JP2012065790A - Washer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a washer capable of efficiently washing and dehydrating laundry without making a user select washing courses while suppressing the generation of abnormal vibration of a drum by controlling the rotation of the drum based on the weight of the laundry and the deviation of the laundry.SOLUTION: When water is not supplied to a drum 3 and the drum 3 does not rotate, two right and left weight detection units 73L and 73R that are disposed at different positions in a rotation direction of the drum 3 each detects the weight of the laundry and the detected results are combined. When the drum 3 rotates, the detected results are subtracted. If the combined weight is not less than (or less than) a predetermined weight and an absolute value of the subtracted result is not less than (or less than) a predetermined threshold value, the laundry is heavy and easy to deviate (or light and hard to deviate). Based on the values, the drum 3 rotates at a low speed for a long time (or at a high speed for a short time) when the laundry is dehydrated.

Description

  The present invention relates to a washing machine for washing and dewatering laundry.

The washing machine includes a bottomed cylindrical drum that is rotatable in the circumferential direction and a water tank that houses the drum. Laundry is accommodated in the drum.
The washing machine supplies water for washing or rinsing laundry (hereinafter referred to as washing water) to the aquarium. Since the water tank and the drum are communicated with each other, when the water level of the water tank reaches a predetermined water level or higher, washing water is sufficiently stored in the drum. Then, a washing machine wash | cleans laundry by rotating a drum, when the water level of a water tank reaches the predetermined water level or more. Next, the washing machine drains the water from the water tank, and further dehydrates the laundry.

During the dehydration of the laundry, a centrifugal force is generated by rotating the drum in one direction at a high speed, and the laundry is dehydrated by the generated centrifugal force. At this time, if the laundry accommodated in the drum is biased in the rotational direction of the drum (hereinafter referred to as the laundry being biased), the drum will vibrate in its own radial direction (hereinafter referred to as the laundry). There is a risk of causing abnormal vibration). Even if the degree of bias of the laundry is similar, abnormal vibration is more likely to occur when the laundry is heavy and when the laundry is heavy.
When the drum that has caused abnormal vibration comes into contact with the water tank, noise is generated, which may cause the user of the washing machine to feel uncomfortable or uneasy.

Conventionally, in order to suppress the occurrence of abnormal vibration, a washing machine that performs an operation for eliminating the unevenness of the laundry (hereinafter referred to as an unevenness canceling operation) according to the weight of the laundry accommodated in the drum has been proposed. (See Patent Document 1).
For this reason, the washing machine described in Patent Document 1 rotates the drum in which the laundry is stored with an electric motor, and the current value of the electric motor and the vibration of the drum detected using the acceleration sensor are as follows. Based on the above, the weight of the laundry stored in the drum is estimated. Furthermore, the washing machine described in Patent Literature 1 performs a bias canceling operation in a different manner between when the estimated weight is heavy and when it is light.

In addition, in a conventional washing machine, for example, an accelerometer is used to detect the presence or absence of abnormal vibration of the drum while the laundry is being dehydrated. If the item is repeatedly detected, the laundry may be dehydrated at a low-speed rotation that is unlikely to cause abnormal vibration.
By the way, carpets or blankets (so-called large items) are heavier than laundry such as clothes. For this reason, when a large item is dehydrated in the same manner as laundry such as clothes, abnormal vibration is likely to occur.
Therefore, conventionally, a washing machine (hereinafter referred to as a washing machine for large items) provided with a washing course for washing large items and a standard washing course for washing laundry such as clothes has been used. .

  A user of a large-sized washing machine manually selects one of the washing courses before starting washing. When the large-size washing course is selected, the large-size washing machine makes the rotation speed of the drum during dehydration lower than when the standard washing course is selected. As a result, the large-size washing machine can suppress the occurrence of abnormal vibration.

JP 2009-189537 A

However, there is a possibility that the user of the washing machine corresponding to the big game forgets or mistakes the selection of the washing course or does not know the significance of selecting the washing course in the first place. Moreover, a standard laundry course is selected as a default washing course in a washing machine for large items such as clothes.
When large items are washed in the standard washing course, abnormal vibration is likely to occur. In addition, when the unevenness elimination operation is performed every time an abnormal vibration occurs, the time required to complete the dehydration of the laundry becomes longer.
On the other hand, when laundry such as clothes is washed in a large laundry course, even if it is difficult for abnormal vibrations to occur, the time required for the laundry to be sufficiently dehydrated increases as the drum rotates at a low speed. .

In other words, when using a washing machine for large items, in order to efficiently wash and dehydrate the laundry, it is necessary for the user to manually select an appropriate washing course, so the burden on the user is large. There is a problem.
Therefore, using the washing machine described in Patent Document 1, based on the weight of the laundry, the laundry to be washed is a heavy laundry (ie, a large product) or a light laundry (ie, a laundry such as clothes). It is conceivable to perform a bias elimination operation before starting dehydration according to the determination result.

However, even if the weight of the laundry is the same, a thick laundry or a laundry with poor drainage during dehydration is more biased than a thin laundry or a laundry with good drainage during dehydration. easy. For this reason, when the laundry which is easily biased is dehydrated in the same manner as the laundry which is not easily biased, abnormal vibration is likely to occur.
Accordingly, in the washing machine described in Patent Document 1 in which it is not considered whether the laundry is easily biased or difficult to bias, the laundry is biased even after the bias cancellation operation is performed. There is a risk that it has not been sufficiently resolved.

  The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and the main object of the present invention is to generate abnormal vibrations by controlling the rotation of the drum according to the weight of the laundry and the ease of bias. It is in providing the washing machine which can suppress.

