JP2023018952A - washing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

To detect weight of laundry stored in a storage tub with good accuracy.SOLUTION: A washing machine in an embodiment includes: a storage tub capable of storing laundry; and a control device capable of executing a washing operation including a pre-washing step which includes a pre-washing operation for performing pre-washing of the laundry stored in the storage tub, a main washing step which includes a main washing operation for performing main washing of the laundry stored in the storage tub after elapse of a stand-by period enabling additional input of the laundry into the storage tub after finishing the pre-washing step, and a rinsing step and a dewatering step which are steps performed after finishing the main washing step and which include a dewatering operation for performing dewatering of the laundry stored in the storage tub. The control device includes a weight detection part capable of executing a weight detection operation for detecting the weight of the laundry stored in the storage tub. The weight detection part executes the weight detection operation after finishing a water supply operation for supplying water into the storage tub included in the main washing step and before starting the dewatering operation.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Embodiments of the present invention relate to washing machines.

For example, in a washing machine such as a drum-type washing machine, it is known that vibration during spin-drying operation is related to the weight of the laundry stored in the drum, which is a storage tub, that is, the amount of load in the tub. Therefore, it is desirable to optimize the dewatering operation of the washing machine, such as the number of revolutions of the drum, according to the amount of load in the tub. In order to optimize the details of the dewatering operation, it is necessary to accurately detect the weight of the laundry stored in the storage tub.

On the other hand, in recent years, due to the increase in double-income households, etc., there is a need to wash a lot of laundry at once. In addition, if the laundry includes heavily soiled clothing, pre-wash only such heavily soiled clothing, remove most of the dirt, and then wash the laundry together with the rest of the laundry. There are also users such as

Assuming such a usage of the washing machine, in the main washing process of performing the main washing after the pre-washing process of performing the pre-washing is completed, the wet laundry after the pre-washing, which is the wet cloth, is used. , and the dry cloth, which is the additionally added dry laundry containing no moisture, are mixed. Thus, when the weight detection operation for detecting the weight of the laundry is executed in a state in which the wet cloth and the dry cloth are mixed in the laundry stored in the storage tub, the ratio of the wet cloth and the dry cloth in the storage tub is unknown. Therefore, the weight of the laundry cannot be detected accurately, and as a result, there is a possibility that the spin-drying operation cannot be performed normally.

JP-A-06-114184 JP 2017-029248 A Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-130238

Therefore, a washing machine capable of accurately detecting the weight of laundry stored in a storage tub is provided.

A washing machine according to an embodiment includes a storage tub capable of storing laundry, a pre-washing process including a pre-washing operation for pre-washing the laundry stored in the storage tub, and completion of the pre-washing process. a main washing process including a main washing operation of performing main washing of the laundry stored in the storage tank after a waiting period enabling additional input of the laundry into the storage tank; and a control device capable of executing a washing operation including a rinsing process and a dehydration process, which are processes performed after completion and include a dehydration operation for dehydrating the laundry stored in the storage tub; Prepare. The control device includes a weight detection unit capable of executing a weight detection operation for detecting the weight of the laundry stored in the storage tub. The weight detection unit executes the weight detection operation after the completion of the water supply operation of supplying water into the storage tank included in the main washing process and before the start of the dehydration operation.

A diagram schematically showing the configuration of the washing machine according to the first embodiment. A diagram showing an electrical configuration of the washing machine according to the first embodiment. A diagram showing an example of specific contents of each process in the washing operation according to the first embodiment. A diagram showing an example of the relationship between rotation speed and time in the first weight detection operation according to the first embodiment. A diagram showing an example of the relationship between rotation speed and time in the second weight detection operation according to the first embodiment. A diagram showing the contents of processing executed by the control device after the start of the main washing process according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically showing a state in which laundry is stuck to the rotating tub during the weight detection operation according to the first embodiment; FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically showing a state in which laundry does not stick to the rotating tub during the weight detection operation according to the first embodiment; A diagram showing an example of the relationship between rotation speed and time in the second weight detection operation according to the second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining a specific example regarding correction of the detection result by the first weight detection operation according to the third embodiment;

A plurality of embodiments will be described below with reference to the drawings. In addition, the same code|symbol is attached|subjected to the substantially same structure in each embodiment, and description is abbreviate|omitted.
(First embodiment)
A first embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8. FIG.

As shown in FIG. 1, the washing machine 10 of the present embodiment is a drum-type washing machine in which the rotation axis of the rotary tub 13 is horizontal or inclined downward toward the rear. Note that the washing machine 10 may be a vertical shaft type washing machine in which the rotating shaft of the rotating tub 13 is oriented in the vertical direction. The washing machine 10 of this embodiment includes an outer casing 11 , a water tub 12 , a rotating tub 13 , a motor 14 , a drainage path 15 , a drainage valve 16 , a circulation path 17 , a circulation pump 18 and a heater 19 . In FIG. 1 , the installation surface side of the washing machine 10 , that is, the vertically lower side is the lower side of the washing machine 10 , and the opposite side to the installation surface, that is, the vertically upper side is the upper side of the washing machine 10 . Also, the front side of the washing machine 10 as viewed from the user of the washing machine 10 is the front side of the washing machine 10 , and the opposite side of the washing machine 10 to the user, that is, the rear side of the washing machine 10 is the rear side of the washing machine 10 .

