JP2022158569A - washing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a washing machine capable of performing unbalance cancellation operation with a content suitable to a generation position of the unbalance in a rotary tub.SOLUTION: A washing machine includes: a water tub; a rotary tub rotatably provided in the water tub; an acceleration detection part for detecting acceleration accompanying the vibration of the water tub; an unbalance detection part for detecting an unbalance state of the rotary tub based on the detection value of the acceleration detection part; and an unbalance cancellation operation execution part for executing the unbalance cancellation operation for cancelling the unbalance state of the rotary tub. The unbalance detection part can specify the position where the unbalance is generated in the rotary tub based on the detection value of the acceleration detection part. The unbalance cancellation operation execution part switches the content of the unbalance cancellation operation according to the generation position of the unbalance specified by the unbalance detection part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Embodiments of the present invention relate to washing machines.

For example, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, in a washing machine that automatically executes each process such as a washing process, a rinsing process, and a spin-drying process, during the spin-drying process, the unbalance of the rotating tub due to the unevenness and entanglement of the clothes. Sensing the balance state has been done. When the unbalance generated in the rotating tub is large, it leads to abnormal vibration of the rotating tub, the water tub, and the main body of the washing machine. Therefore, in this type of washing machine, when an unbalanced state of the rotating tub is detected, an operation for resolving the unbalanced state, a so-called "relaxing operation", is performed. I am trying to

The imbalance elimination operation is, for example, an operation of agitating the clothes in the rotating tub while water is being supplied into the tub. According to such an imbalance elimination operation, the unbalanced state can be eliminated by unraveling the clothes that are uneven or tangled in the rotating tub.

Further, as a configuration for detecting the unbalanced state of the rotating tank, the detection values of the three-axis semiconductor acceleration sensor provided in the water tank, that is, the detection values in the X-axis direction, the Y-axis direction, and the Z-axis direction are predetermined criteria. It is known to judge that an imbalance has occurred in the rotating tub when the value is larger than the value.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-346270

By the way, the position where imbalance occurs in the rotating tub may differ depending on factors such as the amount of clothes stored in the rotating tub, the size and shape of each garment, and the type and quality of each garment. However, in conventional washing machines, when an unbalanced state of the rotating tub is detected, the same unbalance elimination operation is performed regardless of the position at which the unbalance occurs. Therefore, it may not be possible to perform an unbalance elimination operation suitable for the position where the imbalance occurs. In such a case, it is difficult to sufficiently eliminate the unbalanced state of the rotating tub.

Therefore, the present invention provides a washing machine capable of performing an unbalance elimination operation suitable for the imbalance occurrence position in the rotating tub.

A washing machine according to the present embodiment includes a water tank, a rotating tank rotatably provided in the water tank, an acceleration detection unit for detecting acceleration accompanying vibration of the water tank, and a detection value of the acceleration detection unit. an unbalance detecting unit for detecting an unbalanced state of the rotating tub based on the unbalanced state of the rotating tub; The unit can identify a position where an imbalance occurs in the rotating tank based on the detection value of the acceleration detection unit, and the unbalance elimination operation execution unit can identify the position identified by the unbalance detection unit. The content of the unbalance elimination operation is switched according to the position where the imbalance occurs.

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing a configuration example of a washing machine according to a first embodiment; 1 is a block diagram schematically showing a configuration example of a control system of a washing machine according to a first embodiment; FIG. Flowchart schematically showing an operation example of the washing machine according to the first embodiment 2 is a flowchart schematically showing an example of imbalance occurrence position determination processing according to the first embodiment; A diagram relating to the first embodiment and showing an example of the relationship between the vertical imbalance amount and the displacement amount ratio "B/A". FIG. 11 is a diagram relating to the first embodiment and showing an example of an unbalance elimination operation according to an imbalance occurrence position; FIG. 11 is a diagram schematically showing an example of a state in which imbalance occurs in the lower portion of the rotating tub, according to the first embodiment; FIG. 11 is a diagram schematically showing an example of a state in which imbalance occurs in the upper part of the rotating tub, according to the first embodiment; FIG. 11 is a diagram schematically showing an example of a state in which imbalance occurs in the upper and lower portions of the rotating tub, according to the first embodiment; FIG. 11 is a diagram relating to the second embodiment and showing an example of an unbalance elimination operation according to the position where the imbalance occurs and the weight of the clothes;

A plurality of embodiments of the washing machine will be described below with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that substantially the same elements in a plurality of embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof are omitted.

(First embodiment)
A washing machine 1 illustrated in FIG. 1 is a so-called vertical shaft type fully automatic washing machine in which the rotating shaft of the rotating tub extends in the vertical direction. The washing machine 1 includes an outer case 2 made of, for example, a steel plate and having a rectangular shape as a whole. The outer box 2 constitutes the outer shell of the main body of the washing machine 1 .

A thin hollow box-shaped top cover 3 made of synthetic resin is provided on the upper portion of the outer box 2 . The top cover 3 is provided with a clothes entrance (not shown) penetrating vertically. Further, on the upper part of the top cover 3, for example, a double-fold lid 4 for opening and closing a clothes entrance (not shown) is provided. Note that the lid 4 may be, for example, a single rectangular plate-shaped lid.

A water supply mechanism (not shown) is provided at the rear portion of the top cover 3 . The water supply mechanism includes a water supply valve 17 and the like illustrated in FIG. An operation panel 18 is provided on the top surface of the front portion of the top cover 3 . The operation panel 18 displays various information related to operation, such as an operation unit for selecting an operation course and inputting an instruction to start operation, and a process being executed, remaining time until the end of operation, set water level, and the like. A display unit and the like are provided for this purpose.

As exemplified in FIG. 2, the operation panel 18 is connected to the control device 21 so that an input signal from the operation section is input to the control device 21 . The control device 21 also controls display on a display unit (not shown).

