JP4594897B2 - Washing machine - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a washing machine having a function to cope with a difference in power supply voltage.

Conventionally, the power supply voltage applied to various electric appliances including a washing machine is 100 [V] in Japan, whereas it is 110 to 240 [V] etc. outside Japan. ing. On the other hand, a power transformer is provided to change the power supply voltage to an appropriate value so that the electrical equipment such as the washing motor, the water supply motor and the drainage motor can be used in common. For example, Patent Documents 1, 2, and 3 are provided.
JP-A-6-283 JP-A-7-275567 JP 10-156084 A

As described above, the power supply voltage is changed to an appropriate value by the power transformer and applied to various electrical components, so there is no need to prepare various types of electrical components for each difference in power supply voltage. ] It is excellent in that it is sufficient to prepare only one type.
However, not only various electrical components, but also a control device for controlling a process required for washing of the washing machine has different operation specifications depending on the power supply voltage. A control device is prepared, and a control device having an operation specification that matches the power supply voltage of the export destination of the washing machine is selected and assembled.

  For this reason, the control device has a drawback that the cost becomes high. In addition, it is necessary to manage control devices with different operation specifications until assembly, and there is a risk of making an error in selecting a control device that does not meet the operation specifications during assembly. Care has been taken to avoid this.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances. Therefore, the object of the present invention is to reduce the cost of the control means, to facilitate management until assembly, and to select at the time of assembly. There is a need to provide a washing machine that does not require attention.

In order to achieve the above object, in the washing machine of the present invention, washing is performed by driving an agitator disposed in a washing tub, and the power supply voltage is changed to the rated value of the electrical equipment. It has a power transformer to be applied to and can be used in multiple destinations with different power supply voltages.
It has a plurality of stirring body drive modes different for each power supply voltage of the destination, and comprises a control means for controlling a required stroke, and an operation input means for inputting a signal by an operator's operation to this control means, The control means may select and set one of the stirring body drive modes based on an input signal generated by a specific operation by an operator.

According to the above means, when the operator performs a specific operation, one of a plurality of stirring body drive modes is selected from the operation specifications that the control means has for each power supply voltage of the destination. Therefore, one stirring body drive mode suitable for the power supply voltage at the site (destination) can be obtained arbitrarily. Therefore, it is only necessary to prepare one kind of control means, and it is not necessary to prepare many kinds like the conventional one, so it is possible to reduce the cost by mass purchase, and the assembly of the control means is also possible. Management can be facilitated, and the selection at the time of assembly does not require attention.

Hereinafter, an example (one embodiment) of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
First, FIG. 2 shows the overall structure of a washing machine, in particular, a dehydrating washing machine (fully automatic washing machine). A water tank 2 is supported and arranged in an outer box 1 by an elastic support mechanism (not shown). A rotating tank 3 is disposed inside the water tank 2. The rotating tub 3 also serves as a washing tub and a dewatering tub. A washing agitator 4 is provided in the inner and lower portions, a number of dewatering holes 5 are provided on the peripheral side, and a rotary balancer 6 is provided on the upper edge. Have.

A motor 7 for washing and dehydrating is disposed on the outer lower part of the water tank 2. The motor 7 rotates the stirring body 4 during washing and rotates the rotating tank 3 together with the stirring body 4 during dehydration. I have to. Therefore, a clutch mechanism for switching transmission of power to the agitator 4 and the rotating tub 3 is built in the motor 7 (not shown).
In addition, a drain port 8 is formed at the bottom of the water tank 2, a drain motor valve 9 is connected to the drain port 8, and a drain hose 10 is connected to the drain motor valve 9. An air trap 11 is communicated with the drain port 8, and a water level sensor 13 (shown in FIG. 4) is connected to the air trap 11 via an air tube 12.

On the other hand, a top cover 14 is attached to the uppermost part of the outer box 1, and the top cover 14 has a laundry entrance 15 at the center of the top, and the laundry entrance 15 can be folded into, for example, two lids. 16 to open and close.
In addition, in FIG. 2, reference numeral 17 denotes a ring-shaped tank cover attached to the upper edge of the water tank 2, 18 is an overflow channel formed to communicate with the outside from the water tank 2, and 19 is an inside of the rotary tank 3. Each of them shows a lump collecting path for collecting lint formed on the periphery.

  Next, FIG. 3 shows the operation panel 20. This operation panel 20 is provided on the upper surface of the front portion of the top cover 14, and as operation keys, a key 21 for turning on / off the power, a key 22 for "Karari and dehydration", and a "reservation" "Key 23", "course" selection key 24, "start / pause" key 25, "dehydration" stroke setting key 26, "rinse" stroke setting key 27, "washing" stroke A key 28 for setting and a key 29 for selecting “water level” are provided. As a display unit, a digital display unit 30 as a display means, a “concentrated cleaning” display unit 31, a “detergent amount” display unit 32, “ It has a "carrage and dehydration" display unit 33, various course display units 34, a "dehydration" process display unit 35, a "rinse" process display unit 36, a "washing" process display unit 37, and a "water level" display unit 38. .

  FIG. 4 shows the control device 39. The control device 39 is disposed, for example, in a portion on the back side of the operation panel 20 in the top cover 14, and is configured as a unit by a so-called PC board mainly using the microcomputer 49. In this case, for washing including dehydration. The necessary stroke is controlled. Therefore, the control device 39 functions as a control means for controlling a process required for washing, and a ROM in the microcomputer 49 incorporates a plurality of different operation specifications for each power supply voltage.

  FIG. 1 shows a part of a plurality (in this case, five types) of operation specifications different for each power supply voltage, which are incorporated in the control device 39 (microcomputer). The content shown is a drive mode of the stirrer 4 when a water flow is generated by the rotation of the stirrer 4 during washing, and the power supply voltage is 100 [V] (frequency is 50 or 60 [Hz]). Occasionally, the stirrer 4 is driven forward for 1.0 second, then paused for 1.0 second, then reverse driven for 1.0 second, and then paused for 0.9 second, which is repeatedly executed Thus, the operation specification for driving the stirring member 4 is used.

On the other hand, when the power supply voltage is 110 [V] (frequency is 60 [Hz]), the stirrer 4 is driven to rotate forward for 1.2 seconds, and then rested for 1.7 seconds. This is a mode in which the drive is reversed for 2 seconds and then paused for 1.7 seconds, and this is repeatedly executed to drive the stirrer 4.
Further, when the power supply voltage is 220 [V] and the frequency is 50 [Hz], the stirring member 4 is normally driven for 2.4 seconds, and then rested for 2.2 seconds and then reversed for 2.4 seconds. Thereafter, the mode is a mode in which the system is paused for 2.2 seconds, and the operation specification is such that the stirring body 4 is driven by repeatedly executing the mode.

In addition, when the power supply voltage is 220 [V] and the frequency is 60 [Hz], the operation specification is the same as that when the power supply voltage is 110 [V], and the power supply voltage is 230 to 240 [V] ( When the frequency is 50 [Hz]), the power supply voltage is 220 [V] and the operation specifications are the same as when the frequency is 50 [Hz].
In addition, the operation specifications differ depending on the power supply voltage. The threshold when a predetermined determination is made based on the detection signal of each sensor such as the time of each stroke, the rotation speed of dehydration, display, and the water level sensor 13 and the rotation sensor 40 described later. There are values (not shown).

  Thus, the control device 39 receives a rotation detection signal from a rotation sensor 40 provided to detect the rotation of the motor 7, and responds to pressing operations of the various keys 21 to 29 on the operation panel 20, respectively. Various operation signals are input from an operation circuit 41 which is an operation input means configured to include a switch to perform the operation, and a lid opening / closing detection signal is input from a lid switch 42 provided so as to detect the opening / closing of the lid 16. A water level detection signal is input from a water level sensor 13 that detects the water level inside.

And the control apparatus 39 comprised the said motor 7 and the various display parts 30-38 of the said operation panel 20 based on those inputs and the control program containing one of the said operation specifications memorize | stored beforehand. The display circuit 43, the water supply electric valve 44 provided to supply water into the water tank 2, the drainage electric valve 9, and the buzzer 45 serving as notification means are driven via a drive circuit 46.
In addition, the control device 39 is also adapted to exchange stored contents with the non-volatile memory 47 which is a storage means. Further, the control device 39 changes the power supply voltage to, for example, 100 [V]. 100 [V] has a power transformer 48 applied to the various electrical components rated above.

Next, the operation of the above configuration will be described.
First, the operation specifications are set according to the power supply voltage. In order to set the operation specifications, the control device 39 must be set to the operation specification switching mode, which is set by the operator performing a specific operation. The specific operation at this time is an operation that is not normally performed. For example, among the various keys 21 to 29 of the operation panel 20, a key 29 for selecting a “water level”, a key 24 for selecting a “course”, and This is an operation of pressing the power “ON / OFF” key 21 (turning on the power) while pressing the “RESERVATION” key 23.