The outer case 11 is formed in a substantially rectangular box shape, for example, from a steel plate or the like. The water tank 12 is arranged inside the outer case 11 and elastically supported by a suspension (not shown). The rotating tank 13 is rotatably arranged in the water tank 12 . Both the water tank 12 and the rotary tank 13 are formed in a so-called bottomed cylindrical shape having an opening on one axial side, ie, the front side, and a bottom portion on the other side, ie, the rear side. The rotating tub 13 accommodates the laundry so that it can be put in and taken out, and functions as a storage tub for storing the laundry. In addition, since the laundry is mainly clothing, the laundry may be referred to as clothing in this specification.

Also, the rotating tub 13 has a baffle 131 and a large number of holes 132 . A plurality of, for example, three baffles 131 are provided on the inner peripheral wall of the rotary tub 13 and have the function of stirring and raking up the laundry accommodated in the rotary tub 13 . The hole 132 is formed over the entire inner peripheral wall of the rotary tub 13 and functions as a water passage hole through which water flows in and out during the dehydration process, for example. The rotating tub 13 also functions as a washing tub when the washing operation for washing the laundry and the rinsing operation for rinsing the laundry is performed, and also functions as a dehydration tub when the dehydration operation for dehydrating the laundry is performed. do.

The motor 14 is provided outside the bottom of the water tank 12 . The motor 14 is connected to the rotating tub 13 and has a function of directly rotating the rotating tub 13 . Although not shown in detail, the motor 14 is composed of, for example, a brushless direct drive motor capable of changing the rotation speed. Note that the motor 14 is not limited to a direct drive motor, and may be configured to have a clutch mechanism, a brake device, and the like.

Drainage path 15 is a path for discharging water stored in water tub 12 to the outside of washing machine 10 . The drain path 15 is composed of, for example, a flexible drain hose, one end of which is connected to the drain valve 16 and the other end of which is pulled out of the washing machine 10 . The drain valve 16 is a liquid on-off valve that can be opened and closed electromagnetically. The drain valve 16 is provided between the drain port 121 provided at the bottom of the water tank 12 and the drain path 15 . The drain valve 16 opens and closes the drain path 15 based on a control signal from the controller 50 .

The circulation path 17 is provided outside the water tank 12 . The circulation path 17 is a path for pumping up the water stored in the water tank 12 and supplying the pumped water from the top of the water tank 12 into the water tank 12 again. The circulation path 17 has one end connected to the drain port 121 via the circulation pump 18 and the other end connected to a nozzle portion 171 provided at the top of the water tank 12 . Although the details are not shown, the nozzle portion 171 is configured such that the water discharged from the nozzle portion 171 is discharged toward the center of the water tank 12 in the form of a shower.

A circulation pump 18 is provided on the circulation path 17 . When the circulation pump 18 is driven with the drainage path 15 closed by the drainage valve 16 , the circulation pump 18 draws up water from the water tank 12 through the drain port 121 and pours the water into the water tank 12 again from the nozzle portion 171 . Thereby, the circulation pump 18 circulates the water stored in the water tank 12 through the circulation path 17 . A heater 19 is provided at the bottom of the water tank 12 . The heater 19 has a function of heating the water supplied to the water tank 12 to warm it. Thus, washing machine 10 can perform a washing process or a rinsing process using warm water.

The washing machine 10 also includes a hot air supply path 61, a heating device 62, and a blower 63, as shown in FIGS. The hot air supply path 61 is provided outside the water tank 12 and has a function of supplying warm air for drying inside the water tank 12 . In the case of this embodiment, the hot air supply path 61 is configured as a circulation air path that circulates inside and outside the water tank 12 . In this case, the hot air supply path 61 sucks the air inside the water tank 12 and the rotating tank 13 and supplies the sucked air into the water tank 12 again from the top of the water tank 12 . One end of the hot air supply path 61 is connected near the lower end on the back side of the water tank 12 , and the other end is connected near the upper front end on the front side of the water tank 12 .

The heating device 62 and the blower 63 are provided in the middle of the hot air supply path 61 . The heating device 62 has a function of heating the air in the hot air supply path 61 to generate hot air to be supplied from the hot air supply path 61 into the water tank 12 . The hot air generated by the heating device 62 is supplied into the water tank 12 by the action of the blower 63 . In this case, the heating method of the heating device 62 can employ, for example, a heat pump method or a heater method.

