JPH07323195A - Washing machine dryer combination device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Purpose] In a combination of a washing machine and a dryer,
Effectively use the data from the washing machine to drive the dryer. [Configuration] A dryer is installed above a washing machine via a stand. The motor of the washing machine is provided with a rotation sensor for detecting the weight of the laundry. The motor of the dryer is provided with a rotation sensor for detecting the amount of material to be dried. Connect the control circuit of the washing machine and dryer with a cable. When the washing process is started, the weight of the laundry in a dry state is detected (S1).
The weight of the laundry containing water is detected (S4), the water content of the laundry is obtained (S5), and the data is transmitted to the dryer (S6). When the drying operation of the laundry is started (S8), the amount of material to be dried is detected (S9), and based on this amount of material to be dried and the dehydration rate, the optimum drying time, heater output and initial forward reversal of the rotary drum are detected. The cycle is set (S1
0), the drying operation is executed (S12).

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a washing machine / dryer combination apparatus which is a combination of a washing machine and a dryer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, at home,
2. Description of the Related Art A clothes dryer for drying laundry is installed on a washing machine for washing clothes through a stand. As a result, the washing machine and the dryer can be compactly installed, and the laundry after the washing operation (dehydration process) can be immediately put in the dryer and dried.

However, in the conventional apparatus of this type, the dryer is simply arranged in the vicinity of the washing machine, and the washing machine and the dryer are individually independent. That is,
The washing machine is controlled by an independent control circuit based on the user's operation of the operation unit and detection of various sensors. On the other hand, the dryer is also controlled by the operation unit of the user. It is designed to be performed by an independent control circuit based on the operation and the detection of various sensors, and does not give any relation to the operation control of both.

[0004]

In a dryer, for example, the weight of the material to be dried is detected at the start of operation, and the drying time and the like are automatically set based on the detection. There is no function to detect how much water a dried product contains. For this reason, the optimum drying time is not always set, and there are circumstances in which the drying time is too long and energy and time are wasted, and conversely, insufficient drying results in poor finish quality. It was

There are cases where the user wants to use the washing machine and the dryer at the same time. However, if both are to be used at the same time, especially when the heater of the dryer is operated at a high output, the household power There is a possibility that the rated current will be exceeded, and when using the washing machine and the dryer at the same time, there was a situation in which the user had to determine whether or not the rated current was exceeded and adjust the use.

On the other hand, according to the research conducted by the present inventors,
If the washing machine and dryer are combined so as to have a relationship in terms of operation control, the drying time of the dryer can be set more accurately, and whether or not the user exceeds the rated current. It has been found that various merits can be obtained such that a washing machine and a dryer can be used at the same time without having to worry about them.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a washing machine / dryer combination apparatus which can effectively utilize the data on the side of the washing machine in the operation of the dryer.

[0008]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a washing machine / dryer combination apparatus, wherein the washing machine / driving machine data is sent to the drying machine side, and the washing machine / dryer side data is sent based on the washing machine side data. It is characterized in that it is provided with a control means for performing operation control.

A washing machine / dryer combination device according to a second aspect of the present invention is a combination of a washing machine and a dryer, wherein all or a part of the laundry completed by the washing machine is used as an article to be dried. Dryer weight detection means provided on the side of the washing machine for obtaining weight data of the laundry in a dry state, and the laundry in a water-containing state provided on the side of the washing machine. The wet cloth weight detecting means for obtaining the weight data of the dry cloth, the dried cloth amount detecting means for obtaining the weight data of the wet object to be dried provided in the dryer side, which is put in the rotary drum of the dryer, Drying operation control means for controlling the operation of the dryer based on the dehydration rate of the laundry based on the detection of the weight detection means and the compress weight detection means and the weight data of the dried object detected by the dried material amount detection means; Equipped with Characterized by the Rutokoro.

In this case, the dry cloth weight detecting means is configured to obtain the weight data of the laundry in a dry state before the washing step of the washing machine is executed, and the wet cloth weight detecting means is used to execute the final dehydration step of the washing machine. The weight data of the laundry in a water-containing state can be obtained later (the invention of claim 3). Further, the dried object amount detecting means may be configured to obtain the weight data of the dried object based on the detection of the rotation speed of the rotary drum (the invention of claim 4).

The drying operation control means may be configured to control at least one of the drying time, the heater output, and the initial forward / reverse cycle of the rotary drum (the invention of claim 5). In addition, the drying object amount detecting means is configured to obtain the weight data of the drying object during the drying operation, and the drying operation control means performs drying based on the weight data of the drying object during the drying operation. It can also be configured to determine the end of driving (the invention of claim 6). Furthermore, while providing a cloth quality input means for inputting the cloth quality data of the laundry,
The drying operation control means may be configured to correct the drying time or the heater output according to the cloth quality of the laundry input by the cloth quality input means (the invention of claim 7).

