JPS6337031Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed explanation of the idea]

(B) Industrial Application Field The present invention relates to a centrifugal dewatering washing machine that automatically detects the amount of load and controls the process according to the detected amount of load. (b) Prior Art Conventionally, this type of washing machine has been disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 36556/1983. This is because before an automatic washing machine starts washing, it performs water supply/drainage and dehydration processes for a certain period of time in addition to the washing operation, and is used to dehydrate laundry that has been properly moistened. This washing machine detects the amount of laundry by detecting the drive current of the motor and comparing it with a preset reference value. In other words, the process is controlled according to the amount of laundry,
It has various effects such as saving water, saving electricity, and preventing fabric damage. However, while detecting the amount of laundry,
The process of the washing machine does not proceed and there is no indication that it is being detected. As a result, the washing machine may take a long time to start, which may cause the user to mistakenly believe that the washing machine is malfunctioning. (c) Problems to be solved by the invention The present invention provides a centrifugal dehydrator that automatically detects the load amount, allowing the user to clearly understand the operating status of the washing machine and providing ease of use. The purpose is to (d) Means for solving the problem The present invention provides a load amount signal generating device that generates a signal according to the amount of load in a centrifugal dewatering washing machine, and a signal from the load amount signal generating device. a control device that determines the amount of load based on the amount of load and sets a process time commensurate with the amount of load, a display device that displays the process time, and a device that is determining the amount of load in accordance with a signal from the control device. It is equipped with a notification means for notifying certain things. (e) Effect: In other words, since the user is notified that the load amount is being determined, the process progress status is not displayed even though the device is in operation, so that the user will not misinterpret it as a malfunction. (f) Embodiments Examples of the present invention will be described based on the drawings. In FIG. 4, 1 is a two-tank washing machine in which a washing tub 3 and a dewatering tank 4 are arranged side by side in a machine frame 2, and a control box 5 is arranged at the upper rear part. A large chevron-shaped rotating blade (not shown) is disposed at the inner bottom of the washing tub 3, and the rotating blade rotates at a low speed during washing. A dehydration tank 6 with an upper opening edge 6a curled inward is disposed within the dehydration receiving tank 4. This dehydration tank 6 has a dehydration hole 7 bored on the circumferential side, and is connected to the motor rotation shaft 8 to perform "dehydration" by continuous clockwise rotation, and dehydration-braking-stop (water supply during braking and stopping). "Dehydration and rinsing" is performed by repeating this cycle. (Furthermore, stopped means the state where the braking is finished and the power to the motor is cut off, and the motor may be rotating due to inertia.) Further, the motor 9 is elastically attached to the inner bottom of the machine frame 2 by anti-vibration springs 10, and the motor rotating shaft 8 is elastically supported by anti-vibration rubber 11. Reference numeral 12 denotes a top plate fixed to the upper opening of the dehydration receiving tank 4, and has a clothing input port 13 which has approximately the same diameter as the upper opening of the dehydration tank 6 and faces from above. 14 is a plate-shaped safety cover that is pivotally supported within the control box 5 and opens and closes the clothing input port 13;
A large number of small holes 15 are bored in the bottom surface, and the clothes inlet 13 is deeply recessed to approach the upper opening of the dehydration tank 6. Although not shown, the upper part of the safety cover 14 is covered with a dehydration upper cover. Inside the control box 5, there is a dual switching electromagnetic water supply valve 17 for the water supply hose installation port 16.
A washing water supply channel 18 and a rinsing water supply channel 19 are provided, which communicate with each other via a water supply channel 18. The water supply channel 18 supplies water into the washing tub 3, and the water supply channel 19 faces the side wall of the safety cover 14 and is inserted into the cover. Supply water. The washing machine 1 washes in the washing tub 3, rinses if necessary, and performs rinsing and dewatering in the dewatering tank 4. In particular, when we explain the operation inside the dehydration tank 4, we first start with normal “dehydration”.
The dehydration tank 6 is activated by setting the timer.
