JPH05115671A - Washing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable a user to freely select whether to determine before feeding water into a time tank for detecting a cloth load amount or whether to determine after feeding water into the tank. CONSTITUTION:A motor 5 for driving an agitating impeller 3 is turned on for a predetermined period and thereafter the motor 5 is turned off. During the period, electromotive force generated from the motor 5 is detected and a cloth load amount is determined by a cloth load amount-determining means 17 based on the result of the detection. The means 17 determines the cloth load amount before water is fed into a time tank 2 selected or after water is fed into the tank 2.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a washing machine for detecting a load of clothes such as clothes put in a washing / dehydrating tub.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional washing machine that detects the load on a cloth in a washing / cutoff tank, a motor that drives a stirring blade is turned on for a predetermined time, and then the motor is turned off. Providing electromotive force detection means for detecting electromotive force,
Further, the determining means for determining the cloth load amount is provided based on the electromotive force from the electromotive force detecting means.

[0003]

However, in the conventional configuration, the cloth load is determined only before water supply or after water supply. If it is only before water supply, if the washing liquid is used twice, the cloth load cannot be detected at the second washing, and if it is only after water supply, the user knows the cloth load and water level and It took time to know the appropriate amount of detergent.

In view of the above problems, the present invention provides a washing machine in which the user can select the time to detect the load amount of cloth.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a motor for driving a stirring blade arranged in a tank, and a motor control means for controlling energization of the motor.
Water supply control means for controlling the water supply into the tub, water level detection means for detecting the water level in the tub, process control means for controlling the process of the washing machine, and the motor is turned on for a predetermined time and then the motor Is turned off to detect the electromotive force generated from the motor during the off period, and the signal from this electromotive force detection means is compared with the cloth load amount judgment reference value to judge the cloth load amount. And a cloth load determining means, which operates the motor control means to drive the motor for a predetermined time before the selected water supply or after the water is supplied by the water supply means, and thereafter within the OFF period of the motor. The cloth load amount is determined based on the state from the electromotive force detection means.

[0006]

According to the above construction, the cloth load amount can be accurately detected whether or not there is water in the tank, or in any case by the user's selection.

[0007]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

As shown in FIG. 1, the structure of the load detecting device for the washing machine in the washing machine according to the present embodiment is as follows.
An inner tank 1) is provided inside, and a stirring blade 3 is rotatably arranged at the inner bottom of the inner tank 1. This stirring blade 3
Is driven by a motor 5 via a reduction mechanism 4. A drain valve 6 is connected to the bottom of the tank 2, and a water supply valve 7 is arranged above the tank 2. The motor 5, the drain valve 6 and the water supply valve 7 are each driven via a motor control means 9, a drain valve control means 10 and a water supply valve control means 11 which are controlled by a process control means 8. The process control means 8 reads out necessary data from the process storage means 13 based on the setting from the setting means 12, and performs washing based on the setting contents.
The rinsing and dehydrating steps are executed under the control of various control means 9-11. Further, the voltage detection means 14 is connected to the motor 5 in order to detect the motor voltage of the motor 5. Counting means 15 for counting the number of voltage waveforms of the voltage detecting means 14
Is output to the cloth load determination means 17. The voltage detecting means 14 and the counting means 15 are called electromotive force detecting means. The cloth load amount determining means 17 also inputs the output of the water level detecting means 18 for detecting the water level in the tank 2 and the control signal output to the motor control means 9.

The operation of the cloth load amount detecting device for a washing machine having the above structure will be described. First, when the operation is started after setting the process contents by the setting device 12, the process control device 8 controls the motor control device 9 to drive the motor 5 for a predetermined time to rotate the stirring blade 3. When the cloth load amount determining means 17 detects that the motor 5 has been de-energized after a predetermined time has elapsed, the counting means 15 counts the number of waveforms from the voltage detecting means 14. Then, the cloth load amount judging means 17 compares the value counted by the counting means 15 with the cloth load amount judging reference value, and judges the cloth load amount in the tank 2. Information on the cloth load amount determined by the cloth load amount determining means 17 is sent to the process control means 8, and the process control means 8 controls the subsequent washing, rinsing, and dehydrating processes based on the cloth load amount.

