JPH04126192A - Full automatic washing machine and full automatic washing and drying machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To miniaturize a motor by composing a variable frequency controller to drive the three-phase alternating current guide motor of a vector control inverter, operating washing or washing and drying at speed lower than rated turning speed, and executing weak magnetic field operation for a dehydrating process at the peak turning speed. CONSTITUTION:For washing, a pulsator 9 is rotated and for dehydating and drying, a basket 7 is rotated. It is switched by a clutch device 19b whether the basket 7 or the pulsator 9 is driven from a motor output axis through a decelerating device 19a at a constant decelerating ratio composed of a pulley or a gear, etc. A motor 17 is composed of the three-phase guide motor, and a variable frequency controller 18 to drive this motor is composed of the vector control inverter. In the washing process, the clutch 19b is directly linked to the side of the pulsator 9. In the dehydrating process and the drying process, the clutch 19b is directly linked to the legs of the basket 7, power is supplied from the variable frequency controller 18 composed of the vector control inverter through the decelerating device 19a to the motor 17, and a frequency is set so as to get the turning speed suitable for each process.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a fully automatic washing machine and a fully automatic washer/dryer, and in particular to a drive that drives a pulsator or basket using a variable frequency control device consisting of a vector control inverter. Regarding the structure of the method.

[Conventional technology]

Conventional devices are disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 58-155894 and Japanese Patent Publication No. 64-9040. The former is a washing machine driven by a brushless AC motor, and the latter is a washing machine driven by a three-phase AC motor through a frequency converter. This is a washing machine drive system that features variable speed control that can be set to any rotation speed using a variable frequency device such as an inverter, which eliminates the need to change the drive motor gears. .

However, at least the washing and dehydration process is of course,
When washing, dehydrating, and drying processes are performed in one washing machine, the drive motor has a wide range of rotation speeds, so 4 conventional V
/F (voltage/frequency) constant control widens the frequency control range of the inverter.

As a result, a difference occurs in the relationship between motor voltage and current in each process. That is, the rotational speed of the motor is lowest in the drying process, followed by the washing process, and the highest rotational speed is in the dehydration process. For this reason, the rotation speed during the dehydration process is 4 to 6 times higher than the motor rotation speed during the washing process, and the difference in rotation speed between the motor rotation speed during the drying process and the rotation speed during the dehydration process is even larger; There is a 16 times difference.

For this reason, if gear switching is not performed with one motor, there will be a large difference in the voltage and current values applied to the motor in each process, resulting in a large drive motor, which poses a problem. In other words, in a V/F constant control inverter, at high speed rotation, the voltage increases as the frequency increases, and at low speed rotation, the frequency decreases and the voltage decreases at the same time, so a difference in motor current tends to occur when the rotation speed range is wide. was there.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

The above conventional technology uses gears or pulleys to reduce the rotation of a pulsator or basket during washing, dehydration, drying, etc. by changing the reduction ratio when a brushless motor is driven by a drive motor or a three-phase induction motor is driven by a V/F constant control inverter. Since no machine is used and the rotational speed range is wide, the difference in the voltage and current values of the required human power in each process becomes large, making it difficult to downsize the motor.

The purpose of the present invention is to use a vector control inverter so that the motor rotation speed, voltage, and current in each process such as washing, dehydration, and drying are approximately similar to each other.
Drying is operated at below the base rotation speed using vector control, and only the dewatering process is operated at maximum rotation speed and weak field operation, thereby reducing the size of the motor and creating high-performance all-white washing machines and fully automatic washer-dryers. It is about providing.

[Means to solve the problem]

In order to achieve the above purpose, a three-phase induction motor is used as the motor, and the washing and drying processes are set below the base rotation speed as a drive system operated by a fixed speed reducer using one pulley or gear. set to maximum rotation speed,
It is designed to operate with a vector control inverter that can perform field strengthening control up to the base rotation speed and field weakening control at the maximum rotation speed.

