JP2846006B2 - How to operate a washing machine - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method of operating a washing machine, and more particularly, to a water level control of a water level which is optimal for eliminating imbalance of clothes.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, it has been known that short-period stirring at an appropriate water level according to the amount of clothing, that is, water level of so-called balance stirring is effective for eliminating imbalance. However, since the customer's will is respected for the water level setting and the water flow setting by the so-called manual operation according to the customer's will, for example, when a small amount of clothes is washed at a high water level, the amount of cloth is large. As a result of the water level of the balance stirring, a sufficient balance effect of the clothes could not be obtained.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

The prior art described above places importance on respect for the will of the user, and thus does not provide the best means for eliminating imbalance even at the time of arbitrary setting.

An object of the present invention is to provide an optimal means for eliminating imbalance while respecting the user's will.

[Means for solving the problem]

The present invention relates to an outer tub placed in an outer frame, a washing and dewatering tub rotatably placed in the outer tub, and a stirring rotating body rotatably placed on the inner bottom of the washing and dehydrating tub. A motor that rotationally drives the rotating body and the washing and dewatering tub, a hanging rod and a vibration isolator that suspends and supports the outer tub on an outer frame,
A water supply solenoid valve for pouring washing water into the outer tub, a water level sensor for detecting a water level in the outer tub, a cloth amount sensing means, and a controller for controlling operations such as washing, rinsing and dehydration; When the water level is detected, the water supply solenoid valve is closed to stop water supply, and the motor is energized to stir and rotate the rotating body. Detect and execute a washing operation in which the rotating body is stirred and rotated by supplying water to a water level determined based on the detected laundry cloth amount value. Under a low water level, a balance stirring operation is performed in which the rotating body is agitated and rotated at an inversion cycle shorter than that of the washing operation, and the low water level during the balanced stirring operation is determined by the agitation cloth detected by the cloth amount sensing means. To the quantity value According to the manual operation water level setting means that can arbitrarily select the water level, when the user has washed the water level, the selection operation is performed at that water level, and in the subsequent balance stirring operation, the laundry amount sensing means is used. It is characterized in that the water level is set based on the detected laundry cloth value.

[Action]

When the water level for washing is selected by the manually operated water level setting means, the washing operation is executed at that water level. However, the balance stirring operation before the dehydration operation is performed at the water level based on the laundry cloth value detected by the cloth amount sensing means,
The unevenness of the cloth is healed well.

〔Example〕

An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, a synthetic resin outer tank 4 is suspended in a steel plate outer frame 1 by a suspension rod 2 and a vibration isolator including a coil spring and an elastic member. Four suspension rods 2 and four anti-vibration devices 3 are provided.

In the outer tub 4 for storing water for washing, a washing and dewatering tub 5 made of synthetic resin is rotatably provided. Washing and dewatering tub 5
Are provided with a large number of dehydration holes 5a, and a rotating body 6 made of a pulsator or an agitator is rotatably provided at the center. During the washing operation and the rinsing operation, the washing and dewatering tub 5 is stopped, and the rotating body 6 is turned clockwise and counterclockwise (rotating operation). During the spin-drying operation, the washing and spin-drying tub 5 is rotated in one direction. The rotation of the rotating body 6 and the washing and dewatering tub 5 is performed by a driving device 7.

The driving device 7 includes a motor 8, a transmission unit 9 including a pulley 9 a and a belt 9 b for transmitting the rotation to the rotating body 6 of the motor 8 or the washing and dewatering tub 5, and rotating only the rotating body 6 during washing and rinsing. Or, it comprises a clutch device 10 for rotating the washing and dewatering tub 5 during dehydration, a solenoid 7a for switching the clutch device 10, and a drainage device 12 for controlling drainage.

The driving device 7 is fixed to the bottom surface of the outer tub 4 by using a support plate 15 made of a steel plate. The outer tank 4 has an inlet 4c for connecting a PS tube 27 for transmitting the pressure of water in the outer tank 4 to a water level sensor 26.
Is provided.

