JP3457837B2 - Washing machine - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a washing machine provided with a pump device for supplying water into a tub from a water source different from water supply.

[0002]

For example, in a fully automatic washing machine, a water source (for example, a bathtub) other than water is provided in the washing machine body.
There is a device provided with a pump device for supplying water from the washing tub to the washing tub. This pump device usually has pump blades that are rotationally driven by a pump motor in the pump case,
Further, a suction hose for sucking bath water is connected to a suction port formed in the pump case. A filter is provided at the tip of the suction hose.

In this washing machine, when bath water is used for washing, the bath water setting switch is operated to set the course in which the bath water is used. Then, the pump motor is energized, the bath water is sucked up through the suction hose, discharged from the discharge port of the pump case, and supplied into the tank through an appropriate water supply passage.

By the way, for example, when the filter is clogged, the amount of water supplied at the time of pump water supply decreases, the pump water supply time becomes longer, and the required washing time also becomes longer. In addition, power is wasted. In addition, pump motor output drop
Due to damage to the pump blades, etc., the water supply amount at the time of pump water supply decreases, and the same problems as described above are predicted.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to make it possible to detect a water supply abnormality at the time of water supply by a pump device, thereby contributing to prompt elimination of the cause of the water supply abnormality. To provide a washing machine.

[0006]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a washing machine main body having a tub therein, a pump device for supplying water into the tub from a water source different from water, and a water level in the tub. To
After detecting the water level sensor and the operation of the pump device,
The water level change by the water level sensor at a predetermined time is less than a predetermined value.
The water level detected by the water level sensor must be
Based on this, the degree of water level rise in the tank within a prescribed time is detected
By doing so, the water supply amount change degree detecting means for detecting the change degree of the water supply amount by the pump device and the change degree detection result by the water supply amount change degree detecting means are compared with a reference value to detect the presence or absence of water supply abnormality. And a water supply abnormality detecting means.

When the filter of the pump device is clogged, the output of the pump motor is reduced or malfunctions, and the pump blades are damaged, the amount of water supplied to the tank per unit time becomes the amount of water supplied to the tank when it is normal. It decreases in comparison. That is, the degree of change in the water supply amount becomes small. Therefore, the degree of change in the water supply amount can be used for detecting the water supply abnormality.

In the above arrangement, however, the water supply amount change degree detecting means for detecting the change degree of the water supply amount by the pump device is provided, and the change degree detection result by the water supply amount change degree detecting means is compared with the reference value. Since the water supply abnormality detecting means for detecting the presence or absence of water supply abnormality is provided, the water supply abnormality by the pump device can be detected. As a result, it becomes possible to contribute to prompt elimination of the cause of abnormal water supply. Well
In addition, using the water level sensor provided in the main body of the washing machine
Since the degree of change is detected, for example, the pump device
Unlike the case where a dedicated sensor such as a flow sensor is installed in the
As a result, the structure for detecting the degree of change in the water supply amount becomes simple. further,
After starting the operation of the pump device, the water level
If the water level change due to the
Whether to detect the degree of change in the amount of water supplied by the pump device
Thus, the degree of water supply change can be detected in a stable water supply state.

[0009]

[0010]

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the water supply amount change degree detecting means detects the water supply amount change degree each time the water supply is performed by the pump device, and compares the present detection result with the previous detection result. The characteristic is that the detection result of one of the two is stored in the memory as the maximum value, and a value smaller than the maximum value by a predetermined ratio is set as the reference value.

In this configuration, the reference value can be set according to the installation condition of the washing machine, and the accuracy of detecting water supply abnormality is improved. That is, the degree of change in the water supply amount indicates the maximum value in a situation where the filter is not clogged and the pump motor and pump blades are normal. This maximum value can be uniquely set by the manufacturer on the basis of experiments and tests. However, external water sources such as the bath and the washing machine installation location (more precisely, the height of the pump device)
The relationship between the height and the flow resistance of the suction hose and the like also affect the degree of change in the water supply amount. Therefore, the degree of change in the water supply amount varies depending on the washing machine installation condition, etc. even though it is a normal condition without clogging, so if the above-mentioned reference value is uniquely set, the water supply abnormality detection accuracy may deteriorate. .

