JP2001178990A - Washing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a washing machine whose clutch is quickly switched. SOLUTION: This washing machine is provided with a washing and spin dry drum 5 housing laundry arranged freely rotatably around a drum shaft 17, a pulsator 43 arranged inside the washing and spin dry drum 5 freely rotatably around a pulsator shaft 23 concentric to the drum shaft 17, a motor 40 for driving the pulsator shaft 23, the clutch switched to a first state of connecting the drum shaft 17 to the pulsator shaft 23 and a second state of disconnecting the drum shaft from the pulsator shaft 23 and a clutch changeover discrimination means for discriminating the first state and the second state. The clutch is driven so as to be switched in the state of arranging the pulsator shaft 23 at an optical initial position. When the clutch changeover discrimination means does not discriminate changeover, after the pulsator shaft 23 is arranged at a position different from the initial position, the clutch is driven so as to be switched again.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a fully automatic washing machine that stores laundry in a single washing and dewatering tub and performs a washing / rinsing step and a dehydrating step.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional fully automatic washing machine that stores laundry in a single washing and dehydrating tub and performs a washing / rinsing step and a dehydrating step includes a washing and dehydrating tub disposed in a water tub. A pulsator for generating a swirling flow is provided in the dewatering tank. In the washing / rinsing step, the washing and dewatering tub is fixed, and the pulsator is rotated by driving the motor. In the spin-drying step, the connection is switched by a clutch, and the washing and spin-drying tub and the pulsator are integrally rotated by driving the motor.

Such a clutch is disclosed in, for example,
It is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 1-169590. According to the publication, a tub shaft serving as a rotating shaft of a washing and dewatering tub is formed hollow, and a pulsator shaft serving as a rotating shaft of a pulsator is provided therein. The pulsator shaft is connected to a pulsator driving motor.

An engaging member that rotates up and down is provided on the tub shaft. The engaging member is driven by a clutch motor to engage with the pulsator shaft during the dehydrating process, and the engaging member is engaged during the washing / rinsing process. Is driven by the clutch motor to engage with the fixed member integrated with the water tank. Thereby, the drive transmission of the pulsator drive motor is switched in each step.

[0005] Further, a clutch switching determining means for determining that the clutch switching has been performed normally is provided, and when the clutch has not been switched normally, the clutch switching operation is performed again by a retry operation for performing the clutch switching operation again. A predetermined washing operation is performed after determining that the washing operation has been performed. Thus, it is possible to prevent a problem that the washing and dewatering tub rotates during the washing process and a desired washing effect cannot be obtained.

[0006]

However, according to the above-mentioned conventional washing machine, the clutch switching determining means determines that the clutch has not been normally switched, and when the retry operation is performed, the clutch is re-engaged. In some cases, it is determined that switching has not been performed normally. Therefore, there is a problem that the retry operation is repeatedly performed many times, and it takes a long time for washing.

[0007] It is an object of the present invention to provide a washing machine capable of quickly switching clutches.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a washing and dewatering tub in which laundry is accommodated and rotatably arranged about a tub shaft, and a pulsator concentric with the tub shaft. A pulsator disposed rotatably around the shaft in the washing and dewatering tub, and a motor driving the pulsator shaft,
A clutch for switching between a first state in which the tank shaft is connected to the pulsator shaft and a second state in which the tank shaft is disconnected from the pulsator shaft, and a clutch for distinguishing between the first state and the second state When the pulsator shaft is arranged at an arbitrary initial position, the pulsator shaft is driven to switch the clutch, and when the clutch switching determination unit does not determine that the clutch has been switched, the pulsator shaft is switched. After arranging the clutch at a position different from the initial position, the clutch is driven to be switched again.

According to this configuration, when the clutch is switched to the first state by the clutch, the pulsator shaft and the tank shaft are connected, and
The drive of the motor causes the washing / dewatering tub and the pulsator to rotate integrally. When the state is switched to the second state by the clutch, the pulsator shaft and the tank shaft are disconnected from each other, and only the pulsator is rotated by driving the motor. After the clutch is switched to at least one of the first state and the second state, it is determined whether or not the clutch switching determination means is in a predetermined state, and it is determined that the determination result is not the desired state. At this time, a retry operation for switching drive by the clutch is performed again. At this time, the pulsator shaft is arranged at a different rotation position with respect to the stationary system from the previous switching drive, and the retry operation is performed.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that in the washing machine having the above structure, a rotation angle detecting means for detecting a rotation angle of the motor is provided. According to this configuration, the rotation angle from when the motor starts to stop until the motor stops is detected by the rotation angle detecting means, and the position of the pulsator shaft during the retry operation is determined.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that, in the washing machine having the above-described structure, the clutch switching determining means determines the rotational speed of the motor by inertia after driving the motor at a predetermined rotational speed for a predetermined time. . According to this configuration, the motor is driven at the predetermined rotation speed and the predetermined time, and the rotation angle due to the inertia of the motor after the power supply to the motor is stopped is detected by the rotation angle detection unit. If the rotation angle is larger than a predetermined value, for example, the inertia force is determined to be large and the first state is determined. If the rotation angle is smaller than the predetermined value, the inertia force is determined to be small and the second state is determined.

