KR100560055B1 - Washing Machine - Google Patents

Abstract

A washing machine that locks the lid to prevent opening of the upper lid during rotation of the drum and automatically releases the lid locking during rotation of the drum.In the case where the lid lock cannot be released during the operation, the washing operation is halfway. To prevent it from being stopped.

In order to solve this problem, when the lid lock is not released even though the lid lock is automatically released during the operation of the washing machine, the flag F1 is set to continue the operation (S32 to S34). Afterward, if the flag F1 is set during operation, the lid unlocking operation is not executed (Yes in S31), and when the operation is finished or the user presses the key to open the lid, the lid unlocking is attempted again. If it cannot be released, an error notification is executed (S37 to S39), and the operation ends. On the other hand, when the lid lock operation is not possible during operation, in consideration of safety, the operation is stopped and an alarm sounds (S24 to S26).

washer

Description

Washing Machine

1 is an external perspective view of a drum type washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2 is a front longitudinal sectional view of an inner main part of the drum type washing machine according to the present embodiment.

3 is a left side view of an inner main part of the dream washing machine according to the present embodiment.

Figure 4 is a side cross-sectional view of the upper portion of the drum washing machine in the present embodiment.

5 is an electric system configuration diagram of an essential part of a drum type washing machine according to the present embodiment.

Fig. 6 is a flow chart showing the flow of standard stroke of the drum type washing machine in the present embodiment.

Fig. 7 is a timing waveform diagram showing a sequence of one cycle of stopping / rotating the drum during the smoothing finishing stroke.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing control parameters in FIG. 7; FIG.

Fig. 9 is a flowchart of the main routine of the lid locking control operation in the flexible finishing stroke in the drum type washing machine according to the present embodiment.

10 is a flowchart showing a subroutine of the motor operation instruction processing shown in FIG. 9;

Fig. 11 is a flowchart showing a subroutine of the lid open key detection process in Fig. 9;

12 is a flowchart of a lid unlocking sound output control process;

(Explanation of symbols for the main parts of the drawing)

One ; Gas box 2; Upper lid 3; Laundry entrance

10; Washing tank 13; Drum 14; principal axis

15; Auxiliary axes 16, 18; Bearing cases 17 and 19; bearing

20; Drum motor 21; Drum locking mechanism 22; Coupling groove

23a; Solenoid 23b; Lid lock detection unit 30; Control

31; Load driving section 5a; Control panel 5b; Lid opening key

5c; Display portion 5d; Buzzer

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a washing machine, and more particularly, to a washing machine having a lid locking mechanism for preventing opening of a lid body provided at a laundry inlet.

In the washing machine, since the washing dehydration tank (drum in the case of a drum washing machine) rotates at high speed during the dehydration operation, there is a possibility that an accident may occur if the user opens the lid body and puts his hand in the washing dehydration tank by mistake. For this reason, for example, a washing machine is known that stops the rotation of the washing dehydration tank quickly when the lid is opened during such operation. However, it is difficult to stop the rotation of the washing dehydration tank quickly, In order to ensure stability, a washing machine is provided which has a lid locking mechanism for keeping the lid closed so that the lid is not easily opened during operation (for example, Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 2551021, Japan). JP 2001-162088).

Generally, the above-mentioned lid locking mechanism uses a driving device such as a solenoid, but it is not possible to unlock the lock state due to temporary heating or the like in addition to the root cause of the failure, or vice versa. It may happen that the locking operation cannot be held while in the state. In the washing machine described in the above-mentioned Utility Model No. 22551021, if the lock is not released even when the driver is temporarily locked and the lid is unlocked during the driving, for example, the operation cannot be resumed and the operation is stopped on the way. It becomes. In this case, the laundry during the washing will remain in the washing dehydration tank. For this reason, even if the problem of the locking mechanism is temporary and a little time elapses, the washing administration must be restarted from the middle or from the beginning even in the case of returning to the unlockable state.

In the washing machine described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-162088, a lid opening key for preventing lid opening is provided as an operation key. When the lid opening key is pressed during dehydration operation, first, the rotation of the washing dehydration tank is stopped. After that, the lid is unlocked so that the user can open the lid. In addition, when the lid is unlocked according to the operation of the lid opening key, a buzzer sounds to ventilate the surroundings of the user.

