JP5501091B2 - Washing and drying machine - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a washing / drying machine, and more particularly to cloth quality detection.

  The washing / drying machine has a cylindrical outer tub for storing washing water in a housing, and a washing / dehydrating tub having a large number of holes in the cylindrical portion provided rotatably inside the outer tub ( Hereinafter, it is referred to as a washing tub), and is constituted by a rotary blade that is rotatably installed at the bottom of the washing tub, agitates clothes and water, a motor that rotates the washing tub and the rotary wing, and a drying device.

  There are a wide variety of clothes to be washed with such a washing and drying machine, and an operation suitable for each of these properties is desired.

  As a method for determining the cloth quality of a conventional washing machine and washing / drying machine, load characteristics applied to the motor when the motor is driven in a state where water is not accumulated in the outer tub and a motor in a state where water is accumulated A method of determining from such load characteristics has been proposed (Patent Document 1 below).

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-239187

  In the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, when the rotation of the rotor blade is poor, it is determined that the cloth quality is “wow” with high water absorption. However, clothing made of cotton with poor slippage is rotated even if water absorption is low. The wing rotation may be worsened. Therefore, according to the above determination method, such clothing is also determined to be “wow”.

  A first object of the present invention is to provide a washing / drying machine that can accurately determine whether or not the clothes are being washed, particularly whether the clothes have a high water content, and can be operated according to the determination result. is there. A second object of the present invention is to provide a washing / drying machine capable of accurately determining a material of clothing, for example, cotton or chemical fiber, and capable of operating according to the determination result.

  In order to solve such a problem, the present invention provides a washing and dewatering tub for storing clothes, an outer tub containing the washing and dewatering tub, a drive device for rotationally driving the washing and dewatering tub, In the washing / drying machine having a vibration detecting means for detecting the vibration amount of the outer tub and a casing covering the outer tub, the washing / dehydrating tub is rotated while clothing and water are supplied into the washing / dehydrating tub. Alternatively, when the driving device is operated so as to stop, the operation of washing, dehydration or drying is changed based on the vibration amount detected by the vibration detecting means.

  Desirably, it further includes load detection means for detecting a rotational load amount when driving the washing / dehydrating tub, and based on the rotational load amount detected by the load detection means, whether or not the clothing has a high water content. It is characterized in that it is determined whether or not the clothes have a lot of synthetic fibers, and the operation of main washing, rinsing, dehydration or drying is changed according to the determination result.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the washing dryer which can determine accurately whether the cloth quality of the clothing in washing | cleaning, especially clothing with much water content, and can be drive | operated according to the determination result can be provided. In addition, it is possible to provide a washing / drying machine that can accurately determine the material of clothing, for example, cotton or chemical fiber and can be operated according to the result.

It is a right view inside the washing and drying machine concerning a 1st embodiment. It is the figure which showed the exterior of the washing / drying machine which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a functional block diagram which shows the structure of the control apparatus of the washing / drying machine which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the operation | movement flow of the washing / drying machine which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a functional block diagram which shows the structure of the cloth amount and the cloth quality determination part with which a microcomputer is provided. It is a figure which shows the relationship between a compress weight and the vibration integrated value V. FIG. It is a figure which shows the relationship between dry cloth weight and poultry weight. It is a figure which shows the relationship between a compress weight and the electric current integrated value I. It is a functional block diagram which shows the structure of the cloth quantity and the cloth quality determination part with which the microcomputer concerning 2nd Embodiment is provided. It is a figure which shows the relationship between the cloth amount sensing value m and the vibration integration value V. FIG. It is a figure which shows the relationship between the cloth amount sensing value m and the electric current integration value I. FIG. It is a figure which shows the relationship between the electric current integrated value distance DI and the vibration integrated value distance DV. It is the perspective view which showed the exterior of the drum type washing-drying machine which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is a right view inside a drum type washing dryer concerning a 3rd embodiment. It is a figure which shows the operation | movement flow of the washing / drying machine which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is a functional block diagram which shows the structure of the cloth quantity and the cloth quality determination part with which the microcomputer concerning 3rd Embodiment is provided. It is a figure which shows the relationship between dry cloth weight and vibration integrated value V. FIG.

  Hereinafter, modes for carrying out the present invention (hereinafter referred to as “embodiments”) will be described in detail with reference to the drawings as appropriate.

  First, a vertical washer / dryer will be described.

  FIG. 1 shows the inside of the washing machine according to the first embodiment, and FIG. 2 shows the exterior of the washing machine. The exterior of the washing machine is composed of a casing 1 made of steel plate, a top cover 2 attached to the upper part, and an operation / display panel 3. The operation / display panel 3 includes a power switch 3a, operation buttons 3b, and a display 3c. The top cover 2 includes a lid 2a and a rear storage portion 2b that mainly stores components related to water supply.

  Inside the washing machine, the outer tub 4 for storing cylindrical water with a bottom is elastically supported by four suspension bars 5 from the four corners of the upper part of the housing (only one is shown in the figure). A cylindrical washing tub 6 is rotatably provided in the outer tub 4. A large number of dewatering holes 6a are provided on the side surface of the washing tub 6, and a fluid balancer 6b is provided on the upper edge. A rotating blade 7 is rotatably provided at the bottom of the washing tub 6. A support plate 8 is attached to the outside of the bottom surface of the outer tub 4, and a driving device 9 is fixed to the support plate 8. With this driving device 9, the rotating blade 7 is fixed to the washing tub 6 during dehydration, and the washing tub 6 is rotationally driven in one direction. Further, during washing, the rotary blade 7 is separated from the washing tub 6 and rotates forward and reverse in the washing tub 6 to swing water and clothes.

