JP2022019849A - washing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a washing machine capable of acquiring a desired dewatering rate as much as possible, while achieving suppression of vibration and noise due to unbalance.

SOLUTION: A washing machine includes: a drum for storing laundry; a motor for rotationally driving the drum; a control part for executing the rotation control of the motor; and an unbalance detection part for detecting an unbalance amount due to uneven distribution of the laundry in the rotating drum, and for transmitting the unbalance amount to the control part. During the execution of dewatering processing, the control part counts the number of times of increasing a speed to a first rotational frequency after decelerating to a second rotational frequency lower than the first rotational frequency, due to a first unbalance state with the first rotational frequency, and, until the counted number of times reaches a preset number of times, it repeats the processing of increasing the speed to the first rotational frequency after decelerating to the second rotational frequency after it is determined that the unbalance amount with the first rotational frequency is in the first unbalance state.

SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

COPYRIGHT: (C)2022,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to a washing machine, particularly to a dehydration treatment technique.

The washing machine is equipped with a dehydration function that dehydrates the laundry by rotating the drum. When the dehydration process is executed in the washing machine, vibration and noise may be generated due to uneven distribution (unbalance) of the laundry in the drum.

According to Patent Document 1, it is determined that the drum is in an unbalanced state due to abnormal vibration of the drum during the actual dehydration treatment in which the rotation speed of the drum is set to be higher than a predetermined value after the dehydration treatment is started in the washing machine. A technique for stopping the rotation of the drum when the drum is rotated is disclosed.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 5-15694

However, since the dehydration process of the washing machine is stopped after a set predetermined time elapses, the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1 that stops the rotation of the drum due to the occurrence of imbalance is sufficient for dehydration. There may be cases where the rate cannot be obtained.

In addition, based on the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, if the dehydration treatment is within the set time, the rotation of the drum is temporarily stopped, the drum is rotated again, and then the imbalance is determined in the same manner. It is also possible to make it.

However, even when the rotation of the drum is started again, it takes time to increase the rotation speed of the drum to the rotation speed at which the dehydration process can actually be executed after the drum is stopped once. Therefore, even in this case, a sufficient dehydration rate may not be obtained within the set dehydration time.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a washing machine capable of obtaining a high dehydration rate while suppressing vibration and noise due to unbalance. do.

The washing machine according to one aspect of the present invention includes a drum for accommodating laundry, a motor for rotationally driving the drum, a control unit for executing rotational control of the motor, and an unbalanced distribution of laundry in the rotating drum. It is provided with an unbalance detection unit that detects the balance amount and sends the unbalance amount to the control unit.

Then, the control unit of the washing machine according to this embodiment tells the motor that the drum rotates at the first rotation speed, which is the rotation speed of the drum in the steady processing, during the execution of the steady processing in the dehydration processing step. A command is given, and in a state where the drum is rotating at the first rotation speed, it is determined whether or not the drum is in the first unbalanced state based on the unbalanced amount detected by the unbalance detecting unit, and the first unbalanced state is determined. When it is determined that the state is unbalanced in 1, the motor is instructed to decelerate the drum to the second rotation speed, which is the rotation speed of the drum in the steady processing lower than the first rotation speed. When the rotation speed of the drum reaches the second rotation speed by deceleration, the motor is instructed to increase the speed of the drum to the first rotation speed again, and after decelerating to the second rotation speed, the said. The number of times the speed is increased up to the first rotation number is counted, and until the counted number reaches the set number of times, it is determined that the unbalanced amount at the first rotation number is in the first unbalanced state. After decelerating to the second rotation speed, the process of increasing the speed to the first rotation speed is repeated.

In the washing machine according to the above aspect, a high dehydration rate can be obtained while suppressing vibration and noise due to unbalance.

It is a schematic perspective view which shows the appearance structure of the washing machine which concerns on embodiment. It is a schematic cross-sectional view which shows the internal structure of a washing machine. It is a block diagram which shows a part of the structure which concerns on the control of a washing machine. It is a flowchart which shows a part of the control flow of the dehydration process executed by the control part of a washing machine. It is a flowchart which shows a part of the control flow of the dehydration process executed by the control part of a washing machine. It is a time chart which shows the relationship between the elapsed time related to the execution of the dehydration process of a washing machine, and the drum rotation speed. It is a time chart which shows the relationship between the elapsed time which concerns on execution of the dehydration process which concerns on modification 1 and the drum rotation speed. It is a time chart which shows the relationship between the elapsed time which concerns on execution of the dehydration process which concerns on modification 2 and the drum rotation speed. It is a time chart which shows the relationship between the elapsed time which concerns on execution of the dehydration process which concerns on modification 3 and the drum rotation speed.

[Overview]
The washing machine according to one aspect of the present invention includes a drum for accommodating laundry, a motor for rotationally driving the drum, a control unit for executing rotational control of the motor, and an unbalanced distribution of laundry in the rotating drum. It is provided with an unbalance detection unit that detects the balance amount and sends the unbalance amount to the control unit.
Then, the control unit of the washing machine according to this embodiment tells the motor that the drum rotates at the first rotation speed, which is the rotation speed of the drum in the steady processing, during the execution of the steady processing in the dehydration processing step. A command is given, and in a state where the drum is rotating at the first rotation speed, it is determined whether or not the drum is in the first unbalanced state based on the unbalanced amount detected by the unbalance detecting unit, and the first unbalanced state is determined. When it is determined that the state is unbalanced in 1, the motor is instructed to decelerate the drum to the second rotation speed, which is the rotation speed of the drum in the steady processing lower than the first rotation speed. When the rotation speed of the drum reaches the second rotation speed by deceleration, the motor is instructed to increase the speed of the drum to the first rotation speed again, and after decelerating to the second rotation speed, the said. The number of times the speed is increased up to the first rotation number is counted, and until the counted number reaches the set number of times, it is determined that the unbalanced amount at the first rotation number is in the first unbalanced state. After decelerating to the second rotation speed, the process of increasing the speed to the first rotation speed is repeated.
In the washing machine according to the above aspect, the control unit is in a state where the drum is rotating at the second rotation speed when the rotation speed of the drum reaches the second rotation speed by deceleration. Based on the amount of unbalance detected by the balance detection unit, it is determined whether or not the drum is in the second unbalanced state, and when it is determined that the second unbalanced state is not present, the drum is up to the first rotation speed. The motor is instructed to increase the speed, and when it is determined that the second unbalanced state is present, the motor is instructed to gradually decrease the number of revolutions and stop.
In the washing machine according to the above aspect, when the rotation speed of the drum reaches the second rotation speed by deceleration, the control unit waits for a predetermined time in a state where the drum is rotating at the second rotation speed. After that, the motor is instructed to increase the speed of the drum up to the first rotation speed.

