JP4858557B2 - Washing machine - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a drum-type washing machine or a washing and drying machine that includes a drum that is rotatable in an elastically supported receptacle and performs washing, rinsing, dehydration or drying of laundry in the drum.

Conventionally, measuring and estimating drum behavior during washing operation, such as unbalance detection control during dehydration and laundry movement amount detection control during washing, and laundry behavior in the drum, to improve the washing situation appropriately For this purpose, the rotation speed of the drum is changed. For example, in Patent Document 1, a semiconductor acceleration sensor is attached to a drum receptacle, and the behavior of the laundry is estimated from the change amount of the acceleration sensor output and the change amount of the torque current component of the motor as shown in FIG. Thus, control means for changing the number of rotations of a motor for rotating the drum has been proposed.
JP 2006-346270 A

  However, in the configuration of such a conventional washing machine, there is a problem that it is difficult to properly control the number of revolutions of the drum in order to grasp the behavior of the laundry and perform washing with excellent washing characteristics. did.

  That is, 1) There are various types of vibration applied to the receiving cylinder, and it is difficult to accurately grasp the behavior of clothing with a simple change amount of the acceleration output value. For example, it is assumed that vibration due to the motor itself or vibration of the casing is applied to the receiving tube. Furthermore, the vibration of the receiving tube varies depending on the quantity, weight, and quality of clothing, and it is difficult to accurately grasp the behavior of the laundry with a simple change in output value.

  The same applies to 2) grasping the behavior of the laundry with the current value indicating the torque component of the motor. For example, if the amount of water during washing is large and the clothing is lightweight, such as synthetic fibers, the baffle is provided in the drum. There is a case where no correlation is observed between the amount of movement of the clothes and the motor torque.

  The present invention solves the above-described problem, and includes a vibration detection unit that detects vibration of a receiving cylinder including a rotatable drum, and a frequency component calculation unit that calculates a frequency component with respect to the vibration detected by the vibration detection unit. The movement of the laundry in the drum is mainly scoured by controlling the number of rotations of the motor so that the sum of the vibration spectrum values in a predetermined frequency range is large. It is possible to make a washing machine with excellent cleaning performance.

  In order to solve the above-described conventional problems, the washing machine of the present invention is a vibration of the receiving cylinder derived from the movement of the laundry that moves with the rotation of the drum detected by a sensor (vibration detecting unit) attached to the receiving cylinder. On the other hand, a frequency component calculation unit for calculating frequency components (frequency and vibration spectrum thereof) is provided so that the sum of vibration spectrum values in a predetermined frequency region increases when the drum rotation speed is changed. The number of revolutions of a simple drum was selected as the next number of revolutions, and the drum was constantly changed so that the sum of the vibration spectra was increased. This promotes scouring, which is a factor that increases the sum of the vibration spectra, and the laundry in the drum performs a rotational motion mainly for scouring, thereby improving the cleaning performance.

  Specifically, the sum of vibration spectra at a frequency corresponding to a rotation speed equal to or higher than the rotation speed of the set drum or the sum of vibration spectra at a frequency corresponding to a rotation speed twice to four times the rotation speed of the drum is calculated. After that, the drum rotation speed is changed, the sum of the frequency components calculated from the vibration of the receiving cylinder at the changed drum rotation speed is calculated, the two are compared, and the operation is continued at the larger drum rotation speed. As a washing machine to go.

  According to the present invention, when the drum rotational speed is changed, the sum of vibration spectra in a specific frequency region before and after the change is compared, and the drum rotational speed is set so that the sum is increased. By changing so that the sum of the spectrum becomes larger, it is a factor that enlarges the vibration spectrum of the specific region, which is mainly scouring by dropping the laundry in the drum by the baffle and dropping it from above the drum, It is possible to provide a washing machine having excellent cleaning performance by reducing the rolling only at the bottom and the sticking state on the drum wall surface.

  The first invention includes a drum that accommodates and rotates laundry, elastic suspension means that accommodates the drum and is supported on the upper surface of the housing, and a receiving cylinder that is supported from below by an anti-vibration damper, A motor that rotates the drum, a vibration detector that is attached in close contact with the receiving cylinder and detects the vibration of the receiving cylinder, and a frequency component calculating section that calculates a frequency component for the vibration detected by the vibration detecting section; A rotation speed control unit that changes the rotation speed of the motor according to a calculation value from the frequency component calculation unit, and a predetermined drum rotation speed obtained by the frequency component calculation unit from vibration caused by rotation of the predetermined drum. After calculating the sum of vibration spectra having a frequency greater than the corresponding frequency, the drum rotation speed is changed to a rotation speed slower than a predetermined speed or a higher rotation speed. Obtain the sum of the vibration spectrum at a frequency larger than the frequency corresponding to the changed drum rotation speed obtained by the several component calculation unit, and set the rotation speed of the motor to such a drum rotation speed that the sum is larger. It is a washing machine to control.

  Here, the increase in the sum means that the ratio of the frequency components in the specific region is increased in the vibration of the drum, and the vibration spectrum value of each frequency component is also increased. Here, the vibration spectrum value represents the frequency at which the frequency component appears within a certain time. By changing the drum rotation speed so that the vibration spectrum at a frequency within a predetermined range always increases, the laundry is lifted by the baffle, and the impact that falls from the top of the drum knocks out the dirt from the laundry. A washing state centered on washing is realized, and a washing machine having excellent washing performance can be provided.

  According to a second invention, in the first invention, the calculated value from the frequency component calculator is a frequency corresponding to a rotational speed of 2 to 4 times the rotational speed of the drum obtained from the frequency component calculator. The washing machine controls the rotational speed of the motor so that the sum is large. As a result, the laundry is lifted by the baffle, and the washing state centered on tapping is realized by knocking out dirt from the laundry by the impact falling from the upper part of the drum, thereby providing a washing machine with excellent cleaning performance. .

  The third invention is the washing machine according to the first or second invention, wherein discrete data comprising a combination of frequencies derived from a plurality of drum rotation speeds and vibration spectrum values corresponding thereto is used for calculating the sum of frequency components. It is. As a result, the calculation time in the frequency component calculation unit can be shortened, and a response in a short time to the movement of the laundry at the time of washing can be realized, so that the cleaning performance can be improved by finely controlling the drum rotation speed. it can.

  According to a fourth invention, in any one of the first to third inventions, the drum rotation speed is changed, and the drum rotation speed is controlled while comparing the sum of vibration spectra after a predetermined frequency. The washing machine is adapted to carry out at least a plurality of times during the washing process. As a result, even when the entanglement state of the laundry changes during washing, the state of the laundry can be inferred from an indirect value such as vibration of the drum, and the drum can be washed appropriately for the state. The rotation speed can be changed as appropriate, and the cleaning performance can be improved.

  According to a fifth invention, in any one of the first to fourth inventions, the vibration detecting unit for detecting the vibration of the receiving cylinder is attached in close contact with the upper front of the receiving cylinder. It is a washing machine. The position at which the vibration detecting unit for detecting the vibration of the receiving tube is attached can obtain a signal from shaking of the receiving tube caused by the movement of the laundry in the drum as a large signal-to-noise ratio and an absolute value of the signal value. It is not particularly limited as long as it is a place where it can be mounted, but it is attached to the upper part of the receiving cylinder in close contact with it, away from the motor section that rotates the drum, and the vibration from the tapping wash appears as a large fluctuation of the receiving cylinder. It is preferable.

  According to a sixth aspect of the invention, in any one of the first to fifth aspects of the invention, the timing for detecting the vibration of the receiving tube starts after a predetermined time has elapsed after the rotational speed is determined and the rotation is started. A washing machine characterized by Accordingly, it is possible to prevent erroneous determination in the rotational speed control without using vibration data for several seconds until the rotational speed of the motor is stabilized after the rotational speed is determined. Here, although not particularly limited, the predetermined time is preferably 3 seconds or more.

  According to a seventh aspect of the invention, in any one of the first to sixth aspects of the invention, the timing for detecting the vibration of the receiving cylinder is 10 when the rotation of the drum is reversed in the forward or reverse direction or in a fixed direction after the detection starts. The washing machine is characterized by being within rotation. This speeds up the calculation of frequency components in the frequency component calculation unit, enables optimal drum rotation speed control in a short time according to the movement of the laundry, and performs rotation speed control within a certain washing time. By increasing the number of times to perform, it becomes possible to perform a finely optimized operation with excellent cleaning performance.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to these embodiments.

(Embodiment 1)
A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of the washing machine according to the first embodiment. In the figure, 1 is a housing, 2 is a drum, 3 is a receiving cylinder, 4 is elastic suspension means, 5 is an anti-vibration damper, 6 is a baffle, 7 is a vibration detection unit, 8 is a frequency component calculation unit, and 9 is a rotation. A speed control unit, 10 is a laundry, 11 is a clothes loading / unloading port, 12 is a motor, and 13 is a belt. The operation in this embodiment will be described below.

As shown in FIG. 1, a receiving cylinder 3 containing a rotatable drum 2 is supported on the housing 1 by elastic suspension means 4 and a vibration damping damper 5. A motor 12 is fixed to the bottom of the receiving cylinder 3 and rotates the drum 2 at a predetermined rotational speed via a belt 13. The laundry 10 put in the drum 2 from the clothes loading / unloading 11 provided in the front of the washing machine is scooped up by the baffle 6 provided in the drum as the drum 2 rotates, and from the top toward the bottom. Fall. The cleaning effect is enhanced by the kinetic energy when struck against the bottom. The vibration detection unit 7 detects the vibration of the receiving cylinder 3 generated by the movement of the laundry 10, transmits the detection result to the frequency component calculation unit 8, and further transmits the calculated value to the rotation speed control unit 9. It will be changed to the rotation speed that realizes the stab wash.

  Further, the vibration detection unit 7 includes an acceleration sensor, and the acceleration sensor may be any of a semiconductor acceleration sensor, a piezoelectric acceleration sensor, and the like.

  Next, how to control the drum rotation speed will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 shows the vibration spectrum value for each frequency calculated by the frequency component calculation unit when 4.5 kg of laundry is put in the drum and the drum rotation speed is 45 rpm. Here, when the laundry rotates at the same rotation speed as the drum, the frequency is calculated as 45/60 = 0.75 Hz (line (a) in the figure). Calculate the sum of the vibration spectrum at a frequency larger than the frequency corresponding to the drum rotation speed (rightward from the line (A) in the figure), compare the sum of the sum before and after the change in the drum rotation speed, and increase the rotation speed. Set a new one.

  FIG. 3 shows the relationship between the frequency and the vibration spectrum when 1.5 kg of laundry is put in the drum and the drum rotation speed is changed to 37 rpm, 45 rpm, and 53 rpm.

  Here, when calculating the sum of the vibration spectra, 13 vibration spectrum values having a constant interval in the range from the frequency of the drum rotation speed to the frequency of 4.0 Hz or less were used as discrete data. Here, the timing of detecting the vibration of the drum in the vibration detection section starts about 5 seconds after the predetermined drum rotation speed is determined, and the vibration of the receiving cylinder until the drum rotates four times in the same direction is calculated. Using.

  The sum of the vibration spectra was 0.097 at 37 rpm, 0.087 at 45 rpm, and 0.073 at 53 rpm. Further, the number of data used for the calculation is not particularly limited, but it is preferable that the frequency intervals between the used data are equal.

  Here, when the drum rotation speed was fixed under the above three conditions in 1.5 kg of laundry, and the cleaning performance was evaluated by a reflectance measurement method using a JIS standard contaminated cloth, it was 0.623 at 37 rpm and 0 at 45 rpm. It was 0.585 at 605 and 53 rpm, and the drum rotation speed was 37 rpm, which was the best under these conditions. In the control of the drum rotation speed of the present invention, if the initial drum rotation speed is 45 rpm, for example, the sum of the vibration spectrum of the drum is obtained after a predetermined time has elapsed, and the vibration spectrum is obtained when the drum rotation speed is changed to 53 rpm. The rotation speed does not change to 53 rpm due to the smaller sum, and when it is changed to 37 rpm, the rotation speed of the drum is changed from 45 rpm to 37 rpm by increasing the vibration spectrum sum. Become. When the drum rotation speed was changed and washing was continued at 37 rpm, the highest cleaning performance result could be obtained.

(Embodiment 2)
In this embodiment, the number of rotations of the drum is controlled by setting the frequency region used when calculating the sum of the vibration spectra as a range corresponding to the rotation speed of 2 to 4 times the rotation speed of the drum. The rotation speed of 2 to 4 times the drum rotation speed will be described with reference to FIG. A circle in FIG. 4 represents a drum, and the bottom surface is represented by 0 ° and the upper portion by 180 °. Since rotation of the drum is reversed at 90 ° and 270 °, there is no problem even if reversed left and right.

Now, in order to improve the cleaning performance, it is best to wash the clothes by lifting them with a baffle and dropping them from the top (track b). It is unsuitable if it is rotating around (log a). Therefore, it is optimal to drop between 90 ° and 180 ° in the figure and collide with the lower drum surface. Now, assuming that the drum rotational speed is 45 rpm, the amplitude spectrum appearing from 45 × 2/60 = 1.5 Hz to 45 × 4/60 = 3.0 Hz is a calculated value necessary for controlling the rotational speed in the present embodiment. .

  In the frequency range of each drum rotation speed, as shown in FIG. 5, a washing test for 5.5 kg of laundry was performed using 15 discrete data having a constant interval. The drum rotation speed was set to 37 rpm, 45 rpm, and 53 rpm as in the first embodiment. The sum of the vibration spectra was 0.077 at 37 rpm, 0.097 at 45 rpm, and 0.125 at 53 rpm. Further, when the cleaning performance was evaluated by a reflectance measurement method using a JIS standard contaminated cloth, it was 0.390 at 37 rpm, 0.335 at 45 rpm, and 0.412 at 53 rpm, and the drum rotation speed was 53 rpm. It was the best under these conditions. In the control of the drum rotation speed of the present invention, if the initial drum rotation speed is 45 rpm, for example, the sum of the vibration spectrum of the drum is obtained after a predetermined time has elapsed, and the vibration spectrum is obtained when the drum rotation speed is changed to 53 rpm. The rotational speed changes to 53 rpm by increasing the sum of, and when the speed is changed to 37 rpm, the rotational speed of the drum is not changed by reducing the sum of the vibration spectra. By changing the drum rotation speed and continuing washing at 53 rpm, the highest cleaning performance result could be obtained.

  As described above, the washing machine of the present invention detects vibration derived from the movement of the laundry in the drum, calculates the detected value as a predetermined frequency component, and calculates the vibration spectrum in a specific frequency region. By calculating the sum of the values and controlling the rotation speed of the drum so that the value is always increased, the laundry in the drum is optimally washed mainly by tapping and improving the washing performance. be able to. This is widely applicable not only to a home-use washing machine but also to a washing / drying machine and a commercial washing machine.

Schematic side view of the washing machine according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. Relationship between frequency and vibration spectrum after frequency component calculation (A) Relationship between frequency and vibration spectrum at 37 rpm in the first embodiment (b) Relationship between frequency and vibration spectrum at 45 rpm (c) Relationship between frequency and vibration spectrum at 53 rpm Illustration of optimal washing condition (A) Relationship between frequency and vibration spectrum at 37 rpm in the second embodiment (b) Relationship between frequency and vibration spectrum at the same rotation speed of 45 rpm (c) Relationship between frequency and vibration spectrum at the same rotation speed of 53 rpm The figure which shows the control method of the motor rotation speed in the conventional washing machine

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Case 2 Drum 3 Receptacle 4 Elastic suspension means 5 Anti-vibration damper 6 Baffle 7 Vibration detection part 8 Frequency component calculation part 9 Rotational speed control part 10 Laundry 11 Clothes input / extraction port 12 Motor 13 Belt

Claims (7)

A drum that accommodates and rotates laundry; elastic suspension means that accommodates the drum and is supported on the upper surface of the housing; a receiving cylinder that is supported from below by an anti-vibration damper; and a motor that rotates the drum A vibration detection unit that is attached in close contact with the receiving tube and detects vibration of the receiving tube, a frequency component calculation unit that calculates a frequency component with respect to the vibration detected by the vibration detection unit, and the frequency component calculation unit A rotation speed control unit that changes the rotation speed of the motor according to a calculated value from the above, and a frequency larger than the frequency corresponding to the predetermined drum rotation speed obtained by the frequency component calculation unit from vibration due to rotation of the predetermined drum After calculating the sum of the vibration spectra of the frequency component, the frequency component calculation unit is configured to change the rotational speed of the drum to a rotational speed slower or faster than a predetermined speed. A washing machine that obtains the sum of vibration spectra at a frequency larger than the frequency corresponding to the changed drum rotation speed obtained, and controls the rotation speed of the motor to a drum rotation speed that increases the sum. . The calculated value from the frequency component calculator is the sum of the vibration spectra of the frequencies corresponding to the rotational speeds of 2 to 4 times the rotational speed of the drum obtained from the frequency component calculator, so that the sum is increased. 2. The washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the rotation speed of the motor is controlled. The washing machine according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the calculation of the sum of the frequency components uses discrete data including a combination of frequencies derived from a plurality of drum rotation speeds and vibration spectrum values corresponding to the frequencies. The rotation speed of the drum is changed, and the rotation speed of the drum is controlled at least a plurality of times during the washing process while comparing the sum of vibration spectra after a predetermined frequency. 4. The washing machine according to any one of 3 above. The washing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a vibration detection unit that detects vibration of the receiving cylinder is attached in close contact with an upper front of the receiving cylinder. The washing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the timing of detecting the vibration of the receiving cylinder starts after a predetermined time has elapsed after the rotation speed is determined and the rotation is started. The timing for detecting the vibration of the receiving cylinder is within 10 rotations of rotation of the drum forward or reverse or rotation in a fixed direction after the start of detection. Washing machine.