  A water supply port 10 is provided in the rear part of the top cover 2, and a water supply valve 11 and a cooling water supply valve 12 are provided in the rear housing part 2 b, which are connected to constitute a water supply unit. Washing water is supplied to the outer tub 4 by the water supply valve 11. The amount of water supplied is controlled by detecting the water level with a water level sensor 13 provided in the upper part of the washing machine. The water level sensor 13 is connected to the air chamber 14 connected to the outer tub 4 at the lower part of the outer tub 4 and the tube 15, and detects the pressure in the air chamber 14.

  A drain valve 16 for draining washing water is provided on the bottom surface of the outer tub 4, and the washing water is discharged outside the washing machine through a drain hose 17 connected to the drain valve 16.

  Further, a duct 18 for cooling and dehumidifying at the time of drying is provided behind the outer tub 4. The duct 18 and the outer tub 4 are connected by a rubber bellows pipe 19. A fan 20 is provided on the opposite side of the duct 18 from the bellows pipe 19, and the fan 20 is operated during drying, and the air in the duct 18 is sucked into the fan 20. A heater 21 is provided on the discharge side of the fan 20, and the tip is connected to the outer tub 4. An inner lid 22 is provided on the upper surface of the outer tub 4 so as not to let the air in the outer tub 4 escape.

  At the time of drying, the fan 20 is operated and drying is performed while circulating air. Air discharged from the fan 20 is warmed by the heater 21 and blown into the washing tub 6. The wet clothes in the washing tub 6 are warmed to evaporate the water. The air containing the evaporated water is sent into the duct 18. At this time, the cooling water supply valve 12 is opened, water is supplied into the duct 18, and water-cooling dehumidification is performed by contacting with the humid air in the duct 18 to return to dry air. This air is sucked into the fan 20 and discharged toward the heater 21. In this way, drying is performed by evaporating moisture from the clothes while circulating air.

  A temperature sensor A 23 a is provided on the suction side of the fan 20 of the duct 18, and a temperature sensor B 23 b is provided on the downstream side of the heater 20. These temperature sensors 23a and 23b control the drying operation.

  The motor 9 is provided with a rotation detector 24 composed of a Hall element or a photo interrupter for detecting the rotation.

  Further, an acceleration sensor 25 that detects the movement of the outer tub 4 is fixed to the outer periphery of the trunk of the outer tub 4. This acceleration sensor 25 is a chip-shaped sensor made by MEMS technology, and is a vibration detection means that can detect vibration amounts in three directions of the outer tank in the vertical direction, radial direction, and circumferential direction. This acceleration sensor is mounted on an electronic substrate together with electronic components such as resistors and is housed in a plastic case. Resin is poured into the case, and the substrate is coated so that it does not splash water. The acceleration sensor is provided substantially vertically above the portion of the outer tub 4 that is supported by the suspension bar 5. In order to support the weight of the outer tub 4, the washing tub 6, clothing, and the like by the suspension bar 5, it is necessary to make this area firmly and ribs are erected outward. The acceleration sensor 25 is fixed to the portion thus made firmly. If it is attached to a soft part, the deformation of the outer tub 4 itself is detected in addition to the movement of the outer tub 4, which is not desirable.

  Further, a control device 26 for controlling the motor 9, the fan 20, the heater 21, and the like is provided at the lower part of the housing 1 that covers the outer tub 4. The control device 26 is provided with load detection means for detecting the rotational load amount when driving the washing tub 6 and the rotary blades 7, specifically, a motor current detector 27 for detecting a current value supplied to the motor. .

  FIG. 3 shows a block diagram of the control device 26. The control device 26 is configured around a microcomputer (microcomputer) 31. A driving course is input from the operation button 3b by the user, a driving pattern suitable for the driving course is called from the driving pattern database 32, and driving is performed according to the data. The operation is basically control of the motor 9 and is controlled by the motor control unit 33. The motor control unit 33 controls the motor 9 using the result obtained by the rotation speed calculation unit 34 based on the signal from the rotation detector 24. Further, in order to control the amount of water for washing, the water level control unit 35 monitors the output of the water level sensor 13 and controls the opening and closing of the water supply valve 11 and the drain valve 16. Further, at the time of drying, the heater 21 and the fan 20 are controlled by the heater control unit 36 and the fan control unit 37 based on the results of the temperature sensors 23a and 23b. The cloth amount / cloth quality determination unit 38 determines the cloth amount and the cloth quality of the clothes based on the results of the motor current detector 27 and the acceleration sensor 25. The cloth amount / cloth quality determination unit 38 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. FIG.

  FIG. 4 is a flowchart of the washing / drying operation, and FIG. 5 is a block diagram of the cloth amount / cloth quality determination unit.

  As shown in FIG. 4, when washing / drying starts (S1), cloth amount sensing of the dry cloth is performed (S2). At this time, the measurement is performed while rotating the rotor blades 7 in the forward and reverse directions. The rotor 7 is rotated at a speed of 130 revolutions per minute for 1.0 second, stopped for 1.0 second, and similarly rotated in the opposite direction for 1.0 second, and stopped for 1.0 second. This operation cycle is shorter than that at the time of washing, and the rotary blade 7 operates in small increments. During this operation, the current integrated value m is calculated from the output of the motor current detector 27 by the current integrated value calculating unit (m) 39. The current integrated value m is obtained by integrating current values that change from moment to moment. From this value, the dry cloth weight calculator 40 determines the weight of the dry cloth. From the result of the weight, the amount of detergent corresponding to the weight of the clothing is displayed on the display, washing water is supplied (S3), and pre-washing is performed (S4). Pre-washing is a process in which detergent is dissolved in a smaller amount of water than the main washing performed after pre-washing, and the detergent solution is soaked into clothing, so that the stains on the clothing can be easily removed with a high-concentration detergent solution. It is a process to do. In the pre-washing, a detergent solution is supplied to the extent that it comes out or does not come out on the upper surface of the rotary blade 7, and the rotary blade 7 is rotated forward and reverse a plurality of times in a cycle shorter than that of the main wash. Rotate for 1.5 seconds at a speed of 130 revolutions per minute, stop for 1.0 second, rotate in the opposite direction for 1.5 seconds and stop for 1.0 second. This operation is repeated for about 2 minutes to complete the pre-washing. The cloth is sensed by washing the clothes with a detergent solution by pre-washing (S5).

