JP2014239808A - Washing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a washing machine which detects the degree of reattachment of fiber and color washed off from laundry to laundry without requiring a user to determine, and which can suppress blackening of clothes by suppressing reattachment of fiber and color washed off from laundry to the laundry when determined to be necessary.SOLUTION: A washing machine includes: a washing tub 3 which rotates with laundry accommodated therein; an outer tub 2 which accommodates the washing tub 3; a water supply port 9 for supplying water to the washing tub 3 and the outer tub 2 via a water supply valve 10 by being connected to the water service; a motor 4 for driving the washing tub 3; and a color sensor 16 installed on a rear surface of a front end wall of the outer tub 2 and reading a color of the laundry put into the washing tub 3.

Description

  The present invention comprises a washing tub that can accommodate and rotate laundry in an elastically supported outer tub, and is a washing machine that performs washing, rinsing and dehydration of the laundry in the washing tub, in particular a drum-type washing machine or The present invention relates to a drum type washing and drying machine having a drying function.

  In the drum type washing machine, after the laundry is put into the washing tub, tap water is supplied from the outside of the washing machine by the water supply means, and the washing tub is accommodated through a detergent container in which a predetermined amount of detergent has been put in advance. Water is poured into the outer tub or washing tub. After pouring water, rotate the washing tub at low speed, wet the laundry sufficiently with the washing liquid, and then rotate the washing tub for a certain period of time so that the laundry does not stick to the wall of the washing tub. Washing is performed by removing dirt by the impact when the laundry falls from the top of the washing tub as it rotates.

  In particular, in a drum-type washing machine, the amount of water supply is reduced so that the laundry does not float on the washing liquid because the laundry is dropped from the upper part of the washing tub to remove dirt, so that the entire laundry can be fully immersed. There is no water amount of the liquid, and the washing liquid is circulated up and down the washing tub using a circulation pump and discharged toward the laundry as a circulation shower to uniformly permeate the washing liquid.

  Since the amount of water at the time of washing is small in this way, in a drum-type washing machine, fibers, discoloration and dirt that are raised from the laundry are likely to adhere to the laundry again, which may cause darkening of clothing. is there. In particular, color migration and fiber adhesion are conspicuous from colored clothing.

  For this reason, it has been devised to install a color sensor at the bottom of the washing machine water tank to detect a change in the color of the washing liquid and to perform drainage and notification when a color fading sign is detected. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1).

JP-A-3-224595

  However, in such a conventional configuration, since it is necessary to embed the color sensor in the washing liquid, it is necessary to maintain the detection accuracy from the washing liquid mixed with the detergent in a completely waterproof state. There is a problem that the maintainability is poor due to the installation at the bottom.

  The present invention solves the above-described conventional problems, and detects the degree of reattachment of fibers and discoloration to the laundry without the need for the user to judge, and only when it is judged necessary. An object of the present invention is to provide a washing machine capable of suppressing redeposition of fibers and discoloration of clothes and suppressing darkening of clothing.

  A washing tub that accommodates and rotates laundry, an outer tub that accommodates the washing tub, a water supply port that is connected to water and supplies water to the washing tub and the outer tub via a water supply valve, and the washing tub A motor to be driven and a color sensor that is installed on the back surface of the front end wall of the outer tub and reads the color of the laundry to be put into the washing tub.

  Thus, the color can be read every time the laundry is put into the washing tub.

  The washing machine of the present invention detects the color of clothes put into the washing machine, identifies clothes that are highly likely to increase darkness, and only in that case can take a process that is less likely to cause darkening. it can.

Schematic configuration diagram of a drum-type washing machine in an embodiment of the present invention The flowchart which shows control of the washing process of the drum type washing machine in an embodiment of the invention. The figure of the circulation pump control during washing by the amount of clothes at the time of reattachment suppression setting in an embodiment of the invention

  A washing machine according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a washing tub that accommodates and rotates laundry, an outer tub that accommodates the washing tub, and a water supply valve that connects to the wash water and the outer tub via a water supply valve. And a motor for driving the washing tub, and a color sensor that is installed on the back surface of the front end wall of the outer tub and reads the color of the laundry put into the washing tub.

  By this, it is possible to check the ratio of the color of the laundry from the color of the laundry put into the washing tub, and when it is determined that there is a large amount of color in the laundry, a setting for performing control to suppress reattachment It can be.

  In the washing machine according to a second aspect of the present invention, the color sensor according to the first aspect of the present invention is installed above the back surface of the front end wall of the outer tub toward the inside of the washing tub, and the laundry is put into the washing tub. By detecting the color every time it is located around the bottom of the laundry, it is possible to detect the color of each laundry and accurately determine the proportion of the laundry color.

  A washing machine according to a third aspect of the present invention recognizes the color reading of the laundry by the color sensor according to the first aspect of the invention when the clothes put into the washing tub pass in front of the color sensor. What is performed is that when the laundry is put into the washing tub, the color of the laundry is detected, so that the color of each laundry can be detected and the proportion of the color of the laundry can be accurately determined.

  A washing machine according to a fourth aspect of the present invention recognizes the color reading of the laundry by the color sensor according to the second or third aspect of the invention by bringing the clothes put into the washing tub close to the color sensor. By putting the laundry close to the color sensor and detecting the color before putting the laundry into the washing tub, the color of each laundry is accurately detected and the proportion of the color of the laundry is accurately determined. Can be judged well.

  A washing machine according to a fifth aspect of the present invention recognizes the color of the laundry passing through the front of the color sensor by rotating the laundry tub several times for the color reading of the laundry by the color sensor of the second invention. It is not necessary to put the laundry into the washing tub one by one, and the color sensor reads the color of the laundry while the laundry is rotating evenly in the washing tub. The ratio of colored objects can be determined with high accuracy.

  When the washing machine according to the sixth aspect of the present invention determines that the color of the laundry is dark by the color sensor of any one of the first to fifth aspects, the amount of water in at least one of the washing step and the rinsing step is determined. This is a control to increase more than usual, the concentration of the fibers that have melted in the previous process, the washing liquid containing a lot of discoloration and stains will decrease, and the fibers, discoloration and stains will not reattach to the laundry. Therefore, darkening of clothing can be suppressed.

  A washing machine according to a seventh aspect of the present invention is the washing machine according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, wherein the water tank is connected to the outer tub and into which the washing liquid enters, and the water inlet and one end communicate with each other. A circulation path configured to guide to a discharge port opened in the direction of the washing tub, and a circulation pump that takes the washing liquid into the circulation path and discharges the washing liquid from the discharge port into the washing tub. When the color sensor determines that the color of the laundry is dark, at least one of the washing process and the rinsing process is performed to control the circulation water amount of the washing liquid by the circulation pump to be less than usual. As a result, it is possible to prevent the clothes from being darkly attached to the laundry without being actively applied to the laundry as a shower, and the washing solution containing a large amount of discolored fibers and stains dissolved in the process.

(Embodiment 1)
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments.

  FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of a washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes an outer box of the entire washing machine, in which an outer tub 2 is disposed, and an outer tub. A drum 3 as a washing tub is disposed inside 2 so as to be rotatable by a rotating shaft slightly inclined from the horizontal direction. The drum 3 has a motor 4 connected to the back surface, and the drum 3 is rotated by the rotation of the motor 4. The drum 3 is provided with a plurality of water holes on the outer peripheral surface, and functions as a washing tub, a dewatering tub, and a drying tub.

  A water intake 5 is connected to the lowest part of the outer tub 2 and is connected to a drain valve 6. The drain valve 6 is connected to a drain pipe 7.

  The water intake 5 is provided with a water level sensor 8 which is a water level detecting means for detecting the water level supplied to the outer tub 2 and the drum 3. The water level sensor 8 is installed at a position that reacts immediately after the start of water supply, and detects the water level by detecting, for example, the pressure applied to the diaphragm as a deformation of the membrane. As a method for detecting the deformation of the diaphragm, a change in capacitance or a strain gauge is used.