  A washing machine according to the present invention includes a drum for storing laundry, a water tub that allows water to pass through the drum, a water supply unit that supplies water to the drum and the water tub, and a rotational drive that rotates the drum. And a control unit that controls the rotation of the drum by the rotation driving unit, and a plurality of units that are disposed at different positions in the rotation direction of the drum, and detect a weight of the laundry accommodated in the drum. A weight detection unit, and after the water supply by the water supply unit, the laundry is washed and dehydrated by rotation of the drum, when the rotation drive unit is not operated, the weight detection unit Non-rotation acquisition means for acquiring each detection result, weight calculation means for calculating the weight of the laundry stored in the drum based on the detection result acquired by the non-rotation acquisition means, and the rotation Drive part made The rotation detection means for acquiring the detection results of the respective weight detection units, and the distribution range in the rotation direction of the laundry based on the detection results acquired by the rotation acquisition means. Wide and narrow estimating means for estimating, wherein the control unit controls the rotation of the drum according to the calculation result of the weight calculating means and the estimation result of the wide and narrow estimating means. To do.

  In the washing machine according to the present invention, the wide and narrow estimation means calculates the difference between the detection results acquired by the acquisition means during rotation and the difference calculated by the means is large (or small), And a means for estimating that the distribution range is narrow (or wide).

  In the washing machine according to the present invention, the control unit indicates that the calculation result of the weight calculation means indicates that the laundry is heavy (or light), and the estimation result of the wide and narrow estimation means indicates that the distribution range is narrow ( When the laundry is dehydrated, the rotation speed of the drum is increased (or decreased), and the time during which the drum continues to rotate at the rotation speed is increased (or decreased). ).

  In the washing machine according to the present invention, the acquisition of the detection results of each of the weight detection units by the non-rotating acquisition unit and the during-rotation acquisition unit is performed before the water supply unit supplies water. Features.

  The washing machine according to the present invention further includes a drainage unit for draining from the water tank, and the acquisition of the detection results of each of the weight detection units by the during-rotation acquisition unit is performed after the drainage by the drainage unit is finished and dehydration It is characterized by being executed before the start.

In the present invention, the washing machine includes a drum, a water tub, a water supply unit, a rotation drive unit, a control unit, and a plurality of weight detection units, and further includes a non-rotation acquisition unit, a weight calculation unit, and a rotation acquisition unit. , And wide and narrow estimation means.
The water supply unit supplies washing water to the drum and the water tank. At this time, the laundry stored in the drum absorbs the washing water. This is because the water tank accommodates the drum so that water can pass through, and after the water supply unit supplies water, even the washing water supplied to the drum or the washing water supplied to the water tank, This is because there is a high possibility of contact with the laundry.

The rotation driving unit rotates the drum by being controlled by the control unit.
When the drum is rotating, the laundry is, for example, agitated or stuck to the inner wall of the drum and rotates. At this time, laundry that tends to be biased is distributed in a narrow range in the rotation direction of the drum, while laundry that is difficult to bias is distributed in a wide range in the rotation direction of the drum. On the other hand, when the drum is not rotating, the laundry is stationary at the bottom of the drum.
Each of the plurality of weight detection units is arranged corresponding to a different position in the rotation direction of the drum.
The non-rotating acquisition means acquires detection results of each of the plurality of weight detection units when the rotation driving unit is not operating (that is, when the drum is not rotating).

The weight calculation means calculates the weight of the laundry based on the detection result acquired by the non-rotation acquisition means. This is because the detection result itself of each weight detection unit does not directly indicate the weight of the laundry.
The during-rotation acquisition unit acquires the detection results of each of the plurality of weight detection units when the rotation drive unit is operating (that is, when the drum is rotating).
When the drum is rotating, the detection results of the respective weight detection units differ depending on whether the distribution range of the laundry drum in the rotation direction (hereinafter simply referred to as the laundry distribution range) is narrow or wide. For example, when the laundry distribution range is narrow, the detection result of the weight detection unit changes greatly in time series, but when the laundry distribution range is wide, the change of the detection result of the weight detection unit is small.

Therefore, the width / width estimation means estimates the width of the laundry distribution range based on the detection result acquired by the rotation-time acquisition means.
The control unit responds to the calculation result of the weight calculation means (that is, the weight of the laundry) and the estimation result of the wide and narrow estimation means (that is, whether the laundry distribution range is wide, and the laundry is not easily or easily biased). Thus, the rotation of the drum by the rotation drive unit is controlled. As a result, the rotation of the drum depends on the weight of the laundry and the ease of biasing the laundry.

In the present invention, the wide and narrow estimation means calculates the difference between the detection results acquired by the acquisition means during rotation, and when the calculation result (that is, the difference) is large, the distribution range of the laundry is narrow (that is, the laundry) When the calculation result is small, it is estimated that the distribution range of the laundry is wide (that is, the laundry is not easily biased).
For example, when the laundry is being stirred by the rotation of the drum, the laundry occasionally collides with the peripheral wall of the drum. At this time, the impact load of the laundry is applied to each weight detection unit.

When the laundry tends to be biased, the laundry being stirred by the rotation of the drum tends to concentrate and collide with a narrow portion in the rotation direction of the drum. For this reason, the difference between the detection result of the weight detection unit arranged in the vicinity of the laundry collision position and the detection result of the weight detection unit arranged far from the laundry collision position is large.
On the other hand, when the laundry is not easily biased, the laundry being stirred by the rotation of the drum tends to diffuse and collide with a wide portion in the rotation direction of the drum. For this reason, the difference of the detection result of each weight detection part is small.
Therefore, it is possible to easily and accurately estimate whether the laundry is easily biased or difficult to bias based on the difference between the detection results acquired by the acquiring means during rotation.

In the present invention, the calculation result of the weight calculation means indicates that the laundry is heavy, and the estimation result of the wide and narrow estimation means indicates that the distribution range of the laundry is narrow (that is, the laundry is easily biased). When the laundry is dehydrated, the control unit continues to rotate the drum at a low speed for a long time. This is because if the drum contains heavy and easily biased laundry, abnormal vibration is very likely to occur, so it is necessary to rotate the drum at a low speed, and if the drum rotates at a low speed, the laundry This is because it is difficult to dehydrate in a short time.
As a result, the time required for the laundry to be dehydrated becomes longer, but even when the laundry is dehydrated heavy and easily biased, the occurrence of abnormal vibration can be suppressed.

