JP2002355487A - Washing and drying machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable a user to judge water charges or electricity charges and arbitrarily set washing and drying courses corresponding to preferences. SOLUTION: A washing and drying machine is provided with a control means 12 controlling washing, rinsing, dehydrating and drying of clothes, a setting means 11 setting the sequence of washing, rinsing, dehydrating and drying, an operation cost computing means 13 calculating and predicting operation costs required for washing, rinsing, dehydrating and drying corresponding to contents set by the setting means 11 and a display means 21 displaying the calculated operation costs. The user arbitrarily sets washing and drying corresponding to the preferences on the basis of the displayed operation costs.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a washing / drying machine which provides a user with operating cost information on washing and drying, and can perform washing and drying at the discretion of the user.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in this type of washing / drying machine, in addition to a display relating to washing and drying processing, a driving time is set and displayed as a display for assisting a user's operation and judgment. It is known that

[0003]

However, in the above-described conventional configuration, the washing time is set only in accordance with the use condition of the user, and the user determines at least the water rate or the electricity rate, and performs washing and drying. It was not possible to assist the user's operation or judgment to set the course arbitrarily according to his / her preference.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems, and displays the operating cost required for the operation in advance of the start of washing in accordance with the input of the setting of washing and drying to be set by the user. To provide a washing and drying machine that can assist the user in setting convenient washing and drying for the user in consideration of the weather information of the day and the user's action schedule. Aim.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, a washing and drying machine according to the present invention calculates and predicts operating costs required for washing, rinsing, dehydrating and drying according to the contents of a set sequence. An operation cost calculation means is provided, and the operation cost is displayed on the display means.

[0006] With this, the user can know the set water charge and / or the electricity charge of all courses before the start of washing and drying. For example, if the user dries outside on a sunny day, the laundry is likely to dry during the day. Even if the laundry is taken in at night and the laundry gets wet, the equipment may be dried even if the operating cost increases, or if it is likely to dry even in cloudy weather due to a small amount of laundry, Laundry can be done according to the weather, the amount of laundry, and the circumstances of the laundry, and whether to use the drying function. The drying course and settings can be selected.

[0007]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The invention according to claim 1 is a control means for controlling the washing, rinsing, dehydrating and drying of clothes, a setting means for setting a sequence of washing, rinsing, dehydrating and drying, An operating cost calculating means for calculating and predicting operating costs required for washing, rinsing, dehydrating and drying according to the contents set by the setting means, and a display means for displaying the calculated operating costs.

[0008] Then, since the operation cost is displayed according to the set sequence, the user refers to the displayed operation cost according to the weather of the day, the amount of laundry, his schedule, and the like, A washing and drying course suitable for the situation of the user at that time can be selected.

The invention described in claim 2 is particularly advantageous in claim 1.
The washing and drying machine according to the above has a cloth amount detecting means for detecting the cloth amount, and the operating cost calculating means is required until the end of the sequence based on the detected cloth amount and the sequence set by the setting means. It has a used water amount calculating means for calculating the amount of water,
The used water amount calculated by the used water amount calculating means is displayed on a display means as an operating cost.

Since the amount of water used is displayed in accordance with the amount of laundry and the set sequence, the user can effectively use the amount of water based on his / her weekly amount of laundry based on the amount of water used. The number of washings per week can be determined so that the user can use it more easily, and the user can easily practice energy saving.

[0011] The invention described in claim 3 is particularly advantageous in claim 1.
The washing and drying machine according to the above has a cloth amount detecting means for detecting the cloth amount, and the operating cost calculating means is required until the end of the sequence based on the detected cloth amount and the sequence set by the setting means. There is provided an electric usage calculating means for calculating the electric usage, and the electric usage calculated by the electric usage calculating means is displayed on a display as operating cost.

Since the amount of electricity is displayed in accordance with the amount of laundry and the set sequence, when it is not known whether or not the laundry dries during the day, the cost and the drying function when using the drying function are reduced. The cost of drying the sun without using can be compared, and the user can be convinced according to the user's laundry weather and the user's schedule without disturbing the user's energy saving awareness. Whether to use the drying function can be set.

[0013] The invention described in claim 4 is particularly advantageous in claim 2.
By converting the water consumption by the water consumption calculation means described in (1) to a water charge and displaying this as operating costs, the user can use the water consumption during washing, which occupies the largest weight of water consumption in one household, as a water charge. As a result, the user can promote an energy-saving life by saving water charges.

