JP4748973B2 - Washing machine - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a washing machine, and more particularly to a washing machine that detects vibration during dehydration and controls rotation.

  In general, a washing machine includes a cylindrical water tank for storing washing water in a housing, a washing / dehydration tank in which a cylindrical body is rotatably provided inside the water tank, and a plurality of holes are provided in the cylindrical portion. And a motor (drive device) for rotating the washing and dewatering tub. At the time of dehydration, the washing and dewatering tub is rotated at a high rotation speed of 700 rpm or more to remove moisture from the laundry and perform dehydration.

  The water tub that rotatably supports the washing / dehydrating tub receives force in the up / down, front / rear, and left / right directions by the washing / dehydrating operation. In particular, at the time of dehydration to be rotated at a high rotational speed, the laundry sticks to the inner wall of the washing tub, but receives a large centrifugal force when the sticking is biased. A washing machine that vibrates greatly in response to such a force generates a loud noise.

  As a method for suppressing this noise, it is possible to reduce the unevenness of the laundry in the washing and dewatering tub as much as possible. However, there is no reliable means to prevent the laundry from being biased after the laundry is stirred, and the size of the laundry bias becomes a probabilistic problem. Another method for suppressing noise is to reduce the rotational speed during dehydration. However, when the dehydrating speed is lowered, the dehydrating performance is also lowered, and it is necessary to lengthen the time to make up for it, which is not a desirable method.

Therefore, in recent washing machines, for example, as described in Patent Document 1 below, a vibration sensor for detecting horizontal vibration of the water tank is provided, and the rotation speed during dehydration is controlled by the output of the vibration detection sensor. It has been proposed to suppress noise.
Japanese Patent Application No. 2002-322537 (see FIG. 6)

  As shown in FIG. 6 of Patent Document 1, the noise during dehydration and the vibration level of the sensor when a vibration detection sensor for detecting horizontal vibration of the water tank is provided are shown in FIG. The circles in FIG. 19 represent the sensor provided at the lower part of the water tank, and the triangles represent the sensor provided at the upper part of the water tank. For the time being, the noise level tends to increase as the vibration level increases, but neither of them shows a strong correlation. If dehydration control is performed based on this, it is difficult to adjust the noise level as desired.

  This is because the water tank of the washing machine does not vibrate in parallel only in the horizontal direction, but also generates conical vibrations that oscillate as if swinging, and this vibration is also greatly involved in noise. is there.

  Therefore, it is necessary to detect the vibration in the vertical direction of the aquarium, but conventionally, a washing machine has been proposed in which the vibration in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction of the aquarium is detected to control rotation during dehydration. Absent.

  This invention is made in view of such a point, and provides the washing machine which can reduce a noise reliably by detecting the vibration of the water tank which contributes to the noise at the time of dehydration with high precision, and controlling dehydration rotation. Is an issue.

In order to solve the above problems, the invention according to claim 1 of the present invention provides:
A water tank supported in the housing, a washing and dewatering tank rotatably provided in the water tank, a driving device for rotating the washing and dehydrating tank, a water supply device for supplying water to the water tank, and the water tank In a washing machine comprising: a drainage device that discharges water; and a control device that controls the drive device, the water supply device, and the drainage device,
Detect vibrations in at least two directions: a first direction (horizontal direction) orthogonal to the rotation axis of the washing / dehydrating tub and a second direction (vertical direction) parallel to the rotation axis of the washing / dehydrating tub. The vibration detection sensor is configured to be attached to a part of the water tank or a part of the parts attached to the water tank,
It has an input unit that can arbitrarily set the noise level due to the vibration of the water tank,
When the washing / dehydrating tub starts dehydration, the control device is configured to detect the washing in response to a detection output in a first direction of the vibration detection sensor when passing through a primary resonance rotational speed at which a vibration in the parallel mode of the water tub is generated. The rotation of the washing and dewatering tub is controlled by the detection output in the second direction of the vibration detection sensor when passing through the secondary resonance rotation speed in which the vibration of the conical mode of the water tub is generated while controlling the rotation of the cum and dewatering tub To reduce the vibration of the aquarium,
The noise level is determined by the detection output in the first direction and the detection output in the second direction in the vibration detection sensor,
During the dehydration operation of the washing / dehydrating tub, the output of the vibration detection sensor and the rotation speed of the washing / dehydrating tub are detected so that the determined noise level is lower than the noise level set by the input unit. Thus, in the process of increasing the rotational speed , the final dehydrating rotational speed and the dehydrating time are controlled based on the rotational speed and the magnitude of the output of the vibration detection sensor.

The invention according to claim 2 of the present invention is the washing machine according to claim 1,
The control device detects an output of the vibration detection sensor at a rotation speed not exceeding a resonance rotation speed at the time of dehydration activation of the washing and dewatering tub, and resonates according to a magnitude of the output of the vibration detection sensor. The time for rotating the washing and dewatering tub at a rotation speed not exceeding the rotation speed is changed.

The invention according to claim 3 of the present invention is the washing machine according to claim 1,
At the bottom of the washing and dewatering tank, it has a stirring blade that is rotated by the driving device,
The controller detects vibrations of the water tank with the vibration detection sensor from the rotation speed not exceeding the resonance rotation speed to the rotation speed exceeding the resonance rotation speed at the start of dehydration of the washing / dehydration tank, and detects the vibration. When the output of the sensor is larger than a predetermined value, the rotation of the washing and dewatering tub is stopped, and the stirring blade is rotated in that state.

Further, the invention according to claim 4 of the present invention is the washing machine according to claim 1,
The controller detects vibrations of the water tank with the vibration detection sensor from the rotation speed not exceeding the resonance rotation speed to the rotation speed exceeding the resonance rotation speed at the start of dehydration of the washing / dehydration tank, and detects the vibration. When the output of the sensor is greater than a predetermined value, the rotation of the washing and dewatering tub is stopped, water is supplied to the water tub to a predetermined water level by the water supply device, and then dehydration is started again. The remaining water activation that starts the dehydration operation is performed while leaving more water than the amount of remaining water at the time of the first dehydration activation.

