JP2000237486A - Washing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To save energy and shorten the operation time by stopping an intermittent dehydrating process and moving to a dehydrating process when the number of revolutions of a washing and dehydrating tub becomes a threshold value or more in the intermittent dehydrating process. SOLUTION: Waveform of voltage induced in both ends of a phase advancing capacitor 13 for a motor 1 driving a washing and dehydrating tub is shaped by means of a waveform shaping means 12, and an output pulse period of the waveform shaping means 12 is measured by a period measuring means 16. A control means 17 sequentially controls respective processes of washing, rinsing, and dehydrating processes, computes the number of revolutions of the washing and dehydrating tub from an output pulse period measured by the period measuring means 16 measuring an output pulse period of the waveform shaping means 12 when the motor 1 is turned off during an intermittent dehydration operation, and stops the operation of the intermittent dehydrating process so as to shift the operation to a dehydrating process if the computed number of revolutions is a threshold value or more.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a washing machine for detecting the rotation speed of a washing and dewatering tub in an intermittent dewatering process or a dewatering process, and controlling the rotation speed of the washing and dewatering tub according to the detected rotation speed. Things.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, this type of washing machine has been configured as shown in FIGS. Hereinafter, the configuration will be described.

As shown in FIG. 9, a motor 1 is connected to a washing and dewatering tub 4 via a belt 2 and a pulley 3, and a stirring blade 5 is rotatably provided at the bottom of the washing and dewatering tub 4. The speed reduction mechanism 6 reduces the driving force from the motor 1 and transmits it to the stirring blade 5 during washing, and transmits it to the washing and dewatering tub 4 during dehydration. Switching between dehydration and washing at this time is performed by driving the drain valve 7, and when the drain valve 7 is driven, the washing water is drained and the clutch of the speed reduction mechanism 6 is switched to perform the dehydration operation. The water supply valve 8 supplies water to the washing and dewatering tub 4.

The control device 9 is constructed as shown in FIG. 10. The control means 10 is constituted by a microcomputer, and the motor 1, the drain valve and the drain valve are connected via a power switching means 11 constituted by a bidirectional thyristor or the like. 6. Water supply valve 8
And the like, and sequentially controls a series of steps such as washing, rinsing, and dehydration.

[0005] The waveform shaping means 12 shapes the waveform of the voltage induced at both ends of the phase advance capacitor 13 of the motor 1 and inputs the waveform to the control means 10. The control means 10 turns on and off the stirring blade 5 at the start of operation, detects the amount of cloth in the washing and dewatering tub 4 from the pulse signal output by the waveform shaping means 12 during the inertial rotation at the time of off, In the washing, rinsing, and dehydrating operations, an operation sequence according to the cloth amount is executed.

The operation display means 14 is for inputting operation settings such as washing, rinsing, dehydration, etc., starting operation, pausing, and the like. are doing.

The operation during the dehydration operation in the above configuration will be described. When entering the intermittent dehydration process, the control means 10 controls the power switching means 11 by repeating a predetermined on / off pattern according to the cloth amount detected at the start of the operation and the like. Is gradually accelerated, and the laundry in the washing and dewatering tub 4 is less likely to be biased, and the detergent contained in the laundry is foamed and dehydrated without increasing the resistance. When a series of on / off time intervals of the intermittent dehydration process is completed, the process proceeds to the dehydration process.

[0008]

In such a conventional configuration, the on / off pattern of the motor 1 in the intermittent dewatering process is predetermined in accordance with the cloth amount detected at the start of operation. Therefore, even if the load conditions are different from those at the start of operation due to bias of the laundry, fluctuation of the power supply voltage, addition of the laundry during the washing, and the like, it cannot be reflected in the operation content of the intermittent dehydration process. Usually, the pattern is set so that it can be started with a margin.

For this reason, when the load condition is good, the washing and dewatering tub 4 may reach a sufficient number of revolutions during the intermittent dewatering process, which is unnecessary from the viewpoint of energy saving and time saving. It is desirable to stop the operation of intermittent dehydration for a long time.

