CN112912557A

CN112912557A - Washing machine

Info

Publication number: CN112912557A
Application number: CN201980070615.2A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 前场克之; 荒井英行
Original assignee: Qingdao Haier Washing Machine Co Ltd; Haier Smart Home Co Ltd; Haier Asia Co Ltd
Current assignee: Qingdao Haier Washing Machine Co Ltd; Haier Smart Home Co Ltd; Haier Asia Co Ltd; Aqua Co Ltd
Priority date: 2018-11-01
Filing date: 2019-10-25
Publication date: 2021-06-04
Also published as: JP2020069260A; WO2020088367A1

Abstract

A washing machine (1) which a user or an installation worker can easily set in a stable state. The washing machine (1) is provided with: a case (10); an outer tub (20) elastically supported in the casing (10); a washing and dehydrating tub (24) rotatably disposed in the outer tub (20) and accommodating laundry; a drive unit (30) for rotating the washing and dehydrating tub (24); an acceleration sensor (80) capable of detecting the inclined swing of the box body (10) when the washing and dehydrating barrel (24) rotates, which is generated due to the installation state of the washing machine (1); a control unit; and a buzzer. The control part rotates the washing and dewatering barrel (24) through the driving unit (30), and informs the buzzer based on the case body (10) generating the inclined swing exceeding the allowable size.

Description

Washing machine

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a washing machine.

Background

Conventionally, a washing machine provided with a level gauge on an upper panel is known (see, for example, patent document 1). When the washing machine is installed at an installation place, if the washing machine is not horizontally installed and the level is not in a horizontal state, an installation worker or a user may adjust the heights of the legs installed at the four corners of the bottom surface of the cabinet.

When the washing machine is installed, for example, the following may occur: one leg is left hanging and the other three legs are grounded, with the result that the washing machine is still not tilted and remains in an almost horizontal state. In this case, the operator or user is not likely to notice that the washing machine is in such a state. In this way, when the washing machine is set in an unstable state and the washing operation is performed directly, particularly when the washing and dehydrating tub is rotated, the cabinet may swing back after being tilted toward the suspended leg, and there may be a problem such as noise caused by the tilted swing of the cabinet.

Documents of the prior art

Patent document

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2000-79295

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a washing machine that a user or the like can easily set in a stable state.

Means for solving the problems

The washing machine of the main scheme of the invention comprises: a box body; an outer tub elastically supported in the cabinet; an inner tub rotatably disposed in the outer tub, for receiving laundry; a driving part for rotating the inner barrel; a detection part for detecting the inclined swing of the box body when the inner tub rotates, which is generated by the installation state of the washing machine; a control unit; and a first notification section. Wherein the control unit rotates the inner tub by the driving unit, and notifies the first notification unit based on the occurrence of the swing exceeding an allowable level.

With the above configuration, the user can grasp that the washing machine is in an unstable installation state and can adjust the washing machine to a stable installation state. Therefore, the washing machine is easily set in a stable state.

In the washing machine of this scheme, can adopt following structure: the refrigerator further comprises four legs arranged on the bottom surface of the box body. In this case, at least one of the leg portions is provided as an adjustable leg with adjustable height.

According to the above configuration, when any one of the leg portions does not touch the installation surface and the washing machine is in an unstable installation state, the height of the leg portion as the adjustment leg can be adjusted easily so that all the leg portions touch the installation surface.

In the washing machine of this scheme, can adopt following structure: the control part continues the rotation of the inner tub by the driving part even after the notification of the first notification part is started, and stops the notification of the first notification part based on the fact that the swing exceeding the allowable magnitude has subsided.

According to the above structure, the user or the like who has performed the adjustment can easily grasp that the washing machine has been adjusted to the stable setting state.

In the washing machine of the present aspect, the detection portion may employ an acceleration sensor. In this case, the control unit determines the magnitude of the swing based on the acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor during rotation of the inner tub.

According to the above configuration, the oscillation of the tilt of the casing can be easily detected by disposing the acceleration sensor at a predetermined position in the casing.

In the case of the above configuration, a configuration further including a second notification unit may be adopted. In this case, the acceleration sensor is provided in a structure capable of detecting accelerations acting in a first horizontal direction and a second horizontal direction orthogonal to each other. The control unit determines a direction in which the casing is inclined when the swing occurs, based on the acceleration acting in the first horizontal direction and the acceleration acting in the second direction detected by the acceleration sensor during rotation of the inner tub, and causes the second notification unit to notify the casing in a direction corresponding to the direction in which the casing is inclined.

With this configuration, the user can know the direction in which the cabinet is inclined during swinging, and can therefore recognize the position of the unstable cause, and easily adjust the washing machine to a stable installation state.

In the case where the detection unit is an acceleration sensor as described above, a configuration further including a third notification unit may be adopted. In this case, the control unit determines whether or not the amount of inclination in the horizontal direction with respect to the casing exceeds an allowable amount of inclination based on the acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor before the inner tub is rotated by the driving unit, and causes the third notification unit to notify when the amount of inclination exceeds the allowable amount of inclination.

With such a configuration, the user or the like can recognize that the housing is tilted and can adjust the tilt of the housing to be cancelled.

Effects of the invention

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a washing machine which a user or the like can easily set in a stable state.

The effects and significance of the present invention will become more apparent from the description of the embodiments shown below. However, the following embodiments are merely examples for carrying out the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the contents described in the following embodiments.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a side sectional view of a fully automatic washing and drying all-in-one machine of an embodiment.

Fig. 2 is a rear perspective view of an upper portion of the full automatic washer dryer of the embodiment.

