JP5570931B2 - Washing machine - Google Patents

Description

  Embodiments described herein relate generally to a washing machine.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, for example, in a drum-type washing machine, a water tank having a drum disposed therein and a damper (suspension) for supporting the water tank in an anti-vibration manner are provided in the outer box. Is reduced by the damper. In order to improve the vibration proof performance, a damper using a magnetorheological fluid whose viscosity changes with a change in magnetic field, a so-called MR fluid is considered. In this device, for example, a coil for generating a magnetic field is provided in a cylinder, and a shaft penetrating the coil in the axial direction is provided so as to be able to reciprocate, and a magnetorheological fluid is provided between the shaft and the coil. It has a configuration provided.

JP 2001-276475 A

  By the way, in the thing of the said structure, at the time of the spin_dry | dehydrating which a water tank rotates at high speed, for example, it supplies with electricity to the coil of a damper and the big damper force, ie, damping force, is obtained. Thereby, vibration can be effectively suppressed in the vicinity of the resonance rotational speed (resonance peak) where the water tank vibrates most vigorously, that is, the amplitude increases.

  However, the vibration of the water tank and the resonance rotational speed vary depending on the drum load amount and the uneven load, that is, the laundry load amount and the unevenness of the laundry. For this reason, conventionally, the coil is energized so that the maximum damper force is generated in accordance with a certain damper force immediately after the start of dehydration, for example, the damper force required at the resonance rotational speed (at the time of resonance peak). I was allowed to pass through. For this reason, even when the washing load amount and the degree of bias are small and a small damper force is sufficient, there is a situation that power is wasted in order to obtain an excessive damper force.

  Accordingly, a washing machine having a high energy-saving effect by generating an appropriate damper force against the vibration of the water tank and suppressing the power consumption of the damper is provided.

The washing machine of the present embodiment includes a water tub, a rotating tub for washing and dehydration disposed in the water tub, a damper for supporting the water proof against vibration, and a vibration detecting means for detecting vibration of the water tub. Control means for executing at least a washing process and a dehydration process, and a rotation speed detection means for detecting a rotation speed that is the rotation speed of the rotating tub are provided. The damper is accommodated in a cylinder, a coil housed in the cylinder and energized under the control of the control means to generate a magnetic field, a yoke for inducing the magnetic field of the coil, and the coil and the yoke relative to each other. A shaft that passes through the cylinder so as to be able to reciprocate in the axial direction, and is filled between the shaft and the yoke. When a magnetic field is applied, a magnetic force that generates a damper force corresponding to the strength of the magnetic field is generated. configured with a viscous fluid. The control means energizes the coil when the rotation speed of the rotating tank does not pass through a preset resonance band and the vibration of the water tank detected by the vibration detecting means is equal to or greater than a threshold value. Is less than the threshold value, the coil is not energized, and the coil is energized so that the coil is de-energized when the rotational speed of the rotating tub passes through the resonance band .

1 is a longitudinal side view showing a schematic configuration of a drum type washing machine according to the first embodiment. Functional block diagram of control system Suspension longitudinal section Expanded longitudinal section around the mold coil unit External perspective view of suspension External perspective view of molded coil unit Flow chart showing control contents in dehydration process of control device A graph showing changes in the vibration of the aquarium when the coil is energized A graph showing changes in the vibration of the water tank when the coil is not energized FIG. 7 equivalent diagram in the second embodiment Equivalent to FIG. Fig. 9 equivalent FIG. 7 equivalent diagram in the third embodiment

  Hereinafter, a plurality of embodiments applied to a drum type washing machine will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, in each embodiment, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the substantially same component, and description is abbreviate | omitted.

(First embodiment)
First, a first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. In FIG. 1 which shows the schematic structure of a drum type washing machine, a laundry entrance 2 is formed at a substantially central portion of the front portion (right side in FIG. 1) of the outer box 1 forming the outer shell of the washing machine. A door 3 for opening and closing the laundry entrance 2 is provided. An operation panel 4 is provided on the upper portion of the front surface of the outer box 1. The operation panel 4 includes an operation unit 4a for a user to perform an operation related to the operation of the washing / drying machine, and a display unit 4b formed of, for example, a liquid crystal display (see FIG. 2). A control device 5 serving as a control means for operation control is provided on the back side of the operation panel 4, that is, in the outer box 1.

  A water tank 6 is disposed inside the outer box 1. This water tank 6 has a horizontal cylindrical shape whose axial direction is front and rear (right and left in FIG. 1), and is inclined upward by a pair of left and right (only one shown) suspensions 7 on the bottom plate 1a of the outer box 1. Elastically supported in the state. The detailed structure of the suspension 7 will be described later. A motor 8 is attached to the back surface of the water tank 6. The motor 8 is composed of, for example, a direct current brushless motor and is of an outer rotor type. A rotating shaft (not shown) attached to the center of the rotor 8 a is inserted into the water tank 6 through a bearing bracket 9. ing.

  A drum 10 is disposed inside the water tank 6. This drum 10 also has a horizontal cylindrical shape in the front-rear direction. By connecting the central part of the rear part thereof to the tip part of the rotating shaft of the motor 8, the drum 10 is inclined upward and coaxial with the water tank 6. Supported by the state. As a result, the drum 10 is directly rotated by the motor 8. Accordingly, the drum 10 is a rotating tub for washing and dehydration, and the motor 8 functions as a drum driving device that rotates the drum 10.