In the above arrangement, however, the water supply amount change degree detection means detects the water supply amount change degree each time water supply is performed by the pump device, and the current detection result and the previous detection result are compared to obtain a greater value. Since the detection result of one is stored in the memory as the maximum value, it can be said that the maximum value is the maximum normal value in the situation where the washing machine is installed. Then, since a value smaller than the maximum value by a predetermined ratio is set as a reference value, a reference value that matches the situation where the washing machine is installed is set, and thus the accuracy of water supply abnormality detection is improved. become.

The invention of claim 3 is characterized in that it is provided with a power supply voltage detecting means, and the detection result by the water supply amount change degree detecting means is corrected by the power supply voltage detected by the power supply voltage detecting means.

In this structure, the accuracy of water supply abnormality detection does not deteriorate even if the power supply voltage fluctuates. That is, when the power supply voltage fluctuates, the pump capacity of the pump device also fluctuates, and the detection result of the water supply amount change degree detection means also fluctuates, which may reduce the accuracy of water supply abnormality detection. However, in the above configuration, the detection result of the water supply amount change degree detection means is corrected by the power supply voltage detected by the power supply voltage detection means, so that the accuracy of water supply abnormality detection decreases less.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a laundry amount detecting means for detecting the laundry amount, and the detection result by the water supply amount change degree detecting means is corrected by the laundry amount detected by the laundry amount detecting means. It has characteristics.

In this structure, the accuracy of water supply abnormality detection does not decrease depending on the amount of laundry. That is, when the degree of change in the water supply amount is detected by detecting the degree of increase in the water level in the tub within a predetermined time based on the water level detected by the water level sensor, the degree of increase in the water level also differs depending on whether the amount of laundry is large or small. . For this reason, there is concern that the accuracy of detecting abnormalities in water supply may deteriorate. However, in the above configuration, the detection result by the water supply amount change degree detection means is
Since the amount of laundry detected by the amount of laundry detecting means is corrected, the accuracy of detecting abnormalities in water supply is reduced.

[0018]

[0019]

[0020]

[0021]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A first embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a fully automatic washing machine will be described below with reference to FIGS. First, FIG. 2 showing a schematic configuration of a fully automatic washing machine.
The main body 1 of the washing machine will be described below. An outer tub 2 is swingably disposed in an outer box 1a of the washing machine body 1 via an elastic suspension mechanism 3. In the outer tub 2, a rotary tub 4 which doubles as a washing tub and a dehydrating tub is rotatably provided, and an agitator 5 is rotatably provided at an inner bottom portion of the rotary tub 4.

The rotary tank 4 is formed in a tapered shape in which the peripheral wall portion gradually expands as it goes upward. In the rotary tank 4, the dehydration holes 4a are formed only on the uppermost part of the peripheral wall portion, and the other portions of the peripheral wall portion are formed in a non-hole shape. A group of water passage holes 4b is formed at the bottom of the rotary tank 4.

At the inner bottom of the outer tub 2, there is provided a drainage passage 6 extending from the water passage holes 4b of the rotary tub 4 to the rear side. Further, in the outer tub 2, a rear end portion of the drainage passage 6 serves as a drainage port 7, and the drainage port 7 is provided with an air trap 8 for detecting a water level. The drainage port 7 is
For example, it is configured to be opened and closed by a motor type drain valve 9, and a drain hose 10 communicating with the outside of the machine is connected to the lower portion of the drain valve 9.

In the case of this construction, when the drain valve 9 is opened, the water in the rotary tank 4 is drained to the outside through the drain passage 6 and the drain hose 10. Also,
An auxiliary drainage port 11 is formed in the front part of the bottom of the outer tub 2, and the auxiliary drainage port 11 is connected to the drainage hose 10 via a connecting hose (not shown). As a result, when the water in the rotary tank 4 is discharged into the outer tank 2 through the dehydration hole 4a during the dehydration operation, this drainage flows to the outside through the auxiliary drainage port 11, the connection hose and the drainage hose 10. It will be discharged. A water level sensor (indicated by reference numeral 12 in FIG. 9) including a pressure sensor is connected to the air trap 8 via an air pipe 13, and the water level sensor 1
2 is configured to be able to detect the water level in the rotary tank 4.

