JP2021137246A - Washing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a washing machine which provides a washing method matching use frequency of a user, and which exhibits expected washing performance.SOLUTION: A washing machine 100 includes: operation display means 6 including operation means 10 for selecting and inputting a mode of an operation course and the like and a variety of functions, and display means 8 for displaying the input information and the like; user specifying means 1 for specifying a user of the washing machine 100; and control means 47 for exchanging information with the operation display means 6, the user specifying means 1 and the like, and sequentially controlling each step of washing, rinsing, dewatering and the like. The control means 47 displays the display content according to the user specified by the user specifying means 1 on the display means 8.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

The present disclosure relates to a washing machine.

Patent Document 1 discloses a washing machine that reduces the number of operations required and improves operability in order to make it easier for the user to find an operation button that he / she wants to operate. The washing machine has a liquid crystal panel, a transparent plate arranged on the liquid crystal panel and having a transparent electrode on the back surface, and a touch panel display unit and a touch panel display unit that are operated by touching the transparent plate with a finger. The touch panel display unit has a plurality of course touch buttons for designating a preset washing and drying operation sequence, and the control means is included in the plurality of course touch buttons on the liquid crystal panel. It displays the course touch buttons extracted from.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2014-33764

The present disclosure provides a washing machine with easy operability, which can provide a display and a function according to the frequency of use of each user by determining the user.

The washing machine in the present disclosure includes an operation display means having an operation means for selecting and inputting a mode such as a driving course and various functions and a display means for displaying the input information, and a user who identifies a user of the washing machine. The control means includes a control means that exchanges information with the operation display means, the user identification means, and the like, and sequentially controls each process such as washing, rinsing, and dehydration, and the control means identifies the user. The display contents corresponding to the user specified by the means are displayed on the display means.

The washing machine in the present disclosure can provide a washing method according to the frequency of use of each user, facilitate operability, and can sufficiently exhibit the washing performance expected by the user.

External view of the washing machine according to the first embodiment Longitudinal section of the washing machine according to the first embodiment Main block circuit diagram of the washing machine according to the first embodiment FIG. 6 is an example of a washing machine operation display means according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is an example of a washing machine operation display means according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is an example of a washing machine operation display means according to the first embodiment. External view of the washing machine according to the second embodiment Longitudinal section of the washing machine according to the second embodiment Main block circuit diagram of the washing machine according to the second embodiment FIG. 6 is an example of a washing machine display means in another embodiment.

(Findings, etc. that form the basis of this disclosure)
At the time when the inventors came up with the present disclosure, when the user turned on the power and pressed, for example, the first input means, the "Random" course was lit, and each time the button was pressed, the "shirt" and "" There was a technique to switch the course between "house cleaning" and "blanket" courses.

In addition, the user can set a favorite course. The water level can be set according to the amount of laundry you want to wash with the water amount button, and the course can be set by setting the washing time with the wash button, the number of rinses with the rinse button, and the dehydration time with the dehydration button.

However, in the conventional configuration, the operation is complicated, and if the mother (housewife) who does the laundry on a daily basis, there will be no problem, but for the father or the child who does the laundry only occasionally, the laundry that he / she wants to wash. On the other hand, it is very difficult to choose which course or set the time, and there is a problem that the desired washing performance cannot be obtained.
□ Therefore, this disclosure can provide a washing method according to the frequency of use of each user by judging the user by voice input or the like, facilitating operability, and achieving the washing performance expected by the user. Provide a washing machine that can be fully exerted.

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, more detailed explanation than necessary may be omitted. For example, detailed explanations of already well-known matters or duplicate explanations for substantially the same configuration may be omitted. This is to avoid unnecessarily redundant explanations below and to facilitate the understanding of those skilled in the art.

It should be noted that the accompanying drawings and the following description are provided for those skilled in the art to fully understand the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the subject matter described in the claims.

(Embodiment 1)
Hereinafter, the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6.