  A large number of small holes 11 through which water and air can be passed are formed in the peripheral side portion (body portion) of the drum 10. In contrast, the water tank 6 is basically non-porous and has a structure capable of storing water. Both the drum 10 and the water tub 6 have openings 12 and 13 on the front surface, and an annular bellows 14 is mounted between the opening 13 of the water tub 6 and the laundry entrance 2. Yes. Thereby, the laundry doorway 2 has a form that continues to the inside of the drum 10 via the bellows 14, the opening 13 of the water tub 6, and the opening 12 of the drum 10.

  A drain pipe 16 is connected to the lowest part of the water tank 6 capable of storing water through a drain valve 15 on the way, and the water in the water tank 6 can be discharged out of the machine through the drain pipe 16. A drying device 17 is arranged from the back side of the water tank 6 to the upper side and the front side. The drying device 17 includes a dehumidifier 18, a blower 19, a heater 20, and a circulation duct 21, and removes moisture in the air discharged from the water tank 6 (inside the drum 10) in the dehumidifier 18, Subsequently, the air is heated by the heater 20 to generate dry air, and the laundry stored in the drum 10 is dried by repeatedly circulating the dry air into the water tank 6 (in the drum 10). It is supposed to let you.

  FIG. 2 shows a functional block diagram of the control system. The control device 5 is composed of, for example, a microcomputer and a main memory, and controls the overall operation of the washing and drying machine. Various operation signals are input to the control device 5 from the operation unit 4a. Various displays including the operation result, the current driving situation, and an abnormality display are displayed on the display unit 4b. Further, a water level detection signal is input to the control device 5 from a water level sensor 22 provided to detect the water level in the water tank 6. Then, a rotation detection signal indicating the rotation speed is input to the control device 5 from a motor rotation sensor 27 serving as a rotation speed detection means provided to detect the rotation of the motor 8.

  The control device 5 functions as load amount detection means for measuring the weight of the laundry accommodated in the drum 10, that is, the laundry load amount, and various methods are used to detect the laundry load amount. Can be done. For example, the washing load amount may be measured based on the ascending speed or descending speed of the rotation of the drum 10, or the time until the rotation speed of the drum 10, that is, the number of rotations rises to a predetermined speed, or falls. The washing load amount may be measured based on the time until. In this case, the rotational speed of the drum 10 is calculated by the control device 5 dividing the rotational speed of the motor 8 detected by the motor rotational sensor 27, that is, the rotational speed of the drum 10 by the required time.

  Further, the motor current value of the motor 8, for example, the q-axis current value in the vector control, is closely related to the weight of the laundry put into the drum 10. Accordingly, the washing load amount can be detected by detecting such a motor current value with the current sensor 49 when the motor 8 is rotated at a predetermined rotation speed, for example, 75 rpm. The control device 5 also functions as a tank weight detecting means for detecting the weight of the water tank 6 including the drum 10 and the laundry in the drum 10. That is, the control device 5 stores the weights of the drum 10 and the water tub 6 in advance, and adds the weight and the washing load detected by the load amount detection means to thereby add the drum 10 and the water tub including the laundry. The weight of 6, that is, the tank weight is detected.

  The control device 5 includes a water supply valve 37 provided to supply water into the water tank 6 (inside the drum 10), a motor 8 for driving the drum 10, based on various input signals and a control program stored in advance. A drain valve 15, a heater 20, and coils 52 and 55 of a damper 23, which will be described later, are driven and controlled via a drive circuit 48 so as to drain from the water tank 6 (in the drum 10).

  Next, the structure of the suspension 7 will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the suspension 7 includes a damper 23 and a coil spring 24 including a compression coil spring. Among these, the damper 23 includes a cylindrical cylinder 25 extending in the vertical direction and a shaft 26 extending in the vertical direction along the cylinder 25, and the lower portion of the shaft 26 reciprocates in the cylinder 25 in the vertical direction. Inserted as possible.

  A connecting member 28 is provided at the lower end which is one end of the cylinder 25 in the axial direction. The connecting member 28 integrally includes a lid portion 28a and a connecting shaft portion 28b protruding downward from the lid portion 28a, and the lid portion 28a is fitted into the lower end opening of the cylinder 25. The outer peripheral portion of the lid portion 28a is fixed to the cylinder 25 by welding, for example, TIG welding to the inner peripheral portion of the cylinder 25. The connecting shaft portion 28b of the connecting member 28 is fastened to a mounting member 29 (see FIG. 1) fixed to the bottom plate 1a of the outer box 1 with a nut 31 via an elastic seat plate 30 such as rubber, etc. 25 is connected to a mounting member 29 on the bottom plate 1a side.

  An upper connecting member 32 is connected to the upper end of the shaft 26. The connecting shaft portion 32a of the upper connecting member 32 is fastened to the mounting member 33 (see FIG. 1) of the water tank 6 with a nut 35 through an elastic seat plate 34 such as rubber, like the connecting shaft portion 28b. Thus, the shaft 26 is connected to the mounting member 33 on the water tank 6 side. A spring receiving seat 36 is fitted and fixed to the lower end portion of the upper connecting member 32, and the coil spring 24 is mounted between the spring receiving seat 36 and the upper end portion of the cylinder 25 so as to surround the shaft 26. Has been.