Then, the control unit of the washing machine according to the specification instructs the motor to rotate the drum at the first rotation speed while the dehydration process is being executed, and the drum rotates at the first rotation speed. In this state, it is determined whether or not the vehicle is in a predetermined unbalanced state based on the unbalanced amount, and when it is determined that the product is in the predetermined unbalanced state, it is lower than the first rotation speed and higher than 0 rpm. The motor is instructed to decelerate the drum to the second rotation speed, which is a high rotation speed.

In the washing machine according to the above specification, the rotation of the drum is stopped even when the control unit determines that the unbalance is in a predetermined unbalance state in the unbalance determination in the state where the drum is rotating at the first rotation speed ( Since the drum is rotated at a second rotation speed higher than 0 rpm instead of 0 rpm), as much as possible within the time allotted for the dehydration process than the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1 above. High dehydration rate can be obtained.

Further, in the washing machine according to the above specification, when the control unit determines that the unbalanced state is in a predetermined unbalanced state in the unbalance determination in the state where the drum is rotating at the first rotation speed, the first rotation speed is determined. Since the drum is decelerated to the second rotation speed, which is lower than the rotation speed, it may be possible to eliminate or alleviate the unbalanced state, and by decelerating the rotation speed, vibration due to unbalance may occur. It is possible to suppress noise.

In the washing machine according to the above specification, the control unit instructs the motor to increase the speed of the drum to the first rotation speed again when the rotation speed of the drum reaches the second rotation speed due to deceleration. May be good.

In the washing machine according to the above specification, since the rotation speed of the drum is increased to the first rotation speed again, the rotation of the drum is not stopped (0 rpm) as in the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, and therefore dehydration is performed. The highest possible dehydration rate can be obtained within the time allotted for processing.

Further, in the washing machine according to the above specification, after the rotation speed of the drum reaches the second rotation speed, a retry operation of increasing the speed to the first rotation speed is executed again, so that a higher dehydration rate can be realized. Is possible.

In the washing machine according to the above specification, the control unit executes a determination as to whether or not the drum is in a predetermined unbalanced state when the rotation speed of the drum reaches the first rotation speed again by increasing the speed. May be good.

In the washing machine according to the above specification, even when the rotation speed of the drum is once decelerated to the second rotation speed and then increased again to increase the rotation speed of the drum to the first rotation speed (when retrying), the drum is also used. When the number of revolutions reaches the first number of revolutions, it is determined whether or not the predetermined unbalanced state is reached again. Therefore, there may be a case where the drum can be rotated at the first number of revolutions as it is. .. Therefore, in the washing machine according to the above specification, it is possible to obtain a higher dehydration rate while suppressing vibration and noise due to unbalance.

In addition, it is conceivable that the uneven distribution state (unbalanced state) of the laundry in the drum may be eliminated or alleviated by increasing or decreasing the rotation speed of the drum between the first rotation speed and the second rotation speed. The re-judgment of the unbalanced state after the retry in the book takes this into consideration.

In the washing machine according to the above specification, the control unit may instruct the motor to maintain the second rotation speed of the drum.

In the washing machine according to the above specification, by maintaining the second rotation speed, a high dehydration rate can be obtained while suppressing vibration and noise due to unbalance.

In the washing machine according to the above specification, the control unit has a drum rotation speed lower than the first rotation speed and higher than 0 rpm during the period from the start of the dehydration process to the first rotation speed of the drum. When the third rotation speed is reached, it may be possible to execute the determination as to whether or not the product is in a predetermined unbalanced state.

In the washing machine according to the above specification, when the rotation speed of the drum reaches the third rotation speed from the start of the execution of the dehydration treatment to the first rotation speed of the drum, a predetermined unbalanced state is reached. Since it is determined whether or not there is, it is possible to avoid increasing the rotation speed of the drum when it is clearly in a predetermined unbalanced state. Therefore, in the washing machine according to the above specification, it is possible to further suppress vibration and noise due to unbalance.

In the washing machine according to the above specification, the control unit may set the value of the first rotation speed based on the unbalance amount when the rotation speed of the drum reaches the third rotation speed.

In the washing machine according to the above specification, even when the rotation speed of the drum reaches the third rotation speed, the value of the first rotation speed, which is the rotation speed of the subsequent drum, is set according to the magnitude of the unbalance amount. Therefore, the drum can be rotated at the optimum first rotation speed, which can achieve both suppression of vibration and noise and realization of a high dehydration rate. Therefore, the washing machine according to the above specification is further excellent in obtaining a high dehydration rate while suppressing vibration and noise due to unbalance.

As described above, in the washing machine according to each aspect of the present invention, a high dehydration rate can be obtained while suppressing vibration and noise due to unbalance.

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the embodiments described below exemplify an example of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments except for its essential configuration.

[Embodiment]
1. 1. Schematic structure The schematic structure of the washing machine 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing the external configuration of the washing machine 1, and FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the internal configuration of the washing machine 1.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, in the present embodiment, a so-called drum-type washing machine 1 in which the central axis of the washing tub 14 is arranged in the horizontal direction (Y direction) will be described as an example. However, it is of course possible to apply it to a vertical washing machine.