[1-1. composition]
[1-1-1. Washing machine configuration]

In FIGS. 1 and 2, in the washing machine 100, the water tank 32 is elastically supported in the main body 31 so as to be swingable, and a rotary drum 33 formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape is arranged in the water tank 32, and the shaft thereof. It is rotatably supported by tilting the center direction downward from the front side to the back side. A clothing entrance / exit 34 leading to the opening end of the rotating drum 33 is formed on the front side of the water tank 32, and an opening provided on an upwardly inclined surface formed on the front surface of the front frame 35 forming the front side of the main body 31. By opening the door 39 that opens and closes the 36, the laundry in the rotating drum 33 can be taken in and out through the clothes entrance / exit 34. Further, the door 39 is locked by a door lock device (not shown) provided on the front frame 35 side during operation so as not to open, and the door 39 can be inserted into the hook insertion hole 21 on the door lock device side. By inserting the hook 20 on the door 39 side, the door 39 is locked in the closed state.

A large number of through holes 40 leading into the water tank 32 are formed on the peripheral surface of the rotary drum 33, and the rotary drum 33 is rotationally driven in the forward and reverse directions by a motor 41 attached to the back surface side of the water tank 32. NS. Further, a water injection pipe line 42 and a drainage pipe line 43 are connected to the water tank 32 by piping, and water is injected and drained into the water tank 32 under the control of the water supply valve 44 and the drainage valve 45.

An operation display means 6 for the user to select a mode such as a driving course or various functions is arranged between the upper part of the front frame 35 on the front surface of the main body 31 and the top plate 27 on the upper part of the main body 31. , The operation is input from the operation means 10 of the operation display means 6, and is displayed by the display means 8 based on the input information to notify the user.

At the lower left side of the operation display means 6, the detergent charging case 26 is arranged on the front frame body 35 so that the detergent charging case 26 can be pulled out forward.

Further, a vibration damper 30 for elastically supporting the water tank 32 so as to be swingable is provided between the lower side surface of the water tank 32 and the main body 31.

Further, a voice input means 2 is provided next to the operation display means 6, which will be described in detail later in FIG.

Further, a control means 47 is arranged below the main body 31, and the motor 41, the water supply valve 44, the drain valve 45, the door lock device, and the like are provided based on the information from the user specifying means 1 described later. Control, and sequentially control each process such as washing, rinsing, and dehydration.

When washing clothes, first, the door 39 is opened, the laundry is put into the rotating drum 33, the door 39 is closed and the operation is started, and the door 39 is locked in the closed state by the door lock device. The water supply valve 44 opens, water is supplied into the detergent charging case 26, a predetermined amount of water is injected into the water tank 32 through the water injection pipe 42 while flowing the detergent in the detergent charging case 26, and the motor 41 rotates. The drum 33 is rotationally driven to start the washing process. The laundry in the washing step is washed by repeating the stirring operation of lifting and dropping in the rotation direction by the rotation of the rotating drum 33.

Then, after the required washing step, the drain valve 45 is opened, the dirty washing liquid is discharged from the drain pipe line 43, and the washing liquid contained in the laundry is dehydrated by the dehydration operation of rotating the rotating drum 33 at high speed. After that, water is injected into the water tank 32 through the water injection pipe 42, and the rinsing step is carried out. Also in this rinsing step, the washing is performed by repeating the stirring operation by the rotation of the rotating drum 33 on the laundry. Then, it shifts to the dehydration process.

When the dehydration step is completed, the door lock device unlocks the door 39, so that the door 39 can be opened and the laundry in the rotating drum 33 can be taken out.

[1-1-2. Configuration of user identification means]
In FIG. 3, when the washing machine 100 is used, for example, a mother, a father, and a child who are users of the washing machine 100 are registered in the user voice storage means 4 of the user identification means 1.

For this purpose, each person's voice signal is registered in the user voice storage means 4 by using the microphone which is the voice input means 2. For example, a specific word corresponding to each person such as "mother", "father", and "child" is registered by voice.