A balance ring 14 is provided on the rotary tank 4.
Is attached. In addition, in the inner peripheral portion of the rotary tank 4,
Inner basket 1 made of stainless steel plate that is almost drum-shaped
5 are provided, and a large number of water passage holes (not shown) are formed in the peripheral wall portion of the inner basket 15.

In the lower part of the inner peripheral portion of the rotary tank 4,
A bottom cover 16 is provided. The inner basket 15
A predetermined gap for water passage is provided between the rotary tank 4 and the rotary tank 4, and between the bottom cover 16 and the rotary tank 4. With such a configuration, the inside of the rotary tank 4 is drained or drained. Water flows downward or upward through the predetermined gap for water passage.

At the outer bottom of the outer tub 2, a motor 17 capable of variable speed driving and a drive mechanism portion 18 are provided. The rotational force of the motor 17 is transmitted to the drive mechanism section 18 via the belt transmission mechanism 19. Although not specifically shown, the drive mechanism section 18 includes a clutch mechanism,
It has a well-known configuration including a speed reducer, a brake device, and the like. In particular, the clutch mechanism has a function of switching between a state in which the rotational force of the motor 17 is decelerated and transmitted to only the stirring body 5 via the reduction gear during washing, and a state in which it is transmitted at high speed to the rotating tank 4 and the stirring body 5 during dehydration. Have

A top cover 20 is attached to the upper part of the outer box 1a. The top cover 20 is provided with, for example, a half-fold type lid 21 that can be opened and closed so as to open and close the entrance of the laundry. A tank cover 22 is attached to the upper part of the outer tank 2, and the inner cover 2 is attached to the tank cover 22.
3 is provided so that it can be opened and closed. The inner lid 23 is formed with a recessed portion 23a located on the rear side thereof and having a large number of water passage holes (not shown).

With respect to the washing machine main body 1 having the above-mentioned structure, an electromagnetic type for performing a water supply operation into the rotary tub 4 is provided at the rear portion of the top cover 20 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. A water supply valve 24, a water supply device 25, a pump device 26, etc. are arranged. The water from the water supply device 25 has the concave portion 23a.
It is configured to be supplied into the rotary tank 4 via the.

The pump device 26 has a pump case 26a in which a pump motor 27 (see FIG. 1) and pump blades (not shown) are provided. Also,
As shown in FIG. 3, the suction port 26b of the pump case 26a is connected with a suction hose 29 for sucking up water (bath water) in a bathtub 28 as a water source other than tap water. As shown in FIG. 5, a water intake port 30 is provided at the tip of the suction hose 29. The water intake port 30 is constructed by screwing a filter case 30b into a mouth 30a. There is a thin filter 31a and a coarse filter 3
1b is provided with the filter 31.

On the other hand, an operation panel 32 is provided on the front portion of the top cover 20, and a control portion 33 is provided on the back surface side thereof. As shown in FIG. 6, the operation panel 32 includes various switches 36 including a power switch 34, a start switch 35 also serving as a temporary stop switch, and the like.
a to 36h are provided, and a display unit 37 for displaying the washing process, water level, etc. is provided. This display 3
The numeral 7 includes a 2-digit 7-segment element type display 37a which displays the time and the washing time, and also serves as a filter clogging notifying means. The various switches 36a to 36h include a bath water setting switch 36h.

FIG. 1 shows an electrical configuration, and both terminals 38a of a power plug 38 connected to a power outlet.
And 38b, a DC power supply circuit 39 is connected, and the DC power supply is supplied to the control circuit 40. The control circuit 40 includes a microcomputer. In addition, both terminals 38a and 38b of the power plug 38
The pump motor 27, the water supply valve 24, the drain valve 9 and the motor 17 described above are connected via the drive circuit 41. The drive circuit 41 includes a power switch 3
4 and a switching element are included in the control circuit 40 when the power switch 34 is turned on.
To be given to. Further, the DC power supply circuit 39 has a power supply voltage detection circuit 42 serving as a power supply voltage detection means.
Is connected, and the power supply voltage signal detected by this is applied to the control circuit 40.

