JP5645499B2 - Washing machine - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a washing machine, and more particularly to dehydration control.

  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.

  In such a washing and drying machine, dehydration is performed to remove moisture from the clothes after washing. This dehydration is performed by centrifugal dehydration by rotating the washing tub at high speed. As described above, since the washing tub rotates during dehydration, if the clothes in the washing tub are offset, a centrifugal force is generated, causing the washing tub to vibrate. If this vibration becomes excessive, the outer tub may come into contact with the housing and make an abnormal sound, or the housing may move from the installation position due to an impact at the time of contact. In order to prevent such a phenomenon, a vibration detection device that monitors the vibration of the outer tub has been proposed.

  Among them, one that detects the acceleration of the outer tank or a value close to the acceleration has been proposed. The acceleration is proportional to the square of the frequency with respect to the periodic displacement. Therefore, even if the displacement amount is the same, the acceleration is small if the frequency (rotational speed) is low, and the acceleration is large if the frequency (rotational speed) is high. In order to improve the vibration measurement accuracy, it has been proposed to change the sensitivity or detection range of the vibration detection device according to the rotational speed (Patent Documents 1 and 2 below).

  For example, Patent Document 1 describes that the gain (sensitivity) is increased to increase the output level of the vibration detection device at low speed, and the gain (sensitivity) is decreased to decrease the output level at high speed. Has been. Patent Document 2 describes that the detection range is narrowed at low speed and the detection range is widened at high speed.

JP 2005-296431 A JP 2010-75669 A

  In the above Patent Documents 1 and 2, the output of the vibration detection device is unstable immediately after switching the sensitivity of the vibration detection device, and the magnitude of vibration is determined under the unstable output. There is a risk of being done.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a washing machine capable of preventing erroneous control during dehydration.

  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 a washing machine that has a housing that covers an outer tub and a vibration detection device that detects a vibration amount of the outer tub, and controls a dehydration operation by the vibration detection device, the vibration detection device switches detection sensitivity of the vibration amount. The dehydration control by the vibration detection device is not performed for a predetermined time after the detection sensitivity of the vibration detection device is switched.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a washing machine that prevents erroneous control during dehydration.

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 voltage change when the sensitivity of an acceleration sensor is switched. It is a figure which shows the spin-drying | dehydration operation control flow which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the change of the rotational speed at the time of dehydration which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the spin-drying | dehydration operation control flow which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the change of the rotational speed at the time of the spin-drying | dehydration which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. 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 spin-drying | dehydration operation control flow which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the change of the rotational speed at the time of the spin-drying | dehydration which concerns on 3rd Embodiment.

  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-like sensor made by MEMS technology, and is a vibration detection device that can detect vibration amounts in three directions of the outer tub 4 in the vertical direction, radial direction, and circumferential direction. The acceleration sensor 25 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 25 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.

  In addition to the acceleration sensor 25, in order to detect only abnormal vibration, abnormal vibration detection constituted by a thin plate-like lever 27 and a micro switch 28 attached to the base of the lever 27 in the gap between the housing 1 and the outer tub 4. A container 29 is provided. The microswitch 28 is fixed in the top cover 2, and the lever 27 is attached to the switch portion of the microswitch 28 so as to be rotatably suspended. The lever 27 is made of a resin member having a length of about 10 cm, and is arranged so as to be in contact with the upper portion of the outer tank 4 body. When the outer tub 4 comes into contact with the lever 27, the lever 27 rotates, and in response to the rotation, the switch portion of the micro switch 28 operates to detect abnormal vibration.

  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. 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 controller 36 and the fan controller 37 based on the results of the temperature sensors 23a and 23b. The operation control during dehydration is also performed by the microcomputer 31 of the control device 26. The outputs of the acceleration sensor 25 and the abnormal vibration detector 29 are taken into the microcomputer 31, and the vibration determination unit 38 determines whether the magnitude of vibration and whether or not the vibration is abnormal, and controls the motor 9 through the motor control unit 33.