  The water supply port 9 is connected to the water supply, and the outer tub 2 and the drum 3 are sequentially filled with water via the water supply valve 10.

  Further, a circulation path 12 connected to the discharge port 11 for discharging the washing liquid taken in from the water intake port 5 to the drum 3 is connected between the water intake port 5 and the drain valve 6, and fills the outer tub 2 and the drum 3. The washing liquid is circulated. If the uptake of water into the circulation path 12 is performed by using the circulation pump 13, the washing liquid can be circulated by the circulation path 12 only by controlling the circulation pump 13. It can be circulated irrespective of the cleaning control that controls the normal cleaning power.

  The bottom of the outer tub 2 is provided with a warm water heater 14 as a heating means such as a sheathed heater, and has a function of heating the washing liquid and washing the laundry in the drum 3 with warm water.

  If a lot of foreign matter such as laundry fibers or hair is contained during the circulation of the washing liquid, the circulation pump 13 or the drain pipe 7 may be clogged. Therefore, a filter 15 is installed at the end of the water intake 5 for washing. Try to remove foreign matter such as fiber and hair.

The color sensor 16 is installed on the upper back surface of the outer tub 2 with the sensor surface facing the inside of the drum 3, and reads the color of the laundry put into the drum 3. The configuration of the color sensor 16 includes voltage output values CR and C depending on the color densities of the white LED for light projection and the RGB (red green blue) for detection of reflected light.
A color can be accurately detected even in the dark drum 3 in combination with a color detection sensor constituted by a photodiode with a color filter that changes G and CB. By installing the color sensor 16 on the upper rear surface of the outer tub 2, it is not necessary to be completely waterproofed even if the water level in the drum 3 is high, and the sensor surface is directed from above to the drum 3. Therefore, the laundry put in the drum 3 can be sensed stably.

  The control means 17 is constituted by a microcomputer or the like, and inputs a water level detection signal from the water level sensor 8 to open / close the drain valve 6 and the water supply valve 10, control the motor 4, the circulation pump 13 and the hot water heater 14. By doing so, control of all the washing steps is performed. Furthermore, a cloth amount detecting means for detecting a current signal flowing through the motor 4 and a rotation angle to determine the weight of the drum 3, that is, the weight of the laundry, and the cloth quality of the laundry based on the water level detected by the water level sensor 8 and the process time. It also has a function as a cloth quality detecting means for determining whether or not.

  Next, the operation of the washing machine of the present embodiment will be described with reference to the control flowchart of FIG. 2 and FIG.

  When the washing machine is turned on, the control means 17 periodically reads data from the color sensor 16 as a voltage value (S1). When the laundry is put in, the RGB voltage output values CR, CG, CB of the color sensor 16 change. If all of the RGB voltage output values are large, the clothing is close to bright white. Since the voltage output values CR, CG, and CB of the color sensor 16 change every time the laundry is put in, all of them are averaged and stored as an average value CT.

  When the laundry has been put into the washing machine and the "start" button is pressed to start washing (YES in S2), the control means 17 first determines whether the average value CT of the color sensor is smaller than the threshold value C1. If it is smaller than C1 (S3), it is determined that there is a large amount of color in the laundry (YES in S3), and the control for suppressing reattachment is performed (S4).

  Next, the control means 17 detects the amount of laundry (S5). The detection of the amount of laundry relates to at least one motor operation such as the magnitude of the current signal of the motor 4 when the drum 3 is rotated together with the laundry by controlling the motor 4, and the change in the amount of current and the rotation angle. This is done by detecting information.