Rotate clockwise at approximately 1400 rpm to perform centrifugal dehydration. In addition, during "dehydration rinsing", the rinse water supplied from the water supply channel 19 to the recessed safety cover 1.
4 continuously, and from there small hole 15...
etc., and fall accurately into the dehydration tank 6. The rinsing water in the dehydration tank 6 is directly absorbed by the laundry in the upper part of the tank, and also sequentially enters the middle part where it is absorbed. When centrifugal force is applied, the water absorbed into the laundry is discharged through the dehydration hole 7, and by repeating water absorption and dewatering several times, the detergent liquid contained in the laundry is removed. is diluted and so-called rinsing is performed. Next, FIG. 5 is a front view of the control box 5, in which 20 is a finishing agent inlet, 21 is an overflow water level adjustment lever, and 22 is a drain valve operation button. 23 is a water flow changeover switch for changing the water flow intensity; 24 is a switch for switching the rinsing, which is normally performed on the side of the washing tub 3, to water injection rinsing, in which rinsing is performed while water is being poured; 25 is a switch for temporarily stopping the rotary blade and water supply; 26 is a washing/rinsing time setting and start switch on the washing tub 3 side, 27 is a start switch for an automatic course of dehydration rinsing → dehydration on the dehydration tank 6 side, and 28 is a dehydration time setting and start switch. In addition, each switch is equipped with display light emitting diodes 24a and 29 to 31 (hereinafter referred to as LED).
is attached. Therefore, in order to wash and rinse in the washing tub 3, the process time is first set using the wash and rinse switch 26. That is, each time this switch 26 is pressed once, the display section 32a displays 10 → 7 → 5 → 2 → 0 → 15.
The process time is displayed as →10→... (However, if the water flow intensity is "soft", it starts from 5), and at the same time, the water supply solenoid valve 17a leading to the washing tub 3 is opened and water is supplied. During this water supply, the set time is not subtracted, and when the water level switch is turned OFF and the water supply stops, the subtraction starts and the rotor blades are driven at the same time. If the water level switch does not turn off even after 15 minutes have passed after pressing the washing/rinsing switch 26,
It is determined that there is a drainage abnormality, the water supply is stopped, and the time display on the display section 32a is made to blink. If the water injection rinsing switch 24 is set, water is supplied into the washing tub 3 as the rotary blades are driven, and so-called water injection rinsing is performed. However, if the washing/rinsing process does not start even after a predetermined period of time has passed after setting the switch 24, that is, the washing/rinsing process does not start.
If the rinse switch 26 is not operated, the setting of the water injection rinse switch 24 is automatically canceled. This prevents the possibility that if you forget to release the water injection rinse switch 24 and perform the next washing process, the detergent may be flushed out even though the detergent has been poured in. This is to do so. When it is desired to stop the water supply to these washing tubs 3, the washing/rinsing time can be set to zero. Next, by setting the dehydration time with the dehydration time setting switch 28, dehydration is performed in the dehydration tank 6. That is, each time this switch 28 is pressed, the corresponding LED 31 lights up from 3 → 1 → 0.5 → none → 5
Switches as →3→... Note that the washing, rinsing, and spin-drying times can be changed during the process, and the set times can be memorized by continuing to press each switch 26, 28 for 2 seconds or more.
From next time onwards, this memorized time can be displayed first. The display section 32 is composed of four digits and usually displays the time, washing and rinsing are displayed in the upper two digit display section 32a, and dehydration rinsing and dehydration time are displayed in the lower two digit display section 32b in minutes. . Time adjustment is performed by each switch 25, 26, 27. Figure 6 shows a block circuit diagram of the control section of this washing machine, where 33 is a microcomputer that is the center of the control section, and 34 is a display consisting of a group of LEDs that display washing/rinsing and spin-drying times, water flow intensity, etc. Circuit, 35 is water level detection switch on the washing tub side, 36
37 is a safety switch that is linked to the opening and closing of the dehydration top cover.
is an operation section composed of switches 23 to 28,
38 is a buzzer circuit, 39 and 40 are motor left and right rotation drive circuits, and 41 is a water supply valve 17 leading to the washing tub 3.