  In such a washing / drying machine, the rotating blades are rotated forward and reverse, and washing and rinsing are performed while shaking water and clothes, and then dehydration is performed. As described above, during dehydration, vibration occurs due to the displacement of clothing. The washing tub 6 vibrates in a complicated manner from side to side, back and forth, and up and down depending on the direction of the clothing and the rotational speed. If this vibration is too large, the outer tub 4 may come into contact with the housing 1 and may even move to the housing 1. In order to prevent such vibration, an acceleration sensor 25 and an abnormal vibration detector 29 are provided. The abnormal vibration detector 29 may be difficult to come into contact with the lever 27 depending on how the outer tub 4 vibrates. At that time, detection of vibration is delayed, and countermeasures are delayed. Therefore, dehydration control is performed mainly considering the acceleration sensor 25 that can detect a plurality of directions. Specifically, the abnormal vibration detection level by the acceleration sensor 25 is set equal to or lower than the abnormal vibration detection level by the abnormal vibration detector 29. By doing so, the acceleration sensor 25 can detect the vibration and control the dehydration before the abnormal vibration detector 29 detects the vibration.

  FIG. 4 shows the flow of the dehydration operation controlled by the two methods of dehydration control by the acceleration sensor 25 and dehydration control by the abnormal vibration detector 29 in this way. FIG. 5 shows changes in the rotational speed during dehydration.

  Dehydration is started (S1), the drain valve 16 is opened (S2), and the water accumulated in the outer tub 4 is drained. At the same time, the sensitivity of the acceleration sensor 25 is set to the high sensitivity side (S3). The acceleration sensor 25 in the present embodiment can detect acceleration in three directions, and can measure by switching sensitivity in two stages in each direction, and the sensitivity is switched simultaneously in all three directions. The sensitivity on the high sensitivity side is set to 0.66 V / G, and the sensitivity on the low sensitivity side is set to 0.22 V / G. (The unit G indicates gravitational acceleration.) The present invention may not have this sensitivity, and may not have two levels of sensitivity but three levels or more. Moreover, you may switch individually, without switching 3 directions simultaneously. The sensitivity can be switched depending on whether a voltage is applied to the terminal of the acceleration sensor 25 or not.

  When the sensitivity is set, dehydration control by the acceleration sensor 25 is started (S4). Subsequently, dehydration control by the abnormal vibration detector 29 is started (S5). In these dehydration controls, if it is determined that the vibration is excessive or abnormal, the rotational speed of the washing tub 6 is reduced and stopped to suppress the vibration. The deceleration rate at this time is 50 rpm / s. By decelerating at a rate of change larger than the average acceleration rate at the start of dehydration, it is stopped in a short time and the centrifugal force is rapidly reduced to prevent an increase in vibration. . In the control by the acceleration sensor 25, the output of the acceleration sensor 25 is measured, and if the value is larger than a preset threshold value, it is determined that the vibration is excessive. In the control by the abnormal vibration detector 29, the number of times the microswitch 28 is operated is measured, and if the value is larger than the preset number, it is determined that the vibration is abnormal. During such control, the rotational speed is increased (S6). The acceleration rate is accelerated at 25 rpm / s (speed change of 25 rpm per second) and is increased to 130 rpm (S7). There is a primary resonance at 70 to 90 rpm, and it is passed at a time so as not to reach a constant speed in this section. The primary resonance is a vibration in which the outer tub 4 swings horizontally and does not vibrate much in the vertical direction. Therefore, dehydration control is performed by the output of the acceleration sensor 25 in the radial direction and / or circumferential direction. Further, in the dehydration control by the abnormal vibration detector 29, the rotation is stopped when the microswitch 28 is operated three times or more.

  By rotating for 10 seconds at 130 rpm, the water that has escaped from the clothes is once drained out of the outer tub 4. If acceleration is performed with a lot of water remaining in the gap between the outer tub 4 and the washing tub 6, as the rotational speed increases, water further escapes from the clothing, and more water accumulates in the gap between the outer tub 4 and the washing tub 6, increasing the rotational load. There is a possibility that the motor 9 is locked due to being too much. Therefore, the rotational speed is increased stepwise without accelerating to high speed rotation at once.