Fig. 3 (a) is a top sectional view of the fully automatic washing and drying machine according to the embodiment, and fig. 3 (b) is a longitudinal sectional view of a portion of the outer tub in which the acceleration sensor is mounted according to the embodiment.

Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing a structure of the fully automatic washing and drying all-in-one machine according to the embodiment.

Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing a control process of the operation in the set mode in the embodiment.

Fig. 6 (a) to (d) are diagrams showing an example of notification of the inclination direction of the housing at the time of the swing in the embodiment, and fig. 6 (e) is a diagram showing an example of notification of the impossibility of adjustment in the embodiment.

Fig. 7 is a top sectional view of the fully automatic washing and drying machine according to modification 1.

Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing a control process of the operation in the installation mode in modification example 1.

Fig. 9 (a) to (d) are diagrams showing an example of notification of the inclination direction of the casing in modification 1, and fig. 9 (e) is a diagram showing an example of notification of the impossibility of adjustment in modification 1.

Fig. 10 is a diagram for explaining the arrangement direction of the acceleration sensors according to another modification.

Description of the reference numerals

1: a full-automatic washing and drying integrated machine (washing machine); 10: a box body; 17: a leg portion; 17 a: adjusting legs; 20: an outer tub; 24: a washing and dehydrating tub (inner tub); 30: a drive unit (drive section); 80: an acceleration sensor (detection unit); 92 a: a remaining time display unit (second notification unit); 93: a buzzer (a first notification unit and a third notification unit); 101: a control unit.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, a fully automatic washing and drying all-in-one machine 1 according to an embodiment of the washing machine of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

Fig. 1 is a side sectional view of a fully automatic washing and drying all-in-one machine 1 according to the present embodiment. Fig. 2 is a rear perspective view of the upper portion of the fully automatic washing and drying all-in-one machine 1 according to the embodiment.

The fully automatic washing and drying integrated machine 1 includes a case 10 constituting an external appearance. The case 10 includes: a square cylindrical body part 11 with open upper and lower surfaces; an upper panel 12 covering the upper surface of the body section 11; and a footstool 13 for supporting the body part 11. An outer inlet 14 for putting laundry is formed in the upper panel 12. The outer inlet 14 is covered with an upper cover 15 that can be opened and closed.

Leg portions 17 are provided at four corners of the bottom surface of the footstool 13, that is, the bottom surface of the casing 10. Of the four leg portions 17, the front two leg portions 17 are provided as height adjustable legs 17 a. The adjusting leg 17a can adopt the following structure: for example, a shaft having a thread and a foot fixed to a lower end of the shaft are provided, and the foot is raised and lowered by rotating the shaft.

Inside the cabinet 10, the outer tub 20 is elastically suspended and supported by four suspension rods 21 having a vibration-proof device. The outer tub 20 includes: a substantially cylindrical tub main body 20a having an open upper surface; and a tub cover 20b which covers an upper surface of the tub main body 20a to constitute an upper surface of the tub 20. An inner input port 22 for inputting laundry is formed at a position corresponding to the outer input port 14 in the outer tub cover 20b, which is an upper surface of the outer tub 20. The inner inlet 22 is openably and closably covered by a tub cover 23.

A substantially cylindrical washing and dehydrating tub 24 having an open upper surface is disposed in the outer tub 20. A plurality of dewatering holes 24a are formed on the inner circumferential surface of the washing and dewatering tub 24 over the entire circumference. A balancing ring 25 is provided at an upper portion of the washing and dehydrating tub 24. A pulsator 26 is disposed at the bottom of the washing and dehydrating tub 24. A plurality of blades 26a are radially provided on the surface of the pulsator 26. The washing and spin-drying tub 24 corresponds to the inner tub of the present invention.

A driving unit 30 for generating a torque to drive the washing and dehydrating tub 24 and the pulsator 26 is disposed at an outer bottom of the outer tub 20. The driving unit 30 includes a driving motor 31, a transmission mechanism 32, a wing shaft 33, and a dewatering tub shaft 34. The wing shaft 33 is connected with the impeller 26, and the dewatering barrel shaft 34 is connected with the washing and dewatering barrel 24. The transmission mechanism 32 has a clutch mechanism, and by switching operation of the clutch mechanism, the torque of the drive motor 31 is transmitted only to the wing shaft 33 to rotate only the pulsator 26 during the washing process and the rinsing process, and the torque of the drive motor 31 is transmitted to the wing shaft 33 and the spin tub shaft 34 to rotate the pulsator 26 and the washing and spin tub 24 integrally during the spin-drying process. The transmission mechanism 32 has a speed reduction mechanism, and the rotation of the drive motor 31 is reduced in speed by a speed reduction ratio of the speed reduction mechanism during the washing process and the rinsing process, and is transmitted to the wing shaft 33. The driving unit 30 corresponds to a driving unit of the present invention.

A drain port 20c is formed at the outer bottom of the outer tub 20. The drain valve 40 is provided in the drain port portion 20 c. The drain valve 40 is connected to a drain hose 41. When the drain valve 40 is opened, the water accumulated in the washing and dehydrating tub 24 and the outer tub 20 is drained to the outside of the machine through the drain hose 41.

A drying device 50 and a water supply device 60 are disposed at the rear portion of the cabinet 10 above the outer tub 20. The drying device 50 and the water supply device 60 are mounted on the fixing plate 16 disposed at the rear of the upper surface of the body part 11 and covered by the upper panel 12.

The drying device 50 dries the laundry accommodated in the washing and dehydrating tub 24. The drying device 50 includes a heater and a circulation duct 50a in which a blower fan is disposed, and the circulation duct 50a is connected to the inside of the tub 20 through an intake duct 71 and an exhaust duct 72. The intake duct 71 and the exhaust duct 72 are flexible ducts formed of an elastic material such as rubber, and have a bellows portion not shown in the middle. The warm air generated by the operation of the heater and the blower fan is discharged from the circulation air duct 50a and introduced into the outer tub 20 through the intake duct 71. The warm air discharged from the tub 20 is introduced into the circulation air passage 50a through the exhaust duct 72. Thus, the warm air circulates between the circulation air passage 50a and the tub 20.