  An annular lower bearing case 38 is accommodated in the middle portion of the cylinder 25 in the vertical direction. A groove portion 39 extending in the circumferential direction is formed on the outer peripheral portion of the lower bearing case 38, and a portion corresponding to the groove portion 39 in the peripheral wall portion of the cylinder 25 is caulked inward to thereby lower the lower bearing case 38. Is fixed in the cylinder 25. The caulked portion is a caulking portion 40. A groove 39a (see FIG. 3) opened in the axial direction is formed at one place on the outer peripheral portion of the lower bearing case 38. An annular bearing 41 that supports the shaft 26 so as to be capable of reciprocating in the axial direction, that is, the vertical direction, is housed and fixed in the inner peripheral portion of the lower bearing case 38. The bearing 41 is made of, for example, sintered oil-impregnated metal. A retaining member 26 a is attached to the lower end of the shaft 26, and the retaining member 26 a abuts against the lower surface of the lower bearing case 38, so that the upward movement of the shaft 26 is restricted.

  In the cylinder 25, an annular upper bearing case 42 is also housed inside the upper end which is the other end in the axial direction. The upper bearing case 42 has a cylindrical part 42b having an outer diameter smaller than that of the lower part 42a at the upper part thereof, and a step part 42c is formed between the lower part 42a and the cylindrical part 42b. The cylinder portion 42b protrudes upward from the cylinder 25. As shown in FIG. 4, a groove 43 is formed on the entire outer periphery of the lower portion 42 a of the upper bearing case 42, and a portion corresponding to the groove 43 of the peripheral wall portion of the cylinder 25 is inward. The upper bearing case 42 is fixed to the upper end of the cylinder 25 by caulking. The caulked portion is a caulking portion 44. In this case, the caulking portion 44 is provided on the entire circumference by rolling caulking. An O-ring 45 is attached to the groove 43, and the O-ring 45 is sandwiched and pressed between the groove 43 of the upper bearing case 42 and the caulking portion 44 of the cylinder 25.

  The lower end of the coil spring 24 is received by a step 42 c of the upper bearing case 42. An annular bearing 46 that supports the shaft 26 so as to be capable of reciprocating in the axial direction, that is, the vertical direction, is housed and fixed at the upper portion of the inner peripheral portion of the upper bearing case 42. The bearing 46 is also made of, for example, sintered oil-impregnated metal, like the lower bearing 41. In the inner peripheral portion of the upper bearing case 42, an annular friction member 47 is accommodated in a press-fit state below the bearing 46, and the inner peripheral portion of the friction member 47 slides on the outer peripheral surface of the shaft 26. It is in pressure contact.

  A molded coil unit 50 is accommodated in a portion of the cylinder 25 between the lower bearing case 38 and the upper bearing case 42. The molded coil unit 50 is fixed while being sandwiched between the lower bearing case 38 and the upper bearing case 42. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 6, the molded coil unit 50 has a lower yoke 51, a first bobbin 53 around which the first coil 52 is wound, an intermediate yoke 54, and a second coil 55. A second bobbin 56 mounted, an upper yoke 57, and a molding resin 58 for integrating them are provided. As the resin 58, for example, a thermoplastic resin such as nylon, PBT, PET, PP or the like is used. An annular seal member 59 is mounted in a press-fit state on the lower yoke 51 and the upper yoke 57 which are both ends in the axial direction of the mold coil unit 50. These seal members 59 are the same as the friction member 47, and the inner peripheral portion is slidably pressed against the outer peripheral surface of the shaft 26.

  The mold coil unit 50 has a through hole 61 penetrating in the axial direction at the center, and has a cylindrical shape as a whole, and the shaft 26 is inserted into the through hole 61 so as to be capable of reciprocating in the axial direction. . As shown in FIG. 6, a groove portion 62 extending in the axial direction is formed on the outer peripheral portion of the molded coil unit 50, and a circular portion is positioned in the portion corresponding to the intermediate yoke 54 in the groove portion 62. A recess 63 and a rectangular recess 64 are formed continuously from the recess 63 in the circumferential direction. Two lead wires 65 of the first coil 52 and the second coil 55 are led out from the rectangular concave portion 64 among these. The base end portion of each lead wire 65 passes through the end plates of the corresponding bobbins 53 and 56 and is connected to the end portions of the respective coils 52 and 55, and is covered with a resin 58 (see FIG. 4). Each lead wire 65 is covered with a resin tube 65a around the conducting wire (see FIG. 5).

  The two lead wires 65 are led out of the molded coil unit 50 from the concave portion 64 as shown in FIG. 6 with the base end portion covered with the resin 58. In the molded coil unit 50, a moisture-proof material 77 made of, for example, silicone (see FIGS. 3, 4, and 6) is potted in the recess 64 that is a lead-out portion of the two lead wires 65 to fill the entire recess 64. Thus, waterproofing is performed while stabilizing the position of the lead wire 65 against external force.