In such a washing machine, in addition to when the user operates the lid opening key, for example, when the rotation of the washing dehydration tank is stopped and there is no problem even when the lid is opened, the lid is unlocked to allow the user to remove the lid. This allows for easy opening and removal of the laundry. However, if the buzzer rings whenever the lid is unlocked, it is very troublesome for the user.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and a first object of the present invention is to provide a washing machine provided with a lid locking mechanism for preventing the opening of a lid body. Is to improve the convenience of.

Moreover, the 2nd object of this invention is to reduce the generation | occurrence | production of an unnecessary alarm sound for a user in the washing machine provided with the lid lock mechanism which prevented opening of a lid body.

In the first invention made to achieve the first object, a washing machine having a lid for closing the laundry inlet, and a locking means for preventing the opening of the lid by the user,

a) a lock control means for releasing the lock during a period during which the user can permit the opening of the lid body during execution of the operation, and controlling the locking means so that the lock can be performed again at the end of the period; ,

b) judging means for judging whether or not the lock has been released during the unlocking operation by said lock control means;

c) operation control for controlling the locking means to release the lock after continuing the operation until the end of the final operation of the predetermined driving course when it is determined that the lock cannot be released by the determining means. Means;

In the washing machine according to the first aspect of the present invention, the operation control means is fixed to the operation without stopping the operation even when it cannot be released when the lock (lid lock) must be released by the locking means. Continue until the end of the course. Here, the term "final driving end point of the determined driving course" means, for example, that a driving course for performing only washing, rinsing, and dehydrating washing cycles is initially set, and the dehydrating stroke is finished. In a washing machine with a washing machine, a driving course for drying after washing is initially set, and if the flexible finishing stroke is not set after the drying stroke, the drying stroke is at the end, and if the flexible finishing stroke is set after the drying stroke, The flexible finishing stroke is the end point.

In this case, there is a possibility that there is a problem in the locking means, but if it is a problem that the lock can not be released, there is no fear that the user opens the lid body during the rotation of the laundry dehydration tank, and safety may be ensured. Then, the lock means is controlled to release the lock again after the operation ends. If the problem of the locking means is temporary, there is a possibility that the release can be performed when an attempt is made to release the lock after the end of the operation. In such a case, since the operation is finished to the last stage, for example, laundry which has been finished or dried can be taken out in the same manner as when no problem has occurred.

As described above, according to the washing machine according to the first aspect of the invention, even when the release of the lid lock is performed during the operation, the operation is completed until the last stage. Therefore, when the failure of the lid lock is released at the end of the operation, the drive is operated normally. Can be terminated. In addition, even when the release of the lid lock is not solved at the end of the operation, it is possible to prevent the laundry from remaining in the washing dehydration tank in a halfway state. As a result, for example, in a washing machine to be dried, it is possible to prevent the laundry from being left in the laundry dehydration tank in a wet state, and to prevent or reduce the damage caused by the cloth from being washed, the occurrence of mold, and the like.

In the washing machine according to the first aspect of the invention, when it is determined that the lock cannot be released by the determination means when the lock is released after the end of the operation, the washing means according to the present invention is provided with a display means for displaying an error alarm. It is preferable.

According to this configuration, an error is notified when the lid lock cannot be released after the end of the operation, so that the user can recognize that there is a problem with the unlocking, and can promptly respond to such request.

In the case where the locking means has a drive mechanism by a solenoid or the like, if the locking / unlocking is repeated frequently, a malfunction may occur due to heating. In such a case, if left unenergized, the temperature may drop and the malfunction may be eliminated.

For this reason, in the washing machine according to the first aspect of the present invention, when it is determined that the lock cannot be released by the judgment means for the unlocking operation performed during the running of the operation, the driving control means, The control of the locking control means may be prohibited so as not to attempt to release the lock even when there is a period in which the opening of the lid is allowed until the end of the final operation of the designated driving course.

According to this configuration, once a problem occurs in unlocking, since the unlocking operation is not performed until the end of operation (that is, the drive mechanism such as the solenoid is not energized), the case is a temporary problem of the locking means by heating or the like. Therefore, the possibility of returning to the normal state at the end of operation increases. In addition, since no unnecessary power is applied to the locking means during driving, it also helps to save power.

Moreover, as one form of the washing machine in 1st invention, it is provided with the operation means which a user operates in order to release the lock by the said locking means again, The said lock control means is operable by the said operation means by a user. In this case, the locking means is controlled to release the lock unconditionally, and the display means can be configured to display an error alarm when the unlocking operation cannot be performed for the release operation.