The control circuit 40 has a program relating to the washing operation in its internal memory, and has various switches 36.
The pump motor 27, the water supply valve 24, and the drain valve 9 according to the program according to the switch signals from a to 36h.
And the motor 17 via the drive circuit 41, and also controls the display unit 37 and the buzzer 43 which also serves as a filter clogging notifying unit, and further, for example, EEPRO.
Writing and reading control for the non-volatile memory 44 composed of M are executed. Further, the motor 17 is provided with a rotation sensor 45 configured to output a predetermined number of pulses while the rotation shaft of the motor 17 makes one rotation.

An example of the laundry driving course is as follows:
There is a "standard" course as a fully automatic course, which is selected by the course setting switch 36g and executed when the start switch 35 is turned on without any manual operation by the user. That is, as shown in FIG. 7A, a water supply process (supply of tap water by turning on the water supply valve 24), a washing process, a drainage process, a dehydration process, a water supply process (supply of tap water by turning on the water supply valve 24), one rinsing process. , A drainage process, a dehydration process, a water supply process (supply of tap water by turning on the water supply valve 24), a rinsing 2 process, a drainage process, and a final dehydration process.

When the bath water setting switch 36h is turned on after the "standard" course has been set, "bath water only for washing" and "bath water only for washing / rinsing" are set for each operation. Water supply ”→“ no bath water supply ”→“ wash only bath water supply ”→… is set in sequence. In this case, when "only wash water is supplied" is set, as shown in FIG. 7B, (standard + bath water) is set to 1 course, and bath water is supplied in the water supply process immediately before the washing process, The remaining water supply process is to supply tap water, and when "Wash water supply only for washing and rinsing" is set, there will be 2 courses (standard + bath water) as shown in Fig. 6 (c). In the water supply process immediately before the washing process and the water supply process immediately before the first rinse process, bath water is supplied, and in the water supply process immediately before the second rinse process, tap water is supplied. When "no bath water is supplied" is set, it is reset to the "standard" course which is a fully automatic course.

The control circuit 40 functions as a water supply amount change degree detecting means, a water supply abnormality detecting means, an informing control means (these will be described when explaining the flowcharts of FIGS. 8 and 9), and a laundry amount detecting means. ing. The function of the laundry amount detecting means is shown in FIG.
Although not shown in FIG. 3, before the first water supply, the stirring body 5 is rotated for a predetermined time in a state where there is no water in the rotary tank 4, and the rotation speed of the motor 17 at this predetermined time (this is the rotation sensor 44
It is designed to detect the amount of laundry. The higher the rotation speed, the smaller the amount of laundry is detected, and the lower the rotation speed, the more.

Now, the control contents of the control circuit 40 will be described with reference to the flow charts of FIGS. 8 and 9. This flowchart starts when the power switch 34 is turned on. Initial setting is performed in step S1. In this initial setting, the standard course is set. In step S2, reading from the non-volatile memory 44 is performed. In this case, in the non-volatile memory 44, the presence / absence of the previous water supply abnormality detection result,
The maximum value Mmax for updating the setting of the degree of change in the water supply amount is stored, and when the washing machine is used for the first time, "none" is stored in the nonvolatile memory 44 as the water supply abnormality detection result. In addition, the maximum value Mmax is set to "0".

In step S3, the switch 36
Based on the operation of a and the switches 36c to 36h, it is determined whether or not there is a washing mode setting such as selection of a washing course or change of stroke content. When the switch 36b is operated, another reservation program (not shown) is executed.