On the other hand, when the calculation result of the weight calculation means indicates that the laundry is light and the estimation result of the wide and narrow estimation means indicates that the distribution range of the laundry is wide (that is, the laundry is not easily biased), the laundry When dewatering, the control unit continues to rotate the drum at a high speed for a short time. This is because if the drum contains laundry that is light and hard to bias, abnormal vibration is very unlikely to occur, so there is no particular problem even if the drum is rotated at high speed, and the drum is rotating at high speed. This is because the laundry is easily dehydrated in a short time.
As a result, the time required for the laundry to be dehydrated can be shortened.

  In the present invention, the non-rotating acquisition means has a plurality of weights before the water supply unit supplies water to the drum and the water tank (that is, before the laundry absorbs water) and when the rotation drive unit is not operating. The detection result of each detection unit is acquired. The weight calculation means calculates the weight of the laundry based on the detection result acquired by the non-rotation acquisition means. Therefore, the calculation result of the weight calculation means indicates the weight of the laundry that has not yet absorbed the washing water (hereinafter referred to as the initial weight of the laundry).

The during-rotation acquisition means acquires the detection results of each of the plurality of weight detection units before the water supply unit supplies water to the drum and the water tank and when the rotation drive unit is operating. The breadth / narrowness estimation means estimates the width of the laundry distribution range based on the detection result obtained by the obtaining means during rotation. Therefore, the estimation result of the wide and narrow estimation means indicates the ease of biasing the laundry that has not yet absorbed the washing water (hereinafter referred to as initial ease of laundry).
The control unit controls the rotation of the drum by the rotation driving unit based on the initial weight of the laundry and the initial bias of the laundry. As a result, occurrence of abnormal vibration can be suppressed during washing and dehydration.

In the present invention, the washing machine further includes a drainage section.
The during-rotation acquisition means acquires the detection results of each of the plurality of weight detection units after the drainage by the drainage unit and before the start of dehydration and when the rotation drive unit is operating.
The breadth / narrowness estimation means estimates the width of the laundry distribution range based on the detection result obtained by the obtaining means during rotation.
Even if the washing water is discharged from the water tank by the drain, the washing water absorbed in the laundry is not discharged. For this reason, the laundry after the drainage by the drainage unit and before the start of dehydration is in a state of sufficiently absorbing the washing water.
Therefore, the estimation result of the wide and narrow estimation means indicates the ease of bias of the laundry in a state where the wash water is sufficiently absorbed (hereinafter referred to as the ease of bias before the laundry is dehydrated).

By the way, there is a possibility that the ease of biasing the laundry before dehydration is different from the initial tendency of the laundry to be biased. In addition, when the drum is rotated to dehydrate the laundry, the rotation speed of the drum is generally higher than when the drum is rotated to wash the laundry, and thus abnormal vibration is likely to occur.
Therefore, it is more reliable to control the rotation of the drum based on the ease of biasing the laundry before dehydrating, rather than the initial biasing of the laundry, to more reliably suppress the occurrence of abnormal vibrations during laundry dehydration. Can do.

In the case of the washing machine of the present invention, the drum can be appropriately rotated according to the weight of the laundry and the ease of biasing the laundry. For this reason, the laundry can be washed and / or dehydrated so that abnormal vibration does not occur in consideration of whether the laundry is heavy, light, easily biased, or difficult to bias. In order to eliminate the unevenness, it is possible to sufficiently eliminate the unevenness of the laundry.
As a result, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of abnormal vibration without forcing the user to select a laundry course regardless of whether the laundry is large or general. Therefore, it is possible to efficiently wash and dehydrate laundry while improving user convenience.

It is a perspective view which shows the external appearance of the washing machine which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the internal structure of the washing machine which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a typical front view which shows schematically arrangement of two weight detection parts with which a washing machine concerning Embodiment 1 of the present invention is provided. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the control system of the washing machine which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of the washing | cleaning and dehydration processing which are performed with the washing machine which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the detail of the bias ease estimation processing procedure performed with the washing machine which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of the washing | cleaning and dehydration processing which are performed with the washing machine which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this invention.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings illustrating embodiments thereof.

Embodiment 1.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an appearance of the washing machine 8 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.
The washing machine 8 is a so-called oblique drum type washing machine. In the washing machine 8, the supply of the washing water, the washing of the laundry, the drainage of the washing water, and the dehydration of the laundry are sequentially executed.
The washing machine 8 includes a box-shaped housing 1.
An insertion port 11 (see FIG. 2 described later) that is opened and closed by a lid 10 is formed at the center of the front surface 1a of the housing 1.
An operation unit 71 and a display unit 72 are disposed in a portion where the top surface of the housing 1 and the front surface 1a are continuous in a curved surface shape.

The operation unit 71 includes various operation buttons to be operated by the user when the washing machine 8 is operated.
The display unit 72 uses, for example, a liquid crystal display device. The display unit 72 includes a display for assisting the operation of the operation unit 71 by the user, a display for indicating the operation state of the washing machine 8, or a display for notifying various errors, such as characters or figures. Displayed in an appropriate form.
FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the internal configuration of the washing machine 8, and FIG. 3 is a schematic front view schematically showing the arrangement of the two weight detection units 73L and 73R provided in the washing machine 8. As shown in FIG.

The laundry 61 shown in FIG. 3A is a laundry that is not easily biased (for example, a laundry mainly made of small and thin cloth such as cotton T-shirts or synthetic stockings), and the laundry 62 shown in FIG. It is a laundry that tends to be biased (for example, a laundry mainly composed of a single blanket or a large and thick cloth such as a plurality of trainers). In the following, when it is not distinguished between easy-to-bias laundry and difficult-to-bias laundry, it is simply referred to as laundry. In the case of distinction, reference numerals 61 and 62 are assigned respectively.
As shown in FIG. 2, a control unit 70 and a storage unit 75 are arranged in the housing 1.
The housing 1 contains a water tank 2.

The aquarium 2 has a large-diameter bottomed cylindrical shape having an opening 20 for loading laundry on one side (specifically, the front side), and a base 1b disposed at the lower part of the housing 1 A pair of left and right support legs 21L and 21R erected on the inner bottom surface (see also FIG. 1) (however, only the left support leg 21L in FIG. 3 is shown in FIG. 2) As above, it is elastically supported while maintaining a posture in which the axis is inclined.
Each of the support legs 21L and 21R includes a damper 22 having an upper end attached to the water tank 2, and a metal damper support base 23 disposed on the inner bottom surface of the bottom base 1b. The lower end portion of the damper 22 is attached to the upper surface 23 a of the damper support base 23.

Such support legs 21L and 21R are arranged corresponding to positions in the rotation direction of the drum 3 to be described later. For this purpose, the upper end portions of the dampers 22 constituting the support legs 21L and 21R are attached to different positions in the circumferential direction of the water tank 2.
On the front surface 1 a of the housing 1, a laundry inlet 11 is formed at a position facing the opening 20 of the water tub 2, and the inlet 11 is closed by a lid 10 from the start of laundry washing to the end of dehydration. Has been. A space between the inlet 11 and the opening 20 is liquid-tightly sealed by a bellows 12.
The water tank 2 accommodates the drum 3 so that water can pass therethrough.

The drum 3 is a bottomed cylindrical body having a slightly smaller diameter than the water tank 2, is coaxial with the water tank 2, and is supported so as to be rotatable in its circumferential direction. The drum 3 has an opening 30 at a position facing the opening 20 of the water tank 2. For this reason, the laundry put in from the insertion port 11 of the housing 1 passes through the opening 20 of the water tub 2 and the opening 30 of the drum 3 and is accommodated in the drum 3.
A liquid balancer 34 is provided at the periphery of the opening 30 of the drum 3 to suppress vibration in the radial direction of the rotating drum 3.

The center of the bottom wall of the drum 3 is coaxially connected to a rotation output shaft of a drive motor 33 fixed to the center of the bottom wall of the water tank 2. The drive motor 33 operates continuously or intermittently when washing or dehydrating the laundry. At this time, due to the transmission from the drive motor 33, the drum 3 rotates in one direction or the other direction inside the water tank 2 (that is, forward rotation or reverse rotation). Such a drive motor 33 functions as a rotation drive unit in the embodiment of the present invention.
A plurality of small holes 31, 31,... Are formed through the entire surface of the peripheral wall and the bottom wall of the drum 3, and a plurality of baffles 32, 32, along the axial length direction are formed on the inner surface of the drum 3. ... but projecting out evenly in the circumferential direction. However, in FIG. 2, only a part of the small holes 31, 31,... And one baffle 32 are illustrated.

  The average rotation speed of the drum 3 when washing the laundry is lower than the average rotation speed of the drum 3 when dewatering the laundry. For this reason, when washing laundry, the laundry accommodated in the drum 3 is stirred together with the washing water, including lifting by the baffles 32, 32,. To be washed. On the other hand, when the laundry is dehydrated, the laundry accommodated in the drum 3 rotates while being pressed against the peripheral wall of the drum 3 as the drum 3 rotates. At this time, the laundry is dehydrated by the centrifugal force resulting from the rotation of the drum 3.

Here, when the number of rotations of the drum 3 when washing the laundry is equal to that when the laundry is dehydrated, the case where the laundry 62 is accommodated is more than the case where the laundry 61 is accommodated in the drum 3. Abnormal vibration of the drum 3 is likely to occur. This is because if the distribution range of the laundry 3 in the rotation direction of the drum 3 is narrow (that is, the laundry is biased), the overall center of gravity of the drum 3 cannot be determined, and therefore the rotation of the drum 3 is eccentric. This is because the vibration in the radial direction of the drum 3 increases.
Further, if the ease of biasing the laundry is the same, abnormal vibration is more likely to occur when the initial weight is heavy than when the initial weight is light. This is because a heavy laundry has a greater influence on the radial vibration of the drum 3 than a light laundry.

Therefore, when the laundry 62 having a heavy initial weight is accommodated in the drum 3, the occurrence rate of abnormal vibration is the highest, and when the laundry 61 having a light initial weight is accommodated in the drum 3, the abnormal vibration is the most. The incidence of is low. On the other hand, when the laundry 62 having a light initial weight or the laundry 61 having a heavy initial weight is accommodated in the drum 3, the occurrence rate of abnormal vibration is moderate.
As shown in FIG. 2, the inside of the drum 3 communicates with the inside of the water tank 2 through small holes 31, 31,... Formed in the drum 3. For this reason, the wash water stored in the water tank 2 flows freely through the small holes 31, 31,...

A pipe line through which washing water flows in and out is connected to the lower part of the peripheral wall of the water tank 2. The pipe line is a water pipe 51 having a bellows pipe 52 in the middle, a filter device 53, and a drain pipe 55 having a drain valve 54. And a return pipe 58 provided with a circulation pump 56.
More specifically, in the opening formed in the peripheral wall near the bottom wall of the water tank 2 that is the lowest position of the water tank 2, the upstream end of the water conduit 51 that leads the washing water out of the water tank 2 is liquid-tight. It is connected.
The bellows tube 52 absorbs vibration generated with the rotation of the drum 3. Therefore, propagation of this vibration to each part (for example, filter device 53) on the downstream side of the water conduit 51 is suppressed.

The filter device 53 includes a filter case 531 and a lint filter 532.
The filter case 531 is fixedly supported by the front lower part inside the housing 1.
The lint filter 532 is a lattice-shaped member formed by arranging rectangular filter cells vertically and horizontally, and is detachably housed inside the filter case 531.
The downstream end of the water conduit 51 is liquid-tightly connected to the opening formed in the upper part of the filter case 531. For this reason, a part of the washing water stored in the water tank 2 naturally flows into the filter device 53.

  The washing water flowing into the filter device 53 is filtered by the lint filter 532. At this time, the lint contained in the washing water adheres to the lint filter 532.

  The upstream end of the drain pipe 55 laid along the inner bottom surface of the bottom base 1b is liquid-tightly connected to the opening formed in the lower portion of the filter case 531. The drain valve 54 provided in the middle of the drain pipe 55 is normally closed, is opened at the start of drainage, and is closed again at the end of drainage. The drain valve 54 is configured to be opened and closed when the drain motor 57 is operated. When the drain valve 54 is opened, the washing water filtered by the lint filter 532 passes through the drain pipe 55 and is washed. It is discharged outside the machine 8 (for example, sewer). As a result, the washing water stored in the water tank 2 is discharged. Such a drain valve 54 functions as a drain part in the embodiment of the present invention.