In this configuration, the user operates the operation means when the user wants to open the lid. Even when the unlocking means is prohibited as described above, the lock control means attempts to release the lock according to the operation of the operation means by the user. If the lock cannot be unlocked, the user is informed that there is an error.

As described above, if the locking means cannot be released even if there is a problem with the locking means, there is no possibility that the lid is easily opened by the user, so there is no problem in safety even if the driving continues. By the way, in the case of the problem of not being able to lock, since a lid body may be easily opened by a user, it is unpreferable for safety to continue operation.

Thus, in the washing machine according to the first aspect of the invention, the determination means also determines whether or not the lock can be performed at the time of the locking operation by the locking means, and the operation control means locks the understanding means. When it is determined that the error cannot be determined, the operation may be stopped and the display means may display an error alarm.

According to this structure, even if it is a problem of the same locking means, if there is a problem in terms of safety as described above, the operation is stopped immediately, and thus high safety can be ensured. In addition, since an error is alerted at the time of driving, the user can recognize that there is a problem with the locking operation, request a repair, and take a prompt response.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a lid for closing a laundry inlet, a locking means for preventing opening of the lid by a user, and a lock by the locking means. In the washing machine having a control means operated by the user to

a) controlling the locking means to release the lock during a period during which the user can permit the opening of the lid body during execution of the operation, and simultaneously locking the locking means to release the lock even when the operating means is operated. Locking control means for controlling,

b) a sound generating means for outputting a beep to the user when unlocking in accordance with the operation of the operation means, and for stopping the output of the beeper at other unlocking times.

In the washing machine according to the second aspect of the invention, when a user attempts to release the lock by operating the operation means in accordance with his or her intention, the locking means can release the lock and open the lid body under the control of the locking control means. At the same time, the sound generating means outputs a beep sound for the user. Therefore, it is possible to sound by the user that the closest place of the washing machine is unlocked so that the lid can be opened.

On the other hand, regardless of the intention of the user, even during a period in which the opening of the lid body can be permitted by the user, under the control of the locking control means, the locking means releases the lock to make the lid body openable. However, even in the same unlocking state, the sound generating means does not output a beep sound in this case. Thus, for users who are less likely to be around the washing machine, they do not generate unnecessary or insignificant signals.

In this way, according to the washing machine of the second invention, since the generation of the beep sound at the time of unlocking is limited to a particularly important case, the user may be made useless misunderstandings (for example, a problem has occurred). To prevent it. It also eliminates the hassle of making frequent beeps, resulting in quiet operation.

(Example)

Hereinafter, a drum type washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 12.

Figure 1 is an external perspective view of the drum type washing machine of the present embodiment, Figure 4 is a side view showing the upper lid opening and closing structure of the upper gas box of the drum type washing machine of the present embodiment.

In this drum type washing machine, the gas box (1). The angle between the upper surface and the front surface is formed as a slanted portion slightly slantly forward, and a large laundry inlet 3 is formed over this rear portion. The laundry inlet 3 is axially supported by two horizontal shafts 2a and 2b, and is opened and closed by an upper lid 2 which can stand in a two-stage folding state as shown in FIG. In the front part of the gas box 1, the lid lock mechanism part 23 for preventing opening in the state which the upper lid 2 was closed is provided. On the left side of the upper lid 2, a detergent container 4 which can be pulled freely forward is provided, and on the right side, an operation panel 5 extending in the front-rear direction is provided. The operation panel 5 has various operation keys, such as for setting a driving course and a reservation time, and lights up according to these settings, notifies the progress of the washing administration, or the remaining time of reservation or operation. Various indicators for display are appropriately distributed.

2 and 3, the internal structure of the drum type washing machine of the present embodiment will be described. 2 is a front longitudinal cross-sectional view of the inner main part, and FIG. 3 is a left side view of the inner main part. 2 and 3, description of the gas box 1 forming the outer shape is omitted.

On the pedestal portion 6, the washing tank 10 whose circumferential surface is substantially cylindrical and whose both ends are almost closed is suspended from both left and right sides in a state in which both sides face the left and right sides of the gas box 1, respectively. The two springs 11 and the damper 12 which support the lower part of the washing tank 10 in the front-back direction are appropriately supported freely of swinging. Inside the washing tub 10, the horizontal drum 13, in which both end surfaces of the substantially cylindrical circumferential surface on which a plurality of water passages are drilled, is almost closed, can rotate freely about a horizontal axis C extending in the left and right directions. It is installed.