  Here, the inner diameter dimension of the through hole 61 of the molded coil unit 50 will be described. As shown in FIG. 3, the inner diameters of the three yokes 51, 54, and 57 at the lower, middle, and upper parts are set to the same dimension, and, for example, about 0.4 mm between the outer peripheral surface of the shaft 26. A gap is formed. The inner diameters of the first and second bobbins 53 and 56 are set to the same size, and are set slightly larger than the inner diameters of the three yokes 51, 54 and 57, and the outer circumference of the shaft 26 is set. For example, a gap of about 1.0 mm is formed between the surface and the surface. A gap between the outer peripheral surface of the shaft 26 and the inner peripheral surfaces of the three yokes 51, 54, and 57, and a gap between the outer peripheral surface of the shaft 26 and the inner peripheral surfaces of the two bobbins 53 and 56. A magnetorheological fluid 80 is injected into the gap. The magnetorheological fluid 80 is injected to the inside of the upper and lower seal members 59 (see FIG. 4). The magnetorheological fluid 80 is injected from the injection port 69 of the mold coil unit 50, and the injection port 69 is closed by a screw 70.

  The magnetorheological fluid 80 is a magnetic colloid solution in which ferromagnetic particles such as iron powder and a surfactant covering the surface of the iron are mixed in a base liquid such as polyalphaolefin. The magnetorheological fluid 80 has a characteristic that when a magnetic field is applied, the ferromagnetic particles are aggregated in a chain shape along the lines of magnetic force to form clusters to temporarily increase the viscosity. In this case, the viscosity of the magnetorheological fluid 80 increases according to the strength of the applied magnetic field. For this reason, the frictional drag due to the viscosity of the magnetorheological fluid 80 in the damper 23, that is, the damper force, depends on the strength of the magnetic field applied to the magnetorheological fluid 80, that is, the magnitude of the current supplied to the coils 52 and 55. Occur.

  Here, the lower and upper seal members 59 of the molded coil unit 50 and the friction member 47 of the upper bearing case 42 are generated between the shaft 26 and the action of preventing the magnetic viscous fluid 80 from leaking to the outside. Demonstrates the action of a friction damper using friction. Also, as shown in FIG. 1, between the lower yoke 51 and the first bobbin 53, between the first bobbin 53 and the intermediate yoke 54, between the intermediate yoke 54 and the second bobbin 56, In addition, an O-ring 81 for sealing is provided between the second bobbin 56 and the upper yoke 57. These O-rings 81 also have a function of preventing the magnetorheological fluid 80 from leaking outside.

  A lead wire outlet 82 (see FIGS. 3 and 4) formed of a circular hole is formed at a position corresponding to the circular recess 63 at an intermediate portion in the axial direction of the peripheral wall portion of the cylinder 25. The lead wire outlet 82 is fitted with a bush 83 having a lead wire insertion hole 83a, and the two lead wires 65 are drawn to the outside through the lead wire insertion hole 83a of the bush 83. . In this case, the bush 83 is made of a resin such as nylon.

On the outer peripheral portion of the cylinder 25, a mountain-shaped flange portion 84 is provided above the bush 83, that is, above the lead wire outlet 82. In this case, the flange portion 84 is bonded to the outer surface of the cylinder 25 with an adhesive. The flange 84 prevents water from above from entering the cylinder 25 from the lead wire outlet 82, that is, the lead wire insertion hole 83a.
Further, a wiring fixing member 85 (see FIG. 5) is attached to the outer peripheral portion of the cylinder 25, and a lead wire drawn out of the cylinder 25 by a wiring holder 86 provided on the wiring fixing member 85. 65 is held. A space 88 (see FIG. 3) is formed between the lid portion 28a of the connecting member 28 and the lower bearing case 38 in the cylinder 25.

Such a suspension 7 is disposed on both the left and right sides of the water tank 6. Further, the lead wire 65 led out from each suspension 7 is connected to the drive circuit 48. The first and second coils 52 and 55 are controlled to be interrupted by the control device 5 via the drive circuit 48.
As shown in FIG. 1, when the water tank 6 is viewed from the front side, a vibration sensor 90 as a vibration detecting means is disposed on the rear upper outer surface of the left side wall, and on the front lower outer surface of the right side wall, A vibration sensor 91 is provided as vibration detecting means. These vibration sensors 90 and 91 are constituted by, for example, a semiconductor type acceleration sensor capable of detecting two or three axes, and give vibration of the water tank 6 to the control device 5 as detection information.

In the above configuration, the operation of the suspension 7 during the washing operation will be described. First, a case where the first coil 52 and the second coil 55 are not energized will be described.
In the washing process and the drying process, the drum 10 is rotationally driven by the motor 8 at a low speed (for example, 50 to 60 rpm). Accordingly, the water tank 6 vibrates mainly in the vertical direction. In response to the vertical vibrations of the water tank 6, the suspension 7 moves up and down while the shaft 26 connected to the water tank 6 side extends and retracts the coil spring 24 relative to the cylinder 25 fixed to the bottom plate 1 a side of the outer box 1. Move. In the washing process and the drying process, the rotation speed of the drum 10 does not pass through the resonance peak and the vicinity thereof, for example, the resonance band of 100 to 300 rpm. For this reason, it is not necessary to energize the first coil 52 and the second coil 55 of the suspension 7 to increase the damper force of the damper 23. In this case, in addition to the vibration reducing action by the coil spring 24, the suspension 7 causes the friction member 47 and the seal member 59 to constantly apply a damping force to the shaft 26 with a frictional resistance, and the shaft 26 and the three yokes 51. , 54, 57 and the two magnetized fluids 80 filled between the two bobbins 53, 56 cause a damping force to act by a frictional resistance (damper force) due to the viscosity, thereby attenuating the amplitude of the water tank 6. The resonance peak is synonymous with a so-called resonance amplitude value or resonance rotation speed. For example, the rotation speed of the drum 10 overlaps with the natural frequency of the water tank 6 including the drum 10, and the vibration of the water tank 6 becomes intense. That is, the rotation speed (number of rotations) at which the vibration amplitude reaches a peak, or the amplitude value itself is shown.

