WO2023116872A1

WO2023116872A1 - Drum washing machine

Info

Publication number: WO2023116872A1
Application number: PCT/CN2022/141310
Authority: WO
Inventors: 樋口秀一
Original assignee: 青岛海尔洗衣机有限公司; Aqua株式会社; 海尔智家股份有限公司
Priority date: 2021-12-24
Filing date: 2022-12-23
Publication date: 2023-06-29
Also published as: JP2023095504A

Abstract

The present invention provides a drum washing machine capable of improving safety. The drum washing machine (1) comprises: a cabinet body; an outer tub, which is arranged in the cabinet body; a door, which is supported by the cabinet body, and opens and closes an access opening of the outer tub; a drum, which is arranged in the outer tub; a locking portion (20); and a control portion (37), which controls the locking portion (20). The locking portion (20) locks the door when the door is in a state of closing the access opening. When a power supply for the drum washing machine (1) is cut off, the drum washing machine (1) is in a state where the locking portion (20) unlocks the door. When the power supply for the drum washing machine (1) is connected, the control portion (37) executes confirmation processing of confirming whether there is a person in the drum, and, after it is confirmed that there is no person in the drum in the confirmation processing, the door is locked by the locking portion (20) when the door is in the state of closing the access opening.

Description

Drum washing machine

technical field

The invention relates to a drum washing machine.

Background technique

The drum washing machine described in the following patent document 1 includes: a cabinet with an operation panel and an inlet on its front surface; a water tub as an example of an outer tub disposed in the cabinet; The horizontal axis rotates; the door opens and closes the input port; and the door lock mechanism locks the door in the state of closing the input port. The user unlocks the door by the door locking mechanism by operating the buttons on the operation panel, and then opens the door, and puts laundry into and out of the drum from the inlet. When the user closes the door, the door locking mechanism locks the door.

All drum washing machines require in public standards that a person can open the door that is closed in an unlocked state from the inside of the drum, so as to prevent children and others from being locked in the drum, and the drum washing machine of Patent Document 1 certainly has this. specification, so it can be considered safe. However, an improvement in the safety of the front-loading washing machine is always desired.

prior art literature

patent documents

Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2007-181629

Contents of the invention

The problem to be solved by the invention

The present invention has been made against this background, and an object of the present invention is to provide a front-loading washing machine capable of improving safety.

solutions to problems

The invention relates to a drum washing machine, comprising: a box body; an outer cylinder capable of storing water, arranged in the box body, and provided with an entrance and exit for laundry; a door supported by the box body to open and close the entrance and exit The drum has an internal space communicated with the entrance and is arranged in the outer cylinder, and the laundry is accommodated in the internal space; the driving part rotates the drum; the locking part closes the door the state locking of the entrance and exit; and a control part that controls the driving part and the locking part, and the front-loading washing machine is in a state where the lock of the door is released by the locking part when the power supply is turned off, wherein , when the power of the front-loading washing machine is turned on, the control unit executes a confirmation process for confirming the presence or absence of persons in the drum, and after confirming that there is no one in the drum in the confirmation process, the The locking portion locks the door in a state in which the doorway is closed.

In addition, the present invention is characterized in that a ventilation hole is provided in the outer tub, and the drum washing machine includes an opening and closing unit for opening and closing the ventilation hole, and the opening and closing unit is turned off when the power supply of the drum washing machine is turned off. In the case where the vent hole is opened, when the power of the front-loading washing machine is turned on, the control unit confirms that there is no one in the drum in the confirmation process, and then the opening and closing unit will open the air hole. The vent is closed.

Furthermore, the present invention is characterized in that the front-loading washing machine includes: a temperature detection unit for detecting the temperature inside the drum; a storage capacity detection unit for detecting the storage capacity in the drum; and an eccentricity detection unit for detecting The amount of eccentricity of the drum, in the confirmation process, when the detection result of the temperature detection unit is equal to or less than a first threshold value and the detection result of the storage capacity detection unit is equal to or less than a second threshold value, and the eccentric amount detection unit When the detection result of is equal to or less than the third threshold, the control unit determines that there is no one in the drum.

In addition, the present invention is characterized in that the lock portion locks the door, which closes the entrance, in a state of being pushed toward the outer cylinder.

In addition, the present invention is characterized in that the locking part includes: a protrusion provided on the door; and a slider provided on the box body to approach or move away from the door when the door closes the entrance. Sliding in the form of a protrusion, at least one of the protrusion and the slider is provided with an inclined surface, and when the slider slides to the side of the protrusion, the protrusion is pushed to the outer surface at the inclined surface. barrel side.

Invention effect

According to the present invention, in the front-loading washing machine, when the power is turned on, the control unit executes a confirmation process for confirming the presence or absence of persons in the drum, and after confirming that there is no one in the drum during the confirmation process, the door is closed by the locking unit. The status of the entrance and exit is locked. That is to say, in the front-loading washing machine, even if the power is turned on, the unlocked state of the door can be maintained until it is confirmed that there is no one in the drum in the confirmation process after the power is turned on. Therefore, even if the power of the drum washing machine is turned on when a person enters the drum, the person in the drum can easily open the door from the inside and get out of the drum. Therefore, the safety of the front-loading washing machine can be improved.

In addition, according to the present invention, even if the power is turned on, the front-loading washing machine can keep the door unlocked and the vent hole of the outer tub open until no one is confirmed in the drum in the confirmation process after the power is turned on. Therefore, assuming that when a person enters the drum, no matter how the power supply of the drum washing machine is turned on or off, the people in the drum can continue to breathe through the external air flowing into the outer drum from the vent hole, and can easily open the door from the inside. And get out of the drum. Therefore, it is possible to further improve the safety of the front-loading washing machine.

In addition, according to the present invention, in the confirmation process, when the detection result of the temperature inside the drum detected by the temperature detection unit is equal to or lower than the first threshold and the detection result of the storage capacity in the drum detected by the storage capacity detection unit is the second threshold When the detection result of the eccentricity of the drum detected by the eccentricity detection unit is less than or equal to the third threshold value, the control unit determines that there is no one in the drum. That is, the presence or absence of a person in the drum can be more accurately confirmed by the strict confirmation process performed using the detection results of the temperature detection unit, the storage capacity detection unit, and the eccentricity detection unit.

Furthermore, according to the present invention, since the locking portion locks the door which has closed the entrance and exit in a state of being pushed toward the outer cylinder, the locked door seals the entrance and exit of the outer cylinder. Thereby, the safety of a front-loading washing machine can be improved, and it can prevent that water leaks from an outer tub during washing operation after confirmation processing.

Furthermore, according to the present invention, in the locking portion, when the slider on the box side slides toward the protrusion side of the door, the protrusion is pushed toward the outer cylinder at the slope portion provided on at least one of the protrusion and the slider. Therefore, the lock part can lock the door which closed the entrance and exit in the state pushed toward the outer cylinder side.

Description of drawings

Fig. 1 is a front view of a front-loading washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a front view of the front-loading washing machine with the door opened.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the front-loading washing machine in a state where the inside is exposed.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a portion exposed in FIG. 3 .

Fig. 5 is a view showing a state after the cover of the opening and closing part of the front-loading washing machine in Fig. 4 has been moved.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the main part of the draw-out door and the periphery of the drum washing machine.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of a locking portion that is a part of FIG. 6 .

Fig. 8 is a diagram showing a state where the door in Fig. 6 is locked by a locking portion.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of a locking portion in FIG. 8 .

Fig. 10 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the front-loading washing machine.

Fig. 11 is a flowchart showing a washing operation performed in the front-loading washing machine.

Explanation of reference signs

1: drum washing machine; 2: cabinet; 3: door; 10: outer cylinder; 10A: entrance and exit; 10C: ventilation hole; 11: drum; 11B: inner space; 15: opening and closing part; 20: locking part; 21: 21C: inclined surface; 23: slider; 23B: inclined surface; 32: drive unit; 34: temperature detection unit; 35: capacity detection unit; 36: eccentricity detection unit; 37: control unit.

Detailed ways

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a schematic front view of a front-loading washing machine 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The left-right direction in FIG. 1 is called the left-right direction X of the front-loading washing machine 1, the direction perpendicular to the page in FIG. 1 is called the front-back direction Y of the front-loading washing machine 1, and the up-down direction in FIG. The up and down direction Z.

Among the left-right directions X, the left side in FIG. 1 is called left side X1, and the right side in FIG. 1 is called right side X2. The front side of the paper surface of FIG. 1 is called front Y1, and the back side of the paper surface of FIG. 1 is called rear Y2. Among the up and down directions Z, the upper side is referred to as upper Z1, and the lower side is referred to as lower Z2. The left-right direction X and the front-back direction Y are included in the lateral direction. The horizontal direction may be the horizontal direction H, or may be a substantially horizontal direction slightly inclined with respect to the horizontal direction H.

