JPH0515685A - Controlling device for washing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To easily find the cause of malfunction by storing the contents of malfunction as a code signal in a nonvolatile memory when a malfunction is generated during operation and reading and displaying this storage code signal through a special operation. CONSTITUTION:When a malfunction is generated during operation, the contents of the malfunction is converted into the predetermined code signal and written in an EEPROM 8 while specifying a memory address. Then, all the loads are stopped and the operation is interrupted, performing an abnormality notification while displaying a malfunction display on the two digits of a clock display part 10. After that, the operation is recovered by the recovery operation by a user. On the other hand, when the prescribed malfunction content calling operation is performed, the contents of malfunction stored in the EEPROM8 is displayed on the two digits of the clock display part of the display part.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a washing machine control device,
More specifically, the present invention relates to a control device that stores the contents of malfunction and reads out the contents while the washing machine is operating.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a fully automatic washing machine, there is known one in which when a malfunction occurs during operation, the operation is interrupted in that state to notify an abnormality.

[0003]

As described above, in the conventional washing machine, the operation is interrupted to notify the abnormality when the malfunction occurs, but the user is rarely in the vicinity of the washing machine during the operation. After a while, the operation of the washing machine is interrupted and the malfunction is recognized, but the cause is often unknown and the dealer or the manufacturer that purchased the product is often contacted by telephone.

For example, in the dehydration process of a fully automatic washing machine,
To avoid danger, the dehydration process is controlled to start only when the top lid is closed, but if the user does not understand that the top lid must be closed, it is recognized that the washing machine is malfunctioning. Then, make a telephone contact as described above. However, as the same malfunction phenomenon as this, the lid switch that detects the opening and closing of the upper lid is malfunctioning so that it always detects that it is open, or the spinning dewatering tank becomes unbalanced due to uneven distribution of clothes during dewatering operation and the water tank shakes. Since there is a case where driving is interrupted, the telephone answerer of the dealer or the manufacturing company cannot often judge the cause of the malfunction from the contents of the telephone.

Upon receiving a telephone call from the user as described above,
Even when the repair person visits the user's house, the user does not remember what kind of malfunction occurred in which process, and in most cases, the power plug of the washing machine is unplugged, Since the malfunction notification process and the abnormality notification display showing the contents have disappeared, the repair person had to operate all the processes of the washing machine to find the cause of the malfunction, which wasted a lot of work time. ..

Further, in the case of a user's operation error such as leaving the upper lid open, there is no defect in the washing machine itself, so finding the cause of the operation defect itself is meaningless work. It was

The object of the present invention is to solve the above problems,
It is an object of the present invention to provide a washing machine control device in which the cause of a malfunction can be easily searched.

[0008]

A washing machine control device according to the present invention is a washing machine control device for controlling a driving process by a microcomputer, which is provided with an electrically rewritable nonvolatile memory. If an operation failure that should interrupt the operation occurs during the operation of, the content of the operation failure at that time is stored in the memory by a preset code signal, and a special operation that cannot normally be performed on the operation unit is performed. It is characterized in that the code signal stored in the memory is read out by an operation and the content thereof is displayed.

[0009]

When a microcomputer (hereinafter referred to as a microcomputer) detects the occurrence of a malfunction that should interrupt the operation of the washing machine, the content thereof is written in an electrically rewritable nonvolatile memory by a preset code signal. , The operation is interrupted and the abnormality is notified.

After that, even if the user turns off the power of the washing machine due to unknown reasons, the repair person who visits the user's house can call the contents of the interrupted operation by the special operation of the operation unit, which causes malfunction. It reduces the work to find the cause.

[0011]

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

FIG. 1 shows the configuration of a control device for a fully automatic washing machine.

In FIG. 1, the commercial power supply (1) is connected to the power supply circuit.
A constant voltage power supply for control and microcomputer (3) is created by (2), and the microcomputer (3) controls the load such as the motor and the water supply / drain valve by the load control circuit (4), the lid switch and the water level sensor. A sensor circuit (5) for processing a signal, an operation circuit (6) for interfacing with a user, a display circuit (7), and an electrically rewritable non-volatile memory for storing a malfunction code signal which is a feature of the present invention. The operation of the washing machine is controlled by an EEPROM (8) and a power supply frequency pulse circuit (9) for detecting the reference pulse of the clock and power failure.

FIG. 2 shows an operation / display section of a general automatic washing machine, which includes a clock display section (10), an operation key group (11) and a display LED (light emitting diode) group ( 12) is provided.

FIG. 3 shows an example of the contents of the operation failure and the relationship between the code signal stored in the EEPROM (8) and the operation for displaying the operation failure and the operation at that time. In this case, the code signal is represented by a 4-bit binary number, but another system may be used.

Next, based on the flowchart of FIG.
The processing of the microcomputer (3) when a malfunction occurs during operation will be described.

If a malfunction occurs during operation in step 101, the content of the malfunction at that time is converted into a code signal from the relationship shown in FIG. 3 (step 102), and EE
After designating the memory address of the PROM (8), this code signal is written to the EEPROM (8) (step 103).
).

After that, all the loads are stopped, the operation is interrupted (step 104), and the malfunction indication is displayed on the two digits of the clock display portion (10) shown in FIG. 2 to notify the abnormality ( Step 105).

Thereafter, the user's return operation is waited (step 106), and if the return operation is performed, the operation is returned.

At this time, even if the user turns off the power of the washing machine, the content of the malfunction that has occurred is E as a code signal.
Already stored in EPROM (8).

Next, the processing of the microcomputer (3) at the time of calling out the malfunction content will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

In step 201, it is checked whether or not a malfunction operation content calling operation has been performed. This operation is
For example, with the power plug of the washing machine inserted into a commercial power outlet, and with the power key (13) shown in Fig. 2 turned off, press the power key (13) twice while pressing the reservation key (14). It is performed by a special operation that cannot be used normally. Needless to say, this operation method is not known to the user. Also, at this time, do not accept the single press of the reservation key (14) when the power is off.
(3) is programmed, reserved key (14) and power key
I am using the double push of (13) as a call operation,
The operation malfunction content calling operation may be performed by another method.

When the calling operation is performed in step 201, the code address is read out by designating the memory address storing the operation failure content of the EEPROM (8) (step 202).

Then, this code signal is converted into a malfunction indication based on the relationship shown in FIG. 3 (step 203), and this is converted into a clock display section (10) of the operation / display section in the same manner as when the malfunction occurs.
It is displayed in two digits for the number of minutes (step 204). In addition, about this display place, only one example was shown and other display LEDs may be used.

When the repair person finishes checking the contents of the malfunction by the malfunction display, the power key (13) is pressed in step 205 to change the power key (13) from the normal operation state, that is, the power off state. Return to the state of pressing (step 206). In addition, regarding this return method,
Other methods may be used.

[0026]

According to the controller of the washing machine of the present invention,
As described above, the repair person who receives the malfunction notification from the user can easily find the cause of the malfunction at the user's house, which can significantly reduce the work time and the personnel of the repair person. This not only reduces costs, but also improves user confidence.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a controller of a fully automatic washing machine showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view of an operation / display unit of the fully automatic washing machine.

FIG. 3 shows an example of contents of malfunction and EEPROM at that time.
FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing a relationship of a code signal stored in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a process of writing malfunction content to an EEPROM.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of a calling process from the EEPROM indicating the malfunction content.

[Explanation of symbols]

 (3) Microcomputer (8) EEPROM (10) Clock display (13) Power key (14) Reserved key

Claims (1)

Claim: What is claimed is: 1. A washing machine control device for controlling a running process by a microcomputer, comprising an electrically rewritable non-volatile memory, and suspending the running operation of the washing machine. When an operation failure to be caused occurs, the operation failure content at that time is stored in the memory by a preset code signal, and is also stored in the memory by a special operation which cannot be normally operated by the operation unit. The washing machine control device is characterized in that the code signal is read out and the content thereof is displayed.