  The basic water supply amount and washing time are determined based on the amount of laundry (S6). For example, when it is determined that the amount of laundry is “small”, the “low” water level is set as the set water level, and the washing time is set as the set time A1. When it is determined that the amount of laundry is “medium”, the “medium” water level is set as the set water level, and the washing time is set as the set time A2. When it is determined that the amount of laundry is “large”, the “high” water level is set as the set water level, and the washing time is set as the set time A3.

  Next, the control means 17 opens the water supply valve 10 (S7), and starts water supply.

  In the water supply, if the control means 17 controls the circulation pump 13 to circulate the detergent water supplied together with the detergent from the discharge port 11 to the outer tub 2 via the circulation path 12, the detergent water is supplied to the detergent water. Melting can be promoted. In this case, if the circulating water is discharged from the discharge port 11 into the drum 3, the laundry absorbs the water before the detergent dissolves in the water. It is necessary to control to the extent that it does not.

  When the set water level is reached (YES in S8), the water supply valve 10 is closed (S9), and the initial water supply process is terminated.

  Next, the control means 17 controls the motor 4 and starts stirring while rotating the drum 3 at a low speed (S10). The rotational speed of the drum 3 is applied to the wall surface of the drum 3 by centrifugal force so that the laundry is lifted in the drum 3 and falls by gravity from the upper part of the drum 3 and the kinetic energy at the time of dropping is effectively applied. However, it is preferably 60 rpm or less, depending on the amount of laundry. The rotation direction may be the same direction or periodically switched.

  During the stirring of the drum 3, the circulation pump 13 is driven so that the washing liquid passes through the circulation path 12, and the washing liquid is circulated into the drum 3 through the circulation path 12 from the discharge port 11 to the laundry. Improve the wettability by applying a laundry solution with detergent.

  When one minute has passed since the activation of the circulation pump 13, the control means 17 stops the circulation pump 13 and stops the circulation of the washing liquid. When one minute has elapsed since the circulation pump 13 was stopped, the circulation pump 13 is again driven for one minute (S11).

  When the circulation pump 13 is repeatedly driven and stopped to agitate the drum 3, the laundry absorbs water and the water level decreases. Therefore, the control means 17 opens the water supply valve 10 and sets the water level to the set water level. Supply the shortage again.

  When 6 minutes have elapsed from the start of drum stirring, the control means 17 energizes the hot water heater 14 to start heating the washing water, and ends heating when a predetermined heating time has elapsed. The predetermined heating time may be set by the user at the start of washing, or may be set by the control means 17 judging from the amount of laundry.

  Further, if the set time A of the washing process has not elapsed (NO in S12), the stirring operation of the drum 3 and the operation of the circulation pump 13 are repeated.

  After the set time A has elapsed (YES in S12), when it is set to perform control for suppressing reattachment (YES in S13), that is, when it is determined that the laundry has a large amount of color, the circulation pump 13 is decreased (S14), and the water flow from the discharge port 11 is weakened by decreasing the circulation flow rate of the washing liquid.

  Thereafter, the stirring operation of the drum 3 and the operation of the circulation pump 13 are repeated, and if the set time B has elapsed (YES in S15), the washing process is terminated, and the next rinsing and dehydration processes are started.

  The set time B is set longer than the set time A set according to the amount of laundry, may be a fixed time, or may be a predetermined time added to the set time A. For example, in FIG. 3, the set time A is set to 20 minutes, the set time A2 is set to 30 minutes, and the set time A3 is set to 40 minutes depending on the amount of laundry, and the set time B is set to 15 for each set time A. It is assumed that minutes are added.

  As described above, the color sensor is installed on the upper back surface of the outer tub with the sensor surface facing the inside of the drum, and the color of the laundry put into the drum is read. If it is determined that there is a lot of color in the laundry, as a setting to control re-adhesion, the rotation speed of the circulation pump should be lowered in the second half of washing. As a result, the textile melted by the first half of the washing process, washing liquid containing a large amount of discoloration and dirt is not actively applied to the laundry as a shower, and dirt does not easily reattach to the laundry. Blackening can be suppressed.

