JP5104670B2 - Washing machine - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a washing machine having a cloth amount sensor for detecting a cloth amount that is the amount of laundry put in a drum.

  An example of the structure of the drum type washing machine is shown in FIG. In the washing machine main body 1, a water tank 2 is supported in a suspended state by a suspension structure (not shown) having a vibration isolation structure. In the water tank 2, a drum 3 formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape is rotatably supported with its axial direction inclined downward from the front side to the back side. On the front side of the aquarium 2 is formed a clothing doorway 4 leading to the opening end of the drum 3, and by opening and closing the door 5 that closes the opening provided in the upward inclined surface on the front side of the washing machine body 1 so as to be openable and closable. The laundry can be taken in and out of the drum 3 through the clothing entrance 4.

  The drum 3 has a large number of through holes 6 formed in the peripheral surface thereof that communicate with the water tank 2, and is provided with stirring protrusions 15 for stirring clothes at a plurality of positions on the inner peripheral surface. The drum 3 is rotationally driven in the forward and reverse directions by a motor 7 attached to the back side of the water tank 2. In addition, a water injection pipe 8 and a drain pipe 9 are connected to the water tank 2 to perform water injection and drainage into the water tank 2 by controlling a water injection valve and a water discharge valve (not shown).

  When the door 5 is opened, laundry and detergent are put into the drum 3, and the operation is started by an operation on the operation panel 10 provided on the front surface of the washing machine body 1, for example, a water injection conduit is provided in the water tank 2. A predetermined amount of water is injected from 8 and the drum 3 is rotationally driven by the motor 7 to start the washing process. By the rotation of the drum 3, the laundry accommodated in the drum 3 is lifted in the rotation direction by the stirring protrusion 15 provided on the inner peripheral wall of the drum 3, and the stirring operation of dropping from the lifted appropriate height position is repeated. As a result, the laundry has the effect of tapping and washing. After the required washing time, the dirty washing liquid is discharged from the drain pipe 9 and the washing liquid contained in the laundry is dehydrated by a dehydrating operation of rotating the drum 3 at a high speed. The rinsing process is performed by pouring water from 8. Also in this rinsing step, the laundry housed in the drum 3 is repeatedly washed with a stirring operation in which the laundry is lifted and dropped by a stirring protrusion (not shown) by the rotation of the drum 3 to perform rinsing.

  In addition, on the back surface of the motor 7, a rotation detection unit 14 including a position detection element that detects the position of the rotor (rotor) of the motor is provided in order to detect the rotation state.

  The drum-type washing machine has a function of drying laundry stored in the drum 3, and the air in the water tank 2 is exhausted and dehumidified by the circulation air passage 11 to be dried by heating. Air is blown again into the water tank 2 by the blower fan 12.

  In the drum-type washing machine having the above-described configuration, a function of detecting the amount of clothes such as clothes put in the drum 3 and automatically determining the washing time according to the amount of cloth is added. Is generally (see, for example, Patent Document 1). An example of a method for detecting the amount of cloth will be described below with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10.

  The cloth amount is detected by a control circuit (not shown) having a function of controlling the motor 7 for driving the drum 3 to rotate.

When washing is started, first, the control circuit starts the motor 7 and a detection output is input from the rotation detection unit 14. The detection frequency of the rotation detector 14 changes linearly in proportion to the rotation of the motor 7. That is, the control circuit increases the average voltage of the power supply voltage of the motor 7 by means of phase control when the input frequency from the rotation detector 14 is small, and decreases the average voltage when the frequency increases.

  In the cloth amount detection process, while performing rotation control, the average voltage applied to the motor 7 is gradually increased inside the control circuit to shift to high speed rotation so that the clothes are uniformly attached to the inner wall of the drum 3 by centrifugal force. To. In this state, the rotation of the motor 7 is stopped after continuing the rotation for a predetermined time. Thereby, the inertial rotation of the drum 3 is in a state where the motor 7 is rotated. At this time, as shown in the diagram of FIG. 10, the rotation detection unit 14 converts the inertial rotational force of the drum 3 to gradually decrease due to the friction torque and stops it, and outputs it after converting it to a minute rotational speed.

  In FIG. 10, the horizontal axis indicates time, and the vertical axis indicates the number of rotations of the drive motor (motor). The time from the energization stop point E to the stop of the drum 3 is long when the amount of cloth is large, and the amount of cloth is When there are few, it is short. The cloth amount is detected by utilizing the fact that the difference in time required for the stop is proportional to the cloth amount.