[Effect]

In general, a fully automatic washing machine consists of washing and dehydration processes, and a fully automatic washer/dryer consists of washing, dehydration, and drying processes. In the washing process, a pulsator is rotated to stir the water, and in the dewatering and drying processes, a basket is rotated. In each process, the number of rotations of the basket is low in the drying process, followed by the number of rotations of the pulsator in the washing process, which is about three times the number of rotations of the basket in the drying process. The rotation speed of the basket is the highest in the dehydration process, which is about 20 times higher than in the drying process.

If gear switching is not performed in this way, the rotational speed of the motor will vary greatly in each process, resulting in large differences in the voltage and current applied to the motor driven by an inverter with constant V/F control, and The motor becomes larger to satisfy the load conditions.

For this reason, the three-phase induction motor is driven by a vector control inverter instead of a constant V/F control inverter, and the washing and drying processes are controlled to increase the excitation current component, and the dehydration process is controlled to decrease the excitation current component. Therefore, the motor current can be prevented from having a large difference in each process, and the motor can be made smaller.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained based on one embodiment of the drawings.

Figures 1 to 4 are explanatory diagrams of the internal structure as seen from the right side of an embodiment of a fully automatic washer/dryer, Figure 2 is a basic configuration diagram when driven by a vector control inverter, and Figure 3 is FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of the internal structure as seen from the back side, and FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of the internal structure as seen from the right side, showing the different parts from FIG. 1.

In the figure, a rotating base 4 is vibration-proofly supported within a box-shaped outer frame 1 made of steel plate by hanging rods 2 and vibration-proofing springs 3. The rotating base 4 is rotatably attached to the outer tank 6. Rotating beam 5.

Similar to the rotation base 4, one end thereof is rotatably attached to the outer tank 6, and the other end of the single rotation beam 5 is attached to a rotation motor mechanism to be described later.

Inside the outer tank 6, a basket 7 is provided which has a substantially circular cross-sectional shape and also serves as a washing tank, a dewatering tank, and a drying drum. A balance ring 8 is attached to the upper end of the basket 7.
is attached by means such as ultrasonic welding. On the inner wall of the basket 7, there is a vertically rib-like glue lid 7a for scraping up the cloth when the basket 7 is tilted for drying.
A plurality of vertical grooves 7b are provided, and a large number of vertical grooves 7b are also provided. A large number of dehydration holes 7c are provided in the vertical groove 7b.
ing. At the center of the inner bottom of the basket 7, a recess 7d is provided in which the pulsator 9 is rotatably mounted. Outer tank 6
A rice cake cover 10 is fixed to the upper end of the basket 7 to prevent laundry from falling between the outer tub 6 and the basket 7. An 11 water valve 11 is attached to the outer bottom of the outer tank 6.

The rotation drive device 12 is attached to a base 13 made of a steel plate. The base 13 is formed into a box shape,
It is fixed to the outer tank 7 by means such as screws.

One end of the internal drainage hose 15 is connected to the drainage valve 11, and the other end is opened onto a base 16 provided at the lower part of the outer frame 1. The base 16 has a plurality of legs 16 at its lower part.
a, a holding portion 16b of the outer frame 1, a water receiving portion 16c, and a drain port portion 16d.

The water receiving portion 16c is configured to be inclined toward the center, and the water discharged from the drain hose 15 is drained from the drain port portion 16d.
is discharged from. Note that water from the drain port 16d is discharged to the outside via the external drain hose 20. Water receiver 1
A rib 16e is provided on the outer periphery of 6c to prevent water from overflowing.

In the case of a fully automatic washing machine, there are washing and dehydration processes, and in the case of a fully automatic washer/dryer, there are washing, dehydration, and drying processes.The basic configuration of the drive system is explained in FIG. The pulsator 9 is rotated for washing, and the basket 7 is rotated for dehydration and drying. The basket 7 and the pulsator 9 are driven from the motor output shaft by a clutch family that drives either the basket 7 or the pulsator 9 via a reduction bag with a constant reduction ratio consisting of a pulley or gear. 19b is configured to switch, and these constitute the rotational drive device 12.

The motor 17 is constituted by a three-phase induction motor, and a wound type or squirrel cage type induction motor is used, but a squirrel cage type induction motor having a robust structure is preferable.

The variable frequency control device f18 that drives the motor 17 is composed of a vector control inverter, and there are two methods: one in which the motor 17 is provided with a speed sensor, and the other in which the speed sensor is not provided. , FIG. 2 shows a speed sensorless vector control inverter.

