JP5439273B2 - Washing machine - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a washing machine capable of performing a washing process and a dehydrating process.

  In a washing machine capable of performing a washing process and a dewatering process, during the dehydration process, the detergent component is stirred together with moisture between the rotating tank and the water tank surrounding the rotating tank to produce cream-like foam, and the foam rotates. In some cases, the tank is filled between the water tank and the rotation of the rotating tank is hindered so that sufficient dehydration cannot be performed.

  Therefore, if the generation of bubbles is detected during the dehydration process, the dewatering process is stopped, and the foam discharge process is performed to open and close the water supply valve that supplies water into the water tank with the drain valve for discharging the washing water in the water tank open. , The bubbles accumulated between the rotating tank and the water tank may be discharged (see Patent Document 1 below).

  The above bubble discharge process is set to open and close the water supply valve a certain number of times regardless of the bubble discharge status, so that the bubbles accumulated between the rotating tank and the water tank are sufficiently discharged. Nevertheless, water and time may be wasted by repeatedly opening and closing the water supply valve.

JP 2008-279120 A

  The present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a washing machine capable of discharging foam generated during a dehydration process while suppressing waste of water and time.

  A washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a water tank capable of storing water, a rotary tank having a hole through which water can be passed, and a water tank that is rotatably disposed in the water tank, and a water supply valve that supplies water to the water tank. And a washing step for rotating the rotating tub containing laundry with detergent and washing water, a drain valve for draining the washing water in the aquarium, and a water level sensor for detecting the water level in the aquarium, In a washing machine capable of performing a dehydration step of rotating a rotating tub and dehydrating laundry in the rotating tub, a bubble detection means for detecting the generation of bubbles in the water tub during the dehydration step, and the bubbles When the generation of bubbles is detected by the detection means, the bubble discharge process for closing the water supply valve after opening the water supply valve in the state where the drain valve is opened is repeatedly performed one or more times. In the bubble discharge process, Water detected by the water level sensor Peak of, characterized in that it comprises a control means for terminating said foam discharging stroke after having dropped to a predetermined level or less.

It is sectional drawing of the washing machine concerning one Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the electric constitution of the washing machine shown in FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the control content of the washing machine shown in FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the content of the foam discharge process of the washing machine shown in FIG. It is a time chart which shows the control content of the washing machine shown in FIG. It is a time chart which shows the other control content of the washing machine shown in FIG.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  The washing machine 1 according to the present embodiment is a drum type washing machine including a drum whose rotation axis is inclined as illustrated in FIG. 1, and puts the laundry in and out of the center portion of the front surface of the housing 3 that forms the outer shell. A circular inlet 7 is open. The insertion port 7 is closed so as to be freely opened and closed by a door 9 having a transparent window. When the door is closed, the front surface of the door 9 is substantially flush with the front surface of the housing 3.

  Inside the housing 3, a cylindrical water tank 11 that is inclined upward toward the front is disposed in a state of being elastically supported by a suspension 12. The opening 11a provided in the front surface of the water tank 11 and the inlet 7 are connected so as to communicate in a water-tight manner by a bellows 13 made of an elastic material such as rubber that forms a cylinder as a whole.

  A water inlet 4 that is connected to a water supply source such as water supply is provided behind the upper surface of the housing 3, and the water inlet 4 is provided in the water supply valve 14. The outlet side of the water supply valve 14 is connected to the detergent case 18 via the water supply connection pipe 15. The detergent case 18 is connected via a water supply hose 20 to a water supply port 11 b formed on the upper rear side of the water tank 11. Thereby, by opening the water supply valve 14, water and the detergent stored in the detergent case 18 are supplied into the water tank 11 from the water supply source.

  A drain hose 17 is connected to the bottom of the water tank 11 via a drain valve 16. Washing water is stored inside the aquarium 11 by closing the drain valve 16, and washing water stored inside the aquarium 11 is drained to the outside of the washing machine 1 through the drain hose 17 by opening the drain valve 16. Is done.

  Further, a tube 2 communicating with the inside of the water tank 11 is connected to the lower part of the water tank 11, and a water level sensor 37 including a pressure sensor for detecting the water level in the water tank 11 is provided at the upper end of the tube 2.

  Inside the aquarium 11, a bottomed cylindrical drum 19 that accommodates laundry is disposed coaxially with the aquarium 11. The drum 19 is disposed so that the front opening is opposed to the charging port 7 provided on the front surface of the housing 3, and is supported in an inclined state along the water tank 11. The drum 19 is provided with a large number of through-holes 19a on the peripheral wall of the body portion, and a plurality of baffles 19b for washing laundry on the inner peripheral surface.