Next, set and register each user's driving course by selecting from the default driving course or selecting the washing time, rinsing frequency, dehydration time, etc. according to the usage frequency of each user. I will do it.

For this, the operation means 10 of the operation display means 6 is operated, and the setting is set and registered while observing the display of the display means 8.

When actually driving, when the registered specific word is uttered by voice, it is input to the voice input means 2, and the voice signal analyzed by the voice analysis means 3 and the voice signal registered in the user voice storage means 4 are input. The comparison is performed, and the comparison result is output by the voice comparison means 5.

Based on the comparison result, the user is specified and the driving course is displayed on the display means 8 of the operation display means 6. Therefore, if the display content is acceptable, the user throws in laundry, detergent, etc. and starts the operation. do. The display content determining means 7 determines the display content according to the specified user, and the operation content determining means 9 determines the operation content and the function according to the specified user. be.

In the above, a specific word is used according to the user, but a method of recognizing the user's voice itself and determining the word may be used.

[1-2. Action, action]
The operation and operation of the washing machine 100 configured as described above will be described.

For example, when the user is determined to be the mother by the user identifying means 1, as shown in FIG. 4 (a), the content registered in the operation display means 6 is "the number of operations is the first." The course is displayed on a screen in which the "many" touch button 66 is located in the center, the "second most frequently driven" touch button 65 is located on the left side, and the "other course" touch button 67 is located on the right side.

When the "most frequently driven" touch button 66 is selected, the screen transitions to (b) and the standard course is selected. The "Random" touch button 57a is set in the center of the screen, and the course is set in your own way. The screen has a total of three touch buttons, with the "my style" touch button 57b on the left side of the screen and the "other course" touch button 57c that summarizes the other courses on the right side of the screen.

Then, when the "Random" course is selected, the screen transitions to (c), and touch buttons indicating each process time are arranged as setting buttons, and in order from the left side of the screen, "washing" touch button 59a indicating the washing time, rinsing. A "rinse" touch button 59b indicating the number of times and a "dehydrating" touch button 59c indicating the dehydration time are arranged.

In addition, a touch button indicating other detailed settings in operation is arranged at the bottom of the screen, a "water level" touch button 60a indicating a water level setting method, a "bath water" touch button 60b indicating whether or not to use bath water, and a touch button 60b. A "reservation" touch button 60c for whether or not to perform reserved operation is arranged as a setting button.

Here, for example, if you want to change the washing time, touching the "washing" touch button 59a causes a screen transition to (d), which can be set with the "washing" slide button 61, and with the "OK" touch button 62. Can be decided and changed.

For example, when the user is determined to be a father by the user identifying means 1, as shown in FIG. 5, the "Random" touch button 11 and the "Muddy" touch button 12 registered in the operation display means 6 By displaying the course of the "other course" touch button 22, the course can be easily selected and washed.

For example, when the user is determined to be a child by the user identification means 1, as shown in FIG. 6, the "washing mode" touch button 14 registered in the operation display means 6 is only "washing", and the course. Can be washed more easily by displaying only the "Random" touch button 13.

In the present embodiment, the operation is performed by the touch panel method, but the operation is not limited to this, and for example, a method provided with a button for lighting and blinking the LED and a segment liquid crystal display may be used.

[1-3. Effect, etc.]
As described above, in the present embodiment, the washing machine 100 has an operation display means 6 having an operation means 10 for selecting and inputting a mode such as a driving course and various functions, and a display means 8 for displaying the input information and the like. A control that sequentially controls each process such as washing, rinsing, and dehydration by exchanging information with the user identifying means 1 that identifies the user of the washing machine 100, the operation display means 6, the user identifying means 1, and the like. The control means 47 includes means 47, and the control means 47 displays the display contents corresponding to the user specified by the user identification means 1 on the display means 8.

As a result, it is possible to provide a washing method according to the frequency of use of each user, facilitate operability, and sufficiently exhibit the washing performance expected by the user.