The washing machine / dryer combination device according to claim 8 of the present invention is a combination of a washing machine and a dryer that can be operated simultaneously with the washing machine. Is simultaneously operated, the heater control means for suppressing the heater output of the dryer is provided based on the stroke data on the side of the washing machine except the water supply stroke and the drain stroke. Further, claim 9 of the present invention
The washing machine / dryer combination device of (1) detects the current or power consumption flowing in the drive circuit of the washing machine and the washing machine side current or power data detected by the detecting means is equal to or more than a predetermined value. It is characterized in that it comprises a heater control means for suppressing the heater output.

[0013]

According to the washing machine / dryer combination apparatus of claim 1 of the present invention, the data of the washing machine side is sent to the dryer side, and the control means controls the operation of the dryer based on the washing machine side data. Since it is performed, it is possible to effectively control the operation of the dryer by using the washing machine side data.

According to the washing machine / dryer combination device of the second aspect of the present invention, the weight data of the dry laundry is obtained by the dry cloth weight detecting means on the washing machine side, and the wet cloth weight detecting means on the washing machine side is obtained. The weight data of the laundry containing water is obtained, and the dehydration rate of the laundry, that is, how much water the laundry contains can be obtained from the weight data. When the whole or a part of the laundry is dried by a dryer as a material to be dried, the weight data of the material to be dried can be obtained by the amount-of-drying-object detecting means on the dryer side. Is given as the washing machine side data, the drying operation control means can perform appropriate operation control according to the state of the article to be dried based on the weight data of the article to be dried and the dehydration rate. become able to.

In this case, the dry cloth weight detecting means is configured to obtain the weight data of the laundry in a dry state before executing the washing step of the washing machine, and the wet cloth weight detecting means is used for executing the final dehydration step of the washing machine. If the weight data of the laundry in the water-containing state is obtained later (invention of claim 3), both weight data can be obtained accurately. Further, if the means for detecting the amount of the dried object is configured to obtain the weight data of the dried object based on the detection of the rotation speed of the rotary drum (the invention of claim 4), the rotation is performed according to the amount of the dried object. By utilizing the fact that the rotational load of the drum changes, the weight of the material to be dried can be directly detected, so that the configuration for data processing becomes simple.

In the drying operation, there is an optimum drying time, an optimum heater output, and an optimum initial rotation period of the rotating drum depending on the weight of the material to be dried and the dehydration rate. If at least one of the drying time, the heater output and the initial forward / reverse cycle of the rotary drum is controlled (invention of claim 5), an effective drying operation can be performed. Further, since the weight of the material to be dried in a dry state can be theoretically obtained from the weight of the material to be dried and the dehydration rate, the weight data of the material to be dried during the drying operation can be obtained and the drying operation control means can be provided. If the end of the drying operation is determined based on the weight data of the material to be dried during the drying operation (the invention of claim 6), the drying operation can be ended at the optimum end time. Furthermore, since the progress of drying varies depending on the cloth quality of the laundry, a cloth quality input means for inputting the cloth quality data of the laundry is provided, and the drying operation control means controls the cloth operation. If the drying time or the heater output is modified according to the quality (the invention of claim 7), a more effective drying operation can be performed according to the quality of the cloth.

If the heater of the dryer is operated at a high output while the motor of the washing machine is being driven, the rated current may be exceeded. According to this, since the heater control means for suppressing the heater output of the dryer except the water supply process and the drainage process of the washing machine is provided, it is possible to prevent the rated current from being exceeded. Further, according to the washing machine / dryer combination device of claim 9 of the present invention, the heater control unit suppresses the heater output of the dryer when the current or power consumption detected by the detection unit is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the rated current from being exceeded, and more precise control can be performed.

[0018]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Some embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. (1) First Example First, a first example of the present invention (corresponding to claims 1 to 5) will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5. FIG. 5 shows an external configuration of the washing machine / dryer combination device 1 according to the present embodiment,
Here, the washing machine 2 including, for example, a fully automatic washing machine is placed on the waterproof pan 3 and installed on the floor, and the dryer 4 is placed on the stand 5 attached to the back side of the washing machine 2. It is placed and installed above the washing machine 2.

Although not shown and described in detail, the washing machine 2 has a rotary tub 8 having a large number of through holes in a water receiving tub 7 provided in an outer box 6 and further rotating the tub 8. Tank 8
Is provided with an agitator 9 for water flow generation at the inner bottom of the. A motor 10 and a mechanism 11 are provided on the outer bottom of the water receiving tank 7. The motor 10 and the mechanism 11 rotate the stirring body 9 in the forward and reverse directions in the steps of washing and rinsing. In the dehydration process, the rotary tank 8 is rotated at high speed together with the stirring body 9.

A top cover 12 having a laundry inlet / outlet is provided on the upper part of the outer box 6, and an operation panel having an operation section 13 and a display section 14 (see FIG. 3) is provided there. At the same time, a washing machine control circuit 15 (see FIG. 3) including a microcomputer and the like is provided on the back side thereof. The top cover 12 is provided with a lid for opening and closing the laundry entrance. As shown in FIG. 3, the washing machine control circuit 15 includes the operation unit 13 and the water level sensor 1.
6 and a signal from a rotation sensor 17 or the like, which will be described later, and receives a signal from a drive circuit 18 according to a prestored operation program or the like
The motor 10, the water supply valve 19, the drain valve 20 and the like are controlled via the motor, so that the washing operation including the steps of washing, rinsing and dehydrating is executed.