The drum washing machine 1 can be a drum washing and drying integrated machine with a drying function, or a drum washing machine that has omitted the drying function. The drum washing machine 1 includes a cabinet 2 and a door 3 supported by the cabinet 2 .

The box body 2 is formed in a box shape and is generally made of metal. The front surface of the rectangular front wall 2A of the housing 2 is, for example, a vertical surface. A circular recess 2B recessed toward the rear Y2 is provided in a central region of the front surface of the front wall 2A. An annular bottom surface 2C is provided in the rear Y2 area of the recessed portion 2B, and a circular opening 2D (see FIG. ).

In the upper left corner region of the front surface of the front wall 2A than the concave portion 2B, a drawer 4 for putting detergent and softener is provided. A power button 5 of the front-loading washing machine 1 is provided in a corner region on the upper right side of the recess 2B on the front surface of the front wall 2A. On the front surface of the front wall 2A, above the concave portion 2B Z1 and between the drawer 4 and the power button 5 , a display operation unit 6 composed of a liquid crystal touch panel or the like is provided.

In the lower right corner region of the front surface of the front wall 2A than the recess 2B, a detachment port 2E for a drain filter (not shown) and a cover 7 for opening and closing the detachment port 2E are provided. At the four corners of the lower surface of the rectangular bottom wall 2F of the box body 2, legs 8 that come into contact with a mounting surface (not shown) such as a floor surface are provided.

Since the door 3 is made of glass, for example, it is transparent or translucent. The door 3 is connected to the box body 2 via a hinge 9 (see FIG. 2 ) provided at the left end thereof, and can rotate around the hinge 9 between a closed position (see FIG. 1 ) and an open position (see FIG. 2 ). Taking the door 3 in the closed position as a reference, the door 3 includes: a disc-shaped main body 3A having a size that fits into the concave portion 2B just; and a convex portion 3B (refer to FIG. Y2 stands out. On the front surface of the main body portion 3A, for example, a recessed portion 3C for hooking a user's finger to open and close the door 3 is provided in an upper right region.

Fig. 2 is a front view of the front-loading washing machine 1 in a state where the door 3 is opened to the open position. When the door 3 is in the open position, the main body 3A extends forward Y1 substantially perpendicularly to the front surface of the front wall 2A of the housing 2 , and the opening 2D on the front surface of the front wall 2A opens forward Y1 . The convex portion 3B of the door 3 has a substantially cylindrical shape having a size just fitting into the opening 2D of the case 2 . The convex portion 3B is provided in a lower region of the rear surface of the main body portion 3A, and is surrounded by an annular outer peripheral portion 3D of the rear surface. When the door 3 is rotated to the closed position, the main body 3A fits into the recess 2B of the box body 2, the outer peripheral portion 3D of the rear surface of the main body 3A faces the bottom surface 2C of the recess 2B from the front Y1, and the convex portion 3B fits into the opening 2D, so The opening 2D is closed (refer to FIG. 1 ).

The drum washing machine 1 includes an outer tub 10 arranged in the casing 2 and a drum 11 arranged in the outer tub 10 and containing laundry (not shown).

The outer cylinder 10 is supported by a damper (not shown) extending upward Z1 from the bottom wall 2F of the case 2 and suspended by a spring (not shown). Thus, the outer cylinder 10 and the drum 11 inside are elastically supported by the casing 2 as a whole. The outer cylinder 10 has a cylindrical shape centered on an axis J extending in the horizontal direction H to the front-rear direction Y. Axis J may be inclined with respect to horizontal direction H. As shown in FIG. In the area of the tub 10 facing the opening 2D of the housing 2, an inlet and outlet 10A for laundry is provided. The opening 10A is circular having substantially the same size as the opening 2D. Water can be stored in the outer cylinder 10 .

The drum 11 has a cylindrical shape that is one circle smaller than the outer cylinder 10 and is arranged coaxially inside the outer cylinder 10 , and is supported by the outer cylinder 10 so as to be rotatable about the axis J. As shown in FIG. A plurality of through-holes (not shown) are formed in drum 11 , and water in outer cylinder 10 passes between outer cylinder 10 and drum 11 through these through-holes. Therefore, the water level in tub 10 matches the water level in drum 11 .

In a region of drum 11 that faces inlet and outlet 10A of tub 10, inlet and outlet 11A for laundry is provided. The internal space 11B of the drum 11 is in a state of communicating with the entrance and exit 10A of the tub 10 at the entrance and exit 11A. The door 10A and the door 11A are opened and closed together with the opening 2D of the box 2 by the door 3 . That is to say, when the door 3 is disposed at the open position, the opening 2D, the entrance 10A, and the entrance 11A are all opened, and when the door 3 is disposed at the closed position, the opening 2D, the entrance 10A, and the entrance 11A are all closed.