Further, the invention according to claim 5 of the present invention is the washing machine according to claim 1,
The vibration detection sensor is structured to be fixed by a screwing type or a fitting type between reinforcing ribs provided outside the water tank.

Further, the invention according to claim 6 of the present invention is the washing machine according to claim 1,
A display unit for displaying the level of the dehydration speed controlled by the set noise level is provided.

The invention according to claim 7 of the present invention is the washing machine according to claim 1,
In a state where the operation is stopped, a display unit is provided which detects the inclination of the water tank by the vibration detection sensor and informs the user of an installation error state of the fuselage.

  In the invention according to claim 1 of the present invention, the vibration detection sensor for detecting vibrations in at least two directions is attached to a part of the water tank or a part of the parts attached to the water tank, and the water tank is The rotation of the washing and dewatering tub is controlled by the detection output in the first direction of the vibration detection sensor when passing through the primary resonance speed at which the vibration of the parallel mode is generated, and the conical mode vibration of the water tub is generated. The rotation of the washing and dewatering tub is controlled by the detection output in the second direction of the vibration detection sensor when passing through the secondary resonance rotation speed, so that the water tank vibration that contributes to noise during dehydration is highly accurate. Since the dehydration rotation can be controlled based on the output, it is possible to prevent excessive noise during dehydration and provide a quiet washing machine. Further, in this washing machine, since vibration in two directions is detected by one vibration detection sensor, it is not necessary to provide two vibration detection sensors, so that the space can be improved.

  Furthermore, in the invention according to claim 2 of the present invention, at the time of dehydration activation of the washing and dewatering tub, the output of the vibration detection sensor is detected at a rotation speed not exceeding the resonance rotation speed, and the magnitude of the output of the vibration detection sensor is detected. Accordingly, by changing the time during which the washing and dewatering tub is rotated at a rotation speed that does not exceed the resonance rotation speed, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of abnormal vibrations that are observed when the resonance rotation speed passes.

  Further, in the invention according to claim 3 of the present invention, when the washing and dewatering tub is started to dehydrate, the vibration detection sensor detects the vibration of the water tub from the rotation speed not exceeding the resonance rotation speed to the rotation speed exceeding the resonance rotation speed. When the output of the vibration detection sensor is larger than a predetermined value, the rotation of the washing and dewatering tub is stopped, and the stirring blade is rotated in that state. Can be suppressed in advance.

  Further, in the invention according to claim 4 of the present invention, when the washing and dewatering tub is started to dehydrate, the vibration detection sensor detects the vibration of the water tub from the rotation speed not exceeding the resonance rotation speed to the rotation speed exceeding the resonance rotation speed. When the output of the vibration detection sensor is larger than a predetermined value, the rotation of the washing and dewatering tub is stopped, water is supplied to the water tub to a predetermined water level by the water supply device, and then dehydration is started again. In addition, by starting up the residual water that starts the dehydration operation while leaving more water than the amount of residual water at the start of the initial dehydration start, the occurrence of abnormal vibrations that can be seen when passing through the resonance speed is suppressed in advance. be able to.

  In the invention according to claim 5 of the present invention, the output of the vibration detection sensor and the rotation speed of the washing / dehydration tank are detected during the dehydration operation of the washing / dehydration tank, and the output magnitude and rotation speed of the vibration detection sensor are detected. Accordingly, by controlling the final dehydration speed and dehydration time, it is possible to prevent excessive noise during dehydration and provide a quiet washing machine.

  Further, in the invention according to claim 6 of the present invention, the vibration detection sensor is configured to be fixed by a screwing type or a fitting type between the reinforcing ribs provided outside the water tank. The sensor can be mounted compactly without protruding greatly from the water tank.

  Furthermore, in the invention according to claim 7 of the present invention, an input unit that can arbitrarily set the noise level due to vibration of the aquarium and a display unit that displays the level of the dehydration speed controlled by the set noise level are provided. Therefore, the user can freely set the noise during dehydration.

  Furthermore, in the invention according to claim 8 of the present invention, the inclination of the water tank is detected by the vibration detection sensor, and the display unit for notifying the user of the installation error state of the machine body is provided, thereby eliminating the installation error of the washing machine. As a result, abnormal vibration during dehydration can be suppressed and a quiet washing machine can be provided.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.
In this embodiment, a configuration in which the present invention is applied to a so-called vertical washing machine is shown. FIG. 1 is a longitudinal side view showing an internal configuration of the washing machine of this embodiment, and FIG. 2 shows an exterior of the washing machine. It is a perspective view.

  The exterior of the washing machine includes an outer frame 1 that is a casing made of a steel plate, a top cover 2 and an operation / display panel 3 that are attached to the outer frame 1. The top cover 2 has a lid 2a that opens and closes the laundry inlet, and a rear storage portion 2b that mainly stores components related to water supply is provided behind the lid 2a.

  Inside the washing machine, the water tank 4 for storing bottomed cylindrical water is elastically suspended and supported by four suspension bars 5 and buffer springs 5a from the four corners of the upper part of the outer frame with the opening facing upward. (Only one is shown in the figure). In the water tub 4, a bottomed cylindrical washing and dewatering tub (hereinafter simply referred to as a washing tub) 6 into which laundry is put is provided rotatably. A number of dewatering holes 6a are formed on the peripheral side surface of the washing tub 6, and a fluid balancer 6b is provided on the upper edge. A stirring blade 7 is rotatably provided at the bottom of the washing tub 6.

  A double rotating shaft 8 is fastened to the center of the bottom wall of the washing tub 6 and the stirring blade 7. The double rotating shaft 8 is sealed in a watertight state at the center of the bottom wall of the water tub 4 and is rotatable. To penetrate. A support plate 9 is attached to the outside of the bottom surface of the water tank 4, and a driving device 10 is fixed to the support plate 9. The double rotating shaft 8 is fastened to the driving device 10. The drive device 10 incorporates a motor as a drive source and a clutch mechanism and a speed reduction mechanism for controlling transmission of rotational driving force from the motor to the double rotating shaft 8, and the washing tub 6 is kept stationary during washing. The agitating blade 7 is rotated forward and reversely, and the double rotating shaft 8 is driven so that the washing tub 6 and the agitating blade 7 are integrally rotated at high speed during dehydration.