In the washing machine 2, the functions of the dry cloth weight detecting means and the wet cloth weight detecting means are realized by the software configuration of the rotation sensor 17 and the washing machine control circuit 15. In this case, the rotation sensor 17 is composed of, for example, an 8-pole permanent magnet that is provided around the rotation axis of the motor 10 and a Hall IC that detects a change in the magnetic flux of the permanent magnet. It is designed to output individual pulses. Here, since the rotation speed (rotation speed) of the motor 10 changes depending on the rotation load of the stirring body 9 or the rotary tub 8, in other words, the rotation sensor 17 causes the rotation sensor 17 to output a pulse signal corresponding to the weight of the laundry. Will be output.

Before the washing process (water supply) is started, the washing machine control circuit 15 operates in the rotary tub 8 (agitator 9).
In the state that the dry laundry (dry cloth) is stored in the above),
The motor 10 is energized in a predetermined pattern. Then, the weight of the dry cloth is obtained based on that the pulse output from the rotation sensor 17 in the predetermined period at this time is integrated by the load amount detection circuit 21, and the dry cloth weight data is given to the washing machine control circuit 15. Be done. Based on the dry cloth weight thus obtained, the washing machine control circuit 15 determines, for example, the washing water level, the time of washing, rinsing, etc.
The washing operation is executed by automatically setting the strength of the water flow.

Further, the washing machine control circuit 15 also energizes the motor 10 in a predetermined pattern after the final dehydration process is completed. At this time, the rotary tub 8 and the agitator 9 are rotated in a state of containing the dehydrated water-containing laundry (compressed cloth). Then, the weight of the compress is obtained based on the pulse output from the rotation sensor 17 in the predetermined period at this time being integrated by the load amount detection circuit 21, and the compress weight data is used as the compressing weight data.
Is given to. The washing machine control circuit 15 determines the following (1) from the dry cloth weight data and the wet cloth weight data.
The dehydration rate represented by the formula is calculated. Dehydration rate (%) = (weight of dry cloth / weight of compress) × 100 (1)

On the other hand, in the dryer 4, as shown in FIG. 5, a rotary drum 23 is rotatably provided in an outer box 22 having a material inlet / outlet port 22a on the front surface thereof, and a heater 24 for generating hot air is provided. And a fan 25 also serving as a heat exchanger, and a motor 26 for rotating and driving the rotary drum 23 and the fan 25. In this case, substantially the first half of the rotary drum 23 is formed in a taper shape with a gradually decreasing diameter, and the lower surface of the outer box 22 is also inclined in accordance with the taper, so that the washing machine 2 The installation height position of the drier 4 is lowered without impairing the loading and unloading property of the laundry in the case of 1.

On the front surface of the outer box 22, there is provided a door 27 for opening and closing the article inlet / outlet 22a, and an operation panel having an operation section 28 and a display section 29 (see FIG. 3). It is provided. As shown in FIG. 3, a dryer control circuit 30 including a microcomputer is provided on the back surface of the operation panel. The dryer control circuit 30 receives signals from the operation unit 28, a rotation sensor 31 described later, and the like, and drives the heater 24 and the motor 26 via the drive circuit 32 in accordance with prestored operation programs, control data, and the like. Is controlled so that the drying operation is executed. in this case,
The heater 24 has two levels of strength (1200 W / 600
The output can be switched to W), and the switching is performed by the dryer control circuit 30.

In the dryer 4, the articles to be dried put in the rotary drum 23 (laundry in a water-containing state after dehydration is completed) by the software configuration of the rotation sensor 31 and the dryer control circuit 30. The function of the amount-of-drying-object detecting means for obtaining the weight data of) is realized. In this case, the rotation sensor 31 uses the motor 2
For example, an eight-pole permanent magnet provided around the rotation axis of 6, and
And a Hall IC that detects changes in the magnetic flux,
Four pulses are output for each rotation of the motor 26. Here, the motor 26 uses the rotary drum 23.
In other words, since the number of rotations (rotational speed) changes according to the load to be dried, the rotation sensor 31 outputs a pulse signal according to the weight of the laundry.

As will be described later in the explanation of the operation, the dryer control circuit 30 controls the rotary drum 2 before starting the drying operation.
The motor 26 is energized with the material to be dried housed in 3. Then, from the start of energization at this time, the rotation sensor 3
1 outputs 30 pulses, that is, the rotary drum 23
1/4 rotation (reduction ratio 1/30 of the motor 26) is obtained by the load amount detection circuit 33 in accordance with the time (rotational speed of the rotating drum 23), and the weight data is obtained. It is provided to the dryer control circuit 30.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the washing machine control circuit 15 and the dryer control circuit 30 are connected to the data transmission cable 34, and the data on the washing machine 2 side is connected. Can be sent to the dryer control circuit 30 of the dryer 4. Here, the above-mentioned data of the dehydration rate is supplied from the washing machine control circuit 15 to the dryer control circuit 30.

