WO2022191559A1

WO2022191559A1 - Washing machine and control method therefor

Info

Publication number: WO2022191559A1
Application number: PCT/KR2022/003225
Authority: WO
Inventors: 김휘중; 이한얼; 김성종
Original assignee: 삼성전자주식회사
Priority date: 2021-03-12
Filing date: 2022-03-08
Publication date: 2022-09-15
Also published as: KR20220128207A; US20230349087A1

Abstract

A washing machine according to one embodiment may comprise: a tub; a drum rotatably arranged within the tub; a drum motor for rotating the drum; a vibration sensor for sensing the vibration of the tub; and a control unit which maintains the rotation speed of the drum motor on the basis that the sensing value of the vibration sensor reaches a certain predetermined value during a dehydration operation, and which continuously maintains or increases the rotation speed of the drum motor on the basis of the variation value of the sensing value of the vibration sensor.

Description

Washing machine and its control method

The disclosed invention relates to a washing machine for washing, rinsing and spin-drying laundry.

The washing machine includes a tub and a drum rotatably installed in the tub, and may wash laundry by rotating the drum containing the laundry in the tub. The washing machine may perform a washing operation of washing laundry, a rinsing operation of rinsing the washed laundry, and a dehydration operation of dehydrating the laundry.

In the spin-drying process, the drum may rotate around 1000 rpm (revolution per minute), and water absorbed in the laundry may be separated from the laundry. As the drum rotates at high speed during the dewatering stroke, the tub housing the drum may vibrate. However, if the laundry is not uniformly disposed inside the drum (that is, if the laundry is unbalanced), eccentricity may occur in the rotating drum. The vibration of the tub is further increased due to the eccentricity of the drum.

As such, when vibration and noise are greatly generated due to unbalance of laundry contained in the drum during the spin-drying process of the washing machine, damage to the washing machine may occur, users may feel uncomfortable, and spin-drying efficiency may decrease.

One aspect of the disclosed invention provides a washing machine and a washing machine control method capable of reducing vibration and noise generated due to unbalance of laundry in a spin-drying operation.

A washing machine according to one aspect includes: a tub; a drum rotatably provided in the tub; a drum motor rotating the drum; a vibration sensor sensing the vibration of the tub; and maintaining the rotational speed of the drum motor based on the sensed value of the vibration sensor reaching a predetermined constant value during the spin-drying operation, and the rotational speed of the drum motor based on a change value of the sensed value of the vibration sensor It may include; a control unit that continuously maintains or increases.

A washing machine control method according to an aspect includes driving a drum motor; acquiring a value sensed by a vibration sensor that detects vibration of the tub during a dehydration operation; maintaining the rotation speed of the drum motor based on the sensed value of the vibration sensor reaching a predetermined constant value; and continuously maintaining or increasing the rotational speed of the drum motor based on a variation value of the sensed value of the vibration sensor.

The disclosed washing machine and the washing machine control method can reduce vibration and noise generated due to a change in laundry unbalance during a spin-drying operation.

The disclosed washing machine and the washing machine control method can reduce the dispersion of vibrations and noises that are different depending on the amount of laundry and the characteristics of the laundry in the spin-drying operation. Accordingly, the user may experience the same level of vibration and noise whenever the washing machine is used. Therefore, the inconvenience that the user may feel due to the wide dispersion of vibration and noise can be eliminated.

1 illustrates an appearance of a washing machine according to an embodiment.

2 illustrates a side cross-section of a washing machine according to an embodiment.

3 illustrates a configuration of a washing machine according to an embodiment.

4 illustrates an overall operation of a washing machine according to an exemplary embodiment.

5 is a flowchart illustrating a spin-drying operation of a washing machine according to an exemplary embodiment.

6 is a graph illustrating a correlation between a sensing value of a vibration sensor and a displacement of a tub vibration according to an exemplary embodiment.

7 is a first graph illustrating a relationship between a value sensed by a vibration sensor and a rotation speed of a drum motor during spin-drying of a washing machine according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a first table illustrating numerical values of a sensing value of a vibration sensor and a rotation speed of a drum motor in the dehydration operation of FIG. 7 .

9 is a second graph illustrating a relationship between a value sensed by a vibration sensor and a rotation speed of a drum motor during spin-drying of a washing machine according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a second table showing a value sensed by a vibration sensor and a rotation speed of a drum motor in the spin-drying operation of FIG. 9 .

11 is a graph illustrating vibration distribution of a washing machine according to an exemplary embodiment.

12 is a graph illustrating noise distribution of a washing machine according to an exemplary embodiment.

Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout. This specification does not describe all elements of the embodiments, and general content in the technical field to which the present invention pertains or content that overlaps between the embodiments is omitted. The term 'part, module, member, block' used in the specification may be implemented in software or hardware, and according to embodiments, a plurality of 'part, module, member, block' may be implemented as a single component, It is also possible for one 'part, module, member, block' to include a plurality of components.

Throughout the specification, when a part is "connected" with another part, this includes not only direct connection but also indirect connection, and indirect connection includes connection through a wireless communication network. do.

Also, when a part "includes" a certain component, it means that other components may be further included, rather than excluding other components, unless otherwise stated.

Throughout the specification, when a member is said to be located "on" another member, this includes not only a case in which a member is in contact with another member but also a case in which another member exists between the two members.

Terms such as first, second, etc. are used to distinguish one component from another, and the component is not limited by the above-mentioned terms.

The singular expression includes the plural expression unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

In each step, the identification code is used for convenience of description, and the identification code does not describe the order of each step, and each step may be performed differently from the specified order unless the specific order is clearly stated in the context. have.

