JPS63181792A - Cloth quantity detector of washing machine - 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 Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to a cloth amount detection device for a washing machine used in a general household, which automatically performs a series of processes such as washing, draining, rinsing, and dehydrating.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Conventionally, washing machines that automatically perform a series of processes such as washing, draining, rinsing, and dehydrating have been equipped with a cloth amount detection device that detects the amount of cloth in a washing and dehydrating tank. This cloth amount detection device detects the current consumption during the washing process, determines the amount of cloth, and controls the washing time and spin-drying time. In addition, a magnet is installed on the rotating pulley of the electric motor,
There was a device that used the force of this magnet to turn on and off a reed switch to detect the amount of cloth.

In addition, there were devices that attached a generator directly to the electric motor and detected the amount of cloth based on the frequency of generated electricity.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, conventional methods that detect the amount of cloth using current consumption are unstable with respect to the power supply voltage, and methods that use magnets and reed switches to detect the amount of cloth are unstable when the motor rotates at high speed. There was a problem in that the reed switch could no longer follow the pattern.

Furthermore, the detection using a generator has the problem of an increase in the number of parts and an increase in the number of assembly steps.

In view of the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a cloth amount detection device for a washing machine that is easy to assemble and can stably detect the amount of cloth.

A foolproof way to solve problems To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a washing machine cloth 37.

The amount detection device consists of a magnet installed on the rotating member of the electric motor that rotates the washing/dehydration tank and the pulsator, a Hall element that detects the magnetic force of this magnet, and a detection cycle when the motor starts rotating. This configuration includes a control means for determining the amount.

Effect: With the above configuration, when the amount of loaded cloth put into the washing and dewatering tank is small, the rotation start-up of the motor is fast, and when the loaded amount of cloth is large, it becomes slow. Therefore, in the present invention, a Hall element detects a signal for each rotation of the electric motor. When the motor starts rotating at the beginning of the washing process and the dewatering process, the control means measures the period of the output signal of the Hall element, determines the magnitude of the load amount, and controls the time of the washing process and the dewatering process.

Embodiment Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described based on the accompanying drawings. As shown in FIG. 2, the overall structure of the washing machine of this embodiment includes an outer tub 2 attached to an outer box 1 by a hanging rod. A washing/dehydration tank 3 is provided inside the outer tank 2, and this tank 3
A large number of holes are formed in the peripheral wall. A pulsator 4 is installed at the inner bottom of the washing and dehydrating tank 3. The electric motor 5 transmits rotational force to the bearing case 6 by belt transmission, and finally rotates the pulsator 4 and the washing/dehydration tank 3.

This bearing case 6 incorporates a brake device that applies a brake to the washing/dehydration tank 3 and a clutch device that controls the transmission of rotational force. A drainage lower is installed at the bottom of the outer tank 2,
Drainage of the remaining water in the outer tank 2 is controlled by a drainage electromagnetic valve 8.

An air trap 9 is formed on the bottom side wall of the outer tank 2, and the air trap 9 is connected to a pressure sensor 11 by a pressure hose 10. The water supply valve 12 controls the amount of washing water supplied to the outer tub 2. A Hall element 13A is attached to the case of the electric motor 5 to detect its rotation.
A magnet 13B is provided on the upper surface of the pulley facing A.

Next, the control device will be explained with reference to FIG. The microcomputer 17 constituting the control means has an operation setting switch 14
The electric motor 5, the drain solenoid valve 8, and the water supply valve 12 are controlled according to the information from the pressure sensor 11 and the pressure sensor 11.

Controls the entire operation of the washing machine. 15,16,18゜19
．． 20 and 21 are interfaces with the microcomputer 17; Interfaces 15, 16, and 21 are connected to the input side (pressure detector 11°, operation setting switch 14,
Signal of Hall element 13) Microcomputer 17
It is possible to input the information to Also interface 1
8 and 19°2o drive loads on the output side (electric motor 5, drain valve 8, water supply valve 12), respectively. As shown in FIG. 3, the interface 21 of the 13 Hall elements generates the pulses shown in FIG. 4 using the comparator 21A at the period when a magnet passes over the Hall elements 13A.

Next, the cloth amount detection operation will be explained. First, after turning on the power, by operating the operation setting switch 14, the microcomputer 17 turns on the water supply valve 12 and starts the water supply operation, checks the signal from the pressure detector 11, and when the water level reaches a predetermined level, the microcomputer 17 starts the water supply operation. Stop and start the washing process. At the start of the washing process,
When the motor rotates at 500 revolutions, 13 Hall elements output signals, and ink is 61\-.

- The pulse signal shown in FIG. 4B is input to the microcomputer 17 by the face 21. The microcomputer 17 measures the time from the first output signal of the 13 Hall elements to the second output signal, and compares the measured time with a set value to determine the size of the cloth amount. This operation will be explained with reference to the time chart of FIG. 4 and the control flow chart of FIG. 5. After receiving the first signal (B in FIG. 4), the counter in the microcomputer 17 is initialized, the microcomputer reference clock in FIG. 4 is counted, and the Hall element in FIG. The counting operation ends when the signal is received at the second recess. At this point, the number of pulses necessary for one rotation of the electric motor 6 in FIG. 4C is counted, and after comparing and calculating the counted values of the microcomputer 17, the washing process execution time is determined. In the dehydration process, the same operation as described above is performed at the start of the dehydration process to automatically set the dehydration time.

Effects of the Invention As is clear from the above examples, the washing method of the present invention 7...
- The machine's cloth amount detection device detects the startup of motor rotation in both the washing process and the dewatering process, so it has a great effect on reducing the time of the entire process. Since it still uses a Hall element and a magnet to detect the start of rotation of the motor, it can be used more stably against foreign objects such as lumps than optical methods that use light emitting diodes. Compared to a method that detects the current consumption of an electric motor, stable operation can be obtained against power supply voltage fluctuations during operation. Even when compared to methods that use magnets and reed switches to detect motor rotation, the Hall element has higher speed, so it can follow even when the motor rotates at high speed. Also, compared to the method of installing a generator directly on the motor and detecting the generated frequency, only a Hall element and a magnet are installed.
It is possible to provide a cloth amount detection device for a washing machine that requires fewer parts and less man-hours during assembly.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing the control section of a washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a configuration diagram of the washing machine, Fig. 3 is a circuit diagram of the Hall element interface, and Fig. 4 is the control section of the washing machine. FIG. 6 is a flowchart of the same control. 13 people...Hall element, 13B...Magnet, 17...Microcomputer. Name of agent: Patent attorney Toshio Nakao and 1 other person/3
B---, magnetic, Fig. 1, Fig. 2, Fig. 3, Fig. 5.

Claims (1)

[Claims] A magnet provided on a rotating member of an electric motor that rotates a washing and dehydrating tank and a pulsator, a Hall element that detects the magnetic force of this magnet, and a control that uses the Hall element to determine the load amount based on the detection cycle when the motor starts rotating. A washing machine cloth amount detection device comprising means.