As shown in FIG. 1, the washing machine 1 includes a housing 10 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. A door 11 for opening and closing the opening of the washing tub 14 is provided on the + Y side surface of the housing 10. Here, the side (+ Y side) of the housing 10 where the door 11 is provided is the front side of the washing machine 1, and the opposite −Y side is the back side.

An interface unit 12 and a detergent charging section 13 are provided on the upper side (+ Z side) of the portion of the housing 10 where the door 11 on the front side is provided. Only a part of the interface unit 12 is exposed on the front surface side of the housing 10. The interface unit 12 has operation units 121, 123, 124 for the user to operate the washing operation, and a display unit 122 for displaying the input contents and the operation status by the user.

The operation units 121, 123, and 124 are provided with a power ON / OFF function, an operation start / pause function, a washing course selection function, and the like.

The detergent charging unit 13 is a portion in which the lid can be opened by a user's operation, and the detergent can be charged into the washing tub 14 with the lid open.

As shown in FIG. 2, a washing tub 14 for storing washing water or the like is housed inside the housing 10. The opening on the + Y side of the washing tub 14 can be closed by the door 11. A drum 15 into which laundry (clothes, etc.) is put is housed inside the washing tub 14.

A motor 16 for rotationally driving the drum 15 is housed on the −Y side of the drum 15 inside the housing 10.

A control unit 17 that executes rotation control of the motor 16 and the like is housed in a portion on the + Z side inside the housing 10. The configuration of the control unit 17 will be described later.

2. 2. Configuration related to control of washing machine 1 A configuration related to control of washing machine 1 will be described with reference to FIG. Note that FIG. 3 illustrates only a part of the configuration related to the control of the washing machine 1.

As shown in FIG. 3, in the washing machine 1 according to the present embodiment, signals are input to the control unit 17 from the operation unit 121, the current measurement unit 19, and the rotation speed measurement unit 20 in a timely manner.

On the other hand, the control unit 17 outputs a signal to the motor 16 and the display unit 122 in a timely manner based on each input signal.

Here, the control unit 17 has a control unit 171, a storage unit 172, and a timer 173. The control unit 171 includes a microcomputer. The storage unit 172 includes, for example, an EEPROM, a RAM, a ROM, and the like.

The current measuring unit 19 is a part that measures the amount of current to the motor 16 in a timely manner and outputs the measured information to the control unit 17 during the execution of the dehydration process.

The rotation speed measuring unit 20 measures the rotation speed of the motor 16 as the rotation speed of the drum 15 in a timely manner, and outputs the measurement information to the control unit 17.

In the storage unit 172 of the control unit 17, the rotation speed of the motor 16 (drum 15) and the current value to be passed through the motor 16 in order to achieve the rotation speed are stored in association with each other for each operation course. ing.

Further, the storage unit 172 has an unbalanced amount, which is the degree of uneven distribution of the laundry inside the drum 15, and a current value required to rotate the motor 16 at the target rotation speed after the drainage is performed. , Is also associated and stored. That is, the larger the unbalanced amount of laundry inside the drum 15, the larger the load on the motor 16, and it is necessary to pass a large current even if the motor 16 is to be rotated at the same rotation speed. From this point of view, the control unit 171 of the washing machine 1 according to the present embodiment receives each information from the current measurement unit 19 and the rotation speed measurement unit 20 in a timely manner, and rotationally drives the motor 16 by feedback control. ..

The washing machine 1 according to the present embodiment functions as an unbalance detection unit in cooperation with the current measurement unit 19 and the rotation speed measurement unit 20. The current measuring unit 19 and the rotation speed measuring unit 20 measure using the output from the motor 16 for feedback control to the control unit 171.

3. 3. Control of dehydration treatment The control of the dehydration treatment executed by the washing machine 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 6. 4 and 5 are flowcharts showing a control flow of the dehydration process executed by the control unit 171 of the washing machine 1, and FIG. 6 shows the elapsed time and the rotation speed of the drum 15 related to the execution of the dehydration process of the washing machine 1. It is a time chart showing the relationship between.

As shown in FIG. 4, when the dehydration process is started, after the settings are initialized (step S1), the timer 173 is set to the ON state and the time counting is started (step S2), and the motor 16 is driven to rotate. Is started (step S3). Then, in the washing machine 1 according to the present embodiment, an imbalance reduction operation is performed at the first stage of the dehydration treatment step (step S4). Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, the control unit 171 controls the current to the motor 16 so as to increase or decrease the drum rotation speed a plurality of times between R ₀ and R ₁ .

Returning to FIG. 4, when the imbalance reduction operation is completed, the current to the motor 16 is controlled so that the rotation of the drum 15 accelerates to the elapsed time t ₁ until R ₂ (step S5).
The process from steps S1 to S5 is a so-called dehydration start process, and shifts to a steady process of the dehydration step except when the unbalanced state is severe. The rotation speed of the drum 15 in the dehydration start processing is defined as the dehydration activation region, and the rotation speed of the drum 15 in the steady processing is defined as the steady region. The dehydration start region (rotation speed) is lower than the steady region (rotation speed). For example, the case where the rotation speed of the drum 15 is 0 (rpm) to R ₂ is the dehydration starting region, and depending on the unbalanced state, the case of returning to the initial stage of the dehydration process to improve the unbalanced state is included. Further, the case of R ₃ , R ₄ , and R ₅ is a steady region.

When the rotation speed becomes R ₂ in step S5, it is determined whether or not a predetermined unbalanced state is caused by the uneven distribution of the laundry inside the drum 15 as shown by the reference numeral CP ₀ in FIG. 6 (step). S6). The predetermined unbalanced state here is a state in which the drum 15 cannot be rotated at a rotation speed within the steady range, and the non-predetermined unbalanced state means that the drum is not in a predetermined unbalanced state at a rotation speed within the steady range. 15 is in a state where it can be rotated. In FIG. 6 (similar to FIGS. 7 to 9), the rotation speed _R2 is not maintained in the determination of CP ₀ , but the rotation speed is actually maintained for a predetermined time.