Hereinafter, the working principle and embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 illustrates an external appearance of a washing machine according to an embodiment. 2 illustrates a side cross-section of a washing machine according to an embodiment.

1 and 2 , the washing machine 100 may include a cabinet 101 and a door 102 provided in front of the cabinet 101 . An inlet 101a for putting in or taking out laundry may be provided at the center of the front of the cabinet 101 . The door 102 may be provided to open or close the inlet 101a. One side of the door 102 may be rotatably mounted by a hinge. The closing of the input unit 101a by the door 102 may be detected by the door switch 103 . When the inlet 101a is closed and the washing machine 100 operates, the door 102 may be locked by the door lock 104 .

In addition, the washing machine 100 includes a control panel 110 , a tub 120 , a drum 130 , a driving unit 140 , a water supply unit 150 , a drain unit 160 , a detergent supply unit 170 , and a vibration sensor ( 180: 180a, 180b).

A control panel 110 including an input unit for obtaining a user input and a display for displaying operation information of the washing machine 100 may be provided on the upper front side of the cabinet 101 . The control panel 110 may provide a user interface for interaction between the user and the washing machine 100 .

The tub 120 is provided inside the cabinet 101 and can accommodate water for washing and/or rinsing. The tub 120 may include tub front parts 121 in which an opening 121a is formed on the front surface and tub rear parts 122 in a cylindrical shape with a closed rear surface. An opening 121a may be provided in the tub front part 121 to put laundry into the drum 130 or take laundry out of the drum 130 . A bearing 122a for rotatably fixing the drum motor 141 is provided on the rear wall of the tub rear part 122 .

The drum 130 is rotatably provided inside the tub 120 and can accommodate laundry. The drum 130 may include a cylindrical drum body 131 , a drum front part 132 provided in front of the drum body 131 , and a drum rear part 133 provided in the rear of the drum body 131 . have. The tub 120 and the drum 130 may be disposed to be inclined with respect to the ground. However, it is also possible that the tub 120 and the drum 130 are arranged horizontally with the ground.

On the inner surface of the drum body 131, a through hole 131a connecting the inside of the drum 130 and the inside of the tub 120, and a lifter for lifting the laundry to the upper part of the drum 130 during the rotation of the drum 130 ( 131b) may be provided. The drum front part 132 may be provided with an opening 132a for inserting laundry into the drum 130 or withdrawing laundry from the drum 130 . The drum rear part 133 may be connected to the shaft 141a of the drum motor 141 rotating the drum 130 .

The drum motor 141 may rotate the drum 130 . The drum motor 141 may be included in the driving unit 140 . The drum motor 141 may be provided outside the tub rear part 122 and may be connected to the drum rear part 133 through the shaft 141a. The shaft 141a may pass through the tub rear part 122 and may be rotatably supported by a bearing 122a provided in the tub rear part 122 .

The drum motor 141 may include a stator 142 fixed to the outside of the tub rear part 122 and a rotor 143 rotatably provided and connected to the shaft 141a. The rotor 143 may rotate by magnetic interaction with the stator 142 , and the rotation of the rotor 143 may be transmitted to the drum 130 through the shaft 141a. The drum motor 141 may be, for example, a brushless direct current motor (BLDC Motor) or a permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) that facilitates control of the rotation speed.

The water supply unit 150 may supply water to the tub 120 and the drum 130 . The water supply unit 150 may include a water supply pipe 151 connected to an external water supply source to supply water to the tub 120 , and a water supply valve 152 provided in the water supply pipe 151 . The water supply pipe 151 may be provided on the upper side of the tub 120 , and may extend from an external water supply source to the detergent container 171 . Water may flow into the tub 120 through the detergent container 171 .

The water supply valve 152 may open or close the water supply pipe 151 in response to an electrical signal from the controller 190 . That is, the water supply valve 152 may allow or block the supply of water to the tub 120 from the external water supply source. The water supply valve 152 may include, for example, a solenoid valve that opens and closes in response to an electrical signal.

The drain unit 160 may discharge the water accommodated in the tub 120 and/or the drum 130 to the outside. The drain unit 160 may include a drain pipe 161 extending from the lower part of the tub 120 to the outside of the cabinet 101 , and a drain pump 162 provided on the drain pipe 161 . The drain pump 162 may pump water from the drain pipe 161 to the outside of the cabinet 101 .

The detergent supply unit 170 may supply detergent to the tub 120 and/or the drum 130 . The detergent supply unit 170 may include a detergent container 171 provided above the tub 120 to store detergent, and a mixing pipe 172 connecting the detergent container 171 to the tub 120 . The detergent container 171 is connected to the water supply pipe 151 , and water supplied through the water supply pipe 151 may be mixed with the detergent of the detergent container 171 . A mixture of detergent and water may be supplied to the tub 120 through the mixing pipe 172 .

Vibration sensors 180 (180a, 180b) may sense the vibration of the tub 120 . The vibration sensors 180 (180a, 180b) may be installed at at least one of a front position on the outer surface of the tub 120 or a rear position on the outer surface of the tub 120 . In FIG. 2 , the first vibration sensor 180a is provided on the front upper surface of the tub 120 , and the second vibration sensor 180b is provided on the rear upper surface of the tub 120 . The controller 190 may adjust the rotation speed of the drum motor 141 based on the sensed value of the vibration sensor 180 .

The vibration sensor 180 may include an acceleration sensor that measures the acceleration of the tub 120 in three axes (X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis). For example, the vibration sensor 180 may be a piezoelectric type, a strain gauge type, a piezoresistive type, a capacitive type, a servo type, or an optical type. (optical type) may be provided as an acceleration sensor. In addition, the vibration sensor 180 may be provided with various sensors (eg, gyroscope) capable of measuring the vibration of the tub 120 .