The main shaft 14 fixed to the center of the left end surface of the drum 13 is supported by a bearing 17 supported by an aluminum die-cast first bearing case 16 fixed to the left end surface of the washing tank 10. Sustained. On the other hand, the auxiliary shaft 15 fixed to the center of the right end surface of the drum 13 is supported by the bearing 19 supported by the second bearing case 18 fixed to the right end surface of the washing tank 10. . The horizontal axis C is formed by the main axis 14 and the auxiliary axis 15.

The rotor 202 of the drum motor 20, which is an outer rotor DC motor, is fixed to the front end of the main shaft 14 protruding laterally from the left end surface of the washing tank 10, and the first bearing serving as a motor stand. The stator 201 of the drum motor 20 is fixed to the case 16. When a drive current is supplied to the stator 201 from the control part mentioned later, the rotor 202 rotates accordingly, and the drum 13 rotates by the main shaft 14 at the same rotational speed as the rotor 202.

From the upper portion of the circumferential surface of the washing tank 10 to the inclined front, at the same position as the laundry inlet of the gas box, a washing opening 101 for entering and exiting the laundry is formed, and the washing tank opening 101 has a washing tank door ( 102) open and close freely. In addition, a drum opening 131 is formed on the circumferential surface of the drum 13 to put laundry out, and the drum opening 131 is a drum door composed of two doors having a double-barrier door that opens and closes from side to side. Opening and closing is free by 132. Since the drum 13 is rotatable, the drum is locked under the stator 201 so that the drum 13 remains stationary at a position where the drum opening 131 is radially coincident with the washing opening 101. The drive part 21 is provided, and the coupling pin which advancing from this drum lock mechanism part 21 is fitted to the engaging groove part 22 formed in the outer edge part of the rotor 202, and the drum 13 is predetermined | prescribed. Is fixed in position.

2 and 3, a heating / blowing device including a fan motor and a drying motor is disposed outside the right side of the drum 13 to blow dry air into the drum 13. .

5 is an electric system configuration diagram of an essential part of the drum type washing machine of the present embodiment. The control unit 30 is mainly composed of a microcomputer including a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, a timer, and the like, and is operated in each stroke of washing, rinsing, dehydration and drying, which will be described later, based on a control program stored in the ROM. Various controls for performing the operation are executed.

The control unit 30 receives a key input signal from various operation keys 5a provided on the operation panel 5 to give the user various settings and instructions, and detects the level of water stored in the washing tank 10. The water level sensor 37, the temperature sensor 33 for detecting the temperature of the water stored in the washing tank 10 or the temperature of the drying wind during the drying operation, the built-in drum lock mechanism 21, whether the drum lock state Built in the drum lock detection unit 21b for detecting whether it is in the released state, the lid lock mechanism unit 23, and a detection signal is input from the lid lock detection unit 23b for detecting whether the lock is in the closed state or the unlock state, respectively. . Moreover, the lid opening key 5b which is operated in order to open the upper lid 2 in a closed state is provided in the operation part 5a.

In addition, a load driving unit 31 is connected to the control unit 30. The load driving unit 31 is used for the drum motor 20, the fan motor 35 included in the heating / blowing apparatus, and for drying. The heater 37, the water heating heater 36 for heating the water stored in the washing tank 10, the water supply valve 38 for controlling the water supply into the washing tank 10, and the drainage from the washing tank 10 are controlled. It is stored in the drain valve 39, the drum lock mechanism portion 21, and stored in the torque motor 21a, the lid lock mechanism portion 23 which is the driving source for locking and releasing the drum, and lock and release the lid The operation of the solenoid 23a or the like as the driving source for performing the control is respectively controlled. In addition, the control unit 30 sends a display signal to the display unit 5c for displaying the display according to the operation of the operation unit 5a or notifying the driving progress status, and sets the buzzer 5d in order to recognize some information to the user. It rings.

Next, the outline | summary of the washing and drying operation | movement in this drum type washing machine is demonstrated with reference to FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a standard stroke flow of the drum washing machine.

When the user accommodates the laundry in the drum 13 and starts the operation at the operation unit 5a, the controller 30 opens the water supply valve 38 to store a predetermined amount of detergent water in the washing tank 10. By driving the drum motor 20 to rotate the drum 13 at a predetermined rotational speed, the washing operation using the detergent water is executed (step S1). Thereafter, the water in the washing tank 10 is discharged by the drain valve 39, and the intermediate dewatering stroke is executed by rotating the drum 13 at high speed (step S2).