  Here, when the weight of the cloth is m, the average radius of the cloth distributed on the inner periphery of the drum 3 is r, and the inertia moment of the drum 3 or the motor 7 is Jd, the inertia moment J of the rotating system including the cloth is expressed by the equation (1 ).

J = Jd + mr ² (1)
Further, assuming that the generated torque of the motor 7 is T, the friction torque of the drum and the rotating shaft is Tb, and the angular acceleration of the drum 3 is α, these relationships are expressed by Expression (2).

T = Jα + Tb (2)
Since the angular acceleration α is expressed by the equation (3) as a function of the angular velocity ω and the time t, as shown in the equation (4), if the average radius r of the cloth is constant, the rotation depends on the weight m of the cloth. The number or angular velocity ω changes.

α = dω / dt (3)
dω / dt = (T−Tb) / (Jd + mr ² ) (4)
From the above equation (4), it can be seen that dω / dt, that is, the change in the rotational speed, is inversely proportional to the cloth amount m.

That is, the cloth amount can be known by stopping the energization of the motor 7 to inertially rotate the drum 3 and measuring the change in the rotational speed in a certain time interval until the drum 3 stops.
JP-A-5-168786

  When using the above conventional cloth amount detection method, the inertial rotational force of the drum gradually decreases due to the friction torque, and the proportional relationship between the time until the drum stops and the cloth amount is obtained in advance by experiments, The obtained measurement value is applied to all washing machines of the same model.

  However, as can be seen from Equation (4), the proportional relationship between the time until the drum stops and the amount of cloth is not constant due to the variation in the friction torque Tb of the drum rotation shaft, and the numerical value varies depending on each washing machine. Have For this reason, there is a problem that the conventional cloth amount detection method has variations and the detection accuracy is limited.

  In addition, although the generated torque of the motor is temperature-dependent, the above-described conventional cloth amount detection method applies a voltage with a constant pattern regardless of the temperature, so that the detection result varies depending on the temperature of the motor. there were.

  Further, in the conventional cloth amount detection method, the rotation of the drum is temporarily raised regardless of the state of the clothes, so that the laundry stored in the drum 3 is affected by the bias (unbalance distribution), and the washing tub. Vibrates greatly, and the washing tub collides with the washing machine main body and makes an abnormal sound.

  Further, in the drum type washing machine, the configuration in which the motor 7 is directly connected to the central axis of the drum 3 and directly driven has a problem that the entire washing machine becomes longer in the depth direction and the installation area becomes larger.

  Therefore, the present invention solves the above-described conventional problems, and can accurately detect the amount of cloth loaded on the drum with a simple configuration while suppressing the influence of the frictional torque variation of the drum rotation shaft and the motor temperature. It is an object of the present invention to provide a washing machine having a simple cloth amount detecting means and a small depth washing machine having a stable cloth amount detecting means that eliminates the influence of clothes bias and the like.

  In order to solve the above-described conventional problems, a washing machine of the present invention includes a drum having a rotation center axis in a horizontal direction or an inclination direction and accommodating a laundry and rotating, and the drum being rotatably included. A water tank elastically supported in the washing machine body, a pulley attached to the rotation center shaft and disposed outside the water tank, a motor for driving the drum via the pulley and the belt, A rotation number detection device that detects the rotation number; and a control unit that controls rotation of the motor based on a detection output of the rotation number detection device, wherein the control unit applies a predetermined voltage to the motor, By giving the rotation speed and controlling the command rotation speed so that the slip, which is the difference between the command rotation speed and the actual rotation speed of the motor, is constant, the motor is caused to generate a constant acceleration torque. Times And a deceleration torque is generated in the motor after the first detection step and after the first detection step, the acceleration angular acceleration α1 is measured while the rotation speed increases from the predetermined rotation speed N1 to N2. And a second detection step of measuring the deceleration angular acceleration α2 while the rotational speed decreases from a predetermined rotational speed N3 to N4, and the acceleration angular acceleration α1 Further, the cloth amount is detected based on the angular acceleration α2 during deceleration.

  This makes it possible to construct a drum-type washing machine with a small depth, and because the amount of cloth is measured using both the rising and falling speeds of the rotation of the drum, variations in the friction torque of the drum rotating shaft are offset. The influence of the variation can be suppressed, and the amount of cloth can be detected with a simple configuration with high accuracy.

