KR0162315B1 - Draining control apparatus and method of a washing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a drainage control apparatus and method of a washing machine, and conventionally, the water level (P4) lower than the set water level has a low head so that it does not generate sufficient pressure in the air chamber formed on one side wall of the lower part of the washing tank, the air pressure delivered to the water level sensor If the water level sensor cannot detect the water level in the washing tank accurately and is drained to the reset water level because the diagram inside the water level sensor cannot be pushed up, the water level below the reset water level can be drained after that. There is a lot of time wasted because it has been completely drained for a preset time, but when the set time is not reached, it does not go to the next stroke and waits until the set time is reached. Therefore, the present invention detects the temperature in the drain pipe by using a temperature sensor to find the time of completion of drainage within a short time to move to the next stroke, so that the drainage time is shortened, reducing the overall time required for washing, saving electricity To help.

Description

Drainage Control Device and Method of Washing Machine

1 is a structural diagram of a conventional general washing machine.

2 is an operation flowchart of a drainage control method of the washing machine in FIG.

3 is a structural diagram of a drain control device of the washing machine of the present invention.

4 is an enlarged view showing the temperature sensor in detail in FIG.

5 is a flow chart of the water in the drain pipe when draining, (a) is a flow chart when the washing water or rinsing water is full in the washing tank, (b) is a flow chart that almost wash water or rinsing water drained in the washing tank, (c) is washed in the washing tank This is a flow chart where the water or rinse water is completely drained

6 is a change curve of the sensing temperature of the temperature sensor during drainage, (a) is a change curve when the water temperature is higher than the air temperature, and (b) is a change curve when the air temperature is higher than the water temperature.

7 is a drain control circuit diagram of the washing machine of the present invention.

8 is a flow chart illustrating the drainage control method of the washing machine of the present invention.

* Explanation of symbols for main parts of the drawings

12: drain pipe 13: drain valve

14: drain hose 15: temperature sensor

16 gasket 18: fixed jaw

19: groove 20: center hole

29: drain detection unit 30: power supply unit

31: microcomputer 32: load driver

The present invention relates to controlling the drainage of a washing machine, and more particularly, to a drainage control apparatus and method for detecting a drainage completion point when draining wash water or rinsing water and immediately passing the next stroke to shorten the drainage time. will be.

The structure of the conventional washing machine, as shown in Figure 1, the lower side of the washing tank (1) has an air chamber 10, the air chamber 10, the water level sensor hose (4) is connected to the upper hole A water level sensor 3 is connected at an end thereof, and there is a drain pipe 12 for discharging washing water or rinsing water under the washing tank 1, and the drain pipe 12 has a drain motor 13 for controlling a drain valve. A drain hose 14 for discharging water is connected.

Looking at the conventional technology configured as described above are as follows.

When water is supplied into the washing tank 1 at the washing stroke or the rinsing stroke, water is pushed into the air chamber 10 by the pressure of the head in the washing tank 1, and the air inside the air chamber 10 is compressed. When the compression force is transmitted to the water level sensor 3 through the water level sensor hose 4, the water level sensor 3 detects the water level in the washing tank.

At this time, the water level in the washing tank (1) that can be detected by the water level sensor (3) detects from the highest water level (P1) to the lowest water level (P2), the reset water level (P3).

As such, when the water level sensor 3 detects the reset water level (P3) for calculating the water level, that is, when the wash water in the washing tank is drained to the reset water level (P3), the wash water below the reset water level may be sufficiently drained thereafter. The drainage motor 13 is turned on for a sufficient time as much as possible to drain the dirty water in which the washing or rinsing is performed through the drain pipe 12 and the drain hose 14.

Referring to FIG. 2 for the drainage operation as described above, after the set time has elapsed after performing the washing or rinsing stroke, the drain motor 13 is turned on to become dirty through the drain pipe 12 and the drain hose 14. While draining the water, the water level sensor 3 detects the water level in the washing tank 1, and when the water level reaches the reset water level P3, the drain motor 13 is turned on for a predetermined time to be below the reset water level P3 for a sufficient time. After draining the water, the drain motor 13 is turned off.

