JP2024009577A - drum type washing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve detection accuracy of a state where an outer tub fixing metal fitting is installed, or to detect abnormality of an elastic support mechanism.

SOLUTION: A drum type washing machine 100 includes: a drum 8 rotationally driven by a drive mechanism 10; an outer tub 9 for including the drum 8; a housing 1 for storing the outer tub 9; a linear actuator 30 arranged between the outer tub 9 and the housing 1; an elastic support mechanism 18 arranged between the outer tub 9 and the housing 1; a control device 40 for controlling the drive mechanism 10; a linear actuator control part 44 for controlling a thrust of the linear actuator 30; an outer tub vibration sensor 16 for detecting the vibration of the outer tub 9; and an abnormality diagnosis part 45 for diagnosing abnormality of the drum type washing machine 100. The linear actuator control part 44 controls the thrust of the linear actuator 30 and vibrates the outer tub 9. The abnormality diagnosis part 45 diagnoses the abnormality of the drum type washing machine 100 based on the detection result of the outer tub vibration sensor 16.

SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

COPYRIGHT: (C)2024,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to a drum type washing machine.

In a drum-type washing machine, a drum is rotatably supported inside an outer tank that stores water. In addition, in a drum-type washing machine, the drum is rotated to lift up the clothes and let them fall to wash the clothes. Furthermore, in drum-type washing machines, water is removed by rotating the drum at high speed. At this time, if the clothing sticks to the side of the drum in a biased manner with respect to the rotation axis of the drum, the outer tub vibrates due to the centrifugal force acting thereon. In order to suppress this vibration and reduce its transmission to the outer frame, the outer tank is elastically supported by the outer frame.

Drum-type washing machines require some initial work when installed. For example, it may be necessary to connect the main body of the washing machine to a faucet installed in the house using a water supply hose, or to adjust the height adjustment legs provided at the bottom of the main unit so that the main unit does not wobble. be. Further, as described above, the outer tank is elastically supported by the housing, and if the outer tank is transported as is, the outer tank may come into contact with other parts due to vibrations during transport, and may be damaged. Therefore, drum-type washing machines are generally transported with an outer tub fixing fitting for fixing the outer tub to the housing.

However, when a drum-type washing machine is operated with this outer tank fixing bracket fixed, the vibration of the outer tank during spin-drying is transmitted to the casing without being attenuated, resulting in excessive vibration of the casing. There is. Therefore, in drum-type washing machines, it is necessary to reliably remove the outer tub fixing fittings before operation.

As a technique for suppressing removal of the outer tank fixing fitting, there is a technique described in Patent Document 1, for example.

In the technology described in Patent Document 1, the control means generates a predetermined acceleration torque in the motor in the cloth amount detection step, accelerates the rotation of the rotating drum, and lowers the rotation frequency to below the first-order resonance frequency of a vibration system such as a water tank. The rotation speed is increased to a predetermined rotation speed N2. The control means detects a signal from an acceleration sensor attached to the water tank, and detects the maximum acceleration of the water tank in the front-rear direction, vertical direction, or left-right direction using the acceleration detection means. When the maximum acceleration is smaller than a preset reference value, the control means detects that the transfer metal fitting is present, and displays on the display means that the transfer metal fitting is not released.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2011-167273

However, in the technology described in Patent Document 1, if the clothes stick evenly to the side of the drum and the vibration of the outer tank becomes minute, the outer tank cannot be removed regardless of whether the outer tank fixing fittings (transfer fittings) are installed. There was a possibility that it would be mistakenly determined that the tank fixing bracket was attached.

Additionally, drum-type washing machines are equipped with a mechanical damping mechanism such as a damper that suppresses vibrations during operation, but Patent Document 1 does not consider detecting abnormalities in this mechanical damping mechanism. .

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a drum-type washing machine that improves the accuracy of detecting a state in which an outer tub fixing fitting is installed or detects an abnormality in an elastic support mechanism.

In order to achieve the above object, the drum type washing machine of the present invention includes an inner tub rotatably driven by a drive mechanism, an outer tub enclosing the inner tub, a casing housing the outer tub, and an outer tub. and a linear actuator disposed between the housing, an elastic support mechanism disposed between the outer tank and the housing, a control device that controls the drive mechanism, and a control device that controls the thrust of the linear actuator. A drum-type washing machine comprising a linear actuator control section, a vibration sensor for detecting vibrations of the outer tub, and an abnormality diagnosis section for diagnosing an abnormality in the drum-type washing machine, the linear actuator control section comprising: The outer tub is vibrated by controlling the thrust of the linear actuator, and the abnormality diagnosis section diagnoses an abnormality in the drum type washing machine based on a detection result of the vibration sensor.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a drum-type washing machine that improves the accuracy of detecting the state in which the outer tub fixing fitting is installed or detects an abnormality in the elastic support mechanism.