[0014] The invention described in claim 5 is particularly advantageous in claim 3.
By converting the amount of electricity used by the electricity usage calculation means described in (1) into electricity rates and displaying this as operating costs, the user can grasp whether or not the drying function is used and the amount of electricity due to the amount of washing. It can be used as a guide in promoting energy saving life.

[0015] The invention described in claim 6 is particularly advantageous in claim 1.
The washing and drying machine according to the above has a cloth amount detecting means for detecting the cloth amount, and the operating cost calculating means is required until the end of the sequence based on the detected cloth amount and the sequence set by the setting means. A water use amount calculating means for calculating a water amount and an electric use amount calculating means for calculating an electric use amount, wherein the used water amount calculated by the used water amount calculating means and the electric use amount calculated by the electric use amount calculating means; The amount is converted into a water bill and an electricity bill, and these are added or individually displayed on the display means as operating costs.

The invention described in claim 7 is particularly advantageous in claim 4.
In the washing / drying machine according to any one of the items (1) to (6), the user has a charge conversion method input means for inputting a conversion method for converting at least one of a water charge and an electricity charge to the operation cost calculation means, whereby the user can At least the water charge or the electricity charge can be grasped simply and at the applicable charge unit price of the user.

[0017] The invention described in claim 8 is particularly advantageous in claim 7.
The user enters his / her own phone number and calculates the unit price of the corresponding area based on the entered phone number. Even if you do not know it, you can easily know the water charge or the electricity charge.

The invention according to claim 9 is particularly advantageous in claim 7
The user inputs his / her own address and calculates the unit price of the corresponding area based on the entered address, so that the user can grasp the applicable unit price. Even if you do not, you can easily grasp the water bill or electricity bill.

According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, in particular, the operation cost calculating means according to the first or sixth aspect is characterized in that:
The operating cost when rinsing, dehydrating and drying are performed, the operating cost when washing clothes, rinsing and dehydrating are performed, and the operating when clothes washing, rinsing, dehydrating and drying are stopped halfway. By displaying the cost on the display means, it is possible to know whether or not the drying function is used, or the operating cost when the drying process is stopped halfway before the start of washing, so that the weather, the amount of laundry and the user The washing and drying process can be determined in consideration of the schedule.

[0020]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 and 2, an outer tub 2 for storing water during the washing and rinsing steps is provided inside an outer box 1 constituting the main body of the washing and drying machine. A lid 1a for opening and closing the outer box 1 is provided on the upper surface. Outer tub 2
An inner tub 3 for accommodating clothes is rotatably supported by a shaft 4 inside the tub. The inner tank 3 has an opening / closing lid 3b covering an opening thereof, and a stirring blade 3a for stirring clothes is installed at an inner bottom. At the outer bottom of the outer tub 2, a motor 5 for rotating the inner tub 3 via a shaft 4 is provided. The outer box 1 and the outer tank 2 are connected by a blower tube 6, and the blower tube 6 includes a heater 7 and a fan 8 for sending warm air to the inner tank 3. Reference numeral 9 denotes a power switch provided on the upper surface of the outer box 1.
Reference numeral 10 denotes a cloth amount detecting means for detecting a cloth amount (amount of laundry) in accordance with a load amount of a motor 5 for rotating and driving the inner tub 3. 11
Is setting means for setting a sequence of washing, rinsing, spin-drying and drying. Reference numeral 12 denotes control means for controlling washing, rinsing, dehydration, and drying, and controls the motor 5, the heater 7, the fan 8, and the valve 6a provided in the middle of the blower tube 6. 13 is an operation cost calculation means for calculating and estimating the operation cost required for washing, rinsing, dehydration and drying according to the contents set by the setting means 11, for example, washing clothes,
The operating costs for rinsing, spin-drying and drying, the operating costs for washing, rinsing and spin-drying, and the operating costs for stopping the washing, rinsing, spin-drying and drying of clothing halfway Is calculated and displayed on the display means described later. Note that the operating cost calculating means 13 is
And includes an amount-of-used-water calculating means 14 for calculating the amount of used water used for washing and rinsing, and an amount-of-electricity calculating means 16 for calculating the amount of used electricity until washing, rinsing, dehydrating and drying. ing. A charge conversion method input means 18 has a telephone number input means 19 and an address input means 20, but only one of them may be used. In this embodiment, the telephone number input means 19 is connected to the water charge conversion means 15, and the address input means 20 is connected to the electricity charge conversion means 17, respectively.
9. Both conversion means 1 by one of the address input means 20
It is also possible to operate 5,17. Reference numeral 21 denotes a display unit for displaying the operation cost by the operation cost calculation unit 13, based on the cloth amount detected by the cloth amount detection unit 10 and the sequence set by the setting unit 11, until the sequence is completed or stopped halfway. The amount of water and electricity required, and the water and electricity charges required by the time are displayed. The water bill and the electricity bill may be displayed separately, but if they are added and displayed, the operating costs can be grasped collectively. The water charge is obtained by the used water amount calculation means 14 and the water charge conversion means 15, and the electric charge is obtained by the electric consumption calculation means 16 and the electric charge conversion means 17. The display means 21 displays the contents set by the setting means 11 and the progress of washing, rinsing, spin-drying and drying simultaneously with the operation cost.

