JPH0323200B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (a) Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to a drum-type washing machine equipped with a drying function.

(b) Conventional technology As a conventional example, a drum-type washing machine that uses a rotating drum to perform washing and drying processes was developed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 1986-
It is shown in Publication No. 91794 (D06F25/00).

This type of washing machine has separate timers for setting the washing time and drying time, even though the operating knobs are common, and the rotating drum is driven during each time. In addition, the motor that drives the rotating drum has a drive current (load current) of about 2.7A, for example, because there are water-containing clothes in the rotating drum during washing, but during drying, there are clothes that have dehydrated. Therefore, the drive current drops to 1.5A. During drying, power is also supplied to the heater that creates drying air.

(c) Problems to be solved by the invention In the conventional example, the drying timer can be set regardless of whether the clothes have been dehydrated or not, and regardless of whether the clothes have been drained. When rinsing, I accidentally set the drying timer. In this case, in the former case, a strange condition occurs when clothes containing detergent are dried, and in any case, a large amount of water is evaporated, which requires unnecessary power. Furthermore, if a positive temperature coefficient thermistor with a large starting current is used as a heater, the current is already flowing around 2.7A for the motor, which easily exceeds the household electrical capacity (mostly 15A), causing the breaker to trip each time. So it was annoying.

In addition, it is possible to detect the difference in motor drive current between washing and drying, and if an overload current of about 2.7A flows while setting the drying timer, the power supply to the heater and motor may be cut off. However, even if abnormal drying and power wastage can be resolved in this case, setting the drying timer will supply power to the heater from the beginning, making it difficult to prevent the breaker from tripping. When a large current flows into the motor, the motor drive current may temporarily drop, causing a delay in the detection of the drive current, causing the problem that the breaker may trip during that time.

The present invention solves these problems in drum type washing machines.

(d) Means for solving the problem In order to solve the problem, the drum type washing machine of the present invention has the following configuration.

washing operation time limit setting means; drying operation time limit setting means; a motor that drives the rotating drum while the washing operation and drying operation time limits are being set; and operating at least during the drying operation time limit setting to detect overload of the motor. means for delaying the supply of electricity to the heater for a certain period of time from the start of the drying operation; and means for manually cutting off the supply of electricity to the heater when the load detection means detects an overload.

(e) Effect: That is, when the drying timer is set, power is not supplied to the heater for a certain period of time, and during this period, the load detection device detects the drive current of the motor to determine whether it is normal or abnormal. Then, if normal, power is started to be supplied to the heater after a certain period of time and a normal drying process is executed. If there is an abnormality (overload), the power supply to the heater will be cut off for a certain period of time.

(F) Example Embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the drawings.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a two-drum drum type washing machine having a water receiving tank 2 disposed within the machine body, and a rotating drum 3 and a centrifugal dewatering tank 4 disposed within the water receiving tank 2. 5
6 is a washing motor that rotates the rotary drum 3 at a reduced speed using a pulley such as a gear, and 6 is a dewatering motor that rotates the centrifugal dewatering tank 4 at high speed, and these motors are disposed outside and below the water receiving tank 2, respectively.

Reference numeral 7 denotes a duct for supplying drying air to the rotating drum 3. A blower motor 8 is disposed at the starting end of the duct 7, and a harmonica-shaped heater 9 made of a positive temperature coefficient thermistor is disposed in the middle.

10 is a knob of a washing timer 101 that sets the rotation time of the washing motor 5; 11 is a blower motor 8;
and a knob of the drying timer 111 that sets the operating time of the heater 9; 12 a knob of the dehydration timer 121 that sets the rotation time of the dehydration motor 6; 13 a knob that opens and closes the drain valve 14; and 15 a knob of the water receiving tank 2. This is a knob that opens and closes a solenoid valve (not shown) for supplying water to the tank.

Next, the electric circuit will be explained based on FIG. 2. First, the dehydration motor 6 can be powered independently by connecting in series the normally open contact 122 of the dehydration timer 121 and the safety switch 16 that is linked to the opening and closing of the dehydration tank lid. It's like this. The washing motor 5 is connected to a relay 17 which will be described later.
washing timer 1 via the normally closed switching contact 171 of
01 contact 102, and is also connected to the overcurrent relay 18, which is a load detection device, via a normally open switching contact 172, and the switching contacts 171, 172
By switching, power is supplied via either the contact 102 or the overcurrent relay 18. Overcurrent relay 18
The contact 181 of the drying timer 111 which is connected in series with the overcurrent relay 18 is connected in series with the overcurrent relay 18. It is connected in series with overcurrent relay 18. and,
A parallel circuit of the relay 17, delay timer 19, delay relay 20, heater 9, and blower motor 8 is connected in series to this contact 112. Here, the delay timer 19 and the delay relay 20 constitute a delay device, and the relay 20 is the delay timer 1.
Contacts 191 that close after the end of the delay time of 9 are connected in series. Further, the heater 9 and the blower motor 8 are connected in series with a delay contact 201 that closes when a delay relay 20 is activated (after a certain delay time).