Next, two rinse strokes are performed along the intermediate dehydration stroke (steps S3 to S5), and after the second rinse stroke, the dehydration stroke is performed to squeeze out the water contained in the laundry (step S6). Thereafter, while supplying power to the drying heater 37 and driving the fan motor 35, the drum 13 is rotated at a predetermined rotational speed while the heating air is blown into the washing tank 10 to stir the laundry. The drying process is executed by doing so (step S7).

When the predetermined drying operation time ends, the basic process ends. However, if the laundry is left in the drum 13 as it is after the end of the drying administration, the laundry will become wrinkled and the laundry will harden. Therefore, in order to prevent wrinkles and to finish the laundry well, the flexible finishing stroke is executed by alternately rotating and stopping the drum 13 for a period until the user takes out the laundry. (Step S8) However, if the flexible finishing operation is continued for too long, electric power is wasted, so that all the operations are performed when the predetermined flexible finishing operation time (here 120 minutes) ends even when the laundry is not removed from the drum 13 (step S8). To stop the power supply completely.

Next, the control method of the drum motor 20 at the time of the flexible finishing stroke in this drum type washing machine is demonstrated with reference to FIG. Fig. 7 is a timing waveform diagram showing a sequence for one cycle of stop / rotation of the drum in the softening finish stroke, and Fig. 8 is a diagram showing control parameters at this time.

As shown in Fig. 7, the lid lock is released so that the upper lid 2 can be opened during the period in which the drum 13 is held in the stopped state for the stop time ta (ie, the lid lock detection). Signal is off). At this time, the drum lock is held so that the drum 13 does not rotate (that is, the drum lock detection signal is in the on state). When the predetermined stop time ta ends, the control unit 30 energizes the lid locking solenoid 23a by the load driving unit 31 and fastens the lid lock to prevent the upper lid 2 from opening. . As a result, the lid lock detection signal changes from Off to On. After the lid lock is engaged, the torque motor 21a is driven this time to release the drum lock. When the drum lock is released by the operation, the drum lock detection signal changes from On to Off.

Thereafter, the controller 30 drives the drum motor 20 by the load driving unit 31, and controls the drum 13 to rotate by a predetermined rotation time tb at a rotational speed of about 50 rpm. When the rotation time tb ends, the drum motor 20 is driven to lock the drum, thereby adjusting the position of the drum 13 (strictly, the position of the rotor 202), and the drum 13 When the predetermined locking position is reached, the torque motor 21a is driven to lock the drum. As a result, the drum lock detection signal changes from Off to On. Then, by energizing the solenoid 23a for the lid lock again, the lid is unlocked so that the upper lid 2 can be opened.

In the flexible finishing stroke, the above sequence is repeated until the operation of the lid open key 5b is performed. However, as shown in FIG. 8, the rotation time (tb; 10 seconds) in the sequence, and The rotation speed (50 rpm) of the drum 13 at the time of change does not change, but the stop time ta is made to be gradually increased in accordance with the elapsed time t from the end of the drying stroke (i.e., the start of the flexible finishing stroke). Setting.

During the rotation time tb of the drum 13, the laundry is agitated, so that the folded wrinkles are unfolded and air is contained between the laundry and the cloth. Therefore, wrinkles can be prevented, and the sensitivity to hardening of laundry is eliminated. Wrinkles of laundry when the laundry after drying is left in the drum 13 become more severe as the temperature increases, but as the elapsed time t becomes longer, the temperature in the drum 13 decreases (at room temperature). Closer), and even if the stop time ta is prolonged stepwise as described above, the effect of preventing wrinkles of laundry is not impaired.

On the other hand, when the stop time ta is lengthened in accordance with the elapsed time t, the ratio of the rotation time tB to the stop time ta becomes small step by step. Therefore, the power consumption is reduced, which is effective for power saving. In addition, as described above, the solenoid 23a and the torque motor 21a are driven before and after the stop time ta, respectively, and as the stop time ta becomes longer step by step according to the elapsed time t, The drive frequency (drive time) within the unit time of the solenoid 23a and the torque motor 21a is also reduced step by step. Since the parts of the tissue mechanism thus constructed are generally defined in terms of the number of times of operation, failures are likely to occur quickly if the operation frequency is high. However, in the drum type washing machine of the present embodiment, the solenoid 23a at the time of the flexible finishing stroke and By reducing the drive frequency (drive time) of the torque motor 21a, it is effective for extending the service life.