1 is an external perspective view showing a drum-type washing machine 100. FIG. FIG. 2 is a right side sectional view with a part of the casing cut away to show the internal structure of the drum-type washing machine 100. FIG. FIG. 2 is a front cross-sectional view of the drum-type washing machine 100 with a portion of the casing cut away to show the internal structure of the drum-type washing machine 100. FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the linear actuator 30. FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line VV in FIG. 4. FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of an active vibration damping support mechanism 17 according to Example 1 of the present invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows the structure of the active vibration damping support mechanism 17 based on the modification of this invention. FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a control device 40 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. 3 is a diagram showing the output of an outer tank vibration sensor 16. FIG. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing temporal changes in the output of a displacement sensor 39. FIG. It is a figure which shows the diagnostic method of the outer tank fixing metal fitting based on Example 2 of this invention. It is a figure which shows the relationship between the excitation frequency and the output of an outer tank vibration sensor based on Example 3 of this invention.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In addition, in principle, the same elements are given the same reference numerals in all the figures. Further, descriptions of parts having the same functions will be omitted. Note that the configuration described below is merely an example, and the embodiments of the present invention are not intended to be limited to the following specific embodiments.

1 to 12, a vibration damping system according to a first embodiment of the present invention and a drum-type washing machine using the same will be described. In the following examples, as shown by the arrows, when the drum-type washing machine is viewed from the front, the front side is the "front", the opposite side is the "rear", the ceiling side is the "top", and the floor side is the "front". "bottom", the left side is defined as "left", and the right side is defined as "right".

<Drum type washing machine 100>
First, the structure of a drum-type washing machine 100 equipped with the vibration damping system of the first embodiment will be explained using FIGS. 1 to 3. FIG. 1 is an external perspective view showing a drum-type washing machine 100. FIG. 2 is a right side cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the drum-type washing machine 100, with a portion of the casing cut away. FIG. 3 is a front cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the drum-type washing machine 100, with a part of the casing cut away. In the following embodiments, an example in which the damping system is mounted on the drum-type washing machine 100 will be described, but the damping system may also be mounted on a vertical washing machine.

As shown in each figure, the housing 1 that constitutes the outer shell of the drum-type washing machine 100 is installed on a base 1a, and includes left and right side plates 1b, a front cover 1c, a back cover, a top cover 1d, and a top cover panel. 1e, and a lower front cover 1f. The left and right side plates 1b are connected to U-shaped upper reinforcing members, front reinforcing members, and back reinforcing members, and together with the base 1a, form a box-shaped housing 1, which has sufficient strength.

The door 2 is for closing an input port for loading and unloading clothes provided approximately in the center of the front cover 1c, and is supported so as to be openable and closable. An operation/display panel 3 provided at the upper center of the housing 1 includes a power switch 4, an operation switch 5, and a display 6. The operation/display panel 3 is electrically connected to a control device 7 provided at the top of the housing 1. Furthermore, rubber legs 1h are provided at the lower four corners of the base 1a.

The drum 8 (inner tank) shown in FIG. 2 is rotatably supported by an outer tank 9, has a large number of through holes for water passage in its outer peripheral wall and bottom wall, and has a front end surface for putting clothes in and out. An opening 8a is provided for this purpose. A fluid balancer 8b integrated with the drum 8 is provided outside the opening 8a. A plurality of lifters 8c extending in the axial direction are provided inside the outer circumferential wall, and when the drum 8 rotates during washing and drying, the clothes are lifted along the outer circumferential wall by the lifters 8c and centrifugal force, and are prevented from falling by gravity. repeat. The rotation axis Az of the drum 8 is approximately horizontal or inclined so that the opening 8a side is slightly higher.

The cylindrical outer tank 9 coaxially encloses the drum 8, and a drive mechanism 10 is provided at the center of the outer side of the rear end surface. A shaft 10a of the drive mechanism 10 passes through the outer tank 9 and is coupled to the drum 8. The drum 8 is rotationally driven by a drive mechanism 10.

