KR20190024586A - Washing machine and controlling method for the same - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided are a washing machine and a control method thereof, wherein a pulsator rotates at the same speed with a drum when the pulsator rotates above a reference speed during rotation of the drum. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the washing machine includes: a main body having a laundry entrance on a front surface portion; a water tank provided inside the main body and storing water; a drum rotationally provided inside the water tank; a pulsator provided inside the drum and capable of relatively rotating about the drum; a motor providing driving force to the pulsator; and a control unit controlling the motor based on the rotational speed of the pulsator rotating through motion of laundry received in the drum.

Description

[0001] WASHING MACHINE AND CONTROLLING METHOD FOR THE SAME [0002]

And a pulsator provided inside the drum, and a control method thereof.

A washing machine is a machine for washing clothing using electric power, and generally includes a water tank for storing water and a drum for generating mechanical energy inside the water tank to separate contamination from the laundry.

Such a washing machine can be classified into a top-loading type in which the rotational axis of the drum is arranged in the vertical direction and a front-loading type in which the drum is arranged in the horizontal direction.

In the front-loading method, for example, a disk-like rotating plate is rotated on the bottom of a water tank to rotate the laundry and cause friction with each other to separate the contamination. This front-loading method has a disadvantage in that water consumption is high and mechanical energy is concentrated on the bottom of the water tank, so that laundry tends to be entangled so that the damage rate of the cloth is high and washing is not uniform.

Compared with this, the top-loading method pulls the laundry upwards by the rotation of the drum and drops it, thereby separating the contamination using the falling force. Although this top-loading method can overcome the disadvantages of the front-loading method, there is a limitation in that the washing performance is lowered by performing the washing by a simple method of falling, and the disadvantage of maintaining the washing time for a long time in order to overcome such limitations .

In order to overcome the disadvantages of each method, a technological convergence method which additionally provides a pulse generator to the top-loading method has been studied. Specifically, such a fusing system provides a pulsator capable of independently rotating inside the drum and a motor for driving the pulsator. In addition, the fusing system can compensate the disadvantages of each of the above-described methods by independently controlling the drum and pulsator in different directions.

On the other hand, if the fusion method controls the drum and pulsator without considering the state of the laundry in the drum, the dewatering ability may be lowered. Specifically, if the load is small or the pulsator is driven in conjunction with the drum in which the laundry is properly aligned, dehydration may proceed, and the entanglement of the laundry may increase due to the pulsator. Conversely, if the laundry does not operate the pulsator on a drum that is not properly aligned, the advantage of having a pulsator may disappear.

In order to solve such a problem, a dewatering control method necessary for a top-loading system equipped with a pulsator is proposed below.

One aspect disclosed is a pulsator for controlling the rotation of the pulsator according to the state of a load in the drum due to rotation of the drum, thereby improving the dewatering ability of the laundry and preventing noise caused by unstable control of the pulsator. And a control method thereof.

Another aspect of the present invention provides a washing machine and a control method thereof for controlling a starting point of a drum and a pulsator to reduce a probability of starting failure and to secure a time for recharging a dropped DC link voltage.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a washing machine comprising: a main body having a laundry loading port on a front surface thereof; A water tank provided inside the main body and storing water; A drum rotatably installed in the water tub; A pulsator provided inside the drum and relatively rotatable with respect to the drum; A motor for providing driving force to the pulsator; And a control unit for controlling the motor based on a rotating speed of the pulsator rotated by the motion of laundry contained in the drum.

The control unit may control the motor based on a control signal for rotating the drum when the rotational speed of the pulsator is not less than a predetermined reference speed.

The control unit may control the motor based on the magnitude of the current sensed by the rotation of the pulsator if the rotational speed of the pulsator is less than a predetermined reference speed.

The control unit may change the control of the motor based on the difference between the rotational speed of the drum and the rotational speed of the pulsator while the motor is being controlled.

The control unit may change the control of the motor based on the magnitude of the current sensed by the rotation of the pulsator when the rotation speed difference is equal to or greater than a preset reference value.

A first driving device for providing a driving force for rotating the drum; And a second driving device for rotating the motor, wherein the controller can determine whether to control the second driving device based on the set time after controlling the first driving device.

And a control panel for receiving a washing start command of the user, wherein the controller can sequentially control the first driving device and the second driving device based on the washing start command.

Wherein the controller determines whether or not to control the second driving device based on a control start point of the drum and a first predetermined time, and controls the first driving device based on a control start point of the pulsator and a preset second time, It is possible to determine whether or not the driving apparatus is controlled.

The controller may control the drum and the pulsator to rotate in different directions.

A control method of a washing machine provided inside a drum according to another disclosed embodiment and including a pulsator rotated relative to the drum generates a control signal for rotating the drum; Detecting a current generated based on a rotational speed of the pulsator rotated by the movement of laundry contained in the drum; Comparing the rotation speed of the pulsator calculated based on the detection result with a preset reference speed; And controlling the pulsator based on the comparison result and a control signal for rotating the drum.

The generating may include not generating the control signal of the pulsator.

The control may include determining the magnitude of a control signal that rotates the pulsator based on the magnitude of a control signal that rotates the drum if the rotational speed of the pulsator is greater than or equal to a preset reference speed have.

The controlling may include generating the control signal of the pulsator based on the magnitude of the current if the rotational speed of the pulsator is less than a preset reference speed.

Wherein the detecting comprises sensing a current generated based on the rotation of the drum, wherein the comparing is performed by detecting, during rotation of the pulsator based on the determined control signal, And comparing the rotating speed of the drum and the rotating speed of the pulser, which are calculated on the basis of the current to be applied to the drum.

And stopping controlling the pulsator based on a control signal for rotating the drum when the difference between the rotational speed of the drum and the rotational speed of the pulsator exceeds a predetermined reference value can do.