As shown in FIG. 1, inside the outer casing 2, a bottomed cylindrical water tank 5 capable of storing water is supported in an elastically suspended state by an elastic support mechanism 6 having a well-known structure. . The water level in the water tank 5 is detected by a water level sensor 19 illustrated in FIG. In the water tub 5, a rotating tub 7 serving as both a washing tub and a dewatering tub is provided rotatably about a vertical axis. A user can store clothes in the rotating tub 7 and take out clothes from the rotating tub 7 through a clothing doorway (not shown).

The rotating shaft of the rotating tub 7 extends vertically, that is, vertically. The rotary tub 7 has a cylindrical shape with a bottom, and a large number of through holes 7a are formed in the peripheral wall portion thereof. A liquid-filled rotary balancer 8 is provided at the upper end of the rotary tank 7, for example. A pulsator 9 that constitutes a stirring mechanism for stirring the clothes is provided on the inner bottom of the rotary tub 7 so as to be rotatable about the vertical axis.

A drain port 5 a is formed at the bottom of the water tank 5 . A drain passage 11 having a motor-driven drain valve 10, for example, is connected to the drain port 5a. A well-known drive mechanism is provided on the outer bottom of the water tub 5 . The drive mechanism includes a washing machine motor 12, which is, for example, an outer rotor type DC three-phase brushless motor. The drive mechanism also includes a clutch mechanism 13 for selectively transmitting the driving force of the washing machine motor 12 to the pulsator 9 and the rotating tub 7 . In this case, the clutch mechanism 13 is configured to be switched in conjunction with the opening and closing of the drain valve 10 driven by the switching motor 14 . In addition, the clutch mechanism 13 may be configured to be switched independently regardless of whether the drain valve 10 is opened or closed. Washing machine motor 12 and switching motor 14 are controlled by control device 21 .

Further, the clutch mechanism 13 transmits the driving force of the washing machine motor 12 to the pulsator 9 while the rotating tub 7 is stopped when the drain valve 10 is closed, for example, during the washing process and the rinsing process. . As a result, the pulsator 9 can rotate at a predetermined low speed while being switched between the normal rotation direction and the reverse rotation direction. Further, the clutch mechanism 13 transmits the driving force of the washing machine motor 12 to the rotating tub 7 and the pulsator 9 when the drain valve 10 is open, for example, during the dehydration process. As a result, the rotating tub 7 can rotate in one direction at a predetermined high speed together with the pulsator 9 .

The drive mechanism is provided with a rotation sensor 15, a current sensor 16, and the like, which are illustrated in FIG. Rotation sensor 15 detects the rotational position and rotational speed of a rotor (not shown) forming part of washing machine motor 12 . Current sensor 16 measures the magnitude of the current supplied to washing machine motor 12, that is, the current value.

The washing machine 1 also includes an acceleration sensor 20 that detects acceleration generated in a plurality of axial directions as the water tub 5 vibrates. The acceleration sensor 20 is an example of an acceleration detector. In this case, the acceleration sensor 20 is provided on the outer wall of the water tank 5 . Further, the acceleration sensor 20 is provided on the outer wall of the water tank 5 at a position higher than the central part of the water tank 5 in the vertical direction, that is, at a position closer to the top. Note that the installation position of the acceleration sensor 20 can be changed as appropriate.

In the present disclosure, the acceleration sensor 20 is composed of a well-known semiconductor acceleration sensor module capable of detecting acceleration in three axial directions, the X-axis direction, the Y-axis direction, and the Z-axis direction, which are orthogonal to each other. In this case, the X-axis direction of the acceleration sensor 20 corresponds to the longitudinal direction of the water tank 5 , the Y-axis direction corresponds to the lateral direction of the water tank 5 , and the Z-axis direction corresponds to the vertical direction of the water tank 5 , that is, the rotation axis of the rotary tank 7 . Mounted to match the orientation. The acceleration sensor 20 detects acceleration in each axial direction and outputs a detection signal corresponding to the detected value in each axial direction, that is, the magnitude of the acceleration.

The control device 21 illustrated in FIG. 2 is mainly composed of, for example, a microcomputer. The control device 21 controls the overall operation of the washing machine 1 based on control programs and various setting information. In addition, the control device 21 can execute various operations including at least a washing process for washing clothes, a rinse process for rinsing clothes, and a dehydration process for dehydrating clothes. Various operation signals are input to the control device 21 from the operation panel 18 . Various detection signals from the acceleration sensor 20, the rotation sensor 15, the current sensor 16, the water level sensor 19, etc. are input to the control device 21. FIG.

Also, the control device 21 can perform a well-known weight sensing operation for sensing the weight of the clothes in the rotating tub 7 . In this weight sensing operation, the control device 21 detects the weight of the clothes in the rotating tub 7 using the signal obtained from the rotation sensor 15 . That is, the control device 21 detects the weight of the clothes in the rotary tub 7 based on the change in the detection signal obtained from the rotation sensor 15 when the rotary tub 7 is rotated at a predetermined rotational speed. Washing machine 1 constitutes a weight detection unit for detecting the weight of the clothes in rotating tub 7 by control device 21 and rotation sensor 15 .

When starting operation, the control device 21 performs a well-known weight sensing operation to detect the weight of the clothes in the rotating tub 7 . Then, the control device 21 determines various setting contents related to the operation, such as the water level in the water tank 5 in the washing process and the rinsing process, the operation time of each process, etc., according to the detected weight of the clothes.

In addition, the control device 21 virtually realizes the unbalance detection unit 22 and the unbalance elimination operation execution unit 23 by software. The unbalance detection unit 22 and the unbalance elimination operation execution unit 23 may be configured by hardware, or may be configured by a combination of software and hardware.

