JPH0312917B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to a fully automatic washing machine, and particularly to control of a rinsing process.

(Prior art and its problems) Conventionally, in this type of washing machine, the amount of water (water level) was determined empirically by the user based on the amount of laundry, so it was easy to have too much or too little water. If the amount of water is small, fabric stains will occur, and if there is a large amount of water, there will be problems such as wasted water consumption.

Additionally, the strength of the water flow was determined empirically by the user, which led to problems such as the water flow being too strong and causing fabric stains, and being too weak resulting in insufficient rinsing. I was getting used to it.

However, in recent years, various methods have been proposed that automatically determine the amount of laundry and set the water amount and water flow in the rinsing process to the appropriate water amount and water flow. After supplying water to the lowest water level, the pulsator is rotated and the average value of the current flowing through the motor at that time is determined. Based on this average value, the need for additional water supply is determined, and if necessary, additional water is supplied to the next water level. A method has been proposed in which the need for additional water supply is determined by the above-mentioned operation again and the appropriate water level (water amount) is finally obtained, but the control is extremely complicated and requires technical and
This was difficult in terms of cost and lacked practicality.

(Object of the Invention) The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and it is possible to perform rinsing by obtaining control data such as the water level (water amount) and water flow during the rinsing process in the intermediate dehydration detection process performed before the rinsing process. To solve problems such as fabric damage, waste of water, and insufficient rinsing by performing the process in an appropriate state, and to provide a product with excellent practicality.

(Structure of the Invention) The present invention includes a detection means for detecting water discharged during an intermediate dehydration step, a dehydration state detection means for detecting the progress of dehydration based on an output signal of the detection means,
and rinsing content determining means for counting the time until the dehydration state reaches a certain state based on the output signal of the dehydration state detection means and generating a rinse control signal based on the time, and rinsing according to the rinse control signal. It has a structure that controls the process and achieves the intended purpose.

(Example) Examples of the present invention shown in the drawings will be described in detail below.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a control system of a fully automatic washing machine in one embodiment of the present invention. 1 is the outer tank,
Reference numeral 2 denotes a washing and dehydration tank (hereinafter referred to as a dehydration tank) having a large number of drainage holes 3 on the circumferential wall surface, 4 a pulsator, 5 a mechanical case containing a brake, clutch and deceleration mechanism, and 6 a washing and dehydration tank. Motor for 7
9 is a drainage path with a discharge valve 8 inserted, and 9 is a water supply valve 10.
11 is a turbidity detector (detection means) installed in the drainage path 7, in which a light emitting element 12 and a light receiving element 13 are arranged facing each other with the drainage path 7 between them. Detects water optically. The output voltage of the turbidity detector 11 is low when there is a large amount of water flowing in the drainage path 7 and the light from the light emitting element 12 is blocked and the amount of light received by the light receiving element 13 is small, and it becomes high when the amount of light received is large. 14 is a turbidity determination section, 15 is a water level detector that detects the water level based on pressure changes within the air trap 16, 17 is a motor control section, 18 is a drain valve control section, 19 is a water supply control section, and 20 is a sequence control section. .

In the above configuration, the water squeezed out of the laundry by the high-speed rotation of the dehydration tank 2 during the dewatering process flows out from the drain hole 3, and the water received in the outer tank 1 is discharged to the outside via the drainage path 7. However, on the way, the water passes between the light emitting element 12 and the light receiving element 13 and blocks the light, so the amount of light received by the light receiving element 13 changes.
The output voltage of the turbidity detector 11 changes as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

Figures 2 and 3 are diagrams showing the relationship between the elapsed time of dehydration and the output voltage of the turbidity detector. Figure 2 shows the case when the amount of laundry is small, and Figure 3 shows the case when the amount is large. . To explain the change in the output voltage of the turbidity detector 11 according to FIGS. 2 and 3, at the beginning of the dehydration process (until the water from the laundry reaches the turbidity detector 11), the output voltage is low. The voltage is high and the water is turbidity detector 1
When it reaches 1 and begins to block light, the output voltage drops rapidly because a large amount of water initially comes out. When the amount of laundry is small, the amount of water contained is also small, so the output voltage starts to rise in a relatively short time as shown in Figure 2, but when the amount of laundry is large, the water contained Since the output voltage is large, the output voltage does not start to rise until a long time has elapsed as shown in the third diagram. Therefore, the reference voltage is now temporarily set to _V1 , the time t from the start of dehydration until the output voltage of the turbidity detector 11 returns to the reference voltage _V1 is counted, and the time t is
You can know the amount of laundry by looking at the length and shortness of .

