original assignee: Arcelik AS
Current assignee: Arcelik AS
Priority date: 2010-12-30
Filing date: 2011-12-13
Publication date: 2013-11-06
Also published as: WO2012089498A2; WO2012089498A3

Abstract

The present invention relates to a washing machine (1) comprising a body (2) placed on a floor, a drum (3) placed in the body (2), which rotates in the horizontal axis and wherein the laundry to be washed is placed, a tub (4) wherein the drum (3) moves and which oscillates together with the drum (3) during operation, at least one shock absorber (5) one end of which is connected to the tub (4) and the other end to the body (2) and which absorbs the vibrations of the tub (4), and at least one load sensor (6) placed on the shock absorber (5) and which serves to measure the amount of the load in the drum (3).

Description

A WASHING MACHINE

The present invention relates to a washing machine which is provided to be placed on the floor in a balanced manner.
The placement in a balanced manner of washing machines on the floor where they are operated is one of the parameters that affect the operation performance of the washing machine. Unbalanced placement can occur due to reasons such as ragged floor or not adjusting the body legs. In case when the body is not placed on the floor such that the base thereof is parallel to the horizontal axis, generation of vibration and noise increases particularly in the spin-drying step. Moreover, in cases of placement where the imbalance is excessive, problems that disturb the user such as the moving of the washing machine can occur.
In the state of the art Japanese Patent Application No. JP7171290, a washing machine is described which is placed on the hanger spring and senses the force applied to the hanger spring and thus detects whether or not the body is inclined according to the sensed data.
In the state of the art Japanese Patent Application No. JP2010042237, a washing machine is described, comprising a control unit that provides the placement of the body as parallel as possible to the floor by using the data received from the acceleration gauge for preventing the vibration and noise that occur particularly in the spin-drying step.
The aim of the present invention is the realization of a washing machine which is provided to be placed on the floor in a balanced manner.
The washing machine realized in order to attain the aim of the present invention and explicated in the claims comprises a drum wherein the laundry is placed, a tub wherein the drum moves, at least one shock absorber disposed at the rear side of the tub, one end of which is connected to the tub and the other end to the body and which absorbs the vibrations of the tub, and at least one load sensor placed on the shock absorber and which serves to measure the amount of the load in the drum. The washing machine furthermore comprises a control unit that decides whether or not the body is placed parallel to the floor plane by evaluating at least two output values transmitted from the load sensor. Thus, problems originating from the unbalanced placement of the body such as vibration and noise are prevented from occurring.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the value measured by the load sensor at the beginning of the washing process is saved in the memory of the control unit as the first output value. The value measured by the load sensor at the end of the time period determined by the producer by taking water, the amount of which is determined by the producer, into the drum from the mains, is saved in the memory of the control unit as the second output value. The control unit calculates the ratio value which is calculated by dividing the difference between the second output value and the first output value to the amount of the water taken from the mains. The calculated ratio is equal to the inclination of the graphic drawn between the first output value that corresponds to the load value at the beginning of the washing and the second output value that corresponds to the load amount obtained by adding the amount of water taken from the mains to the load value at the beginning of the washing. The control unit compares the calculated value with the values of the first reference ratio and the second reference ratio, which are saved in the memory thereof and obtained as a result of the measurements performed by the placement of the body parallel to the floor plane by the producer. If the calculated ratio is not between the first reference ratio and the second reference ratio, the control unit decides that the body is not placed parallel to the floor plane.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the control unit warns the user upon deciding that the body is placed in an unbalanced manner. Thus, the user is provided to take measures that eliminate the imbalance.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the washing machine comprises a movement mechanism that provides the legs to be adjusted when the washing machine decides that the body is placed in an unbalanced manner. By adjusting the height of the legs by means of the movement mechanism, the unbalanced placement of the body is eliminated.
In the washing machine of the present invention, it is decided whether or not the body is placed on the floor in an unbalanced manner by using the data transmitted to the control unit from the load sensor.
The washing machine realized in order to attain the aim of the present invention is illustrated in the attached figures, where:
Figure 1 – is the schematic view of a washing machine.
Figure 2 – is the schematic view of the washing machine related to an embodiment of the present invention.
The elements illustrated in the figures are numbered as follows:

Washing machine
Body
Drum
Tub
Shock absorber
Load sensor
Control unit
Movement mechanism
Leg