Further, in the present embodiment, the washing machine 100 has an operation display means 6 having an operation means 10 for selecting and inputting a mode such as a driving course and various functions and a display means 8 for displaying the input information and the like, and washing. A user identifying means 1 that identifies the user of the machine and a control means 47 that exchanges information with the operation display means 6 and the user identifying means 1 and sequentially controls each process such as washing, rinsing, and dehydration. The control means 47 is limited to the washing function according to the user specified by the user specifying means 1.

As a result, it is possible to provide a washing method according to the frequency of use of each user, facilitate operability, and sufficiently exhibit the washing performance expected by the user.

As in the present embodiment, the user identification means 1 is registered in the voice input means 2 composed of a microphone or the like, the user voice storage means 4 in which the user's voice is registered in advance, and the user voice storage means 4. The user may be specified based on the result of comparison by the voice comparison means 5 including the voice comparison means 5 for comparing the voice input and the voice input to the voice input means 2.

This makes it possible to identify the user by voice, thereby providing a washing method according to the frequency of use of each user, facilitating operability, and sufficiently satisfying the washing performance expected by the user. Can be demonstrated.

As in this embodiment, the user's voice may be a specific word.

This makes it possible to identify the user with a specific word, thereby providing a washing method according to the frequency of use of each user, facilitating operability, and washing performance expected by the user. Can be fully demonstrated.

(Embodiment 2)
Hereinafter, the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 to 9. It is the same as the first embodiment except for the configuration provided with the user identifying means different from that of the first embodiment, and the same reference numerals are given to the same parts to omit the description.

[2-1. composition]
In FIGS. 7 and 8, an image recognition means 16 is provided next to the operation display means 6, which will be described in detail in FIG.

Further, a control means 77 is arranged below the main body 31, and the motor 41, the water supply valve 44, the drain valve 45, the door lock device, and the like are provided based on the information from the user specifying means 15 described later. Control, and sequentially control each process such as washing, rinsing, and dehydration.

[2-2. motion]
In FIG. 9, when the washing machine is used, the user of the washing machine, for example, a mother, a father, and a child are registered in the user image storage means 18 of the user identification means 15 in advance.

For this purpose, an image recognition means 16 such as a camera is used, and an image of each person's face is registered in the user image storage means 18.

Next, set and register each user's driving course by selecting from the default driving course or selecting the washing time, rinsing frequency, dehydration time, etc. according to the usage frequency of each user. do.

For this, the operation means 10 of the operation display means 6 is operated, and the setting is set and registered while observing the display of the display means 8.

When actually driving, when the registered user's face image is exposed in front of the image recognition means 16, the face image and the user image storage means 18 that are input to the image recognition means 16 and analyzed by the image analysis means 17 are used. The face images registered in are compared, and the comparison result is output by the comparison means 19.

Based on the comparison result, the user is specified and the driving course is displayed on the display means 8 of the operation display means 6. Therefore, if the display content is acceptable, the user throws in laundry, detergent, etc. and starts the operation. do.

As in the first embodiment, the display content determining means 7 determines the display content according to the specified user, and the operation content determining means 9 determines the display content according to the specified user. It determines the operation content and function.

In the present embodiment, the user is specified by the face image, but the user may be specified not only by the face image but also by an image other than the user's face such as the user's fingerprint or the iris.

[2-3. Effect, etc.]
As described above, in the present embodiment, the washing machine 200 uses the image recognition means 16 composed of a camera or the like and images of the user's physical features such as the user's face, fingerprint, and iris registered in advance. A person image storage means 18 and an image analysis means 17 for comparing and analyzing an image registered in the user image storage means 18 and an image recognized by the image recognition means 16 are provided, and the result of analysis by the image analysis means 17 is obtained. Based on this, the user is identified.

Thereby, the washing machine 200 can identify the user by the image, thereby providing a washing method according to the frequency of use of each user, facilitating operability, and expected by the user. It is possible to fully demonstrate the washing performance.

(Other embodiments)
Hereinafter, other embodiments will be described with reference to FIG. The display units different from those of the first and second embodiments are the same as those of the first and second embodiments, and the same reference numerals are given to the same parts, and the description thereof will be omitted.

As described above, Embodiments 1 and 2 have been described as examples of the techniques disclosed in this application. However, the technique in the present disclosure is not limited to this, and can be applied to embodiments in which changes, replacements, additions, omissions, etc. have been made. It is also possible to combine the components described in the first and second embodiments to form a new embodiment.

Therefore, other embodiments will be illustrated below.

In the first and second embodiments, the operation display means will be described by taking the use of a liquid crystal panel as an example.

However, the operation display means is not limited to the liquid crystal panel, and the display means is also a useful means in a washing machine equipped with only LEDs and a washing machine using a segment liquid crystal display whose display contents cannot be changed. ..

As shown in FIG. 10, those washing machines have a course list on the course display unit 20, and by pressing the course selection button 21, the course selection contents are changed to 20a, 20b, and 20c in order.

In addition, a means is taken in which the selected course is arranged directly below and the LED is turned on to recognize the selected course. By specifying the user as in the first and second embodiments, the order of the courses selected by pressing the course selection button can be easily changed by prioritizing them such as 20a, 20d, and 20h. It becomes possible to operate.

In addition, depending on the user, it is possible to provide a simpler operation by limiting the course or function. At that time, the LED is turned on for the courses and functions that can be used, and the LED is blinked for the selected course. Alternatively, it is also an effective means for improving the visibility to increase or decrease the brightness of the LED depending on the course or function that can be used and the selected course.

The present disclosure is applicable to a washing machine that identifies a user by voice input or the like. Specifically, the present disclosure is applicable to vertical washing machines, drum-type washing machines, and the like.

1 User identification means 2 Voice input means 3 Voice analysis means 4 User voice storage means 5 Voice comparison means 6 Operation display means 8 Display means 9 Operation content determination means 10 Operation means 15 User identification means 16 Image recognition means 17 Image analysis Means 18 User image storage means 19 Comparison means 31 Main body 32 Water tank 33 Rotating drum 36 Opening 39 Door 41 Motor 44 Water supply valve 47 Control means 77 Control means 100 Washing machine 200 Washing machine

Claims (6)

An operation display means having an operation means for selecting and inputting a mode such as a driving course and various functions and a display means for displaying the input information, a user identification means for identifying the user of the washing machine, and the operation display. The control means is provided with a control means for exchanging information with the means and the user identification means and sequentially controlling each process such as washing, rinsing, and dehydration, and the control means is the use specified by the user identification means. A washing machine that displays the display contents according to the person on the display means. An operation display means having an operation means for selecting and inputting a mode such as a driving course and various functions and a display means for displaying the input information, a user identification means for identifying the user of the washing machine, and the operation display. The control means is provided with a control means for exchanging information with the means and the user identification means and sequentially controlling each process such as washing, rinsing, and dehydration, and the control means is the use specified by the user identification means. A washing machine that limits the washing function according to the person. The user identification means includes a voice input means composed of a microphone or the like, a user voice storage means in which the user's voice is registered in advance, a voice registered in the user voice storage means, and the voice input means. The washing machine according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a voice comparison means for comparing input voices, and identifying the user based on the result of comparison by the voice comparison means. The washing machine according to claim 3, wherein the user's voice is a specific word. An image recognition means composed of a camera or the like, a user image storage means in which images of the user's physical features such as the user's face, fingerprint, and iris are registered in advance, and the user image storage means registered in the user image storage means. The washing machine according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising an image analysis means for comparing and analyzing an image and an image recognized by the image recognition means, and identifying the user based on the result of analysis by the image analysis means. .. The washing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the user-identifying means is an external terminal device capable of directly or indirectly performing data communication with the washing machine.

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