If the washing mode is set ("YES" in step S3), the process proceeds to step S4, and a washing course (referred to as a pump course) including the water supply operation by the pump device 26 is selected. Determine whether or not.
This pump course includes the courses shown in FIG. 7 (b) and FIG. 7 (c). Then, when the pump course is selected, the process proceeds to step S5, and it is determined whether or not the water supply abnormality detection result read in step S2 is "present".

If "Yes", the process proceeds to step S6 to activate the buzzer 43 as an informing means and to display the character "PF" (meaning pump filter) on the display 37a, thereby informing the water supply abnormality. In this case, the fact that the filter is clogged is notified. Then, step S7
Then, it is determined whether or not the start switch 35 has been operated. When the water supply abnormality detection result is "none",
The process directly proceeds to step S7.

In step S7, when the start switch 35 is operated, the process proceeds to step S8, the signal (power source voltage) from the power source voltage detection circuit 42 is read, and the process proceeds to step S9 to determine the amount of laundry described above. Perform detection operation. After that, the process proceeds to step S10, and the pump motor 27 is energized to start the pump operation. As a result, the pump device 26 operates to suck up the water in the bath 28 and supply the water to the rotary tank 4. In this case, as shown in FIG. 10, the water is being sucked up at a certain time from the start of pump water supply, but the rotary tank 4 has not yet been supplied with water. t
As shown by x2 or tx3, the water supply to the rotary tank 4 is stable (each water supply characteristic line A1
It takes a certain amount of time to reach a state in which A3 becomes almost straight).

In the next step S11, the water supply pump device 2
Every time time t0 elapses from the start of operation 6 (start of pump water supply), it is determined whether or not the water level change during that time is equal to or greater than a predetermined value Sok. That is, if the water level change becomes equal to or greater than the predetermined value Sok during the time t0, it is determined that the water level rise is linear and the water supply is in a stable state. The predetermined value Sok is set to a considerably small value. If the above-mentioned judgment is made, after that, it will move to Step S12 and the rise width S of the water level during the time ts from the time of the above-mentioned judgment is measured. That is, the degree of change in the water supply amount is detected.

In the next step S13, this water level rise width S, which is the detection result of the degree of change in the water supply amount, is corrected according to the power supply voltage. That is, as shown in FIG. 12, the rate of increase in water level increases in proportion to the power supply voltage, and as shown in Table 1,
The correction coefficient Kv is set to decrease as the power supply voltage increases. This correction coefficient Kv is multiplied by the water level rise width S to obtain the corrected water level rise width Sv.

[0044]

[Table 1]

Thereafter, in step S14, the corrected water level rise width Sv is further corrected according to the laundry amount detection result. That is, as shown in FIG. 13, the rate of rise in water level is
The larger the amount of laundry is, the higher it is, and as shown in Table 2, the correction coefficient Kw is set to be higher as the amount of laundry is larger. This correction coefficient Kw is used as the water level rise width Sv.
Then, the corrected water level rise width Svw is obtained.

[0046]

[Table 2]

In step S15, the reference value M is set. That is, it is set to be smaller than the maximum value Mmax stored in the non-volatile memory 44 by a predetermined ratio. In this case, the predetermined ratio is "40%",
That is, M = Mmax × (1-0.4). Here, in the first case, since the Mmax is set to "0", the reference value M becomes "0".

In step S16, it is determined whether or not the water level rise width Svw is less than or equal to the reference value M (whether or not there is a water supply abnormality). In this case, since the reference value M is "0",
The water level rise width Svw exceeds the reference value M (“NO” in step S16), the process proceeds to step S17, and the non-volatile memory 44 detects the water supply abnormality “none”.
(No filter clogging) is stored. In the next step S18, the current water level rise width Svw is the maximum value Mma.
It is determined whether or not x is exceeded, and if it is exceeded, step S1
In step 9, the water level rise width Svw is stored in the non-volatile memory 44 as the maximum value Mmax. That is, the setting is updated. In addition, in step S16, the water level rise width Svw
Is less than or equal to the reference value M, the process proceeds to step S20, the buzzer 43 is informed, and the character "PF" is displayed on the display 37a to notify the water supply abnormality. To inform. Then, the process proceeds to step S21, and the non-volatile memory 44 has a water supply abnormality detection result “present” (filter clogging “present”).
Memorize