According to the washing machine and the control method thereof according to one aspect, it is possible to prevent an abnormal noise due to instability of pulse generator control during rotation of the drum.

In addition, it is possible to prevent the control instability of the drum caused by the pulsator from being deteriorated, thereby preventing the acceleration rotation capability of the drum from lowering.

According to another aspect of the washing machine and the control method thereof, mutual friction between the drum and pulsator can be reduced, thereby reducing the probability of failure of starting the washing machine.

In addition, the capacity of the capacitor provided in the inverter is used at the same level as the conventional capacity, and the probability of failure of starting the washing machine can be reduced.

1 is a side sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a washing machine according to an embodiment of the disclosed invention.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a water tub and a driving device of the washing machine shown in FIG. 1. FIG.
3 is a side sectional view showing a drum, a pulsator, and a driving device of the washing machine shown in Fig.
4 is a perspective view showing the pulsator of the washing machine shown in FIG. 1 and the first driving device.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the drum of the washing machine and the second driving device shown in FIG. 1. FIG.
Fig. 6 is a view showing the water tank shown in Fig. 2 and the back surface of the drive device.
FIG. 7 is a control block diagram of a washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 8 is a circuit diagram of a driving circuit included in the driving unit of FIG.
FIG. 9A is a schematic view of a state in which laundry in the drum does not cause friction with the pulsator, and FIG. 9B is a graph of rotational speed of the drum and pulsator controlled in correspondence with FIG. 9A.
FIG. 10A is a schematic view of a state in which the laundry in the drum causes friction with the pulsator, and FIG. 10B is a graph of the rotational speed of the drum and pulsator with respect to the position of the laundry in FIG. 10A.
11 is a graph for explaining a control method related to FIG. 10A.
12 is a flowchart of a washing machine control method according to an embodiment of the present invention.
13 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling a washing machine according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 14 is a graph showing a change in DC link voltage according to the rotation time of the drum and pulsator in the control method according to FIG.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description of the present invention are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention, as claimed, and it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments.

In addition, the same reference numerals or signs shown in the respective figures of the present specification indicate components or components performing substantially the same function.

Also, the terms used herein are used to illustrate the embodiments and are not intended to limit and / or limit the disclosed invention. The singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In this specification, the terms "comprises" or "having" and the like refer to the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, or combinations thereof, But do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, or combinations thereof.

It is also to be understood that terms including ordinals such as " first ", "second ", and the like used herein may be used to describe various elements, but the elements are not limited by the terms, It is used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the present invention, the first component may be referred to as a second component, and similarly, the second component may also be referred to as a first component.

The term "and / or" includes any combination of a plurality of related listed items or any of a plurality of related listed items.

The terms "front "," rear "and the like used in the following description are defined with reference to the drawings, and the shape and position of each component are not limited by this term.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the disclosed invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a side sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a washing machine according to an embodiment of the disclosed invention.

1, a washing machine 1 includes a main body 10 forming an outer appearance and containing various components therein, a water tub 20 provided inside the main body 10, A pulsator 40 provided in the drum 30, a first driving device 110 for driving the drum 30 and a second driving device for driving the pulsator 40 130).

The main body 10 may have a box shape. A laundry inlet 10a may be formed in the front portion 2 of the main body 10 to allow laundry to be introduced into the drum 30. [

The laundry inlet 10a of the main body 10 can be opened and closed by the door 60. [ The door 60 may be rotatably coupled to the main body 10 by a hinge member, and may be composed of a glass member and a door frame that supports the glass member.

The glass member may be formed of a transparent tempered glass so that the glass member can be seen through the inside of the main body 10. The glass member may be provided so as to protrude toward the inside of the water tub 20 to prevent the laundry from being biased toward the door 60 side.

The water tank 20 stores water and may be formed into a cylindrical shape. The water tank 20 can be supported by the suspension device 27. An opening 22 formed in one side of the water tray 20 so as to correspond to the laundry inlet 10a of the main body 10 and a rear side 23 formed on the other side of the water tray 20.

A reinforcing rib 24 (see FIG. 2) may be formed on the rear portion 23 of the water tub 20 while maintaining a constant spacing along the radial direction and the circumferential direction. The reinforcing ribs 24 prevent warping when the water tank 20 is injected and prevent the rear wall of the water tank 20 from twisting due to a load transmitted to the water tank 20 during washing or dewatering.

The laundry inlet 10a of the front part 2 of the main body 10 and the opening 22 of the water tub 20 can be connected by the diaphragm 50. [ The diaphragm 50 forms a passage connecting the laundry inlet 10a of the main body 10 and the opening 22 of the water tub 20 so that the laundry introduced into the laundry inlet 10a flows into the drum 30 So that the vibration generated during rotation of the drum 30 can be prevented from being transmitted to the main body 10. In addition, the diaphragm 50 may seal between the water tub 20 and the glass member of the door 60.

The drum 30 has a substantially cylindrical shape with its front surface opened and can be rotatably provided inside the water tray 20. [ That is, the drum 30 may include an opening 31 formed in the front surface thereof. The drum 30 may be disposed such that the center axis of the drum 30 is parallel to the center axis of the water tray 20. [

The drum 30 can rotate inside the water tub 20. [ The drum 30 can perform washing by raising and lowering the laundry while rotating. Around the drum 30, a plurality of through holes 34 may be formed to allow the washing water stored in the water tub 20 to flow. In addition, the drum 30 may include at least one protrusion 35 protruding through the inside of the drum 30. When the laundry is washed, the protrusions 35 may rub against the laundry to improve the washing performance.

In one embodiment, the drum 30 may be continuously formed along the circumferential surface of the drum 30 with a plurality of through holes 34 and / or projections 35.

The pulsator (40) is disposed inside the rear of the drum (30) and may be provided to rotate about the rotational axis. The pulsator 40 converts the driving force transmitted from the second driving device 130 into rotational force and rotates the laundry.

The rotational axis of pulsator 40 may be the same as the rotational axis of drum 30. However, the rotational axis of pulsator 40 and drum 30 are not limited thereto, and the rotational axis of pulsator 40 and drum 30 may be set differently according to the embodiment.

The pulsator (40) can be configured to be relatively rotatable with respect to the drum (30). That is, the pulsator 40 may rotate in the same direction as the drum 30, and may rotate in a direction different from that of the drum 30. A detailed description thereof will be described later in detail with reference to FIG.

A water supply device 11 for supplying wash water to the inside of the water tank 20 may be provided on the water tank 20. The water supply device 11 may include a water supply pipe 12 for supplying wash water from an external water supply source and a water supply valve 13 for opening and closing the water supply pipe 12.

A detergent supply device 14 for supplying detergent to the water tub 20 may be provided at the front upper portion of the main body 10. [ The detergent supply device 14 may be connected to the water tub 20 through a connection pipe 15. The wash water supplied through the water supply pipe 12 can be supplied to the inside of the water tank 20 together with the detergent via the detergent supply device 14. [

The washing machine 1 may include a drainage device 16 capable of draining wash water to the bottom surface portion 24 of the water tank 20. [ The drainage device 16 is constituted by a drain pipe 17 connected to the lower portion of the water tank 20 for guiding the wash water to the outside of the main body 10 and a drain pump 18 for pumping the wash water of the water tank 20 .

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a water tub and a driving device of the washing machine shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a side sectional view showing a drum, a pulsator, and a driving device of the washing machine shown in Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the pulsator of the washing machine shown in FIG. 1 and the first driving device. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the drum of the washing machine and the second driving device shown in FIG. 1. FIG. Fig. 6 is a view showing the water tank shown in Fig. 2 and the back surface of the drive device. In order to avoid redundant explanations, the following will be described together.

The rear portion 23 of the water tank 20 is provided with a driving device 110 including a first driving device 110 for supplying power to the drum 30 and a second driving device 130 for supplying power to the pulsator 40 100 may be provided.

The first driving device 110 includes a first driving motor 111 for generating a rotational force for rotating the drum 30 and a second shaft 111 extending rearward from the drum 30, A first pulley 115 connected to the first shaft 113 and a first belt 117 connecting the first drive motor 111 and the first pulley 115 .

The first driving motor 111 may be fixed to the outer side of the water tub 20. The first driving motor 111 may be mounted on the lower end 24 of the water tub 20 as an example.

The first drive motor 111 includes a first motor shaft 111a which is connected to the main body 10 via a second motor shaft 131a of a second drive motor 131, As shown in FIG. According to this configuration, the disclosed washing machine 1 is configured such that the first rotation path P1 formed by the first belt 117 connected to the first motor shaft 111a is connected to the second motor shaft 131a, Can be configured not to overlap the second rotation path (P2) formed by the belt (137). That is, the first belt 117 may be disposed so as not to interfere with the second belt 137.

The first drive motor 111 may be a motor capable of forward rotation and reverse rotation. The first driving motor 111 can selectively rotate the drum 30 in the same direction as the rotational direction of the pulsator 40 and in the opposite direction to the rotational direction of the pulsator 40 . The first drive motor 111 may be a brushless DC motor.

The first shaft 113 may be connected to the rear surface of the drum 30 and may extend from the drum 30 along the rotation axis of the drum 30. [ That is, the first shaft 113 can extend to the rear of the drum 30. As shown in FIG. 3, the first shaft 113 may be formed separately from the drum 30 and coupled to the drum 30, but may be integrally formed with the drum 30.

One end of the first shaft 113 is connected to the drum 30 and the other end of the first shaft 113 can be connected to a first pulley 115 to be described later. The first shaft 113 can rotate the drum 30 by transmitting the power received from the first driving motor 111 to the drum 30 by the first pulley 115. [

The first shaft 113 may be rotatably inserted into the second shaft 133. Accordingly, the first shaft 113 may rotate in the same direction as the second shaft 133, or may rotate in the opposite direction to the second shaft 133.

The first shaft 113 may be longer than the second shaft 133 and may be inserted into the second shaft 133 so as to protrude from both ends of the second shaft 133.

The first pulley 115 may be connected to the other end of the first shaft 113 opposite to the one end connected to the drum 30. The first pulley 115 includes a first base portion 115a connected to the first shaft 113 and a first coupling portion 115a coupled to the first belt 117 to be described later to guide the rotation of the first belt 117. [ And a first extension portion 115c connecting the first base portion 115a and the first coupling portion 115b.

The first base 113a is fixed to the first shaft 113 so that the first shaft 113 rotates together with the first pulley 115 when the first pulley 115 rotates, .

The first coupling portion 115b is provided along the circumference of the first pulley 115 and may be connected to the first belt 117. [ The first coupling part 115b is connected to the first belt 117 so that the first pulley 115 can receive the driving force generated by the first driving motor 111. [ The first pulley 115 may transmit the driving force transmitted through the first coupling portion 115b to the first shaft 113 connected to the first base portion 115a.

At least one or more of the first extension portions 115c may extend along the radial direction of the first shaft 113 so as to connect the first base portion 115a and the first engagement portion 115b. 4, one plate may extend from the first base portion 115a to the first coupling portion 115b in the first extension portion 115c. The first extension portion 115c can transmit the driving force transmitted from the first driving motor 111 to the first base portion 115a by the first coupling portion 115b.