Further, according to the present invention, in the washing machine having the above-mentioned structure, the clutch switching determining means may switch the clutch to the first clutch.
And the motor is rotated at a predetermined rotation speed by driving the motor at a predetermined rotation speed for a predetermined time and then rotating the motor at a predetermined rotation speed by switching the clutch to a second state. It is characterized in that it is determined by comparison with the rotation angle of the motor due to inertia after being driven for a predetermined time by a number.

According to this configuration, the motor is driven at a predetermined rotation speed and for a predetermined time both when the clutch is driven to switch to the first state and when the clutch is driven to switch to the second state. The rotation angle due to the inertia of the motor is detected by the rotation angle detection means. Then, for example, when the difference between the detected rotation angles is smaller than a predetermined value, it is determined that the inertia force in the second state, in which the inertia force should be small, is large and the switching to the second state is not normal. Is larger than the predetermined value, the inertia force in the second state is small.
It is determined that the state is normally switched to the state of FIG.

The present invention also provides a washing machine having the above-mentioned structure, in which the pulsator is rotated forward and backward in the second state to perform a washing or rinsing operation, and the power supply to the motor is cut off when the forward rotation or the reverse rotation is completed. A storage unit for storing a rotation angle of the motor due to a later inertia, and in accordance with a comparison result between the stored previous rotation angle and the newly detected rotation angle, the clutch is again moved to the second rotation angle. It is characterized in that it is driven to switch to a state.

According to this configuration, the washing / rinsing operation is performed in the second state. For example, when the motor is stopped after the pulsator is normally rotated, the rotation angle due to the inertia after the power supply to the motor is cut off is detected by the rotation angle detecting means. And the rotation angle is stored in the storage unit. Next, the pulsator is driven in reverse,
The rotation angle due to the inertia of the motor after the reverse rotation is stopped is detected by the rotation angle detection means. The rotation angle is compared with the rotation angle stored in the storage unit, and when the difference is larger than a predetermined value, it is determined that the second state has been switched to the first state due to an unexpected event, and again. The clutch is driven to switch to the second state.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that in the washing machine having the above-mentioned structure, a voltage control means for maintaining the drive voltage of the motor in a predetermined range at the time of the determination by the clutch switching determination means is provided. According to this configuration, the drive voltage of the motor is controlled to be constant by the voltage control unit at the time of the determination by the clutch switching determination unit, and erroneous recognition of the clutch switching determination unit due to a change in the rotational torque of the motor caused by a change in the drive voltage is prevented.

The present invention also relates to a washing machine having the above-mentioned structure, wherein the clutch is driven to switch, and when the clutch switching determining means does not determine that the clutch has been switched, the motor is switched between a normal rotation direction and a reverse rotation direction. It is characterized by being rotated by an angle. According to this configuration, when the clutch is not switched despite being driven to switch the clutch, the motor is rotated by a predetermined angle in the forward rotation direction and the reverse rotation direction to avoid the obstacle of the movement of the clutch, Should be able to move smoothly.

The present invention also provides the washing machine having the above-mentioned structure, wherein a boss portion integral with the pulsator shaft is provided below the tub shaft, and the clutch is provided in an axial direction of an outer peripheral surface of the boss portion and the tub shaft. A moving body made of a magnetic material and having an engaging portion that engages with the formed concave portion or protrusion, and the moving body is attached downward so that the engaging portion engages with the boss portion and the tank shaft. And an electromagnetic solenoid that magnetically attracts the moving body upward against the urging force of the compression spring so that the engagement portion engages only with the tank shaft by power supply. I have.

According to this configuration, the movable body is urged downward by the urging spring and engages with the tank shaft and the boss portion, thereby forming the first state. When power is supplied to the electromagnetic solenoid, the movable body moves upward due to magnetic attraction acting on the movable body, and the movable body is disengaged from the boss portion and engages only with the tank shaft. Thus, the second state is configured.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that in the washing machine having the above structure, the drive voltage for driving the electromagnetic solenoid is changed stepwise or gradually. According to this configuration, the suction force acting on the moving body changes stepwise or gently, and noise generated when the upper or lower end of the movement of the moving body collides with another member is prevented.

According to the present invention, in the washing machine having the above-mentioned structure, the tub shaft is fixed by the clutch in the second state. According to this configuration, the second
In this state, the motor drives the pulsator shaft, the tub shaft is fixed to the stationary system by the clutch, and the washing and dewatering tub is fixed.