  A water supply port 11 is provided behind the top cover 2, and a water supply valve 12 and a detergent case 13 are provided in the rear housing portion 2 b, which are connected to constitute a water supply unit. Washing water is supplied to the water tank 4 by this water supply unit. The amount of water to be supplied is adjusted by detecting the water level by a water level detection sensor 14 provided in the upper part of the washing machine. The water level detection sensor 14 measures the pressure in the air chamber 15 connected to the inside of the water tank at the lower part of the water tank 4 through the tube 16. A drain valve 17 for draining washing water is provided on the bottom surface of the water tank 4, and the washing water is discharged outside the washing machine through a drain hose 18 connected to the drain valve 17.

  A vibration detection sensor 22 for detecting the vibration of the water tank 4 is disposed on the bottom surface of the water tank 4 of such a washing machine. FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the vibration detection sensor 22 attached to the water tank 4. The vibration detection sensor 22 covers the substrate 22b on which the acceleration sensor 22a is mounted, a cable 22c extending from the substrate 22b to the outside of the vibration detection sensor, a case 22d for housing the substrate 22b, and the substrate 22b for waterproofing. It consists of resin 22e. The acceleration sensor 22a is a biaxial acceleration sensor based on MEMS technology, and is a packaged electronic element. The acceleration detection method may be either a piezoresistive method or a capacitance method. In addition, a biaxial acceleration sensor or a triaxial acceleration sensor may be used, and an acceleration of two or more axes can be detected. Further, the acceleration sensor may not be an acceleration sensor particularly made by the MEMS technology.

FIG. 4 shows the structure of the bottom of the water tank 4. As shown in FIG. 4, the bottom of the water tank 4 is not flat, and a plurality of convex ribs 4 a are provided radially and concentrically in order to increase the rigidity of the water tank 4. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the vibration detection sensor 22 is attached so as to be embedded between the ribs 4a. The case 22d of the vibration detection sensor 22 is provided with flanges 22f at both ends, and the flanges 22f are fixed to the tips of the ribs 4a by screws 23.
With this configuration, the vibration detection sensor 22 does not protrude greatly below the bottom surface of the water tank 4 and can be attached without lowering the rigidity of the water tank 4.

  FIG. 5 shows another method for fixing the vibration detection sensor. FIG. 5 shows a cross-sectional view of the vibration detection sensor 22 attached to the water tank 4 in the same manner as in FIG. 3, where the same parts as those in FIG. In this example, the claws 22g are provided at both ends of the case 22d of the vibration detection sensor 22, and the notches 4b are provided on the side surfaces of the rib 4a. With the elastic body 24 such as rubber sandwiched between the case 22 d and the bottom surface of the water tank 4, the claw 22 g is fitted into the notch 4 b to fix the vibration detection sensor 22 to the water tank 4. By comprising in this way, the vibration detection sensor 22 can be fixed to the water tank 4 without using the screw 23 used in FIG. 3, and workability at the time of assembly is improved.

  This vibration detection sensor 22 has a vibration detection function in at least two directions, and in the washing machine of the present embodiment, one of the vibration detection directions (first direction) is a horizontal direction orthogonal to the rotation axis of the water tank 4. Attached to the aquarium 4 with the other (second direction) facing in the vertical direction (thrust direction) parallel to the rotation axis of the aquarium 4. By detecting the vibration in the horizontal direction by the vibration detection sensor 22, it is possible to detect the vibration in the parallel mode by the horizontal vibration as shown in FIG. 7A and to detect the vibration in the vertical direction. As shown in FIG. 7B, it is possible to detect the vibration in the conical mode that swings so as to swing around. Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the vibration detection sensor 22 is mounted on the bottom surface of the water tank 4 so as to be disposed outside the half of the bottom surface radius and close to the outer periphery. Thereby, the vibration detection sensor 22 can largely detect the vibration in the conical mode, and the detection accuracy can be improved.

  FIG. 6 shows another example of the attachment position of the vibration detection sensor. In this example, a vibration detection sensor 22 is arranged on the peripheral side surface portion of the water tank 4. As shown in FIG. 6, a plurality of ribs 4 d for increasing the rigidity of this portion are provided on the peripheral side surface portion of the water tank 4 continuously to the support portion 4 c that receives the buffer spring 5 a at the lower end portion of the suspension bar 5. The vibration detection sensor 22 is attached by the above-described screwing type or fitting type so as to be embedded between the ribs 4d.

  As described above, in the configuration in which the vibration detection sensor 22 is arranged on the peripheral side surface portion of the water tank 4, the vibration in the conical mode can be detected with higher accuracy. Further, since the vibration detection sensor 22 is disposed so as to be embedded between the ribs 4d, there is no possibility of erroneous detection due to contact with the suspension bar 5.

  Furthermore, the vibration detection sensor 22 can be attached to any position on the surface of the water tank 4 without being limited to the attachment position. The vibration detection sensor 22 may be directly attached to the water tank 4 or indirectly attached to a component attached to the water tank 4.

In this washing machine, vibrations in the two directions of the water tank 4 are detected by the vibration detection sensor 22 as described above, and control during dehydration is performed based on the output.
FIG. 8 shows a schematic configuration of a control system in the washing machine of this embodiment. Here, the control device 25 includes a microprocessor 26 and a load drive circuit 27. When the power is turned on, the microprocessor 26 is activated to execute the control processing program, thereby operating the load drive circuit 26 and the operation / control program.
The display panel 3 is controlled. The microprocessor 26 is connected to the input unit of the operation / display panel 3, the vibration detection sensor 22, the water level detection sensor 14, and the rotation detection sensor 28 for detecting the rotation of the washing tub, and inputs signals from these, and the load drive circuit 27 is connected to the drive device 10, the water supply valve 12, and the drain valve 17 to control these operations. The control device 25 is mounted in a predetermined waterproof space in the top cover 2 of the washing machine.