In addition, in the above description, the stop time ta is extended in accordance with the elapsed time from the end of the drying stroke. However, in order to achieve the same purpose, for example, the temperature change in the drum 13 is changed by the temperature sensor 33. Monitoring, and the stop time ta may be extended gradually or stepwise as the temperature decreases. It is apparent that the same effect is obtained even if the stop time ta is lengthened gradually or stepwise according to the number of repetitions of the on-time / rotation sequence of the drum as described above, not the elapsed time from the end of the drying stroke.

One of the features of this drum type washing machine is a control operation in the case where an operation failure of the lid locking mechanism 23 occurs during the above washing and drying operation. This point will be described by taking control at the time of flexible finishing administration as an example. Fig. 9 is a flowchart of the main routine of the upper lid control operation repeatedly executed at the time of the flexible finishing stroke; Fig. 11 is a flowchart showing the lid opening key detection processing subroutine in Fig. 9; Fig. 10 is a flowchart of the motor operation instruction processing in Fig. 9; A flowchart showing a subroutine.

First, in FIG. 11, the lid opening key detection process is demonstrated. In the lid opening key detection process, the control unit 30 determines whether the lid opening key 5b is pressed and turned on in the operation unit 30a (step S60). When the lid opening key 5b is turned on, the flexible finishing end instruction flag F2 is set (step S61). On the other hand, when the lid opening key 5b is not turned on, no processing is performed without performing any processing. Return to (Figure 9).

Next, the motor operation instruction processing will be described in FIG. In the motor operation instruction processing, the control unit 30 advances the time of the operation time from the start of the operation of the flexible finishing stroke by a timer (step S40), and the operation time is set to the predetermined flexible finishing operation time (here 120 minutes). By determining whether it has reached, it is determined whether or not the operation time to be executed has ended (step S41). If the flexible finishing operation time is not finished, it is determined whether or not the flexible finishing end instruction flag F2 is set (step S42). As described above, it is determined by the user that the flag F2 is set. This is when the lid opening key 5b is operated. At this time, the process proceeds to the same step S43 as in the case where it is determined in step S41 that the softening finish operation time has ended.

Proceeding to step S43 is a case where it is necessary to stop the rotation of all the drums 13 and make the upper lid 2 openable. Therefore, first, the flexible finishing end execution flag F3 is set, and then it is determined whether or not the drum motor 20 is stopped (step S44). If the drum motor 20 is stopped, the process proceeds as it is. On the other hand, if the drum motor 20 is not stopped, the motor operation command is changed to Off, or if it is already off, the Off state is continued (step). S45), the process returns to the main routine.

If the flag F2 is not set at step S42 (that is, the lid opening key 5b is not operated), it is determined whether the motor operation command is On (step S46). If the motor operation command is On, it is determined whether or not the end of the motor On period is reached by updating whether or not the predetermined motor On time has been reached by updating the clock of the On operation time timer of the drum motor 20 (Step S47). (Step S48). If it is not the end of the motor On period, it returns to the main routine. On the other hand, at the end of the motor On period, the motor On operation time timer is reset (step S49), and the motor operation command is changed from On to Off (step S50), and then the flow returns to the main routine.

If the operation command of the motor is not On in step S46, that is, in the off state, the time signal of the off operation time timer of the drum motor 20 is updated (step S51), and the predetermined motor off time is reached. It is judged whether or not the end of the motor off period is to be judged as it is (step S52). If it is not the end of the motor off period, it returns to the main routine. On the other hand, at the end of the motor off period, the motor off operation time timer is reset (step S53), and after the motor operation command is changed from off to on (step S54), the flow returns to the main routine.

Next, in Fig. 9, the main routine including the lid opening key detection process and the motor operation instruction process will be described. First, the control unit 30 executes the lid opening key detection process and the motor operation instruction process in sequence (steps S20 and S21), and then determines whether or not the motor operation command is On (step S22). When the motor operation command is On, if the drum 13 is rotating or the drum 13 is not rotating, it is necessary to drive the drum motor 20 to rotate the drum 13. At this time, it is determined by the lid lock detecting unit 23b whether or not the lid is unlocked (step S23). If the lid is locked, the drum motor 20 has already been operated, and the flow returns to step S20 as it is.