Then, as will be described in detail later in the description of the operation, the dryer control circuit 30 controls the data of the dehydration rate given from the washing machine control circuit 15 and the object to be dried detected on the dryer 4 side. It functions as a drying operation control means for controlling the drying operation based on the weight data of
In the present embodiment, the dryer control circuit 30 automatically sets the drying time, the heater 24 output, and the initial forward / reverse cycle of the rotary drum 23 from the basic setting data of FIG. 4A based on the weight data of the material to be dried. Then, based on the dehydration rate, as shown in FIG.
The drying time of the setting is corrected from the correction data of (b), and the drying operation is executed on the correction.

Next, the operation of the above configuration will be described with reference to FIGS. Now, when the user performs washing with the washing machine 2 and then all or a part of the washed laundry is dried by the dryer 4 as an article to be dried, the procedure shown in the flowchart of FIG. 1 is used. Control is executed.

That is, when the user stores the laundry in the rotary tub 8 of the washing machine 2 and operates the operation unit 13 to start the washing operation, first, in step S1, the above-described operation is performed. The dry cloth weight is required. At this time, since the laundry is still in a water-free state, it is possible to accurately obtain the weight data of the laundry in a dry state. Based on the dry cloth weight data, the washing machine control circuit 15 automatically sets, for example, the washing water level, the time for washing, rinsing, etc., the strength of the water flow, etc. according to the amount of laundry, and the steps of washing, rinsing, and dewatering. Is executed (step S2).

When the final dehydration process is completed (Yes in step S3), the above-described operation is performed in step S4 to obtain the weight of the compress. Also in this case, the weight data of the final wet laundry, that is, the laundry to be put in the dryer later can be accurately obtained.
In the next step S5, the dehydration rate is obtained by the above formula (1) from the data of the dry cloth weight obtained in step S1 and the data of the wet cloth weight obtained in step S4.
In step S6, the dehydration rate data is transmitted to the dryer control circuit 30 on the dryer 4 side. When the transmission of the dehydration rate data is completed, the washing operation is ended (step S
7).

Here, the user takes out the laundry from the washing machine 2 and stores it in the dryer 4, but not all the laundry is put in the dryer 4, and some of them are not put in. For example, only laundry of the same type (differentiated from synthetic fiber, cotton, etc.) is put into the dryer 4, or extremely delicate clothes are removed from the object to be dried, and only other clothes are put in. In this case, even if only a part of the laundry is put into the dryer 4 as the material to be dried, the dehydration rate of the material to be dried can be regarded as the same as the dehydration rate of the entire laundry (step S5). .

After the user puts in the material to be dried and operates the operating portion 28 to start the drying operation (Yes in step S8), the material to be dried (washing in a water-containing state) is started in step S9. Object) is detected. In this embodiment, the weight data of the material to be dried is not calculated to a very small value, but the amount of the material to be dried is determined in three stages of large, medium and small. This processing is performed by the dryer control circuit 30, specifically according to the flowchart shown in FIG.

That is, first, in step S21, the motor 2
6 is energized, and at the same time, the timer is started in step S22 and the number of pulses of the rotation sensor 31 is started. Then, when the count value of the number of pulses reaches 30 (1/4 rotation of the rotary drum 23) (Yes in step S23), in the next step S24,
The timer is stopped and the counting of the number of pulses is stopped.

Here, as described above, the rotary drum 23
Rotational load of the rotary drum 2
As a result, the rotation speed of the motor 26 changes, so that the larger the amount of material to be dried, the longer the time required for the rotating drum 23 to make 1/4 rotation. Therefore, step S25
At, the value of the timer is compared with a threshold value (in this case, two threshold values of 1 second and 1.5 seconds). as a result,
If the value of the timer exceeds 1.5 seconds, it is determined that the amount of material to be dried is large (step S26), and if the value of the timer is 1 second or less, it is determined that the amount of material to be dried is small (step S).
27), the value of the timer is in between them (more than 1 second and 1.
If it is 5 seconds or less), the amount of the material to be dried is judged to be medium (step S28).

When the amount of the material to be dried is detected in this way, returning to the flowchart of FIG. 1, the drying operation condition, that is, the drying time, the heater 24 output, and the initial forward / reverse cycle of the rotary drum 23 are set in step S10. Is done. This setting is basically performed according to the basic setting data as shown in FIG. 4A, of which the drying time is based on the dehydration rate data transmitted in step S6.
It is performed by correcting according to the correction data as shown in (b).