[0022]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a washing machine according to one embodiment. The washing machine of the present embodiment is a fully automatic washing machine,
A box-shaped outer tank 1 is provided inside a box-shaped exterior part 1 and has a bottomed cylindrical water tank 4 that is swingably suspended via a suspension rod 2 and a vibration absorbing spring 3. The water tub 4 is provided with a bottomed cylindrical washing and dewatering tub 5, and a balancer 6 is attached to an upper end thereof.

An outer lid 7 for opening and closing an opening 1a for taking in and out laundry is attached to the upper surface of the exterior unit 1. A water supply valve 52 for supplying water into the water tank 4 via the water supply pipe 14 is provided above the water tank 4. A drain pump 53 for draining washing water in the tub 4 via a drain duct 15 is provided below the tub 4.

Further, a water level sensor 54 which communicates with the water tank 4 and detects the water level in the water tank 4 is provided. A pulsator 43 is provided concentrically at the bottom of the washing and dewatering tub 5, and a drive mechanism 9 for driving the washing and dewatering tub 5 and the pulsator 43 is attached below the water tub 4. Reference numeral 8 denotes a control circuit for controlling the washing machine.

As shown in FIG. 2, the drive mechanism 9 is attached to the outer bottom of the water tank 4, and has a support member 10 composed of an upper support member 11 and a lower support member 12 disposed below the upper support member 11. The upper support member 11 is fixed to a boss 4 a erected on the outer bottom of the water tank 4 by screws 13, and the lower support member 12 is integrated with the upper support member 11 by screws 16.

A hollow tub shaft 17 integrated with the washing and dewatering tub 5 penetrates through the upper support member 11 and the lower support member 12. The tank shaft 17 comprises a hollow cylindrical upper tank shaft 18 and a hollow cylindrical lower tank shaft 19 coaxially connected to a lower end thereof. The upper tank shaft 18 protrudes into the inside of the water tank 4 through a through hole 4b formed in the bottom of the water tank 4.
A flange portion 18a formed at the upper end is fixed to the mounting plate 13 which is in close contact with the bottom of the washing and dewatering tub 5 by screws 25.

The lower tank shaft 19 is fitted to bearings 21 and 22 fixed to the upper support member 11 and the lower support member 12, whereby the tank shaft 17 is rotatably supported. An oil seal 24 for preventing water leakage is mounted on the outer peripheral surface of the upper tank shaft 18. The upper tank shaft 18 and the lower tank shaft 19 may be formed integrally.

A pulsator shaft 23 is coaxially mounted on the tank shaft 17. The pulsator shaft 23 is rotatably held with respect to the tub shaft 17, and the upper part of the pulsator shaft 23 is
Protruding inside. At the upper end of the pulsator shaft 23,
A pulsator 43 arranged at the bottom of the washing and dewatering tub 5 is fixed by screws 42.

A receiving member 36 having a U-shaped cross section is integrated with a lower end of the pulsator shaft 23 by a nut 20. An annular rotor 3 having a permanent magnet is provided on the outer periphery of the receiving member 36.
8 is attached. A stator 39 that faces the rotor 38 via an annular air gap is fixed to the lower support member 12 by screws 47. The rotor 38 and the stator 39 constitute a motor 40 that drives the pulsator shaft 23 to rotate.

The details of the receiving member 36 are shown in FIG.
A clutch boss 33 is fixed to a lower end of the pulsator shaft 23. On the outer periphery of the clutch boss 33, there is provided a moving body 34 made of a cylindrical magnetic body for connecting the clutch boss 33 and the tank shaft 17 in a detachable manner and transmitting a rotational force therebetween.

As shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of grooves 34a extending in the vertical direction are formed on the inner surface of the moving body 34. Further, a plurality of protrusions 17a and 33a (see FIG. 4) extending in the vertical direction and slidably engaging with the groove 34a are formed on the outer peripheral surfaces of the tank shaft 17 and the clutch boss 33. The moving body 34 is slidably guided in the vertical direction by these engagements.

In FIG. 4, a clutch spring 35 composed of a compression spring is provided above the moving body 34. The moving body 34 is urged downward by the clutch spring 35 and is held at the lower end position, and the lower end is supported by the receiving member 36. Outside the movable body 34, an electromagnetic solenoid 37 attached to the angle 31 is fixed to the lower support member 12 by a screw 41. Electromagnetic solenoid 37
, The movable body 34 is magnetically attracted and moves upward against the urging force of the clutch spring 35.

A lock pad 30 made of resin is provided integrally with the lower support member 12 above the electromagnetic solenoid 37. As shown in FIG. 3, a protrusion 34b is formed on the upper end surface 34c of the moving body 34. A notch 30a is formed on the lower end surface 30b of the lock pad 30 to engage with the protrusion 34b. Therefore, the moving body 34
Is moved upward, the upper end surface 34c abuts on the lower end surface 30b of the lock pad 30 to position the moving body 34 in the axial direction, and the projection 34b engages with the notch 30a to move the moving body 34. Rotation is regulated.