Further, the pulse period of the voltage induced at both ends of the phase advance capacitor 13 from the output of the waveform shaping means 12 is measured when the motor 1 is off, and the on or off time of the motor 1 is controlled according to the measurement result. Thus, the method of controlling the rotation speed of the washing and dewatering tub 4 can be controlled at a low cost, and is used in some cases. However, since the inertial rotation after the motor 1 is turned off is largely reduced, There is a problem that it is difficult to accurately detect the number of rotations.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems. In the intermittent dewatering process, when the rotation speed of the washing and dewatering tub exceeds a threshold value, the intermittent dewatering process is stopped, and the process proceeds to the dewatering process. The aim is to save energy and reduce operating time.

[0012]

According to the present invention, in order to attain the above object, a voltage induced at both ends of a phase-advancing capacitor of a motor for driving a washing and spin-drying tub is waveform-shaped by waveform shaping means. The period of the output pulse of the means is measured by the period measuring means. The control means sequentially controls the respective steps of washing, rinsing, and dehydration, and measures the cycle of the output pulse of the waveform shaping means by the cycle measuring means when the motor is turned off during the intermittent dehydration operation, and determines the cycle of the measured output pulse. Calculate the rotation speed of the washing and dewatering tub from the, if the calculated rotation speed is greater than or equal to the threshold, stop the operation of the intermittent dehydration process,
The operation is shifted to a dehydration operation.

[0013] Thus, when the rotation speed of the washing and dewatering tub becomes equal to or more than the threshold value in the intermittent dewatering step, the intermittent dewatering step can be stopped and the operation can be shifted to the dewatering step, thereby saving energy and shortening the operation time. can do.

[0014]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The invention according to claim 1 of the present invention comprises a motor for driving a washing and dewatering tub, and a waveform shaping means for shaping a voltage induced at both ends of a phase advance capacitor of the motor. A cycle measuring means for measuring a cycle of an output pulse of the waveform shaping means, and a control means for sequentially controlling each step of washing, rinsing, and dewatering, wherein the control means turns off the motor during the intermittent dewatering operation. Sometimes, the cycle of the output pulse of the waveform shaping means is measured by the cycle measuring means, the rotation speed of the washing and dewatering tub is calculated from the measured output pulse cycle, and when the calculated rotation speed is equal to or more than the threshold value, Is
The operation of the intermittent dehydration process is stopped and the operation is shifted to the operation of the dehydration process. The intermittent dewatering process is stopped when the rotation speed of the washing and dewatering tub reaches or exceeds the threshold.
The operation can be shifted to the dehydration process, energy can be saved, and the operation time can be reduced.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the motor is repeatedly turned on and off during the dehydrating operation, and when the motor is off, the cycle of the output pulse of the waveform shaping means is measured. Measured by means, calculate the number of revolutions of the washing and dewatering tub from the measured output pulse cycle,
According to the calculated rotation speed, the on / off time of the motor is changed to control the rotation speed of the washing and dewatering tub, and the rotation speed of the washing and dewatering tub is controlled in the dewatering process. can do.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect of the present invention, when the motor is turned off, the cycle of the output pulse of the waveform shaping means is measured a plurality of times, and the measured plurality of output pulses are output. The rotation speed of the washing and dewatering tub when the motor is off is calculated from the cycle, and the rotation speed of the washing and dewatering tub when the motor is off can be accurately detected.

The invention described in claim 4 is the above-mentioned claim 1-
3. The invention according to claim 3, further comprising operation display means for inputting and displaying a driving operation or setting, and when restarting from a temporary stop, the operation display means detects a predetermined number of rotations or a predetermined time. The motor is started according to a constant on / off pattern until the time elapses. When the motor is restarted from the temporary stop, it can be returned to the original spinning speed in a short time.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the second or third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a failure detecting means for detecting a failure of the waveform shaping means or the period measuring means, wherein the waveform shaping means or the period measuring means is provided. When the failure is detected, the dehydration operation is performed according to a constant on / off pattern, and the dehydration operation can be performed even when the waveform shaping unit or the period measurement unit fails.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the second or third aspect of the present invention, when the predetermined number of rotations cannot be detected in the intermittent dehydration step, the predetermined number of rotations is detected in the early stage of the dehydration step. Alternatively, the motor is driven according to a fixed on / off pattern until a fixed time elapses, and even if the rotation speed of the washing and dewatering tub does not rise to a predetermined value in the intermittent dewatering process for some reason. In addition, the number of revolutions can be increased in a short time at the beginning of the dewatering process.