In this configuration, the clutch 19b is the pulsator 9 in the washing process.
The dehydration process and the drying process are directly connected to the basket 7 side, and the variable frequency control device 18 consisting of a vector control inverter is connected to the motor 17 via the deceleration device 1'9a.
The frequency is set so that the rotation speed is appropriate for each process.

In addition, the motor 17. A rotary drive device 12 consisting of a speed reducer 19a and a clutch 19b is attached to the bottom of the outer tank 6 via a base 13.

A rotating arm 22 is attached to the output shaft of the rotating motor 21, and one end of the rotating beam 5 is rotatably attached to the rotating arm 22. A shaft base 23 is provided in the outer tank 6 by means such as screws, and the other end of the zero-turning beam 5, in which a beam receiver 24 is formed by extending a part of the shaft base 23, is attached to the beam. It is rotatably supported by a locking portion 25 of the receiver 24 . The outer tank shaft 26 is attached to the shaft base 23, and the outer tank shaft 26 is rotatably supported by a bearing portion 27 of the one-turn base 4.

The switch lever 4o is provided integrally with the outer tank shaft 26, and the switch lever 40 is connected to a micro switch (H) 41. It is attached so as to engage with the microswitch (V) 42.

The duct 44 is for circulating hot air during the drying process, and one end of the duct 44 is connected to the exhaust section 6b of the outer tank 6, and the other end is connected to the exhaust section 6b of the outer tank 6.
It is airtightly connected to the air intake port 45a of the blower 45.

The central inner diameter portion 44a of the duct 44 is connected to
The dimensions are increased to prevent washing water from entering the inside of the blower 45.2 A nozzle 5o is installed inside the duct 44,
Water introduced via hose 49 is sprayed into duct 44. i.e. during the drying process.

To prevent the circulation of air containing moisture from clothes, the hot air in the basket 7 is guided into the duct 44, and water is injected into the hot air passing through the duct 44 to remove the moisture in the hot air. Condenses and collects moisture. One end of the blower guide 52 is attached to the exhaust side of the blower 45, and the other end is connected to the heating unit 51. Furthermore, the heating unit 51 has an in-tank exhaust port 53 .

In the above configuration, the washing process of washing and rinsing is carried out in the outer tank 6. Do this with the basket 7 upright.

Note that this position detection is performed when the switch lever 40 engages with the microswitch (V) 42.

In the washing process of washing and rinsing, the pulsator 9 is directly connected to the clutch 19b via the speed reduction device 19a, and the washing process is operated at the base rotation speed with a large excitation current component. Also,
The drying process is operated at a rotational speed lower than the base rotational speed of the washing process, but similarly to the washing process, it is operated with a large excitation current component due to vector control. However, during the drying process, the basket 7 is directly connected by the operation of the clutch 19b.

Next, the drying process begins, and in this drying process, the basket 7 is tilted to a substantially horizontal position, as in a normal drum dryer. That is, this operation is performed by rotating the rotating arm 22 by the single-turn motor 21 and moving the rotating beam 5, which constitutes one element of a so-called link mechanism. Note that the rotation angle is detected when the switch lever 40 engages with the microswitch (H) 41. After the predetermined drying process has been carried out, the outer tank 6° and the basket 7 are returned to the upright position by the reverse operation.

Here, the pulsator 9 necessary for washing, dehydration and drying processes
The relationship between the required torque and rotational speed of the motor 17 that rotates the basket 7 will be explained in detail.

First, during washing or rinsing, the pulsator 9 is reversed for a short period at about 12 rpm. According to experiments, the torque required to rotate the pulsator 9 in this case is up to 200 kga++, although it depends on the type of clothing.
It is. During dehydration, the basket 7 is rotated at high speed in one direction at about 900 rpm.

According to the same experiment, the maximum torque required to maintain steady rotation of the basket 7 in this case is 15
The value is as small as kgam. The reason for this is that the force that tries to inhibit the rotation of the basket 7 is
This is a transmission loss of 2, and since it is mainly due to misalignment of the shaft center and rotational loss of the bearing, it is a small value as mentioned above.

