JP2006212118A - Washing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To shorten a time necessary for spin-drying by determining the presence/absence of an unbalanced load of laundry at an initial stage of the spin-drying and shortening a time necessary for correcting the unbalanced load of an object to be washed. <P>SOLUTION: This washing machine is provided with an outer tub 33 elastically supported to a washing machine outer frame 30, a washing/spin-drying tub 34 rotatably provided in the outer tub 33 with its rotary shaft 34a inclined upward to the front, a driving means 35 rotating the washing/spin-drying tub 34, a vibration detecting means 41 detecting the vibration of the outer tub 33, and a rotation control part 39a controlling the driving means 35 according to the vibration level of the outer tub 33 detected by the vibration detecting means 41. The vibration detecting means 41 is so constituted that the detecting direction 42 of the vibration is made approximately in parallel to the rotary shaft 34a of the washing/spin-drying tub 34. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a washing machine that performs washing, rinsing, and dehydration of laundry in a washing and dewatering tub that is rotatably disposed in an outer tub elastically supported in a washing machine body.

  Conventionally, this type of washing machine has corrected the eccentric load of the garment by detecting the vibration amount of the outer tub with an elastic support part in order to suppress the vibration of the outer tub during dehydration due to the eccentric load of the garment (for example, Patent Document 1).

  FIG. 10 shows an overall configuration of a conventional washing machine described in Patent Document 1. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 10, a power transmission mechanism 2 is fixed to the bottom of the outer tub 1 for receiving water during dehydration. The power transmission mechanism 2 includes a motor 3 and a belt fixed to the bottom of the outer tub 1. It is connected with. A stirring blade 5 is fixed to the stirring blade shaft 4 inside the power transmission mechanism 2, and a dehydration tank 7 is fixed to the outer shaft 6 in the outer tank 1. A fluid balancer 8 is provided above the dehydration tank 7. The outer tub 1 is elastically suspended and supported via a suspension 10 from the upper end of the outer frame 9.

  Reference numeral 11 denotes a detection device that detects the vibration of the outer tub 1 and includes a movable portion and a fixed portion. A control circuit 12 controls the signal processing of the detection device and the motor 3 and the like. Reference numeral 13 uses a magnetic material ferrite as the movable part. The ferrite has a cylindrical shape and is sandwiched between the tray 14 and the pressing plate 15. The fixed part is composed of an E-shaped magnetic material 16 and a coil 17 wound around the E-shaped magnetic material 16 as a core material around which the coil is wound.

With this configuration, the roll of the outer tub 1 is captured as the left and right movement of the ferrite 13 via the suspension 10. The left and right movement amounts are detected as changes in the inductance amount of the coil 17 that changes in accordance with the distance between the ferrite 13 and the core 16. This change is detected as a change in the oscillation frequency based on the change in the inductance of the coil 17 of the detection device 11, and the operation control is performed by judging the degree of shaking of the outer tub 1 based on the degree of variation.
JP-A-8-989888

  However, in the conventional configuration, the roll of the outer tub 1 is regarded as the left and right movement of the ferrite 13 via the suspension 10, and the right and left movement amount is detected as a change in the inductance amount of the coil 17 facing the ferrite 13. Therefore, there is a problem that even if the shaking of the outer tub 1 is large, the displacement of the ferrite 13 is small and the sensitivity of displacement detection is small.

  The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems, and increases the detection sensitivity by directly detecting the amount of displacement of the outer tub, determines the presence or absence of uneven load on the laundry in the initial stage of dehydration, and It is an object of the present invention to provide a washing machine that can shorten the time required for correcting the uneven load and shorten the time required for dehydration.

  In order to solve the above-described conventional problems, a washing machine of the present invention includes an outer tub elastically supported by a washing machine outer frame, and a washing provided rotatably in the outer tub with a rotating shaft inclined upward. A cum dewatering tub, a driving means for rotating the washing / dehydrating tub, a vibration detecting means for detecting the vibration of the outer tub, and a rotation control for controlling the driving means according to the vibration level of the outer tub detected by the vibration detecting means. The vibration detection means is configured such that the vibration detection direction is substantially parallel to the rotation axis of the washing and dewatering tub.

  As a result, it is possible to detect the roll of the outer tub in the initial stage of dehydration due to the uneven load of the laundry to be shifted to the correction process, so that the time until correction can be shortened and the time required for dehydration can be shortened. it can.

  The washing machine of the present invention can reduce the time required for the correction process, and can reduce the time required for dehydration.