The unbalance detection unit 22 detects an unbalanced state caused by biased or tangled clothes in the rotating tub 7 . That is, the unbalance detection unit 22 obtains the vibration displacement amount, ie, the amplitude, of the water tank 5 based on the detection value of the acceleration sensor 20, for example, when the dehydration process is executed. Then, when the obtained amplitude exceeds a predetermined reference value, the unbalance detection unit 22 detects that the rotating tub 7 is in an unbalanced state, that is, the rotating tub 7 is in an unbalanced state.

Further, the imbalance detection unit 22 can identify the position where the imbalance occurs in the rotating tank 7 based on the detection value of the acceleration sensor 20 . That is, the unbalance detection unit 22 detects that the rotation tank 7 is unbalanced based on the ratio of the vibration displacement amounts in the respective axial directions of the water tank 5 that is specified based on the detection value of the acceleration sensor 20 . It is possible to specify the position.

When judging the position where the unbalance occurs in the rotating tank 7 , the unbalance detection unit 22 detects the amount of displacement in the Z-axis direction, which is the rotation axis direction of the rotating tank 7 , among the values detected by the acceleration sensor 20 in each axial direction. A and the amount of displacement in the other direction, in this case the amount of displacement B in the X-axis direction, which is the front-back direction.

That is, the unbalance detection unit 22 obtains the ratio "B/A" between the amount of displacement A in the Z-axis direction and the amount of displacement B in the X-axis direction. Then, based on the ratio "B/A", the unbalance detection unit 22 detects an imbalance at any position in the rotary tub 7, particularly at any position in the vertical direction of the rotary tub 7, that is, the unevenness of the clothes. and determine whether entanglement has occurred.

More specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 4, the imbalance detector 22 compares the value of "B/A" with a predetermined first threshold value K1 (step S21). Then, if the value of "B/A" is larger than the threshold value K1 (YES in step S21), the imbalance detection unit 2 determines that the position where the imbalance occurs is the lower part of the rotating tank 7 ( step S22).

Further, when the value of "B/A" is equal to or less than the threshold value K1 (NO in step S21), the imbalance detection unit 22 sets the value of "B/A" to a predetermined value smaller than the first threshold value K1. is compared with the second threshold value K2 (step S23). Then, if the value of "B/A" is smaller than the threshold value K2 (YES in step S23), the imbalance detection unit 22 determines that the position where the imbalance occurs is the upper part of the rotating tub 7 ( step S24).

Further, when the imbalance detection unit 22 cannot determine the position where the imbalance occurs by comparing with the two threshold values K1 and K2, that is, the value of "B/A" is equal to or less than the first threshold value K1. and is greater than or equal to the second threshold value K2 (NO in steps S21 and S23), the displacement amount A of the acceleration sensor 20 in the Z-axis direction is compared with a predetermined third threshold value K3 (step S25 ). Then, when the displacement amount A is larger than the third threshold value K3 (YES in step S25), the imbalance detection unit 22 determines that the position where the imbalance occurs is the lower part of the rotating tub 7 (step S26).

That is, if the imbalance detection unit 22 cannot determine whether the imbalance occurs at the top or the bottom based on the displacement amount A and the displacement amount B, the displacement amount of the water tank 5 is determined. Among them, the displacement amount A in the Z-axis direction, which is the rotation axis direction of the rotary tub 7, is weighted, and the position where the unbalance occurs in the rotary tub 7 is determined. It should be noted that the value of the threshold K3 can be set by appropriately changing a value different from the thresholds K1 and K2, for example.

Further, when the displacement amount A is equal to or less than the third threshold value K3 (NO in step S25), the imbalance detection unit 22 determines that the positions where the imbalance occurs are the upper part and the lower part of the rotating tub 7. (Step S27). That is, the imbalance detection unit 22 determines that the imbalance occurs in the upper part and the lower part of the rotating tub 7, that is, the opposing state in which the imbalance occurs in the upper part and the lower part of the rotating tub 7. do.

Further, the unbalance elimination operation execution unit 23 illustrated in FIG. 2 executes an unbalance elimination operation for eliminating the unbalanced state of the rotating tub 7 . In this case, the unbalance elimination operation execution unit 23 executes the “loosening operation” as the unbalance elimination operation according to the determination result of the unbalance occurrence position of the unbalance detection unit 22 . In this "loosening operation", the unbalance elimination operation execution unit 23 first stops the rotation of the rotating tub 7 to interrupt the dehydration process. Then, the unbalance elimination operation executing section 23 supplies water into the rotary tub 7 while the drain valve 10 is closed, and rotates at least the pulsator 9 in a predetermined manner. As a result, the clothes that are biased or tangled in the rotating tub 7 can be loosened. Then, the unbalance elimination operation execution unit 23 restarts the dehydration process after completing such a "loosening operation".

Next, an operation example of the washing machine 1 according to the present disclosure will be described. When the washing machine 1 is operated, the user puts clothes in the rotating tub 7, selects the operation course through the operation panel 18, and operates the start button to start the operation. Let When the operation is started, the control device 21 controls the operation of various mechanical units provided in the washing machine 1 to automatically perform operations including a well-known washing process, a rinsing process, a spin-drying process, and the like.

As exemplified in FIG. 3, when starting operation, the control device 21 performs a weight sensing operation to detect the weight of the clothes in the rotating tub 7 (step S1). Then, the control device 21 executes a well-known washing process and rinsing process (step S2). After completing the washing process and the rinsing process, the controller 21 starts a well-known dehydration process (step S3). In this dehydration process, the controller 21 rotates the rotary tub 7 at a predetermined high speed with the drain valve 10 open. In this dehydration process, the control device 21 performs control to increase the rotational speed of the rotating tub 7 step by step.

Then, the control device 21 determines whether or not the dehydration process is being executed, in other words, whether or not a predetermined dehydration time has elapsed since the dehydration process was started (step S4). When the dehydration process is being executed (YES in step S4), the controller 21 uses the acceleration sensor 20 to specify the amplitude of vibration of the water tank 5, that is, the amount of displacement of the water tank 5 (step S5). ). This specific processing is performed based on the detection signal obtained from the acceleration sensor 20 in a state in which the rotation speed of the rotary tub 7 is maintained substantially or completely constant at a predetermined rotation speed.