  Further, the washing machine of the present invention includes temperature detection means for detecting the temperature of the motor, and the control unit detects the winding temperature of the motor by the temperature detection means, and the amount of cloth according to the difference from the rated temperature. The detection result is corrected.

  This makes it possible to detect the cloth amount in consideration of the temperature dependence of the output torque of the motor.

  The washing machine of the present invention measures the maximum rotation speed and the minimum rotation speed of the drum in the predetermined rotation angle section in the first detection step, and the difference between the maximum rotation speed and the minimum rotation speed is a predetermined value or more. Is controlled so as to stop the rotational driving of the drum.

  Thereby, even when the distribution of the cloth in the drum becomes non-uniform and the vibration of the drum becomes larger than a predetermined value, the drum can be stopped safely.

  The washing machine of the present invention can be configured to have a small depth, and can be accurately detected with a simple configuration by suppressing the influence of the frictional torque of the drum rotating shaft on individual devices and the influence of the motor temperature. A quantity detection means can be obtained.

  According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a drum having a central axis of rotation in a horizontal direction or an inclination direction, accommodating a laundry and performing a rotational movement, and rotatably enclosing the drum in a washing machine body. A water tank, a pulley attached to the rotation center shaft and disposed outside the water tank, a motor for driving the drum via the pulley and a belt, and a rotation speed detection device for detecting the rotation speed of the motor; A control unit that controls the rotation of the motor based on a detection output of the rotation number detection device, the control unit applies a predetermined voltage to the motor, gives a command rotation number, The rotation of the drum is accelerated by causing the motor to generate a constant acceleration torque by controlling the command rotational speed so that the slip, which is the difference between the actual rotational speeds of the motor, is constant, and the predetermined rotational speed From N1 After the first detection step of measuring the acceleration angular acceleration α1 while the rotation speed is increased to 2, and after the first detection step, the motor is caused to generate a deceleration torque to reduce the rotation of the drum. And a second detection step of measuring the angular acceleration during deceleration α2 while the rotational speed decreases from the predetermined rotational speed N3 to N4, and based on the angular acceleration during acceleration α1 and the angular acceleration during deceleration α2 By detecting the amount, it is possible to construct a drum-type washing machine with a small depth, and to measure the amount of cloth using both the rising and falling speeds of the rotation of the drum. It is possible to suppress the influence of the dispersion, and it is possible to suppress the influence of the dispersion, and since the acceleration torque is controlled to be constant, it is not necessary to consider the influence due to the fluctuation of the acceleration torque in a complicated manner. The amount of cloth can be accurately detected with the configuration.

  In the second invention, in particular, the control unit of the first invention applies a predetermined DC voltage to the motor so that the deceleration torque changes within a predetermined range at least in the second detection step. By performing the control, it is possible to detect the cloth amount with high accuracy without having to consider the influence of the fluctuation of the deceleration torque in a complicated manner.

  In the third invention, particularly in the first or second invention, the first detection step and the second detection step are performed at a resonance rotational speed or less so that the drum is not affected by the vibration of the drum due to the resonance. The cloth amount is detected, and the cloth amount can be detected with high accuracy.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in particular, in the first to third aspects of the present invention, a temperature detection unit that detects the temperature of the motor is provided, and the control unit detects the winding temperature of the motor by the temperature detection unit, By correcting the detection result of the cloth amount according to the difference, the cloth amount is detected in consideration of the temperature dependency of the torque generated in the motor, and the cloth amount can be detected with high accuracy.

  In a fifth aspect of the invention, particularly in the first to third aspects of the invention, the resistance value of the motor winding is calculated by measuring the amount of current flowing when a predetermined voltage is applied to the motor, and the winding temperature is calculated from the resistance value. A control unit for correcting the detection result of the amount of cloth according to the difference between the winding temperature of the motor estimated by the winding temperature estimation unit and the rated temperature, The cloth amount is detected in consideration of the temperature dependency of the generated torque in the motor, and the cloth amount can be detected with high accuracy.

  In a sixth aspect of the invention, in particular, the control unit of the first to fifth aspects of the invention measures the maximum rotation speed and the minimum rotation speed of the drum in the predetermined rotation angle section in the first detection step, and the maximum rotation speed and the minimum rotation speed. If the difference is equal to or larger than a predetermined value, the rotation of the drum is controlled to stop, so that the distribution of the cloth in the drum becomes uneven, and the vibration of the drum is lower than the predetermined value. Even when it becomes larger, the drum can be safely stopped.

  In the seventh aspect of the invention, in particular, when the controller of the first to sixth aspects of the invention measures the elapsed time from the start of drum rotation and does not end the first detection step even after the first predetermined time has elapsed. When the acceleration time becomes longer than a predetermined time, such as when excessive clothing is put in due to the control to stop the rotational drive of the drum, the rotational drive of the drum is stopped and the next step Can move on.

  In the eighth aspect of the invention, in particular, when the controller of the first to seventh aspects of the invention measures the elapsed time from the start of drum rotation and does not end the second detection step even after the second predetermined time has elapsed. When the acceleration time or the deceleration time becomes longer than a predetermined time, such as when excessive clothes are put in due to the control to stop the rotation driving of the drum, the rotation driving of the drum is stopped. Then, it can move to the next process.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 shows a schematic structure of a drum-type washing machine according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 shows a schematic configuration of a control device that controls the operation of the drum type washing machine.

  In FIG. 1, the rotation of the motor 7 is transmitted via a belt 15 to a pulley 16 fixed to the rotation shaft of the drum 3. The basic operation as a washing machine is the same as the conventional example.

  In the control device shown in FIG. 2, the AC power of the commercial power supply 20 is rectified by the rectifier 21 and the inverter circuit 24 uses the DC power smoothed by the smoothing circuit including the choke coil 22 and the smoothing capacitor 23 as the driving power. 7 is driven to rotate. Further, the rotation of the motor 7 is controlled based on the driving instruction input from the input setting unit 25 and the monitoring information of the driving state detected by each detecting means (not shown), and the water supply valve 27 is controlled by the load driving unit 26. The operation of the drain valve 28, the blower fan 12, and the heater 29 is controlled.

  The motor 7 includes a stator having three-phase windings 7a, 7b, and 7c and a rotor having three-phase windings 8a, 8b, and 8c, and is configured as a three-phase induction motor provided with a motor rotation speed detecting means 30. The rotation is controlled by the PWM control inverter circuit 24 configured by the switching elements 24a to 24f. The speed signal detected by the motor rotation speed detection means 30 is input to the control unit 31 constituted by a microcomputer. Based on this speed signal, the drive circuit 32 performs PWM control of the on / off states of the switching elements 24a to 24f, thereby controlling the energization of the three-phase windings 7a, 7b, and 7c of the stator, and rotating the rotor to the required rotational speed. Rotate with

The control unit 31 includes a drum speed detection unit 33 to which the detection output of the motor rotation number detection unit 30 is input. The drum rotation speed detector 33 calculates the rotation speed of the drum 3 based on the speed signal output from the motor rotation speed detector 30 and the ratio of the shaft of the motor 7 and the radius of the pulley 16. The detection output of the drum rotation number detection unit 33 is supplied to the cloth amount detection unit 34, and the cloth amount is detected as described below based on the detected rotation number.

  The characteristics of the cloth amount detection method in the present embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the operation of detecting the amount of cloth, and shows the relationship between the time required for increasing the rotation speed of the drum 3 and the time required for decreasing the rotation speed. Time and the vertical axis represent the number of rotations.

  When the cloth amount detection is started, the acceleration torque T1 is generated by the motor 7 after the elapse of a predetermined time or when the predetermined rotation speed N1 is reached, and the rotation speed is increased by ΔN1 during the time t1 to reach the predetermined rotation speed N2. A first detection process for detecting the arrival time t1 is performed. After the end of the first detection step, the rotation speed of the drum 3 is changed from acceleration to deceleration, and then a deceleration torque T2 is generated by the motor 7 that has rotated by inertia, and a predetermined rotation speed N3 is generated during the time t2. The second detection step is performed in which the rotational speed is decreased by ΔN2 to reach a predetermined rotational speed N4.

  Here, the operation state of the first detection process will be considered.

  From equation (3), the angular acceleration α1 in the first detection step is represented by equation (5).

α1 = ΔN1 / t1 (5)
Moreover, Formula (6) is materialized from Formula (1) and (2).

T1 = α1 (Jd + mr ² ) + Tb (6)
Similarly, considering the second detection step, Equation (7) and Equation (8) are obtained when the angular acceleration in the second detection step is α2.

α2 = ΔN2 / t2 (7)
T2 = α2 (Jd + mr ² ) + Tb (8)
If the component of the friction torque Tb is eliminated from the equations (6) and (8), the equation (9) is obtained.

α1-α2 = (T1-T2) / (Jd + mr ² ) (9)
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the relationship between the amount of cloth and the acceleration difference, the horizontal axis is the cloth amount, and the vertical axis is the acceleration difference. The above equation (9) is easily understood.

  When the average radius r, acceleration torque T1, and deceleration torque T2 in the drum inner circumference of the cloth are constant values, the equation (9) is expressed in accordance with the weight m of the cloth as shown in FIG. It shows that α2) changes.

  Here, α1 and α2 can be easily obtained by measuring the relationship between the number of rotations of the drum 3 and time as shown in the equations (5) and (7). Therefore, if only the relationship between the weight m of the cloth and the change in the angular acceleration (α1−α2) is grasped and stored as a calculation table in the cloth amount detection unit 34 of the control unit in FIG. It can be seen that the amount of cloth can be detected easily and accurately regardless of the relationship.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating the cloth amount detection method.

In FIG. 5, when the cloth amount detection is started (step S1), the control unit 31 drives the motor 7 to give a predetermined voltage and a predetermined command rotational speed from the predetermined rotational speed N1, thereby causing the drum 3 to rotate. Control is performed to increase the rotational speed so that the rotational speed reaches a predetermined rotational speed N2 increased by ΔN1 (step S2). When the drum 3 reaches the rotation speed N2 (step S3), a time t1 required for the rotation speed to increase by ΔN1 is calculated (step S4).

  Next, a decrease in the rotational speed of the motor 7 is started (step S5). When the drum 3 reaches a predetermined rotational speed N4 from which the rotational speed has decreased by ΔN2 from the predetermined rotational speed N3 (step S6), a required time t2 required for the rotational speed to decrease by ΔN2 is calculated (step S6). S7).

  Next, the angular acceleration α1 of the first detection step and the angular acceleration α2 of the second detection step are calculated from ΔN1, t1, ΔN2, and t2 based on the equations (5) and (7), and the difference α1 between the two angular accelerations is calculated. -Α2 is obtained (step S8), and the amount of cloth is obtained based on the formula (9) from the relationship between the determination value S measured in advance and the amount of cloth (step S9).

  In order to accurately detect the amount of cloth using Expression (9), it is desirable to perform control so that variations in the acceleration torque T1 and the deceleration torque T2 of the motor 7 are reduced.

  The output torque characteristics of the induction motor are as shown in FIG. 6, and the acceleration torque T1 changes according to the difference (slip) between the command frequency and the actual rotational speed.

  In this case, the output torque in the detection process can be made constant by controlling the command frequency so that the slip becomes constant at least in the first detection section, so that a highly accurate detection result can be obtained. it can.

  Note that the output torque of the motor 7 has a characteristic that changes depending on the temperature of the windings constituting the motor 7.

  Specifically, the output torque changes in proportion to the current flowing through the winding of the motor 7, but the resistance value of the winding changes with temperature as shown in the following formula, and therefore flows when the same voltage is applied. As the current value changes, the output torque also changes.

Rt = R0 (1 + αt) (10)
Here, Rt is a resistance value at a temperature t ° C., R 0 is a resistance value at 0 ° C., and α is a temperature coefficient that varies depending on the material, and is about 0.0004 in the case of copper.

Here, the current It at the temperature t ° C. is expressed as Ohm's law, where I 0 is the current when the voltage E is applied at the temperature 0 ° C.
It = E / Rt
= E / {R0 (1 + αt)}
= I0 / (1 + αt) (11)
Therefore, by multiplying the detection result by the correction coefficient “1 + αt”, it is possible to correct the influence of the change in the output torque of the motor 7 due to the temperature.

  Measuring the temperature of the winding can be realized by winding a temperature detecting means 35 constituted by a thermistor or the like into the winding and processing the detected temperature information by the control unit 31.

  Further, it is also possible to calculate the resistance value of the winding by measuring the amount of current flowing when a predetermined voltage is applied to the motor 7 and estimate the winding temperature from this resistance value.