  The first invention includes an outer tub elastically supported by a washing machine outer frame, a washing / dehydrating tub that is rotatably provided in the outer tub with a rotating shaft inclined upward, and the washing / dehydrating tub. Driving means for rotating the outer tank, vibration detecting means for detecting the vibration of the outer tub, and a rotation control unit for controlling the driving means according to the vibration level of the outer tub detected by the vibration detecting means, The vibration detecting means sets the detection direction of vibration substantially parallel to the rotation axis of the washing / dehydrating tub, thereby directly detecting the lateral swaying of the outer tub, so that the detection sensitivity is high and thereby the uneven load of the laundry Therefore, it is possible to reduce the time required for the dehydration, and the time required for the dehydration can be shortened.

  In the second invention, in particular, the vibration detecting means of the first invention is disposed between the rear part of the outer tub and the outer frame of the washing machine facing the rear part of the outer tub, so that the earlier stage of dehydration is earlier. Thus, it can be determined whether or not there is an uneven load on the laundry, and the time required for dehydration can be further shortened.

  In the third invention, in particular, the vibration detecting means of the first or second invention detects vibration at a position where the vibration is increased earlier in the outer tub by attaching one end thereof in the vicinity of the lower end of the rear portion of the outer tub. Therefore, it is possible to determine whether or not there is an uneven load on the laundry at an earlier stage of the dehydration, and the time required for the dehydration can be further shortened.

  The fourth aspect of the invention is particularly the vibration detecting means of any one of the first to third aspects, wherein one end of the vibration detecting means is pivotally attached to the outer tub and the other end is pivotally attached to the washing machine outer frame. By making it movable in accordance with the displacement, the vibration detection posture can be maintained even if the stationary position of the outer tub moves in the vertical direction depending on the amount of laundry or washing water.

  In the fifth aspect of the invention, in particular, the vibration detecting means of any one of the first to fourth aspects of the invention is set so as to be substantially parallel to the rotation axis in a state in which a laundry and a predetermined amount of washing water are put Thus, an optimal vibration detection posture can be obtained in an actual use state in which the stationary position of the outer tub is moved downward with the laundry or a predetermined amount of washing water.

  In the sixth aspect of the invention, in particular, in the vibration detecting means of any one of the first to fifth aspects, the inclination angle when the outer tub is displaced to the lowermost position is set within a substantially parallel range of the rotation axis. Thus, even if the stationary position of the outer tub moves to the lowest position depending on the amount of laundry or washing water, a good vibration detection posture can be maintained.

  According to a seventh aspect of the invention, in particular, the vibration detecting means of any one of the first to sixth aspects includes a coil and a magnetic body that changes an inductance of the coil, and either the coil or the magnetic body is disposed. By attaching to the outer tub, the displacement amount of the outer tub is detected, and the vibration of the outer tub can be reliably detected even in the initial stage of dehydration with a small acceleration.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the washing machine according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a graph showing the dehydration vibration level of the outer tub of the washing machine. In FIG. 1, the washing machine outer frame 30 elastically supports an outer tub 33 by one tension spring 31, two dampers 32, and a compression spring 32a. The washing / dehydrating tub 34 is rotatably disposed in the outer tub 33, and the rotating shaft 34a is inclined upward. The inclination angle is set to 20 to 30 ° in consideration of operability, and the inclination angle is maintained by the tension spring 31. The motor (driving means) 35 is composed of a brushless DC motor and is controlled by an inverter so that the rotational speed can be freely changed. Then, the washing / dehydrating tub 34 is directly driven.

  The water supply means 36 supplies water into the washing / dehydrating tub 34. The water level detection means 37 detects the washing water level in the outer basket 33. The drainage means 38 drains the washing water in the outer tub 33. The control device 39 is provided at the lower part of the front surface of the washing machine outer frame 30 and includes a rotation control unit 39a. The control device 39 sequentially controls each process of washing, rinsing and dehydration based on the setting contents inputted by the operation display means 40 provided on the upper front surface of the washing machine outer frame 30. The power switching means (FIG. The motor 35, the water supply means 36, the drainage means 38, etc. are sequentially controlled via a not-shown).

  The vibration detection means 41 is fixed between the outer tub rear portion 33a and the washing machine outer frame back surface 30a. The vibration detection means 41 includes a marker 41a and a sensor 41b. The marker 41a and the sensor 41b may be anything as long as they can measure the relative displacement between them. For example, a laser displacement meter or the like can be used. The marker 41a is attached to the outer tub rear portion 33a, and the sensor 41b is attached to the washing machine outer frame back surface 30a, and the attachment positional relationship between the two is substantially parallel to the rotating shaft 34a. The substantially parallel range at this time is −15 ° to + 15 ° with respect to the vibration detection direction 42.

  About the washing machine comprised as mentioned above, the operation | movement and an effect | action are demonstrated below. First, after putting laundry and detergent into the washing and dewatering tub 34, the operation display means 40 is operated to start operation. As a result, the water supply means 36 operates, the washing water is supplied into the washing / dehydrating tub 34, and the washing / dehydrating tub 34 also starts rotating. When the specified amount of washing water is supplied, the water supply means 36 stops water supply. By the rotation of the washing and dewatering tub 34, the detergent is dissolved in the washing water and becomes a washing liquid and penetrates into the clothes. The washing and dewatering tub 34 rotates at a low speed of about 30 r / min, and performs washing for a specified time to lift and drop the laundry.