The control unit 171 according to the present embodiment is stored in the storage unit 172 in advance from the target rotation speed of the motor 16 (drum 15) and the current value of the motor 16 in order to achieve the target rotation speed. With reference to the data on the balance amount, it is determined whether or not the unbalanced amount is acceptable from the viewpoint of vibration and noise (whether or not it is in a predetermined unbalanced state).

When the control unit 171 determines that a predetermined unbalanced state has occurred based on the unbalanced amount (step S6: Yes), the control unit 171 returns to step S4 and performs an unbalance reducing operation or the like.
On the other hand, when it is determined in step S6 that the predetermined ambiance state has not occurred (step S6: No), as shown in FIG. ₆ , the elapsed time t from the rotation speed of the drum 15 to the rotation speed R3 in the steady region. The current to the motor 16 is controlled so as to increase the speed to ₂ (step S7). Then, the control unit 171 controls the current to the motor 16 so that the rotation speed of the drum 15 is maintained at R ₃ until the elapsed time reaches t ₃ (step S8: No).

Here, in the present embodiment, the rotation speed R3 of the drum 15 is a rotation speed in the steady region _, which is higher than the rotation speed of the drum 15 in the dehydration start region, and is stored in advance in the storage unit 172 of the control unit 17. There is.

When the control unit 171 determines that the elapsed time t ₃ has been reached (step S8: Yes), the laundry inside the drum 15 is unevenly distributed as shown by the reference numeral CP ₁ in FIG. It is determined whether or not a balanced state has occurred (step S9). The predetermined unbalanced state here is a state in which the drum 15 cannot be rotated above the rotation speed _R3 .

When the control unit 171 determines that a predetermined unbalanced state has not occurred based on the unbalanced amount (step S9: No), the rotation speed of the drum 15 is increased to _R4 as shown in FIG. The current to the motor 16 is controlled so as to (step S15). As shown in FIG. ₆ , the speed of the drum 15 is increased so that the rotation speed _R4 is reached at the elapsed time t4. The rotation speed R ₄ is a rotation speed within the steady range and is stored in advance in the storage unit 172 of the control unit 17. The rotation speed R ₄ is also the maximum rotation speed performed in the steady processing when the unbalance amount is small.

Returning to FIG. 5, the control unit 171 starts counting the number of times (time) by the built-in counter (step S16) so that the rotation speed of the drum ₁₅ is maintained at _R4 until the elapsed time reaches t5. In addition, the current to the motor 16 is controlled (step S17: No).

_When the control unit 171 determines that the elapsed time t5 has been reached (step S17: Yes), the laundry inside the drum 15 is unevenly distributed as shown by the reference numeral CP2 in _FIG . It is determined whether or not the balance state is reached (step S18). The predetermined unbalanced state here is an unbalanced state within a range in which the rotation speed _R4 cannot be maintained, and the non-predetermined unbalanced state is a state in which the rotation speed _R4 can be maintained.
When the control unit 171 determines that the predetermined unbalanced state is not achieved based on the unbalanced amount (step S18: No), after resetting the counter (step S19), the elapsed time is allocated to the dehydration process. The current to the motor 16 is controlled so that the rotation speed of the drum ₁₅ maintains _R4 until the time t12 is reached (step S20: No). Then, when the control unit 171 determines that the elapsed time has reached t ₁₂ (step S20: Yes), the control unit 171 gradually reduces the rotation speed of the motor 16 and stops the motor 16 as shown in FIG. 4 (step S14). , The time counting by the timer 173 is terminated (step S12), the rotation speed of the drum 15 becomes 0 rpm at the elapsed time t13 shown _in FIG. 6, and the dehydration process is terminated. The time chart when the determination in step S18 is not in the unbalanced state is a line segment represented by the alternate long and short dash line L1 from t ₅ to t ₁₃ .

On the other hand, when the control unit 171 determines in step S18 that the predetermined unbalanced state is reached (step S18: Yes), the rotation speed of the drum ₁₅ is decelerated to R5, which is lower than the rotation speed _R4 . The current to the motor 16 is controlled so as to (step S21). As shown in FIG. ₆ , the deceleration of the drum ₁₅ is performed so that the rotation speed R5 is reached at the elapsed time t6. The rotation speed R ₅ is a rotation speed within the steady range, and here, it is a rotation speed between the rotation speeds R ₃ and R ₄ , and is stored in advance in the storage unit 172 of the control unit 17.

When the elapsed time t ₆ and the rotation speed reach R ₅ , the control unit 171 is in a predetermined unbalanced state due to uneven distribution of the laundry inside the drum 15 as shown by the reference numeral CP ₃ in FIG. It is determined whether or not it is (step S22). The predetermined unbalanced state here is an unbalanced state within a range in which the rotation speed R5 cannot be maintained, and the non _- predetermined unbalanced state is a state in which the rotation speed _R5 can be maintained. In addition, in FIG. 6 (the same applies to FIGS. ₇ to ₉ ), the rotation speed R5 is not maintained in the determination of CP ₃ , but the rotation speed R5 is actually maintained for a predetermined time, and the CP in FIG. The same applies to the determination of ₆ .

When the control unit 171 determines that the predetermined unbalanced state is not achieved based on the unbalanced amount (step S22: No), after resetting the counter (step S19), the elapsed time is allocated to the dehydration process. The current to the motor 16 is controlled so that the rotation speed of the drum ₁₅ maintains R5 until the time _t12 is reached (step S20: No). Then, when the control unit 171 determines that the elapsed time has reached t ₁₂ (step S20: Yes), the control unit 171 gradually reduces the rotation speed of the motor 16 and stops the motor 16 as shown in FIG. 4 (step S14). , The time counting by the timer 173 is terminated (step S12), the rotation speed of the drum ₁₅ becomes 0 rpm at the elapsed time t14 shown in FIG. 6, and the dehydration process is terminated. In the time chart when the determination in step S22 is not in the unbalanced state, the elapsed time is a line segment indicated by a two-dot chain line L2 from t ₆ to t ₁₀ and a broken line from t ₁₀ to t ₁₄ . Is.