The washing machine 10 also has a connection port 21 , a water supply path 22 , a water supply valve 23 and an automatic treatment agent injection device 30 . The connection port 21 is connected via a hose 100 to an external water supply source such as a water faucet. The water supply path 22 is a path for supplying water supplied from an external water supply source into the water tub 12 and the rotary tub 13 . The water supply path 22 has one end connected to the water supply valve 23 and the other end connected to the water tank 12 . The water supply valve 23 is a liquid on-off valve that can be electromagnetically opened and closed. The water supply valve 23 is provided between the connection port 21 and the water supply path 22 . The water supply valve 23 opens and closes the water supply path 22 based on a control signal from the control device 50 .

The processing agent automatic injection device 30 has a function of storing laundry processing agents such as detergents required for a plurality of washing operations, and automatically injecting the required amount of laundry processing agents into the water tank 12 as the washing operation progresses. have The processing agent automatic injection device 30 is provided, for example, in the upper portion of the outer box 11 and is connected to the water supply path 22 . Water supplied from an external water supply source is directly mixed with the laundry treatment agent supplied from the automatic treatment agent input device 30 in the water supply path 22 and supplied to the water tub 12 .

In this case, the automatic treatment agent injection device 30 is configured to automatically supply the laundry treatment agent previously stored in the automatic treatment agent injection device 30 into the water tub 12 using, for example, a piston pump (not shown). The washing machine 10 includes a manual loading device in addition to the processing agent automatic loading device 30, and the user manually loads the laundry processing agent required for one washing operation into the manual loading device before starting the washing operation. may be configured. In addition, in this specification, the laundry treatment agent is a concept including, for example, detergents such as powder detergents and liquid detergents, and finishing agents such as softeners and fragrances. In this case, the processing agent automatic dosing device 30 is compatible with liquid detergent and liquid finishing agent, and the manual dosing device is compatible with both liquid detergent and powder detergent and liquid finishing agent.

The washing machine 10 includes an operation panel 41, a current sensor 42, a water level sensor 43 and a control device 50, as shown in FIG. The operation panel 41 has a display unit and an operation unit, receives user input operations, and displays input operation details, driving conditions, and the like. A current sensor 42 can detect the current flowing through the motor 14 . A water level sensor 43 can detect the water level in the water tank 12 .

The control device 50 is mainly composed of a CPU (not shown) and a microcomputer having storage areas such as a ROM, a RAM, and a rewritable flash memory, and controls the overall operation of the washing machine 10 . Motor 14, drain valve 16, circulation pump 18, heater 19, water supply valve 23, operation panel 41, current sensor 42, water level sensor 43, heating device 62, and fan 63 are electrically connected to control device 50. . These motor 14 , drain valve 16 , circulation pump 18 , heater 19 , water supply valve 23 , operation panel 41 , current sensor 42 , water level sensor 43 , heating device 62 and fan 63 are controlled by control device 50 .

The control device 50 includes functional blocks such as an operation control section 51 , a weight detection section 52 and a fabric quality determination section 53 . These functional blocks are realized by the CPU of the control device 50 executing a computer program stored in a ROM or the like to execute processing corresponding to the computer program, that is, realized by software. At least a part of each functional block may be implemented by hardware such as an integrated circuit.

The operation control unit 51 can execute a washing operation including a pre-washing process, a main washing process, a rinsing process, and a spin-drying process. As shown in FIG. 3, the pre-washing process includes a detergent feeding operation, a water supply operation, a pre-washing operation, a draining operation, and a dewatering operation. The detergent input operation is an operation to supply a predetermined amount of laundry processing agent into the water tub 12 and the rotary tub 13 . The water supply operation is an operation to supply a predetermined amount of water into the water tub 12 and the rotating tub 13 . The pre-washing operation is an operation for pre-washing the laundry accommodated in the rotating tub 13 . The draining operation is an operation for draining the water in the water tank 12 and the rotating tub 13 . The dehydration operation is an operation for dehydrating the laundry accommodated in the rotating tub 13 .

As shown in FIG. 3, the main washing process is a process performed through a waiting period during which additional laundry can be added to the rotating tub 13 after the pre-washing process is completed. The main washing process includes a detergent feeding operation, a water supply operation, a main washing operation and a draining operation. The main washing operation is an operation of performing main washing of the laundry accommodated in the rotating tub 13 . As shown in FIG. 3, the rinsing process is a process performed after the main washing process is completed. The rinsing process includes a dehydration operation, a water supply operation, a rinsing operation, a drain operation and a dehydration operation. The rinsing operation is an operation for rinsing the laundry accommodated in the rotating tub 13 . The rinsing operation includes a shower rinsing operation with shower water supply and a pre-rinsing operation. As shown in FIG. 3, the dewatering process is a process performed after the main washing process and the rinsing process are completed. The dehydration process includes a dehydration operation.

Weight detection unit 52 can perform a weight detection operation for detecting the weight of the laundry accommodated in rotating tub 13 . Since the weight of the laundry contained in the rotating tub 13 corresponds to the load in the rotating tub 13, the weight of the laundry stored in the rotating tub 13 is referred to herein as the load. It is sometimes called The weight detector 52 detects the weight of the laundry contained in the rotating tub 13 based on a predetermined physical quantity obtained when rotating the rotating tub 13 up to a predetermined rotational speed.