[0020]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The same components as those in the conventional example are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted. Further, the configuration of the washing machine is the same as that of the conventional example, and the description is omitted.

(Embodiment 1) As shown in FIG. 1, a cycle measuring means 16 measures the cycle of an output pulse of the waveform shaping means 12 and inputs the measured pulse to a control means 17. The control means 17
While controlling each step of washing, rinsing and dehydration sequentially,
When the motor 1 is turned off during the intermittent dehydration operation, the waveform shaping means 1
2, the cycle of the output pulse is measured by the cycle measuring means 16, and the number of revolutions of the washing and dewatering tub is calculated from the measured cycle of the output pulse. Is stopped, and the operation shifts to the operation of the dehydration process.

The operation during the intermittent dewatering process in the above configuration will be described with reference to FIGS.

In step 21 of FIG. 2, the control means 17 starts the intermittent dehydration operation, refers to a predetermined ON / OFF pattern according to the amount of cloth detected at the start of the washing operation, and refers to step 22. The controlled ON time of the motor 1 is controlled by turning on the power switching means 11.
When the predetermined ON time has elapsed, the motor 1 is turned off. In step 23, as shown in FIG. 3, the motor 1 is induced at both ends of the phase advance capacitor 13 after a certain delay time Td after the motor is turned off from the output of the cycle measuring means 16. Voltage pulse period t
Measure 1.

In step 24, the number of revolutions of the washing and dewatering tub is calculated from the measured pulse cycle. Note that the relationship between the pulse cycle and the rotation speed of the washing and dewatering tub is inversely proportional as shown in FIG. Further, the control means 17 determines whether or not the calculated rotation speed of the washing and dewatering tub is equal to or more than a predetermined value Nref. If the rotation speed is equal to or more than the predetermined value Nref, the intermittent dehydration process is stopped. I do.

If the number of revolutions of the washing and dewatering tub is less than the predetermined value Nref in step 24, the process proceeds to step 26, where the intermittent dewatering operation time t exceeds the total time Tt of the predetermined on / off pattern. Judge whether there is
If it exceeds, the intermittent dehydration process is stopped, and the process proceeds to step 25 at the dehydration process. If it is determined in step 26 that the operation time t of the intermittent dehydration does not exceed the predetermined total time Tt of the on / off pattern, the process proceeds to step 27, in which the off time toff of the motor 1 is reduced to the predetermined off time Toff. The intermittent dehydration process is continued again at step 22 until the motor 1 is turned off.

Therefore, if the rotation speed of the washing and dewatering tub is equal to or more than a predetermined value when the motor 1 is turned off in the intermittent dehydration process, the intermittent dehydration process can be stopped and the process can be shifted to the dehydration process. Operation time can be reduced.

(Embodiment 2) The control means 17 shown in FIG.
During the dehydration operation, the motor is repeatedly turned on and off. When the motor is turned off, the cycle of the output pulse of the waveform shaping means 12 is measured by the cycle measuring means 16, and the rotation speed of the washing and dewatering tub is determined from the measured output pulse cycle. The rotation speed of the washing and dewatering tub is controlled by changing the on / off time of the motor 1 according to the calculated rotation speed.
Other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment.