The outer tank 9 is housed in the housing 1 and has an opening 9a at the center of the front side for taking clothes in and out. Further, the drive mechanism 10 is provided with a rotation speed sensor 10b that detects the rotation speed. A front auxiliary spring 9c and a rear auxiliary spring 9d are provided in the upper part of the outer tank 9 in the front-rear direction, and support the outer tank 9 so that it does not fall down in the front-rear direction.

The opening 9a of the outer tank 9 and the opening provided in the housing 1 are connected by a rubber bellows 11, and by closing the door 2, the outer tank 9 is sealed against water. The drain port 9b is provided at the lowest part of the bottom of the outer tank 9, and is connected to the internal drain hose 12. The internal drainage hose 12 is connected to an external drainage hose 14 via a lint collection box 13 for collecting lint. The lint collection box 13 is provided with a circulation pump 15 for circulating washing water, and the water is dispersed into the drum 8 via a circulation path 15a. The external drain hose 14 is provided with a drain valve 14a, and by closing the drain valve 14a and supplying water, water is stored in the outer tank 9, and by opening the drain valve 14a, the water in the outer tank 9 is discharged to the outside of the machine. .

An outer tank vibration sensor 16 (vibration sensor) is provided at the bottom of the outer tank 9 to measure the amplitude of the outer tank 9. The amplitude is compared with a preset threshold, and if the amplitude is large, the rotation of the drum 8 is stopped, and the rotation speed is increased only when the vibration is below the threshold, thereby preventing excessive vibration. This suppresses the occurrence of vibrations.

In addition, during transportation, in order to prevent contact between the outer tank 9 and the casing 1 due to vibrations during transportation, the rear upper part of the outer tank 9 and the casing 1 are connected with an outer tank fixing fitting 9e. is fixed to the housing 1 so as not to vibrate.

As shown in FIG. 3, the outer tank 9 is vibration-proofly supported by an active vibration-damping support mechanism 17 and an elastic support mechanism 18 whose lower side is fixed to the base 1a. The active damping support mechanism 17 includes a coil spring 17a and a linear actuator 30, and the elastic support mechanism 18 includes a coil spring 18a and a mechanical damping mechanism 18b. The mechanical damping mechanism 18b includes a friction damper, a hydraulic damper, and the like, and in the first embodiment, a hydraulic damper is used.

Here, an active vibration damping support mechanism 17 having a linear actuator 30 is installed on the side having a downward speed (for example, on the left side when the drum 8 rotates counterclockwise) with respect to the rotation direction of the drum 8 during dewatering. and an elastic support mechanism 18 having a mechanical damping mechanism 18b on the side having upward velocity. Hereinafter, in Example 1, the rotation direction of the drum 8 is counterclockwise, and when it is written as the left side, it refers to the side that has a downward speed with respect to the rotation direction of the drum 8, and when it is written as the right side, it refers to the side that has a downward speed with respect to the rotation direction of the drum 8. It refers to the person who has it.

<Linear actuator 30>
Next, the structure of the linear actuator 30 will be explained using FIGS. 4 to 5. FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the internal structure of the linear actuator 30. Note that the x, y, and z axes are determined as shown by the arrows in FIG. Further, although half of the linear actuator 30 is illustrated in the z direction, the configuration of the linear actuator 30 is symmetrical with respect to the xy plane.

The linear actuator 30 includes a stator 31 and a movable element 32, and due to the magnetic attractive force and repulsive force in the y-axis direction between the stator 31 and a plate-shaped movable element 32 extending in the y-direction, This is a motor that linearly changes the relative position between the stator 31 and the movable element 32 in the y direction.

The stator 31 includes a core 31a formed by laminating electromagnetic steel sheets and a winding 31b wound around the magnetic pole teeth T of the core 31a. Further, the movable element 32 includes a plurality of metal plates 32a extending in the y direction, and permanent magnets 32b1, 32b2, and 32b3 installed on the metal plates 32a at predetermined intervals in the y direction.

5 is a sectional view taken along the line VV in FIG. 4. FIG. Note that FIG. 5 shows not a half of the linear actuator 30 in the z direction (see FIG. 4), but the entire linear actuator 30. As shown in FIG. 5, the core 31a of the stator 31 includes a square-shaped annular portion S and a pair of magnetic pole teeth T (T1, T2), and the annular portion S constitutes a magnetic circuit. There is.

