JPH0727022Y2 - Drum type dry washing machine - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial field of application] The present invention relates to a drum type drying and washing machine, and more specifically,
The present invention relates to a drum-type dry washing machine capable of highly detecting the amount of laundry.

[Prior art]

Drum type washing and washing machines are capable of performing a series of steps from washing to drying of laundry due to the structural characteristics of rotating a single drum around the horizontal axis of the drum. There is also a model that is capable of detecting the above and setting operating conditions based on the detection result.

In such a drum type dry washing machine, prior to a drying operation, for example, a drum containing a laundry is driven to rotate by a drive motor, the load amount of the laundry is detected from a current value flowing through the drive motor, and the load is detected. A device equipped with a safety device that stops the operation when the amount is judged to be above the rated value, or an electrode having a contactor for detecting an electric resistance value is provided in the drum, and depending on the number of rotations of the drum, In some cases, the load of the laundry can be detected from the frequency of contact of the wet laundry with the electrodes and the conduction of the electrodes.

[Problems to be solved by the device]

However, in the above-mentioned drum type washing machine, in the former case, since the load amount of the laundry is detected only from the viewpoint of the weight, the circulating air volume changes depending on the volume of the laundry, and the drying time varies. It is not appropriate to apply it to the process condition calculation. Further, since the drum type dry washing machine is structurally much heavier in drum weight than in laundry amount, it is not possible to wait with high accuracy in detecting laundry load amount due to change in drive motor current value. .

Further, in the latter case, since the laundry is a prerequisite, the load cannot be detected immediately before the washing process when the laundry is in a dry state. for that reason,
In some cases, the laundry load amount that was appropriate in the washing process becomes overloaded in the drying process, causing an imbalance in the load amount through a series of processes.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a drum type dry washing machine capable of accurately detecting the load amount of the laundry before the washing process and at the same time determining the load amount in the drying process. .

[Means for Solving the Problems]

In order to achieve the above object, the main means adopted by the present invention is to provide a circulation air passage around the drum housed in the main body case and to supply the dry air into the drum to the circulation air passage. In a drum type washing machine in which a blower for blowing air is provided, and after the laundry is stored in the drum, the drum is rotated around a horizontal axis for washing and drying, the drum is rotated prior to washing, and Circulating air blowing means for blowing air, an air volume sensor provided in the circulating air passage for detecting and outputting a circulating air volume, and an operating condition for calculating an operating condition in accordance with a detection result from the air volume sensor during air blowing by the circulating air blowing means. The drum-type dry washing machine is characterized by including setting means.

[Action]

According to the present invention, prior to the washing step, the circulation air blowing means rotates the drum containing the laundry and circulates the air inside the drum between the drum and the circulation air passage. At this time, the air volume sensor detects the circulating air volume of the air. And
The operating condition setting means calculates the load amount of the laundry from the circulating air flow rate and sets the operating condition according to the load amount.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings to provide an understanding of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a side view showing the structure of a drum type drying and washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a signal system of the drum type drying and washing machine, and FIG. 3 is stored in a CPU. FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing a processing procedure of the drum-type drying and washing machine showing the executed function.

The following embodiments are merely specific examples of the present invention, and do not limit the technical scope of the present invention.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the drum type drying and washing machine 1 has a water tank 12 elastically supported inside the main body case 2 without rotating, so that washing water not shown in the drawing can be collected. Store a predetermined amount. The drum 3 is housed inside the water tank 12 and is rotatably supported by the water tank 12 via a bearing 20. A circulation air passage 4 is provided around the water tank 12 along the outer periphery thereof, and is connected to the blow-out port 15 and the suction port 14 on the water tank 12 side to form a circulation passage. Furthermore, on the lower outer surface of the water tank 12,
A motor 13 for driving the drum 3 is fixed.

The circulation air passage 4 is provided with an air flow sensor 7, a heater 21, and a blower 5 in order in the direction of a wide arrow indicating the wind direction. A part of the circulation air passage 4 is also used as a washing water supply path (arrow in the figure) from the water supply pipe 16 and the water supply valve 17.

As shown in FIG. 2, the air flow sensor 7 includes an NTC thermistor 10, a constant current generator 11 for applying a constant current (αmA) to the NTC thermistor 10, and a potentiometer 9 for detecting a potential difference E in the NTC thermistor 10. The potentiometer 9 is connected to a microcomputer 8 provided inside the main body casing 2. The microcomputer 8
Mainly includes a CPU and a memory, and the memory has a third
The graph shown in the figure, that is, the relationship between the potential difference E and the circulating air volume F and the relationship between the laundry load W and the circulating air volume F, which are derived in advance, is stored as a function. Where F in the figure
₀ and E ₀ represent the circulating air volume and the potential difference when the drum 3 is rotated and air is blown into the circulating air passage 4 in a state where there is no laundry in the drum 3.

The operation and processing procedure of the drum type drying and washing machine 1 configured as described above will be described below with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. First, a laundry (not shown) is accommodated in the drum 3 through the inlet 19 provided on the front surface of the main body case 2, and an operation start button (not shown) is pressed. Then, the microcomputer 8 starts up and starts the process of detecting the load amount W of the laundry. Then, the drum 3 is rotationally driven for t hours (seconds) to stir the laundry while not being wet (step S1), and the blower 5 is also t hours (seconds).
The air in the drum 3 that is driven is circulated and blown through the circulation air passage 4 (step 2). At this time, the heater 21 is not energized. That is, step S1 and step S2 are the circulation blower means for realizing the function of rotating the drum 3 and blowing air prior to washing. At the same time, the NTC thermistor 10 is energized with a predetermined current (αmA) from the constant current generator 11, and the potential difference E of the NTC thermistor 10 at that time is detected by the potentiometer 9 (step S3). That is, when the amount of laundry (load amount W) in the drum 3 is large, the ventilation resistance in the drum 3 increases and the circulating air amount F decreases. This allows NT
The temperature drop at the end of the C thermistor 10 does not become significant. Therefore, the resistance value of the NTC thermistor 10 does not increase remarkably, and the potential difference E across the NTC thermistor 10 becomes a small value. On the other hand, when the amount of laundry is large, on the contrary, the potential difference E becomes large.

Subsequently, the detected potential difference E is compared and calculated by the CPU with the potential difference E ₁ set in advance corresponding to the upper limit load W ₁ of the laundry at the time of the drying process, which is obtained by a test run. S4). As a result, if it is determined that the detected potential difference E is smaller than the set potential difference E ₁ , that is, it is determined that the laundry in the drying process is overloaded, and the overload signal from the CPU causes the load amount display unit to display the overload signal. It is output to 22 and the state of "overload" is displayed on the load amount display section 22 (step S5).

In the present embodiment, as described above, the microcomputer 8 displays the air volume detection result on the load volume display unit 22 in accordance with the air volume detection result from the air volume sensor 7.
It is not limited to that, but the amount of circulating air during the drying process
You may comprise so that operating conditions, such as F, the rotation speed of the drum 3, and the blowing temperature of dry air, may be controlled. That is, the microcomputer 8 constitutes operating condition setting means.

As described above, the drum type dry washing machine 1 can accurately detect the load amount W of the laundry before the washing process. It is also possible to judge whether the load amount W at that time is appropriate as the load amount in the drying process.

[Effect of device]

In the present invention, as described above, the circulation air passage is provided around the drum housed in the main body case, and the air blower is provided in the circulation air passage to supply the dry air into the drum. A drum type drying and washing machine for washing and drying by storing the laundry in the drum and rotating the drum around a horizontal axis, and a circulating blower for rotating and blowing the drum prior to washing, An air flow sensor provided in the circulation air passage for detecting and outputting a circulating air flow, and operating condition setting means for calculating an operating condition in accordance with a detection result from the air flow sensor during air blowing by the circulating air blowing means. Since it is a drum type dry washing machine, it is possible to accurately detect the load amount of the laundry before the washing process, and at the same time, it is possible to judge whether it is the load amount during the drying process. It can also be determined. As a result, it is possible to prevent an imbalance of the load amount through a series of processes such that the load amount of the laundry that was appropriate in the washing process becomes overloaded in the drying process.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view showing the structure of a drum type drying and washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a signal system of the drum type drying and washing machine, and FIG. 3 is stored in a CPU. FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing a processing procedure of the drum-type drying and washing machine showing a function. [Explanation of reference symbols] 1 ... drum type washing and washing machine 2 ... main body case, 3 ... drum 4 ... circulation air passage, 5 ... blower 6 ... drum horizontal axis, 7 ... air volume sensor 8 ... micro Computer, 9 ... Potentiometer, 10 ... NTC thermistor, 11 ... Constant current generator

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A circulation air passage is provided around a drum housed in a main body case, and a blower is provided in the circulation air passage so as to supply dry air into the drum, and the drum is washed. In a drum-type washing machine for washing and drying by rotating the drum around a horizontal axis after accommodating an item, a circulating air blower that rotates and blows the drum prior to washing, and a circulating air duct. An air volume sensor provided to detect and output a circulating air volume, and an operating condition setting unit that calculates an operating condition in accordance with a detection result from the air volume sensor during air blowing by the circulating air blowing unit. Drum type washing machine.