  Details of the dehydration control by this control device will be described below. FIG. 9 is a characteristic diagram showing a rising pattern of the rotation speed of the washing tub during dehydration, FIGS. 10 to 15 are flow charts of the dehydration control program, FIG. 10 is a flow chart in the initial dehydration process, and FIG. FIG. 12 is a flowchart at the time of passing through the secondary resonance rotational speed, FIG. 13 is a flowchart at the return cycle, FIG. 14 is a flowchart of dehydration control at a high rotational speed range, and FIG. 15 is a flowchart at a high rotational speed range. The other example of the flowchart of dehydration control is shown.

At the start of dehydration in the washing machine, as shown in FIG. 10, when dehydration is started (step 101), the drain valve is first opened (step 102), and the washing water in the water tank 4 is drained. At this time, and detecting the water level by the water level sensor 14, when detecting that drained to the predetermined water level L ₁ (step 103), starts the washing tub 6 is rotated (step 104). In this case, it is rotated quickly the washing tub when detecting the water level L _1, may be rotated from by after a few seconds. In addition, when rotating, the washing water may or may not be completely removed from the water tank.
Thereafter, the rotational speed is increased stepwise without increasing the rotational speed to a high-speed dehydration speed.

As a first step, the primary resonance speed is passed. As shown in FIG. 9, the laundry tub is rotated at a rotational speed of about 40 rpm for several seconds and then raised to about 120 rpm. At this time, a primary resonance in which a large vibration in a parallel mode as shown in FIG. If the vibration of the water tank 4 is excessive, abnormal vibrations may occur in which the water tank 4 and the outer frame 1 repeatedly collide and the installation position of the washing machine is shifted. For this reason, it is desirable to operate the system so as not to increase the primary resonance as much as possible. As shown in FIG. 11, when the rotation speed of the washing tub is set to 40 rpm (step 105), the vibration detection sensor 22 causes the horizontal vibration V _H. Is detected and determined (step 106), and the subsequent operation is changed.

First, when less than the threshold V ₁ there is a horizontal direction of the vibration V _H sets the rotation time t1 in a short time of about 5 seconds (step 107a). After the set rotation time t has elapsed (step 108a), the rotational speed is increased toward 120 rpm (step 109a). Also at this time, the vibration V _{H in the} horizontal direction is detected by the vibration detection sensor 22 and a determination is made (step 110a). As a result, when greater than the threshold value V ₂ with the horizontal direction of the vibration V _H determines when gradually increasing the rotation speed in this state and the abnormal vibration occurs, reduce the rotational speed (step 112a). Thereby, it can prevent beforehand that the vibration of the water tank 4 becomes excessive. If the operation pattern for preventing the abnormal vibration at the time of the primary resonance is the first time, the rotation speed is returned to 40 rpm and the primary resonance is passed again (step 113a). However, if this operation pattern is the second and subsequent times, it is assumed that the weight deviation in the washing tub 6 is not improved, and the operation shifts to a deviation correction operation called a return cycle (step 161). This return cycle will be described later. In addition, the first cycle may be started immediately without returning to 40 rpm.

On the other hand, the horizontal direction of the vibration V when _H is greater than the threshold value V ₁ which is in the 40rpm at step 106, since this state even by increasing the rotational speed is abnormal vibration at the time of passage of the primary resonant rotation speed is likely to occur, 1 Water is removed from the laundry at the number of rotations before the next resonance occurs. Therefore, the rotation time t1 at 40 rpm is set to about 20 seconds which is longer than the previous case (step 107b), and the rotation time is lengthened so as to remove moisture from the laundry as much as possible. Then, after the set rotation time t has elapsed (step 108b), the rotation speed is increased toward 120 rpm (step 109b). Also at this time, the vibration V _{H in the} horizontal direction is detected by the vibration detection sensor 22 and a determination is made (step 110b). As a result, when the horizontal vibration V _H is larger than a certain threshold value V _2, it is determined that the vibration is excessive and abnormal vibration occurs, and the process proceeds to a return cycle for performing the bias correcting operation (step 161).

In either case, when the vibration _{V H} in the horizontal direction is smaller than the predetermined threshold value _{V 2} increases the rotational speed to 120 rpm (Step 111a, 111b).

Subsequently, in the second stage, the secondary resonance rotational speed is passed. Following the first stage, as shown in FIG. 9 and FIG. 12, the rotation speed of the washing tub is increased (step 114), and after rotating at 200 rpm for a few seconds, it is further increased to 350 rpm. At this time, a secondary resonance in which conical mode vibration greatly appears as shown in FIG. Even in this secondary resonance, when the vibration of the water tank 4 is excessive, the water tank 4 and the outer frame 1 may repeatedly collide, resulting in an abnormal vibration that causes the installation position of the washing machine to shift. Therefore, it is desired to operate so as not to increase the secondary resonance as much as possible. When the rotation speed of the washing tub is set to 200 rpm as shown in FIG. 12 (step 115), the vibration detection sensor 22 causes the vibration V _{V in the} vertical direction to be increased. Detection and determination are made (step 116), and the subsequent operation is changed.

First, when less than the threshold V ₃ there are vertical vibration V _V sets the rotation time t2 in a short time of about 5 seconds (step 117a). After the set rotation time t has elapsed (step 118a), the rotational speed is increased toward 350 rpm (step 119a). In this case also detect vibrations V _V in the vertical direction by the vibration detection sensor 22 performs the determination (step 120a). As a result, if the vertical vibration V _V is greater than a certain threshold value V _4, it is determined that abnormal vibration will occur if the rotational speed is increased as it is, and the rotational speed is decreased (step 122a). Thereby, it can prevent beforehand that the vibration of the water tank 4 becomes excessive. When the operation pattern for preventing the abnormal vibration at the time of the secondary resonance is the first time, the rotational speed is returned to 200 rpm and the secondary resonance is passed again (step 123a). However, if this operation pattern is the second and subsequent times, it is assumed that the weight deviation in the washing tub 6 is not improved, and the operation shifts to a deviation correction operation called a return cycle (step 161). Also, the first cycle may be shifted to the return cycle immediately without returning to 200 rpm.