To explain the operation of this embodiment, in the washing process, if the washing timer 101 is set for a certain period of time, the contact 102 is closed during that time, and the washing can be done independently regardless of other processes. In addition, in the dehydration process, the dehydration timer 1
If the time 21 is set, the contact 122 closes during that time, and dehydration can be carried out independently without regard to other processes.
If the lid is opened during this time, the safety switch 16 is opened and the motor 6 is stopped.

In the drying process, set the drying timer 111,
Contacts 112 are closed during this time. Then, the switching contact 172 of the relay 17 is closed, and the washing motor 5 is switched on.
is supplied with power via the overcurrent relay 18. Therefore, the rotating drum 3 rotates. On the other hand, delay timer 19
The contact 191 is also activated for a certain period of time.
Therefore, delay relay 20, heater 9, and blower motor 8 are not supplied with power. Here, in a normal case where the water in the water tank 2 has been drained and the clothes have already been dehydrated, the driving current of the washing motor 5 is approximately
The current is about 1.5A, and the overcurrent relay 18 does not operate at this level of current. However, if water remains in the tank and there is a large load when the drum rotates, or if there is an abnormality such as the clothes are not completely dehydrated, the drying timer 111 may be set incorrectly, causing the drive current of the washing motor 5 to decrease. is about 2.7A, as in the washing process, and at this time, the overcurrent relay 18 is quickly activated, opening its contact 181 and cutting off the power supply to the washing motor 5. In the normal case, the contact 191 closes after a certain period of time and the delay relay 20
The heater 9 and the blower motor 8 are supplied with power by activating the heater 9 and closing the delay contact 201 thereof. The blower motor 8 may be operated with a further delay of a predetermined time in order to suppress the starting current of the heater 9.

Other aspects of the load detection device (overcurrent relay 18) in this embodiment include one that detects the rotation speed of the washing motor 5, and one that clearly operates by comparing the current and voltage with those in normal conditions. be. In another embodiment of the blower motor 8, a fan is attached to the rotating shaft of the washing motor 5, and in this case, the duct 7 is led out from below the water receiving tank 2. Furthermore, as shown by the dotted line in FIG.
11 may be inserted and connected to the downstream side of the overcurrent relay 18, respectively. In order to prevent the overcurrent relay 18 from accidentally operating after a certain period of time, a new power supply line 21 and a new contact 2 of the delay relay 20 are provided.
02 and 203 may be connected to the positions shown in FIG.

Further, in addition to the above-described embodiments, an electronic timer control method may be used in which washing time and drying time can be set by a microcomputer.

That is, in FIG. 3, the relay 17 is energized from the microcomputer 30 at the same time as the time limit for the drying process is set.
Switching contact 171 switches to contact 172. Then, since power is supplied to the washing motor 5 via the overcurrent relay 18, when this relay 18 is activated due to overload, the contact 181a connected in series to the heater 9 is activated.
is opened, cutting off electricity to the heater 9. In addition, the relay 18 is a contact 181b of the detection circuit of the microcomputer 30.
Since the washing motor 5 is also opened, the output to the washing motor 5 is cut off in response to this opening signal.

On the other hand, the relay 20 is energized with a certain time delay from the energization to the washing motor 5, and closes the contact 201 connected in series to the heater 9. Although this embodiment is a two-tub type washing machine, it goes without saying that it can also be applied to a fully automatic type washing machine that automatically performs everything from washing to drying.

(g) Effects of the invention As described above, the drum type washing machine according to the present invention has the following features:
It is possible to prevent abnormal dry conditions and wasted power, and since the power supply to the heater is cut off for a certain period of time when determining whether it is normal or abnormal, there is no need to waste power during the determination and prevent the breaker from turning on when starting up. It is possible to suppress the operation.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an internal mechanism diagram of a drum-type washing machine according to the present invention, and FIGS. 2 and 3 are electrical circuit diagrams in different embodiments. 2...Water tank, 3...Rotating drum, 5...Washing motor, 8...Blower motor, 9...Heater,
101...Washing timer, 111...Drying timer, 18...Overcurrent relay (load detection means), 1
81...Contact, 19...Delay timer (delay means), 20...Delay relay (delay means), 201...
...delay contact.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A washing operation time limit setting means, a drying operation time limit setting means, a motor that drives the rotating drum during the time limit setting of the washing operation and the drying operation, and a motor that operates at least during the drying operation time limit setting. means for detecting an overload of the motor; a delay means for delaying energization to the heater for a certain period of time from the start of the drying operation; and a manual cutoff for cutting off energization to the heater when the load detection means detects an overload. A drum-type washing machine characterized by the following: