JP2009066189A - Washing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a washing machine in which the water discharge speed of a water discharge pump is changeable. <P>SOLUTION: The washing machine is provided with: the water discharge pump 19 disposed in a water discharge route on the downstream side of a water discharge valve 18; a control circuit 12 for controlling the water discharge valve 18 and the water discharge pump 19; and a "water discharge" key 29a as a water discharge speed change means for the water discharge pump 19. A user or the like changes the setup of the water discharge speed of the water discharge pump 19 corresponding to the water discharge capacity of the installation environment of the washing machine, the water discharge pump 19 is operated at the set water discharge speed, and water is forcibly discharged. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a washing machine equipped with a drain pump.

Conventionally, the washing wastewater used at the time of the washing machine has been drained to the drainage facility at the installation location via the drainage hose. However, the drainage speed varies depending on the diameter and length of the drainage path at the installation location, the installation state of the washing machine body, the length of the drainage hose, and the like. Therefore, in the drainage route from the washing machine tank,
By installing an operation knob that adjusts the amount of drainage, and adjusting the opening ratio of the drain outlet on the washing tub side with this operation knob, the drainage pipe and the drainage inserted into this drainage pipe even in an environment where the drainage capacity of the drainage pipe is low 2. Description of the Related Art Washing machines that prevent drainage from overflowing or backflowing from a gap with a hose are known. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1).
Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 3-24083 (FIG. 4)

However, the environment in which the washing machine is installed varies, and in the configuration in which the amount of drainage is changed by the operation knob provided inside the washing machine body, the purchaser of the washing machine, the delivery staff of the electronic store that installs it, etc. However, it was difficult to change the drainage flow rate according to the drainage capacity of the place.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and therefore the object thereof is to provide a washing machine that can reliably drain water from a water tank by operating a drain pump according to the drainage environment of the place where the washing machine is installed. It is in.

In order to achieve the above object, a washing machine according to claim 1 of the present invention contains an outer box, a water tank provided in the outer box, and a water tank provided rotatably in the water tank. An inner tank, a water supply means for supplying water into the water tank, a drainage path provided at one end of the drainage port disposed at the bottom of the water tank, a drainage valve provided in the drainage path, and a drainage path A drainage pump disposed downstream of the drainage valve and capable of changing the drainage flow rate, a drainage hose connected to the other end of the drainage path and draining outside the outer box, the drainage valve or the drainage Control means for performing a washing operation including washing, rinsing and dewatering while controlling the pump, an operation panel provided in the outer box for setting conditions for the washing operation, and disposed on the operation panel, Change the drainage speed of the drainage pump. It is intended to mainly characterized in that it comprises and.

The user of the washing machine can appropriately change the drainage speed of the drainage pump in accordance with the drainage environment of the place where the washing machine main body is installed, thereby reducing troubles caused by drainage.

(Example)
Hereinafter, a washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4.

First, FIG. 1 is a side view showing a part of a washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention, and as shown in this figure, the washing machine body includes a rectangular tubular metal outer box 1 and The outer shell of the washing machine main body is constituted by the top cover 2 attached to the upper end opening of the outer box 1, and the water tank 3 is disposed inside the outer box 1. The aquarium 3 is elastically supported by four suspension rods 4 (only one is shown) suspended from the upper end of the outer box 1 via springs 5, and functions as a washing / dehydrating tub inside the aquarium 3. An inner tank 6 is rotatably provided. A stirrer 7 is provided on the inner bottom of the inner tub 6, and the inner tub 6 and the stirrer are connected via a rotating shaft 9 by a driving device 8 composed of a DC brushless motor or the like attached to the outer bottom surface of the water tub 3. 7 is selectively driven to rotate.

The top cover 2 has an opening through which the laundry can be taken in and out of the inner tub 6 and, for example, a double-folded laundry lid 10 is attached to be opened and closed by a hinge mechanism provided on the rear surface thereof. Yes. An operation panel 11 for operating the washing machine is provided on the upper surface of the front portion of the top cover 2.

The operation panel 11 includes operation keys 12 for selecting time for washing, rinsing, dehydration process, setting of various selection courses, and the like, and a display device 13 for displaying washing time and the like. An electronic unit including a control circuit 14 (see FIG. 2) as control means is disposed below the operation panel 11, that is, inside the top cover 2.

The inner tub 6 has a bottomed cylindrical shape, and a plurality of holes 6a for discharging the wash water in the inner tub 6 to the water tub 3 side are formed at the bottom and side walls thereof. In the upper part of the inner tank 6, a balance ring 15 formed by sealing a saline solution inside a hollow shape is disposed.