The operation of the above configuration will be described. The control means 17 repeats on / off of the motor 1 in the dehydration process. When the motor 1 is turned off, the control means 17 outputs the output of the cycle measuring means 16 after a certain delay time Td after the motor is turned off. The pulse period t of the voltage induced across the phase-advancing capacitor 13
1 is measured, and the number of rotations of the washing and dewatering tub is calculated from the measured pulse cycle. By determining and controlling the on / off time of the motor 1 in accordance with the calculated rotation speed of the washing and dewatering tub, the rotation speed of the washing and dewatering tub can be controlled.

(Embodiment 3) The control means 17 shown in FIG.
When the motor 1 is turned off, the cycle of the output pulse of the waveform shaping means 12 is measured a plurality of times, and the number of rotations of the washing and dewatering tub when the motor 1 is off is calculated from the measured plurality of output pulse cycles. . Other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment.

The operation of the above configuration will be described with reference to FIG. 5. From the output of the cycle measuring means 16, after a certain delay time Td after the motor 1 is turned off, the phase-advancing capacitor 1
The first pulse period t1 and the second pulse period t2 of the voltage induced at both ends of the third pulse period 3 are measured, and the rotation speed of the washing and spin-drying tub is calculated from the measured first pulse period t1 and the second pulse period t2. I do. FIG. 6 shows an example of a change in the number of revolutions of each washing and dewatering tub calculated from each pulse cycle generated after the motor 1 is turned off.

First pulse period t1 after motor 1 is turned off
Let N1 be the rotation speed calculated from, and N2 be the rotation speed calculated from the second pulse period t2. As shown in FIG. 6, when the motor 1 is turned off, the rotation speed rapidly increases. It can be seen that it has decreased. Here, it can be seen that the difference ΔN2 between the rotation speeds N1 and N2 and the difference ΔN1 between the rotation speeds N0 and N1 at the moment when the motor 1 is turned off.

Therefore, the difference ΔN2 between the rotation speed N1 calculated from the first pulse period t1 and the rotation speed N2 calculated from the second pulse period t2 is added to the rotation speed N1, so that the instant at which the motor 1 is turned off is obtained. Can be detected with higher accuracy.

In the present embodiment, the detection of the number of rotations of the washing and dewatering tub is calculated from the first pulse period t1 and the second pulse period t2. Although the method of adding to the set rotation speed was adopted, there are various methods other than the above, and the present invention is not limited to the above method.

(Embodiment 4) The control means 17 shown in FIG.
When the operation display means 14 is restarted from the temporary stop, the motor 1 is started according to a fixed on / off pattern until a predetermined rotation speed is detected or a fixed time elapses. Other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment.

The operation of the above configuration will be described with reference to FIG. 7. In step 31, an intermittent dewatering process or a dewatering process is started, and in step 32, a washing and dewatering tub determined in advance or detected when the motor 1 is turned off. The motor 1 is turned on / off determined by the number of rotations, and when the motor 1 is off, the number of rotations of the washing and dewatering tub is detected. In step 33, the latest rotation number Nnew of the washing and dewatering tub is sequentially stored.

If no pause or restart is inputted in step 34, it is determined in step 35 whether or not the operation time t3 does not exceed the total operation time Tt1 of the currently executing process. Stops the operation and proceeds to the next step in step 39. If it is determined in step 35 that the operation time t3 has not exceeded the total operation time Tt1 of the currently executed process, the process returns to step 32, and the intermittent dehydration process or the dehydration process is continued again.

When a pause and a restart are inputted in step 34, the motor 1 is started in step 36 with a constant on / off pattern for starting with a long on-duty, which is different from the on / off pattern before the pause. And
Detects the number of rotations of the washing and dewatering tub when off. Step 3
If the number of rotations of the washing and dewatering tub detected in step 7 is equal to or greater than the latest number of rotations Nnew of the washing and dewatering tub stored in step 33, this series of operations is terminated in step 38, and the process proceeds to the next step.

If the rotation speed of the washing and dewatering tub detected in step 37 is less than the latest rotation speed Nnew of the washing and dewatering tub stored in step 33, the starting operation time t4 according to this startup pattern is determined in step 38. It is determined whether or not does not exceed the total operation time Tt2 of the starting operation time, and if it does, the operation is stopped and the process proceeds to the next step in step 38.