Next, a concrete cloth load detecting device for a washing machine according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. That is, reference numeral 19 is a microcomputer, which constitutes the process control means 8, the process storage means 13, the counting means 15, and the cloth load amount determination means 17 shown in FIG. This microcomputer 19
A setting switch 12 as a setting means and a water level detecting means 18 are connected to the input section of. Also, the motor 5
Are connected to the bidirectional thyristors 20a and 20b, the drain valve magnet 6 is connected to the bidirectional thyristor 20c, and the water supply valve 7 is connected to the bidirectional thyristor 20d. The AC power supply 21 is connected via these bidirectional thyristors 20a to 20d. Is being supplied. In addition, the bidirectional thyristors 20a to 20
The gates G ₁ , G ₂ , G ₃ , and G _{4 of} d are connected to the output section of the microcomputer 19, and the microcomputer 19
Of the bidirectional thyristor 20a ...
It controls the switching operation of 20d. The voltage detection means 14 for detecting the voltage across the capacitor 22 connected between the windings of the motor 5 sends its output V ₀ to the input section of the microcomputer 19.

The voltage detecting means 14 energizes the motor 5 for a predetermined time (the bidirectional thyristor 20a or 20b is turned on).
N), the capacitor 2 of the motor 5
The voltage generated at both ends of 2 is detected. This detection voltage V ₀ has the waveform shown in FIG. That is, when the cloth load is small, it is attenuated within the period T _1a in FIG. 3a, and when the cloth load is large, it is attenuated within the period T _1b in FIG. 3b. By counting this decay period as the number of waveforms,
Information that correlates with the cloth load can be obtained.

The control flow of the microcomputer 19 will be described with reference to FIG. That is, in step 51, the user selects whether to detect before water supply (no water detection). Here, when the waterless detection is selected, step 5
Start stirring at 2. Then, the number of voltage waveforms after the motor is turned off is counted (step 53). Then, when the stirring is stopped (step 54), the amount of cloth load is determined from the number of voltage waveforms in step 55. Then, water is supplied to a water level suitable for the determined cloth load amount. (Step 56). The next step is the laundry step.

When the user has washed after the water supply is detected, the water is supplied in step 57, and when the water supply to the predetermined water level is completed, the water supply is stopped in step 59 and stirring is started. (Step 60). Here, just like without water,
The number of voltage waveforms after the motor is turned off is measured (step 61) and stirring is stopped (step 62). Then, the cloth load is determined based on the water level and the number of counted voltage waveforms (step 6).
3). Then, water is supplied up to the water level that matches the determined cloth load amount (step 64). The next step is the laundry step.

[0014]

As is apparent from the above-described embodiments, according to the present invention, the cloth load in the tank is in each state (presence or absence of water) before or after water is supplied into the tank.
It can be detected by a method suitable for, for example, usually, before the water supply and the cloth load amount is detected, the water level is known, an appropriate detergent amount can be added, and in the case of double washing, ,
It is only necessary to select the detection after water supply, which is very easy for the user to use.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a cloth load detection device for a washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a specific circuit diagram of the same.

FIG. 3 is an output waveform diagram of the voltage detecting means.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a relationship between the number of voltage waveforms and a cloth load amount.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing control of the microcomputer.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 tank 3 stirring blade 5 motor 7 water supply valve 8 process control means 14 electromotive force detection means 15 counting means 17 cloth load amount determination means 18 water level detection means

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A motor for driving a stirring blade arranged in a tank, and a motor control means for controlling energization of this motor,
Water supply control means for controlling the water supply into the tub, water level detection means for detecting the water level in the tub, process control means for controlling the process of the washing machine, and the motor is turned on for a predetermined time and then the motor Is turned off, the signal from the electromotive force detection means for detecting the electromotive force generated from the motor during the off period is compared with the cloth load amount determination reference value, and the cloth load amount determination means for determining the cloth load amount is provided, The cloth load determination means operates the motor control means to drive the motor for a predetermined time both before and after water supply into the tank, and then the electromotive force detection means within the off period of the motor. The washing machine configured to have a means for determining the cloth load amount depending on the state from 1) and select to determine the cloth load amount before or after water supply.