  After the washing is finished, the drainage means 38 is operated, and the washing liquid in which the dirt is dissolved is drained out of the outer tub 33. After the drainage is completed, the rotation of the washing and dewatering tank 34 is gradually increased. When the unbalanced load of the laundry is large, the outer tub 33 vibrates greatly in the horizontal direction because it approaches the horizontal resonance point when the rotation of the washing / dehydrating tub 34 reaches 180 r / min. Since the rotating shaft 34a of the washing and dewatering tub 34 is inclined upward, the centrifugal force due to the unbalanced load of the laundry also acts in the front-rear direction of the outer tub 33, so that the outer tub 33 vibrates greatly back and forth. It becomes like this.

  The vibration also increases the amount of change in the relative displacement between the marker 41a and the sensor 41b. The amount of change in the relative displacement is converted into an electric signal by the sensor 41b, transmitted to the rotation control unit 39a, the number of rotations of the motor 35 is lowered, and the process proceeds to the process of correcting the unbalanced load of the laundry. The rotational speed of 35 is increased to a specified value, and the dehydration process is completed. At this time, since the uneven load of the laundry is corrected, the dehydration process can proceed smoothly without vibration from the start of dehydration to the steady state.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the resonance point of vibration of the outer tub 33 is in the horizontal direction at 180 r / min and in the vertical direction at 300 r / min. The horizontal resonance point of the outer tub 33 is represented by the total mass of the outer tub 33, the washing / dehydrating tub 34 and the motor 35, and the natural frequency of the vibration system formed by the tension spring 31. The vertical resonance point of the vibration of the outer tub 33 is expressed by the total mass of the outer tub 33, the washing / dehydrating tub 34 and the motor 35, and the natural frequency of the vibration system formed by the tension spring 31 and the compression spring 32a. Is done. Comparing the strength of the tension spring 31 and the outer tub 33 for maintaining the posture of the outer tub 33, the strength of the washing / dehydrating tub 34 and the compression spring 32a that supports the heavy load of the motor 35, the compression spring 32a is about 2.8. Become stronger twice. In terms of natural frequency, this is about 1.7 times higher, and the vertical direction is 300 r / min with respect to 180 r / min in the horizontal direction. Therefore, the vibration detecting means 41 is provided substantially parallel to the rotation shaft 34a of the washing / dehydrating tub 34, so that the horizontal vibration of the outer tub 33 can be detected efficiently, and the weight of the laundry to be washed off at the initial stage of the dehydration process. Therefore, it is possible to accurately determine the presence or absence.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, by setting the vibration detection direction of the vibration detection means 41 to be substantially parallel to the rotation shaft 34a of the washing and dewatering tub, the roll of the outer tub 33 is accurately detected, Accordingly, it is possible to determine whether or not there is an uneven load on the laundry in the initial stage of the dehydration process, to shorten the time required for the correction process, and to shorten the time required for the dehydration.

(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of a washing machine according to the second embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 3, the vibration detection means 41 is disposed between the outer tub rear portion 33a and the washing machine outer frame 30b facing the outer tub rear portion 33a. Other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment.

  Thereby, the presence or absence of the uneven load of the laundry can be determined at an earlier stage of the initial stage of dehydration, and the time required for dehydration can be further shortened.

(Embodiment 3)
FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional view of a washing machine in the third embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 4, the vibration detecting means 41 has one end 41c attached to the vicinity of the lower end 33b of the outer tank rear portion 33a. Other configurations are the same as those in the first or second embodiment. The vibration of the outer tub 33 is a combination of horizontal vibration and rotational vibration about the center of gravity 43 of the hanging portion. Here, the hanging portion refers to a unit of the outer tub 33, the washing / dehydrating tub 34, and the motor 35. The vibration is detected in the vicinity of the lower end 33b of the outer tub rear portion 33a where the rotational vibration appears more greatly, and it is possible to determine whether there is an uneven load on the laundry at an earlier stage of the dehydration, which is necessary for dehydration. Time can be further shortened.

(Embodiment 4)
FIG. 5 is a side view of the main part of the washing machine in the fourth embodiment of the present invention when it is light, and FIG. 6 is a side view of the main part of the washing machine when it is heavy. 5 and 6, the vibration detecting means 41 is pivotally attached to the outer tub 33 and the washing machine outer frame 30 at both ends, and is movable in accordance with the vertical displacement of the outer tub 33. The connection part 44 is provided in the outer tub 33 and the washing machine outer frame 30, and has a hemispherical recess 44a. A mounting portion 45 is provided at one end of the marker 41a and the sensor 41b of the vibration detecting means 41. The attachment portion 45 is formed in a spherical shape, is fitted into the recess 44a, and is rotatably held. With this structure, the vibration detecting means 41 is movable in response to the vertical displacement of the outer tub 33. Other configurations are the same as those in the first to third embodiments.