Next, the operation when the user sets the desired settings for washing, rinsing and drying by himself and performs the operation will be described with reference to FIG.

First, the user puts the laundry in the outer tub 2 and closes the lid 1a of the washing and drying machine. The operation starts when the user turns on the power switch 9. Next, the user inputs his / her home address using the address input means 20, which is one of the charge conversion method input means 18, in order to display the operating costs of washing, rinsing, dehydrating and drying (step S1). . For example, if the user is resident in Osaka City, enter "Osaka City" and the ward city / county. Similarly, telephone number input means 1
9, the user's telephone number is entered. Note that the address input means 20 and the telephone number input means 19 can be configured to display the operating cost by inputting only one of them. It is determined whether the input has been completed (step S2), and the address input means 20 is on standby until the input is completed.

Note that the telephone number input means 19 or the address input means 20 of the charge conversion method input means 18 stores the set contents, and that the contents are input until the user changes the input next time. Step S1 can be omitted until the input is changed.

When the input is completed, the user can determine the amount of washing and the washing method (centrifugal force type or stirring type), the number of times of rinsing and the rinsing method (for rinsing or rinsing with running water), the spin-drying time and spin-drying speed, and the use of the spin-drying function. The presence / absence and, if the drying function is used, the drying time are input by the setting means 11 (step S3). Based on the data input by the setting means 11, the used water amount calculating means 14 and the electric used amount calculating means 16 calculate the total used water amount and the total electric used amount until the end of the washing and drying (step S4). Next, the water charge conversion means 15 and the electricity charge conversion means 17 calculate the corresponding charge unit price based on the input of the telephone number input means 19 and the address input means 20, respectively, and the total water consumption calculated in step S4. The total electricity consumption is converted into a water charge and an electricity charge, and these are added or individually displayed on the display means 21 (step S5). In step S5, the usage amount is displayed in the fee display to make it easier for the user to understand. The usage amount may be displayed alone, may be used together with the fee display, or may be one of the displays.

Based on the contents displayed on the display means 21, the user considers the weather on the washing day and the action schedule of the user, and confirms the contents set by the user in step S3 (step S6). If the confirmed contents are good, the user puts the detergent corresponding to the washing amount into the outer tub 3 and presses the start button (step S7), and the washing and drying starts. If the contents confirmed in step S7 are corrected, the process returns to step S3 to correct the set contents.

In the washing / drying machine constructed as described above, the used water amount calculating means 14 calculates the total used water amount, so that the user can use the amount of used water during washing occupying the largest weight of the water consumption in one household. Can be grasped,
Based on the amount of water used, the user can determine the number of washings per week so that the amount of water used can be used effectively based on the amount of laundry per week, and it becomes easier to practice energy-saving life. Further, the water charge conversion means 15 and the electricity charge conversion means 1
According to 7, the user can use the washing capacity, the number of times of rinsing and the rinsing method, the number of times of dehydration and the rate of dehydration, and the use amount of the drying function with and without the drying function, or the amount of water and electricity depending on the contents of the combination. According to the weather and the user's action schedule, the user can perform washing and drying according to his / her preference while raising awareness of effective use of resources and saving.

Next, an embodiment in which washing, rinsing and drying are automatically set and the operation is performed will be described with reference to FIG. In this embodiment, after the user inputs the corresponding contents by the charge conversion method input unit 18 (step S1), the laundry amount detector 10 in FIG. 1 detects the amount of laundry put into the outer tub 3 by the cloth amount detector 10 (FIG. 1). Step S8), the amount of washing water corresponding to the detected cloth amount is displayed on the display means 21 (step S9). Next, based on the detected cloth amount, for each washing / drying course in which the washing, rinsing, spin-drying and drying methods, time and number of times preset in the setting means 11 are combined.
The used water amount calculating means 14 and the used electric amount calculating means 16 calculate the total used water amount and the total electric used amount until the end of the washing and drying, respectively (step S10), and display the water charge and the electric charge for each washing course on the display means 21. It is displayed (step S11). Regarding how to display on the display means 21,
As in the previous embodiment (shown in FIG. 2), it can be appropriately performed.