  The cloth quality sensing is performed when the driving device 9 is operated so as to rotate or stop the rotating blade 7 in small increments while supplying clothes and water to the inside of the washing tub 6 and pre-washing the clothes with moisture. Based on the vibration amount detected by the sensor 25, it is determined whether or not the clothing has a high water content. In the present embodiment, the operation of rotating for 1.0 second at a speed of 130 rotations per minute and stopping for 1.0 second is performed forward and reverse 5 times each. It is also determined from the output of the motor current detector 27 and the output of the acceleration sensor 25 at this time whether or not the clothes have a lot of synthetic fibers.

  Specifically, first, the vibration integrated value calculation unit 41 calculates the vibration integrated value V from the output of the acceleration sensor 25. The vibration integrated value V is obtained by integrating acceleration sensor outputs that change from moment to moment. In the present embodiment, the acceleration sensor 25 is a triaxial acceleration sensor, and outputs in three directions are obtained. The outputs in these three directions are integrated, and the three values are averaged to obtain a vibration integrated value V. The relationship between this vibration integrated value V and the weight of the compress is shown in FIG. The rhombus plot in this figure is for a 100% cotton bath towel, the square plot is for a blended shirt of 35% cotton and 65% polyester, and the triangular plot is for a 100% polyester jersey. is there. From this figure, there is no different tendency depending on the fabric quality, and the vibration integrated value V is a value proportional to the weight of the compress. That is, it can be seen that even if the cloth quality is different, substantially the same vibration integrated value V is calculated if the weight of the compress is the same. Therefore, the weight of the compress can be estimated from the vibration integrated value V, and the compress weight is calculated by the compress weight calculating unit 42.

  For reference, FIG. 7 shows the relationship between the dry cloth weight and the compress weight. From this figure, 100% cotton bath towel and 100% polyester jersey have the same dry weight if the dry weight is the same. However, the weight of the mixed shirt of 35% cotton and 65% polyester is similar to other clothes. You can see that it is lighter. This is because bath towels and jerseys are watery and heavy fabrics, while shirts are watery and waterless and lighter than other clothing. This is considered to be greatly influenced by how the fibers are knitted. If the fabric is knitted so as to be thick like a bath towel, moisture can be easily retained and the weight of the compress becomes heavy. Conversely, when the fabric is thin like a shirt, moisture cannot be retained so much and the weight of the compress is reduced.

  As described above, there are some that have a high water content and some that do not. Based on the weight of the poultice weight obtained by the poultice weight calculating section 42 and the weight of the dry cloth obtained by sensing the cloth amount of the dry cloth, the moisture content determining section 43 discriminates the cloth quality having a high water content and the clothing having a low water content. Thus, by estimating the weight of the compress, it is possible to discriminate between clothing that easily contains a lot of water and clothing that does not contain much water.

  The weight of the compress in this embodiment was estimated from the vibration value of the acceleration sensor. The outer tub 4 vibrates by receiving the reaction force when the rotation of the rotor blade 7 is started and stopped. This reaction force arises from a change in the speed of the moment of inertia of the garment riding on the rotor blade 7, and it largely depends on the weight of the compress. In the present embodiment, the weight of the compress is obtained from vibrations in all three directions, but only the acceleration in the circumferential direction in which the influence of the reaction force greatly appears may be used. Further, instead of estimating the weight of the compress from the vibration, a weight sensor may be provided on the suspension bar 5 or the like to detect the weight directly.

  Subsequently, similarly to the dry cloth detection, the integrated value is calculated by the integrated current value calculation unit (I) 44 and is set as the integrated current value I (S5). FIG. 8 shows the relationship between the integrated current value I and the weight of the compress. Similarly to FIG. 6, the rhombus plot is for a 100% cotton bath towel, the square plot is for a blended shirt of 35% cotton and 65% polyester, and the triangle plot is 100% polyester. This is the case for jerseys. For the same compress weight, 100% polyester garments show lower values than 100% cotton garments. In addition, in the case of blending, it can be seen that it is located between polyester and cotton. From this, if the weight of the compress is known, the current integrated value I is considered to indicate the blending ratio of cotton and synthetic fiber. The current value of the motor indicates that it is difficult to rotate the rotor blades 7, and it is considered that this difficulty of rotation depends on the weight of the compress and the difficulty of slipping the clothes. Therefore, if the weight of the poultice is known, the current integrated value I becomes an index indicating the slipping difficulty of the clothing, and is a high value in the case of a non-slipping fiber such as cotton, and a low value in the case of a slippery fiber such as synthetic fiber. . As described above, the fiber determination unit 45 determines that there is a lot of cotton or a large amount of synthetic fiber from the current integrated value I and the weight of the compress obtained from the compress weight calculating unit 42.