In FIG. 4, when the movable body 34 is disposed at the lower end position, the groove 34a (see FIG. 3) of the movable body 34 engages with the projections 17a, 33a of both the clutch boss 33 and the tank shaft 17. Thus, the first state is established in which these are connected. Thereby, the washing and dewatering tub 5 and the pulsator 43 can be integrally rotated.

As shown in FIG. 5, when power is supplied to the electromagnetic solenoid 37, the moving body 34 is magnetically attracted and moves to the upper end position. The moving body 34 is disengaged from the clutch boss 33 and enters the second state in which it is engaged only with the tank shaft 17. Therefore, the electromagnetic solenoid 37, the moving body 34, and the clutch spring 35 constitute a clutch for connecting and disconnecting the tank shaft 17 and the pulsator shaft 23. The moving body 34 engages with the lock pad 30 in the second state, so that the tank shaft 17 is fixed.

The power supply to the electromagnetic solenoid 37 may be set to the first state. However, it is desirable to configure the second state when the power is supplied to the electromagnetic solenoid 37 as in the present embodiment. That is, in this manner, in the washing step or the rinsing step, the electromagnetic solenoid 37 is turned on to enter the second state, and the pulsator 43 rotates at a low speed.

In the dehydrating step, the electromagnetic solenoid 37 is turned off.
Then, the washing / dewatering tub 5 and the pulsator 43 rotate integrally at a high speed. For this reason, even when the power supply to the electromagnetic solenoid 37 is interrupted due to an unexpected situation, since the motor 40 is rotating at a low speed, the moving body 3
4 can be prevented from being damaged.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the washing machine of the present embodiment. The operation display unit 51 allows the user to input washing conditions and the like under the control of the control unit 8, and displays an input screen, the progress of washing, and the like. The washing conditions and the like are stored in the storage unit 56. The control unit 8 controls the driving of the motor 40, the electromagnetic solenoid 37, and the drain pump 53, and controls the water supply valve 52 based on the detection result of the water level sensor 54.

The rotation angle detecting section 55 is constituted by a Hall element or the like, and is disposed so as to face the rotor 38 (see FIG. 2) so that the rotation angle of the motor 40 can be detected by a change in the magnetic field due to the rotation of the rotor 38. ing. The voltage control unit 57 monitors the drive voltage supplied to the motor 40 and maintains the drive voltage in a predetermined range.

In the washing machine having the above structure, when the user puts the laundry and the detergent in the washing and dewatering tub 5 and inputs desired washing conditions from the operation display section 51, the washing operation is started. First, in the washing step, the water supply valve 52 is opened and the water tank 4 is opened.
The washing water is poured inside. When the water level sensor 54 detects that a predetermined water level has been reached, the water supply valve 52 is closed.

Next, when power is supplied to the electromagnetic solenoid 37, the moving body 34 moves upward, the clutch is switched from the first state to the second state, and the washing and dewatering tub 5 is fixed. Then, the motor 40 is driven to rotate the pulsator 43, and the washing process is performed. After a lapse of a predetermined time, the washing process is completed, and the drain pump 53 is driven to drain the washing water.

Similarly, the water supply valve 52 is opened to inject the washing water into the water tub 4, and the pulsator 43 is rotated by the driving of the motor 40, whereby the rinsing step is executed. After a lapse of a predetermined time, the rinsing step is completed, and the drain pump 53 is driven to drain the washing water.

Next, when the power supply to the electromagnetic solenoid 37 is cut off, the moving body 34 moves downward, the clutch is switched from the second state to the first state, and the pulsator 43 is connected to the washing and spin-drying tub 5. Be linked. Then, the motor 40 is driven to rotate the pulsator 43 and the washing and dewatering tub 5 integrally at a high speed, and the dewatering step is executed. After the elapse of the predetermined time, the spin-drying process ends, and the washing operation ends.

In this embodiment, there is provided a clutch switching determining means for determining in a software manner whether or not the switching from the first state to the second state by the clutch has been performed normally. This operation will be described below with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

FIG. 7 shows the operation of the "washing / rinsing step" for performing the washing step and the rinsing step. In the "washing / rinsing step", first, power is supplied to the electromagnetic solenoid 37 in step # 101. Next, in step # 102, the motor 40 is turned on, and the motor 40 rotates at a predetermined rotation speed. At this time, the rotation angle detection unit 55 starts detecting the rotation angle of the motor 40.

In step # 103, it is monitored whether the drive voltage of the motor 40 is within a predetermined range. If not, control is performed in step # 104 by the voltage controller 57 so that the drive voltage becomes a predetermined value. . When the drive voltage of the motor 40 reaches a predetermined value, the motor 40 is rotated until a predetermined time elapses in step # 105.

When a predetermined time has elapsed, step # 106
To turn off the motor, and the motor 40 rotates by inertia. The rotation angle detector 55 monitors the rotation angle of the motor 40, and when the motor 40 stops, detects the rotation angle α1 due to inertia from when the motor 40 is turned off until it stops (step # 107).