Then, the control device 21 determines whether or not the rotation of the rotary tub 7 is unstable based on the identified vibration amplitude of the tub 5 (step S6). In this determination process, the controller 21 compares the identified displacement amount of the water tank 5 with a predetermined reference value. Then, the controller 21 determines that the rotation of the rotary tub 7 is unstable when the amount of displacement of the tub 5 exceeds a predetermined reference value. Note that the predetermined reference value can be changed and set as appropriate.

If the amount of displacement of the water tank 5 is equal to or less than the predetermined reference value, the controller 21 determines that the rotation of the rotary tank 7 is not unstable (NO in step S6), and returns to step S4. However, when the amount of displacement of the water tank 5 exceeds the predetermined reference value, the controller 21 determines that the rotation of the rotary tank 7 is unstable (YES in step S6), and proceeds to step S7. Transition. Then, in step S7, the control device 21 executes a process of determining the position where the unbalance occurs in the rotating tub 7. As shown in FIG.

That is, as illustrated in FIG. 4, the control device 21 sets the ratio of the displacement amount A in the Z-axis direction obtained from the acceleration sensor 20 to the displacement amount B in the X-axis direction, that is, the displacement amount B as the displacement amount. A value "B/A" is obtained by dividing by A, and the value "B/A" is compared with a predetermined first threshold value K1 (step S21). Then, if the value of "B/A" is greater than the first threshold value K1 (YES in step S21), the control device 21 determines that the imbalance occurs in the lower portion of the rotating tank 7 (step S22).

Further, when the value of "B/A" is equal to or less than the first threshold value K1 (NO in step S21), the control device 21 sets the value of "B/A" to the predetermined second threshold value K2. are compared (step S23). Then, if the value of "B/A" is smaller than the second threshold value K2 (YES in step S23), the control device 21 determines that the position where the imbalance occurs is the upper part of the rotating tub 7.

Further, when the value of "B/A" is equal to or greater than the second threshold value K2, that is, the control device 21 determines the imbalance occurrence position based on the comparison between the value of "B/A" and the threshold values K1 and K2. If it cannot be specified (NO in step S23), the displacement amount A in the Z-axis direction is compared with a predetermined third threshold value K3 (step S25). Then, when the displacement amount A is larger than the third threshold value K3 (YES in step S25), the control device 21 determines that the position where the imbalance occurs is the lower portion of the rotating tub 7 (step S26). . Further, when the displacement amount A is equal to or less than the third threshold value K3 (NO in step S25), the control device 21 determines that the positions where the imbalance occurs are the upper and lower portions of the rotary tub 7 . That is, the control device 21 determines that the unbalanced state is the facing state.

FIG. 5 shows the results of an experiment conducted by the inventor according to the present disclosure, that is, the results of an experiment investigating the relationship between the position where imbalance occurs in the rotating tub 7 and the value of “B/A”. In this experiment, weights of various weights were attached to predetermined positions on the top and bottom of the rotating tank 7 to simulate an unbalanced state, and in this state, the rotating tank 7 was set as a "shelf", that is, almost or completely constant. The value of "B/A" when rotating at a predetermined rotation speed, for example, 130 rpm, was examined. At this time, the weight of the weight is varied in various ways. For example, the weight attached to the bottom of the rotating tank 7 is varied in increments of 200 g in the range of 0 to 3600 g, and the weight attached to the top of the rotating tank 7 is For example, it was varied in 200 g increments in the range from 0 to 1600 g.

According to the results of this experiment, for example, the value of "B/A" was "404" when no weight was attached to the upper portion of the rotating tub 7 and a weight of 1200 g was attached to the lower portion. Further, the value of "B/A" was "38" when a weight of 1000 g was attached to the upper portion of the rotating tub 7 and a weight of 400 g was attached to the lower portion thereof.

Based on the experimental results illustrated in FIG. 5, when the unbalance of the rotating tub 7 occurs in the lower part, for example, as indicated by the two-dot chain line a in FIG. It tends to show relatively large values, eg, 180 or higher. In other words, when the numerical value of "B/A" indicates a relatively large value, for example, a value of 180 or more, it can be determined that the imbalance of the rotating tub 7 occurs at the "lower portion". be.

Further, when the unbalance of the rotating tub 7 occurs in the upper part, for example, as indicated by the two-dot chain line b in FIG. tend to show value. In other words, when the numerical value of "B/A" indicates a relatively small value, for example, a value of 40 or less, it can be determined that the unbalance of the rotating tub 7 occurs at the "upper portion." be.

Therefore, based on this experimental result, when detecting acceleration by the acceleration sensor 20 in a state in which the rotation speed of the rotary tub 7 is maintained substantially or completely constant at a predetermined speed, in this case, 130 rpm, By setting the first threshold value to, for example, "180" and the second threshold value to, for example, "40", it is possible to determine whether the imbalance occurs at the "upper" or "lower" position of the rotating tub 7. can be determined.

In addition, the “upper portion” of the rotating tub 7 is, for example, a predetermined portion positioned above the central portion of the rotating tub 7 in the vertical direction. Further, the “lower portion” of the rotating tub 7 is, for example, a predetermined portion located below the central portion of the rotating tub 7 in the vertical direction.

Also, the first threshold K1 and the second threshold K2 can be determined in advance based on the experimental results as described above. Also, the third threshold K3 can be determined in advance based on the experimental result as described above, or the determined first threshold K1 and second threshold K2. It should be noted that these threshold values can be appropriately changed and set according to, for example, the size of the rotating tub 7, the rated capacity, the set value of the rotational speed of the rotating tub 7 in the dehydration process, and the like.