The first belt 117 connects the first drive motor 111 and the first pulley 115 to transmit the power of the first drive motor 111 to the first pulley 115. Specifically, the inner surface of the first belt 117 can be brought into contact with the first motor shaft 111a of the first drive motor 111 and the first engagement portion 115b of the first pulley 115 . That is, the first belt 117 can be guided to rotate by the first motor shaft 111a of the first driving motor 111 and the first engaging part 115b of the first pulley 115.

The first belt 117 may be spaced apart from the second belt 137 by a predetermined distance d. Accordingly, the second belt 137 may not be interfered with by the first belt 117. [

The second driving device 130 includes a second driving motor 131 that generates a rotational force for rotating the pulsator 40 and a second driving motor 131 that extends rearward from the pulsator 40, A second shaft 133 and a second pulley 135 connected to the second shaft 133 and a second belt 137 connecting the second drive motor 131 and the second pulley 135 can do.

The second drive motor 131 may be fixed to the outside of the water tank 20 and may provide power to the pulsator 40. 6, the second drive motor 131 may be mounted on a portion of the lower end of the outer circumferential surface of the water tank 20 to which the first drive motor 111 is fixed.

The second drive motor 131 includes a second motor shaft 131a which is connected to the rear of the main body 10 via the first motor shaft 111a of the first drive motor 111, As shown in FIG. According to this structure, in the washing machine 1, the second rotation path P2 formed by the second belt 137 connected to the second motor shaft 131a is connected to the first motor shaft 111a, Can be configured not to overlap the first rotation path (P1) formed by the belt (117).

The second drive motor 131 may be a motor capable of forward rotation and reverse rotation like the first drive motor 111. Accordingly, the second driving motor 131 can rotate the drum 30 in the first direction or in the second direction different from the first direction. The second drive motor 131 may be a BLDC motor like the first drive motor 111.

The second shaft 133 may be connected to the rear surface of the drum 30 and may extend from the pulsator 40 along the rotational axis of the pulsator 40.

The second shaft 133 may be the rotational axis of the pulsator 40. The second shaft 133 may pass through the rear portion 24 of the water tub 20 to connect the pulsator 40 and the second pulley 135. The second shaft 133 may be formed separately from the pulsator 40 and may be coupled to the pulsator 40 but may be integrally formed with the pulsator 40 without being limited thereto.

And a second bearing 134 for rotatably supporting the second shaft 133 may be provided on the outer circumferential surface of the second shaft 133. And the second bearing 134 can be fixed to the water tub 20. [

The second shaft 133 may have a hollow therein so that the first shaft 113 can be rotatably inserted therein. Specifically, the hollow of the second shaft 133 may be formed to have a predetermined size larger than the diameter of the first shaft 113 so that the first shaft 113 can be inserted into the hollow and rotate. According to this configuration, the second shaft 133 may rotate in the same direction as the first shaft 113, or may rotate in the direction opposite to the first shaft 113.

The second shaft 133 may be shorter than the first shaft 113 so that the first shaft 113 protrudes from both ends of the second shaft 133. The rear plate of the pulsator 40 connected to one end of the second shaft 133 can be disposed rearward relative to the drum 30 connected to one end of the first shaft 113 The second pulley 135 connected to the other end of the second shaft 133 may be disposed closer to the drum 30 than the first pulley 115 connected to the other end of the first shaft 113.

The second poly 135, the second base 135a, the second engaging portion 135b and the second extension 135c for transmitting the driving force to the pulsator 40 are associated with the drum 30, You can play a role.

The second belt 137 connects the second drive motor 131 and the second pulley 135 to transmit the power of the second drive motor 131 to the second pulley 135. Specifically, the inner surface of the second belt 137 can be brought into contact with the second motor shaft 131a of the second drive motor 131 and the second engagement portion 135b of the second pulley 135 . That is, the second belt 137 can be guided to rotate by the second motor shaft 131a of the second driving motor 131 and the second coupling portion 135b of the second pulley 135.

The second belt 137 may be spaced apart from the first belt 117 by a predetermined distance d. Accordingly, the second belt 137 may not be interfered with by the first belt 117. [

In an embodiment of the disclosed invention, the second belt 137 may be the same belt as the first belt 117. Specifically, the second belt 137 may be provided to have the same length as the length of the first belt 117.

In other words, the first driving motor 111, the first pulley 115 and the first belt 117 of the first driving device 110 of the washing machine 1 according to the disclosed embodiment are connected to the second driving device 130 The second drive motor 131, the second pulley 135, and the second belt 137 of the second drive motor 131, the second drive motor 131, the second drive motor 131, the second drive motor 131,

On the other hand, the disclosed washing machine 1 can change the position of the above-described configuration. The drum 30 may be rotated by the second drive device 130 and its associated configuration and the pulsator 40 may be rotated by the first drive device 110 and its associated configuration have.

Hereinafter, a control method of the washing machine 1 according to the disclosed invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 7 is a control block diagram of a washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 8 is a circuit diagram of a driving circuit included in the driving unit of FIG.

Referring to FIG. 7, the disclosed washing machine 1 includes a control panel 200 receiving an operation command from a user, a memory 300 storing various information used for controlling the washing machine 1; A drive unit 100 for providing power to the pulsator 40 and the drum 30, a drive unit 500 for controlling the drive unit 100 and a control unit 400 for controlling the configuration of the washing machine 1 .

Specifically, the control panel 200 receives an operation command of the washing machine 1 from a user and displays operation information of the washing machine 1 to the user. The control panel 200 includes an input unit for receiving an operation command from a user and a display unit for displaying operation information of the washing machine 1. [

The input unit can receive a power on / off command of the washing machine 1, a wash mode selection command, a wash water supply command, a wash water selection command, a wash water temperature selection command, a wash start / stop / .

Herein, the washing process refers to a process which is presented as a standard for guiding a user when a manufacturer or the like manufactures the washing machine 1. Specifically, the process is divided into preliminary washing, main washing, rinsing and dehydration. Specifically, the preliminary washing is a preliminary washing process for a preset time before the main washing, and a small amount of detergent is poured into the drum 30 together with water. The rinsing may be performed several times in a predetermined number of times by the operation of removing the detergent contained in the laundry by injecting only water without the detergent. Dewatering removes the water contained in the drum through mechanical energy. The washing steps described below may include all of the above-mentioned preliminary washing, main washing, rinsing and dehydrating, or may refer to specific detailed configurations.

Meanwhile, the input unit may employ a pressure switch or a touch pad, and the display unit may employ a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel or a light emitting diode (LED) panel.

The input unit and the display unit of the control panel 200 may be separately provided. Alternatively, a touch screen panel (TSP) having an input unit and a display unit may be employed. However, the implementation method of the input unit and the display unit is not limited by the above-described example, and various methods can be implemented within a range that can be easily designed by a typical engineer.

The memory 300 may store various data, a control program, or an application for driving and controlling the washing machine 1. For example, the memory 300 may store a washing machine 1 driving program or application for controlling the operation of the washing machine 1 and providing a control screen on the display unit of the control panel 200 for visualization.

The memory 300 may store a program or an application for operation of the drum 30 and the pulsator 40. For example, the memory 300 may store operation order information of the drum 30 and pulsator 40, operation start time information, rotational direction information, and the like, and the operation of the drum 30 and pulsator 40 Lt; RTI ID = 0.0 > and / or < / RTI >

The memory 300 may be a flash memory type, a hard disk type, a multimedia card micro type, a card type memory (for example, SD or XD memory) (Random Access Memory), SPAM (Static Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), PROM (Programmable Read-Only Memory) Magnetic disk, optical disk, or other type of storage medium. However, the type of the memory 126 is not limited thereto and may be implemented in various forms known to those skilled in the art.

The driving apparatus 100 is configured to transmit the control signal generated by the control unit 400 to the drum 30 or pulsator 40 by a driving force. The driving apparatus 100 includes the first driving apparatus 110, 2 driving device 130. [

The first driving apparatus 110 drives the drum 30 based on the control command generated from the control unit 400 and the second driving apparatus 130 drives the drum 30 based on the control command generated from the control unit 400. [ (40).

When the pulsator 40 and the drum 30 are rotated in the same direction by the driving device 100, the washing machine 1 can perform the same operation as a general front-loading type washing machine.

The washing machine 1 started when the pulsator 40 and the drum 30 rotate in the opposite direction is different from the washing machine in which the front-loading type washing machine drops the laundry only in the vertical direction, But it is also possible to carry out washing in the forward and backward directions.

Further, after the start of the washing cycle, the washing machine 1 disclosed in this specification can sequentially start the pulsator 40 and the drum 30. [ That is, the washing machine 1 starts the pulsator 40 after the drum 30 has been started preferentially and after a predetermined time has elapsed, or when the pulsator 40 is preferentially activated and the drum 30 It can be started.

The driving unit 500 transmits power to the driving unit 100 based on the control signal generated by the control unit 400 and operates the driving unit 100. More specifically, the driving unit 500 controls the magnitude of the current flowing through the driving motors 111 and 131 included in the driving unit 100, and ultimately controls the rotational speeds of the driving motors 111 and 131.

The construction and operation of the driving unit 500 will be described later in detail with reference to Fig.

8, the driving unit 500 includes a rectifying circuit 511 for rectifying AC power input from the external power supply AC, a smoothing circuit 512 for removing ripples of the rectified power, a driving current And current sensing circuits 514a and 514b for sensing the current flowing between the inverters 513a and 513b and the driving motors 111 and 131. [

The rectifying circuit 511 can rectify alternating current power of 50 Hz or 60 Hz supplied from the external power source AC. Specifically, the rectifying circuit 511 controls the polarity of the voltage so that the alternating voltage applied in both directions of (+) and (-) is applied in the (+) direction and the alternating current The direction of the current can be controlled so as to flow the current in the (+) direction. For example, the rectifier circuit 511 may include a diode bridge in which a plurality of diodes D1, D2, D3, and D4 are connected in a bridge form as shown in FIG.

The smoothing circuit 512 can remove the ripple of the voltage output from the rectifying circuit 511 and output a voltage of a predetermined magnitude. That is, the smoothing circuit 512 can output the constant voltage by adjusting the magnitude of the voltage output from the rectifying circuit 511. For example, the smoothing circuit 512 may include a capacitor including a dielectric provided between a pair of conductor plates facing each other and a pair of conductor plates, as shown in FIG.

On the other hand, the magnitude of the constant voltage output from the smoothing circuit 512, that is, the DC link voltage is related to the capacity of the capacitor included in the smoothing circuit 512, The link voltage is lowered. That is, as the drive motors 111 and 131 consume a large amount of current, the smoothing circuit 512 must be provided with a large capacitor capacity.

If the number of the driving motors 113 and 131 is increased in order to independently control the drum 30 and pulsator 40 like the disclosed washing machine 1, the capacity of the capacitor required for the smoothing circuit 512 also increases .

The pulsator 40 can be rotated by the movement of the laundry contained in the drum 30 while the pulsator 40 is operating the drum 30 together. When an overcurrent occurs in the second driven cylinder 131, a sudden strengthening of the DC link voltage may cause the start failure and the control instability.

In order to solve this problem, the washing machine 1 sequentially drives the drum 30 and pulsator 40 based on a preset time. A detailed description thereof will be described later with reference to other drawings.

The inverters 513a and 513b convert the DC voltage output from the smoothing circuit 512 into pulse-shaped three-phase alternating current having an arbitrary variable frequency through pulse width modulation (PWM) to control the operation of the drive motors 111 and 131 . For example, the inverters 513a and 513b include a plurality of switching circuits, and the switching circuits Q11 to Q23 may include a high voltage bipolar junction transistor, a high voltage field effect transistor, Or a high voltage switch such as an IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor) and a free wheeling diode.

The disclosed washing machine 1 independently controls the drum 30 and pulsator 40. The driving unit 50 can divide the DC power output from the smoothing circuit 512 into a first inverter 513a for rotating the drum 30 and a second inverter 51b for rotating the pulsator 40 .

The current sensing circuits 514a and 514b can detect the current flowing between the inverters 513a and 513b and the drive motors 111 and 131. [ The control unit 400 can determine the rotation speed of the drive motors 111 and 131 through the magnitude of the current sensed by the current sensing circuits 514a and 514b.

Current sensing circuits 514a and 514b may include a current transformer (CT) that proportionally reduces the magnitude of the drive current and an ampere meter that detects the magnitude of the proportionally reduced current. That is, the current sensing circuits 514a and 514b can detect the current by proportionally decreasing the magnitude of the driving current using a current transformer and then measuring the magnitude of the proportionally reduced current.

The control unit 400 controls the overall operation of the washing machine 1 and the signal flow between the internal components of the washing machine 1 and processes the data. The control unit 400 may execute a washing machine control program or an application stored in the memory 300 when a control command is input from a user or a predetermined condition is satisfied.

The control unit 400 controls the drum 30 and pulsator 40 according to a user's command from the control panel 200. Specifically, the control unit 400 sequentially rotates the pulsator 40 and the drum 30 on the basis of the control start time and the predetermined time.

In addition, the controller 400 rotates the drum 30 first. The laundry contained in the drum 30 will be dropped by the rotation of the drum 30. The pulsator (40) rotates relative to the drum (30) by the movement of the laundry.

When the pulsator 40 rotates due to the movement of the laundry, the controller 400 determines the rotational speed of the pulsator 40 through the current generated by the counter electromotive force. The control unit 400 generates a control signal for controlling the pulsator 40 based on the determined rotation speed. That is, the control unit 400 can independently control the operation of the pulsator 40 according to the movement of the laundry contained in the drum 30 by the rotation of the drum 30. [ A detailed description thereof will be given later with reference to FIG. 9A and the like.

The control unit 400 includes at least one processor, a ROM storing a washing machine control program or application for controlling the washing machine 1, a ROM for storing signals or data input from the outside of the washing machine 1, (RAM) used as a storage area corresponding to various jobs to be performed in the work area. Hereinafter, the ROM and the RAM of the controller 400 may be concepts including the ROM and the RAM of the memory 300. [

The disclosed washing machine 1 may further include various configurations other than the configurations shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, and mutual positions of the components may be changed corresponding to the performance or structure of the system.

FIG. 9A is a schematic view of a state in which laundry in the drum does not cause friction with the pulsator, and FIG. 9B is a graph of rotational speed of the drum and pulsator controlled in correspondence with FIG. 9A. 10A is a schematic view of a state in which the laundry in the drum causes friction with the pulsator, and FIG. 10B is a graph of the rotational speed of the drum and pulsator with respect to the position of the laundry in FIG. 10A.

9B and 10B, the solid line is the rotational speed graph of the drum 30, and the dotted line is the rotational speed graph of the pulsator 40. FIG.

Referring to FIG. 9A, after the control unit 400 receives an input command from a user, the control unit 400 can execute the washing process described above. For example, the control unit 400 may receive a wash start command for dehydration from a user, and may control the driving unit 500 by generating a control signal for rotating the drum 30.

The driving unit 500 operates the first inverter 513a to drive the first driving motor 111 based on the control signal of the control unit 400. [ The drum 30 is rotated by the first drive motor 111. [

By the rotation of the drum 30, the laundry W repeats the dropping motion. When the laundry W moves, friction may occur with the pulsator 40 to which no separate control signal is transmitted. In this case, the pulsator 40 can be rotated by the laundry W, not by the second driving motor 131. The second current sensing circuit 514b senses the current due to the counter electromotive force generated by the rotation of the pulsator 40 and transmits the sensed current to the controller 400.

The controller 400 calculates the rotational speed of the pulsator 40 based on the magnitude of the sensed current, and compares the rotational speed of the pulsator 40 with a preset reference speed. FIG. 9A shows a state in which the load size of the laundry W is small or rotates well in the drum 30, in which case the rotational speed of the pulsator 40 may be less than the reference speed.

The control unit 400 transmits a control signal for controlling the pulsator 40 to the second inverter 513b based on the magnitude of the current sensed by the rotation of the pulsator 40 according to the comparison result.

The control signal of the controller 400 controls the sum of the currents flowing between the second inverter 513b and the second drive motor 131 to 0A. That is, the control unit 400 generates a current through the second inverter 513b to cancel the current of the counter electromotive force generated by the rotation of the pulsator 40 due to the motion of the laundry.

9A, the washing machine 1 performs the same control as that performed by the front-loading type washing machine without the conventional pulsator 40 in the dewatering stroke.

On the other hand, the reference speed can be set to, for example, 100 RPM, but can be variously changed.

9B, the washing machine 1 disclosed in the situation shown in FIG. 9A increases the rotational speed of the drum 30 and controls the second driving device 130 to adjust the rotational speed of the pulsator 40 to 0 RPM. Can be controlled. Thus, an efficient dewatering stroke can be performed only by the rotation of the drum 30.