42 is the water supply valve 17b leading to the dehydration tank.
43 is a finishing agent inputting part, 44 is a dehydration tank 6
45 is a dehydration motor drive circuit,
46 is a motor current detection circuit which will be described later. The microcomputer 33 corresponds to a control device, and compares the signal from the motor current detection circuit 46 with stored reference values (t _A , t _B , t _C to be described later), and compares the signal with the reference value. It has a built-in load amount detection device that detects the amount of laundry or dehydrated material (hereinafter referred to as load) based on the results, and a calculation device that calculates the process time based on a predetermined time for the detected load amount. , the drive of a load such as a motor is controlled based on input signals from the various switches and the calculated process time. Now, dehydration and rinsing is performed by operating the rinse/spin switch 27. When the switch 27 is pressed once, the standard course (the cycle of dehydration-braking (water supply)-stop (water supply) is completed 4 times → finishing) (adding agent → 3 minutes of dehydration), press twice to execute the careful course (the cycle is repeated 5 times → add finishing agent → 3 minutes of dehydration), and press a third time to cancel. The finishing agent injection starts 5 seconds before stopping from braking in the final cycle of dewatering and rinsing in each course, and is carried out during the stopping time. Immediately after each course is set and the motor 9 starts rotating, the microcomputer 33 receives a signal from the motor current detection circuit 46, detects the load amount, calculates the time corresponding to the load amount, and calculates the time corresponding to this time and the dewatering time. 3 minutes are added and displayed on the lower two digit display section 32b. Note that the dehydration time can be changed using the switch 28. Further, this load amount detection is also performed during the normal dehydration process. The motor current detection means will be explained below. In FIG. 7, 47 and 48 are dewatering motors 9
It is a bidirectional thyristor connected to
do. The one bidirectional thyristor 47 constitutes a braking circuit that applies DC voltage to the dehydration motor 9 via a diode 49 to apply DC braking. Now, 50 is a current transformer, and a voltage proportional to the current flowing through the dehydration motor 9 appears on the secondary side, and this is converted into a DC voltage V _CT through a rectifier circuit 51 and a smoothing circuit 52. Generally, when the dehydration motor 9 is driven, a large current flows during startup, and as the motor 9 reaches steady rotation, the motor current gradually decreases to a steady current. That is, the V _CT has a characteristic as shown in FIG. Here, the reference voltage V _REF is determined in advance, and this
A comparator 53 compares V _RFE and the V _CT to obtain an output V _OUT . Figure 9 is a time chart of this V _OUT , and to explain based on the solid line in Figure 8, V _OUT shows a high level V _H after motor 9 is started, and goes to a low level when V _CT exceeds V _REF . It becomes V _L. Then, when V _CT decreases and becomes smaller than V _REF again, V _OUT shows the High level again. Thus, the microcomputer 33 controls the motor 9.
The time T from the time of startup until the aforementioned V _OUT becomes High level again is counted. While the microcomputer 33 is counting this time T, that is, while detecting the load amount, the time is not displayed on the display section 32b as described above. Therefore, in order to prevent the user from mistaking the fact that the time is not displayed even though the dehydration tank 6 is rotating, turn on the LEDs on the display unit 32 one after another as shown in Figure 2. Same figure a→b→c→a
... to indicate that the load amount is being detected. This display means may be in any format, for example, the outer frame of the LED may be blinked as shown in Fig. 3 a→b...→h→a→...;
A buzzer may also sound. The time T naturally varies depending on the amount of load, and the larger the amount of load, the longer the time T becomes.
In Figure 8, t _A , t _B , and t _C are ideal quantities, respectively.