  In the present embodiment, the difficulty of rotating the rotor blade 7 is determined based on the integrated current value, but it may be determined from the movement of the rotor blade 7. Specifically, the evaluation is based on the acceleration rate of the rotation speed when the motor speed is accelerated with a constant current, or the evaluation is based on the time it takes for the motor to stop rotating from the state where it rotates at a constant speed. Is mentioned. The difficulty of turning the rotor blade 7 may be determined by these methods.

  As described above, the cloth amount / cloth quality determination unit 38 determines the moisture content of the clothing and the type of the fiber from the motor current and the acceleration sensor, thereby determining the cloth quality (S5). Cloth quality is classified into four types: synthetic fiber (S6) having a high water content, synthetic fiber (S7) having a low water content, cotton (S8) having a high water content, and cotton (S9) having a low water content. In this way, the cloth quality is classified finely, and the operation method suitable for these cloth quality is performed, and the energy saving performance by saving time and water is improved.

  When the water content is high and the amount of synthetic fibers is large (S6), water is supplied in a larger amount than the predetermined water amount (S10), and the main washing is started (S11). The movement of the main washing rotor blade 7 is weaker than that of cotton, and it is rotated at a speed of 110 revolutions per minute for 2.0 seconds and stopped for 1.0 second, and washed with a weak water flow. In the case of chemical fiber, dirt does not penetrate into the fiber and can be washed even with a weak water flow. Rinsing is performed by increasing the amount of water (S12). If the amount of water is small, it will not be possible to distribute the rinse water evenly over clothing. In dehydration, it is slowly activated over time until high speed rotation is reached (S13). In the case of this cloth quality, since the water content is large, a large amount of water is released from the clothing during the start-up. When the amount of water discharged is larger than the amount of water discharged from the outer tub, the water is accumulated in the outer tub, and the rotation of the washing tub is locked due to the resistance of water, so that the water cannot be dehydrated. Therefore, the speed is increased slowly so that water is not released from the clothing at a stretch, and water does not accumulate in the outer tub. On the other hand, the time for steady operation after starting up to high speed rotation is shortened (S13). In the case of clothing having a lot of chemical fibers, water drains from the clothing well, and a predetermined dewatering performance can be secured in a short time. Therefore, the dewatering time is made shorter than usual. Thereafter, the process proceeds to drying, but the operation is performed at a predetermined temperature, and when the predetermined dryness is reached (S14), the operation is terminated (S16).

  If the water content is low and the amount of synthetic fibers is high (S7), a predetermined amount of water is supplied (S17), and main washing is started (S18). The movement of the main washing rotor blade 7 is weaker than that of cotton, and it is rotated at a speed of 110 revolutions per minute for 2.0 seconds and stopped for 1.0 second, and washed with a weak water flow. The subsequent rinsing is performed with a reduced amount of water (S19). Because the clothes have a low water content, the rinsing water can be distributed evenly even with a small amount of water. In the dehydration, the time required to reach the high speed rotation is shortened and activated quickly (S20). In the case of this cloth quality, since the water content is small, even if water is discharged from the clothing at a stretch during the start-up, it does not release more than the drainage capacity, so it can be shortened by starting in a short time. In addition, the time for steady operation at high speed can be shortened and the time can be shortened. Thereafter, the process proceeds to drying, but the operation is performed at a predetermined temperature, and when the predetermined dryness is reached (S21), the operation is terminated (S16).

  When the water content is high and the amount of chemical fiber is small (S8), water is supplied in a larger amount than the predetermined water amount (S22), and the main washing is started (S23). The movement of the rotary wing 7 in the main washing is stronger than that in the case of synthetic fibers, and the operation is repeated for 2.5 seconds at a speed of 130 revolutions per minute and stopped for 0.8 seconds, and washed with a strong water flow. In the case of cotton, dirt has penetrated to the back of the fiber, and a predetermined performance is ensured by washing with a strong water flow. The subsequent rinsing is performed with an increased amount of water (S24). In dehydration, it is slowly activated over time until high speed rotation is reached (S25), so that water does not accumulate in the outer tub. Further, the time for steady operation after starting up to high speed rotation is made longer than a predetermined time. In the case of cotton, the drainage of water from clothing is poor, and a longer time is required than that of synthetic fiber. Further, since the water content is large, the time is increased to ensure the dewatering performance. After that, although it shifts to drying, since cotton easily shrinks, it is operated at a temperature lower than a predetermined temperature to suppress shrinkage of clothes (S26). In addition, since clothes with a high water content have a thick cloth, uneven drying tends to occur, and when the dryness reaches a level higher than the predetermined dryness, the operation is terminated (S16).

  When the water content is low and the amount of chemical fiber is small (S9), a predetermined amount of water is supplied (S27), and the main washing is started (S28). The movement of the rotary wing 7 in the main washing is stronger than that in the case of synthetic fibers, and the operation is repeated for 2.5 seconds at a speed of 130 revolutions per minute and stopped for 0.8 seconds, and washed with a strong water flow. The subsequent rinse is rinsed with a predetermined amount of water (S29). In dehydration, it is quickly activated in a short time until reaching high speed rotation (S30). In addition, dehydration is performed for a predetermined time during the steady operation after starting up to high speed rotation. Then, although it transfers to drying, it drive | works at lower than predetermined temperature and suppresses shrinkage | contraction of clothing (S31). When the predetermined dryness is reached, the operation is terminated (S16). Moreover, you may set so that the time which complete | finishes drying may be advanced rather than usual.

  As described above, at the initial stage of washing, the cloth quality is determined from the current value of the motor and the acceleration sensor value of the outer tub, and the subsequent washing / drying operation is performed with an operation pattern suitable for the cloth quality. Energy conservation can be improved while maintaining

  Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. Although the present embodiment is almost the same as the first embodiment, the cloth amount / cloth quality determination unit in the microcomputer that performs the cloth quality determination is different. Only this part will be described. The rest is the same as the first embodiment.