The water level in the rotary tub 4 gradually rises due to such pump water supply, and when it reaches the set water level, this is judged in step S22, the process proceeds to step S23, and the pump motor 27 is turned off. Stop water supply.
After that, the process proceeds to step S24, and each process set in this washing course is executed. And step S25
Then, it is judged whether or not this washing course is finished, and when it is finished, as shown in step S26, the nonvolatile memory 4
The water supply abnormality detection result in step 4 is read out, and step S2
It is determined whether or not “Yes” in 7, and if “Yes”, the buzzer 43 is notified in step S28, and
The character "PF" is displayed on the display 37a and the process returns to step S1. If "none", the process directly returns to step S1.

In the case of "NO" in step S3 and in the case of "NO" in step S4, the process proceeds to step S29 to determine whether or not the start switch 35 has been operated, and if not operated, step S3. Returning to this, if the operation is performed, the process proceeds to step S30, and the control according to each course is executed.

In the case of the first washing operation described above, the filter 31 is not clogged, and the pump motor 27 and the pump blades are not broken or damaged, so that the pump water can be supplied well. The water level rise width S and thus the corrected water level rise width Svw are large. Normally, the water level increase width Svw in the first washing operation becomes the maximum value after the next washing operation. Then, after the second and subsequent washing operations in the pump course, the filter 31 gradually becomes clogged. When the state of clogging is reached, the water level rise width S detected in step S12 becomes considerably small, and the determination in step S16 as to whether the water level rise width Svw is less than or equal to this reference value M becomes "YES", and a water supply abnormality occurs. The detection result is determined to be “present” and step S2
The clogging notification control at 0 and the storage control of the water supply abnormality detection result "present" at step S21 are executed. Then, at the end of washing, step S
Since "27" is "YES", the clogging notification control is executed in step S28.

In FIG. 11, a characteristic line N1 shows how the water level rises in the washing operation by the first pump course, and a characteristic line Nn shows how the water level rises in the washing operation by the pump course after the occurrence of clogging. ing. The characteristic line Nm shows the reference value level. This Figure 1
1, the water level S at time t0 described in step S11
There is no increase in ok for the first time, and the water level So at the next time t0
It shows that there was a rise in k. Therefore, the water supply abnormality detection operation is performed from immediately after the second time t0 to the time ts.

According to the present embodiment described above, the pump device 2
6 detects the degree of change in the water supply amount and compares the change degree detection result (Svw corrected by the power supply voltage and the laundry amount in this embodiment) with the reference value M to detect the presence or absence of water supply abnormality. Therefore, the abnormality of the water supply by the pump device 26 can be detected. As a result, it is possible to contribute to prompt elimination of the cause of water supply abnormality such as clogging of the filter 31 in the pump device 26, output reduction or failure of the pump motor 27, and damage to the pump blades.

Further, according to this embodiment, when it is detected that there is a water supply abnormality, the indicator 37a and the buzzer 43, which are the filter clogging notifying means, are instructed to notify the occurrence of the filter clogging. it can. By the way,
Most of the causes of abnormal water supply are filter clogging.
Therefore, the clogging occurrence notification can promptly eliminate clogging.

Further, in the present embodiment, since the notification of the filter clogging is performed at the time when the water supply abnormality is detected and at the end of the washing operation, the user can easily notice the clogging. . In addition, the notification timing in this case may be any one of the time point when the water supply abnormality is detected and the washing operation end time.

When an abnormality in water supply is detected during the current washing operation, the next time the pump course (the washing course including the water supply operation by the pump device 26) is selected (the bath water setting switch 36h is operated). Time point)
Since the notification operation is performed, that is, the above notification is made when the user tries to perform pump water supply, the filter clogging can be surely noticed.
In this case, since the non-volatile memory 44 is used as the memory, the stored contents can be held even if the power plug 38 is removed, which is convenient. Note that if the user performs filter clogging elimination processing after the end of this washing operation, clogging is notified when the next pump course is selected, even though clogging has already been eliminated, so consider this. Then, a reset switch for setting the water supply abnormality detection result stored in the non-volatile memory 44 to “none” may be provided.

Furthermore, according to this embodiment, since the water level sensor 12 provided in the washing machine body 1 is used to detect the degree of change in the water supply amount, for example, the pump device 26.
Unlike the case where a dedicated sensor such as a flow sensor is installed in
The configuration for detecting the degree of change in the water supply amount becomes simple.

Further, according to this embodiment, the pump device 26
The water supply amount change degree is detected every time the water supply is performed, and the current detection result and the previous detection result are compared, and the larger detection result is stored in the memory, for example, the non-volatile memory 44 as the maximum value Mmax. Since a value smaller than the maximum value Mmax by a predetermined ratio is set as the reference value M, the reference value M can be set according to the installation state of the washing machine, and the water supply abnormality detection accuracy is improved.

That is, the degree of change in the amount of water supply indicates the maximum value in a situation where the filter is not clogged and the pump motor and pump blades are normal. This maximum value can be uniquely set by the manufacturer on the basis of experiments and tests. However, the height relationship between the external water source, such as the bath and the washing machine installation location (more precisely, the height position of the pump device) and the flow path resistance of the suction hose, etc., also affect the degree of water supply change. is there. Therefore, the degree of change in the water supply amount varies depending on the washing machine installation condition, etc. even though it is a normal condition without clogging, so if the above-mentioned reference value is uniquely set, the water supply abnormality detection accuracy may deteriorate. .

In the present embodiment, however, the degree of change in the water supply amount is detected every time the water supply by the pump device 26 is executed, and the detection result of this time is compared with the detection result of the previous time, and the detection result of the larger one is detected. Is stored in the non-volatile memory 44 as the maximum value Mmax, the maximum value Mmax can be said to be the maximum value in the situation where the washing machine is installed. And
A value smaller than the maximum value Mmax by a predetermined ratio is the reference value M
As a result, the reference value that matches the situation where the washing machine is installed is set, and the accuracy of water supply abnormality detection is improved.

Further, according to this embodiment, the detection result of the degree of change in the amount of water supply is corrected by the power supply voltage detected by the power supply voltage detection circuit 42. Therefore, even if the power supply voltage changes, the accuracy of water supply abnormality detection is high. It never drops. That is, when the power supply voltage fluctuates, the pumping capacity of the pump device 26 fluctuates and the degree of change in the water supply amount also changes. The decrease can be reduced.

Further, according to the present embodiment, since the water supply amount change degree detection result is corrected by the laundry amount detection result, the water supply abnormality detection accuracy does not decrease depending on the laundry amount. That is, when the change degree of the water supply amount is detected by detecting the water level increase degree in the rotary tub 4 within the predetermined time ts based on the water level detected by the water level sensor 12, the water level increase degree is determined by the large or small amount of laundry. However, in the present embodiment, the detection result of the degree of change in the water supply amount is corrected by the laundry amount, so that the accuracy of detecting the water supply abnormality can be reduced.

In the above-mentioned embodiment, the washing machine of the type in which the pump device 26 is built in the washing machine main body 1 is exemplified.
The present invention may be configured as shown in FIG. 14 as the second embodiment. That is, in this embodiment, the pump device 51 is a so-called external type when the washing machine body 1 is built-in, and is arranged in the bathtub 28. However,
Also in this case, the pump motor (not shown) is controlled by the control circuit on the side of the washing machine body 1.

[0064]

As is apparent from the above description, the present invention can obtain the following effects. According to the invention of claim 1, the water supply amount change degree detecting means for detecting the change degree of the water supply amount by the pump device is provided, and the water supply amount is compared by comparing the change degree detection result by the water supply amount change degree detecting means with the reference value. Since the water supply abnormality detecting means for detecting the presence or absence of abnormality is provided, the water supply abnormality by the pump device can be detected. Therefore, it can contribute to the prompt elimination of the cause of abnormal water supply.
It Also, use the water level sensor provided in the washing machine
Since it detects the degree of change in the amount of water,
Unlike the case where a dedicated sensor such as a flow sensor is installed,
The water amount change degree detection configuration becomes simple. In addition,
After the operation of the pump device is started,
If the change in water level due to
Since the degree of change in the amount of water supplied by the
The degree of water supply change can be detected in a stable state.