  A circulation pump 56 is attached to the rear end portion of the filter case 531, and the upstream end portion of the return pipe 58 is liquid-tightly connected to the discharge port of the circulation pump 56. The circulation pump 56 operates continuously or intermittently when washing laundry. During the operation of the circulation pump 56, the washing water filtered by the lint filter 532 is sucked into the circulation pump 56, pressurized, and discharged. The discharged washing water is sent to the return pipe 58.

The return pipe 58 extends upward along the water tank 2, and is liquid-tightly connected to the upper front side of the water tank 2 so that the opening at the downstream end faces the inside of the drum 3. For this reason, the wash water discharged by the circulation pump 56 is sent to the water tank 2 through the return pipe 58. At this time, washing water pours from the downstream end of the return pipe 58 into the drum 3. That is, the washing water in the drum 3 is circulated again into the drum 3 through the water tank 2 and the filter device 53.
When the drain valve 54 is closed and the circulation pump 56 is not operating, the washing water that has flowed into the filter device 53 is stored in the filter case 531 without flowing out of the filter case 531.

A water supply port 13 connected to a water pipe (not shown) is provided at the rear of the top surface of the housing 1 (see also FIG. 1). The water supply port 13 is connected to the upper opening of the water tank 2 through a water supply pipe 15 provided with a water supply valve 14 in the middle.
The water supply valve 14 is normally closed and opened at the start of water supply, and continues to be opened during water supply. At this time, washing water is supplied from the water pipe to the water tank 2 through the water supply port 13, the water supply valve 14, and the water supply pipe 15. And at the end of water supply, the water supply valve 14 is closed again. Such a water supply valve 14 functions as a water supply part in embodiment of this invention.
It is also possible to arrange a detergent case in the middle of the water supply pipe 15 so that an appropriate amount of detergent is introduced into the water tank 2 together with the water supply.

Further, the housing 1 incorporates two left and right weight detection units 73L and 73R (however, only the left side weight detection unit 73L in FIG. 3 is shown in FIG. 2).
Since the configuration of the weight detection unit 73L and the configuration of the weight detection unit 73R are the same, the configuration of the weight detection unit 73L will be described below.

  The weight detection unit 73L is disposed between the damper 22 constituting the support leg 21L and the inner bottom surface of the bottom base 1b. More specifically, the weight detection unit 73L includes a strain gauge and a circuit unit for detecting the electrical resistance value of the strain gauge, and the strain gauge supports the dampers constituting the support legs 21L and 21R. It is arranged between the upper table 231 and the lower table 232 of the table 23. The change in the electrical resistance value of the strain gauge corresponds to the change in the weight applied to the strain gauge. Therefore, the detection result of the weight detection unit 73L indicates the weight applied to the weight detection unit 73L.

  Here, not only the weight of the laundry housed in the drum 3 (hereinafter referred to as the laundry weight) but also the weight of the water tub 2, the drum 3, the damper 22 and the like are applied to the weight detection units 73L and 73R. The Therefore, when the laundry is not stored in the drum 3, the drum 3 is not rotating, and the water tank 2 is not storing water, the detection results of the weight detection units 73L and 73R are zero points. It is corrected. As a result, the weight newly applied to the weight detection units 73L and 73R, that is, the laundry weight can be obtained based on the detection results of the weight detection units 73L and 73R.

The added value of the detection results of the weight detection units 73L and 73R detected when the drive motor 33 is not operating, that is, when the drum 3 is not rotating indicates the laundry weight. In particular, the weight of the laundry before being supplied to the drum 3 is the weight of the laundry itself (that is, the initial weight of the laundry).
On the other hand, when the drive motor 33 is not operating, that is, when the drum 3 is rotating, the weight applied to the weight detection units 73L and 73R falls to the peripheral wall under the drum 3 by stirring, for example. Includes impact load of laundry.
In the present embodiment, the weight detectors 73L and 73R are arranged below the support legs 21L and 21R. That is, each of the weight detection units 73L and 73R is arranged corresponding to a different position in the rotation direction of the drum 3.

The washing machine 8 may include three or more support legs. In this case, the weight detectors may be provided on all the support legs provided in the washing machine 8, or the weight detectors may be provided only on two or more of the support legs. In addition, the weight detection unit is not limited to the configuration arranged on the support leg as long as the weight detection unit is arranged corresponding to the position where the rotation direction of the drum 3 is different.
FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control system of the washing machine 8.
The control unit 70 is a control center of the washing machine 8, uses a RAM (not shown) as a work area, controls each part of the apparatus according to a computer program and data stored in a ROM (not shown), and executes various processes.

The storage unit 75 includes, for example, a readable / writable nonvolatile semiconductor memory, and the storage unit 75 stores first to third dehydration data 751 to 753 described later. A configuration in which part or all of the data stored in the storage unit 75 is stored in the above-described ROM may be employed.
The control unit 70 is given the operation result of the operation unit 71 by the user and the detection results of the weight detection units 73L and 73R.

The control unit 70 controls the operation of each of the drum 3, the water supply valve 14, the drain valve 54, the circulation pump 56, and the display unit 72 according to a given operation result or detection result. However, the control unit 70 indirectly controls the operation of the drum 3 by directly controlling the operation of the drive motor 33, and directly controls the operation of the drain motor 57 by controlling the operation of the drain motor 54. Control the operation indirectly.
When the laundry is to be dehydrated, the control unit 70 starts rotating the drum 3 that is not rotating at a low rotation speed and gradually increases the rotation speed (so-called startup). The drum 3 is continuously rotated at a high rotation speed required for the dehydration (hereinafter referred to as dehydration rotation speed) until the laundry is completely dehydrated. In general, the rotational speed at the time of starting up the drum 3 increases stepwise.

  Before starting the dehydration of the laundry, the control unit 70 in the present embodiment reads one of the first to third dehydration data 751 to 753 stored in the storage unit 75, and according to the read data The rotation of the drum 3 by the drive motor 33 is controlled.