  When washing and drying start, dry cloth amount sensing is performed before water supply. The current integrated value m is calculated by the current integrated value calculation unit (m) 39 from the current value obtained from the motor current detector at this time. Based on this value, the dry cloth weight calculator 40 calculates the dry cloth weight. Simultaneously with this process, the reference vibration value V0 is calculated by the reference vibration value calculation unit 51. Further, a reference current value I 0 is calculated by the reference current value calculation unit 52. The reference vibration value V0 and the reference current value I0 are obtained based on the integrated current value m at the time of dry cloth. Details will be described later.

  After this, water is supplied, pre-washed, and cloth quality sensing is performed. The operation of the rotor blades during cloth quality sensing is the same as that of the first embodiment, but the cloth quality judgment method is different. First, the integrated vibration value calculation unit (V) 41 calculates the integrated vibration value V from the acceleration sensor 25. The vibration integrated value distance DV is obtained from the vibration integrated value V and the reference vibration value V0 obtained previously by the vibration integrated value distance calculation unit 53. (The vibration integrated value distance DV will be described later.) Also, the current integrated value calculation unit (I) 44 obtains the current integrated value I during poultice. A current integrated value distance DI is obtained from the current integrated value I and the previously obtained reference current value I0 by the current integrated value distance calculation unit 54. (The current integrated value distance DI will be described later.) Based on the vibration integrated value distance DV and the current integrated value distance DI, the cloth quality determination unit 55 determines the cloth quality.

First, the vibration integrated value distance DV and the reference vibration value V0 described above will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the relationship between the current integrated value m during dry cloth on the horizontal axis and the vibration integrated value V on the vertical axis. The rhombus plot in the figure is for a 100% cotton bath towel, the square plot is for a 35% cotton and 65% polyester shirt, and the triangular plot is for a 100% polyester jersey. Yes, the circular plot is for a thin fabric of 100% cotton. Each cloth has a plurality of plots, but the results are obtained by changing the amount of cloth. From this figure, it can be seen that bath towels and jerseys tend to be similar, and shirts and thin cotton tend to be similar. Bath towels and jerseys have a higher integrated value of vibration than shirts and thin cotton, and as explained earlier, clothing containing more water shows a larger value. Using this vibration integrated value, a reference vibration line serving as a reference for discriminating the cloth quality is drawn and sorted. This reference vibration line is indicated by a thick solid line in the figure, and is provided between a thick garment that contains a lot of water such as a bath towel or jersey and a thin garment such as a shirt or thin cotton that does not contain much water. The fabric quality is determined based on the distance from the reference vibration line. Therefore, the vibration integrated value distance DV is used as an index indicating the distance from the reference vibration line. First, the vibration integrated value at a point on the reference vibration line corresponding to the current integrated value m at the time of dry cloth is set as a reference vibration value V0. (This processing is performed by the reference vibration value calculation unit 51.) Next, the vibration integrated value V in the poultice state is obtained, and the vibration integrated value distance DV is obtained from these two values by Equation 1.
[Formula 1]
DV = (V−V0) / V0 × 100

  As shown in this equation, the vibration integrated value distance DV is a value obtained by dividing the difference between the vibration integrated value V and the vibration reference value V0 by the vibration reference value V0 in percentage. In general, if the vibration integrated value distance DV is positive, it is determined that the fabric is likely to contain a lot of water, and if it is negative, it is determined to be a fabric that does not contain much water.

Next, the current integrated value distance DI and the reference current value I0 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the relationship between the current integrated value m at the time of dry cloth on the horizontal axis and the current integrated value V on the vertical axis. The rhombus plot in the figure is for a 100% cotton bath towel, the square plot is for a 35% cotton and 65% polyester shirt, and the triangular plot is for a 100% polyester jersey. Yes, the circular plot is for a thin fabric of 100% cotton. Each cloth has a plurality of plots, but the results are obtained by changing the amount of cloth. From this figure, shirts and jerseys tend to be similar and show low values, while those of thin cotton and bath towels are high. As described above, the integrated current value indicates the difficulty of rotating the rotor blade, and is affected by the weight and the difficulty of slipping. If it is heavy, the value is high, and the value of cotton is higher than that of synthetic fiber. For this reason, a shirt containing a lot of synthetic fibers has a low current integrated value, and it is thick but a synthetic fiber, so a jersey has a low integrated current value. Conversely, a thick cotton material such as a bath towel has a high current integrated value, and a thin cotton has a current integrated value lower than that of a bath towel. From this figure, there is a large difference between clothing containing a lot of synthetic fibers and clothing containing a lot of cotton. Using this difference, the fabric quality is determined. A reference current line as a reference is drawn between the clothes containing a lot of synthetic fibers and the clothes containing a lot of cotton to separate them. The reference current line is indicated by a thick solid line in the figure, and the fabric quality is determined by the distance from the reference current line. Therefore, the current integrated value distance DI is used as an index indicating the distance from the reference current line. Similarly to the vibration integrated value distance DV, a current integrated value at a point on the reference current line corresponding to the current integrated value m at the time of dry cloth is defined as a reference current value I0. (This process is performed by the reference current value calculation unit 52.) Next, the current integrated value I in the poultice state is obtained, and the current integrated value distance DI is obtained from Equation 2 using these two values.
[Formula 2]
DI = (I−I0) / I0 × 100

  In general, if the current integrated value distance DI is positive, it is determined that the fabric is rich in cotton, and if it is negative, the fabric is rich in chemical fiber.