The rotation angle α1 is larger as the rotating body is heavier. That is, in the first state, the washing and dewatering tub 5 rotates together with the pulsator 43, so that the rotation angle increases. In the second state, only the pulsator 43 rotates, so the rotation angle decreases.

At step # 108, it is determined whether or not rotation angle α1 is equal to or smaller than a predetermined value stored in storage unit 56 in advance. When the rotation angle α1 is equal to or less than a predetermined value, it is considered that the rotation angle due to inertia is small and the inertia force is small, and therefore the pulsator shaft 2
It can be determined that the state has been switched to the second state in which the connection between 3 and the tank shaft 17 has been released. Therefore, steps # 102 to # 1
08 constitutes a clutch switching determination means.

When the rotation angle α1 is equal to or smaller than a predetermined value, #
The routine proceeds to 110, where "wash / rinse processing" is called.
If the rotation angle α1 is larger than the predetermined value, step # 10
In step 9, a "retry process" for disconnecting the connection between the pulsator shaft 23 and the tank shaft 17 is performed again, and it is determined whether or not the process returns to step # 102 and switches to the second state again.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the operation of the "retry process". In step # 141, step #
At 102 (see FIG. 7), the rotation angle α0 of the motor 40 after the motor 40 is turned on is detected. Thus, the current relative position of the pulsator shaft 23 with respect to the initial position of the pulsator shaft 23 when the motor 40 is turned on can be detected.

In step # 142, the electromagnetic solenoid 37
Is temporarily turned off, and in step # 143, the motor 40
Is turned on, and the pulsator shaft 23 is driven to rotate at a low speed.
Then, the rotation angle is monitored so that the pulsator shaft 23 is disposed at a position different from the initial position, and when it is detected in step # 144 that the predetermined rotation angle has been reached, step # 14 is performed.
At 5, the motor 40 is turned off. In this state, the electromagnetic solenoid 37 is turned on again in step # 146, and the flow returns to step # 102 in FIG. 7 to determine the clutch switching.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the operation of the "washing / rinsing process". In the washing and rinsing steps,
The pulsator 43 rotates forward and backward.
A stop period is provided between the normal rotation period and the reverse rotation period. When the "wash / rinse process" is called, the counter i and the flag j are initialized in step # 121. The counter i indicates the number of times the retry process has been performed, and the flag j indicates whether or not the rotation angle α2 is stored.

In step # 122, the motor 40 is turned on, and the pulsator 43 rotates to perform a washing or rinsing operation. When the predetermined time has elapsed in step # 123,
In step # 124, the motor 40 is turned off. Thereby, the motor 40 rotates by inertia. Rotation angle detector 5
5 monitors the rotation angle of the motor 40, and when the motor 40 stops, detects the rotation angle α2 due to inertia from when the motor 40 is turned off until it stops.

In step # 126, it is determined whether the flag j is not 0 and the rotation angle α2 is larger than the rotation angle stored in the storage unit 56. Here, since the flag j is 0, the process proceeds to step # 130. In step # 130, the rotation angle α2 is stored in the storage unit 56, and in step # 13
In step 1, the process waits until a predetermined stop period elapses.

When the suspension period has elapsed, it is determined in step # 132 whether the set time of the washing step or the rinsing step has elapsed, and if it has elapsed, the "washing / rinsing step" ends. If the set time of the washing process or the rinsing process has not elapsed, the process proceeds to step # 133, 1 is substituted for the flag j, the motor 40 is driven in reverse, and the process proceeds to step # 123.

Steps # 123 to # 125 are performed in the same manner as described above, and a new rotation angle α2 is detected. Step # 1
In 26, since the flag is 1, it is determined whether or not the detected rotation angle α2 is larger than the rotation angle α2 stored in the storage unit 56. If the newly detected rotation angle α2 is larger than the stored rotation angle α2, it is determined that the inertia force of the motor 40 has increased and the clutch has been switched to the first state. If the difference between the newly detected rotation angle α2 and the previously stored rotation angle α2 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, it may be determined that the state has been switched to the first state.

Next, at step # 127, it is determined whether or not the value of a counter i indicating the number of retry processes is equal to or smaller than a predetermined value. Here, since the counter i is 0, step #
The process proceeds to 128, where the counter i is added, and the retry processing (see FIG. 9) is performed.

Steps # 122 to # 125 are performed in the same manner, and when the newly detected rotation angle α2 becomes equal to or smaller than the stored rotation angle α2, it is determined that the state has been normally switched to the second state, and the above-described state is determined. Move to step # 130. Until the predetermined washing time or rinsing time elapses, the motor 40 is reversed and the same operation is performed, and the “washing / rinsing process” ends.