  After rotating at 130 rpm for 10 seconds, acceleration is performed at an acceleration rate of 25 rpm / s (S8), and the pressure is increased to 210 rpm (S9). There is a secondary resonance in the vicinity of 250 rpm, and the rotational speed is temporarily increased to just before the secondary resonance. At that stage, the sensitivity of the acceleration sensor 25 is switched to the low sensitivity side (S10). This is done to firmly detect secondary resonances. The vibration detection value by the acceleration sensor 25 is output as a voltage proportional to the acceleration. (Although it is an analog value here, it may be a digital value.) As described above, the acceleration is proportional to the square of the rotation speed, and the output is small at low speed rotation. The acceleration is read by the microcomputer 31. In the microcomputer 31, an analog value is converted into a digital value and processed. Therefore, if the voltage is too small, it may not be detected depending on the resolution at the time of conversion, or the vibration amount may be grasped only very roughly. Conversely, at high speed rotation, the output is large and exceeds the voltage that can be input to the microcomputer 31, and the vibration value may not be measured. Or it may exceed the measurement range of the acceleration sensor, and a correct vibration value may not be output.

  Therefore, the sensitivity is adjusted or switched according to the rotational speed of the washing tub 6 and measured. The primary resonance with a low rotational speed detects vibration with high sensitivity so that it can be sufficiently detected with the resolution of the microcomputer 31, and the secondary resonance with a high rotational speed is low so as not to exceed the measurable range of the microcomputer 31 and the acceleration sensor 25. Measure vibration with sensitivity.

  Unlike the primary resonance, the secondary resonance vibrates such that the upper part of the outer tub 4 swings or the upper part and the lower part swing in opposite phases. Therefore, it is necessary to perform dehydration control based on the output of the acceleration sensor 25 in the vertical direction in addition to the acceleration sensor in the radial direction and the circumferential direction. However, instead of the control in the three directions as described above, the control in the two directions of the vertical direction and the radial direction, or the vertical direction and the circumferential direction may be performed.

  Thus, although the vertical direction is detected for the secondary resonance, the output when the sensitivity of the acceleration sensor 25 in the vertical direction is changed is shown in FIG. It can be seen that the output changes greatly when the sensitivity of the sensor is switched. This occurs because 1G gravity acceleration acts on the sensor itself. A bias voltage of about 1.6 V is applied to the output of the acceleration sensor, and the voltage rises and falls around the bias voltage with vibration. However, since the acceleration sensor installed in the gravitational direction (vertical direction) receives gravitational acceleration even in a stationary state, a voltage corresponding to 1 G is output from the bias voltage. When the sensitivity is different, the voltage for 1G is also different, and the difference appears as shown in FIG. It is necessary to judge this voltage difference as vibration so as not to make an erroneous determination. Therefore, immediately after the sensitivity of the acceleration sensor 25 is switched, dehydration control by the acceleration sensor 25 is not performed for a predetermined time (S11). In this embodiment, the vibration is evaluated based on the total amplitude (maximum value−minimum value) in 0.4 seconds, which is longer than one cycle (time for one rotation). Because of such a measurement method, if there is a voltage difference as shown in FIG. 4, the difference is also determined as vibration. Therefore, by preventing the dehydration control by the acceleration sensor 25 from being performed immediately after switching the sensitivity of the acceleration sensor, erroneous determination of vibration is prevented. Further, since the voltage is not stable for about 1 second after switching, dehydration control by the acceleration sensor 25 is not performed during that time.

  However, if control by the acceleration sensor 25 is not performed, even if abnormal vibration occurs during this time, the vibration cannot be stopped. Therefore, the rotational speed is decelerated on the assumption that abnormal vibration has occurred in advance or excessive vibration has occurred. As described above, when abnormal vibration or the like is detected, control is performed to reduce vibration by reducing the rotation speed, but almost the same operation is performed regardless of whether or not abnormal vibration occurs. In this way, even if abnormal vibration occurs, it is decelerating, so the vibration is in the direction to stop.After that, even if excessive vibration is detected when dehydration control is restarted, control continues to decelerate as it is Therefore, the operation after normal abnormal vibration detection is not changed.