The user inserts and removes laundry into and out of the internal space 11B of the drum 11 through the open opening 2D, the entrance 10A, and the entrance 11A. Drum 11 accommodates laundry in interior space 11B. On the outer peripheral surface of the protrusion 3B on the rear surface of the door 3, there is provided an annular gasket 12 that is in close contact with the periphery of the door 10A of the outer cylinder 10 when the door 3 closes the opening 2D, the door 10A, and the door 11A.

3 is a plan view of the front-loading washing machine 1 in a state in which a part of the top wall 2G of the casing 2 is cut away to expose the outer tub 10 . FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a portion exposed in FIG. 3 . At the upper end portion of the peripheral wall 10B constituting most of the outer cylinder 10 , there is provided a vent hole 10C that penetrates a part of the peripheral wall 10B in the radial direction. The air hole 10C is, for example, rectangular.

The front-loading washing machine 1 includes an opening and closing unit 15 that opens and closes the vent hole 10C. The opening and closing part 15 includes: a rectangular plate-shaped cover 16 having the same size as the vent hole 10C; a needle shaft (shaft) 17 connected to the right end of the cover 16 and capable of expanding and contracting in the left-right direction X; an electric actuator 18, connected with the right end of the needle bar 17; and the force applying member 19. The actuator 18 is constituted by a solenoid, a geared motor, or the like. The needle bar 17 expands and contracts when the actuator 18 operates, so the cover 16 slides in the left-right direction X.

In the opening/closing unit 15 shown in FIG. 4 , the needle bar 17 is in an extended state, and the cover 16 is in an open position arranged on the left side X1 of the ventilation hole 10C to open the ventilation hole 10C. An example of the urging member 19 is a coil spring surrounding the needle bar 17, and urges the cover 16 to the open position in the left direction X1 (see the black arrow in FIG. 4 ).

When the actuator 18 operates and the needle bar 17 shrinks, the cover 16 slides to the right X2 against the urging force of the urging member 19, and is disposed at the closed position shown in FIG. 5 to close the vent hole 10C. When both the door 3 and the cover 16 are in the closed position, the inside of the outer tube 10 and the internal space 11B of the drum 11 are in a sealed state. However, when the power of front-loading washing machine 1 is turned off, cover 16 is in the open position, and opening and closing unit 15 is always in a state of opening vent hole 10C (see FIG. 4 ).

The front-loading washing machine 1 includes a locking portion 20 that locks the door 3 in a closed position. FIG. 6 is a plan view with the door 3 and the locking portion 20 drawn out. Hereinafter, the locking portion 20 will be described based on a state where the door 3 is in the closed position. The locking part 20 includes: a protrusion 21 provided on the right end of the outer peripheral part 3D of the rear surface of the main body part 3A of the door 3, protruding to the rear Y2; 2D adjacent position on the right (refer to FIG. 2 ); and slider 23 . In addition, in FIG. 6, the cross section of the protrusion 21 and the slider 23 is illustrated (it is the same in FIG. 7, FIG. 8, and FIG. 9).

FIG. 7 is an enlarged view in which the locking portion 20 is pulled out from FIG. 6 . The protrusion 21 is provided with: a recess 21A recessed from the right side of the protrusion 21 toward the left X1; a flat surface 21B extending flatly in the left-right direction X and demarcating the recess 21A from the front Y1; and an inclined surface 21C extending from the flat surface 21B. The left end of the slant extends obliquely to the right rear side, and defines the concave portion 21A from the rear Y2.

A cylindrical magnet 24 facing the rear end of the protrusion 21I from the rear Y2 is elastically supported by the rear end of the protrusion 21I via a coil spring 25 extending in the front-rear direction Y. A positioning pin 24A extending forward Y1 is provided in a region of the magnet 24 surrounded by the coil spring 25 . In the region surrounded by the coil spring 25 on the rear end surface of the protrusion 21, there is provided a tubular portion extending toward the rear Y2, and the inner space of the tubular portion is a positioning hole 21D opened toward the rear Y2.

Regarding the protrusion 21, the actuator 22, and the slider 23, adjacent to the right side of the opening 2D in the front wall 2A of the box body 2, there is provided a hole for inserting the protrusion 21 when the door 3 is rotated from the open position to the closed position. Insert into hole 2H (refer to Fig. 2). The actuator 22 and the slider 23 are arranged on the rear side of the front wall 2A.

The actuator 22 is an electric actuator composed of a solenoid or the like. The actuator 22 includes a needle bar 26 that can expand, contract, or slide in the left-right direction X. As shown in FIG. The needle bar 26 emerges from the left side of the actuator 22 . The slider 23 is wedge-shaped when viewed from above. Therefore, the slider 23 in a plan view is provided with a flat surface 23A extending flatly in the left-right direction X, and an inclined surface 23B extending obliquely from the left end of the flat surface 23A toward the right rear side.

The slider 23 is disposed in front Y1 of the left end portion of the needle bar 26 of the actuator 22 . The slider 23 is fixed to the left end of the needle bar 26 via a stay 27 extending in the front-rear direction Y, and is movable together with the needle bar 26 . In the state shown in FIG. 7 , the left end of the needle bar 26 is located in the rightmost direction X2, and the slider 23 at this time is located in the unlocked position. In this case, even if the door 3 is in the closed position, the slider 23 is in a state where it can escape from the recessed portion 21A of the protrusion 21 in the right direction X2.

When the door 3 is in the open position and the slider 23 is in the unlocked position, the magnet 24 on the side of the protrusion 21 is attracted by the metal part 28 (refer to FIG. 2 ) on the side of the box body 2, so that the door 3 is locked with a relatively light force. The status of the location. At this time, the positioning pin 24A of the magnet 24 is in a state of coming out of the positioning hole 21D of the protrusion 21 toward the rear Y2.

When the actuator 22 operates with the slider 23 at the unlocked position and the needle bar 26 extends or slides in the left direction X1, the left end portion of the needle bar 26 moves in the left direction X1. When the left end of the needle bar 26 moves to the leftmost direction X1, the slider 23 is arranged at the locked position shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 .

When the door 3 is in the closed position, the slider 23 moves from the unlocked position to the locked position, whereby the slider 23 slides toward the protrusion 21 of the door 3 . At this time, the slider 23 enters the concave portion 21A of the protrusion 21 from the right X2 (refer to the black arrow A1 in FIG. 9 ), and the inclined surface 23B of the slider 23 contacts the inclined surface 21C of the protrusion 21, thereby pushing the protrusion 21 backward Y2. Push (refer to black arrow A2 in Fig. 9). Thereby, in the door 3 located in the closed position, the gasket 12 of the convex part 3B and the peripheral edge part of 10 A of openings and exits in the outer cylinder 10 are brought into closer contact (refer FIG. 8).

In this way, the slider 23 pushes the protrusion 21 toward the outer cylinder 10 at the inclined surface 21C and the inclined surface 23B when sliding toward the protrusion 21 . Therefore, the lock part 20 locks the door 3 which closed the doorway 10A in the state pushed toward the outer cylinder 10 side. In this embodiment, as shown in the inclined surface 21C and the inclined surface 23B of the protrusion 21, the inclined surface is provided on both the protrusion 21 and the slider 23, but it is only necessary to provide the inclined surface on at least one of the protrusion 21 and the slider 23. Can. In addition, when the slider 23 moves to the locked position, the rear end of the protrusion 21 is pushed into the magnet 24 , and the positioning pin 24A of the magnet 24 is inserted into the positioning hole 21D of the protrusion 21 , whereby the magnet 24 is positioned on the protrusion 21 .

When the actuator 22 operates with the slider 23 at the locked position and the needle bar 26 shrinks or slides to the right X2, the slider 23 escapes from the recess 21A of the protrusion 21 to the right X2 and returns to the unlocked position (see 7), the lock of the door 3 by the locking part 20 is released. As a result, the protrusion 21 moves slightly forward Y1 (see black arrow A4 in FIG. 7 ), so the rear end of the protrusion 21 escapes from the magnet 24 , and the positioning pin 24A of the magnet 24 escapes from the positioning hole 21D of the protrusion 21 . At this time, the door 3 continues to be in the closed position.

In this way, the slider 23 can slide so as to approach or move away from the projection 21 when the door 3 closes the doorway 10A. When the power of the front-loading washing machine 1 is turned off, the slider 23 is located at the unlocked position, so the locking of the door 3 by the locking portion 20 is released (see FIGS. 6 and 7 ).

FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the front-loading washing machine 1 . The drum washing machine 1 includes: a water supply unit 30 for supplying water into the tub 10 ; a drain unit 31 for draining the water in the tub 10 ; and a driving unit 32 for rotating the drum 11 . The drum washing machine 1 includes: a water level detection part 33, which detects the water level in the drum 11; a temperature detection part 34, which detects the temperature in the drum 11; a storage capacity detection part 35, which detects the storage capacity of the laundry in the drum 11; eccentricity detection The part 36 detects the eccentricity amount of the rotating drum 11; and the control part 37.

