JP2627358B2 - Drum type washing machine - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (A) Industrial application field The present invention performs a washing step and a dewatering step by rotating a horizontal shaft type drum at a low speed or a high speed, and thereafter, a loosening stroke by a low speed rotation. The present invention relates to a drum-type washing machine that performs the following.

(B) Conventional technology This type of drum-type washing machine has a problem in that when the rotating drum is rotated at a high speed during the dehydration process, an improper balance of the clothes in the drum may cause abnormal vibration. There is a type that executes a loosening process for balancing clothes in a drum. (See JP-B-63-25797.) Also, during the washing process and the rinsing process, the clothes in the drum become entangled. To make it easy to take out the clothes from the drum after the completion of dehydration, it is required to take about 30 seconds after the final dehydration. A device that performs a loosening process of rotating a drum at a constant low speed has also been considered.

(C) Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, in the loosening process at a constant low speed, the looseness varies depending on the amount of clothes (load amount) at that time. That is, if the set load is higher than the maximum load (rated), the clothes are more likely to adhere to the inner wall of the drum if the set rotation speed is high. However, since the garment rotates while remaining below the drum, the garment in the center is difficult to move and rather promotes tangling.

The present invention focuses on the fact that the relationship between the number of rotations and the load in the loosening stroke affects the loosening effect, and adjusts the number of rotations according to the load to improve the loosening effect.

(D) Means for Solving the Problems A solution according to the present invention is a drum type washing machine that performs a washing step, a dehydration step, and a loosening step at a low speed after final dehydration by rotating a horizontal axis type drum. A motor for driving the drum, speed change means for adjusting the rotation speed of the motor to change the rotation of the drum from a low speed to a high speed, a load amount detecting device for detecting a load amount in the drum, Control means for controlling the means, wherein the control means compares a detected load amount based on a signal from the load amount detection means with a preset maximum load amount that can be washed in the drum. When the load amount in the drum is smaller than the maximum load amount based on the comparison result of the comparison means, the drum rotation speed is lower by a predetermined amount than the drum rotation speed at the maximum load amount in the loosening stroke. A drum type washing machine comprising: a setting means for setting the number of rotations and instructing the speed change means.

(E) Action The load is detected by the time for pouring water to the set water level in the washing and rinsing strokes, and the change in the current value of the drum drive motor in that stroke. Based on this detection result, the control means compares the detected load amount with the maximum load amount, and based on the comparison result, when the load amount is smaller than the maximum load amount, determines the drum rotation speed in the loosening stroke to the maximum load amount. The rotation speed is set to a rotation speed lower than the drum rotation speed in the loosening stroke by a predetermined amount, and the rotation speed is instructed to the speed change means of the drive motor by an inverted circuit or the like. Thus, in the unraveling stroke of the final means, the low-speed rotation adapted to the load is performed, and the clothes in the drum are loosened and taken out.

(F) Example Referring to the drawings, as shown in FIG. 3, the drum type washing machine for business uses an outer tub 2 suspended and held elastically in a frame 1 by a spring or an absorber. A horizontal shaft type rotary drum 3 is rotatably supported in the outer tank 2. The outer tank 2 is supplied with water through a water supply valve 4, drained through a drain valve 5, and supplied with steam from a lower portion into the supply water through a steam supply valve 6 to be heated.

The rotating drum 3 is driven by a motor 7, a pulley, and a belt whose rotation speed is variable by inverter control.

As for the supply water level, the maximum water level up to the rotation center of the drum 3 (10 degrees) is divided into 10 and the following 9 degrees, 8 degrees, etc.
It is set to 1 degree and is detected by a water level detecting device 8 including a semiconductor pressure sensor and the like. The flow rate of the supply water is detected by a flow rate detection device 9, and the temperature of the supply water or the washing water is detected by a water temperature detection device 10 including a thermistor or the like.

The number of rotations of the drum 3 in each step is measured by a rotation detecting device 11 typified by a switch composed of a light emitting and a light receiving element and a reed switch, and abnormal vibration of the outer tub 2 is detected by a vibration switch 12. Output current is current detector 13
It is detected by.

The operation of this washing machine is controlled by a control means 14 comprising a microcomputer, and its block diagram is shown in FIG. The control means 14 selects an operation program by a program selection key of the keyboard 15 and starts operation by a start key. During operation, the water level detection device 8, the flow rate detection device 9, the water temperature detection device 1
0, rotation detection device 11, vibration switch 12, and current detection device 1
3, the transmission 16 of the drive motor 7, the water supply valve 4, the drain valve 5, the steam supply valve 6, and the display of the stroke and notification of the end while detecting the amount of clothes (load amount) in the drum 3 A control signal is output to a display / notification device 17 for controlling the operation.

For this purpose, the control unit 14 includes a timer, a determination unit, a calculation unit, a counter, and the like.

Next, each operation and operation of driving will be described based on the flowchart of FIG. When the power is turned on, first, initial settings are made, and basic data for operation is read. In FIG. 1 (a), when the program selection key is operated and the start key is operated, the load amount detection described later is performed, and then the washing process starts from the water supply to the set water level.