  The drum 19 is pivotally supported on a closed back portion of the water tank 11 by a drum shaft 21 protruding rearward from the central portion of the back surface, and is driven to rotate by a motor 23 connected to the drum shaft 21. Yes.

  The motor 23 is, for example, an outer rotor type brushless motor, and includes a stator 27 fixed to a housing 25 disposed on the back surface of the water tank 11 and a rotor 29 disposed outside the stator 27. With. A rotor 29 is connected to the rear end portion of the drum shaft 21 so as to be integrally rotatable, and the motor 23 directly rotates the drum 19 via the drum shaft 21.

  The motor 23 is provided with a rotation sensor 24 having a plurality of Hall elements (see FIG. 2), and the motor corresponds to the position of the rotor 29 of the rotating motor 23 and the rotational speed of the drum 19. The rotation speed of 23 is detected.

  On the upper front side of the housing 3, an operation panel 5 including various operation keys and a display unit for a user to perform various operations related to the operation of the washing machine 1 is provided. An operation panel control unit 33 including an operation circuit 31 is disposed on the back surface of the operation panel 5, and the operation circuit 31 outputs operation signals based on various operation keys of the operation panel 5 to the control circuit 50.

  The control circuit 50 includes a microcomputer. As shown in FIG. 2, in addition to the operation signal from the operation circuit 31 described above, the position of the rotor 29 from the rotation sensor 24 and the rotation of the motor 23 are controlled. A rotational speed signal related to the speed, a water level detection signal from the water level sensor 37 that detects the stored water level of the water tank 11, and the like, and based on the input of the above various signals and the control program stored in the memory 52 in advance, A drive control signal is output to a drive circuit 60 that drives and controls the display unit 5a, the water supply valve 14, and the drain valve 16 of the operation panel 5.

  Further, the control circuit 50 outputs a drive control signal to the drive circuit 60 as described above and functions as a bubble detection means.

  The foam detection means generates bubbles in the drum 19 during the dehydration process, that is, the detergent is stirred between the water tank 11 and the drum 19 together with the remaining water to produce cream-like foam, and the foam is generated in the water tank 11. And the drum 19 are filled, and the rotational resistance increases, and the occurrence of a rotation failure in which the rotation speed of the drum 19 does not sufficiently increase is detected. Specifically, for example, the rotation sensor 24 detects the number of rotations of the drum 19 after a lapse of a predetermined time from the start of dehydration. If the number of rotations does not reach the predetermined number of rotations, a rotation failure of the drum 19 occurs. If the current value supplied to the motor 23 after the elapse of a predetermined time from the start of dewatering is detected and the current value is larger than the predetermined value, a rotation failure of the drum 19 occurs. It is judged that the bubble is generated and the generation of bubbles is detected.

  The washing machine 1 having such a configuration automatically executes the function steps of washing, rinsing, and dehydrating by selecting and setting them.

  In detail, first, the laundry is put into the drum 19 from the insertion port 7, the door 9 is closed, and after the power switch is turned on, the operation key on the operation panel 5 is operated to select, for example, "laundry course" and start. When the switch is operated, weight detection and water level setting are first performed as shown in step S1 in FIG.

  In this weight detection, a predetermined constant voltage is supplied to the motor 23 for a certain period of time, and the number of rotations of the drum 19 is measured and detected during that time. The rotation number of the drum 19 is measured using the rotation sensor 26. When the weight of the laundry is detected, the detergent washing water level is set according to the detected weight. For example, the detergent cleaning water level is set higher as the detected weight is heavier. Further, the detected weight of the laundry is stored in the memory 52 included in the control circuit 50. In this embodiment, according to the detected weight of the laundry, for example, the weight of the laundry is classified into three levels of “large”, “medium”, and “small”, and the classification is stored in the memory 52.

Next, the process proceeds to step S2, and a detergent washing process is executed. In this detergent washing process,
The water supply valve 14 is opened, and the water supplied from the water supply source and the detergent stored in the detergent case 18 are supplied into the water tank 11. When the water level in the water tank 11 detected by the water level sensor 37 reaches the detergent washing water level set in step S1, the water supply valve 14 is closed. Then, the motor 23 is started, the drum 19 is rotated at a predetermined rotation speed, and the washing operation is executed by a stirring motion for scraping the laundry with the baffle 19b and dropping it. When a predetermined time corresponding to the weight of the laundry detected in step S1 has elapsed, the motor 23 is stopped and the detergent washing process is terminated.