This is a standard value determined using medium and small loads (t _A
> _tB > _tC ), the microcomputer 33 compares the time T with these reference values _tA , _tB , _tC ,
The amount of load is determined in four stages: heavy load (t _A ≦T), medium load (t _B ≦T < T _A ), light load (t _C ≦ T < t _B ), and small load (T < t _C ). do. Here, 1 of the dehydration rinse at each load amount mentioned above.
The required cycle times are shown in Table 1.

[Table] However, the stop time in the final cycle of dehydration rinsing in each of the standard and careful courses, that is, the stop time when adding the finishing agent, was 55 seconds for each load. This 55
Seconds is sufficient time for finishing agents (fabric softeners, antistatic agents, laundry starch, etc.) to penetrate into the clothing at each load, but especially for loads other than 55 seconds. All you have to do is set the time accordingly. By setting this time, it is possible to obtain a uniform finishing effect even if the load amount changes. Now, when the microcomputer 33 determines the rank of the load amount, it quadruples the cycle time corresponding to this load amount (in the case of a careful course, it increases the cycle time by 5 times).
double), add the extended stop time for adding the finishing agent, convert it into minutes, add the dehydration time (minutes), and display it on the display 32b (for example, if the load is judged to be a large amount) In this case, the dehydration rinse time 540 + 10 = 550 seconds ≒ 10 minutes + dehydration time 3 minutes = 13 minutes will be displayed, and if it is determined that the load is a small amount, the dehydration rinse time will be 264 + 45 = 309 seconds ≒ 6 minutes + dehydration time 3 minutes = 9 minutes. indicate). Also, if you change to a careful course in the middle of the standard course, the time will be corrected by the additional one cycle and the display will be changed. Note that if a decimal term occurs during the calculation, it is all completed and displayed in minutes, but when the number of seconds corresponding to this decimal term has elapsed, one is subtracted from the display. Accordingly, the process of detecting the load amount in the dewatering and rinsing process will be explained based on FIG. 1. The dehydration and rinsing process is started by putting a load into the dehydration tank 6 and turning on the rinsing/dehydration switch 27. When the dewatering motor 9 is turned on, it will output for a while.
V _OUT shows high level and measurement is OK at this point
Measure time without setting the flag. Then, when the output V _OUT switches to the Low level, the measurement OK flag is set (time measurement is still being performed), and when the output V _OUT switches to the High level again, the time T up to that point is calculated. Reference value t _A , t _B ,
Compare with t _C and determine the rank of load amount. Thereafter, the dehydration rinsing process time is calculated from the cycle time corresponding to the determined load amount, and the dehydration time is displayed including the dehydration time. (G) Effects of the Invention The centrifugal dewatering washing machine of the present invention automatically detects the amount of load and determines the process time commensurate with the amount of load, so it can perform washing, rinsing and dehydration appropriate to the amount of load. It is possible to prevent fabric damage and save water. Furthermore, since it notifies the outside that the load is being detected, the user will not be mistaken for a malfunction due to the fact that the process time is not displayed even though the motor is running, making it easier for the user to operate the washing machine. The condition is clear and it is easy to use.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a flowchart showing the load amount detection process in the present invention, Figs. 2 a to c are enlarged views of the display section showing the display state during load amount detection, and Figs. 3 a to h are other implementations. Figure 4 is a cross-sectional front view of the main parts of a two-tub washing machine, Figure 5 is a front view of the control box, Figure 6 is a block circuit diagram of the control unit, Figure 7 is a diagram corresponding to Figure 2 in the example, The figure is a motor current detection circuit diagram, Figure 8 is a characteristic diagram of output V _CT , and Figure 9 is a time chart of output V _OUT . 6... Dehydration tank, 9... Dehydration motor, 32... Display unit, 33... Microcomputer (control device).

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A load amount signal generator that generates a signal according to the load amount, and a control device that determines the load amount based on the signal from the load amount signal generator and sets a process time commensurate with the load amount. A centrifugal dewatering washing machine, comprising: a display device for displaying the process time; and a notification means for notifying that load amount determination is in progress according to a signal from the control device.