Specifically, for example, when it is determined that the amount of the material to be dried is large, as shown in FIG. 4A, the drying time is 195 minutes, the heater 24 output is strong, and the initial forward / reverse cycle is long. Is set to 5 cycles with 15 seconds on and 2 seconds off, but when the dehydration rate at this time is more than 50% and 53% or less (water content is relatively large), the drying time is 10 minutes. The total is 205 minutes. The dehydration rate is 5
When it is more than 3% and not more than 56% (standard water content), the drying time is 195 minutes, and the dehydration rate is 56%.
% (Relatively low water content), the drying time is reduced by 10 minutes to 185 minutes. Even when the amount of material to be dried is medium or small, the setting and the drying time are similarly corrected.

When the control conditions for the drying operation are set in this manner, the dryer control circuit 30 controls the drying operation according to the settings (step S11). As a result, the drying operation is performed for the optimum drying time according to how much water the material to be dried contains. After the drying operation for the set drying time is performed, the operation of the dryer 4 is ended (step S12).

As described above, according to the present embodiment, unlike the conventional one in which the dryer is simply arranged in the vicinity of the washing machine, the washing machine control circuit 15 and the dryer control circuit 3 are provided.
0 is connected by the cable 34 to send the data of the washing machine 2 side to the dryer 4 side. Therefore, the dryer control circuit 30 uses the data of the washing machine 2 side to effectively operate the dryer 4. It is possible to perform various operation controls.

In this embodiment, since the data of the dehydration rate, which cannot be obtained by the dryer 4 alone, is obtained from the washing machine 2 side, the dryer control device 30 determines the weight of the material to be dried. Not only can the drying time be set accordingly, but the drying time can be adjusted to the optimum one according to how much water the object to be dried contains,
It is possible to perform the drying operation in which the finished condition is good without causing waste of energy and time.

In particular, in this embodiment, the rotation load of the rotary drum 23 is changed according to the amount of the material to be dried, so that the motor 26 of the dryer 4 is provided with the rotation sensor 31 so that the rotary drum Since the weight data of the material to be dried is obtained based on the detection of the rotation speed, it is possible to directly detect the weight of the material to be dried, unlike the electrode type sensor which is generally used conventionally. It is also possible to obtain an advantage that the circuit configuration and software configuration for data processing are simplified.

In the above embodiment, the weight of the material to be dried is judged in three steps of large, medium and small, and the drying time, the output of the heater 24 and the initial forward / reverse cycle of the rotary drum 23 are set according to the judgment. However, if the weight of the material to be dried is determined in more detail and each setting is performed, more precise control can be performed. Further, the correction based on the dehydration rate may be made more finely instead of three steps.

Further, when the weight of the material to be dried is determined in more detail, it is not the weight of the material to be dried in the water-containing state,
The theoretical weight of the dried material to be dried can be calculated from the weight of the dried material to be dried and the dehydration rate, and the drying time and the like can be set according to the weight of the dried material to be dried. .

(2) Second Embodiment Next, a second embodiment of the present invention (corresponding to claim 6) will be described with reference to FIG. Since the hardware configuration of the washing machine / dryer combination apparatus according to the present embodiment is equivalent to that of the washing machine / dryer combination apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment, a new illustration and detailed description are omitted. The signs will be the same.

The present embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the software configuration of the dryer control circuit 30.
That is, in the first embodiment, the drying time, the output of the heater 24, and the initial forward / reverse cycle of the rotary drum 23 are set and dehydrated based on the detection of the weight data of the dried object before the start of the drying operation (step S9). The drying time is corrected based on the rate (step S10), and the drying operation is executed to the end with the setting as it is (step S11). However, in the present embodiment, the dryer control circuit 30 causes the drying operation during the drying operation. The weight data of the material to be dried is also obtained, and the end of the drying operation is determined based on the weight data of the material to be dried.

Specifically, as shown in the flowchart of FIG. 6, when the drying operation is started, the weight data of the material to be dried is detected as in the case of FIG. 1 of the first embodiment (step). S9), based on the weight data (large, medium, small) and the dehydration rate, the drying time, the output of the heater 24 and the initial forward / reverse cycle of the rotary drum 23 are set (step S10). Then, the drying operation is started according to the setting (step S31), but the following routine is different from that in FIG.

Here, the routine branches to a different routine depending on the weight (large, medium, small) of the material to be dried determined in step S9 (step S32). When the weight of the material to be dried is large, for example, the drying operation is executed unconditionally for 150 minutes, and when 150 minutes have passed (Yes in step S33), the rotary drum 23 (motor 26).
Is temporarily stopped, the weight detection operation of the dried object is executed (step S34). This weight detection operation is performed in the same manner as steps S21 to S24 of FIG. 2 of the first embodiment.

Then, in the next step S35, it is determined whether or not the result (timer value) of the weight detection operation is 1 second or less. If it is 1 second or less (Yes), it is determined that the drying is completed and the drying operation is performed. It will be stopped. If the timer value exceeds 1 second, it is determined that the drying is not yet completed, the drying operation is continued, and after a predetermined time has elapsed, the process returns to step S34 again to detect the weight of the dried object. The operation is to be executed.

On the other hand, even when the weight of the material to be dried is medium, the same processing is executed in steps S36 to S38. In this case, the material to be dried is 100 minutes after the start of the drying operation. The weight detection operation is executed, and when the timer value is 0.8 seconds or less, it is determined that the drying is completed. Furthermore, even when the weight of the material to be dried is small,
Similar processing is executed in steps S39 to S41, and at this time, the set values are set to 40 minutes and 0.5 seconds or less, respectively.

According to the second embodiment as described above, it is possible to carry out the drying operation with good finish without waste of energy and time, and for detecting the weight of the material to be dried. It is possible to obtain the same operation and effect as the first embodiment such that the circuit configuration and the software configuration are simplified, and in addition to this, it is possible to end the drying operation at a more optimal end time. Is what you can get.

(3) Third Embodiment Next, a third embodiment of the present invention (corresponding to claim 7) will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8. The present embodiment is different from the first embodiment in the configuration of the operation panel 41 provided in the dryer 4 and the software configuration of the dryer control circuit 30, and in the hardware of other parts. The configuration and the like are common to the washing machine / dryer combination device 1 of the first embodiment.

That is, as shown in FIG. 7, the operation panel 41 has a power switch 42, a start switch 43, a course changeover switch 44, a heater changeover switch 45, and a stroke display lamp 46 and a course display lamp 4.
7. A heater switching display lamp 48 is provided. In this embodiment, the operation panel 41 has
A cloth quality setting switch 49 is provided as a cloth quality input means for inputting cloth quality data of laundry (material to be dried), and a cloth quality display lamp 50 is further provided. Thus, the user can operate the cloth quality setting switch 49 to input the cloth quality (standard, stiff, supple) of the material to be dried, and the cloth quality data is input to the dryer control circuit 30. It is like this.

The dryer control circuit 30 is configured to correct the drying time and the condition setting of the output of the heater 24 according to the inputted cloth quality of the laundry by its software configuration. In this case, the memory of the dryer control circuit 30 stores the second correction data as shown in FIG. In this embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the drying time, the output of the heater 24, and the initial value of the rotary drum 23 are set in accordance with the basic setting data and the correction data shown in FIG. The forward / reverse cycle is set, but here, the drying time and the output of the heater 24 are further corrected according to the second correction data shown in FIG. 8 based on the inputted cloth quality. .

Specifically, when the cloth quality is "standard", the drying time is not corrected and the output of the heater 24 is also made strong, and when the cloth quality is "rough", the drying time is 2
When 0 minutes is added and the heater 24 output is made strong, and the cloth quality is "supple", the drying time is subtracted by 20 minutes and the heater 24 output is made weak.

According to this structure, it is possible to carry out the drying operation with good finish without waste of energy and time, and also the circuit structure and software structure for detecting the weight of the material to be dried. The same operation and effect as those of the above-mentioned first embodiment such as simplification can be obtained, and even if the progress of drying varies depending on the cloth quality of the laundry, the drying time can be changed according to the cloth quality. And heater 24
Since the output is corrected, a more effective drying operation can be performed according to the cloth quality of the material to be dried.

(4) Fourth Embodiment Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention (corresponding to claim 8) will be described with reference to FIG. Since the hardware configuration of this embodiment is also common to that of the washing machine / dryer combination device 1 of the first embodiment, a new illustration and detailed description will be omitted, and the same reference numerals will be used in the following description. I decided to.

In the present embodiment, the washing machine control device 15
Is configured to send the data of the stroke at that time to the dryer control circuit 30 on the dryer 4 side when the washing machine 2 is executing the washing operation. And the dryer control circuit 3
0 indicates that when the washing machine 2 and the drying machine 4 are simultaneously operated, the drying machine 4 is excluded except for the water supply process and the draining process of the washing machine 2.
It functions as a heater control means for suppressing the output of the heater 24.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 9, the washing machine 2
In the above, for example, the steps of water supply, washing, drainage, dehydration, water supply, rinsing, drainage, and dehydration are sequentially performed. At the time of this washing operation, as shown in the figure, even if the heater 24 output is set to be high in the dryer 4, the dryer control circuit 30 is performing the washing, rinsing, and dehydration steps. The heater 24 output is switched to weak. In the dryer 4, when the heater 24 output is set to "weak" by manual setting, for example, the heater 24 output is not switched.

Here, washing in the washing machine 2, rinsing,
When the dehydration process, that is, the motor 10 is driven,
For example, a current of about 5 A flows through the drive circuit. On the other hand, when the dryer 4 is operated with the strong output of the heater 24,
A current of about 12 A (1200 W) will flow. Therefore, if both are used at the same time, the rated current (for example, 15 A) of the household power supply may be exceeded.

However, in the present embodiment, when the motor 10 of the washing machine 2 is driven as described above, the dryer 4 is
Since the heater 24 is suppressed to a weak output (600 W: about 6 A), it is possible to prevent the rated current from being exceeded without any work such as increasing the rated current of the household power source. Of. Therefore, unlike the conventional case where the rated current is exceeded when the washing machine and the dryer are used at the same time, it is necessary for the user to cancel the use, etc. It becomes possible to drive both at the same time.

(5) Fifth Embodiment Finally, a fifth embodiment of the present invention (corresponding to claim 9) will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11. Figure 10
1 schematically shows an electrical configuration of a washing machine / dryer combination apparatus according to the present embodiment. Here, a washing machine 2 and a dryer 4 are shown.
Are controlled by one control circuit 51. Driving power is supplied to the control circuit 51 from a household power supply 52 through a power supply circuit 53.

Signals from a single operation panel 54 having various operation switches for the washing machine 2 and various operation switches for the dryer 4 are input to the control circuit 51, and
Signals are input from various sensors 55 on the washing machine 2 side and various sensors 56 on the dryer 4 side. Then, the control circuit 51 controls the washing machine motor 58, the water supply valve 59, the drain valve 60, and the like via the washing machine side drive circuit 57 based on the various input signals and control programs, and the dryer side. Dryer motor 6 via drive circuit 61
2 and the heater 63 are controlled. Also in this case, the heater 63 has two levels of strength (1200 W / 600
The output can be switched to W).

Now, in this embodiment, a current sensor 64 as a detecting means for detecting the current flowing through the drive circuit 57 on the washing machine 2 side is provided, and the detection signal of this current sensor 64 is inputted to the control circuit 51. It has become. Then, the control circuit 51 uses the software configuration of the washing machine 2
And the dryer 4 are simultaneously operated, when the detected current value of the current sensor 63 is a predetermined value (for example, 3 A) or more, a function as a heater control means for switching the heater 63 of the dryer 4 to a weak output. To fulfill.

FIG. 11 shows the current sensor 6 in the dehydration process.
4 shows an example of the detection signal of No. 4 at this point. At the start of dehydration, the load torque is large and the driving torque is large, and the current flowing through the washing machine motor 58 is large (for example, 5 to 6).
A). Therefore, at this time, the output of the heater 63 of the dryer 4 is strong (1200 W: about 12 A) to weak (60 W).
0W: about 6A). Then, as the dehydration process progresses, the electric current of the washing machine motor 58 gradually decreases as the load amount decreases, and finally falls below 3 A at the end of the dehydration process. At this time,
The output of the heater 63 of the dryer 4 is returned to the original high level.

As described above, according to this embodiment, similarly to the fourth embodiment, it is possible to prevent the rated current from being exceeded even if the construction for increasing the rated current of the household power source is not performed. This allows the user to drive both at the same time without any worries. In particular, in this embodiment, since the output control of the heater 63 is performed based on the actual current detection, it is possible to surely prevent the rated current from being exceeded and to perform more precise control. Is something that can be done.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and shown in the drawings. For example, the washing machine may be of a two-tub type and is a feature of each embodiment. The present invention can be implemented by appropriately changing it within a range not departing from the gist, such as a combination of configurations.

[0068]

As is apparent from the above description, the present invention has the following excellent effects.
That is, according to the washing machine / dryer combination device of claim 1, since the data of the washing machine side is sent to the dryer side, and the control means controls the operation of the dryer based on the washing machine side data.
The data on the washing machine side can be effectively used for driving the dryer.

According to the washing machine / dryer combination device of the second aspect, when all or part of the laundry washed by the washing machine is dried by the dryer as an article to be dried, it is obtained on the washing machine side. Appropriate operation control can be performed according to the condition of the material to be dried based on the dehydration rate of the laundry and the weight data of the material to be dried, and, in turn, the dry operation with no waste and good finish can be performed. You can

In this case, the dry cloth weight detecting means is configured to obtain the weight data of the laundry in a dry state before executing the washing step of the washing machine, and the wet cloth weight detecting means is provided after the final dehydration step of the washing machine. If the weight data of the laundry containing water is obtained (the washing machine / dryer combination device of claim 3), both weight data can be obtained accurately. Further, if the means for detecting the amount of dried material is configured to obtain the weight data of the dried object based on the detection of the rotation speed of the rotary drum (the washing machine / dryer combination device of claim 4), the amount of the dried object The weight of the material to be dried can be directly detected by utilizing the fact that the rotational load of the rotary drum changes according to the above, and the configuration for data processing becomes simple.

Then, the drying operation control means is set to the drying time,
If it is configured to control at least one of the heater output and the initial forward / reverse cycle of the rotary drum (the washing machine / dryer combination device of claim 5), an effective drying operation can be performed. Further, if the weight data of the dried object during the drying operation is obtained and the drying operation control means is configured to determine the end of the drying operation based on the weight data of the dried object during the drying operation (claim) 6 washer / dryer combination device), the drying operation can be ended at an optimum end time. Furthermore, while providing a cloth quality input means for inputting the cloth quality data of the laundry,
If the drying operation control means is configured to correct the drying time or the heater output according to the cloth quality (a washing machine / dryer combination device of claim 7), a more effective drying operation according to the cloth quality can be achieved. It can be carried out.