On the other hand, when it is determined in step S23 that the lid lock release state, since the lid lock needs to be applied during the rotation period of the drum 13, the lid lock operation is performed by energizing the solenoid 23a ( Step S24). After that, it is judged whether or not the lid is locked by the lid locking detecting unit 23b (step S25). If the lid is locked, the drum 13 is rotated by turning on the drum motor 20 ( Step S35), the process returns to step S20. On the other hand, if the lid lock is not engaged even though the lid lock operation is performed, there is a possibility that there is a problem in the operation of the lid lock mechanism 23. Therefore, the warning indicator on the display portion 5c is turned on or the buzzer 5d is turned off. By ringing, the lid closure closing error is notified (step S26), and the operation is stopped. The lid lock error is an error that means that the lock cannot be executed without the upper lid 2 being locked.

If it is determined in step S22 that the motor operation command is not On, that is, off, then it is determined whether or not the drum motor 20 is stopped (step S27). If the drum motor 20 is not in a stopped state, the drum The motor 20 is turned off (step S28) and the flow returns to step S20.

If it is determined in step S27 that the drum motor 20 is in the stopped state, it is next determined whether or not the smoothing finish execution flag F3 is set (step S29). In the case where the flag F3 is not set, Subsequently, it is judged whether or not the lid is locked by the lid locking detecting unit 23b (step S30). If the lid is locked, it is then determined whether the lid unlocking flag F1 is set (step S31). ). This flag F1 is mentioned later. When the lid lock is released in step S30 and the flag F1 is set even when the lid lock is engaged, the flow returns to step S20 as it is.

If the flag F1 is not set, the solenoid 23a is energized to perform the lid lock release operation so that the upper lid 2 can be opened by the user (step S32). It is determined whether or not the lid lock is released by the lock detection unit 23b (step S33). Here, if the lid lock is released, the process returns to step S20. However, if the lid lock is not released even though the lid lock release operation is performed, after the lid lock release flag F1 is set (step S34). The flow returns to step S20. In addition, any of the flags F1, F2, and F3 are reset at the start of the flexible finishing stroke.

As described above, according to steps S32 to S34, the lid lock release flag F1 is set when the lid lock is not released despite the lid lock release operation. However, even in that case, operation is continued without being stopped. Once the flag F1 is set, the process returns from S31 to S20 after the process reaches step S31. For this reason, once the flag F1 is set, the lid lock release operation by step S32 is not executed.

As described above, if the lid opening key 5b is operated even before the flexible finishing operation time ends, or if the flexible finishing operation time ends without the lid opening key 5b being operated, the flexible finishing end execution flag F3 is completed. Is set. Therefore, after that, when it reaches step S29 for the first time, it progresses from S29 to S36 and it judges whether it is a lid lock state at that time by the detection signal from the lid opening detection part 23b. At this time, if the lid lock is in the unlocked state, the flexible finishing stroke is terminated as it is. In this state, since the rotation of the drum 13 is already stopped and the lid is not locked by the lid locking mechanism 23, the user opens the upper lid 2 immediately, and the laundry is loaded on the drum 13. Can be extracted.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S36 that the lid is locked, energizing the solenoid 23a is performed to perform the release operation of the lid lock (step S37), and then the lid lock is released by the lid lock detection unit 23b. It is determined whether or not the state has been changed (step S38). If the lid lock is released, the flexible finishing operation is terminated. However, if the lid lock is not released, there is a possibility that there is a problem in the release operation of the lid lock. In this case, the lid unlocking error is notified by the lighting of the warning indicator on the display section 5c, the buzzer 5d, or the like (step S39), and the operation is stopped. The lid unlocking error is an error that means that the lock cannot be released by the ecology in which the upper lid 2 is locked.

And even if the lid lock cannot be released during the operation of the flexible finishing administration, the operation of the flexible finishing stroke continues to the last stage of the administration, and at the end of the administration, the lid lock is attempted again and the lid is still closed. If the lock cannot be released, the operation stops with an error. Therefore, even if the upper lid 2 cannot be opened during driving, the desired driver's body proceeds to the last stage, and driving is not stopped on the way.

On the other hand, when the lid lock operation cannot be made from the lid release state during the operation, there is a problem in safety if the drum 13 is rotated without performing the lid lock. In this case, therefore, as shown in steps S24 to S26, the operation can be performed quickly even during operation (i.e., even when the flexible finishing operation time has elapsed or the lid opening key 5b is not operated as described above). Stop to signal an error. As a result, high safety can be ensured.

Incidentally, although the above description is an example of a flexible finishing administration, the same method can be employed in all the administrations described in FIG. That is, during the execution of each of these strokes, even when the lid lock is to be released automatically (that is, not according to the operation of the lid open key 5b), the solenoid 23a is energized to attempt to unlock the lid. If it was not possible to release it, therefore, at the time when the operation of all set strokes (e.g., until the end of the dehydration administration in the case of a course not built) is not stopped. What is necessary is just to perform the process of the said step S36-S39.