  Next, the operation of the suspension 7 in the dehydration process will be described with reference to FIGS. Note that the threshold value K for determining whether the first coil 52 and the second coil 55 can be energized, the dewatering time T indicating the dewatering execution time, and the rotational speed of the drum 10 pass through the resonance band (100 to 300 rpm). It is assumed that the resonance band passing time T1 indicating time is set in advance before the start of dehydration.

  In this dehydration process, the drum 10 is rotationally driven by the motor 8 at a high speed (for example, 1300 rpm). Then, the rotational speed of the drum 10 gradually increases until it reaches a final arrival speed (for example, 1300 rpm). In this case, since the rotation speed of the drum 10 passes through the resonance band where the vibration is most intense, the first coil 52 and the second coil 55 are energized and the damper force of the damper 23 increases to a predetermined damper force. Is done.

  Specifically, as shown in FIG. 7, the dehydration process is executed by the control device 5. When the dehydration process is started (start), the motor 8 is driven to rotate the drum 10 (step S1), and the timer of the control device 5 is started to count the elapsed time T0 from the start of dehydration. (Step S2). Next, it is determined whether or not dehydration is completed (step S3). Here, for example, if the elapsed time T0 started counting in step S2 has passed the dehydration time T set before the dehydration process, dehydration is completed (YES in step S3), and dehydration is performed if it has not elapsed. Continue (NO in step S3).

  When dehydration is continued in step S3, vibration K0 of the water tank 6 is detected by the vibration sensors 90 and 91 (step S4). Thereafter, it is determined whether the rotational speed of the drum 10 has passed through a resonance band (for example, 100 to 300 rpm) (step S5). In this case, the rotation speed of the drum 10 is set to pass through the resonance band about 3 minutes after the motor 8 is driven when the final arrival speed is 1300 rpm. For this reason, the passage of the resonance band is determined by the elapsed time T0. That is, if the elapsed time T0 has passed the resonance band passing time T1 (for example, 3 minutes), it is determined that the rotational speed of the drum 10 has passed the resonance band (YES in step S5). Is determined not to pass (NO in step S5). Note that whether or not the rotational speed of the drum 10 has passed through the resonance band may be determined by actually detecting the rotational speed of the drum 10 (a specific example is shown in the second embodiment).

  When the rotational speed of the drum 10 does not pass through the resonance band (NO in step S5), it is next determined whether or not the coils 52 and 55 of the damper 23 are energized (step S6). If the coils 52 and 55 are not energized (NO in step S6), it is determined whether the vibration K0 of the water tank 6 is equal to or greater than the threshold value K (step S7). If the vibration K0 is greater than or equal to the threshold value K (YES in step S7), the coils 52 and 55 are energized (ON) by the control device 5 (step 8). In this case, when the coils 52 and 55 are energized, a magnetic field is applied to the magnetorheological fluid 80 through the yokes 51, 54 and 57, and the viscosity of the magnetorheological fluid 80 increases. As a result, the frictional resistance of the magnetorheological fluid 80 increases so that a predetermined damper force can be obtained. Thus, the frictional resistance (damper force) with respect to the shaft 26 is further increased as compared with the case where the first coil 52 and the second coil 55 are not energized, thereby increasing the damping force. Thereby, the vibration of the water tank 6 can be attenuated effectively.

  When the coils 52 and 55 are energized (step 8), steps S3 to S6 are repeated thereafter. When the elapsed time T0 passes the resonance band passing time T1 and the rotation speed of the drum 10 passes the resonance band (YES in step S5), the energization of the coils 52 and 55 is cut off (OFF) (step S9). The damper force of the damper 23 returns to the initial state. Thereafter, steps S3, S4, S5, and S9 are repeated, and the rotation speed of the drum 10 is increased to the final arrival speed, and dehydration is performed. Thereafter, when it is determined that the dehydration time T has passed and the dehydration time T has elapsed (YES in step S3), the motor 8 is stopped (step S10), and the dehydration process ends (END). During the dehydration process, the drain valve 15 is opened.

  Here, when the vibration K0 of the water tank 6 does not exceed the threshold value K (NO in step S7), steps S3 to S7 are repeated. When the elapsed time T0 passes the resonance band passing time T1 and the rotational speed of the drum 10 passes the resonance band (YES in step S5), the steps S3, S4, S5, and S9 are repeated, and the drum The rotational speed of 10 is increased to the final speed and dehydration is performed. Thereafter, when it is determined that the dehydration time T has passed and the dehydration time T has elapsed (YES in step S3), the motor 8 is stopped (step S10), and the dehydration process ends (END). Thus, when the vibration K0 of the water tank 6 does not exceed the threshold value K, the coils 52 and 55 are not energized.

  The operation of the above configuration will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9 for the case where the coils 52 and 55 of the suspension 7 are energized. 8 and 9, the vibration K0 of the water tank 6 detected by the vibration sensors 90 and 91 is indicated by a solid line, and the vibration Ka of the water tank 6 when the coils 52 and 55 are not energized is indicated by a two-dot chain line. Yes.