  Therefore, if the control by the acceleration sensor 25 is interrupted, the rotation of the washing tub 6 is decelerated (S12). The deceleration rate is 15 rpm / s, which is the same as during abnormal vibration or slower than that. Also in this section, control by the abnormal vibration detector 29 which is a vibration detection device different from the acceleration sensor 25 is effective, and abnormal vibration can be detected here, which is safer. At this time, it is desirable to stop the rotation when the microswitch 28 is operated once or more so that the sensitivity is highest among the detection means during the dehydration.

  When the speed is reduced and reaches 180 rpm (S13), the control by the acceleration sensor 25 is resumed (S14), and the speed reduction is stopped. The time to reach 180 rpm is 2 seconds, and the sensor output is also sufficiently stable. At 180 rpm, it is rotated at a constant speed for 20 seconds (S15), and water is drained from the clothing as with 130 rpm. A time longer than 130 rpm after passing through the primary resonance is set, moisture is removed as much as possible before passing through the secondary resonance, and the weight in the washing tub is reduced. Unlike the resonance of the primary resonance, the vibration of the secondary resonance is accompanied by a torsional vibration in which the upper part and the lower part are swung in opposite phases, and is easily affected by the gyro rigidity. When the moment of inertia of the rotating body is large, the gyro rigidity is increased, the resonance frequency is increased, and the vibration is increased. Therefore, in order to reduce the vibration and allow the resonance to pass, it is necessary to reduce the moment of inertia of the rotating body, and it is desirable to remove the moisture as much as possible and make it light. The vibration of the secondary resonance is a torsional vibration, and the water accumulated in the gap between the outer tub 4 and the washing tub 6 is easy to move up and down, and the water is not easily drained. Therefore, it is desirable to drain water as much as possible before passing through the resonance. Therefore, the time for operating at a substantially constant speed before the secondary resonance (torsional vibration) is set longer than the time for operating at a substantially constant speed during other dehydration activation.

  After that, it is accelerated again and raised to 330 rpm (S16). After rotating at 330 rpm for 5 seconds (S17), accelerated again (S18), rotated at 600 rpm for 5 seconds (S19), accelerated again (S20), increased to 900 rpm, which is the maximum dewatering rotational speed, and rotated for 5 minutes To dehydrate (S21). Thereafter, the dehydration control by the acceleration sensor 25 is turned off (S22), the dehydration control by the abnormal vibration detector 29 is also turned off (S23), decelerated (S24), the rotation is stopped (S25), and the dehydration is finished (S26). ). The speed reduction rate at this time is 50 rpm / s, and the speed is quickly reduced to the same extent as when abnormal vibration is detected. Such operation control allows safe dehydration even when the sensor sensitivity is switched during dehydration activation.

  In the present embodiment, the rotational speed is decreased almost simultaneously with the switching of the sensitivity. However, the sensitivity of the acceleration sensor 25 may be switched after the rotational speed is previously lowered or during deceleration. Further, as described above, the dehydration control by the abnormal vibration detector 29 is used in combination, but it is safer.

  In addition, after switching the acceleration sensor 25, the dehydration control by the acceleration sensor 25 is not interrupted for a predetermined time, and the threshold value for determining abnormal vibration is set higher than before switching, or the sensitivity is switched by filter processing or the like. In such a case, it is possible to avoid erroneous determination of abnormal vibration, and even in that case, by decelerating, generation of abnormal vibration can be suppressed and sensitivity can be switched more safely.

  Next, the second embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, the configuration of the washing / drying machine is the same as that in the first embodiment, and the dehydration acceleration pattern is different. The operation is basically the same as in the first embodiment, and the operation after switching the sensitivity is different. A flow of the dehydration operation is shown in FIG. FIG. 8 shows the change in the rotational speed.

  Dehydration is started (S31), the drain valve is opened (S32), and the water accumulated in the water tank is drained. At the same time, the sensitivity of the acceleration sensor 25 is set to the high sensitivity side (S33). When the sensitivity is set, dehydration control by the acceleration sensor 25 is started (S34). Subsequently, dehydration control by the abnormal vibration detector 29 is started (S35). During such control, the rotational speed is increased (S36). The acceleration rate is accelerated at 25 rpm / s and increased to 130 rpm (S37). It is rotated for 10 seconds at a constant speed of 130 rpm, and the water that has escaped from the clothes is once drained out of the outer tub 4. After rotating at 130 rpm for 10 seconds, the vehicle is accelerated at an acceleration rate of 25 rpm / s (S38), increased to 180rpm (S39), the sensitivity of the acceleration sensor 25 is set to the low sensitivity side (S40), and control by the acceleration sensor 25 is performed. Is interrupted (S41). Thereafter, the acceleration rate is lowered, and the acceleration is slowly accelerated at an acceleration rate of 10 rpm / s (S42).

