JPS61103497A - Washer - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Technical Field of the Invention] The present invention relates to a washing machine capable of detecting the presence or absence of water passing through a drainage channel.

[Technical Background of the Invention] Conventional washing machines have been equipped with an automatic or manual water supply device to supply a predetermined amount of water to the washing tub for washing with detergent, or to perform rinsing while supplying water to the washing tub. When this water is being supplied, the drain channel leading from the wash tank to the outside of the machine is closed by a drain valve device.

[Problems with the back type technology] However, with the above-mentioned conventional type, there are cases where the valve body in the drain valve device deteriorates and the drain cannot be completely closed, or when there is foreign matter in the valve body and the closure is interrupted. If the problem is incomplete, the water in the washing tank may leak out from the drain even though water is being supplied, and if you continue washing without knowing this, the water in the washing tank will leak out. This problem has arisen, such as not only causing problems with washing, but also wasting water, and furthermore, requiring a replenishment of the water supply, resulting in a large amount of water consumption, and a solution to these problems has been eagerly awaited.

[Object of the Invention] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to detect water leakage from a drainage channel during water supply, so that it does not interfere with washing. In addition, it is an object of the present invention to provide a washing machine that can prevent water wastage.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION] The present invention provides a detection device for detecting the presence or absence of water passing through a drainage channel, receives a detection signal output from the detection device, and receives a detection signal that is applied during water supply operation of the water supply device. A control device is provided that outputs an abnormality detection signal from time to time, so that it is possible to detect the presence or absence of water passing through the drainage channel during water supply, thereby detecting an abnormality.

[Embodiments of the invention] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

First, in FIG. 1, 1 is an outer box of a two-tub washing machine, 2 and 3 are a washing tank and a dewatering tank disposed inside the outer box, and 4 is a dewatering capacity. Reference numeral 5 denotes an operation box that stands at the rear of the upper part of the outer box, and on the back wall of this box there are provided an elliptical water supply valve (water supply device) 6 and a water supply valve 6a for the dewatering tank, each consisting of an electromagnetic valve. 7 is a washing motor, 8 is a pulsator, and 9 is a dewatering motor.

10 is an operation panel of a control device 33, which will be described later;
These include a detergent washing time setting switch 11a and a washing process start switch 11b shown in FIG.

Rinse time setting switch 11C1 Dehydration time setting =
3 Constant switch 11d, start switch 11 for dehydration process
8 and a dehydration and rinsing time setting switch 11f, etc. Regarding the washing operation, a first washing course in which a "detergent washing" step is performed independently, a second washing course in which a "rinsing washing" step is performed, and a second washing course in which a "rinsing" step is performed independently. It is now possible to select a standard course in which the ``washing with detergent'' step is followed by the ``rinsing'' step. Now, in FIG. 2, 12 is an overflow drain chamber formed in the washing tank 2, and 13 and 14 are drains that partition the overflow drain chamber 12 and the inside of the wash tank 2 to allow water to pass therethrough. 15 is a flood pipe, and an eye body 15a having a valve body 16 magnetized to either the north pole or the south pole is connected to the lower part of the overflow pipe. A drain port 12a is formed in the bottom of the overflow chamber 12 and corresponds to the eye body 15a.
2a and the drain pipe 18 that constitutes the drainage channel 17 are connected to the connecting pipe 18.
It is connected via a. And overflow drainage room 12
1 has a drain port 12 at the bottom as shown in Figures 3 and 4.
A, in this case, a plurality of N magnets 19 are arranged in a holder 18b formed on the outer periphery of the connecting pipe 18a, and the electromagnet 19 and the valve body 16 constitute a drain valve device 20. ing.

In this drain valve device 20, when one electromagnet is energized, it generates the same magnetic pole as the valve body 16, and its repulsive force causes the valve body 16 to float upward against the spring force of the spring 21. When the drain port 12a is opened and the electromagnet 19 is cut off, the electromagnet 19 is lowered by the spring force of the spring 21, and the surrounding area of the drain port 12a is closed by the valve body 16, thereby substantially closing the drain port 12a.

Note that 22 is a filter attached to the drain port 12a. In addition, 23 in FIG. 1 is the drain pipe 18 of the drain channel 17.
This dehydration tank drain pipe 23 and the wash oval drain pipe 18 are commonly connected to a drain hose 24 that leads to the outside of the machine. Now, in FIGS. 2 and 5, 25 is an impeller chamber formed to be located in the vertical part of the drainage channel 17, and this impeller chamber 25 has a shaft 2.
The impeller 28 is formed by integrating the blades 27 radially into the impeller 6.
It is horizontally arranged rotatably via bearings 29 and 30. Each of the blades 27 is formed to have a spherical concave surface that receives water flowing down through the connecting pipe 18a. still,
A lower end 18C of the connecting pipe 18a facing the blades 27 of the impeller 28 is formed into a tapered shape. Reference numeral 31 denotes a generator that constitutes a detection device 32 together with the impeller 28, which is disposed on the outer surface of the impeller chamber 25, and a rotor (not shown) rotates integrally with the shaft 26 of the impeller 2. It has become. This generator 31 generates electricity by rotating the impeller 28, and its electrical signal is applied as a detection signal to a control device 33 shown in FIG. 6 via an AC/DC converter 34. The above control device 3
Reference numeral 3 comprises a microcomputer, and this control device 33 will be explained in detail in the next functional explanation section. Note that 35, 36, 37, 38, 39 and 40 are driver circuits, respectively, and 41 is an alarm.

Now, the operation of the above structure will be explained with reference also to FIGS. 6 and 7. First, assume that a standard course is selected in which a "rinsing" step is performed following a "detergent washing" step. After setting the detergent washing time with the detergent washing time setting switch 11a and setting the rinsing washing time with the rinsing time setting switch 11c and giving a time information signal to the control device 33, the start switch 11b for the washing process is turned on. Turn it on. Then, the washing process start signal is sent to the control device 3.
3, and based on this, a drive signal is given to the driver circuit 36, the water supply valve 6 around the washing tank 2 is energized and released, water supply starts, and before the water supply amount in the washing tank 2 reaches a predetermined amount. When the detection signal is output from the generator 31, it is given to the control device 33. Based on this detection signal, a drive signal Sk-, which is an abnormality detection signal, is applied from the control device 33 to the driver circuit 4o, and the alarm 41 sounds, thereby notifying that the drain valve device 30 is open due to some abnormality. Ru. Also, if there is no detection signal and the water supply amount reaches a predetermined amount, a water supply amount detector (not shown) 5.1)
A water supply stop signal is given to the control device 33, and the water supply valve 6 around the washing tank is shut off, thereby stopping the water supply. Thereafter, a drive signal is applied to the driver circuit 35 to rotate the washing motor 7 in forward and reverse directions, thereby performing a "washing" operation. When this "washing" operation is carried out for a predetermined period of time, the washing motor 7 is cut off and the "washing" operation is stopped. Thereafter, a drive signal is applied to the driver circuit 37, the electromagnet 19 of the drain valve device 2o is energized, and the electromagnetic repulsive force opens the valve body 16. As a result, the water in the washing tank 2 is discharged to the outside of the machine through the drainage channel 17. In this case, the impeller 28 is rotated by the water passing through the drainage channel 17, and based on this, the generator 31 generates electricity, which is sent as a detection signal to the control device 33 via the AC/DC converter 34. The control device 33 operates the drain valve device f! while this detection signal is being input. , 20 outputs a drive signal to the electromagnet 19.

When all the water in the washing tank 2 is discharged, the detection signal from the generator 31 becomes "absent", and the control device 33
stops outputting the drive signal to the driver circuit 37,
As a result, the electromagnet 19 is de-energized, and the valve body 16 is lowered by the elastic force of the spring 21 to open the drain port 12a.
is closed, thereby completing the "detergent washing" process, and then proceeding to the "rinsing process". That is, the water supply valve 6 around the washing tank is energized and opened to start supplying water. In this case, as in the case of the detergent washing process described above, if a detection signal is output before the amount of water supplied in the washing tank 2 reaches a predetermined amount, the control device 33 outputs a drive signal Sk based on the detection signal. and causes the alarm 41 to sound. If no detection signal is output, the washing motor 7 is energized and rotates when the amount of water in the washing tank 2 reaches a predetermined amount. Here, since the water supply from the water supply valve 6 continues, the water in the washing tank 2 is successively drained from the upper end of the overflow pipe 15, thereby performing a so-called pre-rinsing. After this, when the rinsing time reaches the set rinsing time, the water supply valve 6
And the washing motor 7 is cut off. Then, the electromagnet 19 is energized, and the valve body 16 receives the electromagnetic repulsive force to move the drain port 1
Open 2a. In this case as well, as in the case of draining water in the 1st detergent washing process described above, water passing through the drain channel 17 causes the impeller to
8 is rotated, which causes the generator 31 to generate electricity and provide a detection signal to the control device 33. While this detection signal is being input to the control device 33, one electromagnet is energized and the inside of the washing tank 2 is When all the water has been drained out, the output of the detection signal disappears, and as a result, one electromagnet is cut off, the valve body 16 closes the drain port 12a, and the "washing" process according to the standard course is completed.

According to this embodiment, when a detection signal is output from the generator 31 of the detection device 32 during water supply operation of the water supply valve 6, which is a water supply device, the abnormality detection signal is output from the control device 33. It is possible to detect an abnormal situation such as water leakage due to incomplete closing of the drain valve system flffi 20. In particular, according to this embodiment, an alarm 41 is provided and the abnormality detection signal is sent to the drive signal Sk to the alarm 41. Since the abnormal situation is output as follows, the alarm 41 can be used to notify the above-mentioned abnormal situation. In this way, water leakage during water supply can be detected,
The drain valve device 20 can be inspected quickly, and a decrease in supplied water can be avoided, and waste of water and excessive water consumption can be prevented.

Incidentally, in the above embodiment, a configuration having the blade 128 and the generator 31 was illustrated as the detection device, but this may also be a configuration in which the passage of water in the drainage channel 17 is detected by an optical sensor, or various other configurations may be used. The following configurations are possible.

[Effects of the Invention] As is clear from the above description, the present invention includes a water supply device for supplying water to a washing tank, a drain valve device provided to open and close a drainage channel leading from the washing tank to the outside of the machine, and the drainage channel. a detection device that detects passage of water in the water supply device; and a control device that receives a detection signal output from the detection device and outputs an abnormality detection signal when the detection signal is applied during water supply operation of the water supply device. With this, it is possible to detect water leakage in the drainage canal during water supply,
It has excellent effects such as not interfering with washing and preventing wasteful consumption of water.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

'1 The drawings show one embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional front view of a two-tub washing machine, Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional front view of the main parts, and Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional front view of the drain valve device part. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the TV--TV line in FIG. 3, FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional side view of the detection device portion, FIG. 6 is a block diagram, and FIG. 7 is a flowchart. In the figure, 2 is a washing tank, 3 is a dehydration tank, 7 is a washing motor, and 9
15 is a dewatering motor, 15 is an overflow pipe, 17 is a drainage channel, 22 is a filter, 25 is an impeller chamber, 28 is an impeller, 31 is a generator, 32 is a detection device, 33 is a control device, and 41 is an alarm device. . Applicant: Toshiba Co., Ltd.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A water supply device that supplies water to the washing tank, a drain valve device provided to open and close a drainage channel leading from the washing tank to the outside of the machine, a detection device that detects the passage of water in the drainage channel, and a detection device that detects passage of water in the drainage channel. A washing machine comprising: a control device that receives an output detection signal and outputs an abnormality detection signal when the detection signal is applied during water supply operation of the water supply device.