However, in the prior art as described above, the water level (P4) lower than the reset water level in the conventional water level sensor is low because the head is low and does not generate sufficient pressure in the air chamber formed on one side wall of the lower part of the washing tank, so the air pressure delivered to the water level sensor is weak. If the water level sensor cannot detect the water level in the washing tank and drains to the reset level because the water level sensor cannot be pushed up, then afterwards, the water level sensor can be drained to the reset level for a sufficient time. When the drainage is complete, but the set time is not reached, it does not go to the next stroke and waits until the set time is exhausted.

In addition, if the drainage setting time is set too little, drainage hose is twisted or partly blocked and the drainage is slowed down. Since the long drainage time is set in consideration of the drainage time, there is a problem that causes wasteful drainage time due to the failure to detect the drainage completion point.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention for solving the conventional problems as described above is to install a drain sensor temperature sensor in the drain pipe, and to determine the temperature deviation between the water temperature in the washing tank and the air temperature in the drain pipe after draining through the temperature sensor It is to provide a drainage control device and method for a washing machine to detect the completion time of drainage and to end the drainage process and proceed to the next process to shorten the washing time and save electricity.

The circuit configuration of the drain control device of the washing machine of the present invention for achieving the above object, as shown in Figure 7, the drain pipe 12 is installed in the lower part of the washing tank to discharge the dirty water during washing and rinsing, and the surface of the washing tank And attached to one side wall of the drain pipe in the vertical direction and the temperature sensor 15 detects the temperature in the drain pipe 12 to detect the temperature changes depending on the presence or progress of the water flow in the drain pipe and the, The microcomputer 31 receives the signal detected by the temperature sensor 15, calculates a temperature, and detects the completion time of drainage according to the calculated temperature, and detects the completion time of drainage in the microcomputer 31. According to the configuration is composed of a load driving unit 32 consisting of an interfacing integrated device 321 and a triac (Trl) to turn on or off the power supplied to the drain motor.

And, the operation flow chart for the drainage control method of the washing machine according to the present invention, as shown in Figure 8, the first step of determining whether the drainage is turned on when the washing or rinsing is completed and the drainage to the reset water level; The second step of storing the highest temperature and the lowest temperature of the water drained through the drain pipe when the reset water level is detected in the first step, and the difference between the temperature difference and the water in the drain pipe obtained in the second step may occur Comparing the maximum value Ta of the temperature deviation with the third step; if the temperature difference is greater than or equal to the maximum value of the temperature deviation, the drain motor is turned on until the temperature difference does not occur. When the temperature difference becomes zero in the fourth step and the fourth step, it is determined as a complete drainage, and a fifth step of turning off the drain motor and proceeding to the next step.

Referring to the operation and effect of the present invention configured as described above in detail.

As shown in (a) of FIG. 5, when the temperature sensor 15 of the drain detection unit 29 detects the water temperature in a state in which the washing water or the rinsing water in which the washing or rinsing is completed is in a drainage state, as shown in FIG. Is to record a constant temperature (S1) as shown in FIG.

As described above, when the washing water or the rinsing water is full, the drainage proceeds to the state as shown in FIG. 5 (b), and when the drainage is almost completed, some residual water along the drain pipe 12 is formed at the bottom of the washing tank 1. When flowing down, the temperature sensor 15 on one side wall of the drain pipe shows an irregular section (S2) in which a signal appearing by alternating contact with water and air appears.

Then, after the remaining water in the bottom of the washing tank (1) is completely drained, as shown in (c) of FIG. 5, only air exists in the drain pipe 12, so that the temperature sensor 15 that sensed the water temperature during the drainage process is the air temperature only. As it is detected, a time point S3 at which a constant temperature is sensed is sensed passing through the irregular section S2 of the drainage, and this point is a time point at which the drainage is completed.

As shown in FIG. 6, the water temperature and the air temperature are always different as above, and when the water temperature is higher than the air temperature as in (a) or when the water temperature is lower than the air temperature as in (b), both immediately before drainage is completed. In the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor 15, an irregular signal appears and soon the drainage is terminated and at the same time the stable temperature signal is constantly detected.

