JPH0249116B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (a) Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to a fully automatic washing machine that automatically performs a dewatering process after a washing (rinsing) process.

(b) Conventional technology This type of fully automatic washing machine automatically moves to the dehydration process (draining and spinning) after the washing (rinsing) process, so the laundry in the tub before draining creates an imbalance. If it was too hot, it would cause abnormal vibrations during dehydration rotation.

For this purpose, conventionally, as shown in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Nos. 55-70292 and 59-51881, the rotor blades are intermittently reversed for a certain period of time immediately before the end of the rinsing process. I was trying to correct the unbalanced laundry load by carrying out the operation mentioned above.

However, in the conventional example, since the number of rotations per cycle during such operation is large, a large rotational force is applied to the laundry, which may cause it to become twisted, and it is not possible to untwist it, that is, loosen it. In addition, this operating time is different from the time required to obtain a predetermined cleaning effect, creating waste during the process.

(c) Problems to be Solved by the Invention The present invention attempts to eliminate the imbalance without extending the stroke time.

(d) Means for Solving the Problems The present invention solves the problems by performing an operation in which the rotor blades are rotated intermittently at one rotation or less during the drainage process of the dewatering process.

(e) Action: In other words, rotation of one rotation or less acts to shake the laundry, and untangles the laundry without twisting it. This operating time is then combined with the drainage time to make effective use of the time.

(f) Example To explain the example based on the drawings, 1 is a frame on which the outer tank 2 is suspended in a vibration-proof manner (the hanging rod portion is not shown), and 3 is a frame rotatably arranged inside the outer tank 2. A dehydration/washing tub is provided, 4... is a dehydration hole drilled in the peripheral wall of the washing tub 3, 5 is a balance ring, and 6 is a large-diameter mountain-shaped rotatably arranged at the center of the bottom of the washing tub 3. It is a rotor blade. On the outer bottom surface of the outer tub 2, there is a drive motor 7 and a bearing that rotates the rotor blade 6 intermittently at low speed (approximately 180 rpm) and simultaneously rotates the rotor blade 6 and the washing tub 3 in one direction at high speed. Case 8 is provided. In addition, there is a drain port 9 for the washing tub 3 on the bottom of the outer tub 2.
This drain port 9 is connected to a bellows-shaped drain hose 12 that can be freely raised via a drain valve 10 and a drain channel 11.
It is connected to. 13 is the drain valve 1 when it is energized.
This is a solenoid that opens 0, and when energized, operates a clutch device (not shown) to transmit the rotation of the drive motor 7 to the rotary blade 6 and the washing tub 3.
Release the brake device (not shown) of the washing tub 3. Reference numeral 14 denotes an overflow port provided in the outer tank 2, which communicates with the drainage channel 11 via an overflow hose 15.

16 is an upper lid that covers the upper opening of the washing tub 3;
7 is a water supply port connected to a water supply channel via an electromagnetic water supply valve 18.

19 is a control box, which includes a microcomputer (hereinafter referred to as microcomputer) 20 as a control means;
It is equipped with a control circuit shown in FIG. 2 which connects various output means and various input (setting) means, and the front panel includes a power switch knob 21 for operating the input (setting) means and a water level setting knob. 22, key for changing the process etc. 23..., start key 24
..., a stop key 25, a light emitting diode (hereinafter referred to as LED) serving as an operation display or status notification means.
26... are provided.

The detection signal of the liquid level switch 27 that detects the set water level of the washing tub 3, the detection signal of the safety switch 28 that is linked to the opening and closing of the top lid 16 and detects abnormal vibrations during spin-drying, and the reset signal of the reset circuit 29 are controlled by a microcomputer. 20 is input. 30 is a drive circuit for rotating the drive motor 7 clockwise, 31 is a drive circuit for rotating the drive motor 7 counterclockwise, and 32 is a buzzer as a notification means for notifying the user of various conditions. The operating mechanism of the safety switch 28 is located in the lower part of the control box 19 and in the frame 1,
When the upper cover 16 is opened and closed, it is in two positions corresponding to open and closed, but when abnormal vibration is detected, it is instantly turned off and immediately returned to on.

Next, the process will be explained based on FIG. 3. This fully automatic washing machine automatically executes a washing process, a first rinsing process, a second rinsing process, and a final dehydration process in this order. The dewatering process is performed as an intermediate dehydrating process at the beginning of the first and second rinsing processes, and after draining water and resetting the liquid level switch 27, the washing tub 3 and the rotary blade 6 are moved in the same direction at the same time. It consists of dehydration that is rotated at high speed.

First, the washing process starts with water supply, and when the liquid level switch 27 trips, the water supply is stopped and the rotary blades 6 are stopped for about 1 second and rotated intermittently, alternating left and right for about 2 seconds. Then, this washing by intermittent reversal is repeated for a set time.