Specifically, the weight detection unit 52 rapidly rotates the rotary tub 13 to a predetermined rotation speed, measures the current value flowing through the motor 14 during the rapid rotation by the current sensor 42, and determines the measured current value. Based on this, the weight of the laundry in the rotating tub 13 is detected. In this case, the current value flowing through the motor 14 detected by the current sensor 42 includes the q-axis current value reflecting the magnitude of the rotational torque of the motor 14 .

When the washing machine 10 is a vertical axis type washing machine, the weight detection unit 52 can detect the weight of the laundry in the rotating tub 13 as follows. That is, the weight detection unit 52 detects the amount of washing in the rotating tub 13 based on a change in a detection signal obtained from a rotation sensor (not shown) that detects the rotation speed of the motor 14 when the rotating tub 13 is rotated at a predetermined rotation speed. It can detect the weight of objects. Since the rotation speed is the number of rotations per unit time, the rotation speed may be referred to as the number of rotations in this specification. The weight detection unit 52 can also be configured to directly and physically measure the weight of the laundry in the rotating tub 13 using a weighing scale or the like.

Weight detection unit 52 performs a weight detection operation at the start of the pre-washing process. As a result, as shown in FIG. 3, in the pre-washing process, the weight detection operation, the detergent supply operation, the water supply operation, the pre-washing operation, the drainage operation, and the dehydration operation are executed in this order. The operation control unit 51 sets the operation contents of each operation in the pre-washing process based on the detection result of the weight detection operation performed at the start of the pre-washing process. Specifically, the operation control unit 51 sets the amount of detergent to be input in the detergent input operation, the amount of water to be supplied in the water supply operation, and the details of the dehydration operation. The operation content of the dehydration operation includes the number of revolutions when rotating the rotary tub 13 in the dehydration operation.

The weight detection unit 52 performs the weight detection operation after the completion of the water supply operation included in the main washing process and before the start of the dehydration operation, and also performs the weight detection operation before the start of the water supply operation included in the main washing process. to run. In this specification, in order to distinguish between these two weight detection operations, the former weight detection operation is referred to as the first weight detection operation, and the latter weight detection operation is referred to as the second weight detection operation.

In this embodiment, the weight detection unit 52 executes the first weight detection operation at the start of the main washing process. As a result, as shown in FIG. 3, in the main washing process, the first weight detection operation, the detergent input operation, the water supply operation, the main washing operation and the drain operation are executed in this order. The operation control unit 51 sets the detergent input amount in the detergent input operation in the main washing process, the water supply amount in the water supply operation in the main washing process, and the like based on the detection result of the first weight detection operation.

In this embodiment, the weight detection unit 52 performs the second weight detection operation at the start of the rinsing process. As a result, as shown in FIG. 3, in the rinsing process, the second weight detection operation, the dehydration operation, the water supply operation, the shower rinsing operation, the drain operation, the dehydration operation, the water supply operation, the rinsing operation, and the drain operation are performed in this order. executed. The operation control unit 51 sets the water supply amount in the water supply operation in the rinsing process based on the detection result of the second weight detection operation. The water supply amount in the water supply operation in the rinsing process may be set based on the detection result of the first weight detection operation. Further, the operation control unit 51 determines the operation contents of the dehydration operation in the rinsing process and the dehydration process, specifically, the number of revolutions when rotating the rotary tub 13 in the dehydration process, based on the detection result of the second weight detection operation. set.

In this case, the rotation speed for rotating the rotary tub 13 in the second weight detection operation is smaller than the rotation speed for rotating the rotation tub 13 in the first weight detection operation. It should be noted that the "value of the number of revolutions" referred to here indicates at least one of the peak value and the average value of the number of revolutions. That is, as shown in FIG. 4, the rotation speed in the first weight detection operation ranges from 0 [rpm] to 70 [rpm] in the first half period, which is the period from the start of the operation to time t1 when a predetermined period of time, for example 5 seconds, has elapsed. ].

Further, the rotation speed in the first weight detection operation ranges from 70 [rpm] to 170 [rpm] in the second half period, which is the period from time t1, which is the end of the first half period, to time t2, which is a predetermined time period, for example, one second. ]. In the first weight detection operation, the current value is measured during the second half period, that is, the second acceleration period, and the weight of the laundry in the rotating tub 13 is detected. Therefore, the peak value of the rotation speed in the first weight detection operation is 170 [rpm], and the average value of the rotation speed in the first weight detection operation is 120 [rpm].

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 5, the rotation speed in the second weight detection operation increases from 0 [rpm] to 90 [rpm] during the period from the start of the operation to time t3 when a predetermined time, for example, 4 seconds, has elapsed. and rise. In the second weight detection operation, the current value is measured during the acceleration period, and the weight of the laundry in the rotating tub 13 is detected. Therefore, the peak value of the rotation speed in the second weight detection operation is 90 [rpm], and the average value of the rotation speed in the second weight detection operation is 45 [rpm]. Thus, the peak value and average value of the number of rotations in the second weight detection operation are both smaller than the peak value and average value of the number of rotations in the first weight detection operation.

The control device 50 prevents the weight detection unit 52 from executing the second weight detection operation when the weight of the laundry detected by the first weight detection operation is greater than a predetermined threshold weight. Alternatively, when the weight of laundry detected by the first weight detection operation is greater than the predetermined threshold weight, control device 50 causes weight detection unit 52 to perform the second weight detection operation, but the second weight detection operation is performed. The operation content of the dewatering operation is set based on the detection result of the first weight detection operation without using the detection result of the operation.

Specifically, when the main washing process is started, the control device 50 executes the processing shown in FIG. First, in step S100, a first weight detection operation is performed. After executing step S100, the process proceeds to step S200. In step S200, it is determined whether or not the weight of the laundry in the rotating tub 13 indicated by the detection result of the first weight detection operation is equal to or less than the threshold weight. The threshold weight is a value appropriately set according to the specifications of the washing machine 10, and is set to 10 kg, for example, in the present embodiment. Here, when the weight of the laundry in the rotating tub 13 indicated by the detection result of the first weight detection operation is equal to or less than the threshold weight, "YES" is determined in step S200, and the process proceeds to step S300.

In step S300, a second weight detection operation is performed. After execution of step S300, the process proceeds to step S400. In step S400, the details of the dehydration operation are set based on the detection result of the second weight detection operation. On the other hand, if the weight of the laundry in the rotating tub 13 indicated by the detection result of the first weight detection operation is greater than the threshold weight, the result is "NO" in step S200, and the process proceeds to step S500. In step S500, the operation content of the dehydration operation is set based on the detection result of the first weight detection operation. After execution of step S400 or S500, this process ends.

The cloth quality determination unit 53 can perform a cloth quality determination operation for determining the cloth quality of the laundry accommodated in the rotating tub 13 . The cloth quality determination operation is an operation for determining whether the clothing is mainly made of cotton products or synthetic fiber products. The cloth quality determining unit 53 measures the current value flowing through the motor 14 when the rotating tub 13 is rotated for a predetermined time by the current sensor 42, and determines the value of the rotating tub 13 based on the average value, variation, etc. of the measured current values. Judge the fabric quality of the laundry inside. The fabric quality determining section 53 performs the fabric quality determining operation at a stage before the second weight detecting operation is performed by the weight detecting section 52 . For example, the fabric quality determination unit 53 can perform the fabric quality determination operation during the pre-washing process and the main washing process.

The weight detection section 52 corrects the detection result of the second weight detection operation according to the determination result of the fabric quality determination section 53 . Clothes have different moisture retention amounts depending on their fabric qualities. Specifically, when the clothing is mainly made of synthetic fiber products, the amount of water retention is less than when the clothing is mainly made of cotton products. Focusing on such a point, the weight detection unit 52 determines that when the determination result by the fabric quality determination unit 53 is mainly made of synthetic fiber products, compared to the case where the determination result is mainly made of cotton products. , even if the current value measured by the current sensor 42 is the same value, it is determined that the load is small. do.

As shown in FIG. 3, in this embodiment, the weight detection unit 52 executes the second weight detection operation after the water supply operation and the main washing operation included in the main washing process are completed and before the dehydration operation is started. It is designed to The weight detection unit 52 corrects the detection result of the second weight detection operation according to the time of the main washing operation. If the duration of the washing action is relatively short, the clothes may not be saturated with water as much as if the washing action is relatively long. Focusing on such a point, the weight detection unit 52 detects that the current measured by the current sensor 42 is higher when the time of the main washing operation is less than the predetermined time compared to when the time of the main washing operation is equal to or longer than the predetermined time. Even if the values are the same, the detection result of the second weight detection operation is corrected so that it is determined that the load amount is large, that is, the weight of the laundry is determined to be heavier.

According to this embodiment described above, the following effects are obtained.
The control device 50 includes a weight detection section 52 capable of executing a weight detection operation for detecting the weight of laundry accommodated in the rotating tub 13 . Then, the weight detection unit 52 executes the second weight detection operation after the water supply operation of supplying water into the rotary tub 13 included in the main washing process is completed and before the dehydration operation is started.

In this way, the wet cloth, which is the laundry containing water after being prewashed, and the dry cloth, which is the laundry not containing additional water, are mixed. All the laundry in the rotating tub 13 becomes a wet compress uniformly moistened. Therefore, the weight detection unit 52 executes the second weight detection operation in a state in which the laundry in the rotating tub 13 is uniformly wetted. detection accuracy is improved. Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to obtain the excellent effect that the weight of the laundry accommodated in the rotating tub 13 can be detected with high accuracy.

The weight detection unit 52 is adapted to perform the first weight detection operation before starting the water supply operation included in the main washing process. However, since the first weight detection operation is performed in a state in which the wet cloth and the dry cloth are mixed in the laundry accommodated in the rotating tub 13, the detection accuracy of the weight of the laundry is lower than that of the second weight detection operation. tends to be lower. Therefore, the control device 50 sets the operation content of the dehydration operation based on the detection result of the second weight detection operation.