Here, the temperature sensor 15, as shown in Figure 4, the drain pipe (20) is inserted into the hole 20 of the gasket 16 formed with a hole 20 through the center portion and a groove 19 in the outer peripheral portion ( The groove gasket 19 of the gasket is inserted into the gasket fixing jaw 18 formed at the 12 and fixedly coupled thereto.

The drainage control by the structure and temperature sensing as described above will be described with reference to FIG.

In the state in which power is supplied from the power supply unit 30 of FIG. 7, the water supply valve is turned on in accordance with the control output of the microcomputer 31 in the initial washing or rinsing initial stage to supply water into the washing tank 1, and the washing or After entering the drain after the rinsing process, the microcomputer 31 outputs a high signal to its output port P1.

Then, the signal triggers the triac Tr1 through the interfacing integrated device 321 and the resistor R4 to drive the drain motor M to turn on the drain valve to wash or rinse in the washing tank 1. Continue draining water or rinse water to the reset level.

At this time, the temperature sensor 15 detects the temperature of the water drained through the drain pipe 12 and delivers it to the microcomputer 31. When the temperature is detected by the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 15 to the reset water level, The microcomputer 31 senses the temperature of the water drained through the drain pipe 12 in units of a certain time, and stores the maximum temperature in the ROM 1 and the minimum temperature in the ROM 2. Calculate the difference between the temperature minimums from the stored maximums and compare them with the preset value Ta.

Here, Ta value is the maximum value of the temperature deviation that can occur when the washing water or the rinsing water is full in the drain pipe, and the difference between the maximum temperature and the minimum temperature is less than Ta, but the washing water is still filled in the drain pipe 12. Since the temperature difference is hardly generated, the drain motor is continuously turned on and drained, and the difference between the temperature maximum value and the temperature minimum value is larger than Ta means that the drainage is almost completed and some residual water contacts the temperature sensor 15 irregularly. As the temperature deviation is increased, check whether the temperature difference is zero again.

If the temperature difference is not 0, the residual water is still being discharged, and if the temperature difference is 0, the drainage is completed and the water is not present in the drain pipe 12, and only the air is present. After that, the microcomputer 31 controls the drain stroke to enter the next stroke.

As such, when the drainage is completed, the moment can be immediately detected, and the drainage time and washing time can be shortened by proceeding to the next stroke when the drainage is completed.

As described in detail above, the present invention detects the temperature in the drain pipe by using a temperature sensor to find the completion point of drainage within a short time, and then proceeds directly to the next stroke, thereby reducing the drainage time, thereby reducing the overall time required for washing. This has the effect of saving electricity.

Claims (4)

A drain pipe installed at the lower part of the washing tank to discharge dirty water during washing and rinsing, and a drain sensor detecting a temperature of the drain pipe to change temperature depending on the presence or progress of water flow in the drain pipe; The microcomputer receives the signal detected by the temperature sensor, calculates a temperature, and detects a drainage completion point according to the calculated temperature, and supplies power to the drain motor according to whether the drainage completion point is detected by the microcomputer. Drainage control apparatus for a washing machine comprising an interface integrated device that can be turned on or off and a load driving unit made of a triac. The drain control apparatus of a washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the temperature sensor is attached to one side wall of the drain pipe in a direction perpendicular to the ground of the washing tank. The gasket according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the temperature sensor is inserted into the gasket fixing jaw formed in the drain pipe and fixedly coupled to the gasket fixing jaw formed in the drain pipe while being inserted into the hole penetrated at the center portion and the groove formed at the outer circumference. Drainage control device of the washing machine characterized in that. After the washing or rinsing is completed, the first step of determining whether the draining water is turned on and reset to the reset water level, and when the reset water level is detected in the first step, the highest temperature and the lowest temperature of the water drained through the drain pipe are stored. A second step of obtaining a difference, a third step of comparing the maximum value of the temperature difference and the maximum and minimum deviation of the water temperature in the drain pipe obtained from the second step, and the maximum difference value of the temperature difference when the temperature difference is compared in the third step. If greater than or equal to 4th step, the drainage motor is turned on and drained until there is no temperature difference, and if the temperature difference becomes zero in the fourth step, the drainage motor is judged to be perfect drainage and the fifth step proceeds to the next stroke. Drainage control method for a washing machine characterized in that the step consisting of.