  More specifically, when the first dehydration data 751 is followed, the control unit 70 continues to rotate the drum 3 at the average first rotation speed for the first rotation time, and the second dehydration data 752 (or the third dehydration data 752). When the dewatering data 753) is followed, the drum 3 is continuously rotated at the average second rotation speed for the second rotation time (or at the average third rotation speed for the third rotation time). Here, the first rotation speed, the second rotation speed, and the third rotation speed are given rotation speeds increasing in this order, and the first rotation time, the second rotation time, and the third rotation time are It is a given rotation time that becomes shorter in order.

  That is, when the first dewatering data 751 is followed, the control unit 70 continues to rotate the drum 3 at a low speed for a long time, and when the second dewatering data 752 is followed, the control unit 70 causes the drum 3 to be medium at a medium speed. When the rotation is continued for a time and the third dehydration data 753 is followed, the drum 3 is continuously rotated at a high speed for a short time.

  For this reason, when the laundry stored in the drum 3 is the same, when the drum 3 rotates based on the first dehydration data 751, the abnormal vibration of the drum 3 hardly occurs, but the time required for the dehydration When the drum 3 rotates based on the third dehydration data 753, abnormal vibration of the drum 3 is most likely to occur, but the time required for dehydration is the shortest. When the drum 3 rotates based on the second dehydration data 752, the ease of occurrence of abnormal vibration of the drum 3 and the length of time required for dehydration are the same as when the first dehydration data 751 is used. 3 based on the dehydration data 753 of 3.

  In the present embodiment, the difference in the rotation mode of the drum 3 when the control unit 70 follows any of the first to third dewatering data 751 to 753 covers the entire dewatering process from the start to the end of the dewatering. . That is, the rotational speed of each stage at the start-up and the dehydration rotation speed are in the order of the case according to the first dehydration data 751, the case according to the second dehydration data 752, and the case according to the third dehydration data 753. The rotation time increases and the rotation time during which the drum 3 continues to rotate at the rotation speed becomes shorter in proportion to the rotation speed.

If abnormal vibration of the drum 3 occurs mainly at the time of startup, the rotation speed and rotation time at the time of startup differ as described above, but the dehydration rotation speed and the rotation time related to the dehydration rotation speed are different. The configuration may be the same regardless of which of the first to third dehydration data 751 to 753.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a procedure of washing and dehydration processing executed in the washing machine 8. When the power of the washing machine 8 is turned on, the control unit 70 executes washing and dehydration processing.
A user who desires to wash the laundry opens the insertion slot 11 of the washing machine 8 to input the laundry, and then closes the insertion slot 11. Further, the user gives an operation start instruction to the washing machine 8 by operating the operation unit 71.

The control unit 70 determines whether or not the operation result of the operation unit 71 indicates a driving start instruction (S11). When the operation unit 71 is not operated, or the operation result is other than the driving start instruction (for example, (Instructions indicating operating conditions such as the amount of washing water or the number of times of washing) (NO in S11), the process of S11 is repeatedly executed.
When the operation result of the operation unit 71 indicates an operation start instruction (YES in S11), the control unit 70 acquires the detection results of the weight detection units 73L and 73R at this time (S12), and acquires them. The initial weight of the laundry is calculated by adding the two detection results (S13). The control unit 70 that executes the processes of S12 and S13 functions as the non-rotating acquisition unit and the weight calculation unit in the embodiment of the present invention.

Since the rotation of the drum 3 and the supply of the washing water are not performed at the time when the process of S12 is executed, the initial weight of the laundry calculated in S13 is accurate.
After the process of S13 is completed, the control unit 70 starts rotating the drum 3 to stir the laundry stored in the drum 3 (S14). In addition, when the process of S14 is performed, the drum 3 may rotate in one direction, and may rotate forward and reverse alternately. Further, after the process of S13 is completed, the process after S14 may be executed after performing the bias elimination operation.
Here, the initial weight of the laundry 61 shown in FIG. 3A and the initial weight of the laundry 62 shown in FIG. 3B are the same. However, the laundry 61 is a laundry that is not easily biased, and the laundry 62 is a laundry that is easily biased.

For this reason, the laundry 61 stirred by the rotation of the drum 3 is scattered and dropped in a wide portion of the drum 3 in the rotation direction. At this time, the impact load (white arrow in FIG. 3A) of the laundry 61 applied to the weight detectors 73L and 73R is substantially equal.
On the other hand, the laundry 62 stirred by the rotation of the drum 3 is concentrated and dropped on a narrow portion in the rotation direction of the drum 3. At this time, the impact load (white arrow in FIG. 3B) of the laundry 61 applied to the weight detectors 73L and 73R is significantly different.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5, the control unit 70 acquires the detection results of the weight detection units 73L and 73R at this time while the drum 3 is rotating (S15), and then the drum 3 Is finished (S16). The control unit 70 that executes the process of S15 functions as the during-rotation acquisition unit in the embodiment of the present invention.
Further, the control unit 70 subtracts the detection result of the weight detection unit 73L from the detection result of the weight detection unit 73L, and calculates the difference between the detection results of the weight detection units 73L and 73R by obtaining the absolute value of the subtraction result. (S17).

The control unit 70 may be configured to acquire each detection result a plurality of times in S15 and execute the processing in S17 using the average value or the mode value of the acquired detection results. Further, the control unit 70 rotates the drum 3 forward to execute the processes of S14 to S17, and then reversely rotates the drum 3 to execute the processes of S14 to S17, thereby obtaining the obtained two differences. The average difference may be used in subsequent processing.
After the process of S17 ends, the control unit 70 executes a bias ease estimation process (see FIG. 6) (S18).
FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the details of the bias ease estimation processing procedure executed by the washing machine 8.

The control unit 70 determines whether or not the initial weight calculated in S13 shown in FIG. 5 is equal to or greater than a given predetermined weight (S31). For example, when the rated weight of the washing machine 8 is 10 kg, 5 kg is used as the predetermined weight.
When the initial weight of the laundry is equal to or greater than the predetermined weight (YES in S31), the control unit 70 determines whether or not the difference calculated in S17 is equal to or greater than a given predetermined threshold (S32).
When the difference between the detection results of the weight detection units 73L and 73R is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold (YES in S32), the control unit 70 estimates that the laundry is heavy and easily biased laundry 62 (S33). Next, the control unit 70 reads the first dehydration data 751 from the storage unit 75 according to the estimation result (S34).