In this way, the details of the dehydration operation are set based on the more accurate load amount, so that a smooth dehydration operation can be realized. It should be noted that a drum-type washing machine such as the washing machine 10 of the present embodiment is more likely to cause an imbalance due to the bias of the laundry in the rotating tub 13 during dehydration, as compared to a vertical shaft type washing machine. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the effect described above, that is, the effect that a smooth dehydration operation can be realized becomes even more remarkable.

When executing the weight detection operation, the weight detection unit 52 detects the weight of laundry based on a predetermined physical quantity obtained when the rotating tub 13 is rapidly rotated to a predetermined number of revolutions. However, after the washing operation, the clothes tend to get tangled during washing, and the laundry tends to become unbalanced in the rotating tub 13 . If the rotating tub 13 is rapidly rotated to a relatively high number of revolutions in such an unbalanced state, problems such as vibration and body movement may occur in the washing machine 10 .

Therefore, in the present embodiment, the number of rotations for rotating the rotating tub 13 in the second weight detection operation executed after the main washing operation is set to This value is smaller than the number of revolutions when the rotating tub 13 is rotated. In this way, problems such as vibration and movement of the main body can be prevented during execution of the second weight detection operation, which tends to cause an unbalanced state.

As described above, in the second weight detection operation, the rotating tub 13 is rotated at a lower speed than in the first weight detection operation. be. That is, as shown in FIG. 7, the weight detection operation is performed in a state where the clothes C are evenly spread and attached to the rotating tub 13, that is, when the motor 14 detects the weight of the laundry accommodated in the rotating tub 13. It should be carried out in such a way that the corresponding load is applied exactly.

However, when the weight of the laundry contained in the rotating tub 13 is, for example, 12 kg or more, that is, when the load is high, when the rotating tub 13 is rotated at a low speed, the clothes C are not spread well as shown in FIG. Therefore, it does not stick to the rotating tub 13. In such a state, a load corresponding to the weight of the laundry accommodated in the rotating tub 13 is not accurately applied to the motor 14 . Therefore, in the second weight detection operation, the measured current value flowing through the motor 14 becomes lower than it should be, and as a result, the load amount may be determined to be lighter than the actual load amount. If the operation content of the dehydration operation is set based on the detection result of the second weight detection operation, the dehydration operation may not be performed normally.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, when the weight of laundry detected by the first weight detection operation is greater than a predetermined threshold weight, the control device 50 does not cause the weight detection unit 52 to perform the second weight detection operation, or , setting the operation contents of the dehydration operation without using the detection result of the second weight detection operation. In this way, when the load is high, the operation content of the dewatering operation can be set based on the detection result of the second weight detection operation, which may erroneously determine that the load amount is lighter than the actual load amount. As a result, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the dewatering operation cannot be performed normally.

Since the amount of moisture retained in the clothes differs depending on the quality of the cloth, in the second weight detection operation, for example, when the clothes in the rotating tub 13 are mainly made of synthetic fiber products and when they are mainly made of cotton products, the same determination criteria are applied to the laundry. Sensing the weight may reduce the accuracy of the detection result. Therefore, the control device 50 includes a cloth quality determining section 53 capable of executing a cloth quality determining operation for determining the cloth quality of the laundry accommodated in the rotating tub 13 . The weight detection section 52 corrects the detection result of the second weight detection operation according to the determination result of the fabric quality determination section 53 . In this way, regardless of the fabric quality of the laundry accommodated in the rotating tub 13, the weight of the laundry can be accurately determined.

The weight detection unit 52 executes a second weight detection operation after the water supply operation and the main washing operation included in the main washing process are completed and before the dehydration operation is started. When the time of the main washing operation is relatively short, there is a possibility that the clothes may not be sufficiently soaked with water compared to when the time of the main washing operation is relatively long. Therefore, if the weight of the laundry is detected using the same determination criteria when the main washing operation time is different, the accuracy of the detection result may decrease. Therefore, the weight detection unit 52 corrects the detection result of the second weight detection operation according to the time of the main washing operation. By doing so, the weight of the laundry accommodated in the rotating tub 13 can be accurately determined regardless of the length of time of the main washing operation.

(Second embodiment)
A second embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG.
In this embodiment, the content of the second weight detection operation by the weight detection unit 52 is different from that in the first embodiment. In this case, the weight detection unit 52 first executes the unbalance detection operation in the second weight detection operation. The unbalance detection operation is an operation for detecting an unbalance due to the bias of the laundry in the rotating tub 13 .

The weight detection unit 52 determines whether or not there is an imbalance based on a predetermined physical quantity obtained when rotating the rotary tub 13 at a lower rotation speed than the weight detection operation. Specifically, the weight detection unit 52 gently raises the rotation tank 13 to a predetermined rotation speed, measures the current value flowing through the motor 14 at that time by the current sensor 42, and based on the measured current value, Determine the presence or absence of imbalance. It should be noted that the weight detection unit 52 can also determine the presence or absence of imbalance based on the detection value of an acceleration sensor provided in the water tank 12 or the like.