When the control unit 171 determines in step S22 that the predetermined unbalanced state is reached (step S22: Yes), the rotation speed of the drum ₁₅ is reduced to R3 _, which is lower than the rotation speed R5. The current to the motor 16 is controlled (step S23). As shown in FIG. ₆ , the deceleration of the drum 15 is performed so that the rotation speed R3 is reached at the elapsed time _t7 . Then, the control unit 171 maintains the rotation speed of the drum ₁₅ at R3 until Δt _, which is the difference between the elapsed times _t7 and t8 when the rotation speed reaches R3 _, elapses (step S24: No). The current to the motor 16 is controlled so as to do so.
Then, when the control unit 171 determines that the time Δt has elapsed (the elapsed time t ₈ has been reached) (step S24: Yes), the inside of the drum 15 is shown by the reference numeral CP ₄ in FIG. It is determined whether or not the laundry is in a predetermined unbalanced state due to the uneven distribution of the laundry (step S25). The predetermined unbalanced state here is a dangerous state when rotated at the rotation speed R3 _, and the non _- predetermined unbalanced state is a state where the rotation is possible at the rotation speed R3.

When the control unit 171 determines in step S25 that the predetermined unbalanced state is not reached based on the unbalanced amount (step S25: No), the counter value n indicating the number of retries is set in advance. It is determined whether or not the _th has been reached (step S26). When the control unit 171 determines that the counter value n has reached the value _nth (step S26: Yes) _, the control unit 171 controls the current to the motor 16 so that the rotation speed of the drum 15 maintains R3. Then, after executing each of the processes of step S19, step S20, step S14, and step S12, the control unit 171 ends the dehydration process when the rotation speed of the drum ₁₅ becomes 0 rpm at the elapsed time t15 shown in FIG.

On the other hand, when the control unit 171 determines in step S26 that the counter value n has not yet reached the value _nth (step S26: No), one counter value n is added (step S27), and the drum. The rotation speed of 15 is increased to _R4 again (step S28). Then, the control unit 171 repeatedly executes the processes from step S18 and steps S21 to S26.

The value _nth , which counts up in the determination of step S26, indicates the number of repetitions of speed increase / deceleration between R4 and R3, and may be a value of "2" or more, but FIG. As shown in the present embodiment, "5" is set as an example. The time chart in the case of repeatedly executing the processes of step S18 and steps S21 to S26 is a line segment represented by a solid line L3 whose elapsed time is from _t8 to _t15 .

When the control unit 171 determines in the determination of step S25 that the state is in a predetermined unbalanced state based on the unbalance amount (step S25: Yes), the rotation speed of the motor 16 is determined as shown in FIG. It is gradually reduced and stopped (step S10). The control unit 171 determines whether or not the elapsed time has reached t ₁₂ , which is the time allotted for the dehydration process, when the motor 16 is stopped (step S12).

If the elapsed time _t12 has been reached in step S11 (step S11: Yes), the control unit 171 ends the dehydration process after executing step S12.

_On the other hand, if the elapsed time t12 has not been reached in step S11 (step S11: No), the control unit 171 drives the motor 16 again (step S13), and the processes of steps S7 to S11 are repeatedly executed. ..

In the present embodiment, the rotation speed R ₄ corresponds to an example of the “first rotation speed”, and R ₃ which is the rotation speed of the drum 15 after the elapsed time t ₇ corresponds to an example of the “second rotation speed”. Further, R3, which is the rotation speed of the drum 15 between the elapsed time t ₂ and the elapsed time t ₃ , corresponds to an example of the “ _third rotation speed”.
In FIG. 6, the rotation speed is not maintained in the determination after CP ₅ of the rotation speed R ₄ and the determination after CP ₄ at the rotation speed R ₃ , but the rotation speed is actually maintained for a predetermined time. It is done.

4. Effect In the washing machine 1 according to the present embodiment, in the unbalance determination CP ₂ and CP ₅ in the state where the drum 15 is rotating at the rotation speed R ₄ , it is determined that the control unit 171 is in a predetermined unbalance state. In this case as well, instead of stopping the rotation of the drum 15 (0 rpm) _, the drum ₁₅ is rotated at a rotation speed R5 or a rotation speed R3 higher than 0 rpm. Therefore, the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1 above. It is possible to obtain as much dehydration rate as possible within the time allotted for the dehydration process.

Further, in the washing machine 1 according to the present embodiment, in the unbalance determination CP ₂ and CP ₅ in the state where the drum 15 is rotating at the rotation speed R ₄ , it is determined that the control unit 171 is in a predetermined unbalance state. In this case, the drum ₁₅ is decelerated to the rotation number R5 or the rotation number R3 _, which is lower than the rotation number _R4 , so that the unbalanced state may be eliminated or alleviated. In addition, by decelerating the number of revolutions, vibration and noise due to unbalance can be suppressed.

Further, in the washing machine 1 according to the present embodiment _, the rotation speed R3 is smaller than the rotation speed _R4 , but the rotation of the drum is not stopped (0 rpm) as in the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, so that the washing machine is dehydrated. The dehydration rate as much as possible can be obtained within the time allotted for the treatment.

Further, in the washing machine 1 according to the present embodiment, after the rotation speed of the drum 15 reaches the rotation speed R3 due to deceleration _, a retry operation for increasing the rotation speed to _R4 is executed again. It is possible to achieve a high dehydration rate.