In the cloth amount detection of the washing machine configured as described above, the cloth amount is measured using the angular accelerations of both the drum rotation rise (first detection) and the descent speed (second detection). Therefore, the variation in the friction torque of the drum rotation shaft is canceled out, and the influence of the variation is suppressed, so that highly accurate detection is possible.

  Further, since the determination value is corrected in consideration of the change in the output torque due to the change in the winding temperature of the motor, the influence of the temperature is suppressed, so that highly accurate detection is possible.

(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a control method of the washing machine according to the second embodiment of this invention.

  The configuration of the washing machine, the configuration of the control device, and the cloth amount detection method in the second embodiment are basically the same as those described in the first embodiment. The difference in the present embodiment is that when the rotation speed of the drum 3 is increased in order to detect the amount of cloth, the rotation drive of the drum 3 is stopped according to the change in the rotation speed accompanying the increase in the rotation speed. This is the point.

  FIG. 7A shows how the rotation speed of the drum 3 increases with time. The horizontal axis represents the elapsed time when the motor 7 is driven, a predetermined voltage is applied, a predetermined command rotational speed is given, and the rotational speed of the drum 3 is increased, and the vertical axis is the rotational speed of the drum 3. . As shown in the figure, the rotational speed of the drum 3 does not increase uniformly, but increases while repeating vertical movement. This is because the laundry tub vibrates due to the balance of the laundry accommodated in the drum 3. If the vibration becomes too large, the washing tub collides with the washing machine body and generates an abnormal sound.

  In the present embodiment, control for avoiding such a situation is performed. That is, the difference between the maximum rotation speed and the minimum rotation speed is detected for the rotation speed of the drum 3 in a predetermined rotation angle section while the rotation of the drum 3 is being accelerated. If the difference is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, the drum 3 is controlled to stop rotating. As the maximum rotation speed and the minimum rotation speed of the drum 3 in the predetermined rotation angle section, for example, the rotation speed is measured four times during one rotation, and the maximum rotation speed and the minimum rotation speed are obtained.

  FIG. 7B is a diagram showing the relationship between the upper limit value of the difference between the maximum and minimum drum rotation speeds.

  As shown in FIG. 7B, the upper limit value of the difference between the maximum rotation speed and the minimum rotation speed is set based on the experiment in correspondence with the rotation speed of the drum 3, and is provided in the control unit 31 as a table. The upper limit value of the difference between the maximum number of rotations and the minimum number of rotations as shown in FIG. 7B may be set based on the allowable range of vibration obtained experimentally at each number of rotations of the drum 3.

  Further, the vibration of the washing tub is greatest at the resonance frequency inherent to the vibration system including the washing tub. The vibration caused by the poor balance of the laundry is also the largest at this resonance frequency. Therefore, the resonance frequency is grasped at the time of design, and the first detection step and the second detection step are performed below the resonance frequency. By doing so, it is possible to avoid an increase in vibration.

  As described above, in the second embodiment, the balance of the laundry is poor by controlling the difference between the maximum rotation speed and the minimum rotation speed in the predetermined rotation angle section of the drum 3 not to exceed the upper limit value. As a result, the situation where the washing tub vibrates greatly and collides with the main body of the washing machine is avoided. It becomes possible.

(Embodiment 3)
FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a washing machine control method according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

The configuration of the washing machine, the configuration of the control device, and the cloth amount detection method in the third embodiment are basically the same as those described in the first embodiment. The difference in the present embodiment is that when the number of rotations of the drum 3 is increased / decreased in order to detect the amount of cloth, a time limit is provided, and when a predetermined time elapses, the rotation driving of the drum 3 is stopped. This is the point where control is provided.

  FIG. 8A shows how the rotation speed of the drum 3 increases with time. The horizontal axis represents the elapsed time when the motor 7 is driven, a predetermined voltage is applied, a predetermined command rotational speed is given, and the rotational speed of the drum 3 is increased, and the vertical axis is the rotational speed of the drum 3. .

  For example, when a heavy load is applied to the drum 3 such as clothes wet in water, the output torque of the motor 7 may be insufficient and the rotation speed may not be increased to the end rotation speed N2 of the first detection step. .

  In this case, when a predetermined first predetermined time Tend1 elapses from the start of the rotation of the drum 3, the rotation driving of the drum 3 is stopped and the process proceeds to the next step.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 8B, even when a heavy load is applied and the rotational speed is increased to the rotational speed N2, if the sum of the friction torque Tb and the deceleration torque is small, the second detection process ends. The time to reach the rotational speed N4 may become longer.