The vibration sensor 180 may output a sensed value related to the vibration of the tub 120 . For example, the vibration sensor 180 may output a constant value corresponding to the vibration of the tub 120 . The vibration sensor 180 may output a voltage value corresponding to the 3-axis acceleration of the tub 120 . The controller 190 of the washing machine 100 may determine the tub vibration displacement corresponding to the value sensed by the vibration sensor 180 and may adjust the rotation speed of the drum motor 141 based on the tub vibration displacement.

In addition, the vibration sensor 180 may output the tub vibration displacement corresponding to the three-axis acceleration change. The controller 190 may determine the rotation speed of the drum motor 141 based on the tub vibration displacement, which is a sensed value received from the vibration sensor 180 .

The vibration sensor 180 may be provided as a micro electro mechanical system (MEMS) sensor. MEMS is a method developed according to the development of semiconductor technology, and a MEMS sensor can be made through deposition, patterning through photolithography, and etching. The vibration sensor 180 may be formed of various materials such as silicon, polymer, metal, or ceramic. The vibration sensor 180 manufactured by the MEMS method may have a size of a micrometer level.

3 illustrates a configuration of a washing machine according to an embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 3 , the washing machine 100 may include electrical components as well as the mechanical components described in FIGS. 1 and 2 . The washing machine 100 includes a door switch 103 , a door lock 104 , a control panel 110 , a drum motor 141 , a water supply valve 152 , a drain pump 162 , and a vibration sensor 180 . ) and a control unit 190 . The controller 190 may be electrically connected to the components of the washing machine 100 and may control the operation of each component.

The door switch 103 may detect a state in which the door 102 is closed and a state in which the door 102 is open. For example, the door switch 103 may be opened (off) in a state in which the door 102 is opened, and may be closed (on) in a state in which the door 102 is closed. The door switch 103 may transmit a signal indicating a closed state of the door 102 or a signal indicating an open state of the door 102 to the controller 190 .

The door lock 104 may lock the door 102 in response to a lock signal from the controller 190 . For example, when the door 102 closes the inlet 101a and the washing machine 100 operates, the controller 190 may control the door lock 104 to lock the door 102 .

The control panel 110 may include an input button for obtaining a user input and a display for displaying laundry setting and/or laundry operation information in response to the user input. The control panel 110 may provide a user interface for interaction between the user and the washing machine 100 . The input button may include, for example, a power button, an operation button, a course selection dial, and a detailed setting button. In addition, the input button may be provided as a tact switch, a push switch, a slide switch, a toggle switch, a micro switch, or a touch switch.

The display may include a screen displaying a washing course selected by rotation of the course selection dial and an operating time of the washing machine 100 and an indicator displaying detailed settings selected by a setting button. The display may include, for example, a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) panel and/or a Light Emitting Diode (LED).

The laundry course is set according to the type of laundry (eg, shirt, pants, underwear, duvet) and material (eg, cotton, polyester, wool) and the amount of laundry. temperature, number of rinses, and strength of dehydration). For example, a standard laundry course may include laundry settings that are universal for laundry. The duvet washing course may include laundry settings optimized for washing the duvet. Laundry courses may include various courses such as standard laundry, heavy duty laundry, wool laundry, duvet laundry, baby clothes laundry, towel laundry, small amount laundry, boiled laundry, power-saving laundry, outdoor laundry, rinse+dry, and spin-dry.

The driving unit 140 may include a drum motor 141 and a driving circuit 200 . The driving circuit 200 may supply a driving current for driving the drum motor 141 to the drum motor 141 in response to a driving signal (a motor control signal) of the controller 190 . The driving circuit 200 may rectify AC power of an external power source to convert it into DC power, and convert the DC power into sinusoidal driving power. The driving circuit 200 may include an inverter that outputs the converted driving power to the drum motor 141 . The inverter may include a plurality of switching elements, and may open (off) or close (on) the plurality of switches based on a driving signal of the controller 190 . A driving current may be supplied to the drum motor 141 according to the opening or closing of the switching elements. In addition, the driving circuit 200 may include a current sensor (not shown) capable of measuring the driving current output from the inverter.

The controller 190 may calculate the rotation speed of the drum motor 141 based on the electric angle of the rotor of the drum motor 141 . The rotor electric angle may be obtained from a position sensor (not shown) provided in the drum motor 141 . For example, the controller 190 may calculate the rotation speed of the drum motor 141 based on the amount of change in the electric angle of the rotor with respect to the sampling time interval. The position sensor (not shown) may be implemented as a hall sensor, encoder, or resolver capable of measuring the position of the rotor 143 of the drum motor 141 . Also, the controller 190 may calculate the rotation speed of the drum motor 141 based on a driving current value measured by a current sensor (not shown).

The drum motor 141 may rotate the drum 130 under the control of the controller 190 . The controller 190 may drive the drum motor 141 to follow the target rotation speed.

The water supply valve 152 may be opened in response to a water supply signal from the controller 190 . According to the opening of the water supply valve 152 , the water supply pipe 151 may be supplied to the tub 120 .

The drain pump 162 may discharge water to the outside of the cabinet 101 through the drain pipe 161 in response to a drain signal from the controller 190 . According to the operation of the drain pump 162 , the water accommodated in the tub 120 may be discharged to the outside of the cabinet 101 through the drain pipe 162 .