The pair of magnetic pole teeth T1 and T2 extend inward in the x direction from the annular portion S and are opposed to each other. Note that the distance between the magnetic pole teeth T1 and T2 is slightly larger than the thickness of the plate-shaped movable element 32. Winding wires 31b (31b1, 31b2) are wound around the magnetic pole teeth T1 and T2, respectively. By energizing this winding 31b, the stator 31 functions as an electromagnet.

Returning to FIG. 4, in FIG. 4, two pairs of magnetic pole teeth T are provided in the y direction (movement direction of the movable element 32). Further, the winding 31b wound around each of the two pairs of magnetic pole teeth T constitutes a single winding, and both ends thereof are connected to the control device 7 (see FIG. 2).

Permanent magnets 32b ₁ , 32b ₂ , 32b ₃ shown in FIG. 4 are magnetized in the y direction. To explain in more detail, permanent magnets (for example, permanent magnets 32b ₁ , 32b ₃ ) magnetized in the positive direction of the y direction and permanent magnets (for example, permanent magnet 32b ₂ ) magnetized in the negative direction of the y direction. are arranged alternately in the y direction. A thrust force in the y direction is applied to the movable element 32 by the attractive force and repulsive force between the movable element 32 and the stator 31 functioning as an electromagnet. Note that "thrust" is a force that changes the relative position between the movable element 32 and the stator 31.

<Active vibration damping support mechanism 17>
FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of the active vibration damping support mechanism 17 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. As described above, the active vibration damping support mechanism 17 mainly includes the coil spring 17a and the linear actuator 30.

In the active vibration damping support mechanism 17 illustrated in FIG. 6, the stator 31 of the linear actuator 30 is connected to the outer tank 9, and the movable element 32 is connected to the housing 1. In this case, the upper end of the stator 31 passes through the outer tank suspension base 33, rubber bushes 35a, 35b, and metal plates 37a, 37b, and is fixed with a nut 38a.

On the other hand, the lower end of the movable element 32 passes through the housing-side suspension base 34, rubber bushes 35c and 35d, and metal plates 37c and 37d, and is fixed with a nut 38b. The outer tank side suspension base 33 is connected to the outer tank 9, and the housing side suspension base 34 is fixed to the housing 1. The coil spring 17a is arranged between the stator 31 and the metal plate 37d. Further, the stator 31 is provided with a displacement sensor 39, which can measure the distance between the stator 31 and the movable element 32 in the y-axis direction.

In FIG. 6, the stator 31 of the linear actuator 30 is connected to the outer tank 9, and the movable element 32 is connected to the housing 1, but the present invention is not limited to this.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of an active vibration damping support mechanism 17 according to a modification of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 7, in the modified example, the active vibration damping support mechanism 17 of FIG. . In this case, the stator 31 passes through the housing-side suspension base 34, rubber bushes 35c and 35d, and metal plates 37c and 37d, and is fixed with a nut 38b. On the other hand, the upper end of the mover 32 passes through the outer tank side suspension base 33, rubber bushes 35a and 35b, and metal plates 37a and 37b, and is fixed with a nut 38a. Further, the coil spring 17a is arranged between the stator 31 and the metal plate 37b.

As shown in FIG. 4, the stator 31 has a winding 31b, and both ends of the winding 31b need to be connected to the control device 7 (see FIG. 2). Therefore, as shown in the modification, by connecting the stator 31 to the housing 1 side, the harness that connects both ends of the winding 31b and the control device 7 is at risk of disconnection caused by vibration of the outer tank 9. can be reduced.

<Control device>
Next, the control device 40 and the abnormality diagnosis section 45 of the first embodiment will be explained using FIG. 8. FIG. 8 is a block diagram of the control device 40 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

The rotational speed of the drum 8 is measured by the rotational speed sensor 10b, and calculated by the rotational speed calculating section 41 in the control device 40. Further, the vibration of the outer tank 9 is detected by the outer tank vibration sensor 16, and the vibration displacement calculation unit 42 converts acceleration into displacement based on the output of the outer tank vibration sensor 16 and the rotation speed calculated by the rotation speed calculation unit 41. It is being converted. The vibration determination unit 43 compares the calculated displacement with a preset threshold value, and if it is determined that the vibration is large, performs operations such as stopping the rotation of the drum 8.

In the first embodiment, vibration damping control is performed by the linear actuator 30 in order to reduce vibrations during dewatering. Based on the output of the displacement sensor 39, the linear actuator control unit 44 calculates the necessary thrust, and the linear actuator 30 control.