Further, FIG. 4 shows the relationship between the length of time t and the amount of cloth, and as can be seen from this figure, the time t and the amount of cloth are in a proportional relationship. Further, in FIG. 4, it can be seen that the proportionality coefficient differs depending on the type of cloth, and the time t for the same amount of cloth is longer for pomegranates containing more water than for synthetic fibers. On the other hand, it is known that the fabric circumference for the same amount of fabric (the way the fabric works for the same water flow) is worse for Momen, which contains a lot of water, than for synthetic fibers.
You can tell the type of cloth and the circumference by the length of the cloth. There is a close correlation between fabric circumference and water level, and the water level for the same amount of fabric needs to be higher for noodles with poor fabric circumference than for synthetic fibers.

As can be seen from the above, the time t from the start of dehydration until the output voltage of the turbidity detector 11 returns to the reference voltage _V1 is counted, and the water level is set based on the length of the time t. This makes it possible to obtain an appropriate water level for the amount and type of laundry.

Next, Figure 5 is a diagram showing the relationship between the amount of cloth and the amount of detergent contained in the cloth. From this figure, it can be seen that the amount of detergent contained in cloth is proportional to the amount of cloth, and that it differs depending on the type of cloth. For example, the amount of detergent contained in the same amount of cloth is higher for Japanese noodles than for synthetic fibers. Therefore, from this figure 5 and the above figure 4, it can be seen that there is a correlation between the length of time t and the amount of detergent contained in the cloth, and the amount of detergent varies depending on the length of time. That is, it is possible to detect the degree of difficulty in rinsing and, in turn, to know the appropriate water flow.

Based on the above, control in the above embodiment of the present invention will be explained. In addition, FIG. 6 is a flowchart for determining the rinsing content, and A to A in the figure are
E is a judgment value determined in advance based on experimental data, etc.
The value of is set to be the smallest, and the value of E is set to be the largest.

Now, when the washing process and the draining process are completed and the process moves to the intermediate dehydration process, the sequence control unit 20 outputs an ON signal to the motor control unit 17 to drive the motor 6, rotate the dehydration tank 2, and wash the laundry. While starting dehydration, start the timer and check the elapsed time T.
, and then the turbidity determination section 14 repeatedly determines whether the output voltage V of the turbidity detector 11 has decreased to the reference voltage _V1 or less. and,
When it is determined that the reference voltage V has dropped below ₁ ,
Next, the output voltage V of the turbidity detector 11 is the reference voltage V ₁
Determine whether or not it has returned to normal.

Eventually, as time passes, dehydration progresses, and the output voltage V of the turbidity detector 11 returns to the reference voltage _V1 .
When this is determined, the timer data T at this time is read out and stored as time t.

When the intermediate dehydration step is completed, the previously stored time t is read out, and the water level and water flow in the next rinsing step are set by comparing this time t with the determination values A to E. Move on to the next rinsing process. Therefore, in the rinsing process, water is stored at the end of the outer tub 1 to a set water level, and rinsing is performed using the previously set water flow, and the water level and water flow are appropriate for the amount and type of laundry. Then,
Problems such as cloth damage, insufficient rinsing, and wasted water are eliminated.

