JP3212103B2 - Washing machine operation display - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a sensor for detecting a state of a washing liquid in a washing machine for washing clothes with a detergent such as a liquid or a powder. The present invention relates to a device that is easy to understand and displays visually.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An operation display device of a washing machine is configured to display the progress of a washing process by blinking dot marks representing each process.

[0003]

However, in the prior art, the progress state is only displayed with the passage of time, and the display does not include the actual finished state of the washing. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to propose a washing machine operation display device capable of performing display including an actual finished state of washing.

[0004]

The present invention SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION are displayed in the operation display unit of the washing machine for displaying, each washing cycle the progress of the washing operation by blinking dot mark representing each stroke
Mark is composed of multiple dot marks.
A sensor for measuring the finished state of the washing process is installed.
The mark that indicates the applicable process in each washing process
Measure the finishing state of the process corresponding to the number of displayed dots
Finish of the process detected based on the measurement result of the sensor
When the process is completed, the
Turn off all marks indicating the process and display the next process
The mark is controlled similarly .

[0005]

According to the present invention, the running process ends.
By turning off all marks indicating the process, the user is informed of the current process and at the same time each washing process is performed.
The actual finished state can be displayed in a glance at a glance by the number of dot marks .

[0006]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 1, a washing machine employing the present invention has a structure in which an outer tub 4 is suspended by a suspension rod 2 and three or four vibration isolators in an outer frame 1 made of a steel plate.

A washing and dewatering tub 5 is rotatably provided in the outer tub 4 for storing water during washing. A large number of dewatering holes 5a are provided in the washing and dewatering tub. A pulsator 6 for washing and stirring is arranged in the center of the washing and dewatering tub. A drive motor 7, a clutch 8 for dehydration and washing switching, a drain valve motor 9 for clutch operation and opening and closing of a drain valve are installed on the bottom surface of the outer tub 4, and a high-frequency conductor for measuring the conductivity of the washing liquid is provided on the bottom side wall. An electrode portion of the degree sensor 10 (hereinafter referred to as a conductive sensor) is installed so as to penetrate the bottom of the outer tank 4 and be immersed in water.

As shown in FIG. 2, the conductive sensor 10 is formed by printing carbon on the surface of stainless steel or brass and insert-molding the electrode portion and the external connection terminal portion 10c into a synthetic resin sensor case 10a. It is configured to be adhered and fixed with the adhesive 11. At this time, electrode 1
0b and the sensor case 10a are substantially flush with each other.

The height H from the bottom of the outer tank 4 to the electrode is
The height is set to be equal to or less than the residual water level of the residual water activation system for dehydrating from a state in which water is slightly stored in the outer tank in order to reduce the relative unbalance amount during dehydration.

Further, the washing and dewatering tub is not provided with a dewatering hole 5a at a position lower than the height H.

The operation panel 1 is provided at the rear of the top cover 12.
The operation panel 13 is provided with a water supply solenoid valve 14 for supplying water from a tap to the tank. The outlet of the water supply electromagnet 14 supplies water directly to the washing and dewatering tub 5.
It is branched from a sensor water supply port 15b for supplying water between the water supply port 15a in the tub, the outer tub 4 provided in the tub cover 16, and the washing and dewatering tub (the water supply solenoid valve 14 and the sensor water supply port 15b).
Are connected by a flexible hose. ). The conductive sensor 10 is located substantially below the sensor water supply port 15b. In the operation panel 13, a water level sensor (not shown) for detecting the water level of the outer tub 4, a control board 17 for controlling the washing machine, and a display unit are arranged. As shown in FIG. 3, the control board is controlled by a microcomputer, a power supply circuit, an LED display circuit, an external operation switch circuit, a solenoid output circuit, an output circuit, and a high-frequency oscillation circuit for controlling the conduction sensor 10 via a power switch 18 as shown in FIG. It consists of a sensor reading circuit and the like.