The vibration sensor 180 may sense the vibration of the tub 120 . Specifically, the vibration sensor 180 may sense the vibration of the tub 120 generated by the rotation of the drum 130 in the dehydration stroke. Eccentricity of the drum 130 may occur due to unbalance of laundry disposed inside the drum 130 , and vibration of the tub 120 may occur due to the eccentricity of the drum 130 . When the rotation speed of the drum motor 141 increases in a state in which the laundry is unbalanced, the vibration of the tub 120 may also increase, and noise caused by the vibration of the tub 120 may also increase.

The vibration sensor 180 may output a sensed value related to the vibration of the tub 120 . For example, the vibration sensor 180 may output a constant value corresponding to the vibration of the tub 120 . In addition, the vibration sensor 180 may output the three-axis (X-axis, Y-axis, Z-axis) acceleration value of the tub 120 , a voltage value corresponding to the acceleration value, and/or a tub vibration displacement corresponding to the acceleration value. have. The controller 190 may determine the rotation speed of the drum motor 141 based on the sensed value of the vibration sensor 180 .

The tub vibration displacement may be defined as the magnitude (amplitude) of vibration when the tub 120 vibrates. The controller 190 may monitor the value sensed by the vibration sensor 180 at predetermined intervals while the washing machine 100 spins the water. That is, the controller 190 may continuously receive the sensing value of the vibration sensor 180 until the spin-drying operation is completed, and adjust the rotation speed of the drum motor 141 based on the sensing value of the vibration sensor 180 . can be adjusted

The controller 190 includes a processor 191 that generates a control signal related to the operation of the washing machine 100 , and a memory 192 that stores programs, applications, instructions and/or data for the operation of the washing machine 100 . can do. The processor 191 and the memory 192 may be implemented as separate semiconductor devices or as a single semiconductor device. Also, the controller 190 may include a plurality of processors or a plurality of memories. The control unit 190 may be provided at various positions inside the washing machine 100 . For example, the control unit 190 may be included in a printed circuit board provided inside the control panel 110 .

The processor 191 may include an arithmetic circuit, a memory circuit, and a control circuit. The processor 191 may include one chip or a plurality of chips. Also, the processor 191 may include one core or a plurality of cores.

The memory 192 may store a program for performing a washing operation according to a washing course and data including a washing setting according to the washing course. Also, the memory 192 may store a currently selected washing course and washing setting based on a user input. The memory 192 includes a volatile memory such as S-RAM (Static Random Access Memory, S-RAM) and D-RAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory, D-RAM), ROM (Read Only Memory: ROM), EPIROM ( It may include non-volatile memory such as Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (EPROM). The memory 192 may include one memory device or a plurality of memory devices.

The processor 191 may process data and/or signals using a program provided from the memory 192 , and may transmit a control signal to each component of the washing machine 100 based on the processing result. For example, the processor 191 may process a user input received through the control panel 110 . The processor 191 may output a control signal for controlling the door lock 104 , the drum motor 141 , the water supply valve 152 , and the drain pump 162 in response to a user input.

The processor 191 may control the drum motor 141 , the water supply valve 152 , and the drain pump 162 to perform a washing cycle, a rinsing cycle, and a dehydration cycle. Also, the processor 191 may control the control panel 110 to display washing settings and washing operation information. The processor 191 may control the vibration sensor 180 to detect the vibration of the tub 120 in the dehydration operation.

Referring to FIG. 4 , the washing machine 100 may sequentially perform a washing process 1010 , a rinsing process 1020 , and a spin-drying process 1030 according to a user input. In the washing stroke 1010, laundry may be washed. Foreign substances adhering to laundry may be separated by a chemical action of the detergent and/or a mechanical action such as dropping.

The washing operation 1010 includes laundry measurement 1011 for measuring the amount of laundry, water supply 1012 for supplying water to the tub 120, laundry 1013 for washing laundry by rotating the drum 130 at a low speed, It may include a drain 1014 for discharging the water contained in the tub 120 and an intermediate dewatering 1015 for separating the water from the laundry by rotating the drum 130 at a high speed.

In the washing process 1013 , the controller 190 may rotate the drum motor 141 in a forward or reverse direction. As the drum 130 rotates, laundry may fall from the upper side of the drum 130 to the lower side.

In the intermediate spin-drying process 1015 , the controller 190 may rotate the drum motor 141 at a high speed. By the high-speed rotation of the drum 130, water may be separated from the laundry.

During the intermediate dewatering 1015, the rotational speed of the drum 130 may be increased in steps. In addition, as the rotation speed of the drum 130 increases, the vibration of the tub 120 may also increase, and a change may occur in a value sensed by the vibration sensor 180 . The controller 190 may adjust the rotation speed of the drum motor 141 based on the sensed value of the vibration sensor 180 .

The controller 190 may maintain the rotational speed of the drum motor 141 based on the sensed value of the vibration sensor 180 reaching a predetermined value. In other words, the controller 190 may control the drum motor 141 to maintain the rotation speed determined when the value sensed by the vibration sensor 180 reaches a predetermined value. The rotation speed determined when the value sensed by the vibration sensor 180 reaches a predetermined value may be referred to as a first rotation speed.

The predetermined value is a value corresponding to the maximum vibration displacement of the tub 120 permissible during dehydration, and may be referred to as an 'permissible unbalance value'. The constant value may be set to various values according to design. For example, the predetermined value may be selected differently depending on the amount of laundry and the type of laundry.

When the value sensed by the vibration sensor 180 reaches a predetermined value after the start of spin-drying, the controller 190 controls the rotation speed of the drum motor 141 which is determined when the value sensed by the vibration sensor 180 reaches the predetermined value can keep

The controller 190 may continuously maintain or increase the rotational speed of the drum motor 141 based on the variation value of the sensed value of the vibration sensor 180 . For example, the controller 190 may continue to maintain the first rotational speed of the drum motor 141 based on a variation value of the sensing value of the vibration sensor 180 is smaller than a predetermined delta constant δ. The delta constant (δ) may be set to various values according to design. The delta constant (δ) may be selected differently depending on the amount of laundry and the type of laundry.