  FIG. 8 shows a case where the load and bias of the laundry in the drum 10 are large and a large vibration occurs, and the coils 52 and 55 are energized. In this case, when the dehydration process is performed and the rotation speed of the drum 10 increases, the vibration K0 of the water tank 6 also increases as the rotation speed Fp of the resonance peak is approached. Then, at a certain rotation speed Fa in which the rotation speed of the drum 10 enters the resonance band, the vibration K0 is equal to or higher than the threshold value K (YES in step S7). Then, the coils 52 and 55 are energized by the control device 5 (step S8), and a large predetermined damper force is applied to the damper 23. Thereafter, the vibration K0 of the water tank 6 is suppressed, and the state is smaller than the threshold value K. When the rotational speed of the drum 10 passes through a resonance band (for example, 300 rpm), there is almost no possibility that the vibration of the water tank 6 exceeds the threshold value K. Therefore, if the rotation speed of the drum 10 exceeds the resonance band, that is, if the elapsed time T0 from the start of dehydration has passed the resonance band passage time T1, the rotation speed of the drum 10 has passed the resonance band. A determination is made (YES in step S5), the energization of the coils 52 and 55 is interrupted (step S9), and the deenergization state of the damper 23 is returned to the initial state.

  FIG. 9 shows a case where the load and bias of the laundry in the drum 10 are small and no significant vibration is generated, and the coils 52 and 55 are not energized. In this case, even if the rotational speed of the drum 10 passes through the resonance band, that is, the rotational speed of the drum 10 is at and near the rotational speed Fp of the resonance peak, the vibration K0 of the water tank 6 does not exceed the threshold value K. (NO in step S7). For this reason, the coils 52 and 55 are not energized, and therefore the damper force of the damper 23 is not increased.

  In addition, during the dehydration process, when the vibration sensors 90 and 91 detect the vibration of the water tank 6 that is equal to or higher than the abnormal vibration E, the vibration sensors 90 and 91 give an abnormal vibration signal to the control device 5. Then, when the abnormal vibration signal is given from the vibration sensors 90 and 91, the control device 5 cuts off the motor 8 to stop the rotation of the drum 10 and also cuts off the coils 52 and 55. The drum 10 is energized and rotated at a low speed (for example, 50 to 60 rpm) to correct the uneven load of the laundry. Then, after a predetermined time, the control device 5 restarts the dehydration process as described above. The abnormal vibration E is set as an upper limit vibration in which the vibration of the water tub 6 does not affect the function of the washing machine. That is, if the vibration exceeding the abnormal vibration E occurs in the water tub 6, the washing machine may not function normally. In this case, the threshold value K is set to a value lower than the abnormal vibration E.

According to the first embodiment described above, the following operational effects can be obtained.
According to the configuration of the present embodiment, the damper 23 of the suspension 7 has the magnetorheological fluid 80. When a magnetic field is applied to the magnetorheological fluid 80 by energizing the coils 52 and 55 by the control device 5, a damper force corresponding to the strength of the magnetic field is generated in the damper 23. Then, the control device 5 controls energization of the coils 52 and 55 based on the vibration K 0 detected by the vibration sensors 90 and 91. According to this configuration, since the energization of the coils 52 and 55 is controlled based on the vibration K 0, the energization control of the coils 52 and 55 according to the vibration state of the water tank 6 can be performed. That is, when the vibration of the water tank 6 is intense and a strong damper force is required for the damper 23 of the suspension 7, the coils 52 and 55 can be energized, and the vibration of the water tank 6 is small and a strong damper force is required. If not, the coils 52 and 55 can be de-energized. As described above, the energization control of the coils 52 and 55 can be performed in accordance with the case where the damper 23 needs a large damper force. Accordingly, an unnecessarily large damper force is not obtained, and therefore, the power consumption of the damper 23 can be suppressed and a washing machine having a high energy saving effect can be provided.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, when the vibration sensors 90 and 91 detect that the vibration K0 of the water tank 6 became more than the threshold value K, the control apparatus 5 will make the magnetorheological fluid 80 of the damper 23 have predetermined | prescribed damper force. It is set as the structure which supplies with electricity to the coils 52 and 55 so that it may arise. According to this configuration, by setting the threshold value K, when the vibration K0 of the water tank 6 is intense and a strong damper force is required, the coils 52 and 55 can be reliably energized, and safety is improved.

(Second Embodiment)
A second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. In the second embodiment, it is determined whether or not it is necessary to increase the damper force of the damper 23 based on the vibration K0 of the water tank 6 at the time before the rotational speed Fp of the resonance peak, and according to the result. This is different from the first embodiment in that a damper force set in stages is selected and generated.

  In the second embodiment, the detection point Fb is set prior to the start of the dehydration process. Based on the vibration K0 (vibration K0 ′) of the water tank 6 detected at the detection point Fb, it is determined whether or not the damper force of the damper 23 needs to be increased. In this case, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the detection point Fb is set at, for example, 90 rpm, which is before the rotational speed Fp of the resonance peak and further before the resonance band (100 to 300 rpm). Here, if the rotational speed of the drum 10 and the magnitude of vibration at the rotational speed are known, the magnitude of vibration at the resonance peak rotational speed Fp can be estimated empirically. That is, by detecting the vibration K0 of the water tank 6 at the preset detection point Fb, the vibration of the water tank 6 at the rotational speed Fp of the resonance peak can be estimated. At this detection point Fb, since the rotational speed of the drum 10 is out of the resonance band, the water tank 6 hardly vibrates vigorously beyond the abnormal vibration E.