  Similar to the first embodiment, the dehydration control by the acceleration sensor 25 is suspended for about 2 seconds after the sensitivity of the acceleration sensor 25 is switched. During this time, the acceleration rate is lowered so that the clothing receives a centrifugal force and moves suddenly and the vibration does not suddenly increase. By reducing the acceleration rate, the increase in rotational speed is suppressed, the sudden increase in centrifugal force is suppressed, and the clothing is prevented from moving suddenly. Therefore, abnormal vibration is less likely to occur while dehydration control by the acceleration sensor is interrupted, and the sensitivity can be switched safely. Further, the dehydration start time can be shortened by not reducing the speed or making the speed constant. Moreover, it can switch more safely by performing dehydration control by the abnormal vibration detector 29 similarly to 1st Embodiment.

  When it is gradually accelerated and reaches 200 rpm (S43), the dehydration control by the acceleration sensor 25 is resumed (S44). The section in which the dehydration control by the acceleration sensor 25 is interrupted is before the secondary resonance, and the control is resumed while the resonance is passing. Thereafter, the acceleration rate is changed to a high acceleration rate of 25 rpm / s (S45), and the acceleration rate is increased to 330 rpm (S46), so that the secondary resonance is quickly passed. Rotate at 330 rpm for 5 seconds at a constant rotation speed, and drain water accumulated in the gap between the outer tub 4 and the washing tub 6. After that, it is accelerated again (S47), rotated at 600 rpm for 5 seconds (S48), accelerated again (S49), increased to 900 rpm, which is the maximum dewatering rotation speed, and rotated for 5 minutes for dehydration (S50). Thereafter, the dehydration control by the acceleration sensor is turned off (S51), the dehydration control by the abnormal vibration detection is also turned off (S52), decelerated (S53), the rotation is stopped (S54), and the dehydration is finished (S55). The deceleration rate at this time is 50 rpm / s, which is the same speed as when abnormal vibration is detected, and quickly decelerates. Such dehydration control enables safe dehydration even when the sensor sensitivity is switched during dehydration activation. Moreover, time can be shortened by not decelerating and making it constant speed in the area where dehydration control by the acceleration sensor 25 is not performed.

  In this embodiment, considering the time reduction, the acceleration rate is lowered at the same time as switching the sensitivity, compared to before switching, but the rotation speed of the washing tub 6 is reduced from a high acceleration rate to a low acceleration rate in advance, Even if the sensitivity of the acceleration sensor 25 is switched after slowly accelerating, abnormal vibration hardly occurs and is safe.

  Moreover, although it becomes safer by using together control by the abnormal vibration detector mentioned above, it does not need to be.

  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. 9 is an external view of a drum-type washing and drying machine, and FIG. 10 is a side view showing a part of the housing in order 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. 10 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. When the drum 68 is rotated during washing and drying, the clothes are lifted along the inner 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 includes the drum 68 substantially coaxially, the front surface is opened, 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 suction side of the fan 20 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. The internal configuration of the control device 67 is almost the same as in the first embodiment, and a description thereof will be omitted.

  In such a drum type washing and drying machine, the dehydrating operation is controlled as shown in FIGS. FIG. 11 shows an operation flow, and FIG. 12 shows changes in the rotational speed of the drum. The drum-type washing / drying machine has a high rotational speed of dehydration and switches the sensitivity of the acceleration sensor to three levels. The highest sensitivity is 0.66 V / G, the intermediate sensitivity is 0.22 V / G, and the lowest sensitivity is 0.17 V / G. In addition, since the outer tub is supported by a vibration isolator different from the first embodiment, the state of vibration is different and the acceleration pattern is different. Further, there is no abnormal vibration detector composed of a lever and a micro switch, and dehydration is performed while detecting vibration only by dehydration control by the acceleration sensor 98.