Also, the controller 190 may increase the rotational speed of the drum motor 141 based on a decrease in the value sensed by the vibration sensor 180 by a predetermined delta constant δ from a predetermined value. As the rotation speed of the drum motor 141 increases, the controller 190 controls the drum motor to maintain the increased rotation speed (second rotation speed) based on the value of the vibration sensor 180 reaching a predetermined value again. (141) can be controlled. That is, the control unit 141 may control the drum motor 141 to maintain a higher rotation speed (second rotation speed) than the previous rotation speed (first rotation speed). The second rotation speed may be determined when the value sensed by the vibration sensor 180 again reaches a predetermined value.

The controller 190 may continue to maintain the increased rotational speed of the drum motor 141 or further increase the rotational speed of the drum motor 141 based on the variation value of the sensed value of the vibration sensor 180 . In other words, the controller 190 maintains the rotation speed of the drum motor 141 or increases the rotation speed of the drum motor 141 based on the variation value of the sensed value of the vibration sensor 180 until the dehydration is completed. You can continuously decide whether to do it or not.

In a rinse stroke 1020, the laundry may be rinsed. That is, detergents or foreign substances left on the laundry may be removed. The rinsing process 1020 includes a water supply 1021 for supplying water to the tub 120, a rinsing 1022 for rinsing laundry by driving the drum 130, a drain 1023 for discharging the water contained in the tub 120, and It may include an intermediate dewatering 1024 that drives the drum 130 to separate water from the laundry.

The water supply 1021 , drain 1023 , and intermediate spin 1024 of the rinse stroke 1020 may be the same as the water supply 1012 , drain 1014 , and intermediate spin 1015 of the wash stroke 1010 , respectively. During the rinsing stroke 1020 , water supply 1021 , rinsing 1022 , draining 1023 , and intermediate dewatering 1024 may be performed once or several times.

By the dehydration operation 1030, moisture contained in the laundry may be separated from the laundry. Water is separated from the laundry by the high-speed rotation of the drum 130 , and the separated water may be discharged to the outside of the washing machine 100 . The dewatering stroke 1030 may include a final dewatering 1031 that separates water from the laundry by rotating the drum 130 at a high speed. Due to the final dewatering 1031, the last intermediate dewatering 1024 of the rinsing stroke 1020 may be omitted.

For the final dewatering 1031 , the controller 190 may control the driving circuit 200 to rotate the drum motor 141 at a high speed. Due to the high-speed rotation of the drum 130 , water may be separated from the laundry contained in the drum 130 and discharged to the outside of the washing machine 100 . Since the operation of the washing machine 100 is terminated by the final spin-drying 1031 , the execution time of the final spin-drying 1031 may be longer than the execution time of the intermediate spin-drying

operations

1015 and 1024 .

In the final dewatering 1031 , the rotation speed of the drum motor 141 may be increased in stages. Just as the rotation speed of the drum motor 141 is controlled in the intermediate spin-drying 1015 of the washing cycle 1010, the rotation of the drum motor 141 is controlled based on the value sensed by the vibration sensor 180 in the final spin-drying 1031. The speed can be adjusted. Specifically, the controller 190 may maintain the rotation speed of the drum motor 141 based on the value sensed by the vibration sensor 180 reaches a predetermined value. That is, the controller 190 may control the drum motor 141 to maintain the first rotation speed determined when the value sensed by the vibration sensor 180 reaches a predetermined value.

The predetermined value is, for example, a value corresponding to the maximum vibration displacement of the tub 120 allowable during dehydration, and may be referred to as an 'permissible unbalance value'. The constant value may be set to various values according to design. For example, the predetermined value may be selected differently depending on the amount of laundry and the type of laundry.

The controller 190 may continuously maintain or increase the rotational speed of the drum motor 141 based on the variation value of the sensed value of the vibration sensor 180 . For example, the controller 190 may continue to maintain the first rotational speed of the drum motor 141 based on a variation value of the sensing value of the vibration sensor 180 is smaller than a predetermined delta constant δ. The delta constant (δ) may be set to various values according to design. The delta constant (δ) may be set differently depending on the amount of laundry and the type of laundry.

Also, the controller 190 may increase the rotational speed of the drum motor 141 based on a decrease in the value sensed by the vibration sensor 180 by a predetermined delta constant δ from a predetermined value. The controller 190 controls the drum motor 141 to maintain the increased rotation speed based on the value sensed by the vibration sensor 180 again reaching a predetermined value as the rotation speed of the drum motor 141 increases. can That is, the control unit 141 may control the drum motor 141 to maintain a higher rotation speed (second rotation speed) than the previous rotation speed (first rotation speed). The second rotation speed may be determined when the value sensed by the vibration sensor 180 again reaches a predetermined value.

As described above, the washing machine 100 may perform a washing operation 1010 , a rinsing operation 1020 , and a spin-drying operation 1030 to wash laundry. In particular, during the intermediate spin (1015, 1024) and final spin (1031), the control unit 190 of the washing machine 100 may increase the rotation speed of the drum motor 141 rotating the drum 130 in stages. . The controller 190 may maintain or increase the rotational speed of the drum motor 141 based on the sensed value of the vibration sensor 180 .

5 is a flowchart illustrating a spin-drying operation 500 of a washing machine according to an exemplary embodiment. 6 is a graph 600 illustrating a correlation between a value sensed by a vibration sensor and a displacement of a tub vibration according to an exemplary embodiment. Hereinafter, the spin-drying operation 500 of the washing machine 100 will be described in detail.