As shown in FIG. 10A, unlike the case of FIG. 9A, many laundry may be inserted into the drum 30 or entangled laundry may be entangled. Even in this case, the pulsator 40 rotates in accordance with the movement of the laundry, and a back electromotive force due to the rotation of the pulsator 40 may occur. A current flows between the second drive motor 131 and the second inverter 513b by the rotation of the pulsator 40 and the second current sensing circuit 514b can transmit the sensed current to the controller 400 .

In order to reduce the generated counter electromotive force, the controller 400 operates the pulsator 40 based on the control signal for rotating the drum 30, thereby maintaining the efficiency of the washing cycle even in the situation shown in FIG. 10A.

10A, the controller 400 may perform Open Brake control and Short Brake control to reduce the counter electromotive force.

Specifically, the short brake control is a method of short-circuiting all six switches Q1 to Q6 included in the second inverter 513b. The pulsator 40 is forcibly stopped rotating by the second drive motor 131 due to the short circuit of the switch. That is, the load of the first drive motor 111 using the same voltage output from the smoothing circuit 512 due to the braking force of the second drive motor 131 is increased, and the Short Brake control is performed by the dehydration There is a problem that can degrade your ability.

The open brake control opens all six switches Q1 to Q6 included in the second inverter 513b. In this case, the second drive motor 131 operates as a generator by the rotation of the pulsator 40, and the current generated by the counter electromotive force through the diode included in the second inverter 513b is supplied to the first inverter 513a and the second inverter 513b. And may be applied to the first drive motor 111. A phase difference occurs between the generated power generation current and a current applied for controlling the first drive motor 111. Due to the problem of the current sensing, the problem that the open brake control interferes with the efficient control of the first drive motor 111 have.

In order to solve the problems of the short brake control and the open brake control described above, the washing machine 1 disclosed in FIG. 10A uses the same current as the current applied to the first driving motor 111 for controlling the drum 40 And applies it to the second drive motor 131. That is, after rotating the drum 30 first, the control unit 400 controls the rotation speed of the pulsator 40 based on the control signal for rotating the drum 30 when the rotating speed of the pulsator 40 rotating by the laundry is equal to or higher than the reference speed, (40).

Referring to FIG. 10B, the rotational speeds of the drum 30 and the pulsator 40 are made similar through the control method described above, preventing unstable control of the pulsator 40, and further improving the dewatering ability and preventing noise .

11 is a graph for explaining a control method related to FIG. 10A.

10A, the disclosed washing machine 1 operates the pulsator 40 based on a control signal for controlling the drum 30 when the rotational speed of the pulsator 40 is equal to or higher than a preset reference speed . That is, the second drive motor 131 operates by the current having the same magnitude as the current flowing through the first drive motor 111, and rotates the pulsator 40.

Dehydration may proceed to the laundry which has received the mechanical energy by the rotation of the drum 30 and the pulsator 40. During the dewatering operation, the laundry in the drum 30 is rearranged to change the load condition as shown in FIG. 10A. The changed laundry provides a frictional force different from that of Fig. 10B to the pulsator 40, and the rotation speed of pulsator 40 determined by the previous second driving motor 131 and the laundry changes.

The control unit 400 monitors the difference in rotational speed between the drum 30 and pulsator 40 based on the sensing signal transmitted from the first current sensing circuit 513a and the second current sensing circuit 513b. 11). When the rotational speed difference of the pulsator 40 exceeds the preset reference value (t1 in Fig. 11), the control unit 400 again drives the second inverter 513b and the second driving motor The control signal is generated so as to control the current between the electrodes 131 and 131A to 0A.

In this case, the rotational speed difference between the drum 30 and the pulsator 40 may change as shown in Fig. 11, the solid line is the rotational speed graph of the drum 30, and the dotted line is the rotational speed graph of the pulsator 40. [

12 is a flowchart of a washing machine control method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

12, the control method of the washing machine 1 according to the embodiment checks whether the start command related to the washing cycle is inputted (600), controls the rotation of the drum (30) (610) , And determines whether pulsator 40 rotates more than the reference speed (620). The control method of the washing machine 1 controls the pulsator 40 and the drum 30 differently according to the comparison result of the rotational speed of the pulsator 40 and the reference speed.

The washing machine 1 can confirm whether or not a washing start command has been inputted. If the dehydration start command has not been input, the washing machine 1 can repeatedly confirm 600 that the command is not inputted.

Specifically, the washing machine 1 can confirm whether or not a user's input command has been received through the control panel 200. In addition, the washing machine 1 may check whether or not the time required for the washing cycle has elapsed according to the order stored in the memory 300 to check whether or not the time has elapsed.

Hereinafter, an example of the washing cycle will be described based on the dehydration cycle.

When the dehydration cycle is started, the washing machine 1 can rotate the drum 30 (610). Specifically, the washing machine 1 can rotate the drum 30 through the first driving motor 111. [

During the rotation of the drum 30, the washing machine 1 can check whether the pulsator 40 rotates more than the reference speed (620).

Specifically, the washing machine 1 can determine the rotation speed of the pulsator 40 by sensing the current of counter-electromotive force generated by the rotation of the pulsator 40 rotating by the falling laundry.

If the rotational speed of the pulsator 40, which is determined based on the sensed current, is equal to or greater than the reference speed, the washing machine 1 applies a current of the same magnitude as the current applied to the drum 30 to the pulsator 40 The rotational speed of the pulsator 40 is adjusted to be similar to the rotational speed of the drum 30 (630).

If the rotational speed of the pulsator 40, which is determined based on the sensed current, is less than the reference speed, the washing machine 1 is controlled such that the current flowing between the second driving motor 131 and the second inverter 514b is 0A And controls inverter 514b (640).

13 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling a washing machine according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 14 is a graph showing a change in DC link voltage according to the rotation time of the drum and pulsator in the control method according to FIG.