The conductivity sensor 10 includes an insulating transformer 17a.
Through the sensor, a change in the impedance that changes according to the state between the electrodes 10b of the conductive sensor 10 (water only, detergent concentration, amount of dirt, etc.) is detected by the sensor reading circuit as a change in the primary voltage of the insulating transformer 17a, and the microcomputer reads the change. type in,
The type and state of the washing liquid in the outer tub 4 and the type of clothing are detected by a comparison operation with data stored in advance.

Next, an operation of the washing machine and a control method by the electric conduction sensor 10 will be described. When detergent and laundry are turned on, the power switch is turned on, a "standard" fully automatic course is set by an operation switch, and a "start" button is pressed to execute a fully automatic operation.

First, the water supply solenoid valve 14 is opened to start water supply. Next, when the water supply reaches the specified cloth amount sensing water level, the water supply is stopped once, and a cloth amount sensing process of stirring for about 30 seconds is executed to detect the amount of clothing and determine the set water level. At this time, the “cloth amount” on the display flashes to indicate the cloth amount sensing state.

Next, water is supplied to a water level automatically set according to the cloth amount, and a cloth quality sensing step for detecting the quality of clothing is executed. At this time, the display unit turns off the “cloth amount” and blinks the “cloth” to indicate the cloth sensing state. Washing, rinsing, dehydration time, method, and the like are determined by fuzzy control based on the cloth amount and the cloth sensing data, and washing is started.
At this time, the value V _WS of the conductivity after the end of the water supply is measured. At this time, only the “dirt” mark blinks in the A pattern,
Indicates the initial state of washing. Next, the conductivity V _W2 after stirring for 2 to 5 minutes is measured and stored in the microcomputer. At this time, the "dirt" mark changes while blinking from the B pattern to the C pattern depending on the degree of dirt removal. Further, the conductivity V _Wf immediately before the completion of the washing and stirring is measured. The display unit turns off all the marks if the dirt is removed, then turns off the "dirt" display and the frame to indicate the end of the washing process.

When the washing is completed, the first rinsing drainage and dehydration process is performed. The drainage at this time is performed until the water is completely drained, and the conductivity V _Df after the drainage is measured.

Next, the water supply for rinsing is started, and when the water supply to the specified water level is completed, the electric conductivity V _RS1 is measured, and the stirring of the tin is performed. Then, the first conductivity V _Rf1 of the rinse immediately before the end of the rinse and stirring is measured and stored in the microcomputer.

Next, the second drainage, dehydration and rinsing steps are performed. The second rinsing also performs substantially the same process as the first rinsing, measures the conductivity after the completion of water supply and immediately before the end of rinsing and stirring, and stores the values as VRS2 and VRf1 in the microcomputer. At this time, "Nigori" in the rinse display section
The display of the part is " stained " until the first water supply is completed.
Only the mark blinks in the A pattern and changes to the B pattern. Next, depending on the rinsing condition immediately before the end of stirring, if the sample is rinsed to the specified concentration, the pattern changes to the C pattern. Next, if all the marks have been turned off to the specified concentration due to the rinsing condition before the end of the second agitation, the mark is turned off, and then the letters “Nigori” and the frame are turned off and the end of rinsing is displayed.

When the rinsing is completed, a final dewatering process is started. During dehydration, the water contained in the laundry is centrifugal,
It is repelled by the outer tub 4, descends along the wall surface of the outer tub 4, reaches between the electrode portions of the conductive sensor 10, and the sensor output changes. As the dehydration time elapses, the amount of water coming out of the laundry gradually decreases, and the value of the electric conductivity output during dehydration approaches the value of air. Here, a threshold value V _S is provided between the electric conductivity V _Rf2 immediately before the final rinsing and stirring and the electric conductivity V _{Df of the} air measured at the time of drainage, and the time T from the start of dehydration to the time below the threshold value is measured. At this time, the “squeezing” display section changes only the “squeezing” mark while sequentially blinking from the A pattern to the C pattern according to the degree of dehydration, and at the end of the dehydration, all the marks, characters, and frames are turned off. Indicates the end of dehydration.