Further, in the washing machine 1 according to the present embodiment _, even when the rotation speed of the drum is once decelerated to R3 and then increased again to increase the rotation speed of the drum 15 to the rotation speed _R4 (when retrying). When the rotation speed of the drum 15 reaches the rotation speed _R4 , it is determined whether or not the drum 15 is in a predetermined unbalanced state (unbalance determination CP ₅ ). Therefore, the drum is directly used at the rotation speed _R4 . It may happen that 15 rotations can be maintained. Therefore, in the washing machine 1 according to the present embodiment, it is possible to obtain a dehydration rate closer to the target while suppressing vibration and noise due to unbalance.

By increasing or decreasing the rotation speed of the drum 15 between R ₄ , R ₅ , and R ₃ , it is conceivable that the unbalanced state of the laundry in the drum 15 may be eliminated or alleviated, and the retry in the present embodiment may be considered. Re-judgment of the unbalanced state at the time CP ₃ to CP ₆ , ... Take this into consideration.

Further, after decelerating the rotation speed of the drum 15 to R ₄ , R ₅ , R ₃ , and then increasing the rotation speed to R ₄ again, the unbalanced state is determined, so that the laundry may be damaged for some reason. Even if the drum 15 is moved and the amount of imbalance becomes large, the drum 15 can be stopped. Therefore, in the washing machine 1 according to the present embodiment, safety is ensured while increasing the dehydration rate.

Further, in the washing machine 1 according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, as an example, the rotation speed R ₅ is a rotation speed within the steady range, and the rotation speed R ₅ is maintained after the elapsed time _t10 . By doing so, it is possible to obtain a desired dehydration rate while suppressing vibration and noise due to unbalance.

Further, in the washing machine 1 according to the present embodiment, when the rotation speed of the drum 15 reaches R ₃ during the period from the start of the execution of the dehydration treatment to the first rotation speed of the drum 15 reaching the rotation speed R ₄ , a predetermined un. Since it is determined whether or not the drum is in a balanced state (unbalanced determination CP ₁ ), it is possible to avoid increasing the rotation speed of the drum 15 even when the drum 15 is clearly in a predetermined unbalanced state. It will be possible. Therefore, in the washing machine 1 according to the present embodiment, it is possible to further suppress vibration and noise due to unbalance.

As described above, in the washing machine 1 according to the present embodiment, it is possible to obtain a desired dehydration rate as much as possible while suppressing vibration and noise due to unbalance.

[Modification 1]
The washing machine according to the first modification will be described with reference to FIG. 7. FIG. 7 is a time chart showing the relationship between the elapsed time related to the execution of the dehydration process and the drum rotation speed in the washing machine according to the first modification. In the following, only the difference from the above embodiment will be described.

As shown in FIG. 7, in the washing machine according to the present modification, in the execution of the dehydration treatment, the first unbalance determination CP ₀ is executed at the elapsed time t ₁ , and the rotation speed is increased to the rotation speed _R4 . When it is determined that the speed can be increased, the speed of the motor 16 is increased at once so that the rotation speed of the drum ₁₅ becomes _R4 at the elapsed time t14. That is, in the above embodiment, after the first unbalance determination CP ₀ , the rotation speed of the drum 15 is maintained at R ₃ for a predetermined time (elapsed time t ₂ to t ₃ ), and then R ₄ is set. In the washing machine according to this modification, if the unbalance state after the first unbalance determination CP ₀ is good (the amount of unbalance is small), the rotation speed R ₃ reaches R ₄ without maintaining for a predetermined time. You may let me.

Further, in the above embodiment, the first unbalance determination CP ₁ is executed at the elapsed time t ₃ , but in the washing machine according to this modification, the elapsed time during which the drum 15 is rotated at R ₄ At t ₁₇ , the first unbalance determination CP ₇ is executed.
In FIG. 7, the rotation speed is maintained in the determination after CP ₇ of the rotation speed R ₄ , the determination after CP ₉ of the rotation speed R ₃ , and the determination after CP ₈ of the rotation speed R ₅ . There is no such thing, but in reality, the number of revolutions is maintained for a predetermined time.

The dehydration processing control executed by the control unit 171 after the elapsed time t ₁₇ is the same as that of the above embodiment, and the imbalance determination CP ₈ executed at the elapsed time t ₁₈ when the rotation speed reaches R ₅ due to deceleration. Further, the imbalance determination CP ₉ and the like executed at the elapsed time t ₂₀ when the rotation speed reaches R ₃ due to deceleration are the same as those in the above embodiment.

In this modification, the rotation speed R ₄ corresponds to an example of the “first rotation speed”, and R ₃ which is the rotation speed of the drum 15 after the elapsed time t ₁₇ corresponds to an example of the “second rotation speed”. However, as in the above embodiment, when the unbalance determination CP ₂ determines that the rotation speed of the drum 15 can be maintained at R ₅ , and the rotation speed is reduced to R ₅ , R ₅ becomes “second”. It can also be specified that it corresponds to an example of "rotational speed".

In the washing machine according to the present modification, in the dehydration treatment, the washing machine according to the above embodiment is set to reach _R4 at the elapsed _times t1 to _t14 without maintaining the rotation speed _R3 for a predetermined time. Similar to No. 1, it is possible to obtain a desired dehydration rate as much as possible while suppressing vibration and noise due to unbalance.

[Modification 2]
The washing machine according to the second modification will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 8 is a time chart showing the relationship between the elapsed time related to the execution of the dehydration process and the drum rotation speed in the washing machine according to the second modification. In the following, only the difference from the above embodiment will be described.

In the above embodiment, the imbalance determination CP ₃ and CP ₆ are executed at the elapsed time t ₆ and t ₁₀ which are the rotation speed R ₅ in the middle of decelerating the rotation speed of the drum 15 from R ₄ to R ₃ . However, as shown in FIG. 8, the control unit of the washing machine according to this modification does not execute the imbalance determination at the elapsed time t ₆ or t ₁₀ . This makes it possible to simplify the control.
In FIG. 8, the rotation speed is not maintained in the determination after CP ₅ of the rotation speed R ₄ and the determination after CP ₄ of the rotation speed R ₃ , but the rotation speed is actually maintained for a predetermined time. It has been.