In this washing process, the water supply valve 4 is first opened to supply water,
The steam supply valve 6 is opened and steam is blown in to warm the water. Add detergent as appropriate. When the water level detecting device 8 and the water temperature detecting device 10 detect that the water level and the water temperature are as set, the valves 4 and 6 are closed and the drum 3 is inverted at a low speed. In the rinsing process, no detergent is supplied in the washing process. The dehydration step is divided into intermediate dehydration after the washing step and final dehydration after the rinsing step, and the drum 3 is rotated in one direction at a high speed after draining. In the loosening process, the drum 3
Is inverted at a predetermined low speed determined according to the load amount.

Next, load amount detection will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. In the load amount detection I, which is performed at the time of the first water supply prior to the washing process, first, the motor 7 is energized to rotate the drum 3, the water supply valve 4 is opened, and water supply is started into the washing tub. The water supply valve 4 is opened until the water level reaches 1 degree, and when the water level becomes 1 degree, the water supply valve 4 is closed. The output current to the motor 7 at this time is detected by the current detection device 13, and this is detected by the control means. The determination unit 14 determines the load amount by comparing with the current reference value. Alternatively, in the load detection II, the motor 7 is energized to rotate the drum 3, the water supply valve 4 is opened, and the flow detection device 9 detects the flow rate of the water supply.
Judge whether it is more than 10 / min.
If the time does not exceed / min, the display is stopped and the display / notification device 17 performs error display and notification. If the flow rate is 10 / min or more, the timer starts counting time, and when the water level is detected by the water level detection device 8, the water supply valve 4 is closed. And
From the flow rate detected by the flow rate detecting device 9 and the measured value of the water supply time by the timer, the water supply amount up to the set water level is calculated, and the calculated value is compared with the water supply amount reference value by the determination unit of the control means 14, Determine the load amount. That is, in the former, the current detection device 13 and the control means 14 are used, and in the latter, the flow detection device 9 and the control means 14 are used.
However, each of them mainly constitutes a load amount detection device.
In any case, the control means 14 determines the load amount finely or stepwise. For example, the load amount is 1/4 or less, or 1/2 or less of a preset maximum load amount (rated) in design. , 3/4 or less, and 3/4 or more. Then, as shown in FIG. 1 (b), in the loosening step after the final dewatering, first, the counter C is set to 0, and the comparison means compares the maximum load with the maximum load based on the load in the drum determined by the control. Then, based on the comparison result, the setting means sets the loosening speed according to the load amount, that is, 30 r.p.
m. Set to 40r.pm for 3/4 or less and 45r.pm for 3/4 or more. When the counter C is 3 or less, the motor is rotated leftward for one cycle of 3 seconds-stopping 2 seconds-right rotation 3 seconds-stopping 2 seconds, and 1 is added to the counter C. This is repeated until the counter C reaches 3, and then the loosening process ends.

Thus, in this loosening stroke, the control means 14 instructs the transmission 16 by the inverter circuit or the like to set the number of revolutions,
While monitoring the indicated rotation speed with the rotation detection device 11, the transmission 16
Drives the motor 7 to make the rotation speed of the drum 3 coincide with the set rotation speed. As a result, in this loosening process,
The intermittent reversal of the rotation speed adapted to the load is performed, and the clothes in the drum are almost certainly loosened and taken out.

(G) Effects of the Invention According to the present invention, the loosening process of the final dehydrated rice is optimized according to the load, so that the loosening effect is improved, and the work of taking out the clothes and subsequent drying can be facilitated. It is possible to provide a drum type washing machine having extremely good use performance.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIGS. 1 (a), 1 (b) and 1 (c) are flow charts for explaining the operation of the drum type washing machine according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a control block diagram, and FIG. 3 is an internal mechanism diagram. 3 ... drum, 7 ... motor, 8 ... water level detection device, 9
... Flow rate detector, 11 Rotation detector, 13 Current detector, 14 Control means, 16 Transmission.

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Masafumi Nishino 2--18 Keihanhondori, Moriguchi-shi, Osaka Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Sakae Sasaki 2--18 Keihanhondori, Moriguchi-shi, Osaka Inside Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Mibun Enami 2--18 Keihanhondori, Moriguchi-shi, Osaka Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. (72) Hideaki Matsunaga 2--18 Keihanhondori, Moriguchi-shi, Osaka (72) Inventor Hisato Shirakawa 2-18-18 Keihanhondori, Moriguchi-shi, Osaka Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. (56) References JP-A-2-92394 (JP, A) 25797 (JP, B2)

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A drum type washing machine in which a horizontal axis type drum is rotated to perform a washing step, a dehydration step, and a loosening step at a low speed after final dehydration, and a motor for driving the drum, and a motor for driving the drum. A speed change means for adjusting the number of rotations to change the rotation of the drum from a low speed to a high speed, a load amount detection device for detecting a load amount in the drum, and a control means for controlling the speed change means, Means for comparing a detected load amount based on a signal from the load amount detecting means with a preset maximum load amount that can be washed in the drum; and the drum based on a comparison result of the comparing means. When the load amount is smaller than the maximum load amount, setting means for setting the drum rotation speed to a predetermined amount lower than the drum rotation speed at the time of the maximum load in the loosening stroke and instructing the transmission means. A drum type washing machine comprising: