JPH05137880A - Control of water stream of washing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain the water stream having the intensity corresponding to the load and quality of the washing by arbitrarily setting the number of revolu tion of a DC brushless motor, revolution angle, starting-up speed and starting- down speed of the number of revolution, stop judgement time, and selecting each set value so as to correspond to the load quantity judgement result and water level. CONSTITUTION:The intensity of the water stream for washing and rinsing process is determined according to the number of revolution of a DC brushless motor 8, revolution angle, starting-up speed and starting-down speed of the number of revolution, and stop judgement time. Among these elements, the number of revolution of the DC brushless motor 8 is determined by controlling the voltage controller for the motor 8 by a transistor module 26. The revolution angle is set by controlling the electric conduction time to the DC brushless motor 8, and the starting-up speed and starting-down speed of the number of revolution are controlled by adjusting the applied voltage to the motor 8 and the electric conduction rate. The intensity of the water stream is set in accordance with the water level, and the water stream having the intensity corresponding to the load and cloth quality of the washed articles can be obtained.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a water flow control method for a washing machine.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, as is well known, a fully-automatic one-tub agitation type washing machine has a water receiving tub suspended from an outer box, and a stirring blade is erected at the center of the water receiving tub to surround the side wall of the surroundings. A washing / dehydrating tub having a dehydrating hole formed therein is disposed, a motor is disposed below the water receiving tub, and the rotation shaft of the motor is connected to the washing shaft of the stirring blade and the dewatering shaft of the washing / dehydrating tub. There is.

In the washing process, for example, the motor is energized, the rotation of the motor is transmitted only to the washing shaft, and only the stirring blade is rotated, whereby the water and the laundry in the washing / dehydrating tank are stirred and washed. To do. In this case, the strength of the water flow is set according to the load on the laundry and the quality of the cloth, but the conventional method for setting the strength of the water flow is, for example, 1
It only controls the energization time of the times, and the strength of the water flow can be switched between two levels, for example, strength and weakness.

[0004]

As described above, since the strength of the water flow can be set to either strong or weak, the strength of the laundry corresponding to the cloth quality, the load amount, and the water level can be changed. Since the water flow could not be obtained, it was not possible to control the water flow in detail.

The object of the present invention is to eliminate the disadvantages of the conventional example, to obtain a water flow having a strength corresponding to the cloth quality of the laundry, the load amount, and the height of the water level, and to control the water flow in a fine manner. It is to provide a control method.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention uses a DC brushless motor as a motor for rotating a stirring blade, and the DC brushless motor is provided with an encoder for detecting the number of rotations and the rotation angle of the motor. In the washing machine, the rotation speed of the DC brushless motor,
The rotation angle, the rising speed and falling speed of the rotation speed, and the value of the stop judgment time can be set arbitrarily, and the strength of the water flow is determined by selecting these set values to match the load judgment result and the water level. The main point is to do.

[0007]

According to the present invention, the number of rotations, the rotation angle, the rising speed and the falling speed of the DC brushless motor,
The strength of the water flow is set using all of the stop determination times as elements, and the set values of these elements can be set arbitrarily, so that the strength of the water flow can be set in multiple stages. And
Since the strength of the water flow set in multiple stages is further set for the load amount of the laundry, that is, the height of the water level, it is possible to set the water flow with an appropriate strength corresponding to the cloth quality and the load amount.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings. 1 is a control block diagram of an embodiment of a water flow control method for a washing machine of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a washing machine in which the method of the present invention is implemented, and FIG. The configuration will be described first.

FIGS. 2 and 3 show an example of a stirring type fully automatic one-tub type washing machine, in which water is passed through a vibration-proof means such as a suspension rod 3 having a vibration-proof spring 2 inside an outer box 1. Suspend the receiving tank 4. Inside the water receiving tank 4, a washing / dewatering tank 6 having a dehydration hole 7 on a side wall and a stirring blade 5 were rotatably arranged. Below the water receiving tank 4, a U having a permanent magnet arranged in a rotor
3-phase DC brushless motor 8 phase, V phase, W phase 8
And the rotor shaft is connected to the rotating shaft of the stirring blade 5 and the rotating shaft of the washing / dehydrating tank 6.

A drain hose 11 is connected to a drain pipe 9 opening at the bottom of the water receiving tank 4 via a drain valve 10, and a circulation hose 13 is connected via a circulation pump 12.
The circulation hose 13 is raised in the outer box 1, and the tip is opened above the washing / dehydrating tub 6. Reference numeral 14 in the drawing denotes a lint filter arranged below the open end of the circulation hose 13.
Reference numeral 5 is a power cord, and 16 is a ground wire.

A top panel 17 and a lid 41 are provided on the top surface of the outer box 1.
The operation panel 18 and the display unit 19 shown in FIG. 4 are provided on the upper panel 17. The display unit 19 includes a water flow intensity switch 20, a dehydration intensity switch 59, a start / stop switch 6 for setting the intensity of water flow and dehydration.
The number display section 6 by LED lamps for displaying the time for turning on, the start time of reserved operation, the washing time, the number of rinses, the dehydration time, etc.
2. A monitor unit 63 for displaying the strength of water flow and the strength of dehydration as the driving content of the DC brushless motor 8 is provided.
Among the monitor parts 63, the monitor display part 63a for displaying the strength of the water flow has, for example, nine display parts so that the strength of the water flow can be set in nine steps as shown in the figure.

Further, the DC brushless motor 8 is
In order to detect the energized position of the motor 8, the motor 8
The rotor position detector (encoder) 28 for detecting the magnet position of the permanent magnet is attached. This encoder 2
Reference numeral 8 denotes a slit 2 for rotating in synchronization with the rotor shaft of the motor 8 to detect the energized position, as shown in FIGS.
And the slit 29 of the reflector 30.
A sensor for detecting is attached to a mounting plate 32 facing the reflection plate 30, and the mounting plate 32 is fixed by a boss stand inside an encoder case 28a mounted on the motor frame 8a.

The slit 29 is formed in an arc shape of 30 degrees corresponding to either the N pole or the S pole of the permanent magnet attached to the rotor, and the slits 29 are arranged to detect the magnetic pole position with respect to each other. There are a total of 6 depending on the width. In addition, a slit 33a and a non-slit 33b are formed on the outer periphery of the reflection plate 30 as a slit for speed detection in the circumferential direction, which are equally divided.
Were alternately formed.

The sensors provided on the mounting plate 32 are arranged on the same circumference having the same radius as the slit 29 at an equal interval of 50 degrees.
The individual sensors 31a, 31b, 31c are arranged, and the slit 33a is provided near the outer periphery of the mounting plate 32.
A sensor 31d for detecting is provided.

As shown in FIG. 8, each of the sensors 31a to 31d is composed of a light emitting diode as a light emitting portion and a phototransistor as a light receiving portion. The energization detection circuits 34a to 34d of the phototransistor are zener diodes. It is a reflective sensor composed of a transistor that turns on and off when driven by a base.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of operation control. A switching power supply 27 is connected to an AC power supply 22 via a noise filter 23, a power relay 24, and a voltage doubler circuit 25, and this switching power supply 27 is used as a DC power supply. The DC brushless motor 8 is connected via the transistor module drive circuit 35 and the transistor module 26, and the DC brushless motor 8 is connected to the encoder 28 and the brake circuit 58.

In the figure, reference numeral 21 is a control device using a microcomputer or the like. An input switch of the control device 21 has an operation switch 37 provided on the operation panel 18, a lid switch 38 for detecting opening / closing of a lid 41, a washing / dehydrating tub. Unbalanced switch 39 for detecting the deviation of clothes in 6; water temperature detection thermistor 40; crixon 42 for detecting overheating of motor 8; power failure detection circuit 43; encoder signal conversion circuit 44 connected to encoder 28; water level sensor 64 is connected.

At the output port of the control device 21, an LED driving driver 45, a power element driving driver 47,
The motor energization signal conversion circuit 55 is connected, and the LED provided on the operation panel 18 or the like in the LED driving driver 45
An LED indicator 46 by a lamp is connected, and a power element driving driver 47 is connected to a water supply valve 4 for the washing and dehydrating tub 6.
8, finishing agent water supply valve 49, lid lock solenoid 5
0, clutch switching torque motor 51, drainage torque motor 52, circulation pump 12 pump motor 53,
The buzzer 54, the power relay 24, and the brake circuit 58 are connected.

Reference numeral 36 in the figure denotes a low-voltage constant-voltage power source as a power source of the control device 21, which is connected to the AC power source 22 via the noise filter 23. Reference numeral 56 is a reset circuit, and 57 is an oscillation circuit.

Next, a method for setting the strength of the water flow will be described. The strength of the water flow during the washing and rinsing process is determined by using the rotation speed, rotation angle, rising speed and falling speed of the rotation speed, and the stop determination time of the DC brushless motor 8 as factors. Among these elements, the rotation speed of the DC brushless motor 8 utilizes the fact that the DC brushless motor 8 rotates at a rotation speed proportional to the applied voltage.
The voltage is output to the transistor module drive circuit 35 via the, and the output from here controls the voltage controller of the motor 8 by the transistor module 26.

The rotation angle is set by controlling the energization time to the DC brushless motor 8, and the rising speed and the falling speed of the rotation speed are determined by applying a direct current from the switching power supply 27 to the voltage applied to the motor 8. Controlling is performed by accelerating and decelerating the number of revolutions by adjusting. Here, in the graph shown in FIG. 10, the rising speed and the falling speed are the slope angle of the rising from the start of energization until reaching the set rotation speed, and after reaching the set rotation speed, the DC brushless motor 8 It is the slope angle of the fall until the motor 8 is stopped after the energization is stopped.

The stop determination time is the time during which the motor 8 is energized and the stirring blade 5 is rotated, for example, to the right, and then the energization is not performed until the power is supplied to rotate the stirring blade 5 counterclockwise.

As described above, the number of rotations, the rotation angle, the rising speed and the falling speed of the rotation speed of the DC brushless motor 8 and the values of the stop determination time are arbitrarily set and the following Table a,
As shown in b and c, the strength of the water flow was set in 9 stages. In addition, the strength of the water flow set in these 9 stages is set corresponding to the amount of load, that is, the level of the water level, respectively. In the table below, only high water level, medium high water level, and medium water level are shown. Nine levels of water flow are set for low water level and low water level, respectively.

[0024]

[Table 1]

[0025]

[Table 2]

[0026]

[Table 3]

As described above, the strength of the water stream is set with the number of revolutions as an element as described above. As a method of setting the strength, for example, a water stream of standard strength is located at the fifth position of the stage, To make the water flow stronger, only the rotation angle (rotation angle of the stirring blade 5) is set to be larger than this standard value, and to weaken the water flow, the rising speed is made slower than the standard value. That is, the rotation speed was set to gradually increase gradually.

Next, a method of setting the strength of the water flow when performing washing will be described. The strength of the water flow is set by pressing the water flow strength switch 20 provided on the display unit 19 shown in FIG. 4, and when it is desired to set the strength of the water flow to, for example, the stage “5”, the water flow strength switch 20 is set. When pressed, the portion corresponding to the stage "5" of the nine display lamps of the monitor display portion 63a is turned on.

Here, even in the case of the water flow of the same stage "5", the strength of the water flow varies depending on the level of the water level, as can be seen from the table shown above. Therefore, in FIG.
In order to set the strength of the water flow as shown in the flow chart of 1, the information regarding the height of the water level at which the washing operation is performed is extracted (step a), and is set as the water level for performing the washing operation. Is high water level (Steplo, Ha) or medium and high water level (Steplo, Ni,
E) and whether the water level is medium (Stepro, D, F).

The water level can be set manually by the user, but before washing is started, for example, only the laundry is put into the washing / dehydrating tank 6 without water, and in this state, the DC brushless motor 8 is used. To the predetermined number of revolutions to spin the washing / dehydrating tub 6 for dehydration, and then the DC brushless motor 8 is braked, and the load amount is determined by the integrated value of the number of pulses from the encoder 28 within a predetermined period thereafter. , It is also possible to automatically set the corresponding water level based on this load amount. Then, the water level set in this way is acquired as a determination factor for setting the strength of the water flow.

Therefore, even if the user selects the water flow of the same stage "5", the water flow of the stage "5" at the set water level is set, and for example, the high water level is set as a result of the load amount judgment. If so, the water flow of the stage "5" at the high water level is set, and its contents are as shown in the above table, the rotational altitude 18
0 °, rotation speed (rotation speed) 160r / m, rising speed 2
/ 5, falling speed 50/5, stop determination time 200 mse
c.

When washing is started with the water flow of the stage "5" at this high water level, the DC brushless motor 8 is energized and the stirring blade 5 rotates in one direction (for example, rightward), but Energization angle and rotation speed are encoder 28
Detected in. That is, when the motor 8 rotates, the sensors 31a, 31b, and 31c are at positions shifted by 50 degrees, so the positions of the slits 29 are detected by shifting by 50 degrees, and each sensor 3 is detected at the timing shown in FIG.
1a, 31b, 31c energization detection circuits 34a, 34b,
34 c, and the encoder signal conversion circuit 44 outputs the digitized magnetic pole position detection signal to the control device 21. The controller 21 determines the magnetic pole position of the rotor based on this signal, and the motor energization signal conversion circuit 55
To the transistor module drive circuit 35, and the output from here controls the voltage controller of the motor 8 by the transistor module 26.

The sensor 31d has a slit 33a.
The non-slits 33b and the non-slits 33b are alternately arranged at intervals of 10 degrees, and the reflective state and the non-reflective state are alternately displayed.
Turns off in the non-reflective state. The on / off signals are input to the input terminal of the energization detection circuit 34d, the on / off signals here are compared with the reference voltage, and the sensor 31 shown in FIG.
The output signal of the rectangular wave by d is the encoder signal conversion circuit 4
4 outputs to the control device 21, the control device 21 takes in this signal and calculates the rotation speed.