In FIG. 8, as an example, the rotation speed of the drum ₁₅ is maintained at R5 after the elapsed time _t10 . It is also determined that this is a predetermined unbalanced state in which the rotation speed can be maintained at R5 based _on the unbalance amount acquired by the control unit in the unbalance determination CP ₅ executed at the elapsed time _t9 (). (Estimated). This is also estimated based on the relationship between the unbalance amount stored in the storage unit 172 in advance and the rotation speed of the drum 15. That is, in CP ₂ and CP ₅ , the rotation speed to be decelerated may be determined according to the magnitude of the unbalance amount. Specifically, the rotation speed to be decelerated by CP ₂ or CP ₅ may be determined to be R ₃ or R ₅ .

Also in this modification, the rotation speed R ₄ corresponds to an example of the “first rotation speed”, and R ₃ which is the rotation speed of the drum 15 after the elapsed time t ₇ corresponds to an example of the “second rotation speed”. .. Further, R3, which is the rotation speed of the drum 15 between the elapsed time t ₂ and the elapsed time t ₃ , corresponds to an example of the “ _third rotation speed”.

In the washing machine according to this modification, it was decided not to execute the unbalance determination at the elapsed time t6, _t10 , etc. in the dehydration treatment, but as in the washing machine ₁ according to the above embodiment, the vibration due to the unbalance and the vibration It is possible to obtain a desired dehydration rate as much as possible while suppressing noise.

[Modification 3]
The washing machine according to the modified example 3 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 9 is a time chart showing the relationship between the elapsed time related to the execution of the dehydration process and the drum rotation speed in the washing machine according to the modified example 3. In the following, only the difference from the above embodiment will be described.

In the above embodiment, after the unbalance reduction operation is executed, the rotation speed of the drum 15 is controlled by three values of R ₄ , R ₅ , and R ₃ , but the washing machine according to this modification is used. Then, the number of revolutions in the steady range is lower than the maximum number of revolutions _R6 when the unbalance amount is small, and the number of revolutions in the steady range is less than the number of revolutions _R6 as in the above embodiment. It is controlled by _two values of a certain rotation speed R3 and. Note that R ₃ and R ₆ are steady-state regions.

The unbalance determination by the control unit is performed when the elapsed time is t ₃ and the rotation speed is R ₃ (unbalance determination CP ₁₀ ), and when the elapsed time is t ₂₄ , t ₂₇ , and the rotation speed is R ₆ (unbalance determination). It is performed at CP ₁₁ , CP ₁₂ ...). It should be noted that the imbalance determination may be executed even when the rotation speed is _R3 at the elapsed time t ₂₆ .
Further, when a predetermined time (here, the difference between the elapsed times t ₂₅ and t ₂₆ when the rotation speed reaches R ₃ ) elapses after the rotation speed decelerates from R ₆ to R ₃ , the imbalance is not determined. The number of revolutions is increased to _R6 .

Here, the control unit of this modification is a rotation speed smaller than the rotation speed _R4 based on the unbalance amount in the unbalance determination CP ₁₀ when the rotation speed of the drum 15 reaches R ₃ at the elapsed time t ₂ . The value of the rotation speed _R6 , which is a number and is the maximum rotation speed in the unbalanced amount, is set.
In addition, in FIG. ₉ , in the determination of the rotation speed R6 after _CP12 , the rotation speed is not maintained, but in reality, the rotation speed is maintained for a predetermined time.

In the washing machine according to the present modification, as in the washing machine 1 according to the above embodiment, it is possible to obtain a desired dehydration rate as much as possible while suppressing vibration and noise due to unbalance.

Further, in the washing machine according to this modification, the value of the rotation speed R6, which is the maximum rotation speed, is set in the unbalance determination CP ₁₀ based _on the unbalance amount, so that vibration and noise can be suppressed. The rotation speed of the drum can be increased up to the optimum maximum rotation speed _R6 , which can achieve both a high dehydration rate and a high dehydration rate.

[Other variants]
As described above, in the above-described embodiment and the above-mentioned modifications 1, 2, and 3, a so-called drum-type washing machine is adopted as an example, but a vertical-type washing machine and a drum for dehydration and a drum for washing are used. Of course, it is also possible to adopt a separate two-tank washing machine.

Further, in the above-described embodiment and the above-mentioned modifications 1, 2, and 3, a structure in which the interface unit 12 is provided on the upper portion of the housing 10 is adopted, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, it is possible to exchange input / output information in place of the interface unit 12 or with an external terminal (remote control unit, smartphone, etc.) in addition to the interface unit 12.

Further, in the above-described embodiment and the above-mentioned modifications 1, 2, and 3, the current measuring unit 19 and the rotation speed measuring unit 20 cooperate to fulfill the function as an unbalance detection unit. It is not limited to. For example, a G sensor (accelerometer) and a rotation detecting means (rotational speed measuring unit) such as a Hall element may function as an unbalanced detecting unit.
Further, the current measuring unit may function as an unbalance detecting unit by determining the current value, the current phase value, and the motor rotation speed without a sensor. However, from the viewpoint of manufacturing cost, unbalance detection is performed by the current measuring unit 19 and the rotation speed measuring unit 20 as in the above embodiment and the above modified examples 1, 2 and 3 as compared with the case of using the G sensor (accelerometer). It is better to fulfill the function as a department.

Although not particularly described in the above embodiment, a direct drive motor (DC drive motor) is used as the motor. As a result, feedback control can be easily performed because control can be performed while observing the motor current value. An AC drive motor may be used as the motor, or the drive of the motor may be transmitted via a transmission mechanism.

Further, in the above-described embodiment and the above-mentioned modifications 1, 2, and 3, in the dehydration treatment, the drum 15 performed by the control unit 171 is controlled by a binary or ternary rotation speed. It is not limited. For example, the rotation of the drum 15 may be controlled by four or more rotation speeds. In this case, an unbalance judgment may be made every time the vehicle decelerates from a high rotation speed a plurality of times, or an unbalance judgment may be made every time the speed is increased a plurality of times from a low rotation speed. In the unbalance determination, the rotation speed to be decelerated may be selected (determined) from a plurality of rotation speeds.

Further, in the above-described embodiment and the above-mentioned modifications 1 and 2, in the dehydration treatment, the rotation speed of the drum ₁₅ is maintained at R5 after the elapsed time _t10 , but the present invention is limited to this. It's not a thing. For example, after maintaining the rotation speed of the drum ₁₅ at R5, the speed of the drum 15 may be increased to the rotation speed _R4 after a predetermined time has elapsed or immediately after.

Further, in the above-described embodiment and the above-mentioned modifications 1 and 2, after the rotation speed is increased to R ₄ , the rotation speed is decelerated to the rotation speed R ₅ between the rotation speeds R ₄ and R ₃ , but the rotation speed is high. After decelerating to R ₃ , the speed may be increased to the rotation speed R ₅ between the rotation speeds R ₄ and R ₃ .

Further, in the above-described embodiment and the above-mentioned modifications 1 and ₂ , the unbalance determination is not performed after the rotation speed is maintained at R5, but the unbalance determination is performed after a predetermined time elapses, and the rotation speed R is determined based on the result. The speed may be increased to ₄ .
Further, in the above-described embodiment and the above-mentioned modifications 1, 2, and 3, the second rotation speed and the third rotation speed are the same (rotational speed R3), but the second rotation speed and the _third rotation speed are different. It may be different. In this case, the second rotation speed may be higher or lower than the third rotation speed.

Further, in the above-described embodiment and the above-mentioned modifications 1 and 2, as shown in FIGS. 6 to 8, an embodiment in which the rotation speed of the drum ₁₅ is maintained at R5 in the latter half of the dehydration treatment step is taken as an example. Depending on the judgment result of the balance judgment, it may be maintained at _R4 .

Further, in the above-described embodiment and the above-mentioned modifications 1, 2, and 3, the imbalance reduction operation is executed at the beginning of the dehydration treatment, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the imbalance reduction operation may not be performed at all when the dehydration treatment is executed. Further, after decelerating from the rotation speeds _R4 , _R6 and the like, the imbalance reduction operation may be executed again.

In the above-described embodiment and the above-mentioned modifications 1, 2, and 3, the dehydration load detecting unit detects the weight of the laundry after performing the washing process and the rinsing process, but the present invention is limited thereto. is not it. For example, the weight of the laundry may be detected before the washing process is performed.

In the above-described embodiment and the above-mentioned modifications 1 and 3, the determination of the unbalanced state (for example, CP ₁₀ or CP) before the drum reaches the first rotation speed (for example, the rotation speed R ₄ or R ₆ ) is determined. ₁₀ ) and the determination of the unbalanced state after the drum reaches the first rotation speed (for example, rotation speeds _R4 and R6) (for example, _CP2 and _CP11 ) _are performed. There is.
However, when focusing on each determination before and after the arrival of the first rotation speed, the other determination other than the determination of interest may or may not be performed.
That is, when focusing on the determination before the arrival of the first rotation speed, the drum can be safely accelerated to the first rotation speed only by the determination before the arrival, regardless of the presence or absence of the determination after the arrival. The effect that the reliability of safety for rotation in the steady region can be further enhanced can be obtained. In the conventional case, it is determined whether or not the speed can be increased up to the first rotation speed by the dehydration start process, and the determination is not performed after that, and the reliability for safety is insufficient.
On the other hand, when focusing on the determination after the arrival of the first rotation speed, the effect that the dehydration rate can be increased can be obtained only by the determination after the arrival, regardless of the presence or absence of the determination before the arrival.

1 Washing machine 10 Housing 14 Washing tub 15 Drum 16 Motor 17 Control unit 18 Dehydration load detection unit 19 Current measurement unit 20 Rotation speed measurement unit 171 Control unit 172 Storage unit 173 Timer

Claims (3)

With a drum to store the laundry,
The motor that drives the drum to rotate and
A control unit that executes rotation control of the motor,
An unbalance detection unit that detects an unbalanced amount due to uneven distribution of the laundry in the rotating drum and sends the unbalanced amount to the control unit.
Equipped with
The control unit is in the process of performing a steady process in the dehydration process.
The motor is instructed to rotate the drum at the first rotation speed, which is the rotation speed of the drum in the steady processing.
With the drum rotating at the first rotation speed, it is determined whether or not the drum is in the first unbalanced state based on the unbalance amount detected by the unbalance detecting unit.
When it is determined that the drum is in the first unbalanced state, the motor is instructed to decelerate the drum to the second rotation speed, which is the rotation speed of the drum in the steady processing lower than the first rotation speed. death,
When the rotation speed of the drum reaches the second rotation speed by deceleration, the motor is instructed to increase the speed of the drum to the first rotation speed again.
The number of times the speed is increased to the first rotation speed after decelerating to the second rotation speed is counted, and the unbalanced amount at the first rotation speed is the first until the counted number reaches the set number of times. The process of decelerating to the second rotation speed after being determined to be in an unbalanced state and then increasing the speed to the first rotation speed is repeated.
washing machine. The control unit has an unbalance detected by the unbalance detection unit while the drum is rotating at the second rotation speed when the rotation speed of the drum reaches the second rotation speed by deceleration. Based on the amount, it is determined whether or not it is in the second unbalanced state, and it is determined.
When it is determined that the drum is not in the second unbalanced state, the motor is instructed to accelerate the speed up to the first rotation speed, and when it is determined that the drum is in the second unbalanced state, the speed is increased. Instruct the motor to gradually reduce the number of revolutions and stop.
The washing machine according to claim 1. The control unit receives the first rotation speed when a predetermined time elapses while the drum is rotating at the second rotation speed when the rotation speed of the drum reaches the second rotation speed by deceleration. Instruct the motor to accelerate the drum until
The washing machine according to claim 1.

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