The next first rinse step starts with intermediate dehydration.
Then, by supplying water and intermittently reversing the rotor blade 6 in the same reversal cycle as the washing process,
Execute water injection rinsing for the set time while continuing to rinse or water supply. The next second rinse step is the first
Since this process is exactly the same as the rinsing process, the explanation will be omitted.

Finally, the final dehydration process is executed to complete the fully automatic operation.

Here, in the above three dehydration processes, if the "loose operation" is started at the same time as the start of draining, and the time until the liquid level switch 27 is reset is set to 30 to 40 seconds, then the drain and "loose operation" are performed for only 20 to 30 seconds. "Driving" is also carried out. This "loosening operation" is to intermittently rotate or reverse the rotor blade 6 one rotation or less/one rotation time. In this embodiment, a reversal cycle is repeatedly executed in which left and right rotations are alternately performed at a time (T _ON ) and a rest time (T _OFF ) is interposed between rotations. For example, T _ON =0.1
~0.3 seconds, T _OFF =0.2 seconds. In addition, "loose driving"
The reason why is made shorter than the time until reset is that if the rotor blades 6 are rotated when the water level is very low, there is a risk that the laundry may be damaged by the rotational force.

Thus, in this "loosening operation", the twisted and hardened laundry is shaken little by little at the end of the washing (rinsing) process, and the laundry is flattened horizontally. At the beginning of drainage, the water level is high, so the laundry is swaying around the relatively heavy laundry that has sunk near the rotor blade 6, but as the water level decreases, the oscillating force is better transmitted and dispersed horizontally. Power becomes stronger. The shaking force gradually acts on smaller items that tend to float, as well as thin and relatively light laundry items, dispersing them horizontally and stacking them up, and some of them getting into the laundry at the bottom. In this way, the laundry is piled up evenly around the entire circumference of the tub 3, reducing unbalanced loads. Further, during the shaking, lint and the like during washing are dispersed, mixed with the draining water, and discharged. Furthermore, the water draining time is shortened because the rotary blade 6 rotates even a little and the water drains easily.

Shortly after such "loosening operation" is completed, the liquid level switch 27 is reset, and in response to this reset signal, the microcomputer 20 rotates the tank 3 and the rotary blade 6 clockwise at high speed to execute centrifugal dehydration.

Due to the reduction in the unbalanced load, the occurrence of abnormal vibrations during the dewatering process is almost eliminated, but if abnormal vibrations should occur, the safety switch 28 detects this and inputs a detection signal to the microcomputer 20. Then, the microcomputer 20 causes the unbalance automatic correction program shown in FIG. 4 to be executed. That is, the first and second times the safety switch 28 is activated (OFF) due to abnormal vibrations, the water supply valve 18 is opened each time to supply water to the washing tub 3 to a low water level, and the above-mentioned "loosening operation" is performed until the water level is low. Execute for about 30 seconds while being held. After this, drainage starts, but it is a "loose operation".
Continue for another 10 seconds while the water level gradually decreases. The duration of this operation during drainage is determined in relation to the water supply to the washing tub 3, and in this case, since the water level is low, it is set to 10 seconds. In this way, when the drainage progresses and the liquid level switch 27 is reset, centrifugal dehydration is restarted.

Once the laundry has been subjected to centrifugal force, it is biased toward the peripheral side of the tub 3 and becomes longer in the vertical direction, making it difficult to unravel.
However, in this program, it is necessary to flatten the water, so the "loosening operation" is executed for a long time even before the water is drained. In particular, if the laundry is re-hydrated and operated with some buoyancy, the laundry will move more easily and will no longer be biased during operation. Then, in the subsequent combined operation during drainage, the laundry is stacked flat and substantially uniformly, reducing the uneven load, as described above.

In addition, the abnormal vibration could not be corrected and the safety switch 28
When activated (turned OFF) three times, the dehydration operation is interrupted and the buzzer 32 sounds intermittently to notify the user of the abnormality. This suspended state is canceled by a predetermined operation (operation of the stop key 25, etc.), and the operation is resumed by a subsequent operation of the start key 24.

By suppressing abnormal vibrations in the tub 3 and performing post-vibration processing in this way, the automation rate of washing is improved, washing time is no longer extended, and the spin speed is maintained to increase spin drying efficiency. By shortening the distance between the frame 1 and the outer tank 2, it is possible to reduce the size and increase the capacity.

(G) Effects of the Invention According to the present invention, there is provided a fully automatic washing machine that is high-performance and time-efficient and can perform appropriate dewatering operations by reducing the unbalanced load in the tub without extending the washing time. It is possible to provide

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a front sectional view of a fully automatic washing machine according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a control circuit, FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a fully automatic washing process, and FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a dewatering operation. 3...Washing/dehydration tank, 6...Rotary blade, 20...
Microcomputer (control means).

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1 A washing (rinsing) process in which water is supplied into the dewatering/washing tub to rotate the rotary blade, and a dewatering process in which the water is drained and the washing tub is rotated at high speed, and the rotary blade is rotated less than once during the draining. A fully automatic washing machine that rotates intermittently for a predetermined period of time.