Next, the abnormality diagnosis section 45 diagnoses the presence or absence of an abnormality based on information on at least one of the output of the vibration displacement calculation section 42 and the output of the displacement sensor 39. Note that the abnormality diagnosis section 45 does not necessarily need to be provided within the control device 40, and may be independent.

When the abnormality diagnosis unit 45 determines that there is an abnormality, the presence of the abnormality is displayed (notified) on the display 6 (notification means) to notify the user. The notification means is not limited to the display 6, and notification may be made using a speaker or the like with voice or buzzer sound. Further, although not shown, the abnormality may be notified to an external terminal other than the washing machine, such as a diagnostic tool such as a smartphone, by wireless or wired communication. Furthermore, an abnormality may be notified to an information terminal used by a maintenance worker.

Further, when the abnormality diagnosis unit 45 determines that there is an abnormality, the control device 40 performs a re-diagnosis after repair, etc., and restricts normal operation from being performed until it is determined that there is no abnormality. This makes it possible to prevent abnormal vibrations from occurring if the washing machine is operated with the abnormality occurring.

<Initial failure diagnosis>
As mentioned above, when installing a drum-type washing machine, it is generally necessary to connect the water supply hose and drainage hose, adjust the height adjustment legs at the bottom of the main unit, and remove the outer tank fixing fitting 9e for transportation. Become. Thereafter, in order to confirm whether the drum-type washing machine has been installed correctly, the control device 40 operates the drum-type washing machine in a test run mode and checks whether there is any abnormality. In addition, an initial failure may be due to insufficient damping of the damper, which is a vibration isolation mechanism, due to oil leakage or the like. Hereinafter, a diagnosis of removing the outer tank fixing fitting 9e for transportation and a mechanical damping mechanism diagnosis of the mechanical damping mechanism 18b, which are features of the present invention, will be explained. The removal diagnosis of the outer tank fixing fitting 9e and the abnormality diagnosis of the mechanical damping mechanism diagnosis of the mechanical damping mechanism 18b are performed in the trial run mode.

<Outer tank fixing bracket diagnosis>
First, the outer tank fixing fitting diagnosis by the abnormality diagnosis section 45 will be explained using FIG. 9. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the output of the outer tank vibration sensor 16. FIG. 9 shows a state in which the outer tank fixing metal fitting 9e is removed (outer tank fixing metal fitting not present) and a state in which the outer tank fixing metal fitting 9e is not removed (outer tank fixing metal fitting present).

In diagnosing the outer tank fixing fitting, first, the linear actuator control section 44 controls the thrust of the linear actuator 30 to vibrate the outer tank 9.

When the outer tank 9 is vibrated by the thrust of the linear actuator 30, vibrations are generated that are determined by the mass of the vibrating part composed of the drum 8, the outer tank 9, etc., and the spring constant and damping coefficient that connect the outer tank 9 and the housing 1. occurs. In a state where the outer tank fixing metal fitting 9e is removed (outer tank fixing metal fitting is not provided), the vibration of the outer tank 9 becomes large.

On the other hand, when the outer tank fixing metal fitting 9e remains connected to the housing 1 and the outer tank 9 (with the outer tank fixing metal fitting), the vibration of the outer tank 9 is reduced. Therefore, the abnormality diagnosis unit 45 compares the vibration of the outer tank 9 detected by the outer tank vibration sensor 16 with a predetermined threshold value set in advance, and the vibration of the outer tank 9 detected by the outer tank vibration sensor 16. If is smaller than a predetermined threshold value, it can be determined that there is an abnormality that the outer tank fixing fitting 9e has not been removed (the outer tank fixing fitting 9e is attached). Here, as a means for evaluating the vibration of the outer tank 9, the displacement sensor 39 may be used instead of the outer tank vibration sensor 16.

In addition, if the vibration is applied near resonance, the vibration of the housing 1 may become excessive when the outer tank fixing bracket is attached, so the linear actuator control unit 44 is set so that the vibration frequency is lower than the resonance. It is desirable to control the thrust of the linear actuator 30.

<Mechanical damping mechanism diagnosis>
Next, a mechanical damping mechanism diagnosis, which is a diagnosis of the mechanical damping mechanism 18b, will be described. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing temporal changes in the output of the displacement sensor 39. In FIG. 10, a case where the damping of the mechanical damping mechanism 18b is normal (no damping mechanism abnormality) and a case where the damping is smaller than a specified value (damping mechanism abnormality) are shown.