  Dehydration is started (S61), the drain valve is opened (S62), and the water accumulated in the water tank is drained. At the same time, the sensitivity of the acceleration sensor 98 is set to a high sensitivity of 0.66 V / G (S63). When the sensitivity is set, dehydration control by the acceleration sensor 98 is started (S64). The output of the acceleration sensor 98 is measured, and if the value is larger than a preset threshold value, it is determined that the vibration is excessive, the speed is reduced, and the rotation is stopped. Under such control, the vehicle is slowly accelerated at an acceleration rate of 12 rpm / s (S65). By slowly accelerating, the clothes are attached to the inner wall surface of the drum 68 while being uniformly dispersed. The clothing is raised to 100 rpm, which is slightly higher than 55 rpm at which the clothing starts to stick to the inner wall surface of the drum 68, and is operated at a constant speed for 5 seconds (S66). At this time, the shift of the clothing is determined based on the magnitude of the output of the acceleration sensor 98, and the driving is controlled. If the garment has a large deviation, it is judged that there is a high possibility that abnormal vibration will occur when passing through the resonance, and once the garment is decelerated to a rotational speed (about 40 rpm) at which the garment is peeled off from the inner wall surface of the drum 68 Increase to 100 rpm. In the case of a drum type washing and drying machine, the primary resonance appears in the vicinity of 140 rpm, but before the primary resonance, the shift of the clothing is judged and the operation control is performed so as to correct the shift. This primary resonance is a vibration form in which the outer tub 70 vibrates left and right.

  If it is determined that there is little misalignment of clothing at 100 rpm, the primary resonance is quickly passed at 25 rpm / s, which is a higher acceleration rate (S67), and the operation is performed at 170 rpm for 5 seconds (S68). Thereafter, the speed is increased to 270 rpm at an acceleration rate of 25 rpm / s (S69, S70). There is a secondary resonance near 210 rpm in this section, and this rotational speed is passed quickly. The secondary resonance is a vibration form in which the outer tub 70 vibrates up and down. Further, at 300 rpm, there is a tertiary resonance in which the outer tub 70 vibrates back and forth, and it is temporarily raised to 270 rpm before this. When the speed reaches 270 rpm, the sensitivity of the acceleration sensor 98 is switched to an intermediate sensitivity of 0.22 V / G (S71). Thereafter, the dehydration control by the acceleration sensor 98 is interrupted for 2 seconds (S72). During this 2 seconds, the rotational speed is reduced to 240 rpm at a reduction rate of 15 rpm / s (S73, S74). Even if the dehydration control by the acceleration sensor 98 is interrupted, the occurrence of abnormal vibration is prevented by decelerating, and even if abnormal vibration occurs, the rotation is directed in the direction to stop, and the abnormal vibration is converged. Can be made safe.

  The dehydration control by the acceleration sensor is interrupted for 2 seconds and then resumed (S75). The motor is operated at 240 rpm for 18 seconds (S76), and then accelerated at an acceleration rate of 25 rpm / s (S77) to pass the third resonance. Rotate at a constant speed for a longer time than the previous constant speed section (170 rpm), drain water as much as possible before the third resonance, reduce the weight, and easily pass the third resonance.

  The third resonance is allowed to pass and is operated at 380 rpm for 5 seconds (S78), and then increased to 600 rpm at an acceleration rate of 25 rpm / s (S79, S80), and further increased to 930 rpm once at an acceleration rate of 25 rpm / s (S81). , S82). When 930 rpm is reached, the sensitivity of the acceleration sensor 98 is switched to 0.17 V / G, which is a low sensitivity (S83), and the dehydration control by the acceleration sensor 98 is interrupted for 2 seconds (S84). When the sensitivity is switched, the rotational speed is reduced to 900 rpm at a deceleration rate of 15 rpm / s (S85, S86), and the dehydration control by the acceleration sensor is resumed (S87).