The water supply unit 30 includes: a water supply channel (not shown) connected to the outer cylinder 10; and a water supply valve (not shown) for opening and closing the water supply channel. The drain unit 31 includes: a drain passage (not shown) connected to the outer cylinder 10; and a drain valve (not shown) for opening and closing the drain passage. The driving unit 32 is an electric motor.

The water level detection unit 33 is constituted by a known water level sensor. The temperature detection part 34 is comprised with the human body induction sensor etc. which irradiate infrared rays into the drum 11. As shown in FIG. Each of the storage capacity detection unit 35 and the eccentricity detection unit 36 is constituted by a current detection circuit that detects a current flowing to the drive unit 32 , or the like. One of the storage capacity detection unit 35 and the eccentricity detection unit 36 may also serve as the other.

The control unit 37 is configured, for example, as a microcomputer including a memory such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory) or a RAM (Random Access Memory), and a timer for timekeeping, and is built in the housing 2 . The water supply unit 30, the drainage unit 31, the drive unit 32, the water level detection unit 33, the temperature detection unit 34, the storage capacity detection unit 35, and the eccentricity detection unit 36 plus the aforementioned power button 5, display operation unit 6, and switch unit 15 And the locking part 20 is electrically connected to the control part 37 respectively.

The control unit 37 supplies water to the tub 10 or stops the water supply by opening and closing the water supply valve of the water supply unit 30 . The control unit 37 executes or stops the drainage of the outer cylinder 10 by opening and closing the drainage valve of the drainage unit 31 . The control unit 37 rotates the drum 11 at an arbitrary rotational speed by controlling the driving unit 32 . The detection results of the water level detection unit 33 , the temperature detection unit 34 , the accommodation capacity detection unit 35 , and the eccentricity detection unit 36 are input to the control unit 37 in real time.

When the user operates the power button 5 , the control unit 37 turns on or off the power of the front-loading washing machine 1 . The content of the user's operation on the display operation unit 6 is input to the control unit 37 . The control unit 37 controls the display content of the display operation unit 6 . The control unit 37 slides the cover 16 of the opening and closing unit 15 between an open position (see FIG. 4 ) and a closed position (see FIG. 5 ) by controlling the actuator 18 of the opening and closing unit 15 . The control part 37 slides the slider 23 of the lock part 20 between an unlocked position (see FIGS. 6 and 7 ) and a locked position (see FIGS. 8 and 9 ) by controlling the actuator 22 of the lock part 20 .

Next, the washing operation performed in front-loading washing machine 1 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 11 . When the user operates the power button 5 to turn on the front-loading washing machine 1 and then operates the display operation unit 6 to instruct to start the washing operation, the control unit 37 starts the washing operation. Then, control unit 37 first executes a confirmation process of confirming the presence or absence of a person in drum 11 .

As a confirmation process, the control unit 37 rotates the drum 11 at a low speed through the driving unit 32, and detects the storage capacity in the drum 11 based on the unevenness of the current value detected by the storage capacity detection unit 35 and the eccentricity detection unit 36 at this time. and the eccentricity of the rotating drum 11 (step S1).

And the control part 37 compares the temperature in the drum 11 which is the detection result of the temperature detection part 34, and the 1st threshold value memorize|stored in the memory of the control part 37 (step S2). The first threshold is a value when an object that is lower than a human body temperature and has a large temperature difference from its surroundings moves, and is predetermined through experiments or the like.

When the temperature in the drum 11 is below the first threshold (Yes in step S2), the control unit 37 compares the detection result of the storage capacity detection unit 35, that is, the storage capacity in the drum 11, with the storage capacity stored in the memory of the control unit 37. The second threshold value is compared (step S3). An example of the storage capacity in the drum 11 is the weight of the content. The second threshold is a value smaller than the weight of a person, especially a child, and is determined in advance through experiments or the like.

When the storage capacity in the drum 11 is equal to or less than the second threshold (Yes in step S3), the control unit 37 stores the result of the detection by the eccentricity detection unit 36, that is, the eccentricity of the drum 11, in the memory of the control unit 37. The third threshold value is compared (step S4). The third threshold is a value smaller than the amount of eccentricity of drum 11 when rotating with a person entering, and is determined in advance through experiments or the like.