Based on the above configuration, the control device 21 determines the position where the imbalance occurs in the rotating tub 7 . Then, as exemplified in FIG. 3, when the control device 21 ends the process of determining the unbalanced position (step S7), whether or not the determination result is "lower unbalanced" (step S8), It is checked whether or not there is an "upper unbalance" (step S9) and whether or not there is an "opposed unbalance" (step S10).

Note that "lower unbalance" corresponds to the case where the determination result of the unbalance generation position determination process (step S7) is "lower (step S22 or step S26 in FIG. 4)". Further, "upper unbalance" corresponds to the case where the determination result of the unbalance occurrence position determination process (step S7) is "upper (step S24 in FIG. 4)". Also, "opposed unbalance" corresponds to the case where the determination result of the determination process (step S7) of the unbalance occurrence position is "opposed (step S27 in FIG. 4)".

Then, when the determination result of the position where the imbalance occurs is "lower unbalance" (YES in step S8), the control device 21 executes "lower unbalance elimination operation" as the unbalance elimination operation. (Step S11). Further, when the determination result of the unbalance occurrence position is "upper unbalance" (YES in step S9), the control device 21 executes "upper unbalance elimination operation" as the unbalance elimination operation. (Step S12). Further, when the determination result of the unbalance occurrence position is "opposing unbalance" (YES in step S10), control device 21 executes "opposing unbalance elimination operation" as the unbalance elimination operation. (Step S13). When the control device 21 determines that the position where the imbalance occurs is "unknown" for some reason (NO in steps S8, S9, and S10), the control device 21 returns to step S7 to The process of determining the position is executed again.

Next, the "lower portion unbalance elimination operation" in step S11, the "upper portion unbalance elimination operation" in step S12, and the "opposed unbalance elimination operation" in step S13 will be described in more detail.

(Unbalance elimination operation for the lower part)
In the lower unbalance elimination operation, the controller 21 sets the amount of water supplied to the water tank 5 to a predetermined "low level". That is, the control device 21 makes the amount of water supplied into the water tank 5 smaller than the predetermined standard amount of water. In addition, the control device 21 sets the water supply speed to "low level" which is lower than the predetermined standard speed. In addition, the control device 21 sets the rotation speed of the rotary tub 7 to a “low level” lower than the predetermined standard speed. Further, the control device 21 sets the rotational speed of the pulsator 9 to a “low level” lower than the predetermined rotational speed. Further, the control device 21 switches the rotation mode of the pulsator 9 so that the water flow generated in the water tank 5 is at a "low level" weaker than a predetermined standard strength. It should be noted that the rotation tank 7 may not be rotated in the operation for resolving the unbalance for the lower portion.

That is, in the lower unbalance elimination operation, the control device 21 at least switches the rotation mode of the pulsator 9 to the "small rotation mode". The "short-step rotation mode" is a rotation mode in which the rotation direction of the pulsator 9 is switched more finely than in the standard time when the rotating tub 7 is not unbalanced.

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, the control device 21 rotates the pulsator 9 in the normal direction for 0.3 seconds, stops the rotation for 0.6 seconds, and then rotates the pulsator 9 for 0.6 seconds. For example, it is rotated in the opposite direction for 0.5 seconds, and then stopped for 0.6 seconds. At this time, the time for accelerating the pulsator 9 in the forward rotation direction and the reverse rotation direction is, for example, 0.2 seconds in both directions. Further, the rotation speed of the pulsator 9 in the normal rotation direction and the reverse rotation direction is, for example, 110 rpm in both directions.

This control example is merely an example, and various numerical values can be changed and set as appropriate. In the unbalance elimination operation for the lower portion, it is preferable to rotate the pulsator 9 while switching the rotation direction between the forward rotation direction and the reverse rotation direction in relatively small steps. As a result, the effect of untangling the clothes C can be expected in a state where the clothes C are biased or tangled mainly in the lower part of the rotary tub 7 as illustrated in FIG. 7 .

In other words, regarding the unbalance that occurs in the lower portion of the rotating tub 7, which is a position close to the pulsator 9, the rotation mode of the pulsator 9 is changed more finely than when the pulsator 9 rotates normally, that is, when the unbalance does not occur. It is preferable to switch to the "small rotation mode". As a result, the rotational force of the pulsator 9 can be efficiently transmitted to the clothes under the rotating tub 7, and the effect of effectively eliminating the imbalance in the lower portion of the rotating tub 7 can be expected.

(Unbalance elimination operation for upper part)
In the upper unbalance elimination operation, the control device 21 sets the amount of water supplied to the water tank 5 to a predetermined “high level”. That is, the controller 21 makes the amount of water supplied into the water tank 5 larger than the predetermined standard amount of water. In addition, the control device 21 sets the water supply speed to "high level", which is faster than the predetermined standard speed. Further, the control device 21 sets the rotational speed of the rotary tub 7 to a "medium level" equivalent to the predetermined standard speed or a "high level" faster than the predetermined standard speed. Further, the control device 21 sets the rotational speed of the pulsator 9 to a "medium level" equivalent to a predetermined standard speed or a "high level" faster than the predetermined standard speed. In addition, the control device 21 switches the rotation mode of the pulsator 9 so that the water flow generated in the water tank 5 has a "middle level" equivalent to a predetermined standard strength or a "high level" stronger than the predetermined standard strength. . It should be noted that the rotating tank 7 may not be rotated in the unbalance elimination operation for the upper portion.

That is, in the upper unbalance elimination operation, the control device 21 at least switches the rotation mode of the pulsator 9 to the "large rotation mode". The “large rotation mode” is a rotation mode in which the pulsator 9 is rotated more than the standard time when the rotating tub 7 is not unbalanced.

More specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 6, the control device 21 rotates the pulsator 9 in the normal rotation direction for 1.5 seconds, then stops it for 1.0 seconds, and then reverses the rotation. Rotate in one direction, for example, for 1.5 seconds, then stop for, for example, 1.0 seconds. At this time, the time for accelerating the pulsator 9 in the forward rotation direction and the reverse rotation direction is, for example, 1.0 second in both directions. Further, the rotational speed of the pulsator 9 in the forward rotation direction and the reverse rotation direction is, for example, 140 rpm in both directions.

This control example is merely an example, and various numerical values can be changed and set as appropriate. In the upper unbalance elimination operation, it is preferable to rotate the pulsator 9 relatively large in the normal rotation direction and the reverse rotation direction. As a result, the effect of loosening the clothes C can be expected in a state where the clothes C are biased or tangled mainly in the upper part of the rotary tub 7 as illustrated in FIG. 8 .

In other words, with regard to the unbalance occurring in the upper part of the rotating tub 7, which is a position away from the pulsator 9, the rotation mode of the pulsator 9 is changed to the "large rotation mode" in which the pulsator 9 rotates more than the standard time, that is, when the imbalance does not occur. It is better to switch to "mode". As a result, the rotational force of the pulsator 9 can be efficiently transmitted to the clothes in the upper portion of the rotating tub 7, and the effect of eliminating the imbalance in the upper portion of the rotating tub 7 can be expected.

(Opposing unbalance elimination operation)
In the opposing unbalance elimination operation, the control device 21 sets the amount of water supplied to the water tank 5 to a predetermined "medium level". That is, the controller 21 sets the amount of water to be supplied into the water tank 5 to the same level as the predetermined standard amount of water. In addition, the control device 21 sets the water supply speed to "medium level" which is equivalent to the predetermined standard speed. Further, the control device 21 sets the rotational speed of the rotary tub 7 to a "medium level" equivalent to the predetermined standard speed or a "high level" faster than the predetermined standard speed. Further, the control device 21 sets the rotational speed of the pulsator 9 to a "medium level" equivalent to a predetermined standard speed or a "high level" faster than the predetermined standard speed. In addition, the control device 21 switches the rotation mode of the pulsator 9 so that the water flow generated in the water tank 5 has a "middle level" equivalent to a predetermined standard strength or a "high level" stronger than the predetermined standard strength. . In addition, in the unbalance elimination operation|movement for opposing, the rotation tub 7 may not be rotated.

That is, in the opposing unbalance elimination operation, the control device 21 at least switches the rotation mode of the pulsator 9 to the "mixed rotation mode". In the "mixing rotation mode", the pulsator 9 is rotated more than the standard time when the rotation tank 7 is not unbalanced, and the rotation direction of the pulsator 9 is changed to the standard time when the rotation tank 7 is not unbalanced. It is a rotation mode that switches more finely.

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, the control device 21 rotates the pulsator 9 in the forward direction for 1.0 seconds, stops the rotation for 0.8 seconds, and then rotates the pulsator 9 for 0.8 seconds. 1.0 seconds in the opposite direction, and then stop for 0.8 seconds, for example, is repeated. At this time, the time for accelerating the pulsator 9 in the forward rotation direction and the reverse rotation direction is, for example, 0.2 seconds in both directions. Further, the rotational speed of the pulsator 9 in the normal rotation direction and the reverse rotation direction is, for example, 145 rpm in both directions.

This control example is merely an example, and various numerical values can be changed and set as appropriate. In the opposing imbalance elimination operation, the pulsator 9 rotates in the normal direction and the reverse direction while being switched relatively larger than in the lower imbalance elimination operation and relatively smaller than in the upper unbalance elimination operation. It is better to let As a result, as shown in FIG. 9, in a state where the clothes C are biased or tangled mainly in the upper and lower parts of the rotary tub 7, the clothes C on the lower side can be loosened first. In addition, as the clothes C on the lower side are loosened, the clothes C on the upper side fall downward, so that the clothes C that are unbalanced on the upper side can also be loosened sequentially. be.

In other words, the imbalance occurring in the upper portion of the rotating tub 7 away from the pulsator 9 and in the lower portion of the rotating tub 7 near the pulsator 9 is determined by changing the rotation mode of the pulsator 9 to the standard time, i.e. It is preferable to switch to a "mixed rotation mode" in which the rotation direction of the pulsator is rotated more than when imbalance does not occur and the direction of rotation of the pulsator is switched more finely than when imbalance does not occur. As a result, the rotational force of the pulsator 9 can be efficiently transmitted to both the clothes in the upper part of the rotary tank 7 and the clothes in the lower part of the rotary tank 7, and the imbalance occurring in the lower and upper parts of the rotary tank 7 can be It is possible to expect the effect of eliminating it by gradually breaking down from the beginning.

The predetermined standard amount of water in the various imbalance elimination operations described above may be, for example, the amount of water supplied to the water tank 5 in a well-known standard course executable by the washing machine 1, or an independently set standard. It may be a reasonable amount of water supply. Further, the various "intermediate levels" described above may be, for example, predetermined standard levels assumed in well-known standard courses, or may be independently set levels. Further, the various "low levels" described above can be appropriately changed and set within a range lower than the set "middle level". In addition, the various "high levels" described above can be appropriately changed and set within a range higher than the set "middle level". In addition, the opposing imbalance mainly occurs at the upper and lower portions of the rotating tank 7 at the same time, and the position at which the imbalance occurs at the upper portion and the position at which the imbalance occurs at the lower portion are different. It can be defined as not overlapping in the vertical direction.

According to the washing machine 1 according to the present disclosure illustrated above, the unbalance elimination operation execution unit 23 executes the unbalance elimination operation according to the position of the unbalance in the rotating tub 7 specified by the unbalance detection unit 22. Switch content. According to this configuration, it is possible to perform the unbalance elimination operation with contents suitable for the position where the imbalance occurs in the rotary tub 7, and to effectively eliminate the imbalance.