  In the case of a drum-type washing / drying machine, the dehydration rotational speed is high and is increased to 1200 rpm. Even with the same displacement, the output of the acceleration sensor at 1200 rpm is 1.78 times the output at 900 rpm, which may exceed the measurement range of the sensor or the input range to the microcomputer. In order to measure the vibration of 1200 rpm, the sensitivity is lowered. Similarly, the dehydration control by the acceleration sensor is interrupted at the same time as the sensitivity is switched, and the rotation speed is reduced. In this way, even when the dehydration control by the acceleration sensor is interrupted when the sensitivity is switched, it is possible to safely cope with the occurrence of abnormal vibration.

  Operate 900 rpm longer to drain moisture from the garment and reduce the weight of the garment that is offset. Specifically, the time at 600 rpm is 5 seconds, while the time at 900 rpm is 1 minute (S88). Then, it is increased to 1200 rpm at an acceleration rate of 25 rpm / s (S89, S90) and dehydrated for 5 minutes.

  In order to rotate at high speed, it is necessary to reduce the deviation of the clothing. By draining water as much as possible before 1200 rpm / s, the weight of the clothing that is offset in proportion to it is reduced, and high-speed rotation at 1200 rpm is realized. . However, if the weight of the offset clothing does not fall below a predetermined value even if the time at 900 rpm is increased as described above, the operation is continued at 900 rpm without increasing to 1200 rpm, and the dehydration is terminated. The acceleration sensor 98 is also used for this determination, so that when the vibration corresponding to the weight of the clothing that has been offset is detected, the dehydration rotation speed is not increased.

  After performing a dehydration operation at 1200 rpm (or 900 rpm) for a predetermined time, control by the acceleration sensor is stopped (S91), the vehicle is decelerated at a high deceleration rate of 50 rpm / s (S92), and the drum stops rotating (S93). The dehydration is finished (S94).

  In this way, even in a drum-type washer / dryer, it is necessary to switch the sensitivity of the acceleration sensor in order to perform measurement with a sensitivity suitable for the rotational speed. Can be switched.

  As described above, by switching the sensitivity of the acceleration sensor, the sensor output becomes unstable and the vibration is likely to be erroneously detected. By reducing the rotational speed of the washing tub, the occurrence of abnormal vibration is prevented, and even if it occurs, measures are taken to converge the vibration in advance, and the sensitivity can be switched safely. 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 and dewatering tub 7 Rotary blade 9 Motor (drive device)
25 Acceleration sensor 26 Control device 29 Abnormal vibration detector 31 Microcomputer 38 Vibration determination unit

Claims (5)

A washing / dehydrating tub for storing clothes, an outer tub containing the washing / dehydrating tub, a motor for rotationally driving the washing / dehydrating tub, a housing for covering the outer tub, and a rotation for detecting rotation of the motor In a washing machine having a detector and a vibration detection device that detects a vibration amount of the outer tub, and controlling the motor by the rotation detector and the vibration detection device, the vibration detection device The detection sensitivity can be switched, and the motor is controlled by the rotation detector without controlling the motor by the vibration detection device for a predetermined time after switching the detection sensitivity of the vibration detection device. The washing machine is characterized in that control is performed to reduce vibration by reducing the rotational speed of the motor .   A washing / dehydrating tub for storing clothes, an outer tub containing the washing / dehydrating tub, a driving device for rotationally driving the washing / dehydrating tub, a housing for covering the outer tub, and a vibration amount of the outer tub. In a washing machine that has a vibration detection device that detects, and determines that the vibration is abnormal and controls the dehydration operation if the output of the vibration detection device is greater than a preset threshold value, the vibration detection device switches the detection sensitivity of the vibration amount The washing machine is characterized in that, for a predetermined time after switching the detection sensitivity of the vibration detection device, a threshold value for determining abnormal vibration is made higher than that before switching.   The washing machine according to claim 1 or 2, wherein an acceleration rate of the rotation speed of the washing and dewatering tub is lowered for a predetermined time after switching the sensitivity of the vibration detection device as compared to before switching.   3. The washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the detection sensitivity of the vibration detection device is switched after the rotation speed of the washing and dewatering tub is changed from a high acceleration rate to a low acceleration rate.   The washing machine according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the detection sensitivity of the vibration detection device is switched while the rotational speed of the washing and dewatering tub is decelerated.

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