  FIG. 10 shows the specific contents of control by the control device 5. In step S21, the motor rotation sensor 27 detects the current rotation speed of the motor 8, that is, the rotation speed F0 of the drum 10. If this rotation speed F0 exceeds the upper limit F (for example, 300 rpm) of the resonance band, it is determined that the rotation speed of the drum 10 has passed the resonance band (YES in step S22), and the rotation speed F0 is within the resonance band. If it is less than or equal to the upper limit F, it is determined that the rotational speed of the drum 10 does not pass through the resonance band (NO in step S22).

  If the rotational speed of the drum 10 does not pass through the resonance band (NO in step S22), it is next determined whether or not the coils 52 and 55 of the damper 23 are energized (step S6). If the coils 52 and 55 are not energized (NO in step S6), it is determined whether the rotational speed F0 of the drum 10 has reached the detection point Fb (step S23). If the rotational speed F0 of the drum 10 has reached the detection point Fb (YES in step S23), the vibration K0 of the water tank 6 at that time is detected (step S4). If the vibration K0 is equal to or greater than the threshold value K (YES in step S24), a damper force to be generated in the magnetorheological fluid 80 of the damper 23 is set based on the vibration K0 (step S25). Then, the control device 5 energizes (ON) the coils 52 and 55 so as to generate the set damper force (step S26). Thereby, the vibration of the water tank 6 is effectively suppressed.

  The effect | action of the structure of 2nd Embodiment is demonstrated with reference to FIG.11 and FIG.12. In addition, in FIG.11 and FIG.12, the vibration K0 of the water tank 6 is shown as a continuous line, and the estimated vibrations K1-K3 are shown with a dashed-two dotted line. The estimated vibrations K1 to K3 indicate a case where the magnitude of vibration is changed stepwise by changing conditions such as the amount of washing load in the drum 10 and the eccentric state, for example. In this case, the estimated vibration K <b> 1 indicates a case where the upper limit is such that the vibration of the water tank 6 does not exceed the abnormal vibration E at the rotational speed Fp of the resonance peak. The estimated vibration K1 is shown overlapping the vibration K0 after the detection point Fb. The estimated vibrations K2 and K3 indicate a case where the vibration of the water tank 6 is equal to or higher than the abnormal vibration E at the resonance peak rotational speed Fp. In this case, the estimated vibrations K1 to K3 have a correlation with the magnitude of vibration at the detection point Fb and the rotation speed Fp of the resonance peak. Therefore, by detecting the vibration K0 of the water tank 6 at the detection point Fb before the rotational speed Fp of the resonance peak, the magnitude of the vibration at the rotational speed Fp of the resonance peak can be predicted to some extent.

  Specifically, as shown in FIG. 11, the magnitudes of the estimated vibrations K1 to K3 at the detection point Fb are vibrations K1 ′ to K3 ′, respectively. In this case, since the estimated vibration K1 is an upper limit condition that does not exceed the abnormal vibration E even at the rotational speed Fp of the resonance peak, the vibration K1 ′ is set as the threshold value K and it is determined whether or not the damper force of the damper 23 is increased. To do. That is, if the vibration K0 of the aquarium 6 at the detection point Fb is equal to or greater than the vibration K1 ′, ie, the threshold value K (YES in step S24), the vibration K0 of the aquarium 6 exceeds the abnormal vibration E at the resonance peak rotational speed Fp. It is estimated to be. For this reason, the damper force of the damper 23 is set according to the detected vibration K0 (step S25), and the coils 52 and 55 are energized (ON) (step S26). In this case, the damper force generated in the magnetorheological fluid 80 of the damper 23 is selected from, for example, three levels of large, medium, and small based on the vibration K0 detected at the detection point Fb ( Step S25). Specifically, if the vibration K0 detected at the detection point Fb is greater than or equal to the vibration K1 ′ and less than K2 ′, the small damper force is selected, and if the vibration K2 ′ and less than K3 ′, the medium damper force is selected. If the vibration is greater than or equal to K3 ′, a large damper force is selected.

  Conversely, as shown in FIG. 12, if the vibration K0 of the water tank 6 at the detection point Fb is less than the vibration K1 ′, that is, the threshold value K (NO in step S24), the water tank 6 is rotated at the resonance peak rotational speed Fp. It is estimated that the vibration K0 does not exceed the abnormal vibration E. In this case, it is not necessary to apply a damper force greater than the initial damper force to the damper 23, and therefore the coils 52 and 55 are not energized.

  According to this configuration, since the necessary damper force is obtained by energizing the coils 52 and 55 step by step, a damper force that matches the vibration state of the water tank 6 can be obtained. Thereby, the power consumption of the damper 23 can be suppressed and a washing machine with a higher energy saving effect can be provided. Further, since the damper 23 generates a damper force before the resonance peak rotation speed Fp and further before the resonance band, the vibration can be suppressed before the water tank 6 becomes vigorous, thereby further improving safety. be able to.