If the value of the counter i is larger than the predetermined value and the number of times of retry processing is large in step # 127, it is determined that there is an abnormality, and the "washing / rinsing process" is terminated.
At this time, it is more desirable to notify the operation display unit 51 (see FIG. 6) of the abnormality.

As described above, in the washing / rinsing process, the clutch switching is determined by the clutch switching determining means in steps # 102 to # 108 in FIG. Then, when it is determined that the clutch has not been switched in spite of the fact that power has been supplied to the electromagnetic solenoid 37 to switch the clutch, the drive is switched so that the clutch is switched again by the retry process (see FIG. 9). Is done. At this time, since the motor 40 is arranged at a different rotation position from the previous time, the moving body 34 (see FIG. 4) moves in the axial direction at a different rotation position from the previous time.

For this reason, for example, the projection 34b (see FIG. 3) provided on the moving body 34 comes into contact with the lower end surface 30b of the lock pad 30 and is not fitted to the notch 30a (see FIG. 3), so that the clutch is not engaged. Is not switched,
By moving the moving body 34 at another rotational position, the projection 34b of the moving body 34 and the notch 30a of the lock pad 30 can be easily fitted. Therefore, it is not necessary to perform the retry process many times, and the clutch can be quickly switched so that the washing time does not become long.

In steps # 103 to # 104, the driving voltage for driving the motor 40 is monitored, and the driving voltage is maintained in a predetermined range by the voltage control unit 57. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a change in the rotation angle of the motor 40 that rotates due to inertia due to a change in the driving torque of the motor 40 due to a voltage drop or the like, and prevent erroneous recognition by the clutch switching determination unit.

The pulsator 43 is rotated forward and backward to perform washing or rinsing. In steps # 122 to # 126 (see FIG. 9), the motor is stopped during the period between the forward rotation and the reverse rotation. The change in the rotation angle α2 due to inertia after turning off the switch 40 is monitored. For this reason, when the clutch is switched due to a voltage drop or the like, it is quickly detected and a retry process is performed, so that rotation of the clutch in an incompletely connected state can be prevented. As a result, it is possible to prevent generation of abnormal noise and extend the life of the clutch.

Next, the "washing / rinsing step" may be performed by the operation shown in FIG. In step # 201, the electromagnetic solenoid 37 is turned off. Next, in step # 202, the motor 40 is turned on, and the motor 40 rotates at a predetermined rotation speed. If it is detected in step # 203 that a predetermined time has elapsed, the motor is turned off in step # 106, and the motor 40 rotates by inertia.

The rotation angle detector 55 monitors the rotation angle of the motor 40, and when the motor 40 stops, the motor 40 is turned off.
Then, the rotation angle α3 due to inertia from when the rotation becomes the stop is detected (step # 205).

Subsequently, at step # 206, the electromagnetic solenoid 37 is turned on, and at step # 207, the motor 40 is turned off.
N and the motor 40 rotates at a predetermined rotation speed. The elapse of a predetermined time is monitored in step # 208, and when the predetermined time has elapsed, the motor is turned off in step # 209, and the motor 40 rotates by inertia. The rotation angle detection unit 55 monitors the rotation angle of the motor 40, and when the motor 40 stops, detects the rotation angle α1 due to inertia from when the motor 40 is turned off until it stops.

Then, it is determined in step # 211 whether or not the difference between the rotation angle α1 and the rotation angle α3 is equal to or less than a predetermined value stored in the storage unit 56 in advance. If this difference is larger than a predetermined value, the rotation angle due to inertia when the electromagnetic solenoid 37 is turned on is small and the inertial force is small, so that the pulsator shaft 2
It can be determined that the state has been switched to the second state in which the connection between 3 and the tank shaft 17 has been released. Therefore, steps # 201 to # 2
Reference numeral 11 constitutes a clutch switching determination means.

If the difference between the rotation angle α1 and the rotation angle α3 is larger than the predetermined value, the flow shifts to step # 212, and the above-mentioned "washing / rinsing processing" (see FIG. 8) is called. Rotation angle α1
If the difference between the rotation angle .alpha.
At 13, the aforementioned “retry process” (see FIG. 9) is performed.
Returning to step # 207, it is determined whether the state has been switched to the second state again.

When the clutch switching determination means is constituted as described above, the amount of laundry and the amount of washing water to be put into the washing and dewatering tub 5 (see FIG. 1) fluctuate, and the load of the motor 40 fluctuates. In such a case, the pulsator shaft 23 and the tank shaft 1
7 is determined by a difference in the rotation angle of the motor 40 due to inertia between a first state in which the motor 7 is connected and a second state in which the connection between the pulsator shaft 23 and the tank shaft 17 is released. Therefore, the fluctuation is small and erroneous recognition by the clutch switching determination means can be reduced.

Next, FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the operation of the "dehydration step". In the dewatering step, the pulsator 43 and the washing and dewatering tub 5 rotate integrally in the first state in which the pulsator shaft 23 and the tub shaft 17 are connected. In this figure, steps # 301 to # 311 constitute a clutch switching determining means for performing the same operation as in steps # 201 to # 211 in FIG.