For example, the solenoid 23a may be temporarily inoperable due to factors such as abnormality of the ambient temperature, but it may be rare. In such a case, even when the lid lock cannot be released during the driving, the function of the lid locking mechanism 23 may be restored at the end of the operation to release the lid lock. At this time, since the operation is already finished, the laundry which has been washed and dried can be taken out of the drum 13 as it is. Of course, when the error notification is finally given, the lid locking mechanism 23 is likely to be broken, so the user may contact a service person or the like and request a repair.

The other characteristic of this drum type washing machine is control of output of a buzzer sound (alarm sound) at the time of lid lock release operation | movement by energizing the lid lock mechanism part 23 to the solenoid 23a as mentioned above. As described above, the lid lock release operation is generally performed in a case where the user automatically operates the lid open key 5b regardless of the user's intention, such as during operation or at the end of the operation. Two things.

In the former case, it is assumed that the user is around the present washing machine and wants to open the upper lid 2 as soon as the lid lock is released. Therefore, the buzzer 5d sounds when the lid lock release operation is executed, and it is convenient to notify the user that the operation has been executed. On the other hand, in the latter case that the lid lock is automatically released, the user is not limited to the near place of the washing machine, and when the buzzer 5d rings in response to the unlocking of the lid, the user may misunderstand that there was a problem. Also, if the buzzer 5d rings frequently, it is cumbersome. Thus, control as shown in FIG. 12 is executed.

That is, the control part 30 determines whether the lid lock release operation | movement is performed (step S10), and when it performs a lid lock release operation | movement, it determines whether the operation | movement of the lid opening key 5b was performed ( Step S11). Then, when there is operation of the lid opening key 5b, a process of executing the ringing of the buzzer 5d is performed (step S12). On the other hand, even when the lid lock release operation is performed, when there is no operation of the lid open key 5b, that is, in the case of the automatic lid lock release operation, the process is terminated without going through step S12. Therefore, in this case, the buzzer 5d does not ring and does not cause trouble to the user.

In addition, the said embodiment is an example of this invention, It is clear that change, correction, or addition can be performed suitably within the meaning of this invention. For example, the above embodiment is to apply the present invention to a drum washing machine, the present invention is a washing machine having a function of locking the lid body (but not necessarily located above) opening and closing the laundry inlet, vortex washing machine Of course, it can be applied to.

According to the present invention, in the washing machine that locks the lid to prevent the opening of the upper lid during the rotation of the drum, and automatically unlocks the lid during the drum rotation stop, washing operation, etc. when the lid lock cannot be released during operation It is possible to provide a washing machine which can prevent stopping in this halfway state.

Claims (6)

In the washing machine having a lid for closing the laundry inlet, and a locking means for preventing the opening of the lid by the user, a) after the locking of the lid by the locking means, automatically during operation, without relying on an operation for releasing the lock by the user during the period in which the opening of the lid by the user can be permitted; A lock control means for releasing the lock and controlling the lock means so that the lock can be performed again when the period ends; b) judging means for judging whether or not the lock has been released at the time of the release operation of the lock by the locking control means automatically in a period in which the opening of the lid body can be permitted; c) operation control for controlling the locking means to release the lock after continuing the operation until the end of the final operation of the predetermined driving course in the case where it is determined by the determination means that the lock cannot be released; Washing machine comprising a means. The washing machine according to claim 1, further comprising display means for displaying an error alarm if it is determined that the lock cannot be released by the determining means when the lock is released after the end of the operation. 3. The driving control step according to claim 2, wherein when it is determined that the unlocking operation cannot be performed by the determination means with respect to the unlocking operation performed during the driving execution, the driving control step ends the final operation of the predetermined driving course. Until, the control of the lock control means is prohibited so as not to attempt to release the lock even when there is a period in which the opening of the lid is allowed. 4. The apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising operation means operated by a user to release the lock by the locking means, wherein the lock control means is configured to release the lock unconditionally when the operation means is operated by the user. And the display means displays an error alarm when the locking means is controlled and the lock cannot be released for the release operation. The method according to claim 4, wherein the judging means also determines whether or not the lock can be performed during the operation of the lock by the locking means, and the operation control means determines that the lock cannot be made by the judging means. A washing machine characterized in that the operation is stopped and the error means is displayed by the display means. delete

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