The drying device 50 performs a circulation drying operation based on circulation of warm air and a discharge drying operation for subsequently discharging a part of the circulated warm air to the outside. The upper panel 12 is provided with an air outlet 51, which is formed of a plurality of air discharge holes, for discharging warm air.

The water supply port 61 of the water supply device 60 exposed to the outside is connected to an external water supply hose, not shown, extending from the faucet. The water supply device 60 includes a water supply valve and a detergent container, and tap water from a tap is supplied into the outer tub 20 together with the detergent contained in the detergent container by opening the water supply valve. The water supply device 60 may include a bath pump.

Fig. 3 (a) is a top sectional view of the fully automatic washing and drying all-in-one machine 1 according to the present embodiment, and fig. 3 (b) is a longitudinal sectional view of a portion of the outer tub 20 according to the present embodiment, to which the acceleration sensor 80 is attached.

An acceleration sensor 80 is mounted on the outer peripheral surface of the outer tub 20 at a position substantially 45 degrees diagonally to the left and rearward in a plan view at substantially the center in the vertical direction, with a substrate 81 interposed therebetween. The acceleration sensor 80 is a triaxial acceleration sensor capable of detecting dynamic acceleration and static acceleration in three axial directions, i.e., the X-axis direction, the Y-axis direction, and the Z-axis direction, i.e., gravitational acceleration. As the acceleration sensor 80, for example, a three-axis piezoresistance type acceleration sensor can be used. The acceleration sensor 80 is mounted to the outer tub 20, for example, as follows: the X-axis direction and the Z-axis direction are horizontal directions, i.e., a tangential direction and a normal direction of the outer peripheral surface of the outer tub 20, respectively, and the Y-axis direction is a vertical direction. The acceleration sensor 80 corresponds to the detection unit of the present invention.

Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing the structure of the fully automatic washing and drying all-in-one machine 1 according to the present embodiment.

The fully automatic washing and drying all-in-one machine 1 includes an operation unit 91, a display unit 92, a buzzer 93, and a water level sensor 94, in addition to the above configuration. Further, the fully automatic washing and drying all-in-one machine 1 includes a control unit 100. The control unit 100 includes: a control unit 101, a storage unit 102, a motor drive unit 103, a clutch drive unit 104, a water supply drive unit 105, a drain drive unit 106, a fan drive unit 107, and a heater drive unit 108.

The operation unit 91 includes various operation buttons such as a power button for turning on and off the power of the all-in-one washing and drying machine 1, a start/pause button for starting and pausing the operation, and a mode selection button for selecting an arbitrary operation mode from a plurality of operation modes related to the washing operation, the washing and drying operation, and the drying operation. The operation unit 91 outputs an input signal corresponding to an operation button operated by the user to the control unit 101.

The display unit 92 includes a mode display unit for displaying the selected operation mode, a water level display unit for displaying the washing water level, a course display unit for displaying the course currently being executed in accordance with the operation, and a remaining time display unit for displaying the remaining time of the operation. The remaining time display section includes two seven-segment LEDs, by which the remaining time is displayed. The remaining time display unit is also used to display the direction in which the casing 10 tilts during swinging in the operation in the installation mode described later.

The buzzer 93 outputs various buzzing sounds such as a sound for notifying that the operation button has been received and a sound for notifying that the operation has been completed, in response to a control signal from the control unit 101. The buzzer 93 is used to inform that the installation state needs to be adjusted when the fully automatic washing and drying all-in-one machine 1 is installed in an unstable state during the operation in the installation mode described later. The buzzer 93 corresponds to the first notification unit of the present invention.

The water level sensor 94 detects the water level in the washing and dehydrating tub 24 and outputs a water level signal corresponding to the detected water level to the control part 101.

The acceleration sensor 80 outputs acceleration data in the X-axis direction, the Y-axis direction, and the Z-axis direction to the control unit 101. As shown in (a) and (b) of fig. 3, when acceleration acts in the + X-axis direction, which is the right oblique rear direction of the casing 10, the + Z-axis direction, which is the right oblique front direction of the casing 10, and the + Y-axis direction, which is directly below, the acceleration data takes a positive value. On the other hand, when the acceleration acts in the-X direction opposite to the + X direction, the-Z direction opposite to the + Z direction, and the-Y direction opposite to the + Y direction, the acceleration data takes a negative value. The acceleration data outputted when the washing and dehydrating tub 24 is stationary is acceleration data of static acceleration, and the acceleration data outputted when the washing and dehydrating tub 24 is rotating is acceleration data of dynamic acceleration.

The motor drive unit 103 drives the drive motor 31 in accordance with a control signal from the control unit 101. The motor drive unit 103 includes a rotation speed sensor (not shown) for detecting the rotation speed of the drive motor 31, and outputs a drive current corresponding to the rotation speed detected by the rotation speed sensor to the drive motor 31. As the rotational speed control of the drive motor 31, for example, PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) control can be used.

The clutch driving unit 104 drives the clutch mechanism 32a of the transmission mechanism unit 32 based on the control signal output from the control unit 101. Water supply driving unit 105 drives water supply valve 62 of water supply device 60 in accordance with a control signal from control unit 101. The drain driving unit 106 drives the drain valve 40 in accordance with a control signal from the control unit 101.