When the difference between the detection results of the weight detection units 73L and 73R is less than the predetermined threshold (NO in S32), the control unit 70 estimates that the laundry is the laundry 61 that is heavy and difficult to bias (S35). Next, the control unit 70 reads out the second dehydration data 752 from the storage unit 75 according to the estimation result (S36).
On the other hand, when the initial weight of the laundry is less than the predetermined weight (NO in S31), the control unit 70 determines whether or not the difference calculated in S17 is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold in the same manner as the process of S32. (S37).

When the difference between the detection results of the weight detection units 73L and 73R is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold (YES in S37), the control unit 70 estimates that the laundry is the laundry 62 that is light and easily biased (S38). Next, the control unit 70 moves the process to S36, and reads the second dehydration data 752 from the storage unit 75 according to the estimation result.
When the difference between the detection results of the weight detection units 73L and 73R is less than the predetermined threshold (NO in S37), the control unit 70 estimates that the laundry is the laundry 61 that is light and difficult to bias (S39). Next, the control unit 70 reads out the third dehydration data 753 from the storage unit 75 according to the estimation result (S40).

After the process of S34, S36, or S40 is completed, the control unit 70 ends the bias ease estimation process and returns to the washing and dehydrating process shown in FIG. Thereafter, the control unit 70 moves the process to S19 described later.
The control unit 70 that executes the processing of S17, the processing of S32 and S37 shown in FIG. 6, and the processing of S33, S35, S38, and S39 functions as the width / width estimation means in the embodiment of the present invention.
Note that the control unit 70 may be configured to execute the subsequent processes while omitting the processes of S33, S35, S38, and S39.

As shown in FIG. 5, the control unit 70 controls the water supply valve 14 to supply a sufficient amount of washing water necessary for washing laundry to the aquarium 2 (S19). Therefore, the control unit 70 opens the water supply valve 14 and closes the water supply valve 14 when it is detected by a transition detection unit (not shown) that the water level of the water tank 2 has reached a predetermined water level or higher.
After the process of S19 is completed, the control unit 70 performs laundry by controlling each unit (S20). In S17, for example, the control unit 70 causes the display unit 72 to display that the laundry is being washed. Further, the control unit 70 operates the drive motor 33 and the circulation pump 56, respectively.

At this time, the washing water stored in the water tank 2 flows into the drum 3 through the small holes 31, 31,... And the washing water is injected from the return pipe 58. The laundry accommodated in the drum 3 is washed by the rotation of the drum 3.
After the processing of S20 is completed, the control unit 70 discharges the washing water from the aquarium 2 by controlling the drain motor 57 and thus the drain valve 54 (S21). For this reason, the control unit 70 opens the drain valve 54 and performs processing when a predetermined time has elapsed since the drain valve 54 was opened, that is, when the amount of water stored in the water tank 2 falls below a predetermined amount. Move to S22.

The controller 70 dehydrates the laundry by controlling each unit (S22). In S17, for example, the control unit 70 causes the display unit 72 to display that the laundry is being dehydrated. Further, the control unit 70 drives according to the first dehydration data 751 read out in S34 shown in FIG. 6, the second dehydration data 752 read out in S36, or the third dehydration data 753 read out in S40. The motor 33 and thus the drum 3 are operated.
After the process of S22 ends, the control unit 70 closes the drain valve 54 and then ends the washing and dehydrating process. Note that the processes of S19 to S22 may be repeatedly executed a plurality of times. In addition, when the washing machine 8 has a drying function, a laundry drying process may be performed after the washing and dehydration processing is completed.

  In the present embodiment, the laundry uses four types of laundry, that is, a heavy and easily biased laundry 62, a heavy and easily biased laundry 61, a lightly easily biased laundry 62, and a light and easily biased laundry 61. However, it is not limited to this. For example, the laundry uses two types of predetermined weights, the laundry 62 being heavy and easily biased, the laundry 61 being heavy and difficult to bias, the laundry 62 being easily biased at a medium weight, and the laundry being easily biased at a medium weight. It may be classified into six types: an article 61, a laundry 62 that is light and easily biased, and a laundry 61 that is light and difficult to bias.

  In this case, the control unit 70 is provided with the first to fourth dehydration data. At this time, the first rotation speed of the first dehydration data, the second rotation speed of the second dehydration data, the third rotation speed of the third dehydration data, and the fourth rotation speed of the fourth dehydration data are The first rotation time of the first dehydration data, the second rotation time of the second dehydration data, the third rotation time of the third dehydration data, and the fourth rotation time of the fourth dehydration data are: It becomes shorter in this order.

Then, the heavy and easily biased laundry 62 is dehydrated using the first dehydration data, and the heavy and difficult to wash laundry 61 and the moderately heavy laundry 62 are dehydrated using the second dehydration data. Using the third dehydration data, the laundry 61 that is moderately hard to bias and the laundry 62 that is lightly biased are dehydrated, and the light 61 that is not easily biased is dehydrated using the fourth dehydration data. .
Alternatively, the laundry uses two predetermined thresholds and is heavy and easily biased laundry 62, heavy and moderately biased laundry 61, heavy and easily biased laundry 61, lightly easily biased laundry 62, and lightly biased laundry 62. It may be classified into six types, that is, a laundry 62 having a medium ease and a laundry 61 that is light and difficult to bias.

In addition, the control unit 70 in the present embodiment is configured to control the rotation of the drum 3 when the laundry is dehydrated based on the calculation result of the weight calculation unit and the estimation result of the wide and narrow estimation unit. It is not limited to this. For example, the control unit 70 determines the rotation of the drum 3 when washing the laundry, rinsing the laundry, and / or performing the bias eliminating operation, the calculation result of the weight calculation means, and the estimation of the width estimation means. It may be configured to control based on the result.
The washing machine 8 as described above can efficiently wash and dehydrate the laundry in a short time while suppressing the occurrence of abnormal vibration, regardless of the initial weight and easy bias of the laundry. In addition, because the user does not have to select the washing course by operating the operation unit 71, the convenience for the user can be improved.