Further, according to the washing machine 1, the unbalance elimination operation execution unit 23 performs the unbalance elimination operation when the unbalance occurrence position specified by the unbalance detection unit 22 is the upper part of the rotating tub 7. It is preferable that the amount of water supplied to the inside of 5 is larger than a predetermined standard amount of water. As a result, the imbalance can be eliminated in a state in which the clothes existing in the upper part of the rotary tub 7 are floated or submerged in the water in the tub 5, and the imbalance can be eliminated more effectively. .

Further, according to the washing machine 1, when the imbalance occurrence position specified by the unbalance detection unit 22 is the upper part of the rotating tub 7, the unbalance elimination operation executing unit 23 detects the pulsator in the unbalance elimination operation. 9 may be switched to a "large rotation mode" in which the pulsator 9 is rotated more than in standard time, that is, when imbalance does not occur. As a result, the rotational force of the pulsator 9 can be efficiently transmitted to the clothes present in the upper part of the rotary tub 7 away from the pulsator 9, and the unbalance can be eliminated more effectively.

Further, according to the washing machine 1, when the imbalance occurrence position specified by the unbalance detection unit 22 is the lower part of the rotating tub 7, the unbalance elimination operation executing unit 23 performs the unbalance elimination operation. It is preferable that the amount of water supplied to the inside of 5 is less than a predetermined standard amount of water. As a result, the imbalance can be eliminated in a state in which the clothes existing in the lower part of the rotary tub 7 are floated or submerged in the water in the tub 5, and the imbalance can be eliminated more effectively. . In addition, since the amount of water supplied to the water tank 5 is reduced, the water supply time can be shortened and the unbalance elimination operation can be started early, so that the imbalance can be eliminated quickly.

Further, according to the washing machine 1, when the unbalance occurrence position specified by the unbalance detection unit 22 is the lower part of the rotating tub 7, the unbalance elimination operation executing unit 23 detects the pulsator in the unbalance elimination operation. The rotation mode of 9 may be switched to a "small rotation mode" in which the rotation direction of the pulsator 9 is switched more finely than in the standard time, that is, when imbalance does not occur. As a result, the rotational force of the pulsator 9 can be efficiently transmitted to the clothes present in the lower part of the rotary tub 7 near the pulsator 9, and the imbalance can be eliminated more effectively.

Further, according to the washing machine 1, the unbalance elimination operation execution unit 23 performs the unbalance elimination operation when the imbalance occurrence positions specified by the unbalance detection unit 22 are the upper and lower portions of the rotating tub 7. The amount of water to be supplied into the water tank 5 should be the same as the predetermined standard amount of water. As a result, at least the clothes existing in the lower part of the rotary tub 7 can be floated or submerged in the water in the water tank 5, and the unbalanced clothes in the lower part of the rotary tub 7 can be removed. can be loosened.

In addition, by eliminating the unbalance generated in the lower part of the rotating tub 7, the unbalanced clothes in the upper part of the rotating tub 7 fall down, so that the upper and lower parts of the rotating tub 7 The imbalance that has occurred can be eliminated by breaking it down from the lower side. Moreover, since the amount of water supplied to the water tank 5 is not increased, it is possible to suppress an increase in water supply time. As a result, it is possible to avoid a delay in the start of the unbalance elimination operation and a delay in the elimination of the unbalance.

Further, according to the washing machine 1, the unbalance elimination operation execution unit 23 performs the unbalance elimination operation when the imbalance occurrence positions specified by the unbalance detection unit 22 are the upper and lower portions of the rotating tub 7. The rotation mode of the pulsator 9 is switched to a mixed rotation mode in which the pulsator 9 is rotated more than in the standard time, that is, when imbalance does not occur, and the rotation direction of the pulsator 9 is switched more finely than in the standard time, that is, when imbalance does not occur. It is better to As a result, the action of the pulsator 9 can be efficiently transmitted to the clothes present in the lower part of the rotating tub 7, which is positioned close to the pulsator 9. It can also be efficiently transmitted to clothing present on the upper part. Therefore, the unbalance can be eliminated more effectively.

(Second embodiment)
As exemplified in FIG. 10, the control device 21 may further change the rotation mode of the pulsator 9 according to the weight of the clothes in the rotating tub 7 from the standard time, that is, when imbalance does not occur. That is, the susceptibility of the imbalance to occur differs depending on the weight of the clothes placed in the rotary tub 7. For example, the greater the amount of clothes placed in the rotary tub 7, the more likely the imbalance occurs. Tend. Therefore, the control device 21 preferably controls to rotate the pulsator 9 more or change the direction of rotation of the pulsator 9 more finely as the amount of clothes put into the rotating tub 7 increases. As a result, the rotation of the pulsator 9 in consideration of the weight of the clothes in the rotary tub 7 makes it possible to eliminate the unbalance more effectively.

In this case, when the weight of the clothes in the rotating tub 7 is at a “light level”, the control device 21 switches the rotation direction of the pulsator 9 regardless of the imbalance position in the rotating tub 7 . I try to do it in the same way. That is, when the amount of clothes put into the rotating tub 7 is relatively small, imbalance is unlikely to occur in the first place. In addition, even if imbalance occurs, if the pulsator 9 is lightly rotated while the water tank 5 is filled with water, the imbalance can be eliminated regardless of the rotation mode of the pulsator 9. Dissolution is quite possible. Therefore, in the present disclosure, the control device 21 switches the rotation direction of the pulsator 9 regardless of the position where the imbalance occurs in the rotation tub 7 when the weight of the clothes in the rotation tub 7 is at a “light level”. is performed in the same manner.

(Other embodiments)
It should be noted that the present disclosure is not limited to the multiple embodiments described above, and various modifications and extensions can be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the washing machine 1 may have a configuration in which the multiple embodiments described above are appropriately combined.

