JP2013070831A - Washing and drying machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a washing and drying machine allowing a user to set a washing time or a rinsing frequency without causing the user to be confused in operations or to perform complicated operations.SOLUTION: A washing and drying machine includes: an outer frame; an outer tank installed inside the outer frame; a washing tub rotatably supported inside the outer tank, for accommodating the laundry; a pulsator rotatably installed on an inside bottom part of the washing tub; a motor for rotationally driving the pulsator and the washing tub; and a heater for heating air. The machine rotates the washing tub and/or the pulsator while allowing an air blower to deliver air heated by the heater into the washing tub. The machine comprises: voice input means to which voice uttered by a user is inputted; voice recognition means which recognizes the voice inputted to the voice input means; and control means which sets a washing time or a rinsing frequency according to the result recognized by the voice recognition means.

Description

  The present invention relates to a washing / drying machine that recognizes voice and sets the contents of washing in accordance with a user's instruction.

  Conventionally, a washing machine is provided with a plurality of courses in advance, and a user performs washing by setting a washing condition at a user's judgment by operating a switch button.

  On the other hand, as washing machines equipped with voice recognition, techniques such as the following Patent Documents 1 and 2 have been proposed.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-7777 JP 2002-355486 A

  In the conventional washing machine, including the washing machines described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 above, even when a predetermined course is selected from a predetermined course, the user himself / herself determines the amount and type of clothing at that time, Each process such as washing, rinsing, and dehydration must be finely set with buttons, increasing the number of operations and making it complicated.

  In addition, the finish that the user wants to adjust from the default course is mostly abstract. For example, in the case of `` Standard course, but want to be gentle because it wants to prevent pain '', how much washing time, dehydration time etc. If set, the user cannot determine whether the laundry at that time will be “soft”.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and its purpose is to allow the user to set the washing time or the number of times of rinsing without being bothered by the operation or performing a complicated operation. It is to provide a dryer.

  To achieve the above object, the present invention provides an outer frame, an outer tub elastically supported in the outer frame, a washing tub that is rotatably installed in the outer tub and accommodates laundry, A pulsator that is rotatably installed at the inner bottom of the washing tub, a motor that rotationally drives the pulsator and the washing tub, a heater that heats air, and air heated by the heater is blown into the washing tub by a blower. In a washing and drying machine that performs a drying process of drying the laundry by rotating the washing tub and / or pulsator while sending warm air and agitating the laundry, a voice uttered by the user is input. Voice input means, voice recognition means for recognizing the voice input to the voice input means, and control for setting the washing time or the number of times of rinsing according to the result recognized by the voice recognition means It provided the stage.

  Preferably, the laundry includes a measuring means for measuring the amount of laundry and a measuring means for measuring the quality of the laundry in order to determine suitable conditions for the abstract voice demands of the user's course. And the number of times of washing and the number of times of rinsing are set according to the state and the content input by voice.

  When such a setting is made, this is output by voice.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, even if a user is not confused by operation or performing complicated operation, the washing dryer which can set the washing time or the frequency | count of a rinse can be provided. Since the operation at the time of course adjustment becomes easy, it is possible for even visually impaired users and elderly people to wash to a desired finish, and to save energy and save water by driving according to the laundry.

It is an external view of a washing dryer. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is a schematic diagram which shows the washing-drying machine which is one embodiment of invention longitudinally. It is an external view showing the structural component regarding the speech recognition of the washing and drying machine. It is a chart figure explaining the mechanism of voice recognition.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is an external view of a washing / drying machine according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a washing / drying machine according to an embodiment of the present invention in a longitudinal section.

  Reference numeral 1 denotes a rectangular cylindrical outer frame constituting the outer shell. Reference numeral 2 denotes a washing and dewatering tub, which has a small hole 2a for water passage and ventilation on its peripheral wall, a fluid balancer 3 on its upper edge, and a stirring blade 4 on the inside of the bottom for rotation. To do. The stirring blade 4 has a small hole 4a for water flow and ventilation. Reference numeral 5 denotes an outer tub containing the washing / dehydrating tub 2. The drive device 6 is attached to the outside of the bottom portion by a steel plate mounting base 7 and is engaged with the four corners of the upper end portion of the outer frame 1. The anti-vibration support device 8 supports the outer tub 5 so as to be suspended from the center of the outer frame 1 by suspending the outer tub 5 evenly from four directions.