For example, if the time t is long and larger than the determination part E, the amount of laundry is large, the fabric has poor circulation, and it is like noodles containing a large amount of detergent, so the water level is high and the laundry is not affected by strong water flow. Run the rinse;
If the time t is extremely short and smaller than the judgment value A, the amount of laundry to be washed is small, and the fabric has a good circumference and is made of synthetic fibers with a low detergent content, so it should be rinsed with a weak water stream at a low water level. In either case, a sufficient rinsing effect can be obtained.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a control system of a fully automatic washing machine according to another embodiment of the present invention.
A detector 21 made of a piezoelectric element or the like that generates an electromotive force (electrical signal) depending on the size, number, etc. of the collided water droplets when they collide with each other from the water drain hole 3 of the dehydration tank 2. It is. In FIG. 7, 22 is a dehydration determination unit that detects the progress of dehydration based on the output signal of the detector 21. This dehydration determination unit 22 is an amplifier circuit that amplifies the output signal of the detector 21, and deletes small output signals. In order to do this, we have a comparator circuit that compares it with a constant voltage and outputs it only when there is a signal that is above a certain voltage, and when an input is received from the comparator circuit, we discharge it over a long period of time using a CR time constant and the input signal is It is constructed with a hold circuit or the like that prevents the voltage from dropping below the reference voltage in certain cases.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the relationship between the elapsed time of dehydration, the change in the output of the dehydration determining section, and the change in the dehydration rate. The output of the dehydration determining unit 22 is at the "H" level from the start of dehydration until water droplets begin to collide with the detector 21, and changes to the "L" level when water droplets begin to collide with the detector 21 frequently, and then the collision occurs. When the number of water droplets decreases, the level changes to "H" again. Therefore, in this embodiment, the output of the dehydration determining section 22 is "L".
to "H" (the point at which the dehydration rate changes from rapid to slow), the time t from the start of dehydration to the above point is counted, and rinsing control signals such as the water level and water flow are generated based on this time t. is generated. The above-mentioned time t varies depending on the amount and type of laundry, and by detecting the time T, it is possible to know the appropriate water level and water flow for the amount and type of laundry, as in the previous embodiment.

Therefore, the rinsing process can be carried out at an appropriate water level and water flow, as in the previous embodiment, and the rinsing process can be carried out at an appropriate water level and water flow to prevent fabric damage and
A sufficient rinsing effect can be obtained without wasting water.

Incidentally, in both of the above embodiments, both the water level and water flow in the rinsing process are automatically set based on the time from the start of dehydration until the dehydration state reaches a certain state, but only one of them is set automatically. may be set automatically.

Further, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the turbidity detector 11 can be used for controlling the washing and rinsing processes, and in the embodiment shown in FIG. 7, the detector 21 can be used for controlling the dehydration process, which is advantageous in terms of cost.

(Effects of the Invention) As described above, in the present invention, the rinsing process can be carried out by obtaining a rinsing control signal that sets the water level during the next rinsing process in the intermediate dewatering process to a water level that corresponds to the amount of laundry. It can be executed under appropriate conditions, eliminates problems such as fabric stains, wasted water, and insufficient rinsing, does not require complicated control, is technically and cost-effective, and is excellent in practice. can be provided.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing the control system of a fully automatic washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Figs. 2 and 3 are diagrams showing the relationship between the elapsed time of dehydration and the output voltage of the turbidity detector. , FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the relationship between the time t and the amount of cloth, FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the relationship between the amount of cloth and the amount of detergent contained in the cloth, and FIG. 6 is a flowchart for determining the content of rinsing, FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing the control system of a fully automatic washing machine according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG.
It is a figure showing the relationship with dehydration rate. 2: Washing/dehydration tank, 11: Turbidity detector, 21:
Detectors such as piezoelectric elements.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. After the washing process, the washing process passes through an intermediate dehydration process and then moves to the rinsing process in which water is stored in a tank and the water flow is used for rinsing. , a dehydration state detection means for detecting the progress of dehydration based on the output signal of the detection means; and a dehydration state detection means that counts the time until the dehydration state reaches a certain state based on the output signal of the dehydration state detection means, and calculates the time based on the time. and rinsing content determining means for generating a rinsing control signal for setting a water level during rinsing according to the amount of laundry, and the rinsing process is controlled by the rinsing control signal. Machine. 2. The fully automatic washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the detection means optically detects water discharged during the intermediate dehydration process. 3. The fully automatic washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the detection means detects water splashed out of the dehydration tank by collision of the water.