  The cloth quality determination unit 55 obtains the cloth quality from the vibration accumulated value distance DV and the current accumulated distance DI. FIG. 12 shows these two relationships. The horizontal axis indicates the current integrated distance DI, and the vertical axis indicates the vibration integrated value distance DV. The lines indicated by thick broken lines in the figure are lines with DI = 0 and DV = 0. The diamond plot is for a 100% cotton bath towel, the square plot is for a blended shirt of 35% cotton and 65% polyester, and the triangle plot is for a 100% polyester jersey, round These plots are for a thin cloth made of 100% cotton. It can be seen that the distribution differs depending on the cloth quality. In the case of cotton having a high water content, DI> 0, DV> 0. In the case of a synthetic fiber having a high water content, DI <0, DV> 0. In the case of a synthetic fiber having a low water content, DI <0. In the case of 0, DV <0 and cotton having a low water content, the distribution is such that DI> 0, DV <0. Therefore, the cloth quality is determined by dividing the area as shown by the thick solid line in the figure, and the subsequent operation is controlled according to the cloth quality. This operation control is performed similarly to the first embodiment.

  As described above, the cloth quality is determined based on the current integrated value m during dry cloth, the current integrated value I during poultice, and the vibration integrated value V as in the first embodiment. However, in the first embodiment, the weight of the compress in the determination (estimation) portion of the fiber uses a value estimated from the vibration integrated value V, and double estimation is performed, so that the determination error increases. However, in this embodiment, it is possible to reduce the determination error by making a determination based on the area formed by the estimated two values.

  Further, the reference vibration line and the reference current line set in this embodiment are set closer to the shirt. Either reference line may be set arbitrarily, but it is desirable to set it closer to the shirt when considering the quality of the fabric and considering the control to improve energy saving. In the case of a synthetic fiber having a low water content such as a shirt, water can be reduced and the operation time can be shortened. Therefore, it is desirable to provide a reference line near the shirt in order to classify the characteristics of the shirt.

  Further, instead of the vibration integrated value V, the weight of the poultice may be detected by weight detection means for detecting the weight of the clothes in the washing tub 6 to determine whether the moisture content is large or small.

  Next, a third embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. This embodiment is an example of a drum type washing and drying machine. FIG. 13 is an external view of a drum-type washing / drying machine, and FIG. 14 is a side view in which a part of the casing is cut to show the internal structure.

  The casing 61 constituting the outer shell is mounted on a base 61h, and includes left and right side plates 61a and 61b, a front cover 61c, a rear cover 61d, an upper cover 61e, and a lower front cover 61f. The left and right side plates 61a and 61b are joined by a U-shaped upper reinforcing material (not shown), a front reinforcing material (not shown), and a rear reinforcing material (not shown), and include a base 61h. A box-shaped casing 61 is formed and has sufficient strength as a casing. In addition, legs 74 that support the entire washing machine are provided at the four corners of the base 61h.

  The door 62 is for closing a slot for putting in and taking out clothes provided in the approximate center of the front cover 61c, and is supported by a hinge provided in the front reinforcing member so as to be opened and closed. When the door release button 62a is pressed, the lock mechanism (not shown) is released to open the door, and when the door is pressed against the front cover 61c, the door is locked and closed. The front reinforcing member has a circular opening for putting clothes in and out concentrically with an opening of the outer tub described later.

  An operation / display panel 63 provided at the upper center of the housing 61 includes a power switch 64, operation buttons 65, and a display 66. The operation / display panel 63 is electrically connected to a main control device 67 provided at the bottom of the housing 61.

  The drum 68 shown in FIG. 14 is rotatably supported, has a plurality of through holes for water flow and ventilation on its outer peripheral wall and bottom wall, and has an opening 68a for putting clothes in and out on the front end face. It is provided. A fluid balancer 68c integral with the drum 68 is provided outside the opening 68a. A plurality of lifters 68b extending in the axial direction are provided inside the outer peripheral wall, and when the drum 68 is rotated during washing and drying, the clothes are lifted along the outer peripheral wall by the lifter 68b and centrifugal force and fall by gravity. Repeat the movement. The rotation center axis of the drum 68 is inclined so that the horizontal or opening 68a side becomes higher.

  The cylindrical outer tub 70 contains the drum 68 coaxially, the front surface is open, and a motor 69 is attached to the outer center of the rear end surface. The rotating shaft of the motor 69 passes through the outer tub 70 and is coupled to the drum 68. An outer tub cover 70a is provided at the opening on the front surface to enable water storage in the outer tub. In the center of the front side of the outer tub cover 70a, there is an opening 70b for putting clothes in and out.

  The opening provided in the opening 10b and the front reinforcing material (not shown) is connected by a rubber bellows 71, and the outer tub 70 is sealed with water by closing the door 62. A drain outlet 70d is provided at the bottom bottom of the outer tub 70, and a drain hose 72 is connected thereto. A drain valve (not shown) is provided in the middle of the drain hose 72. By closing the drain valve and supplying water, water is stored in the outer tank 70, and the drain valve is opened to drain the water in the outer tank 70 outside the machine. To discharge.

  The outer tub 70 is supported in an anti-vibration manner by a suspension 73 (consisting of a coil spring and a damper) whose lower side is fixed to the base 61h. The upper side of the outer tub 70 is supported by an auxiliary spring (not shown) attached to the upper reinforcing member, and prevents the outer tub 70 from falling in the front-rear direction. The detergent container is provided on the upper left side in the housing 61, and a drawer-type detergent tray 75 is attached from the front opening. On the back side of the detergent container, water-related parts such as a water supply valve (not shown), a bath water supply pump, and a water level sensor are provided. The detergent container is connected to the outer tub 70. The water supply valve is a multiple valve and supplies water to a drying duct 78 having a detergent container and a water-cooled dehumidifying mechanism. The cover 61e is provided with a water supply hose connection port 76 from the water tap and a water absorption hose connection port 77 for remaining hot water in the bath.