The fan driving unit 107 drives the blower fan 52 of the drying device 50 in accordance with the control signal output from the control unit 101. The heater driving unit 108 drives the heater 53 of the drying device 50 in accordance with the control signal output from the control unit 101.

The storage section 102 includes an EEPROM, a RAM, and the like. The storage unit 102 stores programs for executing the washing operation, the washing/drying operation, and the drying operation in various operation modes. The storage unit 102 stores various parameters and various control flags for executing these programs.

The control unit 101 controls the display unit 92, the buzzer 93, the motor drive unit 103, the clutch drive unit 104, the water supply drive unit 105, the drain drive unit 106, the fan drive unit 107, the heater drive unit 108, and the like, in accordance with a program stored in the storage unit 102.

In the fully automatic washing and drying all-in-one machine 1, washing operation, washing and drying operation or drying operation of various operation modes is performed. The washing operation is an operation of performing only washing, and a washing process, an intermediate dehydration process, a rinsing process, and a final dehydration process are sequentially performed. The washing and drying operation is an operation of continuously performing washing to drying, and a drying process is performed after the final dehydration process. The drying operation is an operation of performing only drying, and only the drying process is performed.

In the washing and rinsing processes, the pulsator 26 rotates in right and left directions in a state where water is stored in the washing and dehydrating tub 24. The laundry in the washing and spin-drying tub 24 is washed or rinsed by the action of water flow or the like generated by the rotation of the pulsator 26.

In the intermediate dehydration process and the final dehydration process, the washing dehydration tub 24 and the pulsator 26 are integrally rotated at a high speed. The laundry is dehydrated by the centrifugal force generated in the washing and dehydrating tub 24. In the intermediate dehydration step and the final dehydration step, in the case where the deviation of the laundry in the washing and dehydrating tub 24 on one side is large, the outer tub 20 may largely swing when the washing and dehydrating tub 24 is raised to a predetermined dehydration rotation speed. The control unit 101 determines the magnitude of the swing of the outer tub 20 based on the dynamic acceleration acting on the acceleration sensor 80, and if the swing exceeding the allowable magnitude occurs, stops the start of the rotation of the washing and dehydrating tub 24, and performs an operation of disentangling the laundry in the washing and dehydrating tub 24 by the rotation of the pulsator 26 or the like.

In the drying process, firstly, an internal air circulation drying process is performed, and then, an external air introduction drying process is performed. In the internal air circulation drying process, the drying device 50 performs a circulation drying operation, and thus warm air circulates between the circulation air passage 50a and the tub 20. The temperature in the washing and dehydrating tub 24 is rapidly raised by the circulation of the drying air. The pulsator 26 rotates, and laundry is dried by circulating warm air while being agitated. When the temperature in the washing and dehydrating tub 24 continues to rise and moisture evaporates from the laundry to cause a large amount of moisture in the warm air, the process is switched to the outside air introduction drying process. In the outside air introducing and drying process, the drying device 50 performs the exhaust drying operation, and the outside air is introduced into the circulation duct 50a and a part of the circulating warm air is discharged from the circulation duct 50 a. Since the moisture evaporated from the laundry is effectively discharged from the inside of the outer tub 20 to the outside of the cabinet 10, the inside of the outer tub 20 becomes easy to dehumidify, thereby facilitating the drying of the laundry.

When the all-in-one washing and drying machine 1 is installed in an installation place, for example, one leg 17 is suspended from an installation surface such as a floor and the other three legs 17 touch the installation surface, and as a result, the all-in-one washing and drying machine 1 may be kept in a substantially horizontal state without being inclined. For example, when the height of the leg portion 17 of the right front side adjustment leg 17a is lower than the height of the leg portion 17 of the left front side adjustment leg 17a, the right front side leg portion 17 is likely to be suspended from the installation surface, and conversely, when the height of the left front side leg portion 17 is lower than the height of the right front side leg portion 17, the left front side leg portion 17 is likely to be suspended from the installation surface.

Even if the four legs 17 are equal in height, when the legs 17 are placed on an adjusting member such as an adjusting block to adjust the height of the automatic washing and drying all-in-one machine 1, the legs 17 are likely to be suspended from the installation surface of the installation member when one adjusting member is lower than the other adjusting members. In this way, when the washing and dehydrating tub 24 is rotated while the washing operation is performed in a state where the automatic washing and drying all-in-one machine 1 is installed unstably, there is a possibility that the cabinet 10 may swing back to the suspended leg 17 after being inclined, and a noise or the like may occur due to such a tilting swing of the cabinet 10.

Therefore, in the fully automatic washing and drying all-in-one machine 1 of the present embodiment, the operation in the set mode can be performed in addition to the washing operation, the washing and drying operation, and the drying operation. After the fully automatic washing and drying all-in-one machine 1 is installed in the installation place, the installation worker or the user (hereinafter, referred to as "user or the like") operates the installation mode to confirm the installation state of the fully automatic washing and drying all-in-one machine 1.

Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing a control process of the set mode operation according to the present embodiment. Fig. 6 (a) to (d) are diagrams showing an example of notification of the inclination direction of the casing 10 at the time of the swing in the present embodiment, and fig. 6 (e) is a diagram showing an example of notification of the impossibility of the adjustment in the present embodiment.

When the operation of the setting mode is started according to a predetermined operation, the control part 101 rotates the driving motor 31 to rotate the washing and dehydrating tub 24 in a state where the laundry is not accommodated in one direction at a rotation speed smaller than the rotation speed at the time of dehydration, desirably smaller than the rotation speed at which the longitudinal resonance of the washing and dehydrating tub 24 occurs (S1). At this time, the pulsator 26 rotates integrally with the washing and dehydrating tub 24 as in the dehydration.

In the case where all the four legs 17 touch the installation surface, since the cabinet 10 is in a stable state, the cabinet 10 is hardly tilted while the washing and dehydrating tub 24 is rotated. On the other hand, in the case where one leg 17 is suspended, the cabinet 10 is in an unstable state, and thus, as the washing and dehydrating tub 24 rotates, the cabinet 10 swings to be inclined toward the suspended leg 17 and then restored. That is, when the right front leg 17 is suspended, the casing 10 swings so as to be inclined obliquely to the right front, when the left front leg 17 is suspended, the casing 10 swings so as to be inclined obliquely to the left front, when the right rear leg 17 is suspended, the casing 10 swings so as to be inclined obliquely to the right rear, and when the left rear leg 17 is suspended, the casing 10 swings so as to be inclined obliquely to the left rear. The greater the gap between the free leg 17 and the installation surface, the greater the amount by which the casing 10 can be tilted, that is, the greater the angle, the greater the tilting swing of the casing 10.

Here, since the outer tub 20 is suspended by the hanging rods 21, it is not easily tilted together with the casing 10 and can be moved substantially horizontally in a direction in which the casing 10 is tilted. Therefore, when the casing 10 is tilted, the outer tub 20 is substantially horizontally tilted, so that the dynamic acceleration hardly acts in the Y-axis direction, which is a vertical direction, on the acceleration sensor 80 mounted on the outer tub 20, and the dynamic acceleration acts in the X-axis direction and the Z-axis direction according to the direction of the tilt. That is, when the casing 10 swings obliquely to the right front and the casing 10 swings obliquely to the left rear, the dynamic acceleration acts on the acceleration sensor 80 in the Z-axis direction, and the dynamic acceleration hardly acts in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction.

Further, when the casing 10 is swung so as to be inclined obliquely leftward and forward and when the casing 10 is swung so as to be inclined obliquely rightward and rearward, the dynamic acceleration acts on the acceleration sensor 80 in the X-axis direction, and the dynamic acceleration hardly acts in the Z-axis direction and the Y-axis direction. The maximum dynamic acceleration acting in the X-axis direction and the Z-axis direction is related to the magnitude of the tilt swing of the casing 10, and the greater the tilt swing of the casing 10, the greater the maximum dynamic acceleration.

When the washing and dehydrating tub 24 is rotated, the control part 101 samples acceleration data of the X-axis direction and the Z-axis direction through the acceleration sensor 80 (S2). The control unit 101 samples the acceleration data until the sampling time elapses (S3: yes). The sampling time is set to, for example, a length of the washing and dehydrating tub 24 rotated several times.

Next, the control unit 101 extracts the maximum value of the acceleration data in the X-axis direction and the maximum value of the acceleration data in the Z-axis direction (S4). Since the sampled acceleration data includes a positive value and a negative value, the extracted maximum value is an absolute maximum value. The control unit 101 determines whether or not the maximum value of the acceleration data in either of the X-axis direction and the Z-axis direction exceeds the first threshold value corresponding thereto (S5). The first threshold value is determined by experiments or the like, and is a value exceeding the maximum value of the acceleration data when the tilt swing exceeding the allowable magnitude occurs in the casing 10.

When the maximum value of the acceleration data in either of the X-axis direction and the Z-axis direction does not exceed the first threshold value corresponding thereto (S5: no), that is, when the casing 10 does not have the tilt swing exceeding the allowable magnitude, the control unit 101 stops the drive motor 31 and stops the washing and dehydrating tub 24 (S6).

On the other hand, when the maximum values of the acceleration data in either the X-axis direction or the Z-axis direction exceed the first threshold values corresponding thereto (yes in S5), that is, when the casing 10 has a tilt swing exceeding the allowable magnitude, the control unit 101 determines whether or not the maximum values exceed the second threshold values corresponding thereto (S7). The second threshold value is determined by experiments or the like, and is a value exceeding the maximum value of the acceleration data when the tilt swing of the housing 10 cannot be settled to the allowable magnitude even if the adjustment is performed by the adjustment leg 17 a.

When the maximum value of the acceleration data in either of the X-axis direction and the Z-axis direction does not exceed the second threshold value corresponding thereto (S7: no), the control unit 101 outputs a notification sound to the buzzer 93 notifying that the installation state of the all-automatic washing and drying machine 1 needs to be adjusted (S8). The notification sound may be, for example, an intermittent beeping sound such as "crack" -or "crack" - … … ".

Further, the control unit 101 determines the tilt direction of the housing 10 during the swing based on the acceleration data in the X-axis direction and the Z-axis direction (S9). That is, when the casing 10 is tilted diagonally right and forward, the maximum value of the acceleration data in the Z-axis direction becomes larger than the maximum value of the acceleration data in the X-axis direction, and the acceleration data in the Z-axis direction that is initially sampled takes a positive value.

Further, in the case where the casing 10 is inclined obliquely leftward and frontward, the maximum value of the acceleration data in the X-axis direction becomes larger than the maximum value of the acceleration data in the Z-axis direction, and the initially sampled acceleration data in the X-axis direction takes a negative value. Further, when the casing 10 is tilted obliquely backward to the left, the maximum value of the acceleration data in the Z-axis direction becomes larger than the maximum value of the acceleration data in the X-axis direction, and the acceleration data in the Z-axis direction that is initially sampled takes a negative value. Further, when the casing 10 is tilted obliquely rearward to the right, the maximum value of the acceleration data in the X-axis direction is larger than the maximum value of the acceleration data in the Z-axis direction, and the acceleration data in the X-axis direction sampled first takes a positive value.

Based on the tilt determination result in S9, the controller 101 notifies the remaining time indicator 92a of the indicator 92 of the direction in which the casing 10 is tilted during swinging (S10). In this notification, as shown in fig. 6 (a) to (d), two seven-segment LEDs of the remaining time display section 92a are used. The remaining time display unit 92a corresponds to a second notification unit of the present invention.

In the case where the casing 10 is inclined diagonally right-forward, the seven-segment LED on the right side is turned on to indicate the front right corner of the casing 10 as shown in FIG. 6 (a), and in the case where the casing 10 is inclined diagonally left-forward, the seven-segment LED on the left side is turned on to indicate the front left corner of the casing 10 as shown in FIG. 6 (b). In addition, in the case where the casing 10 is inclined obliquely to the left and rear, as shown in fig. 6 (c), the left seven-segment LED is turned on to indicate the left rear corner of the casing 10, and in the case where the casing 10 is inclined obliquely to the right and rear, as shown in fig. 6 (d), the right seven-segment LED is turned on to indicate the right rear corner of the casing 10.

The display in these remaining time display sections 92a allows the user or the like to grasp the direction in which the casing 10 is tilted during the swing, that is, the position of the suspended leg 17. When any one of the leg portions 17, which is the front left and right adjustment legs 17a, is suspended, the user or the like adjusts the height of the adjustment leg 17a so that the suspended leg portion 17 touches the installation surface. When the rear left and right legs 17 are suspended, spacers such as eccentric members are inserted between the suspended legs 17 and the installation surface. The setting state of the full-automatic washing and drying integrated machine 1 can be stabilized through the adjustment.

After the start of the notification by the buzzer 93 in S8, the washing and dehydrating tub 24 continues to rotate. As in S2 to S5, the control unit 101 samples the acceleration data in the X-axis direction and the Z-axis direction (S11, S12), extracts the maximum value of the acceleration data in the X-axis direction and the maximum value of the acceleration data in the Z-axis direction (S13), and determines whether or not any of the maximum values exceeds the corresponding first threshold value (S14). During a period in which the adjustment by the user or the like is insufficient and any one of the maximum values exceeds the corresponding first threshold value (yes in S14), the control unit 101 repeats the processing from S11 to S14. During this time, the buzzer 93 and the display unit 92 continue to give information. At this time, as the maximum value of the acceleration data exceeding the first threshold becomes smaller, the control section 101 shortens the sound emission period of the buzzer 93, that is, the sound length, from "crack" - … … "to" crack "- … …".

When the adjustment by the user or the like is completed and any one of the maximum values does not exceed the first threshold value corresponding thereto (S14: no), that is, when the swinging of the tilt of the casing 10 exceeding the allowable size has subsided, the control section 101 stops the notification of the buzzer 93 and the display section 92 (S15). In this case, the control unit 101 may cause the buzzer 93 to output a sound longer than the initial notification period, such as "split" before causing the buzzer 93 to stop notifying. Then, the control unit 101 stops the drive motor 31 to stop the washing and dehydrating tub 24 (S6).

On the other hand, in S7, when the maximum value of the acceleration data in either of the X-axis direction and the Z-axis direction exceeds the second threshold value corresponding thereto (yes in S7), the controller 101 notifies the remaining time display 92a of the display 92 that the adjustment cannot be performed by a general adjustment such as the adjustment performed by the adjustment leg 17a (S16). As shown in fig. 6 (e), the remaining time display unit 92a displays an error code corresponding to an error that cannot be adjusted. Then, the control unit 101 stops the drive motor 31 to stop the washing and dehydrating tub 24 (S6). The error code displayed by the remaining time display unit 92a is deleted by a predetermined cancel operation performed by the user.

Thus, when the washing and dehydrating tub 24 is stopped, the operation of the set mode is ended.

< effects of the embodiment >

According to the present embodiment, in the operation of the installation mode, when the inclination swing of the cabinet 10 at the time of the rotation of the washing and dehydrating tub 24 due to the installation state of the full automatic washing and drying all-in-one machine 1 is detected and the swing exceeds the allowable magnitude, the alarm 93 notifies it. Thus, the user can grasp that the fully automatic washing and drying all-in-one machine 1 is in an unstable installation state, and can adjust the installation state to be stable.

Further, according to the present embodiment, among the four leg portions 17 provided on the bottom surface of the case 10, two leg portions 17 on the front side are provided as height-adjustable legs 17 a. Accordingly, when any of the legs 17 does not touch the installation surface and the fully automatic washing and drying all-in-one machine 1 is in an unstable installation state, the height of the leg 17 as the adjustment leg 17a can be adjusted easily so that all the legs 17 touch the installation surface.

Further, according to the present embodiment, the washing and dehydrating tub 24 continues to rotate after the notification of the buzzer 93 is started, the tilt swing of the cabinet 10 is detected, and the notification is stopped when the swing exceeding the allowable magnitude has subsided. Thus, the user or the like who has performed the adjustment can easily grasp that the fully automatic washing and drying all-in-one machine 1 has been adjusted to the stable installation state.

Further, according to the present embodiment, the acceleration sensor 80 is used for detecting the tilt swing of the casing 10, and the acceleration sensor 80 is mounted to the outer tub 20 such that the X-axis direction and the Z-axis direction of the acceleration sensor 80, which are orthogonal to each other, are horizontal. Then, the direction in which the casing 10 tilts during the swinging is determined based on the acceleration acting in the X-axis direction and the acceleration acting in the Z-axis direction detected by the acceleration sensor 80 during the rotation of the washing and dehydrating tub 24, and the remaining time display unit 92a notifies the user of the direction corresponding to the direction in which the casing 10 tilts. Accordingly, the user can know the inclined direction of the cabinet 10 during the swing, and can grasp the position of the leg 17, which is a cause of instability, and easily adjust the automatic washing and drying all-in-one machine 1 to a stable installation state.

< example 1 of variation

Fig. 7 is a top sectional view of the fully automatic washing and drying all-in-one machine 1 according to modification 1.

In the above embodiment, the acceleration sensor 80 is mounted to the outer tub 20. In contrast, in the present modification, the acceleration sensor 80 is mounted on the casing 10. For example, as shown in fig. 7, the acceleration sensor 80 is mounted inside the right front corner portion of the case 10. The directions of the three axes of the acceleration sensor 80 in the state of being mounted to the casing 10 are the same as those in the case of being mounted to the outer tub 20.

In the present modification, before the control process of rotating the washing and dehydrating tub 24 and confirming whether the swinging of the housing 10 in the inclined state occurs during the operation in the set mode, the control process of confirming whether the housing 10 of the all-in-one automatic washing and drying machine 1 is inclined is performed.

Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing a control process of the operation in the installation mode in modification example 1. Fig. 9 (a) to (d) are diagrams showing an example of notification of the tilt direction of the casing 10 in modification 1, and fig. 9 (e) is a diagram showing an example of notification of no adjustment in modification 1. In fig. 8, the processing after S1 is omitted.

Hereinafter, a control process added to the operation in the set mode will be described.

When the operation in the set mode is started, the control unit 101 acquires acceleration data in the X-axis direction, the Y-axis direction, and the X-axis direction from the acceleration sensor 80 (S21). The acceleration data at this time is acceleration data of gravity acceleration, which is stationary acceleration, the acceleration data in the Y-axis direction is a value corresponding to the inclination angle of the casing 10 with respect to the horizontal direction, and the acceleration data in the X-axis direction and the Z-axis direction is a value corresponding to the inclination direction of the casing 10. Therefore, the control unit 101 obtains the tilt angle of the casing 10 from the acquired acceleration data in the Y-axis direction, and obtains the tilt direction of the casing 10 from the acquired acceleration data in the X-axis direction and the Z-axis direction (S22).

The control unit 101 determines whether the obtained inclination angle is larger than the first angle (S23). The first angle is an angle that reaches a threshold value of the allowable tilt angle. If the washing and drying machine 1 is disposed substantially horizontally and the inclination angle is not larger than the first angle (S23: No), the controller 101 moves to S1 to rotate the washing and drying tub 24.

On the other hand, if the inclination angle is greater than the first angle (S23: YES), the control part 101 determines whether the inclination angle is greater than the second angle (S24). The second angle is an angle at which the inclination angle cannot be made equal to or smaller than the first angle even if the adjustment leg 17a is adjusted.

When the inclination angle is not larger than the second angle (no in S24), the control unit 101 causes the buzzer 93 to output a notification sound notifying that the inclination of the all-in-one washing and drying machine 1 needs to be corrected (S25). The notification sound may be, for example, the same sound as the notification sound in S8, i.e., an intermittent beep sound such as "crack" -and "crack" - … … ". Further, the control unit 101 causes the remaining time display unit 92a of the display unit 92 to display (S26) the tilt direction of the casing 10.

In this notification, as shown in fig. 9 (a) to (d), two seven-segment LEDs of the remaining time display section 92a are used. For example, the tilt direction of the casing 10 is divided into four directions, front, rear, left, and right. In the case where the tilt direction of the casing 10 found in S22 is included in the front direction, as shown in fig. 9 (a), two seven-segment LEDs are lit to indicate the front side of the casing 10, and in the case where the tilt direction of the casing 10 is included in the rear direction, as shown in fig. 9 (b), two seven-segment LEDs are lit to indicate the rear side of the casing 10. Further, in the case where the tilt direction of the casing 10 is included in the left direction, as shown in fig. 9 (c), the left seven-segment LED is lit to represent the left side of the casing 10, and in the case where the tilt direction of the casing 10 is included in the right direction, as shown in fig. 9 (d), the right seven-segment LED is lit to represent the right side of the casing 10. The display in the remaining time display unit 92a allows the user to grasp the tilt direction of the casing 10. The user or the like adjusts the height of the leg 17 of the right and left adjustment legs 17a, which are the front sides, so that the casing 10 is in a substantially horizontal state.

The control unit 101 acquires acceleration data in the Y-axis direction (S27), obtains the tilt angle of the casing 10 (S28), and determines whether the obtained tilt angle is larger than the first angle (S29). During the period in which the adjustment by the user or the like is insufficient and the tilt angle is larger than the first angle (yes at S29), control unit 101 repeats the processing from S27 to S29. During this time, the buzzer 93 and the display unit 92 continue to give information. At this time, as the inclination angle exceeding the first angle becomes smaller, the control section 101 shortens the sound emission period of the buzzer 93, that is, the sound length, from "crack" - … … to "crack" - … … ".

When the adjustment by the user or the like is completed and the tilt angle of the housing 10 becomes equal to or smaller than the first angle (no in S29), the controller 101 stops the notification of the buzzer 93 and the display 92 (S30). In this case, the control unit 101 may cause the buzzer 93 to output a sound longer than the initial notification period, such as "split" - "before causing the buzzer 93 to stop notifying. Then, the control unit 101 moves to S1 to rotate the washing and spin-drying tub 24.

On the other hand, in S24, when the inclination angle is larger than the second angle (S24: yes), controller 101 notifies remaining time display 92a of display 92 that adjustment cannot be performed by general adjustment such as adjustment by adjustment leg 17a (S31). As shown in fig. 9 (e), the remaining time display unit 92a displays an error code corresponding to an error that cannot be adjusted. Then, the control unit 101 moves to S1 to rotate the washing and spin-drying tub 24. The error code displayed by the remaining time display unit 92a is deleted by a predetermined cancel operation performed by the user.