The dewatering operation 500 may include

intermediate dewatering

1015 , 1024 and final dewatering 1031 , described in FIG. 4 .

Referring to FIG. 5 , the washing machine 100 starts spinning ( 501 ). The controller 190 may control the drain pump 162 to discharge the water inside the tub 120 to the outside after washing 1013 or rinsing 1022 . The controller 190 may determine whether water remains in the tub 120 based on the output of the water level sensor (not shown). The controller 190 may operate the drum motor 141 when all the water inside the tub 120 is discharged to the outside.

The controller 190 may increase the rotation speed of the drum motor 141 ( 502 ). The controller 190 may rotate the drum 130 by driving the drum motor 141 for dehydration of laundry located inside the drum 130 . During the dehydration operation 500 , the rotation speed of the drum motor 141 may be increased in stages.

As described above, vibration and noise of the tub 120 may occur due to unbalance of laundry in the drum 130 . Unbalance of laundry can also occur due to unevenly contained moisture in the laundry. When the rotation speed of the drum motor 141 increases in a state where the laundry inside the drum 130 is unbalanced, the vibration and noise of the tub 120 may also increase. If the vibration of the tub 120 is excessive, damage to the washing machine 100 may occur, and dehydration efficiency may decrease.

Therefore, in order to reduce vibration and noise of the tub 120 during the dehydration process, the controller 190 monitors the value sensed by the vibration sensor 180 while dehydration is in progress, and prevents excessive vibration of the tub 120 from the drum motor. The rotation speed of (141) can be adjusted.

The controller 190 may receive an output of the vibration sensor 180 ( S503 ). For example, the value sensed by the vibration sensor 180 may be a constant value corresponding to the vibration of the tub 120 . The value sensed by the vibration sensor 180 may be output as an acceleration value or a voltage value corresponding to the acceleration value. A predetermined correlation may exist between the value sensed by the vibration sensor 180 and the vibration displacement of the tub 120 .

As shown in the graph 600 of FIG. 6 , the tub vibration displacement may be proportional to a value sensed by the vibration sensor 180 . That is, as the sensing value of the vibration sensor 180 increases, the tub vibration displacement may be determined as a large value. Correlation data between the value sensed by the vibration sensor 180 and the displacement of the tub vibration may be stored in the memory 192 of the controller 190 , and the processor 191 may store the correlation data and the value sensed by the vibration sensor 180 . can be used to determine the tub vibration displacement.

Alternatively, the vibration sensor 180 may output the tub vibration displacement using the correlation between the acceleration value and the tub vibration displacement. In this case, the controller 190 may control the drum motor 141 based on the tub vibration displacement received from the vibration sensor 180 .

The controller 190 may detect whether a value sensed by the vibration sensor 180 reaches a predetermined value ( S504 ). The predetermined value is, for example, a value corresponding to the maximum vibration displacement of the tub 120 allowable during dehydration, and may be referred to as an 'permissible unbalance value'. The constant value may be set to various values according to design. For example, the predetermined value may be selected differently depending on the amount of laundry and the type of laundry.

The controller 190 may maintain the rotational speed of the drum motor 141 based on the sensed value of the vibration sensor 180 reaching a predetermined value ( 505 ). Maintaining the rotational speed of the drum motor 141 means maintaining the rotational speed of the drum motor 141 constant, or maintaining the rotational speed increase rate of the drum motor 141 below a predetermined limit increase rate can do. In order to prevent the sensed value of the vibration sensor 180 from exceeding a predetermined value, the limit increase rate may be set to a fairly small value. By maintaining the rotational speed of the drum motor 141, it is possible to prevent the sensed value of the vibration sensor 180 from exceeding the predetermined value Da.

The controller 190 may determine whether the dehydration is complete ( 506 ). For example, when the set dehydration time expires, it may be determined that dehydration is complete. When the spin-drying is completed, the controller 190 may stop the driving of the drum motor 141 and end the spin-drying operation. However, before the spin-drying is complete, the controller 190 may continue to maintain or increase the rotational speed of the drum motor 141 based on the variation value of the sensed value of the vibration sensor 180 .

The controller 190 may determine whether the variation value of the sensed value of the vibration sensor 180 reaches a predetermined delta constant δ ( S507 ). While the drum motor 141 operates at the rotation speed determined when the value sensed by the vibration sensor 180 reaches a predetermined value, the moisture separated from the laundry is discharged to the outside, and the value sensed by the vibration sensor 180 decreases. can do. That is, when water escapes from the laundry, the unbalance of the laundry may be reduced, and accordingly, the vibration of the tub 120 may be reduced. Therefore, when the sensing value of the vibration sensor 180 decreases, the rotation speed of the drum motor 141 may be further increased.

When the change value of the sensed value of the vibration sensor 180 is smaller than the predetermined delta constant δ, the control unit 190 does not further increase the rotation speed of the drum motor 141, and the spin-drying completion time The rotational speed of the drum motor 141 can be maintained until (507, 505). When the variation value of the sensed value of the vibration sensor 180 is smaller than the predetermined delta constant δ, the control unit 190 determines that a margin for increasing the rotation speed of the drum motor 141 is insufficient. can

However, when the sensing value of the vibration sensor 180 decreases from the constant value Da by a predetermined delta constant δ, the controller 190 may further increase the rotation speed of the drum motor 141 (507, 502). That is, when the sensing value of the vibration sensor 180 decreases by the delta constant (δ) according to the discharge of moisture contained in the laundry, that is, when the sensing value reaches the lower limit value (Db), the control unit 190 controls the vibration sensor ( The rotation speed of the drum motor 141 may be increased until the sensed value of 180 again reaches the predetermined value Da. From the point in time when the sensed value of the vibration sensor 180 again reaches the predetermined value Da, the increased rotation speed of the drum motor 141 may be maintained.

7 is a first graph 700 illustrating a relationship between a value sensed by a vibration sensor and a rotation speed of a drum motor during spin-drying of a washing machine according to an exemplary embodiment. FIG. 8 is a first table 800 exemplifying the sensing value of the vibration sensor and the rotation speed of the drum motor in numerical values in the dehydration operation of FIG. 7 .

Referring to the first graph 700 of FIG. 7 and the first table 800 of FIG. 8 , the control unit 190 determines the first time point ( The drum motor 141 may be controlled to maintain the first rotation speed V1 determined at t1). For example, the constant value Da may be set to 760, and the first rotation speed V1 of the drum motor 141 from the first time point t1 may be maintained at 800 RPM.

While the drum motor 141 is operated at the first rotational speed V1, as moisture separated from the laundry is discharged to the outside, the sensing value of the vibration sensor 180 may decrease. The controller 190 may maintain the rotation speed of the drum motor 141 at 800 RPM until the second time point t2 when the value sensed by the vibration sensor 180 decreases from the constant value Da to the delta constant δ. . For example, the delta constant δ may be 150, and the value sensed by the vibration sensor 180 at the second time point t2 may be 610.

The controller 190 may increase the rotation speed of the drum motor 141 from the second time point t2. When the rotation speed of the drum motor 141 is increased, the vibration of the tub 120 may increase again, and accordingly, the sensing value of the vibration sensor 180 may also increase. The control unit 190, the drum motor 141 to maintain the second rotation speed V2 increased to 900RPM from the third time point t3 when the sensing value of the vibration sensor 180 again reaches the predetermined value Da. can control

In the first graph 700 , since the sensed value of the vibration sensor 180 does not decrease after the third time point t3 , the control unit 190 operates at a second rotation speed V2 of 900 RPM until the dehydration completion time point te. The drum motor 141 can be operated

9 is a second graph 900 illustrating a relationship between a value sensed by a vibration sensor and a rotation speed of a drum motor during spin-drying of a washing machine according to an exemplary embodiment. FIG. 10 is a second table 1000 showing a value sensed by a vibration sensor and a rotation speed of a drum motor in the spin-drying operation of FIG. 9 .

Referring to the second graph 900 of FIG. 9 and the second table 1000 of FIG. 10 , the constant value Da may be set to 900 and the delta constant δ may be preset to 150 . In addition, the first rotation speed V1 of the drum motor 141 determined at the first time t1 when the value sensed by the vibration sensor 180 first reaches the predetermined value Da may be 850 RPM. The controller 190 may maintain the rotational speed of the drum motor 141 at 850 RPM until the second time t2 when the sensed value of the vibration sensor 180 decreases by the delta constant δ and reaches 750 (Db). .

The controller 190 may increase the rotation speed of the drum motor 141 from the second time point t2. As the rotation speed of the drum motor 141 increases, the value sensed by the vibration sensor 180 may increase to reach the predetermined value Da again. The control unit 190, the drum motor 141 to maintain the second rotation speed V2 increased to 900RPM from the third time point t3 when the sensing value of the vibration sensor 180 again reaches the predetermined value Da. can control

The controller 190 may maintain the rotational speed of the drum motor 141 at 900RPM until the fourth time t4 when the sensed value of the vibration sensor 180 again decreases from the constant value Da to the delta constant δ. have. When the sensed value of the vibration sensor 180 again decreases by a constant δ and reaches 750 (Db), the controller 190 determines that the sensed value of the vibration sensor 180 is a constant value Da from the fourth time point t4. ), the rotational speed of the drum motor 141 may be further increased until the fifth time point t5 reached again. From the fifth time point t5, the controller 190 may control the drum motor 141 to maintain the third rotation speed V3 increased to 1000 RPM. Since the sensed value of the vibration sensor 180 does not decrease after the fifth time point t5 in the second graph 900, the controller 190 controls the drum at the third rotation speed V3 of 1000 RPM until the spin-drying completion time point te. The motor 141 may be operated.

As described above, the washing machine 100 according to an exemplary embodiment may continuously control to reach the final rotation speed of the drum motor 141 during the spin-drying process, and also the final rotation speed of the drum 130 for spin-drying. It can be applied variably. That is, the washing machine 100 according to an embodiment controls the drum motor 141 in consideration of the unbalance of laundry that varies during spin-drying, thereby reducing vibration and noise of the tub 120 during spin-drying, and It is also possible to reduce the dispersion of vibrations and noises that occur differently depending on the amount and characteristics of the laundry.

11 is a graph 1100 illustrating vibration distribution of a washing machine according to an exemplary embodiment. 12 is a graph 1200 illustrating noise distribution of a washing machine according to an exemplary embodiment.

11 and 12 , the washing machine according to the comparative example checks the unbalance of the laundry only in the spin-drying start stage, and determines the maximum rotation speed of the drum only by the amount (value) of the unbalance checked in the spin-drying start stage. of vibration and noise distribution are large. Since the washing machine according to the comparative example does not continuously check the unbalance of laundry that changes during dehydration, and does not change the maximum rotation speed of the drum according to the change in vibration of the tub, every time the user uses the washing machine, the Vibration and noise can be perceived differently. The vibration and noise of the washing machine that feel different each time it is used can lower the user's trust in the product.