  With this configuration, it is possible to maintain the vibration detection posture even when the stationary position of the outer tub 33 moves in the vertical direction depending on the amount of laundry or washing water.

(Embodiment 5)
FIG. 7: shows the side view of the principal part of the washing machine in the 5th Embodiment of this invention. In FIG. 7, the vibration detecting means 41 is set so as to be substantially parallel to the rotating shaft 34a in a state where a laundry and a predetermined amount of washing water are put. Other configurations are the same as those in the first to fourth embodiments.

  With this configuration, it is possible to obtain an optimal vibration detection posture in an actual use state in which the stationary position of the outer tub 33 is moved downward with the laundry or a predetermined amount of washing water.

(Embodiment 6)
FIG. 8: shows the side view of the principal part of the washing machine in the 6th Embodiment of this invention. In FIG. 8, the vibration detection means 41 sets an inclination angle 41d when the outer tub 33 is displaced to the lowest position within a range substantially parallel to the rotation shaft 34a. Other configurations are the same as those of the first to fifth embodiments.

  With this configuration, even if the stationary position of the outer tub 33 moves to the lowest position depending on the amount of laundry or washing water, a good vibration detection posture can be maintained.

(Embodiment 7)
FIG. 9: shows the side view of the principal part of the washing machine in the 7th Embodiment of this invention. In FIG. 9, the vibration detection means 41 includes a coil 46 and a magnetic body 47 that changes the inductance of the coil 46. The coil 46 is attached to the washing machine outer frame back surface 30a, and the magnetic body 47 is attached to the outer tub rear portion 33a. Other configurations are the same as those in the first to sixth embodiments.

  With this configuration, the amount of displacement of the outer tub 33 is detected as the amount of change in the inductance of the coil 46, and the vibration of the outer tub 33 can be reliably detected even in the initial stage of dehydration with low acceleration.

  As described above, the washing machine according to the present invention can easily measure the vibration amount corresponding to the rotation speed in a wide range from the low speed rotation to the high speed rotation.

Sectional drawing of the washing machine in Embodiment 1 of this invention Graph showing dehydration vibration level of outer tub of the washing machine Sectional drawing of the washing machine in Embodiment 2 of this invention Sectional drawing of the washing machine in Embodiment 3 of this invention Side view at the time of lightweight of the principal part of washing machine in Embodiment 4 of this invention Side view of the main part of the washing machine when it is heavy Side view of the principal part of the washing machine in Embodiment 5 of the present invention Side view of the principal part of the washing machine according to Embodiment 6 of the present invention. Side view of the principal part of the washing machine in Embodiment 7 of this invention Cross section of a conventional washing machine

Explanation of symbols

30 Washing machine outer frame 30b Opposing washing machine outer frame 33 Outer tub 33a Outer tub rear part 33b Near lower end 34 Washing / dehydration tub 34a Rotating shaft 35 Drive means 39a Rotation control part 41 Vibration detection means 41c One end of vibration detection means 41d Inclination angle 42 Direction of vibration detection 46 Coil 47 Magnetic body

Claims (7)

An outer tub elastically supported by the outer frame of the washing machine, a washing and dewatering tub that is rotatably provided in the outer tub with a rotation shaft inclined upward, and a driving unit that rotates the washing and dehydrating tub. A vibration detecting means for detecting the vibration of the outer tub, and a rotation control unit for controlling the driving means in accordance with the vibration level of the outer tub detected by the vibration detecting means. A washing machine in which the detection direction is set substantially parallel to the rotation axis of the washing / dehydrating tub. The washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the vibration detecting means is disposed between a rear part of the outer tub and a washing machine outer frame facing the rear part of the outer tub. The washing machine according to claim 1 or 2, wherein one end of the vibration detecting means is attached in the vicinity of the lower end of the rear portion of the outer tub. 4. The vibration detecting means according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein one end of the vibration detecting means is pivotally attached to the outer tub, and the other end is pivotally attached to the washing machine outer frame, and is movable corresponding to the vertical displacement of the outer tub. The washing machine described. The washing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the vibration detecting means is set so as to be substantially parallel to the rotation axis in a state in which a laundry and a predetermined amount of washing water are put therein. The washing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the vibration detection means sets an inclination angle when the outer tub is displaced to the lowest position within a range substantially parallel to the rotation axis. The washing according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the vibration detecting means includes a coil and a magnetic body that changes an inductance of the coil, and either the coil or the magnetic body is attached to the outer tub. Machine.

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