On the other hand, when the vertical vibration V _V at 200 rpm in step 116 is larger than a certain threshold value V _3, it is considered that abnormal vibration occurs when the secondary resonance speed passes even if the rotation speed is increased as it is. Water is removed from the laundry at the rotation speed before the next resonance. For this reason, the rotation time t2 at 200 rpm is set to 20 seconds, which is longer than the previous case (step 117b), so that moisture is removed from the laundry as much as possible. Then, after the set rotation time t has elapsed (step 118b), the rotational speed is increased toward 350 rpm (step 119b). The vibration detection sensor 22 at this time detects the horizontal vibrating V _V, performs the determination (step 120b). As a result, when the vertical vibration V _V is larger than a certain threshold value V _4, it is determined that the vibration is excessive and abnormal vibration has occurred, and the process proceeds to a return cycle for performing the bias correcting operation (step 161).

In either case, if the vertical vibration V _V is smaller than the predetermined threshold V ₄ when the secondary resonance rotational speed passes, the rotational speed is increased to 350 rpm (steps 121a and 121b).

Here, the return cycle will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 13 shows a flow in the case where excessive vibration occurs during the passage of the primary resonance rotation speed and the passage of the secondary resonance rotation speed described above, and unavoidably shifts to the return cycle.
When the return cycle is entered (step 161), first, the rotation of the washing tub 6 is stopped (step 162), the drain valve 17 is closed (step 163), the water supply valve 12 is opened (step 164), and water is poured into the water tub 4. Save up. At this time detects the water level by the water level detecting sensor 14, reaches the predetermined water level L ₂ (step 165) to close the water supply valve 12 (step 166). The water level is raised to the laundry in water soak, and higher than the water level L ₁ initiating the rotation of the washing tub 6 during dehydration started.

After supplying water to a predetermined water level, the stirring blade 7 starts to rotate forward and reverse (step 167). At this time, by rotating so as to change the inversion cycle, the uneven laundry is loosened and arranged evenly. When the predetermined time T _R min has elapsed (step 168), stopping the rotation of the stirring blades 7 (step 169), open the drain valve 12 (step 170), starts draining.

This also detect the water level in the water level detection sensor 14 when, upon detecting that drained to the predetermined water level L ₃ (step 171), starts the rotation of the washing tub 6. Water level L ₃ at this time, dewatering rotation of the washing tub 6 and higher than the water level L ₁ starting at startup to perform the passing of the resonance rotational speed leaving the water in the water tank 4. If there is water in the water tank 4, the weight of the water tank 4 increases and it becomes difficult to vibrate.
Further, the stirring blade 7 may be simply rotated without supplying water from steps 164 to 166 in the flow of the return cycle of FIG. By doing so, the amount of water used can be reduced and the time for water supply and drainage can be saved.

  Subsequently, in the third stage, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 14, the number of rotations is further increased (step 124), and is increased to a high-speed rotation region at 700 to 900 rpm. In this region, since the washing tub 4 rotates at a high speed, noise is a problem. If the number of rotations is high, the noise increases, and if the weight in the washing tub 4 is uneven, the noise further increases. Since the bias of the laundry in the washing tub 4 cannot be corrected at this time, it is effective to reduce the rotational speed in order to reduce noise. However, if the number of revolutions is lowered, the dewatering performance also decreases, and in order to compensate for this, it is necessary to lengthen the dewatering time. However, even if the dehydration time is long, the user feels uncomfortable. Therefore, the number of rotations is adjusted according to vibration and noise to aim for low noise and short time dehydration.

Therefore, the dehydration rotational speed is adjusted by a flow as shown in FIG.
FIG. 16 shows the relationship between the vibration in the vertical direction of the vibration detection sensor 22 and the noise. This figure is a plot of the relationship between vibration and noise in various unbalanced states (weight / position of weight). From this figure, under most conditions, there is a correlation between noise and vertical vibration. That is, noise can be predicted from the vertical vibration of the vibration detection sensor 22. However, unlike the other points, the two points surrounded by A in FIG. 16 are not on one line. At these two points, although the vertical vibration is small, the noise is large. The movement of the water tank 4 at these two points is when the conical mode as shown in FIG. 7B is very small and the movement in the parallel mode as shown in FIG. 7A is large. For such a movement of the water tank 4, vertical vibrations can hardly be detected, but horizontal vibrations can be detected largely, and it is desirable to detect the horizontal vibrations to predict noise. That is, by detecting not only vertical vibrations but also horizontal vibrations, noise prediction becomes more accurate. Therefore, the vibration detection sensor 22 that can detect vibrations in two directions detects vibrations in the vertical direction and vibrations in the horizontal direction, predicts noise, and adjusts the rotation speed based on the predicted noise.

In the flowchart of FIG. 14, the rotation speed of the washing tub is increased after passing through the secondary resonance (step 124), and is increased to 700 rpm (step 125). Since satisfactory dewatering performance cannot be obtained unless the rotational speed is increased to at least about 700 rpm, the minimum rotational speed of dehydration is set to 700 rpm. At 700 rpm, the vibration detection sensor 22 detects the horizontal vibration V _H and the vertical vibration V _V of the water tank 4, and makes a determination based on the result f (V _H , V _V ) calculated from these values ( Step 126), the subsequent operation is changed.

If the calculated result f (V _H , V _V ) is larger than the predetermined threshold value S ₁ , it is determined that it is larger than the predetermined noise, and is rotated at 700 rpm (step 133). In the case of 700 rpm, the dewatering ability is not high, and the dewatering effect must be improved by extending the time accordingly, so the dewatering time Ts for securing the dewatering effect at 700 rpm is about 9 minutes (here 9 minutes) However, the main purpose is longer than the dehydration time at 800 rpm and 900 rpm).

Here, a method for calculating the noise level from the vertical vibration V _V and the horizontal vibration V _H will be described. First, to calculate the noise level for a strong line on correlation of FIG. 16 from the magnitude of vertical vibration V _V. Next, whether or not the value is appropriate is confirmed by the horizontal vibration V _H. When the horizontal vibration V _H is smaller than a predetermined value, the previous value is used as it is, assuming that the previously calculated value is appropriate. Further, when the horizontal vibration V _H is larger than a predetermined value, it is determined that the horizontal vibration is large and the previous value alone is not correct, and a value corresponding to the magnitude of the horizontal vibration is determined first. Add to the value of. In this way, f (V _H , V _V ) is obtained.