However, in the washing machine and the control method of the washing machine according to the disclosed embodiment, the vibration of the tub 120 is continuously monitored during the spin-drying operation, and the rotation speed of the drum 130 is adjusted in stages according to the change in the vibration of the tub 120 . By doing so, it is possible to reduce vibration and noise caused by changes in the unbalance of laundry.

In addition, the disclosed washing machine and the washing machine control method can reduce the dispersion of vibrations and noises that are different depending on the amount of laundry and the characteristics of the laundry in the spin-drying operation. Accordingly, the user may experience the same level of vibration and noise whenever the washing machine is used. Therefore, the inconvenience that the user may feel due to the wide dispersion of vibration and noise can be eliminated.

Meanwhile, the disclosed embodiments may be implemented in the form of a recording medium storing instructions executable by a computer. Instructions may be stored in the form of program code, and when executed by a processor, may generate program modules to perform operations of the disclosed embodiments. The recording medium may be implemented as a computer-readable recording medium.

The computer-readable recording medium includes any type of recording medium in which instructions readable by the computer are stored. For example, there may be a read only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a magnetic tape, a magnetic disk, a flash memory, an optical data storage device, and the like.

In addition, the computer-readable recording medium may be provided in the form of a non-transitory storage medium. Here, 'non-transitory storage medium' is a tangible device and only means that it does not contain a signal (eg, electromagnetic wave). It does not distinguish the case where it is stored as For example, the 'non-transitory storage medium' may include a buffer in which data is temporarily stored.

According to one embodiment, the method according to various embodiments disclosed in this document may be provided in a computer program product (computer program product). Computer program products may be traded between sellers and buyers as commodities. The computer program product is distributed in the form of a machine-readable storage medium (eg compact disc read only memory (CD-ROM)), or through an application store (eg Play Store™) or on two user devices ( It can be distributed (eg downloaded or uploaded) directly, online between smartphones (eg: smartphones). In the case of online distribution, at least a portion of the computer program product (eg, a downloadable app) is stored at least in a machine-readable storage medium, such as a memory of a manufacturer's server, a server of an application store, or a relay server. It may be temporarily stored or temporarily created.

The disclosed embodiments have been described with reference to the accompanying drawings as described above. Those of ordinary skill in the art to which the published embodiment pertains will understand that the disclosed embodiment may be implemented in a form different from the disclosed embodiment without changing the technical spirit or essential features of the published embodiment. The disclosed embodiments are illustrative and should not be construed as limiting.

Claims

tub;

a drum rotatably provided in the tub;

a drum motor rotating the drum;

a vibration sensor sensing the vibration of the tub; and

During the spin-drying operation, the rotation speed of the drum motor is maintained based on the sensed value of the vibration sensor reaching a predetermined value, and the rotation speed of the drum motor is continuously maintained based on the variation value of the sensed value of the vibration sensor A washing machine comprising a; or a control unit that increases.
According to claim 1,

the control unit

Based on that the variation value of the sensed value of the vibration sensor is smaller than a predetermined delta constant, the washing machine continues to maintain the rotation speed of the drum motor.
According to claim 1,

the control unit

A washing machine that increases the rotation speed of the drum motor based on a value sensed by the vibration sensor decreases by a predetermined delta constant from the predetermined value.
4. The method of claim 3,

the control unit

Controlling the drum motor to maintain the increased rotation speed based on the value sensed by the vibration sensor again reaching the constant value as the rotation speed of the drum motor increases,

A washing machine that continues to maintain the increased rotational speed of the drum motor or further increases the rotational speed of the drum motor based on a change value of the sensed value of the vibration sensor.
According to claim 1,

the control unit

A washing machine that monitors the value sensed by the vibration sensor at predetermined intervals.
According to claim 1,

the control unit

A washing machine that selects the predetermined value according to an amount of laundry and a type of laundry.
3. The method of claim 2,

the control unit

A washing machine that selects the constant according to the amount of laundry and the type of laundry.
According to claim 1,

The vibration sensor

Including; an acceleration sensor for measuring the three-axis acceleration of the tub;

The washing machine is installed in at least one of a front position of the outer surface of the tub and a rear position of the outer surface of the tub.
drive the drum motor;

acquiring a value sensed by a vibration sensor that detects vibration of the tub during a dehydration operation;

maintaining the rotation speed of the drum motor based on the sensed value of the vibration sensor reaching a predetermined constant value; and

and continuously maintaining or increasing the rotation speed of the drum motor based on a change value of the value sensed by the vibration sensor.
10. The method of claim 9,

Continuing to maintain the rotational speed of the drum motor,

The control method of the washing machine is determined based on a variation value of the value sensed by the vibration sensor is smaller than a predetermined delta constant.
10. The method of claim 9,

Increasing the rotation speed of the drum motor,

The control method of the washing machine, which is determined based on a decrease in the value sensed by the vibration sensor by a predetermined delta constant from the predetermined value.
12. The method of claim 11,

Maintaining or increasing the rotational speed of the drum motor comprises:

Controlling the drum motor to maintain the increased rotation speed based on the value sensed by the vibration sensor again reaches the predetermined value as the rotation speed of the drum motor increases; and

Continuing to maintain the increased rotation speed of the drum motor or further increasing the rotation speed of the drum motor based on a change value of the value sensed by the vibration sensor; Containing, a control method of a washing machine.
10. The method of claim 9,

Obtaining the sensed value of the vibration sensor,

A control method of a washing machine comprising a; monitoring the value sensed by the vibration sensor every predetermined period.
10. The method of claim 9,

The predetermined value is

A control method of the washing machine, which is selected according to the amount of laundry and the type of laundry.
11. The method of claim 10,

The constant is

A control method of the washing machine, which is selected according to the amount of laundry and the type of laundry.