During drying, the basket 7 is rotated at approximately 55 rpm. Note that as the drying process progresses, the load decreases, but according to experiments, the torque required to maintain steady rotation of the basket 7 in this case can be reduced to a maximum of 100 kg.
It is.

Summarizing the above, the rotational power required for this dryer is shown in Table 1.

Table 1 However, as a power source suitable for such variously changing rotational speeds and torques, there is an AC inverter motor that has rapidly become popular in recent years.

Conventionally, when driving a motor with an inverter, the frequency can be made variable, so it can be set to any rotation speed.Therefore, there are two methods: directly connecting the motor shaft output to the load without changing the reduction ratio of the reduction gear, and the other method using a constant reduction ratio. A method of washing, dehydrating, and drying was applied. However, if the reduction ratio of this reduction gear is constant (for example, gear ratio ε=1/10), the required characteristics of the motor are shown in Table 2. The required output p (w) of the motor in Table 2 can be obtained from the following equation, assuming that the rotation speed N (rp+m) w required torque (kg-m) in Table 1 is given.

P=1.027・τ・N Table 2 shows the torque for the required rotational speed when driving an induction motor with a brushless motor or V/F constant control inverter, the output at that time, and the motor voltage to produce that output. Shows the relationship between currents. The motor voltage and current are roughly calculated values assuming that the motor efficiency is 100%.

From Table 2, when the reduction ratio is constant, if the V/F constant control inverter is used to set the motor voltage to the maximum 200V in the dewatering process, which has the highest rotation speed, the washing process will have a voltage of 26.6V and a current of 9.3A. growing.

Further, in the drying process, the motor voltage is the minimum at 12.2V, but the current is at a relatively large value of 4.6A. That is, the motor current varies greatly between processes, and the motor must be designed so that it can withstand the motor current of 9.3 A during the washing process, resulting in a larger motor.

In contrast, in the present invention, the required number of rotations of the motor for the washing process is 1.
Table 3 shows an example where the base rotation speed is set to 200 rpa+. In addition, on the wooden surface, the reduction ratio of the reduction gear 19a is set to 1.
/1o is assumed.

Table (Reduction ratio: 1/10) From Table 3, if the washing motor rotation speed is the base rotation speed, then 1
The rated voltage is 20 orpm, and the voltage at this time is 200 rpm.
(2), so the current is 1.23A. 9 when dehydrated
000 rpm, field weakening control is performed, so the voltage is maintained at the rated voltage of 200V.

For this reason, the field current component is controlled to be decreased in response to an increase in frequency for increasing the number of rotations.

In reality, setting the base rotation speed to 1200 rpm and setting the maximum rotation speed to 900 rpm is because the field control range is wide.
In reality, it is thought that the base rotation speed will be set to a slightly higher rotation speed.

On the other hand, in the drying process, the rotation speed is lower than the base rotation speed, so the voltage decreases in proportion to the base rotation speed and becomes 92V, and the current is 0.
61 A. In contrast to Table 2, by using a vector control inverter capable of field strengthening and field weakening control in the variable frequency control device 118 as shown in Table 3, the difference in the current value of the motor current in each process can be reduced, and as a result, the motor This means that the size of the motor can be reduced, and the motor can be made smaller and lighter.

FIG. 5 shows a configuration in which the variable frequency control device 18 is a vector control inverter and the motor 17 is a three-phase induction motor. In the case of a household single-phase 100V power supply 100, a voltage doubler rectifier diode 1 is connected via a power factor correction circuit 101.
Smoothing capacitors 103a, 1 via 02a, 102b
Charge 03b. The output of the smoothing capacitor is used as an IGBT (Insula) as a high frequency switching element.
ted Gate Bipolar Transiste
r) Supplying power to the motor 17 via an inverter circuit consisting of 106a to 106c'.

Furthermore, it goes without saying that the power source may be 200V instead of single-phase 100V, and in this case there is no need for a voltage doubler rectifier circuit.

IG as semiconductor switching elements 106a to 106c
BT is applied because the air gap is small in the case of an induction motor, so the PWM chopper frequency of the inverter is increased to 16 kHz or higher to prevent noise within the audible frequency range.