  When the control device 39 is set to the operation specification switching mode, a set value indicating the currently set operation specification is displayed on the digital display unit 30 as a display means. The displayed value is, for example, “1” for an operation specification for 100 [V], “2” for an operation specification for 110 [V], and an operation specification for 220 [V] / 50 [Hz]. If it is “3”, the operation specification for 220 [V] / 60 [Hz] is “4”, and if it is the operation specification for 230 to 240 [V], it is “5”. The display value is shown together with the contents of the operation specifications.

  Next, if a different specific operation is performed, the display value changes from 1 to 2 to 3 to 4 to 5 each time it is repeated. The specific operation at this time is an operation of pressing the “reservation” key 23. Each time the display value is changed by this operation, the control device 39 gives a signal indicating the display value to the nonvolatile memory 47 to be stored. When the display value corresponding to the power supply voltage is displayed, pressing the power “ON / OFF” key 21 (power OFF) completes the setting of the operation specifications. When the “OFF” key 21 is pressed, the control device 39 reads the set value (display value) stored from the non-volatile memory 47 and reads the required operation specifications from the ROM in the microcomputer 49 accordingly. The required process of the washing machine is controlled with the set operation specifications.

  The process of the washing machine is a process necessary for washing the laundry in the washing machine. There are a washing process, a rinsing process, and a dehydrating process. At first, the operator puts the laundry in the rotating tub 3. The lid 16 is closed, the power “on / off” key 21 of the operation panel 20 is pressed (power on), and then the “start / pause” key 25 is pressed, thereby The operation of measuring the weight is performed. The operation of measuring the amount of laundry is performed by rotating the agitator 4 and detecting the load applied to the motor 7 at that time by the rotation sensor 40.

  When the amount of the laundry is measured as described above, the control device 39 sets the high and low water levels according to the measured weight of the laundry, and then opens the water supply electric valve 44 to open the water tank. Water is supplied into the water tank 2 until the water level sensor 13 detects that the water level in the water tank 2 has reached the set water level (capacity measuring water level). After this water supply, the stirring body 4 is rotated, and the operation of measuring the capacity of the laundry is performed in such a manner that the rotation sensor 40 detects the load applied to the motor 7 at that time.

Thereafter, water supply to the water tank 2 is continued, and the water level sensor 13 detects that the water level in the water tank 2 has reached the higher set water level (washing water level) according to the measured weight of the previous laundry. If this happens, stop water supply and move to the washing process. The washing process is performed by rotating the stirring member 4.
The rinsing process is performed with the same contents as the washing process.
The dehydration process is performed in such a manner that the rotating tank 3 is rotated together with the stirring body 4.

Note that there may be a case where communication between the control device 39 and the nonvolatile memory 47 cannot be performed due to a failure of the nonvolatile memory 47 and the setting value of the operation specification cannot be read. On the other hand, in this configuration, the applied power supply voltage is detected, and the operation specification is set according to the detection result.
In addition, when the set value of the operation specification is not stored in the nonvolatile memory 47 or when a value other than the set value is stored, the applied power supply voltage is similarly detected, and the detection result Set the operation specifications with.

  As described above, in this configuration, when the operator performs a specific operation, one of a plurality of operation specifications different for each power supply voltage of the control device 39 is selected and set. One operation specification suitable for the power supply voltage of the destination is arbitrarily obtained. Therefore, even if the control device 39, particularly its microcomputer 49, is a model that covers a plurality of countries, it is only necessary to prepare one type, and it is not necessary to prepare many types unlike the conventional one. Therefore, it is possible to keep costs low by purchasing large quantities. At the same time, the control device 39 can easily manage the products and parts up to the assembly, and the selection at the time of the assembly can be avoided.

It should be noted that it is not the entire control device 39 that has a single type of operation specifications that differ for each power supply voltage, but only the microcomputer that constitutes the main body thereof.
In addition, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and shown in the drawings, and can be implemented with appropriate modifications within a range not departing from the gist.

The figure showing a part of several operation specifications which differ for every power supply voltage which show one Example of this invention Broken side view of entire washing machine Enlarged plan view of the operation panel Electrical configuration block diagram

Explanation of symbols

  In the drawing, 39 indicates a control device (control means), and 41 indicates an operation circuit (operation input means).

Claims (1)

In what is to wash by driving the stirring body arranged in the inside of the washing tub,
It has a power transformer that changes the power supply voltage to the rated value of the electrical component and applies it to the electrical component, and can be used in multiple destinations with different power supply voltages.
A plurality of stirring body drive modes different for each power supply voltage of the destination, and a control means for controlling a required stroke;
An operation input means for inputting a signal generated by an operator's operation to the control means;
The washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the control means selects and sets one of the agitator driving modes by an input signal generated by a specific operation of an operator.

Images