As described above, the electric conductivity in each of the washing steps of water supply, washing, rinsing, and dehydration is measured, each value is stored in the microcomputer, and the calculated value is compared with previously programmed data and calculated. By controlling the execution time and the stroke of each step to execute the optimum washing course, the detection state of the sensor in each step and the progress of each step can be seen at a glance.

When the standard course is set and the cloth level sensing is performed and the water level is set, the standard course according to the pre-programmed cloth level is determined. For example, cloth amount 4.0kg
When the high water level is set, "wash 9 minutes, rinse 1st dehydration 2 minutes stirring 2 minutes, rinse 2nd dehydration 2.5 minutes stirring 2.5"
Min, dehydration 5 minutes ", and the time and number of each of the washing, rinsing, and dehydrating steps are corrected as follows.

(1) Detection of “Detergent Melting State” by Detergent Injection Method Current detergents (particularly, synthetic detergents and powdered soaps) are:
The degree of melting differs depending on the charging method. For example, when previously dissolved in water and put into the bottom of the washing tub, the detergent when washing is easy to dissolve, while the detergent when the detergent is put after putting the clothes and after detecting the amount of cloth is hard to dissolve. In some cases, washing may be completed with variations in washing-off or with detergent attached to clothing. In particular, this tendency occurs as the washing capacity increases.

Therefore, in order to solve the above problem, the degree of dissolution of the detergent is detected by calculating the electric conductivity values V _WS and V _W2, and the washing time and the strength of the water flow are corrected.

(2) "Washing condition" due to the degree of dirt
Since the electric conductivity during the washing process changes depending on the amount of dirt, the degree of dirt in the washing liquid is detected by detecting the degree of dirt in the washing liquid on the _basis of the calculation results of the electric conductivity values V _WS , V _W2 and V _Wf .
The type of dirt such as mud and oil dirt can be detected,
By compensating for the washing time and the intensity of the water flow, a washing machine with excellent washout can be obtained.

(3) Detection of "detergent type" Detergents are liquid and powdered detergents (synthetic detergents and powdered soaps)
The degree of change in the conductivity of the liquid detergent is small with respect to the detergent concentration, and the degree of change in the conductivity of the powder detergent is large. The type of the detergent is calculated by calculating the values of the conductivity V _Wf and V _RS1. , And correct the rinsing time and frequency and the rinsing method (reservoir or water rinsing, etc.) that match the detergent. By sufficiently rinsing soap, problems such as yellowing of clothes due to insufficient rinsing can be prevented.

(4) Change of "Rinse Condition" Depending on Detergent Solution Concentration and Clothing Type When the same rinsing method is performed, the initial detergent concentration and the final rinsing solution concentration differ depending on the type of clothes to be washed. That is, when the clothes are the same, rinsing may be insufficient when the detergent concentration is high, and may be excessive (water waste) when the detergent concentration is low. Further, in the case where the detergent liquid is the same, in the case of cotton clothing, the desorbability of the detergent is poor, so that the detergent must be sufficiently rinsed. In the case of synthetic fibers, the desorbability is good, and rinsing lightly results in sufficient rinsing.

Therefore, the degree of rinsing is detected by calculating the values of the electric conductivity V _RS1 and V _Rf1 and the electric conductivity of the rinsing agitated liquid by calculation of V _RS2 and V _Rf2, and the concentration becomes lower than a predetermined concentration. By performing the rinsing and rinsing according to the washing liquid concentration and the type of clothing,
Satisfactory rinsing can be obtained.

In particular, when the rinsing condition of the final rinsing is detected, it is determined that the rinsing is insufficient, and when the water rinsing is added for a set time, the conductivity after the completion of the water rinsing set time is measured again to determine that the rinsing is insufficient. In this case, a more satisfactory rinse can be obtained by adding an additional water rinse. When the two water-injection rinses are completed, the process proceeds to the final dehydration regardless of the degree of rinsing, and the use of a large amount of waste water due to failure or malfunction of the conductive sensor 10 is prevented.