  Next, in step S3, a first dehydration process is performed. In this first dehydration step, the drain valve 16 is opened, the water in the water tank 11 is discharged, and then the drum 19 is rotationally driven by the motor 23 at a predetermined dehydrating rotational speed (for example, 1000 rpm) to dehydrate the laundry. Do.

  Next, in step S4, whether or not bubbles are generated during the dehydration process is determined by detecting, with the rotation sensor 24, the number of rotations of the drum 19 after the elapse of a predetermined time from the start of dehydration by the bubble detection means. In step S4, when the bubble detection means does not detect the generation of bubbles, the first dehydration process is continued for a predetermined time and the first dehydration process is terminated, and then the process proceeds to step S5, as shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. When the bubble detection means detects the generation of bubbles, the process proceeds to step S40 after completing the first dehydration process.

  In step S5, a predetermined amount of new water is supplied into the water tank 11, and the drum 19 is rotated at a low speed by the motor 23 to perform a rinsing process. When the rinsing process is executed for a predetermined time, the rinsing process is terminated, and the process proceeds to step S6.

  In step S6, after the drain valve 16 is opened and the water in the water tank 11 is discharged, the drum 19 is rotationally driven by the motor 23 at a predetermined dehydrating rotational speed (for example, 1000 rpm) to dehydrate the laundry. Perform the dehydration process. When the second dehydration process is executed for a predetermined time, the operation of the washing course is ended.

  In step S4, when the bubble detection means detects the generation of bubbles during the dehydration process, the bubbles generated between the water tank 11 and the drum 19 during the dehydration process are discharged to the outside of the washing machine 1, The foam discharge process is started.

  Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, in step S <b> 40, a bubble discharge process is started, and a bubble discharge count n described later is reset to zero.

  Next, in step S41, a drainage / water supply process of draining water while supplying water to the drum 19 is performed with the water supply valve 14 opened for a predetermined time with the drain valve 16 open.

  Next, in step S42, only drainage is performed with the water supply valve 14 closed for a predetermined time with the drain valve 16 open.

  Next, in step S43, it is determined whether or not the water level peak detected by the water level sensor 37 in the bubble discharge process executed in steps S41 and S42 is equal to or lower than a predetermined water level.

  Specifically, the foam generated between the water tank 11 and the drum 19 gradually flows down and stays in the drain hose 17 and becomes a resistance during drainage. Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, during the above-described drainage / water supply process (step S <b> 41), the amount of water drained from the drainage hose 17 is smaller than the amount of water supplied into the tank 11, and the inside of the tank 11 The water level rises. Then, when the drainage / water supply stroke is completed and the drainage stroke (step S42) is executed, the water supply valve 14 is closed and the water supply to the water tank 11 is shut off, so that the water level in the water tank 11 decreases. That is, a peak occurs in the water level in the water tank 11 at the end of the drainage / water supply process.

  In the present embodiment, for example, the water level detected by the water level sensor 37 at the end of the drainage / water supply stroke is compared with a predetermined water level as a peak of the detected water level detected by the water level sensor 37 in the bubble discharge stroke. To do.

  In the present embodiment, the predetermined water level to be compared with the peak of the detected water level can be set to, for example, the lowest water level that can be detected by the water level sensor, or can be set to any water level higher than the lowest water level. Since the water level sensor 37 cannot detect a water level lower than the lowest water level, it is preferable to set the predetermined water level at a higher water level than the lowest water level.

  That is, when the predetermined water level is set to the lowest water level, the water level sensor 37 cannot detect a water level lower than the lowest water level, and therefore, a change in the water level of the water tank 11 at a water level lower than the predetermined water level cannot be detected, and the peak of the water level may not be specified. Or when the water level sensor 37 cannot detect the water level due to a failure or the like, the state below the predetermined water level (minimum water level) and the signal output from the water level sensor 37 cannot be distinguished, and the water level sensor 37 drops to the predetermined water level. In spite of this, the water level sensor 37 may erroneously detect the predetermined water level.

  On the other hand, by setting the predetermined water level to a level higher than the minimum water level, it becomes possible to detect a change in the water level at a level lower than the predetermined level, making it easier to identify the peak of the water level, and a failure state and a state below the predetermined level. , The signal output from the water level sensor 37 can be varied to suppress erroneous detection of the water level sensor 37.