  The drying duct 78 is installed vertically inside the back surface of the housing 61, and the lower portion of the duct is connected to an intake port 70c provided below the back surface of the outer tub 70 through a rubber bellows tube A78a. A water-cooled dehumidifying mechanism is built in the drying duct 78, and cooling water is supplied from the water supply valve to the water-cooled dehumidifying mechanism. The cooling water flows down along the wall surface of the drying duct 78, enters the outer tank 70 from the intake port 70c, and is discharged from the drain port 70d.

  The upper part of the drying duct 78 is connected to a drying filter 80 installed on the upper front right side in the housing 1. The drying filter 80 is inserted into the duct 78 and can be pulled out. The drying filter 80 is a mesh type filter, and lint is removed by passing through the filter. Cleaning of the dry filter 80 is performed by pulling out the dry filter 80 and taking out a mesh-type filter. Further, an opening is provided on the lower surface of the insertion portion of the drying filter 80, and this opening is connected to the air inlet of the air blowing unit 82, and air is sucked into the air blowing unit 82.

  The blower unit 82 includes a driving motor 82a, a fan (not shown), and a fan case 82b. The fan case 82b incorporates a heater 83 to heat the air sent from the fan impeller. The outlet of the blower unit 82 is connected to the hot air duct 84. The hot air duct 84 is connected to a hot air outlet 85 provided in the outer tank cover 70a through a rubber bellows tube B84a. In the present embodiment, since the blower unit 82 is provided on the upper right side in the housing 1, the hot air outlet 85 is provided at a position on the upper right side of the outer tank cover 70 a, and the distance to the hot air outlet 85 is set. I try to keep it as short as possible.

  The flow of wind during dehydration and drying is as follows. The fan is rotated to send air toward the heater 83 (arrow 91). The heater 83 is energized to warm the air to warm air and send it to the warm air duct 84. High-speed hot air blows into the drum 68 from the hot air outlet 85 (arrow 92), hits the wet clothing, warms the clothing, and moisture evaporates from the clothing. The air that has become hot and humid flows from the through hole provided in the drum 68 to the outer tub 70, is sucked into the drying duct 78 from the intake port 70c, and flows through the drying duct 78 from the bottom to the top (arrow 93). Cooling water from the water cooling and dehumidifying mechanism flows down on the wall surface of the drying duct 78, and the high-temperature and high-humidity air is cooled and dehumidified by coming into contact with the cooling water to become dry low-temperature air. It is removed and sucked into the blower unit 82 (arrow 94). Then, it is heated again by the heater 83 and circulates so as to blow into the drum 68.

  A temperature sensor A 95 is provided on the fan suction side of the duct 78, and a temperature sensor B 96 is provided downstream of the heater 83. These temperature sensors 95 and 96 control the drying operation.

  The motor 69 is provided with a rotation detector 97 constituted by a Hall element or a photo interrupter for detecting the rotation.

  In addition, an acceleration sensor 98 that detects the movement of the outer tub 70 is fixed to the outer periphery of the lower portion of the outer tub 70. This acceleration sensor 98 is a chip-shaped sensor made by the MEMS technology, and can detect three directions of the vertical direction, the radial direction, and the circumferential direction.

  Further, the control device 67 is provided with a motor current detector 99 for detecting a current value supplied to the motor. The internal configuration of the control device 26 is the same as that in the first embodiment, and a description thereof will be omitted.

  In such a drum type washing and drying machine, operation control is performed as shown in FIG. FIG. 16 is a block diagram of the cloth amount / cloth quality determination unit.

  As shown in FIG. 15, when washing / drying starts (S51), dry cloth amount sensing is performed (S52). At this time, the drum is vigorously raised from a speed of 50 revolutions per minute to a speed of 200 revolutions per minute. The motor current integrated value m is calculated by the current value calculation unit 100 from the output of the motor current detection device 99 at this time. The dry cloth weight calculation unit 101 calculates the weight of the dry cloth. From the result of this weight, the amount of detergent corresponding to the weight of the clothing is displayed on the display 66, washing water is supplied (S53), and pre-washing is performed (S54). Pre-washing is a process in which a detergent solution is soaked into clothes, and the drum is rotated forward and reverse at a speed of 40 revolutions per minute, which is a speed at which clothes do not stick to the inner wall of the drum. Rotate for 15 seconds, stop for 10 seconds, rotate in the opposite direction for 15 seconds in the same manner, and repeat the operation of stopping for 10 seconds for about 2 minutes to complete the pre-washing. Cloth quality sensing is performed in a state in which the detergent liquid has soaked into the clothes by pre-washing (S55).