Further, in the above embodiment, the color of the laundry is read by the color sensor every time the clothes are put into the drum. However, the color sensor is installed outside the washing machine, and one piece of clothes is placed. If the color is read by moving it closer or pressed one by one and then the garment is put into the drum, the color reading error in the color sensor can be reduced and the color of the garment can be determined more finely. Can do.

  In the above embodiment, the color of the laundry is read by the color sensor every time the clothes are put into the drum. The drum is rotated several times after all the laundry is put into the drum. If the value read by the color sensor facing the inside of the drum is taken as the average value of the color of the laundry, the user does not have to worry about reading the color by the color sensor, and during normal washing operations The ratio of the color of laundry can be determined.

  In the above-described embodiment, the amount of circulating water by the circulation pump is reduced in the second half of washing that performs control to suppress redeposition. However, the circulation pump may not be operated in the second half of washing. This eliminates the need to pour circulating water on the laundry in the second half of the wash, so the laundry liquid that contains a lot of dirt that has melted up to the first half of the washing process does not apply to the laundry as a shower. Dirt is less likely to adhere again, so darkening of clothing can be suppressed.

  In the above embodiment, the amount of water circulated by the circulation pump is controlled in the second half of the washing for controlling the reattachment, but the amount of water may be increased in the second half of the washing. This reduces the overall concentration of the fibers that have melted by the first half of the washing process, and the washing liquid that contains a large amount of discoloration and dirt, and prevents the fibers, discoloration and dirt from reattaching to the laundry. it can.

  In addition, although the configuration of the washing machine in each of the above embodiments has been described with a drum-type washing machine having a rotating shaft in which the washing tub is inclined from the horizontal direction, the washing machine has a drum-type washing machine having a rotating shaft in the horizontal direction. Even if the washing tub is a vertical washing machine having a vertical rotation axis, the same effect as described above can be obtained.

  As described above, the washing machine according to the present invention can be applied to applications such as a cleaning device for fibers and the like because the cleaning performance can always be stably obtained by suppressing reattachment to fibers and discoloration.

1 Outer box 2 Outer tub 3 Drum (washing tub)
4 Motor 5 Water intake 6 Drain valve 7 Water distribution pipe 8 Water level sensor 9 Water supply port 10 Water supply valve 11 Discharge port 12 Circulation path 13 Circulation pump 14 Hot water heater 15 Filter 16 Color sensor 17 Control means (cloth amount detection means, cloth quality detection means )

Claims (7)

A laundry tub that accommodates and rotates laundry;
An outer tub for accommodating the washing tub;
A water supply port connected to water and supplying water to the washing tub and the outer tub through a water supply valve;
A motor for driving the washing tub;
A washing machine comprising a color sensor that is installed on the back surface of the front end wall of the outer tub and reads the color of the laundry to be put into the washing tub. The washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the color sensor is installed above the back surface of the front end wall of the outer tub toward the inside of the washing tub. 2. The washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the color of the laundry is read by the color sensor by recognizing when clothes put into the washing tub pass in front of the color sensor. The washing machine according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the color of the laundry is read by the color sensor by recognizing clothing put in the washing tub close to the color sensor. The washing machine according to claim 2, wherein the color of the laundry is read by the color sensor by recognizing the color of the laundry passing in front of the color sensor by rotating the washing tub several times. The laundry according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein when the color sensor determines that the color of the laundry is dark, the amount of water in at least one of the washing step and the rinsing step is controlled to be greater than usual. Machine. A water intake port connected to the outer tub and into which washing liquid enters;
A circulation path configured to guide the discharge port and one end thereof in communication with each other and provided in the outer tub and opened in the washing tub direction;
A circulation pump for taking the washing liquid into the circulation path and discharging the washing liquid into the washing tub from the discharge port;
If it is determined by the color sensor that the color of the laundry is dark, at least one of the washing step and the rinsing step, control is performed to reduce the amount of washing water circulated by the circulation pump from a normal level. The washing machine according to Item 1.

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