When the calculation result f (V _H , V _V ) is smaller than the predetermined threshold value S ₁ , the rotation speed of the washing tub is further increased (step 127) and increased to 800 rpm (step 129). Also in this section, the vibration detection sensor 22 detects the vertical vibration V _V and the horizontal vibration V _H of the water tank 4, and makes a determination based on the result f (V _H , V _V ) calculated from these values ( Step 128), the subsequent operation is changed.

The calculated result f _(V H, _{V V)} when is larger than a predetermined threshold value _{S 2} judges that greater than a predetermined noise is rotated at 700 rpm (step 133). As described above, the dehydration time at 700 rpm is set to about 9 minutes.

Further, the calculation result f _(V H, _{V V)} in the section up to 800rpm when a predetermined threshold value _{S 2} is smaller than further increases the rotational speed (step 130) is raised to 900 rpm (step 132). Also in this section, the vibration detection sensor 22 detects the vertical vibration V _V and the horizontal vibration V _H of the water tank 4, and makes a determination based on the result f (V _H , V _V ) calculated from these values ( Step 131), the subsequent operation is changed.

If the calculated result f (V _H , V _V ) is larger than the predetermined threshold value S ₃ , it is determined that it is larger than the predetermined noise, and is rotated at 800 rpm (step 134). The dehydration time Ts for securing the predetermined dehydration effect at 800 rpm is set to about 7 minutes (here, about 7 minutes, but the main purpose is to make the dehydration time shorter than 700 rpm and longer than 900 rpm). is there).

The detection result of the vibration detection sensor 22 in the interval of up to 900rpm is when a predetermined threshold _{S 3} is smaller than, performing dehydration as it 900rpm (step 135). The dehydration time Ts for securing the predetermined dehydration effect at 900 rpm is about 6 minutes (here, about 6 minutes, but the main purpose is to make it shorter than the dehydration times of 700 rpm and 800 rpm).

  In this way, the rotation speed and the dehydration time are set, and when the dehydration elapsed time t reaches the necessary rotation time Ts (step 136), the rotation speed is decreased (step 137), and finally the motor of the drive device is stopped. (Step 138) and the dehydration is completed (Step 139).

As in this embodiment, the dewatering rotation speed may be controlled in three stages of 700, 800, and 900 rpm, but it may be controlled to a larger number of dewatering rotation speeds, and may be controlled steplessly. Good. FIG. 15 shows a flow in the case where the rotational speed is controlled steplessly in the high rotational speed region.
In this case, the same process as in the previous embodiment is performed until the high rotation region is reached, and the rotation speed of the washing tub is increased (step 141), and is increased to 700 rpm, which is the minimum rotation speed of dehydration (step 142). Thereafter, the current noise value is estimated from the horizontal vibration V _H detected by the vibration detection sensor 22, the vertical vibration V _V and the current rotation speed detected by the rotation detection sensor 28, and the value f ( V _{H, V V,} makes a determination of the rotational speed) is compared with a predetermined threshold value _{S 4} (step 143), to control the rotational speed. As mentioned earlier, if the noise value is measured in advance for the rotational speed, vertical vibration, and horizontal vibration magnitude, the noise value is related to the horizontal vibration, vertical vibration, and rotational speed. It can be approximately estimated from the equation or the conditional equation f (V _H , V _V , rotation speed).

In case the noise value estimated from this equation is a predetermined threshold value _{S 4} is smaller than if the rotational speed is 900rpm or less (step 144a), increases the rotational speed (step 145a). If the rotation speed is 900 rpm, the rotation speed is not increased any more, so 900 rpm is maintained.
In the case the noise value estimated is larger than a predetermined threshold value _{S 4,} if the rotational speed is 700rpm or more (step 144b), reducing the rotational speed (step 145b). If the rotational speed is 700 rpm, the rotational speed is not lowered below this, and 700 rpm is maintained.
By controlling the rotation speed in this way, the dehydration operation is performed at a stepless rotation speed so that the set noise value is obtained.

In order to obtain a predetermined dehydration effect, a dehydration time corresponding to the number of revolutions is required. However, since the number of revolutions changes every moment, the dehydration time cannot be determined as in the previous example. Therefore, the necessary dehydration time T _S is calculated based on the average of the dehydration rotation speed and the required dehydration effect (step 146). When the elapsed time t of dehydration reaches this requires dewatering time T _S (step 147), the rotational speed is lowered (step 148), stops the motor of the last drive (step 149) and terminates the dehydration (step 150).
In this way, by using the biaxial vibration detection sensor, it is possible to control the rotational speed in accordance with vibration and noise, and to realize dehydration in a short time with low noise.

Here, the threshold value that determines the dehydration operation will be described. The threshold values are V ₁ and V ₂ when the primary resonance speed is passed, V ₃ and V ₄ when the secondary resonance speed is passed, and S ₁ and S ₂ and S ₃ and S _{4 in the} high speed range. Can be mentioned. If these threshold values are changed, the noise and dehydration time during the dehydration operation can also be changed.

  In order to enable the user to set these as desired, the washing machine of the present embodiment has an input unit that can instruct a threshold value on the operation / display panel 3. FIG. 17 shows the operation / display panel 3 provided in the upper part of the washing machine. The operation / display panel 3 includes a power button 31, a start button 32, a course selection unit 33, a manual selection unit 34, and a remaining time display unit 35. The course selection unit 33 includes at least a standard course selection button 33a, a silent course selection button 33b, and a short-time course button 33c. The manual selection unit 34 includes a washing time selection button 36a and a washing time display unit 36b, a rinse number selection button 37a and a rinse number display unit 37b, a dehydration force selection button 38a, and a dehydration force display unit 38b including a plurality of LEDs. And a silent display part 38d composed of a silent selection button 38c and a plurality of LEDs, a speed display part 38e composed of a plurality of LEDs, a water quantity selection button 39a and a water quantity display part 39b.

  For washing by course selection, press the power button 31 to turn on the washing machine, press any of the standard course selection button 33a, the silent button 33b, or the short time button 33c, and then press the start button 32 to start washing. To do. Here, when washing is performed by pressing the silent button 33b, all threshold values or some threshold values are lowered as compared with the threshold values for the standard course. By doing so, it becomes difficult to raise to a high rotation speed of 800 and 900 rpm even with the same vibration by the control as described above, and noise reduction can be realized. In addition, when the short time button 33c is pressed, all or some of the threshold values are raised compared to the threshold values for the standard course. By doing so, it becomes easy to increase to a high rotational speed of 800 and 900 rpm even with the same vibration by the control as described above, and the dehydration time can be shortened.

  On the other hand, at the time of washing by manual selection, each time the dehydration power button 38a is pressed, the number of LEDs that the dehydration power display section 38b is turned on increases or decreases, and the dehydration effect desired by the user can be selected. When the dehydrating power is set to the “strong” side, the dehydrating time is set to be as long as possible so that water is removed from the laundry as much as possible. Further, each time the silent button 38c is pressed, the number of LEDs that are turned on in the silent display portion 38d is increased or decreased, and the silent performance desired by the user can be selected. When the quiet sound is set to the “static” side, all or some of the threshold values are lowered as compared with the threshold value for the “standard” side. By doing so, it becomes difficult to increase to a high rotational speed of 800 and 900 rpm even with the same vibration by the control as described above, and noise reduction can be realized.

  The result of the dehydration control using the biaxial vibration detection sensor 22 is reflected on the speed display unit 38e. When the spin speed is 900 rpm, the “high” side is lit, and when the spin speed is low, such as 700 rpm, the “low” side is lit so that the user can see the dehydration. Further, the required dehydration time is calculated from the number of revolutions, and the result is displayed on the remaining time display unit 35.

  As described above, in the washing machine according to the present embodiment, the vibration detection sensor 22 equipped with the biaxial acceleration sensor is attached to the water tank 4 to detect the parallel mode and conical mode vibrations of the water tank 4 during dehydration with high accuracy. Will be able to. From these vibration detection results, it is possible to prevent abnormal vibrations when the primary resonance rotation speed passes and when the secondary resonance rotation speed passes. In addition, noise can be predicted by detecting vibrations in the parallel mode and the conical mode in the high-speed rotation speed range, and the rotation speed is controlled based on the predicted noise to achieve quiet dehydration and short rotation. Time dehydration can be realized.

  Further, in this washing machine, when the vibration detection sensor 22 by the acceleration sensor 12a made by the biaxial MEMS technology is fixed to the water tank 4, even if the water tank 4 is not moving, depending on the direction of the gravitational acceleration acting on the acceleration sensor 22a. The inclination of the water tank 4 can be detected. Therefore, in this washing machine, the inclination of the water tub 4 is detected by the vibration detection sensor 22 so that the user can be notified of an installation error of the washing machine.

  Here, the installation error of the washing machine indicates that the washing machine is installed in an inclined state. If the washing machine is installed normally, the water tank 4 is evenly suspended from the four corners of the outer frame 1 by the suspension rods 5 and is located in the middle of the outer frame 1. However, when installed in an inclined state, the water tank 4 is not evenly suspended from the outer frame 1 and is biased to the lower side. If the water tank 4 is biased, the gap between the water tank 4 and the outer frame 1 becomes narrow, and if the water tank 4 vibrates during washing and dehydration in that state, the water tank 4 easily collides with the outer frame 1. That is, abnormal vibration is likely to occur.

  Therefore, the state in which the washing machine is installed in a tilted state is detected, and the user is informed so that the washing machine is installed correctly. Therefore, in this washing machine, as shown in FIG. 17, an LED display unit 40 indicating whether or not the washing machine is correctly installed is provided on the operation / display panel 3. When not correctly installed, the LED display unit 40 is caused to blink by an output from the vibration detection sensor 22 to notify the user of an installation error. By notifying such an installation error, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of abnormal vibration of the washing machine and provide a quiet washing machine.

In the above embodiment, the case where the present invention is applied to a so-called vertical washing machine has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to a vertical washing machine but can be applied to a drum-type washing machine.
An example of this drum type washing machine is shown in FIG. FIG. 18 is a longitudinal side view showing the internal configuration of the drum type washing machine to which the present invention is applied.

  This drum-type washing machine has a lid 2a for opening and closing a laundry inlet on the front surface of the outer frame 1, and a bottomed cylindrical water tank 4 provided in the outer frame 1 is 10 to 30 degrees upward from the horizontal. In the state inclined at an angle, the opening side is set to face the lid 2a. The inlet of the outer frame 1 and the opening of the water tank 4 are connected by a bellows-like rubber bellows 19 so that the laundry does not fall into the outer frame 1 when the laundry is taken in and out.

  Inside the water tub 4, a bottomed cylindrical washing tub 6 having a plurality of holes and opened at one end is rotatably provided. The washing tub 6 has a rotating shaft 8 fastened to the center of the bottom wall, and the rotating shaft 8 seals the center of the bottom wall of the water tub 4 in a water-tight state and penetrates in a rotatable state. A support plate 9 is attached to the outside of the bottom surface of the water tank 4, and a driving device 10 incorporating a motor is fixed to the support plate 9. The rotating shaft 8 of the washing tub 6 is fastened to the driving device 10.

  The water tub 4 to which the washing tub 6 and the driving device 10 are attached hangs freely from the ceiling of the outer frame 1 via a suspension spring 20 and is supported by a damper 21 from the bottom of the outer frame 1 to suppress vibration. So that it is elastically supported.

  A water supply port 11, a water supply valve 12, and a detergent case 13 are provided at the upper part of the outer frame 1, and these are connected to form a water supply unit. Supply. Further, a drain valve 17 for draining the washing water is provided at the lower part of the water tank 4, and the washing water is discharged out of the washing machine through a drain hose 18 connected to the drain valve 17.