In addition, the judgable unbalance occurrence position is not limited to "upper", "lower", and "opposing", but may be judged for other positions such as "intermediate". Further, the rotation mode of the pulsator 9 may be switchable to other rotation modes in addition to the "large rotation mode", "small rotation mode", and "mixed rotation mode". Then, the pulsator 9 may be rotated in an optimum rotation mode according to the determined imbalance occurrence position.

Further, when a weight detection unit for detecting the weight of the clothes in the rotating tub 7 is provided, the unbalance detection unit 22 rotates by adding the weight detected by the weight detection unit to the detection value of the acceleration sensor 20. It may be configured to determine the unbalanced position of the tank 7 . For example, when the weight of the clothes is relatively small, the clothes are present only at the bottom of the rotating tub 7, and the possibility of the clothes being unevenly distributed or tangled at the top is low. Therefore, when the weight of the clothing is relatively small, even if it can be determined that the "upper unbalance" has occurred, it may not be determined as "upper unbalance". By taking into consideration the weight of the clothes in this way, it becomes possible to determine the imbalance occurrence position with higher accuracy.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the displacement amount A in the Z-axis direction, which is the rotation axis direction of the rotary tub 7, and the displacement amount B in the X-axis direction, which is the front-rear direction, are used to determine the imbalance occurrence position. However, it is also possible to determine the imbalance occurrence position by using the displacement amount A in the Z-axis direction and the displacement amount in the Y-axis direction, that is, in the left-right direction. Further, in the above-described embodiment, the washing machine 1 of the vertical axis type in which the rotation axis of the rotation tub 7 is oriented in the vertical direction is exemplified. It can also be applied to a so-called horizontal drum type washing machine that rotates around. In this case, the acceleration sensor may be provided so as to detect the acceleration in the direction of the rotation axis of the rotary tub and the direction orthogonal thereto, and thus the amount of displacement. Further, the rotation mode of the drum may be switched according to the position where the imbalance occurs on the drum.

Further, the specific method for determining the unbalance occurrence position and the set values of various threshold values are merely examples, and can be changed and set as appropriate. Further, the identification of the imbalance occurrence position is not limited to the method based on the detection value of the acceleration sensor 20, and other methods may be used.

Although multiple embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments are presented by way of example only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention described in the claims and its equivalents.

In the drawings, 1 is a washing machine, 5 is a water tank, 7 is a rotating tub, 9 is a pulsator, 20 is an acceleration sensor (acceleration detection unit), 22 is an unbalance detection unit, and 23 is an unbalance elimination operation execution unit.

Claims (7)

a water tank;
a rotating tank rotatably provided in the water tank;
an acceleration detection unit that detects acceleration accompanying vibration of the water tank;
an unbalance detection unit that detects an unbalanced state of the rotating tank based on the detection value of the acceleration detection unit;
an unbalance elimination operation execution unit that executes an unbalance elimination operation for eliminating the unbalanced state of the rotating tub;
with
The imbalance detection unit can identify a position where the imbalance occurs in the rotating tank based on the detection value of the acceleration detection unit,
The unbalance elimination operation execution unit switches the content of the unbalance elimination operation according to the position of occurrence of the unbalance specified by the unbalance detection unit. The unbalance elimination operation execution unit sets a predetermined amount of water to be supplied into the water tank in the unbalance elimination operation when the unbalance occurrence position specified by the unbalance detection unit is the upper part of the rotating tub. The washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the amount of water is larger than the standard amount of water. A pulsator is provided at the bottom of the rotating tank,
The rotation mode of the pulsator is
A large rotation mode in which the pulsator is rotated more than the standard,
a small rotation mode in which the rotation direction of the pulsator is switched more finely than the standard;
a mixed rotation mode in which the pulsator is rotated more than the standard and the rotation direction of the pulsator is switched more finely than the standard;
can be switched to
When the imbalance occurrence position specified by the unbalance detection unit is the upper part of the rotating tank, the unbalance elimination operation execution unit changes the rotation mode of the pulsator in the unbalance elimination operation to the large rotation mode. The washing machine according to claim 2, wherein the washing machine switches to The unbalance elimination operation execution unit sets a predetermined amount of water to be supplied into the water tank in the unbalance elimination operation when the unbalance occurrence position specified by the unbalance detection unit is the lower part of the rotating tub. The washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the amount of water is less than the standard amount of water. A pulsator is provided at the bottom of the rotating tank,
The rotation mode of the pulsator is
A large rotation mode in which the pulsator is rotated more than the standard,
a small rotation mode in which the rotation direction of the pulsator is switched more finely than the standard;
a mixed rotation mode in which the pulsator is rotated more than the standard and the rotation direction of the pulsator is switched more finely than the standard;
can be switched to
When the unbalance occurrence position specified by the unbalance detection unit is the lower part of the rotating tank, the unbalance elimination operation execution unit changes the rotation mode of the pulsator in the unbalance elimination operation to the small rotation. 5. The washing machine according to claim 4, wherein the washing machine switches between modes. The unbalance elimination operation execution unit determines the amount of water to be supplied into the water tank in the unbalance elimination operation when the imbalance occurrence positions specified by the unbalance detection unit are the upper and lower portions of the rotating tub. is equal to the predetermined standard water amount. A pulsator is provided at the bottom of the rotating tank,
The rotation mode of the pulsator is
A large rotation mode in which the pulsator is rotated more than the standard,
a small rotation mode in which the rotation direction of the pulsator is switched more finely than the standard;
a mixed rotation mode in which the pulsator is rotated more than the standard and the rotation direction of the pulsator is switched more finely than the standard;
can be switched to
The unbalance elimination operation execution unit determines the rotation mode of the pulsator in the unbalance elimination operation when the imbalance occurrence positions specified by the unbalance detection unit are the upper and lower portions of the rotating tub. 7. The washing machine according to claim 6, wherein the mixed rotation mode is switched.

Images