Embodiment 2. FIG.
FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a procedure of washing and dehydration processing executed by the washing machine 8 according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.
The hardware configuration of the washing machine 8 in the present embodiment is the same as the hardware configuration of the washing machine 8 in the first embodiment. In the following, differences from the first embodiment will be described, and other parts corresponding to the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof will be omitted.
The washing and dehydrating process shown in FIG. 7 corresponds to the washing and dehydrating process shown in FIG. 5 of the first embodiment. When the power of the washing machine 8 is turned on, the control unit 70 executes the washing and dehydrating process. To do.

After the process of S13 ends, the control unit 70 executes the processes of S19 to S21. That is, the processing of S14 to S18 shown in FIG. 5 is not executed between the processing of S13 and the processing of S19.
After the process of S21 is completed, the control unit 70 executes the processes of S51 to S55. The processing of S51 to S55 is the same as the processing of S14 to S18 shown in FIG. However, the predetermined weight and the predetermined threshold used in the bias ease estimation process executed in S55 may be different from the predetermined weight and the predetermined threshold used in the bias ease estimation process executed in S18.
After the process of S55 ends, the control unit 70 executes the process of S56. The process of S56 is the same as the process of S22 shown in FIG.

As described above, in the first embodiment, the process of S15 is performed before the process of S19 is performed, that is, before the water supply unit supplies water, but in the present embodiment, the process of S21 is performed. And before performing the process of S56, ie, after completion | finish of the drainage by a drainage part, and before a dehydration start, the process of S52 is performed.
This is because the laundry before the water supply unit supplies water (that is, the laundry that has not absorbed water before washing) and the laundry after the drainage by the drainage unit and before the start of dehydration (that is, immediately before the dehydration) This is because there is a possibility that the bias is different from that of the laundry in the state of water absorption.

For example, even if the thickness, size, initial weight, and the like are the same, laundry in which water absorption is good or bad or water draining is different has a different weight in the state of water absorption just before dehydration. Specifically, the weight of laundry with good water absorption and poor drainage is heavier than the weight of laundry with poor water absorption and good drainage. Such a difference in weight affects the degree of ease of biasing the laundry.
That is, since the washing machine 8 in the present embodiment considers the tendency to bias immediately before dehydration rather than the tendency to bias before washing, the occurrence of abnormal vibration during dehydration can be more reliably suppressed.

Note that the weight of the laundry immediately before dehydration may be used instead of the initial weight of the laundry. In this case, the processing of S12 and S13 shown in FIG. 7 may be executed between the processing of S21 and the processing of S51, not between the processing of S11 and the processing of S19. However, at this time, it is necessary to use a numerical value larger than the predetermined weight used in the bias ease estimation process executed in S18 as the predetermined weight used in the bias tendency estimation process executed in S55.
In addition, the washing machine 8 suppresses the occurrence of abnormal vibration during washing according to the initial weight of the laundry and the ease of bias before washing, and the initial weight (or weight immediately before dehydration) of the laundry and immediately before dehydration. A configuration that suppresses the occurrence of abnormal vibration during dehydration according to the tendency to bias is also possible.

The embodiment disclosed this time is to be considered as illustrative in all points and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is not intended to include the above-described meanings, but is intended to include meanings equivalent to the claims and all modifications within the scope of the claims. For example, the embodiment of the present invention is not limited to an oblique drum type washing machine, and may be a vertical drum type or a horizontal drum type.
Moreover, as long as there exists an effect of this invention, the component which is not disclosed by embodiment may be contained in the washing machine 8. FIG.

14 Water supply valve (water supply part)
2 Water tank 3 Drum 33 Drive motor (rotary drive)
54 Drain valve (drainage section)
70 Control unit (non-rotating acquisition means, weight calculation means, rotating acquisition means, wide / narrow estimation means)
73L, 73R Weight detector 8 Washing machine 61, 62 Laundry

Claims (5)

A drum in which the laundry is stored;
A water tank accommodating the drum so that water can pass through;
A water supply unit for supplying water to the drum and the water tank;
A rotation drive for rotating the drum;
A control unit for controlling rotation of the drum by the rotation driving unit;
A plurality of weight detectors, each of which is arranged at a different position in the rotation direction of the drum, and detects the weight of the laundry accommodated in the drum,
A washing machine for washing and dewatering the laundry by rotating the drum after water supply by the water supply unit;
Non-rotation acquisition means for acquiring the detection results of each of the weight detection units when the rotation drive unit is not operating;
Based on the detection result acquired by the non-rotating acquisition means, weight calculation means for calculating the weight of the laundry stored in the drum,
When the rotation drive unit is operating, an acquisition means during rotation that acquires the detection results of the weight detection units,
Based on the detection result acquired by the during-rotation acquisition means, the width estimation means for estimating the width of the distribution range of the laundry in the rotation direction,
The washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the controller controls the rotation of the drum in accordance with a calculation result of the weight calculation means and an estimation result of the wide and narrow estimation means. The wide and narrow estimation means includes:
Means for calculating a difference between detection results acquired by the acquisition means during rotation;
The washing machine according to claim 1, further comprising means for estimating that the distribution range is narrow (or wide) when the difference calculated by the means is large (or small).   The control unit indicates that the calculation result of the weight calculation means indicates that the laundry is heavy (or light), and the estimation result of the wide and narrow estimation means indicates that the distribution range is narrow (or wide). In this case, when the laundry is dehydrated, the rotation speed of the drum is decreased (or increased), and the time during which the drum continues to rotate at the rotation speed is increased (or decreased). The washing machine according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by the above.   The acquisition of the detection results of each of the weight detection units by the non-rotating acquisition unit and the during-rotation acquisition unit is performed before the water supply unit supplies water. A washing machine according to any one of the above. A drainage part for draining from the water tank;
The acquisition of the detection results of each of the weight detection units by the during-rotation acquisition unit is performed after completion of drainage by the drainage unit and before the start of dehydration. The washing machine according to any one of the above.

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