The weight detection unit 52 determines whether or not the weight detection operation can be executed based on the detection result of such unbalance detection operation. Specifically, the weight detection unit 52 stops the rotation of the rotating tank 13 and stops the execution of the weight detection operation when the detection result of the unbalance detection operation indicates that there is an imbalance. In addition, when the detection result of the unbalance detection operation indicates that there is no unbalance, the weight detection unit 52 rapidly rotates the rotating tank 13 to a predetermined rotation speed, and the motor 14 flows during the rapid rotation. A current value is measured by the current sensor 42, and the weight of the laundry in the rotating tub 13 is detected based on the measured current value.

As shown in FIG. 9, the rotation speed in the second weight detection operation of this embodiment is from 0 [rpm] to 90 [rpm] in the period from the start of the operation to time t11 when a predetermined time, for example, 3 seconds, has elapsed. rpm]. After that, the rotation speed is kept constant at 90 [rpm] for a period until time t12 after a predetermined time, for example 10 seconds, has passed, and the presence or absence of imbalance is determined during this period.

Here, if it is determined that there is an imbalance, as indicated by the dashed line in FIG. and the execution of the weight sensing operation is stopped. On the other hand, if it is determined that there is no imbalance, as indicated by the solid line in FIG. rpm], and the weight of the laundry in the rotating tub 13 is detected during this period.

According to this embodiment described above, the following effects are obtained.
In the weight detection operation, the weight can be detected more accurately and reliably by rotating the rotating tub 13 at a higher rotational speed. Therefore, it is desirable to rotate the rotary tub 13 at a higher speed in the second weight detection operation as in the first weight detection operation. However, as already described in the first embodiment, there is a possibility that the second weight detection operation is performed in a state in which an imbalance has occurred. If the washing machine 10 is rotated rapidly, problems such as vibration and movement of the main body may occur in the washing machine 10 .

Therefore, in the second weight detection operation, the weight detection unit 52 of the present embodiment first executes the unbalance detection operation for detecting the imbalance, and then executes the weight detection operation based on the detection result of the imbalance detection operation. It is designed to judge whether or not it is acceptable. By doing so, it is possible to prevent problems such as vibration and movement of the main body from occurring in washing machine 10 due to execution of the second weight detection operation in a state in which imbalance has occurred. Further, in this way, in the second weight detection operation performed in a state where no imbalance occurs, it is possible to rotate the rotating tub 13 at a higher speed, and as a result, the weight of the laundry can be determined accurately and reliably. can be detected.

(Third Embodiment)
The third embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG.
In this embodiment, processing contents related to the first weight detection operation by the weight detection unit 52 are added to the first embodiment. As described in the first embodiment, since the first weight detection operation is performed in a state in which the wet cloth and the dry cloth are mixed in the laundry accommodated in the rotating tub 13, the weight detection operation is performed as compared with the second weight detection operation. There is a tendency for the detection accuracy of the weight of the laundry to become low. Specifically, in the first weight detection operation, since the wet cloth that is the laundry after pre-washing is included, the detected weight tends to be heavier than the actual weight of the laundry, that is, the load is heavy. tend to be judged as

Therefore, the weight detection unit 52 is adapted to lightly correct the detection result of the first weight detection operation based on a predetermined correction value. Specific contents of such correction will be described below with reference to a specific example shown in FIG. In FIG. 10, the actual load in the pre-washing process, which is the amount of laundry put in before the pre-washing process, is 3.0 kg, and the actual load in the main wash process is 7.0 kg. A first embodiment and a second embodiment are shown in which the actual load during the pre-wash stroke is 1.0 kg and the actual load during the main wash stroke is 7.0 kg.

In the specific example shown in FIG. 10, the correction value is set to a value obtained by multiplying the weight detected by the weight detection operation executed in the pre-washing process by "0.6". In the first specific example, the weight detected by the weight detection operation executed in the pre-washing process is "3.0 kg", which is the same value as the actual load amount, and is detected by the second weight detection operation. The calculated weight is "7.0 kg", which is the same value as the actual load amount. Further, in the first specific example, the weight detected by the first weight detection operation is "9.0 kg", which is a value heavier than the actual load amount. However, in this case, a correction is made by subtracting a correction value of "1.8 kg" from such a detection result. As a result, the corrected weight is "7.2 kg", which is a value close to the actual load amount.

In the second specific example, the weight detected by the weight detection operation executed in the pre-washing process is "1.0 kg", which is the same value as the actual load amount, and is detected by the second weight detection operation. The calculated weight is "7.0 kg", which is the same value as the actual load amount. Further, in the first specific example, the weight detected by the first weight detection operation is "8.0 kg", which is a value heavier than the actual load amount. However, in this case, the detection result is corrected by subtracting the correction value "0.6 kg". As a result, the corrected weight is "7.4 kg", which is a value that approximates the actual load amount.