The user considers the weather information on the day of washing and the user's action schedule, and selects and inputs an appropriate washing / drying course to the user from the contents displayed on the display means 21 by the setting means 11. (Step 12).

With the washing and drying machine configured as described above, the user can know the preset operating costs of all courses before starting washing and drying.

In the embodiment of the present invention, both the water and electricity displays are described as the operating costs, but there is no problem if only one of them is displayed as necessary.

[0031]

As described above, according to the first to tenth aspects of the present invention, the operating cost required for the operation is displayed on the display means before the start of washing in accordance with the setting input to be set by the user. To inform the user, and in consideration of the weather information of the day and the user's action schedule, etc., the user can assist the user in setting a convenient washing, drying course, etc. for the user himself / herself. .

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a washing / drying machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a control flowchart of an embodiment in which washing, rinsing, and drying are manually set and the operation is performed in the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a control flowchart of an embodiment in which washing, rinsing, and drying are automatically set and the operation is performed in the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Cloth detection means 11 Setting means 12 Control means 13 Operating cost calculation means 14 Water consumption calculation means 15 Water charge conversion means 16 Electricity consumption calculation means 17 Electricity charge conversion means 18 Charge conversion method input means 19 Phone number input means 20 Address Input means 21 Display means

Continuation of the front page F term (reference) 3B155 AA10 BB02 BB20 CB38 JB01 JB03 JB05 JC00 KA02 KA18 LC07 LC32 MA06 MA08 4L019 EA05 EC06

Claims (10)

[Claims] 1. A control means for controlling the washing, rinsing, dehydration and drying of clothes, a setting means for setting the sequence of washing, rinsing, dehydration and drying, and a setting according to the contents set by the setting means A washing / drying machine comprising: operating cost calculating means for calculating and estimating operating costs required for washing, rinsing, spin-drying and drying; and display means for displaying the calculated operating costs. 2. An amount-of-cloth detecting means for detecting a cloth amount, wherein an operation cost calculating means determines a water amount required until the end of the sequence based on the detected cloth amount and a sequence set by a setting means. 2. The washing and drying machine according to claim 1, further comprising a used water amount calculating means for calculating the used water amount calculated by the used water amount calculating means on a display means as an operation cost. 3. An operation cost calculating means for detecting a cloth amount based on the detected cloth amount and a sequence set by a setting means. The washing / drying machine according to claim 1, further comprising an electric usage calculating means for calculating the amount, wherein the electric usage calculated by the electric usage calculating means is displayed on a display as operating cost. 4. The laundry according to claim 2, wherein the water usage calculating means has a water rate conversion means for converting the water usage into a water rate, and the converted water rate is displayed on the display means as an operation cost. Dryer. 5. The electricity consumption calculating means has electricity bill conversion means for converting electricity consumption into electricity bills, and the converted electricity bills are displayed on the display means as operating costs. Washing dryer. 6. An amount-of-cloth detecting means for detecting a cloth amount, wherein the operating cost calculating means determines a water amount required until the end of the sequence based on the detected cloth amount and a sequence set by the setting means. Water amount calculating means for calculating, a water rate converting means for converting the calculated used water amount into a water rate, an electric amount calculating means for calculating an electric amount required until the end of the sequence, and the calculated The washing and drying machine according to claim 1, further comprising an electricity rate conversion means for converting an amount of electricity used into an electricity rate, wherein the converted water rate and the electricity rate are displayed on a display means as operating costs. 7. A charge conversion method input means for inputting a conversion method for converting at least one of a water charge and an electricity charge into an operation cost calculation means by a user.
The washing / drying machine according to any one of claims 6 to 13. 8. The washing / drying machine according to claim 7, wherein the charge conversion method input means includes a telephone number input means, and a unit price of a corresponding area is set and calculated based on the telephone number. 9. The washing / drying machine according to claim 7, wherein the charge conversion method input means has an address input means, and based on the address, a unit price of a corresponding area is set and calculated. 10. The operating cost calculating means includes: an operating cost when washing, rinsing, dehydrating and drying clothes; an operating cost when washing, rinsing and dehydrating clothes;
The washing / drying machine according to claim 1 or 6, wherein the operating means when the washing, rinsing, dehydrating and drying of the clothes are stopped halfway is displayed on the display means.