[0065]

[0066]

According to the invention of claim 2 , the water supply amount change degree detecting means detects the water supply amount change degree each time the water supply by the pump device is executed, and compares the present detection result with the previous detection result. Since the larger detection result is stored in the memory as the maximum value and a value smaller than the maximum value by a predetermined ratio is set as the reference value, the reference value can be set according to the usage status of the pump device. Becomes,
The accuracy of water supply abnormality detection can be improved.

According to the invention of claim 3 , the power supply voltage detecting means is provided, and the detection result of the water supply amount change degree detecting means is corrected by the power supply voltage detected by the power supply voltage detecting means. Even if there is fluctuation, it is possible to prevent the accuracy of water supply abnormality detection from decreasing.

According to the invention of claim 4 , the laundry amount detecting means for detecting the laundry amount is provided, and the detection result by the water supply amount change degree detecting means is corrected by the laundry amount detected by the laundry amount detecting means. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the accuracy of water supply abnormality detection from decreasing due to the amount of laundry.

[0070]

[0071]

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an electrical configuration showing a first embodiment of the present invention.

[Figure 2] Vertical side view of the washing machine

FIG. 3 is a perspective view shown together with a bathtub.

FIG. 4 is a partially cutaway plan view.

FIG. 5 is an exploded side view of the water intake section.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the operation panel.

[Fig. 7] Diagram showing a fully automatic course

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing control contents.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing control contents.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing how the water level change is stabilized.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing how the water level changes with and without clogging.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing changes in the water level rise rate with respect to the power supply voltage.

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing changes in the water level increase rate with respect to the amount of laundry.

FIG. 14 is a view corresponding to FIG. 3 showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 is a washing machine main body, 4 is a rotary tub, 12 is a pressure sensor, 24
Is a water supply valve, 25 is a water supply device, 26 is a pump device, 27 is a pump motor, 31 is a filter, 32 is an operation panel, 37
a is an indicator (clogging notification means), 36h is a bath water setting switch, 40 is a control circuit (water supply amount change degree detection means, water supply abnormality detection means, notification control means and laundry amount detection means), 42 is a power supply voltage detection Reference numeral 43 is a circuit (power supply voltage detection means), 43 is a buzzer (clogging notification means), 44 is a non-volatile memory, and 51 is a pump device.

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (56) Reference JP-A-7-289784 (JP, A) JP-A-6-218184 (JP, A) JP-A-8-66588 (JP, A) (58) Field (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) D06F 1/00-51/02

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] 1. A washing machine main body having a tub inside, a pump device for supplying water into the tub from a water source different from water, a water level sensor for detecting a water level in the tub, and the pump device. After the operation starts, the water level
If the water level change due to the
Based on the water level detected by the water level sensor, within the specified time
A water supply amount change degree detecting means for detecting a change degree of the water supply amount by the pump device by detecting a water level rise degree in the storage tank; and a change degree detection result by the water supply amount change degree detecting means. A washing machine comprising: a water supply abnormality detecting means for comparing the reference value with a reference value to detect the presence or absence of water supply abnormality. 2. Every time water is supplied by a pump device
The change rate of the water supply amount can be
It detects and compares this detection result with the previous detection result,
The detection result of the larger one is stored in memory as the maximum value,
Set a value smaller than this maximum value by a predetermined ratio as the reference value
Washing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that so as to. 3. A water supply amount change degree provided with a power supply voltage detecting means
The detection result by the matching detection means is supplied to this power supply voltage detection means.
The washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the washing machine is corrected by the detected power supply voltage . 4. A laundry amount detecting means for detecting the amount of laundry.
This is the result of detection by the water supply change degree detection means.
Compensate according to the laundry amount detected by the laundry amount detection means
Washing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the so that.