(5) Detection of "type of clothing (cotton, synthetic fiber, etc.)" Considering the rinsing method for the quality of the clothes to be washed and the dehydration time, cotton which is difficult to desorb moisture (including detergent) is rinsed. By changing the length and dehydrating time, the rinsing condition and the dehydration rate can be improved. In the case of synthetic fibers and blends having good desorption properties, the above performance is sufficient by rinsing and dewatering for a short time.

Therefore, the detection of the type of clothing is based on the electric conductivity value V.
By calculating _Wf and _VRS1 , it is possible to judge the quality of clothing more accurately. Based on this data, the rinsing method and dehydration time are determined. For cotton, the dehydration rate is improved, and for synthetic fibers and blends, wrinkles are improved. The optimum rinsing and dehydration time for automatically obtaining the lowest dehydration rate are automatically set.

(6) Correction of Dehydration Time by Detecting "Water Content" Based on Amount and Type of Laundry In section (5), the dehydration time according to the type of clothing is determined.
Actually, the time to reach the constant speed rotation differs depending on the amount of clothing, mechanical loss, etc., and the actual dehydration time differs,
It is necessary to correct the required dewatering time. As a method of correcting, jumping out of the water during dewatering is detected by conductivity sensor 10 in the manner described above, provided the threshold V _S, which is between the value V _Rf2 and V _Df of the conductivity, the output of the electric conductivity The time T from the start of dehydration until the value falls below the threshold is measured. This time T
By adjusting the dewatering time depending on the length of the cloth, the optimum dewatering time that matches the cloth amount and the cloth quality is determined.

The threshold value V _S is used to correct the conductivity V _Rf2 immediately before the end of the final rinsing and stirring depending on the hardness and temperature of the used water, thereby enabling accurate detection of the water content. The threshold value V _S is calculated by the following equation, and the optimum threshold value is determined by the value of N.

Threshold V_S= {(V_Rf2+ V_Df) / N} + V_Df  The various detection methods using the conductivity sensor 10 described above
Correction value to microcomputer for each optimum water level that matches the
Enables fine-grained control by creating a table
You.

[0035]

According to the present invention, the running process is terminated.
When you have finished, turn off all the marks indicating the process
Each washing line along with notify the current process to the user by the
The actual finished state of the process is determined by the number of dot marks.
There is an effect that the display can be easily understood at a glance.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a washing machine equipped with one embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the washing liquid state detection sensor taken along line AA.

FIG. 3 is a controller block circuit diagram.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a relationship between an applied voltage frequency and conductivity.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an embodiment of a sensor control method in each washing step.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an embodiment of a sensor control method in each washing step.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an embodiment of a sensor control method in each washing step.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an embodiment of a sensor control method in each washing step.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an embodiment of a sensor control method in each washing step.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a display unit of the washing machine.

FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of a sensor monitor operation.

[Explanation of symbols]

4 ... Outer tub, 5 ... Washing and dewatering tub, 6 ... Pulsator, 7 ... Motor, 10 ... Conductivity sensor.

────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page (72) Inventor Hirofumi Tanaka 1-280 Higashi Koigakubo, Kokubunji-shi, Tokyo Hitachi, Ltd. Design Research Laboratory (56) References JP-A-2-277498 (JP, A) JP-A-3 JP-A-133492 (JP, A) JP-A-61-213094 (JP, A) JP-A-61-162974 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) D06F 33/02

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A washing machine operation display device for displaying the progress of a washing process by blinking dot marks representing each process, wherein a mark for displaying each washing process is provided by a plurality of dot masks.
Measurement to measure the finished state of each washing process
Sensors that perform the
The number of displayed dots of the mark that displays
Detection based on the measurement results of sensors that
Reduced according to the finished state of the process
When the process is completed, all the marks indicating the process are turned off and the next
The operation display device for a washing machine, wherein a mark for displaying the process is controlled similarly .