Further, according to the washing machine / dryer combination device of the eighth aspect, since the heater control means for suppressing the heater output of the dryer except for the water supply process and the drainage process of the washing machine is provided, the rated current is exceeded. It is possible to prevent the accident, and the simultaneous operation can be performed without worry. Further, according to the washing machine / dryer combination device of claim 9, the heater output of the dryer is suppressed by the heater control means when the current or the power consumption detected by the detection means is equal to or more than a predetermined value. It is possible to prevent the current from being exceeded and to perform more precise control.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a flow chart showing a control procedure according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a specific procedure for detecting the amount of dried material in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration centering on a control circuit.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing basic setting data (a) and correction data (b).

FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional side view schematically showing the entire configuration.

FIG. 6 shows a second embodiment of the present invention and is a flow chart showing the control procedure of the dryer.

FIG. 7 shows a third embodiment of the present invention and is a front view of an operation panel.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing second correction data.

FIG. 9 shows a fourth embodiment of the present invention, and is a diagram showing the relationship between the stroke of the washing machine and the heater output of the dryer.

FIG. 10 shows a fifth embodiment of the present invention and is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration centering on a control circuit.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a relationship between a state of a current change during a dehydration process and a heater output of a dryer.

[Explanation of symbols]

In the drawings, 1 is a washing machine dryer combination device, 2 is a washing machine, and 4
Is a dryer, 10 is a motor, 13 is an operating unit, 15 is a washing machine control circuit, 17 is a rotation sensor (dry cloth weight detecting means, wet cloth weight detecting means), 18 is a drive circuit, 19 is a water supply valve, 20
Is a drain valve, 21 is a load amount detection circuit, 23 is a rotating drum,
24 is a heater, 26 is a motor, 28 is an operating part, 30 is a dryer control circuit (drying operation control means), 31 is a rotation sensor (drying material amount detection means), 32 is a drive circuit, 33 is a load amount detection circuit, 34 is a cable, 41 is an operation panel, 49
Is a cloth quality setting switch (cloth quality input means), 51 is a control circuit (heater control means), 54 is an operation panel, 57 is a washing machine side drive circuit, 58 is a washing machine motor, 63 is a heater, 64
Indicates a current sensor (detection means).

Claims (9)

[Claims] 1. A combination of a washing machine and a dryer, wherein the means for sending data on the side of the washing machine to the dryer side, and operation control of the dryer based on the data on the washing machine side A washing machine / dryer combination device. 2. A combination of a washing machine and a dryer, wherein all or a part of the laundry that has been washed by the washing machine is dried by the dryer as an article to be dried, A dry cloth weight detecting means provided on the washing machine side for obtaining weight data of the laundry in a dry state; a wet cloth weight detecting means provided on the washing machine side for obtaining weight data of the laundry in a water containing state; An article-to-be-dried amount detecting means which is provided on the machine side and obtains weight data of the article to be dried in a water-containing state which has been put into a rotary drum of the dryer; Washing machine drying, comprising: drying operation control means for controlling the operation of the dryer based on the dehydration rate of the article and the weight data of the article to be dried detected by the article to be dried detection means. Machine union Apparatus. 3. The dry cloth weight detecting means is configured to obtain weight data of the laundry in a dry state before executing the washing step of the washing machine, and the wet cloth weight detecting means executes the final dehydration step of the washing machine. The washing machine / dryer combination apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the weight data of the laundry in a water-containing state is obtained later. 4. The dried material amount detecting means is configured to obtain the weight data of the dried object based on the detection of the rotation speed of the rotary drum.
The washing machine dryer combination device described. 5. The drying operation control means is configured to control at least one of the drying time, the heater output, and the initial forward / reverse cycle of the rotary drum. The washing machine / dryer combination apparatus according to any one of the claims. 6. The amount-of-drying-object detecting means is configured to obtain the weight data of the to-be-dried object during the drying operation, and the drying operation control means includes the weight data of the to-be-dried object during the drying operation. 5. The washing machine / dryer combination apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the end of the drying operation is determined based on the above. 7. The cloth quality input means for inputting the cloth quality data of the laundry is provided, and the drying operation control means controls the drying time according to the cloth quality of the laundry inputted by the cloth quality input means. Alternatively, the washing machine / dryer combination apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the apparatus is configured to correct the heater output. 8. A washing machine and a dryer which can be operated simultaneously with the washing machine are combined, and when the washing machine and the drying machine are simultaneously operated, the stroke data on the side of the washing machine. Based on the above, a washing machine / dryer combination device comprising a heater control means for suppressing the heater output of the dryer except the water supply process and the drainage process. 9. A washing machine and a dryer which can be operated simultaneously with the washing machine are combined, and a detection means for detecting a current or a power consumption flowing in a drive circuit of the washing machine, and the detection means. A washing machine / dryer combination apparatus, comprising: heater control means for suppressing a heater output of the dryer when the current or power data on the washing machine side detected by the means is equal to or more than a predetermined value.