The washing machine (1) comprises a body (2) placed on a floor, a drum (3) placed in the body (2), which rotates in the horizontal axis and wherein the laundry to be washed is placed, a tub (4) wherein the drum (3) moves and which oscillates together with the drum (3) during operation, at least one shock absorber (5) one end of which is connected to the tub (4) and the other end to the body (2) and which absorbs the vibrations of the tub (4), and at least one load sensor (6) placed on the shock absorber (5) and which serves to measure the amount of the load in the drum (3).
The load sensor (6) gives an output value as a result of the force applied by the center of gravity of the laundry loaded into the drum (3) against the gravity.
The washing machine (1) of the present invention comprises a control unit (7) that decides whether or not the body (2) is placed on the floor in an unbalanced manner by using at least two data transmitted from the load sensor (6). The control unit (7) decides whether or not the body (2) is placed parallel to the floor plane according to the data received from the load sensor (6). Thus, problems originating from the improper placement of the body (2) on the floor such as vibration and noise are prevented from occurring.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the control unit (7) decides whether or not the body (2) is placed on the floor in an unbalanced manner by using the first output value (OV1) measured by the load sensor (6) at the beginning of the washing process and the second output value (OV2) measured by the load sensor (6) by taking the water (RW) the amount of which is determined by the producer from the mains at the end of the time period determined by the producer.
The control unit (7) calculates the ratio (D) of the difference between the first output value (OV1) and the second output value (OV2), saved in the memory thereof by being measured by the load sensor (6) during the washing process, to the received water (RW), compares the calculated value (D) with a reference lower ratio (Dref1) and a reference upper ratio (Dref2) saved in the memory thereof and determined by the producer, and decides that the body (2) is placed in an unbalanced manner if the calculated value (D) is less than the reference lower ratio (Dref1) or greater than the reference upper ratio (Dref2).
In the optimum conditions wherein the body (2) is placed parallel to the floor plane, the value measured by the load sensor (6) at the beginning of the washing process is accepted as the first reference output value (OVref1) and the value measured by the load sensor (6) when the water (RW) the amount of which is determined by the producer is taken from the mains at the end of the time period determined by the producer is accepted as the second reference output value (OVref2). The reference lower ratio (Dref1) and the reference upper ratio (Dref2) values are determined by respectively subtracting and adding a deviation value determined by the experimental studies performed by the producer from and to the reference ratio (Dref), which is obtained by calculating the ratio of the difference between the first reference output value (OVref1) and the second reference output value (OVref2) to the amount of the received water (RW).
If the calculated value (D) is not between the reference lower value (Dref1) and the reference upper value (Dref2), the control unit (7) decides whether or not the body (2) is placed on the floor in an unbalanced manner. Unbalanced placement includes all problems such as improper placement of the body (2) legs, problem in the tub (4) hanger springs, problem related to the concrete balance weight or imbalance in the shock absorbers (5) as wells as rugged or inclined floor.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the control unit (7) warns the user upon deciding that the body (2) is placed in an unbalanced manner. Thus, the user is provided to find solutions for eliminating the unbalanced placement.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the washing machine (1) comprises more than one leg (9) that provides the body (2) to be seated on the floor and a movement mechanism (8) that provides the legs (9) to be adjusted when the control unit (7) decides that the body (2) is placed in an unbalanced manner. Thus, by moving the legs (9), the unbalanced placement problems originating from the unbalanced placement of the legs (9) are eliminated.
In the washing machine (1) of the present invention, it is detected whether or not the body (2) is placed parallel to the floor by the evaluation of the data received from the load sensor (6) by the control unit (7).
It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited by the embodiments disclosed above and a person skilled in the art can easily introduce different embodiments. These should be considered within the scope of the protection postulated by the claims of the present invention.

Claims

A washing machine (1) comprising a body (2) placed on a floor, a drum (3) placed in the body (2), which rotates in the horizontal axis and wherein the laundry to be washed is placed, a tub (4) wherein the drum (3) moves and which oscillates together with the drum (3) during operation, at least one shock absorber (5) one end of which is connected to the tub (4) and the other end to the body (2) and which absorbs the vibrations of the tub (4) and at least one load sensor (6) placed on the shock absorber (5) and which serves to measure the amount of the load in the drum (3), characterized by a control unit (7) that decides whether or not the body (2) is placed on the floor in a unbalanced manner by using at least two data transmitted from the load sensor (6).
A washing machine (1) as in Claim 1, characterized by the control unit (7) that decides whether or not the body (2) is placed on the floor in an unbalanced manner by using the first output value (OV1) measured by the load sensor (6) at the beginning of the washing process and the second output value (OV2) measured by the load sensor (6) by taking water (RW) the amount of which is determined by the producer from the mains at the end of the time period determined by the producer.
A washing machine (1) as in Claim 1 or 2, characterized by the control unit (7) that calculates the ratio (D) of the difference between the first output value (OV1) and the second output value (OV2), saved in the memory thereof by being measured by the load sensor (6) during the washing process, to the amount of the received water (RW), compares the calculated value (D) with a reference lower ratio (Dref1) and a reference upper ratio (Dref2) saved in the memory thereof and determined by the producer, and decides that the body (2) is placed in an unbalanced manner if the calculated value (D) is less than the reference lower ratio (Dref1) or greater than the reference upper ratio (Dref2).
A washing machine (1) as in any one of the above claims, characterized by the control unit (7) that warns the user upon deciding that the body (2) is placed in an unbalanced manner.
A washing machine (1) as in any one of the above claims, characterized by more than one leg (9) that provides the body (2) to be seated on the floor and a movement mechanism (8) that provides the legs (9) to be adjusted when the control unit (7) decides that the body (2) is placed in an unbalanced manner.