As described above, the energization is stopped at the rising speed 2/5 set as shown in FIG. 10 until the set number of circuits reaches 160 r / m, and when the rotation angle is 180 °, the energization is stopped. Then, the rotation speed is reduced at the set falling speed of 50/5, the energization is stopped for a set stop determination time of 200 msec, and then the motor 8 is energized again so that the stirring blade 5 rotates counterclockwise this time. Washing is performed by repeating on / off of such energization.

[0035]

As described above, the water flow control method for a washing machine according to the present invention can set the strength of the water flow in a number of steps. In this case, based on a number of factors such as the number of rotations and the angle of rotation. The strength of the water flow is set, and the strength of the water flow that is set in a number of stages is set according to the height of the water level, that is, it is set for each water level corresponding to the load amount. It is possible to obtain a water stream with an appropriate strength that matches the quality of the fabric.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a control block diagram showing an embodiment of a water flow control method for a washing machine according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a fully automatic one-tub agitation type washing machine in which the method of the present invention is carried out.

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional side view of a fully automatic single-tub agitation type washing machine in which the method of the present invention is carried out.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a display unit of a fully automatic single-tub agitation type washing machine in which the method of the present invention is carried out.

FIG. 5 is a partially cutaway front view of an encoder device of a fully automatic single-tub agitation type washing machine in which the method of the present invention is carried out.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a reflection plate of an encoder device of a fully automatic single-tub agitation type washing machine in which the method of the present invention is carried out.

FIG. 7 is a plan view of a mounting plate of an encoder device of a fully automatic one-tub agitation type washing machine in which the method of the present invention is carried out.

FIG. 8 is a configuration circuit diagram of a sensor.

FIG. 9 is a timing chart of output signals of a sensor energization detection circuit.

FIG. 10 is a characteristic curve diagram showing changes in the number of rotations of the motor in the washing process.

FIG. 11 is a flow chart showing an operation of water level information acquisition when setting a water flow in the method of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 ... Outer box 2 ... Anti-vibration spring 3 ... Suspension bar 4 ... Water receiving tank 5 ... Stirring blade 6 ... Washing / dewatering tank 7 ... Dewatering hole 8 ... DC brushless motor 8a ... Motor frame 9 ... Drain pipe 10 ... Drain valve 11 ... Drainage hose 12 ... Circulation pump 13 ... Circulation hose 14 ... Lint filter 15 ... Power cord 16 ... Ground wire 17 ... Top panel 18 ... Operation panel 19 ... Display 20 ... Water flow intensity switch 21 ... Control device 22 ... AC power 23 ... Noise Filter 24 ... Power relay 25 ... Double voltage circuit 26 ... Transistor module 27 ... Switching power supply 28 ... Encoder 28a ... Encoder case 29 ... Slit 30 ... Reflector 31a, 31b, 31c, 31d ... Sensor 32 ... Mounting plate 33a ... Slit 33b ... Non-slits 34a, 34b, 34c, 34d ... Energization detection circuit 35 Transistor module drive circuit 36 Low voltage constant voltage power supply 37 Operation switch 38 Lid switch 39 Unbalance switch 40 Water temperature detection thermistor 41 Lid 42 Motor over temperature detection crixon 43 Power failure detection circuit 44 Encoder signal conversion circuit 45 ... LED driving driver 46 ... LED indicator 47 ... Power element driving driver 48 ... Washing / dehydrating tank water supply valve 49 ... Finishing agent water supply valve 50 ... Solenoid 51 ... Clutch switching torque motor 52 ... Drainage torque Motor 53 ... Pump motor 54 ... Buzzer 55 ... Motor energization signal conversion circuit 56 ... Reset circuit 57 ... Oscillation circuit 58 ... Brake circuit 59 ... Dehydration strength switch 60 ... Start / pause switch 61 ... Off switch 62 ... Numeric display 63 ... Monitor 63a Monitor display section 64 ... the water level sensor

Front page continuation (72) Inventor Kazuhiko Yamagami 1-1-1, Yamate, Funabashi, Chiba Nihon Kenketsu Funabashi Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Masami Yorida 1-1-1, Yamate, Funabashi, Chiba Japan Ken-Tetsu Co., Ltd., Funabashi Works (72) Inventor Tatsuo Inada 1-1-1, Yamate, Funabashi-shi, Chiba Japan Ken-Ketsu Co., Ltd. Funabashi, Ltd. (72) Toyozo Kato 1-1-1, Yamate, Funabashi, Chiba Prefecture No.Nippon-Kentsu Funabashi Co., Ltd.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A washing machine in which a DC brushless motor is used as a motor for rotating a stirring blade, and the DC brushless motor is provided with an encoder for detecting the number of rotations and the rotation angle of the DC brushless motor. The angle, the rising speed and falling speed of the rotation speed, and the value of the stop judgment time can be set arbitrarily, and the strength of the water flow is determined by selecting these set values according to the load judgment result and the water level. A water flow control method for a washing machine, which is characterized in that