  In this case, when a predetermined second predetermined time Tend2 has elapsed from the start of the rotation of the drum 3, the rotation driving of the drum 3 is stopped and the process proceeds to the next step.

  As described above, in the third embodiment, even when the first predetermined time or the second predetermined time has elapsed since the start of drum rotation, the first detection process or the second detection process is completed. By controlling to stop the rotation of the drum when there is not, it is possible to proceed to the next process without taking more time than necessary for the cloth amount detection process.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to accurately detect the amount of cloth put into the drum with a simple configuration, and to perform appropriate washing time setting, detergent amount display, and appropriate time setting dehydration process. It is useful for home and commercial washing machines.

Sectional drawing which shows schematic structure of the drum type washing machine in Embodiment 1 of this invention. Circuit diagram showing the control device of the drum type washing machine The figure which shows the operation | movement of the cloth amount detection used for the drum type washing machine The figure which shows the cloth amount and acceleration difference of the cloth amount detection Flow chart showing the cloth amount detection method Output torque characteristics of the induction motor The figure which shows the control method of the drum type washing machine in Embodiment 2 of this invention. The figure which shows the control method of the drum type washing machine in Embodiment 3 of this invention. Sectional drawing which shows schematic structure of the drum type washing machine of a prior art example The figure which shows the cloth amount detection method of the drum type washing machine of a prior art example

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Washing machine main body 2 Water tank 3 Drum 7 Motor 15 Belt 16 Pulley 20 Commercial power supply 30 Motor rotation speed detection means 31 Control part 32 Drive circuit 33 Drum rotation speed detection part 34 Cloth amount detection part 35 Temperature detection means 36 Winding temperature estimation part

Claims (8)

A drum having a central axis of rotation in a horizontal direction or an inclined direction and accommodating a laundry to perform a rotational movement; a water tub rotatably enclosing the drum and elastically supported in a washing machine body; and the rotation A pulley attached to a central shaft and disposed outside the water tank, a motor for driving the drum via the pulley and belt, a rotation speed detection device for detecting the rotation speed of the motor, and the rotation speed detection device A control unit that controls the rotation of the motor based on the detected output of the motor, the control unit applies a predetermined voltage to the motor, gives a command rotational speed, the command rotational speed and the actual rotational speed of the motor The rotation of the drum is accelerated by generating a constant acceleration torque in the motor by controlling the command rotational speed so that the slip which is the difference between the rotational speeds is constant, and the rotational speed from a predetermined rotational speed N1 to N2. After the first detection step of measuring the acceleration angular acceleration α1 while rising, and after the first detection step, the rotation of the drum is decelerated by generating a deceleration torque in the motor, and a predetermined rotation speed A second detection step of measuring the deceleration angular acceleration α2 while the rotational speed is decreased from N3 to N4, and detecting the cloth amount based on the acceleration angular acceleration α1 and the deceleration angular acceleration α2. A washing machine featuring. The washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the deceleration torque to change within a predetermined range by applying a predetermined DC voltage to the motor at least in the second detection step. The washing machine according to any one of claims 1 and 2, wherein the first detection step and the second detection step are performed at a resonance frequency or lower. A temperature detection means for detecting the temperature of the motor is provided, and the controller detects the winding temperature of the motor by the temperature detection means, and corrects the detection result of the cloth amount according to the difference from the rated temperature. The washing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3. A resistance value of the motor winding is calculated by measuring the amount of current that flows when a predetermined voltage is applied to the motor, and includes a winding temperature estimation unit that estimates the winding temperature from the resistance value. The detection result of the cloth amount is corrected according to a difference between the winding temperature of the motor and the rated temperature estimated by the winding temperature estimation unit. Washing machine. The control unit measures the maximum rotation speed and the minimum rotation speed of the drum in a predetermined rotation angle section in the first detection step, and if the difference between the maximum rotation speed and the minimum rotation speed is a predetermined value or more, the drum The washing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the rotation driving of the washing machine is stopped. The controller measures an elapsed time from the start of rotation of the drum, and stops the rotational drive of the drum if the first detection step is not completed even after the first predetermined time has elapsed. The washing machine according to any one of the above. The control unit measures elapsed time from the start of rotation of the drum, and stops rotation of the drum if the second detection step is not finished even after the second predetermined time has elapsed. The washing machine according to any one of the above.

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