In the confirmation process, the detection result of the temperature detection unit 34 is equal to or less than the first threshold (YES in step S2 ), and the detection result of the storage capacity detection unit 35 is equal to or less than the second threshold (YES in step S3 ), and the eccentric When the detection result of the quantity detection part 36 is below a 3rd threshold (YES in step S4), the control part 37 judges that there is no one in the drum 11. Then, after the control unit 37 confirms that there is no one in the drum 11 in the confirmation process, the door 3 is locked by the lock unit 20 in the state of closing the entrance 10A of the outer cylinder 10 (step S5), and the opening and closing unit 15 locks the door 3 to close the door 3. The vent hole 10C of the outer cylinder 10 is closed (step S6). Thereby, the outer cylinder 10 is sealed.

Then, the control unit 37 continues the washing operation with the tub 10 sealed (step S7). Specifically, the washing operation includes a washing process, a rinsing process after the washing process, and a dehydration process after the rinsing process.

During the cleaning process, the control unit 37 stores water in the tub 10 to a predetermined water level by opening the water supply valve of the water supply unit 30 while the drain valve of the drain unit 31 is closed, and then rotates the drum 11 by the driving unit 32. . Therefore, the laundry in the drum 11 is hammer-washed by repeated tumbling in which it is lifted up to a certain extent and then naturally falls to the water surface. In beat washing, the impact of tumbling and the detergent components contained in the detergent water stored in the drum 11 remove dirt from the laundry. In the rinsing process, the laundry in drum 11 is repeatedly tumbled while tap water is stored in tub 10 to a predetermined water level to be rinsed.

During the dehydration process, the control unit 37 rotates the drum 11 for dehydration while opening the drain valve of the drain unit 31 . The laundry in drum 11 is dehydrated by the centrifugal force generated by the dehydration rotation of drum 11 . Water seeped from the laundry by dehydration is drained out of the machine through the drain path of the drain unit 31 . In the case that the drum washing machine 1 has a drying function, the control part 37 may perform the drying process after the dehydration process. In this case, drum washing machine 1 includes a supply unit (not shown) that supplies hot air into drum 11 , and laundry in drum 11 is dried by supplying hot air into drum 11 in a drying process.

When the dehydration process or the drying process ends, the control part 37 releases the lock of the door 3 by sliding the slider 23 of the locking part 20 to the unlocked position in the state where the drum 11 stops rotating, and the cover 16 of the opening and closing part 15 Slide to the open position to open the vent hole 10C of the outer cylinder 10 (step S8). As a result, the washing operation ends, and control unit 37 turns off the power supply of front-loading washing machine 1 .

It should be noted that during the washing operation after the confirmation process, even when the user operates the display operation unit 6 to interrupt the washing operation, the control unit 37 unlocks the door 3 and opens the ventilation hole 10C. Then, when the user operates the display operation unit 6 to restart the washing operation, the control unit 37 locks the door 3 again and closes the ventilation holes 10C. The control unit 37 may execute the confirmation process again before restarting the washing operation.

On the other hand, in the confirmation process, when the detection result of temperature detection unit 34 is higher than the first threshold (NO in step S2 ), control unit 37 determines that there may be a person in drum 11 . When the detection result of storage capacity detection unit 35 is higher than the second threshold (NO in step S3 ), control unit 37 also determines that there may be a person in drum 11 . When the detection result of the eccentricity amount detection part 36 is higher than a 3rd threshold (NO in step S4), the control part 37 also judges that there may be a person in the drum 11. When it is determined that there may be a person in drum 11 , control unit 37 notifies the user of the abnormality by displaying a warning on display operation unit 6 or sounding a buzzer (step S9 ), and suspends the washing operation. After that, the control unit 37 may turn off the power supply of the drum washing machine 1 .

As described above, in drum washing machine 1 , even when the power is turned on, door 3 is kept unlocked until no one is confirmed in drum 11 in the confirmation process after power is turned on. Therefore, even if the power of the front-loading washing machine 1 is turned on when a person enters the drum 11, the person in the drum 11 can easily open the door 3 from the inside and get out of the drum 11. Therefore, the safety of front-loading washing machine 1 can be improved.

In addition, in the front-loading washing machine 1, the door 3 will not be locked unless the power button 5 and the display operation part 6 are operated from the outside. Physically impossible. Therefore, the door 3 will not be locked by the operation of a person entering the drum 11 . In addition, in the door 3 that is located in the closed position in an unlocked state, the magnet 24 of the protrusion 21 is attracted by the metal member 28 (see FIG. 2 ) on the side of the box body 2, and the door 3 does not seal the entrance and exit 10A of the outer cylinder 10 thereby. Only by the magnetic force of magnet 24 under the state of being positioned gently, so the person in the cylinder 11 can easily open door 3 with light force from the inside. When the door 3 is opened, the magnet 24 leaves the metal part 28 and moves together with the door 3 and the protrusion 21 .