In particular, washing machines and washer/dryers have outer tubs shaped like speakers, so noise sources must be minimized as much as possible.

In addition, the smoothing capacitor 103 when a single-phase power supply is rectified
The voltage applied to a and 103b is affected by the capacitance of the capacitor, but the DC voltage pulsates.

However, pulsating DC voltage is a problem with vector control inverters, so the DC pulsating voltage is detected and the pulse width of the PWM inverter's pulse width modulation signal is set to the side where the inverter output voltage is throttled when the DC voltage is high, and vice versa. In this case, a DC pulsating voltage compensation circuit 105 is provided which outputs a signal for compensating the DC pulsating voltage by changing the voltage in the opposite direction, and inputs the output signal to the vector control drive control circuit 110. The vector control drive control circuit uses a signal from a speed command circuit 111 that sequentially commands the washing process and a DC current detection circuit 104.
The IG signal that constitutes the inverter is generated by the signals from the two-phase current detection circuit 107 using vector control.
The configuration is such that a gate signal for driving BT 106a to 106c is output.

The above has described an example in which washing, dewatering, and drying are performed using one motor. Next, an example in which two motors are driven will be explained using FIGS. 6 and 7. . In FIG. 6, one motor 17 is used for washing and drying, and a motor 17' is used for dewatering. A variable frequency controller 18, which is a vector control inverter, drives the induction motor 17, and another motor 17' converts the output of the variable frequency controller 18 into a seventh motor.
As shown in the figure, the motors 17 and 17' may be switched by a switch 120. In addition, when not switching, only the motor 17 is operated by the variable frequency control device 18, and the other motors 17
' can also be operated using a conventional capacitor motor. Further, the speed reducer 14.14a has a different speed reduction ratio.

Here, one motor is used for washing and drying, and the other motor is used for dehydration, but one motor may be used for washing, and the other motor may be used for dehydration and drying. It goes without saying that it is also possible to use one motor for washing and dewatering, and use the other motor for drying. Variable frequency controller 18 which is a vector controlled inverter in both cases
The motor can be driven continuously at the required rotation speed.

Furthermore, when the motor is driven by the variable frequency control device 18, it is possible to pass the resonance point by rapid acceleration operation before reaching resonance.

Since the rotation speed can be changed continuously during washing and drying, slow washing is also possible.

〔Effect of the invention〕

According to the present invention, targeting fully automatic washing machines and washer/dryers, if the motor is driven by a variable frequency control device of a vector control inverter, even a reduction device with a constant reduction ratio can perform field strengthening and field weakening control. Since the corresponding excitation current component can be controlled, the motor voltage and current values in each operating process are relatively close to each other, making it possible to achieve a smaller size and lighter weight even if all processes are operated with one motor. .