  As with pre-washing, cloth quality sensing is performed while the drum is rotated forward and reverse at a speed of 40 revolutions per minute, which is the speed at which clothing does not stick to the inner wall of the drum. The movement is shorter than the pre-washing, rotates 10 seconds, stops for 10 seconds, rotates in the opposite direction for 10 seconds, and stops for 10 seconds three times. This is determined from the output of the acceleration sensor 98 during this operation. By the cloth quality sensing operation, the clothes in the drum are lifted by the lifter as the drum rotates, and when the cloth rises to a certain height, the clothes are repeatedly dropped. The outer tank vibrates in response to the impact at the time of dropping, and the acceleration sensor detects this vibration. As shown in FIG. 16, the output of the acceleration sensor 98 is converted into a vibration integrated value V by a vibration integrated value calculation unit (V) 102. The vibration integrated value V is obtained by integrating acceleration sensor outputs that change from moment to moment. The relationship between the vibration integrated value V and the dry cloth weight is shown in FIG. The rhombus plot in the figure is for a bath towel, and the square plot is for a blended shirt of 35% cotton and 65% polyester. It can be seen that the bath towel shows a higher value than the shirt. Bath towels contain more water, and even if they are the same weight in the dry cloth state, they become heavier in the poultry state, and the impact of dropping during operation increases. If the impact is large, the acceleration increases and the vibration integrated value V also increases. If the vibration integrated value V is large, it can be determined that the fabric has a high water content. However, the determination value is not uniquely determined, and it is desirable to vary the value depending on the dry cloth weight. Therefore, in combination with the result of the dry cloth weight calculation unit 101, the water content determination unit 103 determines whether the fabric has a high water content, a low water content, and whether the water content is intermediate. Finish the fabric sensing.

  After the fabric sensing, the main wash will be performed, but the operation suitable for the result of the fabric sensing is performed. Basically, the reference operation pattern of the washing / drying machine is determined based on the cloth having an intermediate water content, but the operation control changes the operation pattern according to the water content.

  In the case of a fabric having a medium water content (S56), the number of rotations of the main washing is operated at a speed of 40 rotations per minute (S57). Subsequently, the process proceeds to rinsing (S58), dehydration (S59), and drying (S60). Operation control is performed with a standard amount of water and time, and when the standard dryness is reached, washing and drying are terminated (S61).

  In contrast to such a standard operation, in the case of a fabric having a high water content (S62), the operation pattern is changed. In the main washing, since the clothes are heavy, even if the clothes are lifted up at the standard drum rotation speed, they fall before reaching a high place. If the fall distance is short, the impact is small and the cleaning power is reduced. In order to prevent this, the engine is operated at a speed of 45 revolutions per minute with a slightly increased rotational speed (S63).

  Subsequently, the process shifts to rinsing (S64). However, because of the cloth quality that can contain a large amount of water, the amount of water is also required to uniformly supply water to clothing, and the amount of water is increased.

  Next, the process moves to dehydration (S65), but the clothes contain a lot of water, so if you increase the rotation speed at once, a large amount of water will escape even during startup, exceeding the drainage capacity, and water will accumulate in the outer tub There is. To prevent this, dehydration activation slowly increases the rotational speed over time. Moreover, it dehydrates for a long time even in steady rotation.

  Then, although it transfers to a drying process (S66), the clothing containing a lot of water is a thick clothing, and uneven drying tends to occur. For this reason, the timing for ending the drying is set to be delayed from the usual time so as not to cause uneven drying.

  On the other hand, if the fabric has a low water content (S67), the main wash (S68) will not fall during the lifting even if it is rotated at the standard rotation speed, but the clothes are light and the drum will not rotate. Instead of falling directly below the momentum, it will be moved to the side and the cleaning power will be reduced. To prevent this, the engine is operated at a speed of 35 revolutions per minute with a slight reduction in the number of revolutions.

  Subsequently, although the process proceeds to rinsing (S69), since the water content is low, water can be supplied evenly even with a small amount of water, so the water amount is reduced and water is saved.

  Subsequently, the process proceeds to dehydration (S70). However, since the clothes do not contain a lot of water, even if the rotational speed is increased at once, a large amount of water does not escape even during startup, and the drainage capacity is not exceeded. Water does not collect in the tank. Therefore, it is increased to a predetermined number of revolutions in a short time for a short time. In addition, since it does not contain much water, it dehydrates for a short time even during steady rotation.

  Subsequently, the process proceeds to the drying process (S71), but the clothes that do not contain much water are thin clothes, and wrinkles are likely to occur. Therefore, the drying degree is set low, and drying is finished a little earlier to reduce wrinkles.

  As described above, it is possible to operate with the clothes moistened, measure the vibration of the outer tub at that time, and determine the cloth quality from the vibration. According to the determination result, the main washing, rinsing, The operation of dehydration or drying can be changed. In addition, this invention is applicable also to the washing machine which does not have a drying function.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Housing 4 Outer tub 6 Washing tub 7 Rotating blade 9 Motor (drive device)
25 Acceleration sensor 26 Control device 27 Motor current detector 31 Microcomputer 38 Cloth amount / cloth quality determination unit 39 Current integrated value calculation unit (m)
41 Vibration integrated value calculation unit (V)
43 Water content determination unit 44 Current integrated value calculation unit (I)
45 Fiber determination unit 51 Reference vibration value calculation unit (V0)
52 Reference current value calculation unit (I0)
53 Vibration integrated value distance calculation unit 54 Current integrated value distance calculation unit 55 Cloth quality determination unit

Claims (1)

And washing and dewatering tank for accommodating clothes, and an outer tank enclosing the washing and dewatering tank, a drive device for rotating the washing and dewatering tank, a vibration detection unit detecting vibration of the outer tub, the a load detecting means for detecting a rotational load when driving the washing and dewatering tank, having a housing that covers the outer tub, the washing, rinsing, the washing machines with the operation of the dehydration,
After supplying water to the inside of the washing / dehydrating tub and moistening the clothes inside the washing / dehydrating tub, before the main washing, the washing / dehydrating tub or the rotating blades at the bottom thereof rotate or stop. When the drive device is operated as described above, based on the vibration amount detected by the vibration detection means and the rotational load amount detected by the load detection means, it is determined whether the clothes have a high moisture content or not. When garments with a high water content and clothes with a large amount of synthetic fiber are used, the amount of rinsing water is increased and the dehydration time is shortened compared with clothes with a low water content and clothes with a small amount of fiber. A washing dryer characterized by.

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