As described above, the weight detection section of the present embodiment lightly corrects the detection result of the first weight detection operation based on the predetermined correction value. In this manner, the weight of the laundry accommodated in the rotating tub 13 can be determined with high accuracy even by the first weight detection operation which is executed when the wet cloth and the dry cloth are mixed in the laundry accommodated in the rotating tub 13. can be detected. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the detergent input amount and water supply amount in the main washing process, which are set based on the detection result of the first weight detection operation, are set to optimum values corresponding to the actual weight of the laundry. be able to.

(Other embodiments)
The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and illustrated in the drawings, and can be arbitrarily modified, combined, or expanded without departing from the scope of the invention.
The numerical values and the like shown in each of the above embodiments are examples, and are not limited to them.
The present invention can be applied not only to the washing machine 10, which is a drum-type washing and drying machine, but also to washing machines in general, such as a vertical shaft type washing machine.

The weight detection unit 52 can perform the second weight detection operation at an arbitrary timing after the water supply operation included in the main washing process is completed and before the dehydration operation is started. The dehydration operation in the dehydration process requires a higher number of rotations and a longer time than the dehydration operation in the rinsing process. Therefore, it is necessary to set the operating state based on the result of more accurate weight detection. On the other hand, the dehydration operation in the rinsing process has a lower rotation speed and a shorter time than the dehydration operation in the dehydration process. It is also permissible to set the operating state based on the detection result of the first weight detection operation.

Therefore, the weight detection unit 52 may perform the second weight detection operation after the draining operation in the rinsing process is completed and before the dewatering process starts in the dehydrating process. In this case, although the contents of the dewatering operation in the rinsing process are set based on the detection result of the first weight detection operation, the operation state is set based on the result of more accurate weight detection. Since the contents of the dehydration operation in the necessary dehydration process are set based on the detection result of the second weight detection operation, a smooth dehydration operation can be realized.

While several embodiments of the invention have been described above, these embodiments are provided by way of example 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 modifications thereof are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention described in the claims and equivalents thereof.

In the drawing, 10 is a washing machine, 13 is a rotating tub (accommodating tub), 50 is a control device, 51 is an operation control section, 52 is a weight detection section, and 53 is a fabric quality determination section.

Claims (8)

a storage tank capable of storing laundry;
A pre-washing step including a pre-washing operation for pre-washing the laundry stored in the storage tub, and a standby for enabling additional loading of the laundry into the storage tub after completion of the pre-washing step. a main washing step including a main washing operation of performing main washing of the laundry stored in the storage tank over a period of time; a control device capable of executing a washing operation including a rinsing process and a dehydration process including a dehydration operation for dehydrating the laundry;
with
The control device comprises a weight detection unit capable of executing a weight detection operation for detecting the weight of the laundry stored in the storage tub,
The washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the weight detection section executes the weight detection operation after a water supply operation of supplying water into the storage tub included in the main washing process is completed and before the spin-drying operation is started. The weight detection unit is adapted to perform the weight detection operation even before the start of the water supply operation included in the main washing process,
The weight detection operation executed before the start of the water supply operation included in the main washing process is defined as a first weight detection operation, and the dehydration operation is performed after the water supply operation included in the main washing process is completed. Assuming that the weight detection operation executed before the start of is a second weight detection operation,
The washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the control device sets the operation content of the spin-drying operation based on the detection result of the second weight detection operation. The weight detection unit
When executing the weight detection operation, the weight of the laundry is detected based on a predetermined physical quantity obtained when the storage tub is rotated,
3. The set forth in claim 2, wherein the number of rotations for rotating the storage tank in the second weight detection operation is smaller than the number of rotations for rotation of the storage tank in the first weight detection operation. washing machine. When the weight of the laundry detected by the first weight detection operation is greater than a predetermined threshold weight, the control device does not cause the weight detection unit to perform the second weight detection operation, or the second weight detection operation is performed by the weight detection unit. 4. The washing machine according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the operation content of said dehydration operation is set without using the detection result of the weight detection operation. In the second weight detection operation, the weight detection unit first executes an unbalance detection operation for detecting an imbalance caused by the unevenness of the laundry in the storage tub, and based on the detection result of the unbalance detection operation. 3. The washing machine according to claim 2, wherein whether or not the weight detection operation can be executed is determined by the weight detection operation. The control device further comprises a fabric quality determination unit capable of executing a fabric quality determination operation for determining the quality of the laundry stored in the storage tub,
The washing machine according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the weight detection section corrects the detection result of the second weight detection operation according to the determination result of the cloth quality determination section. The weight detection unit
After the water supply operation and the main washing operation included in the main washing process are completed and before the dehydration operation is started, the second weight detection operation is executed,
7. The washing machine according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein the detection result of said second weight detection operation is corrected according to the time of said main washing operation. 8. The washing machine according to any one of claims 2 to 7, wherein the weight detection unit slightly corrects the detection result of the first weight detection operation based on a predetermined correction value. .

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