Unlike the above-described dehydration process, the disclosed washing machine 1 can drive the drum 30 and pulsator 40 together with the main washing and rinsing included in the washing cycle. In order to improve the washing ability, the washing machine 1 generally controls the rotational direction of the drum 30 and pulsator 40 in the reverse direction.

However, when the load including laundry and water is inserted into the drum 30 at a certain level or more, the mutual reverse control of the drum 30 and pulsator 40 may instantaneously increase the frictional force. In this case, the rotation of the pulsator 40 is disturbed in the laundry, and a sudden strengthening of the DC link voltage due to the overcurrent may occur.

Further, at the beginning of the rotation of the drum 30 or pulsator 40, the driving motors 111 and 131 consume the most current. Therefore, when the drum 30 and pulsator 40 are simultaneously activated, there is a problem that the capacitor included in the smoothing circuit 512 can not secure a sufficient time to charge the DC link voltage.

In order to solve such a problem, the washing machine 1 described above controls the drum 30 and pulsator 40 at an interval of rotation start time at the beginning of the washing cycle.

Referring to FIG. 13, the washing machine control method according to an embodiment of the present invention checks whether a wash start command has been input 710, controls the rotation of the drum 30, When the first time passes, the rotation of the pulsator 40 is controlled (730, 740).

First, the washing machine 1 can confirm whether a washing start command has been input. Specifically, the washing machine 1 can check whether a command for starting a laundry washing process is inputted through the control panel 200. If the washing start command is not input, the washing machine 1 can repeatedly confirm the washing start command (710).

When the start command is input, the washing machine 1 rotates the drum 30 (720).

Specifically, the washing machine 1 controls the first inverter 513a to operate the first driving motor 111 and rotate the drum 30. The drum 30 can be rotated in a first predetermined direction through the first driving device 110 including the first driving motor 111. [ Here, the first direction may be clockwise or counterclockwise with respect to the rotation axis when the drum 30 is viewed from the front part 2.

Next, the washing machine 1 may determine whether a preset first time has elapsed from the start of rotation of the drum 30 (730).

If a predetermined first time elapses, the washing machine 1 controls the second inverter 514b. The second drive device 130 including the second drive motor 131 causes the pulsator 40 to rotate by the second inverter 514b. Here, the pulsator 40 can rotate in a second direction opposite to the first direction.

The disclosed invention can prevent the start-up failure due to the shortage of the DC link voltage by sequentially starting the drum 30 and pulsator 40 in this manner. Specifically, referring to FIG. 14, it can be seen that a DC link voltage peak occurs at the start time of the drum 30, and a DC link voltage peak occurs at the start time of the pulsator 40 sequentially.

1: washer 30: drum
40: pulsator 100: driving device
110: first driving device 130: second driving device
200: Control panel 300: Memory
400: control unit 500:

Claims (15)

A main body having a laundry loading port on a front portion thereof;
A water tank provided inside the main body and storing water;
A drum rotatably installed in the water tub;
A pulsator provided inside the drum and relatively rotatable with respect to the drum;
A motor for providing driving force to the pulsator; And
And a control unit for controlling the motor based on a rotational speed of the pulsator rotated by the motion of laundry contained in the drum. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein,
And controls the motor based on a control signal for rotating the drum when the rotational speed of the pulsator is equal to or higher than a predetermined reference speed. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein,
And controls the motor based on a magnitude of a current sensed by rotation of the pulsator if the rotational speed of the pulsator is less than a predetermined reference speed. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein,
And controls the motor based on a difference between a rotational speed of the drum and a rotational speed of the pulsator while the motor is being controlled. 5. The method of claim 4,
Wherein,
And changes the control of the motor based on a magnitude of a current sensed by rotation of the pulsator when the rotation speed difference is equal to or greater than a preset reference value. The method according to claim 1,
And a second driving device for rotating the motor,
Wherein,
And determines whether to control the second driving device based on the set time after controlling the first driving device. The method according to claim 1,
Further comprising: a control panel for receiving a wash start command of the user;
Wherein,
And sequentially controls the first driving device and the second driving device based on the wash start command. 8. The method of claim 7,
Wherein,
Wherein the controller determines whether to control the second driving device based on a control start point of the drum and a first predetermined time, and controls the control of the first driving device based on a control start point of the pulsator and a second predetermined time Whether to determine the washing machine. 9. The method of claim 8,
Wherein,
And controls the drum and the pulsator to rotate in different directions. 1. A control method for a washing machine comprising a pulsator provided inside a drum and rotated relative to the drum,
Generating a control signal to rotate the drum;
Detecting a current generated based on a rotational speed of the pulsator rotated by the movement of laundry contained in the drum;
Comparing the rotation speed of the pulsator calculated based on the detection result with a preset reference speed; And
And controlling the pulsator based on the comparison result and a control signal for rotating the drum. 11. The method of claim 10,
The above-
And does not generate a control signal for the pulsator. 12. The method of claim 11,
The above-
And determining the magnitude of a control signal for rotating the pulsator based on the magnitude of a control signal for rotating the drum when the rotational speed of the pulsator is greater than or equal to a preset reference speed. 13. The method of claim 12,
The above-
And generating a control signal for the pulsator based on the magnitude of the current if the rotational speed of the pulsator is less than a preset reference speed. 13. The method of claim 12,
Preferably,
Sensing a current generated based on the rotation of the drum,
The above-
And comparing the rotational speed of the drum and the rotational speed of the pulser based on a current sensed by the rotation of the drum during rotation of the pulser based on the determined control signal Control method. 15. The method of claim 14,
The above-
And stopping the control of the pulsator based on a control signal for rotating the drum when the difference between the rotational speed of the drum and the rotational speed of the pulsator exceeds a predetermined reference value .

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