(Third embodiment)
In the third embodiment, as shown in FIG. 13, when the dehydration process is started (start), first, the control device 5 functions as the tank weight detection means, and includes the drum 10 and the laundry in the drum 10. The weight of the water tank 6, that is, the tank weight is detected (step S31). Next, the rotational speed Fp of the resonance peak is calculated based on the detected tank weight (step S32). In this case, the rotational speed Fp of the resonance peak is inversely proportional to the square root of the tank weight. Then, the detection point Fb is set based on the calculated rotational speed Fp of the resonance peak (step S33). Specifically, for example, the detection point Fb is set to a value lower by 100 rpm than the rotational speed Fp of the resonance peak. That is, if the rotation speed Fp of the resonance peak is calculated as 250 rpm based on the tank weight, the detection point Fb is set to 150 rpm. After that, as in the second embodiment, the coils 52 and 55 are energized so that a damper force is generated in the damper 23 according to the vibration K0 detected at the detection point Fb. Fb varies depending on the tank weight. Here, since the vibrations K1 ′ to K3 ′ are derived from the estimated vibrations K1 to K3 at the detection point Fb, the vibration K1 ′ (threshold value K) and the vibrations K2 ′ and K3 ′ are changed by the detection point Fb. become. That is, the vibrations K1 ′ to K3 ′ are derived corresponding to the detection points Fb that change depending on the tank weight. Then, based on the vibration K0 detected at the detection point Fb, for example, an appropriate damper force is selected from the damper forces set in three stages of large, medium, and small (step S25), and the coils 52 and 55 are selected. Is energized (ON) (step S26).

  According to this configuration, since the detection point Fb can be set to a value closer to the actual resonance peak, the energization time of the coils 52 and 55 can be shortened while effectively suppressing the vibration of the water tank 6. . Thereby, the power consumption of the damper 23 can be suppressed and a washing machine with a higher energy saving effect can be provided.

In the molded coil unit 50 of each of the embodiments described above, the number of coils may be one or three or more, and the number of yokes may be two or more.
The washing machine may perform at least the washing process and the dehydration process, and may have no drying function.
The embodiment of the washing machine is not limited to the horizontal axis type drum type washing machine, and is a vertical axis type provided with a rotating tub inside the water tank and a so-called vertical type washing machine provided with a stirring body in the rotating tub. A machine may be used.

  As described above, according to the washing machine of each of the above embodiments, the damper that supports the water tank in an anti-vibration manner is such that when the magnetic field is applied, the magnetorheological fluid that generates a damper force according to the strength of the magnetic field is It is configured to be filled between the yoke. Then, the energization of the coil is controlled by the control unit based on the detection information of the vibration detection unit. According to this configuration, the coil can be energized and controlled so that an appropriate damper force can be obtained in accordance with the magnitude of vibration generated in the water tank. As a result, it is possible to provide a washing machine having a high energy-saving effect while suppressing power consumption without generating an unnecessarily large damper force, and thus without wasting power consumption of the damper.

  Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. These embodiments and modifications thereof are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalents thereof.

  In the drawings, 5 is a control device (control means, tank weight detection means), 6 is a water tank, 10 is a drum (rotary tank), 23 is a damper, 25 is a cylinder, 26 is a shaft, and 27 is a motor rotation sensor (rotation number detection). Means), 51 is a lower yoke (yoke), 52 is a first coil (coil), 54 is an intermediate yoke (yoke), 55 is a second coil (coil), 57 is an upper yoke (yoke), 80 is Magnetorheological fluids 90 and 91 indicate vibration sensors (vibration detecting means).

Claims (3)

A tank,
A rotating tub for washing and dewatering disposed in the water tank;
A damper for vibration-proofing the water tank;
Vibration detecting means for detecting vibration of the water tank;
Control means for performing at least a washing process and a dehydrating process ;
A rotation speed detecting means for detecting a rotation speed that is the rotation speed of the rotating tank ;
The damper is
A cylinder,
A coil housed in the cylinder, energized under the control of the control means to generate a magnetic field, and a yoke for inducing the magnetic field of the coil;
A shaft that penetrates the coil and the yoke so as to be relatively reciprocally movable in the axial direction and is inserted into the cylinder;
This is filled between the shaft and the yoke, a magnetic field is acting damping force in accordance with the intensity of the magnetic field is configured with a magneto-rheological fluid occurs,
The control means energizes the coil when the rotation speed of the rotating tank does not pass through a preset resonance band and the vibration of the water tank detected by the vibration detecting means is equal to or greater than a threshold value. If the coil is less than the threshold value, the coil is not energized, and the coil is energized and controlled so that the coil is de- energized when the rotational speed of the rotating tub passes through the resonance band. . The control means presets a detection point that is a rotation speed before the resonance peak of the rotating tub, and the vibration when the vibration of the water tank detected by the vibration detecting means at the detection point is equal to or greater than a threshold value. The washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the coil is energized so that the damper force of the damper increases as the value increases . A tank weight detecting means for detecting the weight of the water tank,
The control means calculates the rotation speed of the rotating tank at the resonance peak of the water tank based on the tank weight detected by the tank weight detection means, sets a detection point based on the calculated rotation speed, and The coil is energized so that the damper force of the damper increases as the vibration increases when the vibration of the water tank detected by the rotation speed detection means at a detection point is greater than or equal to a threshold value. The washing machine according to 1.

Images