A drainage groove 17 serving as one end of the drainage path 16 is formed at the bottom of the water tank 3, and a drainage valve 18 is disposed downstream of the drainage groove 17 of the drainage path 16. Further, a drain pump 19 is provided downstream of the drain valve 18, and a drain hose 20 is connected to the other end of the drain path 16 downstream of the drain pump 19. That is, the washing water stored in the water tank 3 is discharged through the drainage path 16 and the drainage hose 20 by opening and closing the drainage valve 18 made of an electromagnetic valve.

FIG. 2 shows an electrical block diagram of the washing machine. Input information related to the washing operation input to the operation key 12 is sent to the control circuit 14. Further, the control circuit 14 is electrically connected to a water supply valve 22, a drain valve 18, a drain pump 19, and a drive device 8 that are water supply means via a drive circuit 21. The control circuit 14 is connected to a rotation sensor 23 comprising a Hall IC or the like for detecting the rotation speed or position of the driving device 8 and a water level sensor 24 serving as a water level detection means for detecting the water level in the water tank 3. Detection information detected by these is sent to the control circuit 14 as needed. The control circuit 14 is configured to display the washing operation information on the display device 13.

FIG. 3 is a front view of the operation panel 11 showing the embodiment. On the operation panel 11, as operation keys 12, a washing key 25a for setting a washing time, a rinsing key 26a for setting the number of times of rinsing, a dehydration key 27a for setting a dehydration time, and a course of washing operation are provided. Course key 28a for selection setting and drainage key 2 as drainage speed changing means of drainage pump 19
9a is provided. In addition to this, the start key 30 for starting the washing operation and stopping the operation during the washing operation, the on key 31a for turning on the power of the washing machine, and for turning the power off. A cut key 31b is provided. And the operation key 12
A display device 13 composed of a plurality of LED groups corresponding to the various keys described above is disposed on the upper side. And this display part 13 is selectable washing time "4 minutes", "8 minutes",
And a display section 25b composed of a sheet and LED described as "12 minutes", a display composed of a sheet and LED described as "1 time", "2 times" and "3 times" which are selectable rinsing times Part 26b, sheet with L and “6 minutes”, “2 minutes”, “4 minutes” and selectable dewatering time
Display unit 27b made of ED, selectable washing operation course “standard”, “replacement”, “speedy”, “memory”, “dry”, and display unit 28b made of LED , And a selectable drainage rate “strong”, “medium”, and “weak”, and a display portion 29b composed of LEDs and LEDs. Of the operation keys 12, the washing key 25a, the rinsing key 26a, and the dehydrating key 27a correspond to any one of the sheets of the corresponding display unit described above every time the washing machine body is pressed while the power is on. The LED is turned on and off. The course key 28a is configured such that the display unit corresponding to one of the courses is switched and lit. For the drain key 29a, “middle” is displayed when the power is turned on.
The setting is switched between “strong”, “medium”, and “weak”.

Next, in the washing operation of the washing machine, for example, when the rinsing process is selected twice, the washing process, the draining process, the dehydrating process, the first rinsing process, the draining process, the dehydrating process, the second The rinsing process, the draining process, and the dehydrating process are performed in this order.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the control contents of the drainage process of this embodiment. When the drainage process is started, the drain valve 18 is opened by the drive circuit 21 (step S1), and the drainage of the washing water stored in the water tank 3 is started. Next, it is confirmed whether or not the setting of the drain pump 19 is set to “strong” (step S2). If it is set to “strong”, the drain pump 19
Is driven by the drive circuit 21 at a drainage speed of 50 L / min to perform forced drainage (step S3).
. Thereafter, the drainage water level sensor 24 detects the water level of the washing water in the water tub 3 continuously immediately after the start of the drainage stroke, and when it detects that the water level is 0 (step S4: YES), the drainage valve 18 Is closed (step S5), and the drive of the drain pump 19 is stopped (step S6).
) End the drainage process.

On the other hand, when the setting of the drain pump 19 is not “strong” in step S2 (step S2
: NO), confirm whether the setting of the drain pump 19 is set to “weak” (step S7),
If it is set, the drain pump 19 is driven by the drive circuit 21 at a drain speed of 30 L / min,
Forced drainage is performed (step S8). Thereafter, when the drain water level sensor 24 detects the water level 0 (
Step S9: YES), the drain valve 18 is closed (Step S5), the drive of the drain pump 19 is stopped (Step S6), and the drainage process is terminated.

If the setting of the drain pump 19 is not “weak” in step S7 (step S7: N
O) Assuming that the setting of the drain pump 19 is set to “medium”, the drain pump 19 is set to 4
It is driven by the drive circuit 21 at a drainage speed of 0 L / min to perform forced drainage (step S10).
Thereafter, as in the case of “strong” and “weak”, when the drainage water level sensor 24 detects the water level 0 (step S11: YES), the drainage valve 18 is closed (step S5), and the drive of the drainage pump 19 is stopped. After that (step S6), the drainage process is terminated.