  However, since a water level sensor failure can be detected, for example, in the water supply process before the bubble discharge process, the peak level is no longer detected by setting the predetermined water level to the lowest water level detectable by the water level sensor. There is no problem even if only the judgment is made, and in that case, there is an advantage that bubbles can be surely discharged by reducing the detected water level as much as possible.

  And if the peak of the water level detected by the water level sensor 37 is below a predetermined water level, it will progress to step S44, and if larger than a predetermined water level, it will progress to step S45.

  As a method for determining the peak of the detected water level detected by the water level sensor 37 in the bubble discharge process, for example, the water level in the water tank 11 is determined by the water level sensor 37 during the bubble discharge process. You may detect sequentially and may calculate a peak from the detected water level.

  In step S44, it is determined whether or not the peak of the water level detected by the water level sensor 37 has been repeated a predetermined number of times (for example, twice) or less, and if it is less than the predetermined number of times, the process returns to step S41 to discharge bubbles. If the stroke is repeated and the number of times is repeated a predetermined number of times or less, the bubble discharge step is terminated and the process proceeds to step S6.

  In the present embodiment, when the water level peak detected by the water level sensor 37 is repeated a predetermined number of times and falls below the predetermined water level, the bubble discharge process is terminated. For example, the water level peak falls below the predetermined water level. Detected by the water level sensor 37, such as ending the bubble discharge process at a point in time, or executing the bubble discharge process a predetermined number of times from the point when the water level becomes lower than the predetermined water level, or ending the bubble discharge process. If the peak of the water level is lower than the predetermined water level, the foam staying in the drainage hose 17 is reduced, and the foam generated between the water tank 11 and the drum 19 is sufficiently discharged to the outside of the washing machine 1. As described above, the timing for ending the bubble discharge process can be set as appropriate.

  If the water level peak detected by the water level sensor 37 is larger than the predetermined water level in step S43, bubbles remain in the drainage hose 17, and bubbles still remain between the water tank 11 and the drum 19. As shown in steps S45 to S49, after setting the end conditions according to the classification of the weight of the laundry stored in step S1, that is, the three levels of classification “large”, “medium”, and “small” Then, the bubble discharging process is executed again.

  Specifically, in step S45, it is determined whether or not the weight classification of the laundry stored in step S1 is “large”. If the stored classification is “large”, the process proceeds to step S46. If not, the process proceeds to step S47.

  In step S46, it is determined whether or not the number of times n (hereinafter referred to as the number of bubble discharges) n of repeating the bubble discharge process including the drainage / water supply process (step S41) and the drainage process (step S42) has reached ten. If the bubble discharge number n is less than 10, the process returns to step S41 and the bubble discharge process is executed again. If the bubble discharge number n has reached 10, the bubble discharge process ends and the process proceeds to step S6. That is, in this embodiment, when the weight classification of the laundry is “large”, the foam discharge count n has reached 10 times before the peak of the water level detected by the water level sensor 37 drops to the predetermined water level. This is the end condition for ending the bubble discharge process.

  In step S47, it is determined whether the weight classification of the laundry stored in step S1 is “medium”. If the stored classification is “medium”, the process proceeds to step S48. Proceed to S49.

  In step S48, it is determined whether or not the number n of bubble discharges has reached 5. If the number of bubble discharges n is less than 5, the process returns to step S41 and the bubble discharge process is executed again. If the number of bubble discharges n has reached 5, the bubble discharge process ends and the process proceeds to step S6. That is, in the present embodiment, when the weight classification of the laundry is “medium”, the fact that the number n of foam discharges has reached 5 times is before the peak of the water level detected by the water level sensor 37 drops to the predetermined water level. This is the end condition for ending the bubble discharge process.

  In step S49, it is determined whether or not the number of bubble discharges n has reached three. If the number of bubble discharges n is less than 3, the process returns to step S41 and the bubble discharge process is executed again. If the number of bubble discharges n has reached 3, the bubble discharge process ends and the process proceeds to step S6. That is, in this embodiment, when the weight classification of the laundry is “small”, the foam discharge count n has reached 3 times before the water level peak detected by the water level sensor 37 drops to the predetermined water level. This is the end condition for ending the bubble discharge process.

  In the present embodiment, the fact that the number n of bubble discharges has reached a predetermined number of times is set as the end condition for ending the bubble discharge process. For example, the elapsed time from the start of the first bubble discharge process is predetermined. The end condition may be set to elapse of time.

  Here, an example is given with reference to FIG. 5 and FIG. 5 and 6 are a time chart showing the foam discharge process when the weight classification of the laundry is set to “large”, the water level detected by the water level sensor 37 at each time, and the rotation speed of the drum 19. It is the figure which also showed the graph which showed. In the figure, n1,..., N10 indicate the first bubble discharging process, and the tenth bubble discharging process, respectively.

  In the case shown in FIG. 5, the peak of the water level detected by the water level sensor 37 in the seventh and eighth bubble discharge strokes is less than the predetermined water level, and is repeated below twice to the predetermined water level. When the bubble discharge process is completed, the second dehydration process is then performed.

  Further, in the case shown in FIG. 6, the peak of the water level detected by the water level sensor 37 in the bubble discharge process is never below the predetermined water level, and the end condition is satisfied when the 10th bubble discharge process is completed. From the completion of the tenth bubble discharging step, the second dehydrating step is then performed.

  In the present embodiment, when the generation of foam is detected by the foam detection means in the first dehydration process (step S4 in FIG. 3) performed after the detergent washing process (step S3 in FIG. 3) is completed (step S4 in FIG. 3), Although the case where the above bubble discharge process is executed has been described, the bubble detection means generates bubbles during the second dehydration process (step S6 in FIG. 3) performed after the rinsing process (step S5 in FIG. 3) is completed. It may be configured to execute the bubble discharging process as described above when detecting.

  As described above, in the washing machine 1 of the present embodiment, the water level peak detected by the water level sensor in the foam discharge process ends after the foam discharge process ends after the water level peak falls below a predetermined water level. The foam generated during the dehydration process can be suppressed and discharged.

  Further, in the washing machine 1 of the present embodiment, even if a water level peak is erroneously detected, the foam discharge process is not completed until the water level peak is repeated a predetermined number of times or less, so that it is more reliable. In addition, after the foam filled between the water tank 11 and the drum 19 is completely discharged to the outside of the washing machine 1, the process can proceed to the next step. Therefore, due to insufficient discharge of bubbles filled between the water tank 11 and the drum 19, bubbles are less likely to be generated during the dehydration process performed after the bubble discharge process. The waste of electric power can be suppressed.

  Moreover, in the washing machine 1 of this embodiment, even if it is before the peak of the water level detected by the water level sensor 37 in the foam discharge process falls below the predetermined water level, the foam discharge process is ended when the end condition is satisfied. . Therefore, the water level sensor 37 detects the water level sensor 37 even though no bubbles remain between the water tank 11 and the drum 19 as in the case where the water level sensor 37 has a low sensitivity when the water level is low. The peak of the water level does not fall below the predetermined water level, and it is not possible to proceed to the next process such as a dehydration process, and there is no possibility of wasting water and time.

  Moreover, in the washing machine 1 of the present embodiment, since the content of the end condition is changed depending on the weight of the laundry, the end condition can be set to an appropriate condition according to the expected amount of foam generated. And wasted time.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Washing machine 3 ... Housing 11 ... Water tank 14 ... Water supply valve 16 ... Drain valve 18 ... Detergent case 19 ... Drum 19a ... Through hole 20 ... Water supply hose 21 ... Drum shaft 23 ... Motor 37 ... Water level sensor

Claims (4)

A water tank that can store water, a rotary tank that has a hole that allows water to pass therethrough, and is rotatably disposed in the water tank, a water supply valve that supplies water to the water tank, and drains the washing water in the water tank. A drain valve and a water level sensor for detecting the water level in the water tank,
In a washing machine capable of executing a washing step of rotating the rotating tub containing laundry with detergent and washing water, and a dehydrating step of rotating the rotating tub to dehydrate the laundry in the rotating tub,
Foam detection means for detecting the generation of bubbles in the water tank during the dehydration process;
When the generation of bubbles is detected in the bubble detection means, the bubble discharge step of closing the water supply valve after opening the water supply valve with the drain valve opened is repeated one or more times, and the bubble discharge is performed. A washing machine comprising: control means for ending the foam discharge process after the peak of the water level detected by the water level sensor in the process has dropped to a predetermined water level or less.   2. The washing according to claim 1, wherein the control means ends the foam discharge process when the peak of the water level detected by the water level sensor in the foam discharge process is repeated a predetermined number of times and falls below a predetermined water level. Machine.   The said control means ends the said foam discharge process, when predetermined | prescribed completion | finish conditions are satisfied before the peak of the water level detected by the said water level sensor falls below a predetermined water level. Washing machine. A weight sensor for detecting the weight of the laundry stored in the rotating tub;
The washing machine according to claim 3, wherein the control means changes the end condition according to a weight detected by the weight sensor.

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