  The drive device 6 includes a drive motor, an electric operation clutch mechanism, and a planetary gear speed reduction mechanism, and rotates the stirring blade 4 with the washing / dehydrating tub 2 stationary (stirring mode), thereby stirring the washing / dehydrating tub 2 and the stirring / dehydrating tub 2. Each of the blades 4 is rotated in the opposite direction (washing mode) and has a selective driving function of rotating the washing / dehydrating tub 2 and the stirring blade 4 integrally in the same direction (dehydration / drying mode).

  The top cover 9 formed with the outer garment insertion port 9a is fitted into the opening edge so as to cover the upper opening of the outer frame 1, and is attached to the outer frame 1 together with the front panel 10 and the back panel 11 with mounting screws.

  A front panel box 12, which is a front storage portion formed between the top cover 9 and the front panel 10, includes a power switch 13, an operation panel 14 including an input switch group and a display element group, A water level sensor 15 for generating a water level signal corresponding to the water level and a control unit 16 are incorporated. These constitute a control device.

  A back panel box 17, which is a rear housing portion formed between the top cover 9 and the back panel 11, contains washing water supply means (described later) side by side.

  The washing water supply means is constituted by a main water supply electromagnetic valve 20 having a water inlet side connected to a faucet connection port 18 and a water outlet side connected to a water injection port 19.

  The water injection port 19 passes through the bottom of the top cover 9 and the rear portion of the outer tub upper cover 28 of the outer tub 5 and opens into the upper opening of the washing and dewatering tub 2. The water injection port 19 has a flexible tube 19 a interposed between the bottom of the top cover 9 and the outer tub upper cover 28.

  The hot air circulation drying means is formed so as to extend vertically from the suction port 5a formed on the lower side wall of the outer tub 5 along the outer wall surface on the rear side of the outer tub 5, and from the suction port 5a. A water-cooled dehumidifying duct 23 that is a dehumidifying air passage section that dams the infiltrated washing water, and a cooling water spraying section 24 that is located in the upper part of the water-cooled dehumidifying duct 23 and is a water-cooled dehumidifying means that supplies cooling water to the duct A descending air duct 25 that is a descending air duct portion that is folded back at a position higher than the water level of the outer tub 5 in the washing process and extends vertically along the outer wall surface of the outer tub 5 toward the lower side of the outer tub 5. A circulation fan 26 that is disposed in a space below the outer tub 5 and sucks air from the descending air duct 25 into the suction port to generate circulated air, and from the outlet of the circulation fan 26 to the outer tub 5. Vertically upward along the outer wall A heating means for heating the circulating air sent from the rising air duct duct 27 installed on the ascending air duct duct 27 which is an upward air duct portion extending to the outer tank 5 and the outer tank upper cover 28 attached to the upper end portion of the outer tank 5 A heater (PTC heater) 29 is incorporated, and a blow-in port 30 for blowing the heated circulating air into the washing and dewatering tub 2 is provided.

  The water-cooled dehumidifying duct 23, the descending air duct 25 and the ascending air duct 27 constituting the circulation air path are arranged on the outer wall surface on the rear side of the outer tank 5 in the circumferential direction of the outer tank 5 and a part thereof The back cover 1a that is integrally molded with the tank 5 and mounted, and covers the outside of the tank 5 is configured to bulge outward and is screwed.

  In addition, a humidity sensor 40 and a first temperature sensor 41 are installed in the descending air duct 25, and a second temperature sensor 42 is installed in the air passage on the downstream side of the air inlet 30 and the heater 29. In order to accurately detect the humidity and temperature of the circulating air dehumidified in the water-cooled dehumidifying duct 23, the humidity sensor 40 and the first temperature sensor are mixed after the water-cooled dehumidified circulating air is well mixed and uniform. Therefore, the humidity sensor 40 and the first temperature sensor 41 are installed in the lower part of the descending air duct 25 far from the water-cooled dehumidifying duct 23 or in the inlet casing 26 c of the circulation fan 26. Further, the humidity sensor 40 and the first temperature sensor 41 are set at an installation position where they are exposed when the back cover 1a is removed so as to be convenient for maintenance work.

  The outer garment insertion port 9a formed on the top cover 9 is covered with an outer lid 31 attached to the top cover 9 by a hinge 31a so as to open in half (mountain fold) so as to be openable and closable. The inner clothing input port 28a formed in the tank upper cover 28 is configured to be freely opened and closed by an inner lid 32 attached to the outer tank upper cover 28 by a hinge 32a.