In the upper part of the outer frame 1, there is a slot 19a for taking in and out laundry.
A top cover 19 made of a synthetic resin is provided which forms an operation box 19b for storing electric components such as a controller.
The input port 19a is provided with a lid 20 made of a synthetic resin, and a lid switch 20a for detecting excessive opening and closing due to opening and closing of the lid 20 and imbalance.

The water level sensor 26 arranged in the operation box 19b detects the pressure of the water in the outer tub 4 to determine whether or not water has accumulated to a specified water level. The water level sensor 26 includes a core, a coil, a spring, and the like.

A controller for controlling washing, rinsing, dehydration and the like is arranged in the storage box 31.

On the operation panel 21, a power switch button 29 and an external operation switch 30 are arranged.

 FIG. 2 shows the appearance of the operation panel 21.

In the above configuration, when the power switch button 29 is pressed to turn on the power and the "center (standard)" button of the external operation switch 30 is pressed, the water supply solenoid valve 25 is energized by a signal from the controller, Water is supplied into the washing and dewatering tub 5. At this time, the solenoid 7a is also energized to be in a dewatering state, and the washing and dewatering tub 5 is similarly placed in a rotatable state. Then, the motor 8 is energized for 0.8 seconds ON-4 seconds OFF, and the washing and spin-drying tub 5 rotates in one direction with a gentle rotation so that the water supplied to the laundry in the washing and spin-drying tub is completely discharged. It takes evenly. By performing such control, the clothing in the tank is in a completely compacted state without a mixture of the compress and the dry compress. Therefore, the accuracy of sensing for detecting the load amount can be improved.

When the water level sensor detects the water supply to the bottom water level, the power supply to the water supply solenoid valve 25 and the solenoid 7a is stopped, and the motor 8
And the stirring of the rotating body 6 is performed. At this time, the clutch device 10
In the washing state and fix it so that the washing and dewatering tub 5 does not rotate. Then, the cloth amount detection and stirring is performed after operating the reverse stirring water flow 0.7 second ON-0.7 second OFF, which is weaker than the current stirring, for about 10 seconds so as not to damage the clothes.

In the cloth amount detection and stirring process, reverse stirring of ON for 0.5 seconds and OFF for 1 second is performed. Then, the back electromotive force of the motor 8 when the OFF rotating body 6 rotates by inertia is detected by the terminal voltage of the driving capacitor 8a connected to the motor 8, and this is converted into a DC rectangular wave pulse. Is to determine the laundry amount of time t ₁ between the pulses was measured. That is, since if the laundry is large large resistance to the rotating body 6, the time t ₁ between hindered pulses coasting is long. The amount of laundry is time t ₁ between the pulses is shortened reversed if small.

FIG. 3 is a circuit for converting the terminal voltage of the driving capacitor 8a of the motor 8 into a pulse, and FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the relationship between V _i and V _{o in} the circuit with time. This fourth
The figure shows a state in which the washing load is relatively small. The rise time width t1 of the _first pulse a and the second pulse b immediately after the motor is turned off is measured, and this is repeated ten times. time .SIGMA.t _1, compares the amount of laundry and the time width t ₁ data stored in予Jime microcomputer determines the detected load, water level, flow, dehydration time, etc. determined according to the amount of laundry, after Driving is performed.

Water is further supplied based on the detected load amount of the cloth amount sensing and stirring, the water supply is stopped at the sensing set water level, and the washing operation of washing and stirring is performed. This reversal cycle is ON for 1.4 seconds.
0.6 seconds OFF, more agitation water flow than cloth amount detection agitation,
Usually 12-15 minutes are allowed. Short-period stirring of 0.3 seconds ON-0.3 seconds OFF is performed for 30 seconds immediately before the end of the washing stirring. This is to obtain a cloth loosening effect for eliminating imbalance generated at the time of washing and stirring. This effect is most noticeable in a water level suitable for the amount of washing, that is, in a condition in which the inertial force of the garment when the stirring is OFF is prevented, and the extra movement is regulated.