  And the vibration detection sensor 22 which detects the vibration of this parallel direction and the conical mode of this water tank 4 is attached to the water tank 4 of the drum type washing machine comprised in this way. The mounting position of the vibration detection sensor 22 can be selected not only on the bottom surface of the water tank 4 shown in FIG.

  Also in this drum type washing machine, by executing a dehydration control program similar to that shown in FIGS. 10 to 15 based on the output of the vibration detection sensor 22, it is possible to prevent excessive noise during dehydration and quietly. (However, since this drum type washing machine does not have the stirring blade provided in the above-described vertical washing machine, it is related to the stirring blade in the return cycle step of FIG. 13. The action is omitted).

  In the embodiment of FIG. 18 described above, the configuration in which the present invention is applied to the inclined drum type washing machine in which the water tub and the washing tub are arranged obliquely is shown. Needless to say, the horizontal drum type washing machine arranged can be similarly implemented.

It is a vertical side view which shows the internal structure of the vertical washing machine of the Example of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the exterior of the washing machine of an Example. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of the vibration detection sensor attached to the washing machine of an Example. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the bottom face of the water tank in the washing machine of an Example. It is sectional drawing which shows the attachment structure of another form of a vibration detection sensor. It is sectional drawing which shows the attachment position of another form of a vibration detection sensor. It is explanatory drawing of the vibration mode of a water tank. It is a block diagram of the control system in the washing machine of an Example. It is a characteristic view which shows the raise pattern of the rotation speed of the washing tub at the time of spin-drying | dehydration. It is a flowchart which shows the control in a spin-drying | dehydration initial process. It is a flowchart which shows the control at the time of primary resonant rotation speed passage. It is a flowchart which shows the control at the time of secondary resonant rotation speed passage. It is a flowchart which shows the control in a return cycle. It is a flowchart which shows the control in a high rotation speed area. It is a flowchart which shows another example of control in a high rotation speed area. It is explanatory drawing of the relationship between the vibration detection sensor output level of a vertical direction, and a noise level. It is a top view which shows the structure of the operation display panel in the washing machine of an Example. It is a vertical side view which shows the internal structure of the Example in a drum type washing machine. It is explanatory drawing of the relationship between the vibration level of a horizontal direction, and a noise level.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Outer frame (housing | casing), 3 ... Operation and display panel, 4 ... Water tank, 4a ... Rib, 6 ... Washing and dehydration tank, 7 ... Stirrer blade, 8 ... Rotating shaft, 10 ... Drive device, 12 ... Water supply valve (Water supply device), 17 ... Drain valve (drainage device), 22 ... Vibration detection sensor, 25 ... Control device, 26 ... Microprocessor

Claims (7)

A water tank supported in the housing, a washing and dewatering tank rotatably provided in the water tank, a driving device for rotating the washing and dehydrating tank, a water supply device for supplying water to the water tank, and the water tank In a washing machine comprising: a drainage device that discharges water; and a control device that controls the drive device, the water supply device, and the drainage device,
A vibration detection sensor that detects vibrations in at least two directions of a first direction orthogonal to the rotation axis of the washing / dehydrating tub and a second direction parallel to the rotation axis of the washing / dehydrating tub, It is configured to be attached to a part or part of the part attached to the water tank,
It has an input unit that can arbitrarily set the noise level due to the vibration of the water tank,
When the washing / dehydrating tub starts dehydration, the control device is configured to detect the washing in response to a detection output in a first direction of the vibration detection sensor when passing through a primary resonance rotational speed at which a vibration in the parallel mode of the water tub is generated. The rotation of the washing and dewatering tub is controlled by the detection output in the second direction of the vibration detection sensor when passing through the secondary resonance rotation speed in which the vibration of the conical mode of the water tub is generated while controlling the rotation of the cum and dewatering tub To reduce the vibration of the aquarium,
The noise level is determined by the detection output in the first direction and the detection output in the second direction in the vibration detection sensor ,
During the dehydration operation of the washing / dehydrating tub, the output of the vibration detection sensor and the rotation speed of the washing / dehydrating tub are detected so that the determined noise level is lower than the noise level set by the input unit. Thus, in the process of increasing the rotational speed , the final dehydrating rotational speed and the dehydrating time are controlled based on the rotational speed and the magnitude of the output of the vibration detection sensor. The washing machine according to claim 1,
The control device detects an output of the vibration detection sensor at a rotation speed not exceeding a resonance rotation speed at the time of dehydration activation of the washing and dewatering tub, and resonates according to a magnitude of the output of the vibration detection sensor. A washing machine characterized in that the time for rotating the washing and dewatering tub is changed at a rotation speed not exceeding the rotation speed. The washing machine according to claim 1,
At the bottom of the washing and dewatering tank, it has a stirring blade that is rotated by the driving device,
The controller detects vibrations of the water tank with the vibration detection sensor from the rotation speed not exceeding the resonance rotation speed to the rotation speed exceeding the resonance rotation speed at the start of dehydration of the washing / dehydration tank, and detects the vibration. When the output of the sensor is greater than a predetermined value, the washing and dewatering tub is stopped from rotating, and the stirring blade is rotated in that state. The washing machine according to claim 1,
The controller detects vibrations of the water tank with the vibration detection sensor from the rotation speed not exceeding the resonance rotation speed to the rotation speed exceeding the resonance rotation speed at the start of dehydration of the washing / dehydration tank, and detects the vibration. When the output of the sensor is greater than a predetermined value, the rotation of the washing and dewatering tub is stopped, water is supplied to the water tub to a predetermined water level by the water supply device, and then dehydration is started again. The washing machine is characterized in that the residual water activation is started to start the dehydration operation while leaving more water than the amount of residual water at the first dehydration activation. The washing machine according to claim 1,
The washing machine is characterized in that the vibration detection sensor is structured to be fixed by screwing or fitting between reinforcing ribs provided outside the water tank. The washing machine according to claim 1,
A washing machine comprising a display unit for displaying a dehydration speed level controlled by a set noise level. The washing machine according to claim 1,
A washing machine comprising a display unit that detects an inclination of the water tank by the vibration detection sensor in a state where the operation is stopped, and informs a user of an installation error state of the machine body.

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