  A drain port 5 b formed at the bottom of the outer tub 5 is connected to a drain hose 34 via a drain electromagnetic valve 33. The air trap 5 c is connected to the water level sensor 15 through the air tube 35. At the lower end edge of the outer frame 1, a base 37 made of synthetic resin with legs 36 attached to the four corners is attached.

  Reference numeral 43 denotes a microphone constituting the voice input means, which is judged by the control means 44. As shown in FIG. 4, the speech recognition determination method is performed by analysis by the acoustic analysis unit 45, converted into information useful for speech recognition, and output by the recognition decoder 46. The recognition decoder 46 uses an acoustic model 47 converted into data by acoustic analysis, a dictionary 48 that records the adjustment contents of each course, and a rule grammar 49 for responding to the user's spoken instructions. Voice recognition is made that the content is related to the course of the washing machine, and the result is output by the speaker 50. Further, the control means 44 determines the washing / rinsing / dehydrating time according to the recognition result based on the recognition result of the voice instructed from the predetermined course contents and the quantity and quality of the laundry cloth detected by the sensor. Change the number of times.

  The operation of this embodiment will be described below.

  When the user puts the laundry into the washing and dewatering tub 2 and wants to adjust the course, the user presses the voice recognition start button 51 to give an instruction. For example, when the voice of “standard course gentleness” is uttered, the control means 44 determines the content of the instruction, and the speaker 50 outputs “standard course gentleness” as a voice. If there is an output different from the instructed one, or if it is desired to correct it, the voice recognition start button 51 is pressed again to produce a voice. If there is no problem, the normal start button 52 is pressed.

  After that, the amount of detergent and the amount and quality of the cloth are sensed by the sensor, and the washing / rinsing / dehydration time in the normal setting course is displayed by blinking the LED lamp on the operation panel 14, but a few seconds later, Change the number lighting position of each process according to the instructions. By doing so, it can be confirmed that the default course has been changed by an instruction, and since no separate parts are used for display, it is possible to reduce the number of parts and to prevent the appearance from being complicated.

  In the above-described instruction content, “standard course gentleness” is used, but other courses are also provided, and adjustment contents can be instructed collectively for washing, rinsing, and dehydration. At this time, the dictionary 48 has many vocabularies for recognizing instructions for expressing adjustments such as “gentle” and “careful”. Therefore, the dictionary included in the control means 44 has a corresponding amount of information. In addition, the instruction method is manualized in accordance with the rule grammar 49, and a word having a predetermined adjustment content is selected and used.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Outer frame 2 Washing and dewatering tank 4 Stirring blade 5 Outer tank 5a Suction port 6 Drive device 16 Control unit 19 Water injection port 20 Main water supply electromagnetic valve 21 Detergent dissolution container 22, 22a Auxiliary water supply electromagnetic valve 23 Water cooling dehumidification duct 24 Cooling water spraying part 25 Down air duct 26 Circulation fan 27 Up air duct 28 Outer tub upper cover 29 Heater 38 Overflow pipe 39 Emergency drainage structure 40 Humidity sensor 41 First temperature sensor 42 Second temperature sensor 43 Microphone 44 Control means 45 Acoustic analysis section 46 Recognition decoder 47 Acoustic model 48 Dictionary 49 Rule grammar 50 Speaker 51 Speech recognition start button 52 Start button

Claims (4)

  An outer frame, an outer tub elastically supported in the outer frame, a rotatable tub installed in the outer tub, a laundry tub for storing laundry, and a rotatable tub installed on the inner bottom of the laundry tub A pulsator, a motor for rotating the pulsator and the washing tub, a heater for heating air, and the air heated by the heater while sending warm air into the washing tub with a blower In a washing / drying machine that executes a drying process of drying the laundry by rotating the agitating operation of stirring the laundry, voice input means for inputting a voice uttered by a user, and input to the voice input means A washing / drying machine comprising: voice recognition means for recognizing the received voice; and control means for setting the washing time or the number of times of rinsing according to the result recognized by the voice recognition means.   In Claim 1, it has a measuring means which measures the quantity of the laundry, and a measuring means which measures the quality of the laundry, According to the result measured by these measuring means and the result recognized by the voice recognition means And the control means sets the washing time or the number of times of rinsing.   The washing / drying machine according to claim 1, further comprising voice output means for outputting a result recognized by the voice recognition means.   4. The washing / drying machine according to claim 3, wherein when the washing time or the number of times of rinsing is set according to the result recognized by the voice recognition means, the contents are outputted by the voice output means.