The water level according to the capacity is set in consideration of such aspects. As described above, since the unbalance of the clothes is eliminated before the dehydration, the process can smoothly proceed to the dehydration process. This imbalance elimination is similarly performed in the rinsing process.

Also, when driving according to the user's selection, that is, during manual operation, for example, when the water level is set to a high water level by the manually operated water level setting means and a small amount of clothes are washed, the cloth amount is detected in the same manner as the "sensor (standard)". Stirring sensing is performed. Naturally, it is determined that the load is small, and the sensing set water level is stored in the controller as the low water level. Then, water is supplied to a high water level with priority given to the water level according to the user's will, and washing and stirring are performed. However, short-period stirring after the end of washing agitation, that is, before performing the balancing agitation, based on the information of the sensing setting water level obtained by the previous laundry amount detection stirring, draining to the low water level of the sensing setting water level. Control to perform balance stirring. That is, balance stirring is performed at an appropriate water level. The information of the sensing set water level is controlled so as to be valid over the entire cycle.

〔The invention's effect〕

According to the present invention, even at the time of manual operation, the sensing setting water level information based on the cloth amount sensing result is enabled,
Since it is possible to perform balance stirring at the appropriate water level,
Excessive vibration of the outer tub due to unbalance of clothes can be prevented. There is an effect that the stop rate of the fully automatic cycle due to frequent operation of the cover switch for preventing abnormal rotation can be minimized.

[Brief description of the drawings]

Longitudinal sectional view of a washing machine of an embodiment of Figure 1 the present invention, the panel plan view of Fig. 2 washing machine driving operation section, Figure 3 is laundry weight sensing circuit diagram, Fig. 4 V _i, FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a relationship of V _o . 5: washing tub dehydration tub, 6: rotating body, 8: motor, 20
a ... lid switch, 26 ... water level sensor.

────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Toshiyasu Kamano 1-1-1, Higashitaga-cho, Hitachi City, Ibaraki Prefecture Inside the Taga Plant of Hitachi, Ltd. No. 1 No. 1 Hitachi, Ltd. Taga in the factory (56) reference Patent Sho 62-290495 (JP, a) JP flat 1-256998 (JP, a) (58 ) investigated the field (Int.Cl. ⁶ , DB name) D06F 33 / 02,41 / 00

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. An outer tub mounted in an outer frame, a washing and dewatering tub rotatably placed in the outer tub, and a stirring rotating body rotatably mounted on the inner bottom of the washing and dewatering tub. And a motor that rotationally drives the rotating body and the washing and dewatering tub, a hanging rod and a vibration isolator that suspends and supports the outer tub on an outer frame,
A water supply solenoid valve for pouring washing water into the outer tub, a water level sensor for detecting a water level in the outer tub, a cloth amount sensing means, and a controller for controlling operations such as washing, rinsing, and dehydration; When the water level is detected, the water supply solenoid valve is closed to stop water supply, the motor is energized, and the rotating body is agitated and rotated.
During the inertial rotation after the motor is turned off, the laundry amount is measured by the laundry amount sensing means to detect the laundry amount, and water is supplied to a water level determined based on the detected laundry amount value to stir the rotating body. When the washing operation is performed and the dehydration operation performed after the washing is performed, the balance body is agitated and rotated at a reversal cycle shorter than the washing operation under the water level lower than the water level of the washing operation. Operation, the low water level during the balance stirring operation is determined based on the agitation cloth amount value detected by the cloth amount sensing means, and the manual operation water level setting means capable of arbitrarily selecting the water level allows the user to set the water level. When selected, the washing operation is performed at that water level, and in the subsequent balance agitation operation, the water level is set based on the laundry cloth amount value detected by the cloth amount sensing means. Law.