In addition, in the front-loading washing machine 1, even if the power is turned on, the lock of the door 3 is released and the vent hole 10C of the tub 10 is open until no one is confirmed in the drum 11 in the confirmation process after the power is turned on. Therefore, even if people enter the state in the drum 11, no matter how the power supply of the drum washing machine 1 is turned on or off, the people in the drum 11 can continue to breathe through the external air flowing into the outer cylinder 10 from the vent hole 10C, and can easily breathe. The door 3 is opened from the inside to get out of the drum 11. Therefore, it is possible to further improve the safety of the front-loading washing machine 1 .

In particular, the presence or absence of a person in drum 11 can be confirmed more accurately by triple rigorous confirmation processing using the detection results of temperature detection unit 34 , storage capacity detection unit 35 , and eccentricity detection unit 36 .

In addition, when it is confirmed that there is no one in the drum 11 in the confirmation process, the locking part 20 locks the door 3 that has closed the door 10A in a state that is pushed toward the outer cylinder 10, so that the locked door 3 locks the outer cylinder 10. 10A of entrances and exits are sealed (refer to FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 ). Furthermore, the opening and closing portion 15 closes the vent hole 10C of the outer cylinder 10 (see FIG. 5 ). Thereby, the safety of front-loading washing machine 1 can be improved, and water leakage from tub 10 can be prevented during washing operation after confirmation processing.

In particular, in the locking part 20, when the slider 23 on the side of the box body 2 slides toward the protrusion 21 of the door 3, the inclined surface 21C and the inclined surface 23B provided on at least one of the protrusion 21 and the slider 23 will be turned to the other side. The protrusion 21 is pushed toward the outer cylinder 10 side. Therefore, the lock part 20 can lock the door 3 which closed the doorway 10A in the state pushed toward the outer cylinder 10 side.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various changes can be made within the scope described in the claims.

For example, the above-mentioned confirmation process may be executed immediately before the start of the washing operation, that is, as soon as the power of the front-loading washing machine 1 is turned on. In addition, the confirmation process may be repeated a plurality of times.

Claims

A drum washing machine, comprising:

box;

The outer cylinder, capable of storing water, is arranged in the box and provided with an inlet and outlet for laundry;

a door, supported by the box, to open and close the entrance;

The drum has an inner space communicated with the inlet and outlet and is arranged in the outer cylinder, and the laundry is accommodated in the inner space;

a driving part for rotating the drum;

a locking portion that locks the door in a state that the doorway is closed; and

a control section that controls the driving section and the locking section,

The front-loading washing machine is in a state in which the door is unlocked by the locking portion when the power is turned off, wherein

When the power of the front-loading washing machine is turned on, the control unit executes a confirmation process for checking the presence or absence of persons in the drum. The locking portion locks the door in a state in which the doorway is closed.
The drum washing machine according to claim 1, wherein,

There are ventilation holes in the outer cylinder,

The drum washing machine includes an opening and closing unit for opening and closing the ventilation hole, and the opening and closing unit is in a state of opening the ventilation hole when the power supply of the drum washing machine is turned off,

When the power of the front-loading washing machine is turned on, the control unit closes the ventilation hole by the opening and closing unit after confirming that there is no one in the drum in the confirmation process.
The drum washing machine according to claim 1 or 2, wherein,

The front-loading washing machine includes: a temperature detection unit that detects a temperature inside the drum; a storage capacity detection unit that detects a storage capacity in the drum; and an eccentricity detection unit that detects an eccentricity of the rotating drum,

In the confirmation process, the detection result of the temperature detection unit is equal to or less than a first threshold, the detection result of the storage capacity detection unit is equal to or less than a second threshold, and the detection result of the eccentricity detection unit is a third threshold. In the following cases, the control unit determines that there is no one in the drum.
The drum washing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein,

The locking portion locks the door, which has closed the entrance, in a state of being pushed toward the outer cylinder.
The drum washing machine according to claim 4, wherein,

The locking part includes: a protrusion provided on the door; and a slider provided on the box and capable of sliding close to or away from the protrusion when the door closes the entrance and exit,

An inclined surface is provided on at least one of the protrusion and the slider,

The slider pushes the protrusion toward the outer cylinder side at the inclined surface when sliding toward the protrusion side.