According to the configuration of the above-described embodiment, the following operations and effects can be achieved. The user of the washing machine can appropriately change the drainage speed of the drainage pump 19 according to the drainage environment of the place where the washing machine body is installed. Therefore, if the drainage environment is bad and the drainage capacity is low,
By setting the drainage speed of the drainage pump 19 to “weak” and lowering it, it is possible to prevent the situation where drainage flows backward or the drain pipe at the installation location is clogged. On the other hand, when the drainage environment is good and the drainage capacity is high, the washing operation time can be shortened by setting the drainage speed of the drainage pump 19 to “strong” and increasing it.

(Modification 1)
For example, the drain key 29a and the display unit 2 in which “strong”, “medium”, and “weak” corresponding thereto are described.
Instead of 9b, as shown in FIG. 5, an installation floor key 32a, which is a means for changing the drainage speed of the drainage pump 19, and a display section 32b for "low", "medium", and "high" corresponding thereto may be provided. . In the control process of the drainage process, “low” in the first modification is “strong” in the embodiment, and “middle” in the first modification is “
“Medium” and “High” in Modification 1 correspond to “Weak” in the embodiment. Accordingly, the other configuration is substantially the same as that of the embodiment, and the description is omitted.

In apartment houses such as condominiums, the higher the installation floor, the longer the drainage pipe and the lower the drainage capacity. However, according to the configuration of the first modification, when the washing machine is installed in advance,
Depending on the floor to be installed, the installation contractor or user can change the setting of “low”, “medium”, and “high”, so that it is possible to easily set an appropriate drainage speed according to the drainage capacity. In particular, in the case of a high floor with a low drainage capacity, by setting the drainage speed to “high” with the installation floor key 32a, it is possible to prevent the situation where the drainage flows backward or the drainage pipe at the installation site is clogged. be able to.

(Modification 2)
For example, the drain key 29a and the display unit 2 in which “strong”, “medium”, and “weak” corresponding thereto are described.
Instead of 9b, as shown in FIG. 6, the drainage hose key 33a as the drainage speed changing means of the drainage pump 19 and the corresponding "2.0M", "1.5M", and "1.0M" display units 33b may be provided. As for the control content of the drainage process, “2.0M” in the second modification is “strong” in the embodiment, “1.5M” in the second modification is “medium” in the second embodiment, and “1.0M” in the second modification. Corresponds to “weak” in the embodiment. Accordingly, the other configuration is substantially the same as that of the embodiment, and the description is omitted.

Usually, since the drain hose 20 is often arranged horizontally with respect to the installation surface of the washing machine, if the length of the drain hose 20 to be attached becomes long, the flow of drainage tends to deteriorate and the drainage rate tends to slow. . However, according to the configuration of the second modification, the general lengths “2.0M”, “1.5M”, and “1” of the drainage hose 20 to be attached by the installer or the user of the washing machine.
. By changing the setting to the drainage speed corresponding to “0M”, the time required for the drainage process can be shortened, and thus the time for the washing operation can be shortened.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above and shown in the drawings. For example, when a 7-segment numerical display is provided, a key for changing the drainage rate of the drainage pump 19 is provided, and the drainage rate is directly set. It is possible to change the setting by inputting, or it may be configured to drain the water in the water tank only with a drain pump without having a drain valve, and various modifications are made without departing from the gist of the present invention. Is possible.

The side view which fractures | ruptures and shows a part of washing machine which shows the Example of this invention Electrical block diagram Front view of the operation panel showing an embodiment The flowchart which shows the control content of the washing operation of the Example of this invention. FIG. 3 equivalent view showing a first modification of the embodiment FIG. 3 equivalent view showing a second modification of the embodiment

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Outer box 2 Top cover 3 Water tank 6 Inner tank 11 Operation panel 12 Operation key 13 Display device 14 Control circuit 16 Drain path 17 Drain groove 18 Drain valve 19 Drain pump 20 Drain hose 29a Drain key 32a Installation floor key 33a Drain hose key

Claims (1)

An outer box,
A water tank provided in the outer box;
An inner tub that is rotatably provided in the water tub and accommodates an object to be cleaned;
Water supply means for supplying water into the water tank;
A drainage channel connected to one end of the drainage port disposed at the bottom of the water tank;
A drain valve provided in the drainage path;
A drainage pump disposed downstream of the drainage valve in the drainage path and capable of changing a drainage flow rate;
A drainage hose connected to the other end of the drainage path and draining outside the outer box;
Control means for performing washing operation comprising washing, rinsing and dewatering while controlling the drain valve or the drain pump;
An operation panel provided in the outer box for setting conditions for washing operation;
A washing machine comprising: a drainage speed changing means that is disposed on the operation panel and changes and sets the drainage speed of the drainage pump.

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