When the difference between the rotation angle α1 and the rotation angle α3 is equal to or smaller than a predetermined value, for example, the groove 34a
The pulsator shaft 23 is connected to the tank shaft 17 (see FIG. 3) because the pulsator shaft 23 and the tank shaft 17 are not smoothly guided by the protrusions 17a and 33a (see FIG. 4) provided on the tank shaft 17 and the clutch boss 33. It is conceivable that the state has not been switched to the first state.

For this reason, after the electromagnetic solenoid 37 is turned off in step # 312, the motor 40 is rotated at a small rotation angle in the forward direction and the reverse direction in step # 313. Thereby, the movable body 34 can be smoothly moved by the bias of the clutch spring 35, and can be switched to the first state. If the difference between the rotation angle α1 and the rotation angle α3 is small because the state has not been normally switched to the second state, step # 3
Although the operation 13 is useless, there is no particular problem because the dehydration is performed in the first state.

Then, in step # 314, the motor 40 is turned on, and the pulsator 43 and the washing and dewatering tub 5 are rotated at a high speed to perform dewatering. When a predetermined dehydration time has elapsed (step # 315), the motor 40 is deactivated at step # 316.
Is turned off, and the dehydration step ends.

Next, FIGS. 12A and 12B show changes in the drive voltage for driving the electromagnetic solenoid 37. FIG. The vertical axis indicates the drive voltage, and the horizontal axis indicates time. FIG.
In (a), the driving voltage V0 required to suck the moving body 34 is varied stepwise. In FIG. 12B,
The drive voltage V0 is varied with a gentle slope up to a drive voltage V0 necessary for sucking the moving body 34.

By doing so, it is possible to prevent noise generated by colliding with the lock pad 30 (see FIG. 2) when the moving body 34 moves rapidly. When the power is cut off, the drive voltage is similarly decreased stepwise or gradually, so that noise generated by colliding with the receiving member 36 can be prevented.

In the above-described embodiment, the clutch is driven to be disengaged from the first state in which the tank shaft 17 and the pulsator shaft 23 are connected to the second state in which the connection between the tank shaft 17 and the pulsator shaft 23 is cut off. Although the retry processing is performed at this time, the retry processing may be performed when the state is switched from the second state to the first state.

[0078]

According to the present invention, when the clutch switching determining means determines that the clutch has not been switched in spite of the fact that the clutch has been driven to be switched, a retry for driving the clutch again is performed. Processing is performed. At this time, the clutch that rotates together with the pulsator shaft is arranged at a different rotation position from the previous position, so that the clutch can be switched normally. Therefore, it is not necessary to perform the retry process many times, and the clutch can be quickly switched so that the washing time does not become long. Further, the position of the pulsator shaft can be easily changed by detecting the rotation angle of the motor.

Further, according to the present invention, it is possible to easily determine whether or not the clutch has been switched by detecting the rotation angle of the motor due to inertia after driving the motor at the predetermined rotation speed for the predetermined time. Further, the motor is driven to switch to the first state and the motor is driven to switch to the second state by rotating the motor by the inertia after driving the motor at the predetermined number of revolutions for the predetermined time and the motor to drive the motor to switch to the second state. By judging whether or not the clutch has been switched by comparing with the rotation angle of the motor due to inertia after driving at a predetermined rotation speed for a predetermined time, even if there is a change in the motor load due to the amount of laundry or washing water. Since the change in the difference between the two rotation angles is small, erroneous recognition by the clutch switching determination unit can be reduced.

According to the present invention, the pulsator is rotated forward and backward in the washing step and the rinsing step, and during a stop period between the forward rotation and the reverse rotation, the rotation angle of the clutch is changed due to inertia after the motor is turned off. It is determined whether or not the switching has been performed. For this reason, when the clutch is switched due to a voltage drop or the like, it is quickly detected and retry processing is performed to prevent rotation of the clutch in an incompletely connected state. As a result, it is possible to prevent generation of abnormal noise and extend the life of the clutch.

Further, according to the present invention, at the time of the discrimination by the clutch switching discriminating means, the drive voltage of the motor is controlled to be constant by the voltage control means. Can be prevented.

Further, according to the present invention, when the clutch is driven to be switched but is not switched, the motor is rotated by a predetermined angle in the normal rotation direction and the reverse rotation direction to avoid the obstacle of the movement of the clutch. In addition, the clutch can be easily and smoothly moved.