In addition, since it is operated by a variable frequency control device that is a vector control inverter, it is possible to continuously obtain high torque from low speed rotation, and it is possible to arbitrarily set the rotation speed to high speed, so it is possible to realize slow washing. Furthermore, when two motors are operated by a variable frequency control device, a reduction gear for each motor can be set exclusively, and there is no need to switch between reduction gears, so the configuration can be simplified.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is an explanatory diagram of the internal structure of an embodiment of the fully automatic washer/dryer of the present invention, as seen from the right side, in which the motor is driven by a variable frequency control device of a vector control inverter, and Fig. 2 is the basics of the drive system. Configuration diagram, Figure 3 is an explanatory diagram of the internal structure seen from the back, Figure 4 is an explanatory diagram of the internal structure different from Figure 1 as viewed from the right side, and Figure 5 is an illustration of the variable vector control inverter. A circuit diagram of a frequency control device and a motor; FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of the internal structure of a fully automatic washer/dryer according to another embodiment in which two motors are driven by a variable frequency control device, as seen from the right side; FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of a circuit configuration when two motors are driven by one variable frequency control device. 1... Outer frame, 6... Outer tank, 7... Basket, 9
... Pulsator, 12... Rotation drive device, 17...
- Motor, 18...Vector control variable frequency control device, 19a...Reduction device, 19b...Clutch, 1
05...DC pulsating voltage compensation circuit.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. In a fully automatic washing machine consisting of washing and dewatering processes, a variable frequency control device that drives a three-phase AC induction motor is configured with a vector control inverter to supply power to the motor. A fully automatic washing machine featuring 2. In the invention set forth in claim 1, washing is performed using a drive device that is composed of one three-phase induction motor and one speed reduction device with a constant reduction ratio, and the driving of the pulsator and the basket are switched by a clutch. Set the vector control inverter to below the base rotation speed of the three-phase induction motor,
A fully automatic washing machine characterized by the dehydration process being driven at the highest rotation speed. 3. In the invention described in claim 1, the washing step is performed by using a three-phase AC motor, the pulsator is driven by a variable frequency control device of a vector control inverter, and the dewatering and drying steps are performed by switching the output of the variable frequency control device. A fully automatic washing machine characterized by being driven. 4. In the invention described in claim 1, when obtaining a DC output by applying a DC voltage to a smoothing capacitor from a single-phase AC through a rectifier circuit or a voltage doubler rectifier circuit, the DC ripple voltage is The detected voltage is input to the DC pulsating voltage compensation circuit, and from the DC pulsating voltage compensation circuit, a compensation signal is applied to the inverter drive control circuit to prevent the inverter output voltage from pulsating, so that vector control can be performed effectively. A fully automatic washing machine featuring 5. In the invention described in claim 4, in response to the detection signal of the DC pulsating voltage, the DC pulsating voltage compensation circuit adjusts the pulse width of the pulse width modulation signal of the PWM inverter according to the pulsating voltage component. The entire system is characterized in that a signal is output to the drive control circuit so that the inverter output voltage is reduced when the DC voltage is high, and the inverter output voltage is increased when the DC voltage is low. Automatic washing machine. 6. A fully automatic washer/dryer consisting of washing, spin-drying, and drying processes, characterized in that the variable frequency control device that drives the three-phase AC induction motor is configured with a vector control inverter to supply power to the motor. Fully automatic washer/dryer. 7. In the invention as set forth in claim 6, a drive device comprising one three-phase induction motor and one speed reduction device with a constant reduction ratio, and in which the driving of the pulsator and the basket are switched by a clutch, is used for washing and washing. A fully automatic washer/dryer characterized in that the drying process is set using a vector control inverter so that the rotation speed is below the base rotation speed of a three-phase induction motor, and the dehydration process is driven at the maximum rotation speed. 8. In the invention as set forth in claim 6, the washing and drying processes are carried out using one motor and speed reduction device, and the pulsator and the basket are switched by a clutch device, and the dewatering process is carried out by one motor and one reduction gear. A fully automatic washer/dryer characterized in that the motor is provided with a speed reduction device having a different speed reduction ratio, and the basket is driven by switching the output of a variable frequency control device of a vector control inverter. 9. In the invention set forth in claim 8, one motor is driven by a variable frequency control device of a vector control inverter, and the other motor is driven by a single-phase AC induction driven by single-phase AC. A fully automatic washer/dryer characterized by the use of an electric motor. 10. In the invention described in claim 1, the washing step is performed using a three-phase AC motor, and the pulsator is driven by a variable frequency control device of a vector control inverter, and the dehydration and drying steps are also performed by switching the output of the variable frequency control device. A fully automatic washer/dryer characterized by being driven. 11. In the invention described in claim 6, when obtaining a DC output by applying a DC voltage to a smoothing capacitor from a single-phase AC through a rectifier circuit or a voltage doubler rectifier circuit,
The DC pulsating voltage is detected and input to the DC pulsating voltage compensation circuit, and the DC pulsating voltage compensation circuit applies a compensation signal to the inverter drive control circuit to prevent the inverter output voltage from pulsating, allowing vector control to be performed effectively. A fully automatic washer/dryer characterized by the following features: 12. In the invention set forth in claim 11, in response to the detection signal of the DC pulsating voltage, the DC pulsating voltage compensation circuit adjusts the pulse width of the pulse width modulation signal of the PWM inverter according to the pulsating voltage component. The entire system is characterized in that a signal is output to the drive control circuit so that the inverter output voltage is reduced when the DC voltage is high, and the inverter output voltage is increased when the DC voltage is low. Automatic washer/dryer.