The linear actuator control unit 44 operates the linear actuator 30 to generate thrust in a direction that pushes the outer tank 9 upward. The outer tank 9 is lifted to a predetermined position. That is, the linear actuator 30 applies static thrust to the outer tank 9. Thereafter, the thrust of the linear actuator 30 is set to 0, and the outer tank 9 is caused to vibrate freely. The vibration of the outer tank 9 at that time is detected by the displacement sensor 39, and the abnormality diagnosis section 45 calculates the damping coefficient from the rate of decrease in the vibration displacement (vibration amplitude).

If the determined damping coefficient does not fall within the predetermined range, the abnormality diagnosis unit 45 determines that there is an abnormality in the mechanical damping mechanism 18b (elastic support mechanism) as shown by the broken line, and notifies the display 6.

Note that the determination may be made based on the time until the displacement becomes equal to or less than a predetermined value, instead of the rate of decrease in displacement. In that case, if the displacement is less than or equal to a predetermined value within a predetermined time, it is determined that the displacement is normal, and if the predetermined time has elapsed, it is determined that the displacement has exceeded the predetermined value. Furthermore, although the first embodiment describes a method of making a determination based on the output of the displacement sensor 39, the same method can be applied using the output of the outer tank vibration sensor 16.

<Initial failure diagnosis mode>
Next, we will discuss the initial failure diagnosis mode, which diagnoses the outer tank fixing fittings and mechanical damping mechanism. The initial failure diagnosis mode is a mode that the installer performs after completing the initial work such as connecting the water supply hose. This mode evaluates whether there are any defects. The outer tank fixing fitting diagnosis and the mechanical damping mechanism diagnosis of the first embodiment are also one of the diagnoses performed in the initial failure diagnosis mode. Note that the evaluation results are displayed on the display 6.

Furthermore, although this initial failure diagnosis mode may be performed selectively using the operation panel, initial failure diagnosis mode may be Control may be provided so that normal operation is not possible unless the diagnostic mode is operated. By doing so, it is possible to prevent the driver from forgetting to check in the initial failure diagnosis mode and operating in an abnormal state.

Although the first embodiment has a configuration in which two of the outer tank vibration sensor 16 and the displacement sensor 39 are provided, it is not necessary to provide both, and diagnosis can be performed by providing either one.

According to the first embodiment, it is possible to provide a drum-type washing machine with improved accuracy in detecting the state in which the outer tub fixing fitting is installed.

<Outer tank fixing bracket diagnosis 2>
A method for diagnosing an abnormality in the mechanical damping mechanism, which is different from the first embodiment, will be described using FIG. 11. It should be noted that since the structure is the same as the first embodiment and only the control is different, explanations of the common points with the first embodiment will be omitted.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a method for diagnosing an outer tank fixing fitting according to a second embodiment of the present invention. In the first embodiment, the diagnosis was performed by vibrating the outer tank 9, but in the second embodiment, a static force is applied to the outer tank 9. If an outer tank vibration sensor is provided to detect the vibration of the outer tank 9 as in the first embodiment, static displacement cannot be determined, but using the displacement sensor 39 makes it possible to measure it.

In diagnosing the outer tank fixing fitting, first, as shown in FIG. 11(a), the linear actuator control unit 44 controls the linear actuator 30 to generate a static thrust to lift the outer tank 9. When thrust is generated by the linear actuator 30, the outer tank 9 is displaced depending on the magnitude of the thrust. Displacement of the outer tank 9 is detected by a displacement sensor 39. When the outer tub fixing fitting 9e is not attached to the drum type washing machine 100 (there is no outer tub fixing fitting), the outer tub 9 is largely displaced by the thrust of the linear actuator 30. The size of the displacement sensor can be determined by the thrust and the spring constant of the spring that connects the outer tank 9 and the housing 1.

On the other hand, when the outer tub fixing fitting 9e is attached to the drum-type washing machine 100 and the outer tub 9 is fixed (with the outer tub fixing fitting), this is equivalent to an increase in the spring constant, so the linear actuator 30 The output of the displacement sensor 39 becomes smaller with respect to the thrust force.

As described above, according to the second embodiment, by using the displacement sensor 39, it is possible to diagnose whether the outer tank fixing fitting 9e is installed without applying vibration.

<Mechanical damping mechanism diagnosis 2>
Next, a method for diagnosing an abnormality in the mechanical damping mechanism, which is different from the first embodiment, will be described using FIG. 12. It should be noted that since the structure is the same as the first embodiment and only the control is different, explanations of the common points with the first embodiment will be omitted.

The mechanical damping mechanism diagnosis in Example 1 was a method of determining normality/abnormality by causing the outer tank 9 to freely vibrate and determining the damping from the rate of decrease in vibration displacement (vibration amplitude). However, even in abnormal situations, if the attenuation is greater than a certain level, the displacement will attenuate immediately, making it difficult to determine the vibration reduction rate. Therefore, in the third embodiment, the outer tank 9 is vibrated by the linear actuator 30, and abnormality diagnosis is performed in a state of forced vibration.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing the relationship between the excitation frequency and the output of the outer tank vibration sensor according to the third embodiment of the present invention. The linear actuator control unit 44 controls the thrust of the linear actuator 30 to vibrate the outer tank 9 with a predetermined thrust, and gradually increases the excitation frequency. At that time, as shown in FIG. 12, the vibration of the outer tank 9 detected by the outer tank vibration sensor 16 gradually increases and reaches a maximum value at a predetermined frequency, and as the excitation frequency is further increased, the vibration gradually decreases. .

The linear actuator control unit 44 changes the excitation frequency to gradually increase, and controls the thrust of the linear actuator 30 so that the amplitude of the excitation force of the outer tank 9 is constant. The vibration displacement calculation unit 42 of the control device 40 calculates an amplitude magnification which is the ratio of the vibration amplitude to the vibration amplitude when the excitation frequency is sufficiently lower than the resonance frequency, and calculates the amplitude of the mechanical damping mechanism 18b (elastic support mechanism) from the amplitude magnification. The magnitude of attenuation can be determined.

In particular, by determining the amplitude multiplier at the frequency where the vibration of the outer tank 9 is maximum, the difference in the magnitude of attenuation becomes noticeable, and diagnosis can be performed with a larger output than in the case of free vibration. Therefore, more accurate diagnosis is possible. Note that, as long as the frequencies for determining the amplitude magnification are unified, conditions other than those under which the vibration of the outer tank 9 is necessarily the maximum may be used.

In the third embodiment, the linear actuator control unit 44 controls the linear actuator 30 by changing the amplitude of the excitation force applied to the outer tank 9 to be constant and gradually increasing the excitation frequency to the outer tank 9. The vibration displacement calculation unit 42 of the control device 40 vibrates the outer tank 9 at a frequency that deviates from the resonance frequency and the detection value of the outer tank vibration sensor 16 when the outer tank 9 is vibrated near the resonance frequency. The magnitude of the damping is calculated from the ratio of the detected values of the outer tank vibration sensor 16 at the time of the vibration. Then, when the magnitude of the damping calculated by the vibration displacement calculating section 42 exceeds a predetermined value, the abnormality detection section 45 determines that there is an abnormality in the mechanical damping mechanism 18b (elastic support mechanism).

According to the third embodiment, even if there is a difference in the sensitivity of the vibration sensor from one main body to another, diagnosis is possible. On the other hand, if it is assumed that the variation in sensitivity of the vibration sensor is small, it is possible to make a diagnosis based on the output of the vibration sensor at that time by simply excitation near the resonance frequency without changing the excitation frequency.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and includes various modifications. For example, the embodiments described above are described in detail to explain the present invention in an easy-to-understand manner, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to having all the configurations described. Furthermore, it is possible to replace a part of the configuration of one embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment, and it is also possible to add the configuration of another embodiment to the configuration of one embodiment. Further, it is possible to add, delete, or replace a part of the configuration of each embodiment with other configurations.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Housing, 2... Door, 8... Drum, 9... Outer tank, 10... Drive mechanism, 16... Outer tank vibration sensor, 17... Active vibration damping support mechanism, 17a... Coil spring, 18... Elastic support mechanism, 18a ... Coil spring, 18b ... Mechanical damping mechanism, 30 ... Linear actuator, 31 ... Stator, 32 ... Mover, 39 ... Displacement sensor, 40 ... Control device, 41 ... Rotation speed calculation section, 42 ... Vibration displacement calculation section, 43 ...Vibration determination section, 44...Linear actuator control section, 45...Abnormality diagnosis section, 100...Drum type washing machine

Claims (9)

an inner tank rotationally driven by a drive mechanism, an outer tank containing the inner tank, a housing housing the outer tank, a linear actuator disposed between the outer tank and the housing, and the outer tank. A drum-type washing machine comprising: an elastic support mechanism disposed between a tub and the housing; a control device that controls the drive mechanism; and a linear actuator control section that controls the thrust of the linear actuator.
comprising a vibration sensor that detects vibrations of the outer tub, and an abnormality diagnosis section that diagnoses an abnormality of the drum type washing machine,
The linear actuator control unit controls the thrust of the linear actuator to vibrate the outer tank,
The drum type washing machine, wherein the abnormality diagnosis section diagnoses an abnormality in the drum type washing machine based on a detection result of the vibration sensor. In claim 1,
A drum-type washing machine characterized by comprising a notification means for notifying the existence of an abnormality when the abnormality diagnosis section determines that there is an abnormality. In claim 1 or 2,
The abnormality diagnosis section is characterized in that, when the vibration detected by the vibration sensor is smaller than a predetermined threshold value, it is determined that an abnormality exists in that an outer tank fixing fitting connecting the outer tank and the casing is attached. Drum type washing machine. In claim 3,
A drum-type washing machine, wherein the linear actuator control section controls the thrust of the linear actuator so that the excitation frequency is lower than resonance. In claim 3,
The drum type washing machine has a trial run mode,
The drum-type washing machine is characterized in that the linear actuator control unit controls the thrust of the linear actuator to vibrate the outer tub when the test run mode is selected. an inner tank rotationally driven by a drive mechanism, an outer tank containing the inner tank, a housing housing the outer tank, a linear actuator disposed between the outer tank and the housing, and the outer tank. A drum-type washing machine comprising: an elastic support mechanism disposed between a tub and the housing; a control device that controls the drive mechanism; and a linear actuator control section that controls the thrust of the linear actuator.
comprising a displacement sensor that detects vibration or displacement of the linear actuator, and an abnormality diagnosis section that diagnoses an abnormality in the drum-type washing machine,
The linear actuator control unit controls the thrust of the linear actuator to apply a static thrust to the outer tank, and then sets the thrust of the linear actuator to 0 to cause the outer tank to freely vibrate,
The drum type washing machine is characterized in that the abnormality diagnosis section determines that there is an abnormality in the elastic support mechanism when the damping coefficient obtained from the rate of decrease in vibration displacement detected by the displacement sensor does not fall within a predetermined range. . In claim 6,
A drum-type washing machine characterized by comprising a notification means for notifying the existence of an abnormality when the abnormality diagnosis section determines that there is an abnormality. an inner tank rotationally driven by a drive mechanism, an outer tank containing the inner tank, a housing housing the outer tank, a linear actuator disposed between the outer tank and the housing, and the outer tank. A drum-type washing machine comprising: an elastic support mechanism disposed between a tub and the housing; a control device that controls the drive mechanism; and a linear actuator control section that controls the thrust of the linear actuator.
comprising a displacement sensor that detects vibration or displacement of the linear actuator, and an abnormality diagnosis section that diagnoses an abnormality in the drum-type washing machine,
The linear actuator control unit controls the thrust of the linear actuator to apply a static thrust to the outer tank,
The abnormality diagnosis unit determines that an outer tank fixing fitting connecting the outer tank and the casing is attached when the displacement detected by the displacement sensor is less than or equal to a predetermined value. washing machine. an inner tank rotationally driven by a drive mechanism, an outer tank containing the inner tank, a housing housing the outer tank, a linear actuator disposed between the outer tank and the housing, and the outer tank. A drum-type washing machine comprising: an elastic support mechanism disposed between a tub and the housing; a control device that controls the drive mechanism; and a linear actuator control section that controls the thrust of the linear actuator.
comprising a vibration sensor that detects vibrations of the outer tub, and an abnormality diagnosis section that diagnoses an abnormality of the drum type washing machine,
The linear actuator control unit controls the thrust of the linear actuator so that the amplitude of the excitation force of the outer tank is constant and the frequency of excitation to the outer tank is changed,
The control device is configured to calculate a value based on a ratio of a detection value of the vibration sensor when the outer tank is vibrated near a resonance frequency and a detection value of the vibration sensor when the outer tank is vibrated at a frequency shifted from the resonance frequency. Calculate the magnitude of the attenuation,
The drum type washing machine is characterized in that the abnormality diagnosis section determines that there is an abnormality in the elastic support mechanism when the calculated magnitude of attenuation exceeds a predetermined value.

Images