In step 38, if the operation time t4 does not exceed the total operation time Tt2 of the start operation time, the process returns to step 36, where the motor 1 is started again according to a constant on / off pattern for start and then turned off. Sometimes, the operation of detecting the number of rotations of the washing and dewatering tub is continued.

As described above, when the motor 1 is restarted from the temporary stop, the motor 1 is started by the fixed on / off pattern for starting, which is different from the on / off pattern before the temporary stop, so that washing and washing can be performed in a short time. The rotation speed of the dehydration tank can be returned to the state before the suspension.

(Embodiment 5) As shown in FIG. 8, the failure detecting means 18 comprises a waveform shaping means 12 or a period measuring means 16
Is detected and input to the control means 19. Control means 1
Reference numeral 9 indicates that when the failure detecting means 18 detects a failure of the waveform shaping means 12 or the period measuring means 16, the dehydration operation is performed according to a predetermined constant on / off pattern. Other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment.

In the above configuration, when the waveform shaping means 12 or the cycle measuring means 16 fails, the rotation speed of the washing and dewatering tub cannot be detected. The on / off pattern cannot be determined and the number of revolutions cannot be controlled.

For this reason, when the failure detecting means 18 detects a failure of the waveform shaping means 12 or the period measuring means 16, the dehydrating operation is performed by a predetermined constant on / off pattern to continue the dehydrating operation. can do.

(Embodiment 6) The control means 17 shown in FIG.
If the predetermined rotation speed Nref cannot be detected in the intermittent dehydration process, the predetermined rotation speed Nref is detected in the initial stage of the dehydration process, or a constant on / off pattern having a long on-duty so as to easily start until a predetermined time has elapsed. Is configured to drive the motor. Other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment.

In the above configuration, even if the rotation speed of the washing and dewatering tub does not rise to a predetermined value in the intermittent dewatering process for some reason, the rotation speed can be increased in a short time at the beginning of the dewatering process.

[0046]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the motor for driving the washing and dewatering tub and the voltage induced at both ends of the phase advance capacitor of the motor are shaped. Waveform shaping means, cycle measuring means for measuring the cycle of the output pulse of the waveform shaping means, washing, rinsing, comprising a control means for sequentially controlling each step of dehydration, the control means, during the intermittent dehydration operation When the motor is off, the cycle of the output pulse of the waveform shaping unit is measured by a cycle measuring unit, and the rotation speed of the washing and dewatering tub is calculated from the measured output pulse period, and the calculated rotation speed is a threshold value. In the above case, since the operation of the intermittent dehydration step was stopped and the operation was shifted to the operation of the dehydration step, in the intermittent dehydration step,
The intermittent dewatering process is stopped when the washing and dewatering tub reaches a sufficient number of revolutions during the intermittent dewatering process, such as when the load condition is good, and the number of revolutions of the washing and dewatering tub exceeds the threshold value. , Can shift to the dehydration process, energy saving,
Operation time can be reduced.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the motor is repeatedly turned on and off during the dehydrating operation, and when the motor is off, the cycle of the output pulse of the waveform shaping means is measured by the cycle measuring means. The rotation speed of the washing and dewatering tub is calculated from the cycle of the output pulse, and the on / off time of the motor is changed according to the calculated rotation speed to control the rotation speed of the washing and dewatering tub. Thus, the rotation speed of the washing and dewatering tub can be controlled in the dewatering process.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, when the motor is turned off, the cycle of the output pulse of the waveform shaping means is measured a plurality of times. Since the rotation speed of the washing and dewatering tub is calculated, the rotation speed of the washing and dewatering tub when the motor is off can be accurately detected.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an operation display means for inputting and displaying a driving operation or setting, and when the operation display means is restarted from a temporary stop, a predetermined rotation is performed. The motor is started with a fixed on / off pattern until the number is detected or a fixed time elapses. Therefore, when the motor is restarted from a temporary stop, it can return to the original spinning speed in a short time. it can.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a failure detecting means for detecting a failure of the waveform shaping means or the period measuring means. Since the dehydration operation is performed according to a constant on / off pattern, the dehydration operation can be performed even when the waveform shaping unit or the cycle measuring unit fails.