Further, according to the present invention, a boss portion integral with the pulsator shaft is provided at the lower portion of the tank shaft, and the engaging portion engages with a concave portion or a protrusion formed in the axial direction of the boss portion and the outer peripheral surface of the tank shaft. A moving body made of a magnetic material, a compression spring for urging the moving body downward so that the engaging portion engages with the boss portion and the tank shaft, and the engaging portion engages only with the tank shaft by supplying power. By providing an electromagnetic solenoid that magnetically attracts the moving body upward against the urging force of the compression spring, the clutch can be easily configured. Further, since the dehydration is performed in the first state when the power supply to the electromagnetic solenoid is cut off, it is possible to prevent the clutch from being damaged due to a voltage drop or the like during the dehydration rotating at a high speed.

Further, according to the present invention, since the drive voltage for driving the electromagnetic solenoid is changed stepwise or gradually, the suction force acting on the moving body changes stepwise or gradually, and the upper end of the movement of the moving body or Noise generated when the lower end collides with another member is prevented.

Further, according to the present invention, in the second state, the tub shaft is fixed to the stationary system by the clutch, so that the washing and dewatering tub does not rotate following the rotation of the laundry, and sufficient washing is performed. The effect can be obtained.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing a driving mechanism of the washing machine according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing a moving body and a lock pad of the washing machine according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a first state of the clutch of the washing machine according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing a second state of the clutch of the washing machine according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a washing machine according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a washing / rinsing step of the washing machine according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a washing / rinsing process in a washing / rinsing process of the washing machine according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a retry process in a washing / rinsing process of the washing machine according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of another washing / rinsing step of the washing machine according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a dehydrating step of the washing machine according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a time change of a drive voltage of an electromagnetic solenoid of the washing machine according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Exterior part 2 Hanging bar 3 Vibration absorption spring 4 Water tank 5 Washing and dewatering tank 8 Control part 9 Drive mechanism 10 Support member 14 Water supply pipe 15 Drain duct 17 Tank shaft 21, 22 Bearing 23 Pulsator shaft 30 Lock pad 33 Clutch boss 34 Movement Body 35 Clutch spring 37 Electromagnetic solenoid 40 Motor 43 Pulsator 55 Rotation angle detection unit 56 Storage unit 57 Voltage control unit

Claims (10)

[Claims] 1. A washing and dewatering tub in which laundry is accommodated and rotatably disposed about a tub shaft, and a washing and dewatering tub rotatably disposed around a pulsator shaft concentric with the tub shaft. A pulsator to be driven, a motor for driving the pulsator shaft, a clutch for switching between a first state of connecting the tank shaft to the pulsator shaft and a second state of disconnecting the tank shaft from the pulsator shaft, A clutch switching determining means for determining between a first state and a second state, wherein the clutch is switched so as to switch the clutch in a state where the pulsator shaft is arranged at an arbitrary initial position; A washing machine characterized in that when it is not determined that the clutch has been switched, the pulsator shaft is arranged at a position different from the initial position, and then the clutch is switched again to be driven. 2. The washing machine according to claim 1, further comprising a rotation angle detecting means for detecting a rotation angle of the motor. 3. The washing machine according to claim 2, wherein the clutch switching determination unit determines the rotation angle of the motor by inertia after driving the motor at a predetermined rotation speed for a predetermined time. 4. The clutch switching determining means drives the clutch so as to switch to a first state and drives the motor at a predetermined rotation speed for a predetermined period of time. 3. The washing according to claim 2, wherein the motor is driven so as to switch to the second state, and the motor is driven at a predetermined rotation speed for a predetermined time to determine the rotation angle of the motor due to inertia. Machine. 5. The method according to claim 5, wherein the pulsator is rotated forward and backward in the second state to perform a washing or rinsing operation, and the rotation angle of the motor due to inertia after the power supply to the motor is stopped at the end of the forward rotation or the reverse rotation. A storage unit for storing the clutch, and driving the clutch to switch to the second state again according to a comparison result between the stored previous rotation angle and the newly detected rotation angle. The washing machine according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein 6. A voltage control means for maintaining a drive voltage of the motor in a predetermined range when the clutch switching determination means makes a determination.
The washing machine according to any one of the above. 7. The motor according to claim 1, wherein the clutch is driven so as to be switched, and when the clutch switching determining means does not determine that the clutch has been switched, the motor is rotated by a predetermined angle in a forward rotation direction and a reverse rotation direction. Claim 2
The washing machine according to claim 6. 8. A boss portion integral with the pulsator shaft is provided at a lower portion of the tank shaft, and the clutch is engaged with a concave portion or a protrusion formed in an axial direction of the boss portion and an outer peripheral surface of the tank shaft. A moving body made of a magnetic material having an engaging portion that engages with the boss, and a compression spring that urges the moving body downward so that the engaging portion engages with the boss and the tank shaft; 8. An electromagnetic solenoid for magnetically attracting the moving body upward against the urging force of a compression spring so that the joint portion engages only with the tank shaft. The washing machine described in Crab. 9. The washing machine according to claim 8, wherein a drive voltage for driving the electromagnetic solenoid is changed stepwise or gradually. 10. The washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the tub shaft is fixed by the clutch in the second state.