According to the present invention, when the predetermined rotation speed cannot be detected in the intermittent dehydration process, the predetermined rotation speed is detected at the beginning of the dehydration process or the predetermined rotation speed is maintained until a predetermined time elapses. The motor is driven by the on / off pattern of the motor, so even if the rotation speed of the washing and dewatering tub does not rise to a predetermined value in the intermittent dewatering process for some reason, the motor rotates in a short time at the beginning of the dewatering process. The number can be raised.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block circuit diagram of a washing machine according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the washing machine.

FIG. 3 is a timing chart when measuring a pulse cycle of the washing machine.

FIG. 4 is a characteristic diagram showing a relationship between a pulse cycle of the washing machine and a rotation speed of a washing and dewatering tub.

FIG. 5 is a timing chart at the time of measuring a pulse period of a washing machine according to a third embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a characteristic diagram showing a change in the number of revolutions of the washing and dewatering tub after the motor of the washing machine is turned off.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of a washing machine according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a block circuit diagram of a washing machine according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a longitudinal sectional view of a conventional washing machine.

FIG. 10 is a block circuit diagram of the washing machine.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Motor 12 Waveform shaping means 13 Capacitor for phase advance 16 Period measuring means 17 Control means

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Wataru Uchiyama 1006 Kazuma Kadoma, Kadoma-shi, Osaka Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. F-term (reference) 3B155 AA06 BA04 BB15 BB16 CB06 KA34 KB08 KB11 LA04 LB06 LB17 LC02 LC07 LC14 LC15 LC28 LC32 LC33 LC36 MA01 MA05 MA06 MA09 5H550 AA20 BB03 BB10 DD01 EE02 EE08 FF03 GG03 GG06 JJ18 LL17 LL21 LL23 LL52 MM05

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A motor for driving a washing and dewatering tub, a waveform shaping means for shaping a voltage induced at both ends of a phase advance capacitor of the motor, and a cycle for measuring a cycle of an output pulse of the waveform shaping means. Measuring means, and control means for sequentially controlling each step of washing, rinsing, and dehydration, wherein the control means measures a cycle of an output pulse of the waveform shaping means when the motor is turned off during intermittent dehydration operation. The rotation speed of the washing and spin-drying tub is calculated from the measured output pulse period by means, and if the calculated rotation speed is equal to or higher than a threshold value, the operation of the intermittent spin-drying process is stopped, and the spin-drying process is stopped. A washing machine designed to shift to driving. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the motor is repeatedly turned on and off during the dehydrating operation. When the motor is turned off, the cycle of the output pulse of the waveform shaping means is measured by the cycle measuring means. The washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the number of rotations is calculated, and the on / off time of the motor is changed according to the calculated number of rotations to control the number of rotations of the washing and dewatering tub. When the motor is turned off, the cycle of the output pulse of the waveform shaping means is measured a plurality of times, and the number of rotations of the washing and dewatering tub when the motor is turned off is calculated from the measured plurality of output pulse cycles. The washing machine according to claim 1 or 2, wherein 4. An operation display means for inputting and displaying a driving operation or setting, wherein the operation display means detects a predetermined number of revolutions or elapses a predetermined time when restarting from a pause. The washing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the motor is started in a constant on / off pattern until the start of the motor. 5. A dehydration operation is performed according to a fixed on / off pattern when a failure of the waveform shaping unit or the period measuring unit is detected, and a failure of the waveform shaping unit or the period measuring unit is detected. The washing machine according to claim 2 or 3, wherein 6. When a predetermined number of revolutions cannot be detected in the intermittent dehydration process, a predetermined number of revolutions is detected at the beginning of the dehydration process, or the motor is driven in a constant on / off pattern until a predetermined time elapses. The washing machine according to claim 2 or 3, wherein