In the present modification, since the acceleration sensor 80 is mounted on the casing 10, when the casing 10 is tilted and swung in accordance with the rotation of the washing and dehydrating tub 24, the dynamic acceleration is also applied to the acceleration sensor 80 in the Y-axis direction. Therefore, in this modification, in S2 to S5 and S11 to S14, the control unit 101 samples acceleration data in the X-axis direction, the Y-axis direction, and the Z-axis direction, extracts the maximum value of the acceleration data in the X-axis direction, the maximum value of the acceleration data in the Y-axis direction, and the maximum value of the acceleration data in the Z-axis direction, and determines whether or not any of the maximum values exceeds the first threshold value corresponding thereto.

According to this modification, the inclination amount of the housing 10 in the state in which the fully automatic washing and drying all-in-one machine 1 is mounted is detected, and when the inclination amount exceeds the allowable inclination amount, the buzzer 93 notifies the detection. Thus, the user or the like can recognize that the housing 10 is in the tilted state, and can cancel the tilt of the housing 10 by adjusting the height of the leg portion 17 as the adjustment leg 17 a.

In the present modification, the buzzer 93 corresponds to the third notification unit of the present invention.

< other modification >

The mounting position of the acceleration sensor 80 to the outer tub 20 is not limited to the position of the above embodiment, and the mounting position of the acceleration sensor 80 to the casing 10 is not limited to the position of the above modification 1. In short, the acceleration sensor 80 may be mounted at any position of the tub 20 or the cabinet 10, or may be mounted at a portion other than the tub 20 and the cabinet 10, as long as the tilting swing of the cabinet 10 can be detected.

The orientations of the acceleration sensor 80 in the X-axis direction, the Y-axis direction, and the Z-axis direction when the acceleration sensor 80 is mounted on the outer tub 20 or the casing 10 are not limited to the orientations of the above embodiment and the above modification 1. For example, as shown in fig. 10 (a) and (b), the acceleration sensor 80 may be mounted on the tub 20 or the casing 10 such that the X-axis direction is the front-rear direction, the Z-axis direction is the left-right direction, and the Y-axis direction is the up-down direction. In this case, in the processing of S9 in the set mode of operation shown in fig. 5, the control unit 101 determines that the casing 10 is tilted diagonally forward to the right when the first sampled acceleration data in the Z axis direction and the X axis direction takes a positive value and a negative value, determines that the casing 10 is tilted diagonally forward to the left when the Z axis direction and the X axis direction take a negative value, determines that the casing 10 is tilted diagonally rearward to the left when the Z axis direction and the X axis direction take a negative value and a positive value, and determines that the casing 10 is tilted rearward to the right when the Z axis direction and the X axis direction take a positive value.

Further, in the above embodiment, the front two leg portions 17 out of the four leg portions 17 are referred to as adjustment legs 17 a. However, as long as at least one leg portion 17 is defined as the adjustment leg 17a, for example, only one of the four leg portions 17 may be defined as the adjustment leg 17a, the two rear leg portions 17 may be defined as the adjustment legs 17a, or all of the four leg portions 17 may be defined as the adjustment legs 17 a. Further, any one of the four leg portions 17 may not be used as the adjustment leg 17 a. In this case, the height of the leg portion 17 is adjusted using a spacer such as a spacer.

Further, in the above embodiment, the oscillation of the inclination of the casing 10 when the washing and dehydrating tub 24 is rotated is detected by the acceleration sensor 80. However, other detection units, such as a swing sensor, may be used as long as the swing can be detected.

Further, in the above embodiment, the notification is made by the buzzer 93 sounding when the casing 10 is tilted more than the allowable amount. However, when the above-described wobbling occurs, the wobbling may be notified by a sound from a speaker (not shown) or by display on the display unit 92. Similarly, the notification when the tilt amount of the cabinet 10 exceeds the allowable tilt amount may be made by a sound from a speaker or by display on the display unit 92.

In the above embodiment, the notification corresponding to the tilt direction of the casing 10 during the swing is performed by the display of the remaining time display unit 92a of the display unit 92. However, the notification may be performed by a sound from a speaker. Similarly, the notification corresponding to the tilt direction when the cabinet 10 is tilted in the state in which the fully automatic washing and drying machine 1 is mounted may be performed by a sound from a speaker.

Further, the above embodiment shows an example in which the present invention is applied to the fully automatic washing and drying all-in-one machine 1 having a laundry drying function. However, the present invention can also be applied to a fully automatic washing machine having no drying function for mounting laundry. The present invention is also applicable to a drum-type washing machine in which a horizontal shaft-type drum constituting an inner tub is disposed in an outer tub, and a drum-type washing and drying machine in which a drying function for laundry is mounted in the drum-type washing machine.

In addition, the embodiments of the present invention can be modified in various ways as appropriate within the scope of the technical idea shown in the claims.

Claims

A washing machine is characterized by comprising:

a box body;

an outer tub elastically supported in the cabinet;

an inner tub rotatably disposed in the outer tub, for receiving laundry;

a driving part for rotating the inner barrel;

a detection part for detecting the inclined swing of the box body when the inner tub rotates, which is generated by the installation state of the washing machine;

a control unit; and

a first informing part for informing the user of the first state,

the control unit causes the inner tub to rotate by the driving unit, and causes the first notification unit to notify the inner tub of the oscillation of the swing amount exceeding an allowable level.
The washing machine as claimed in claim 1,

and four leg portions provided on the bottom surface of the case,

at least one of the leg portions is provided as an adjustable leg with adjustable height.
A washing machine according to claim 1 or 2,

the control unit continues the rotation of the inner tub by the driving unit even after the start of the notification by the first notification unit, and stops the notification by the first notification unit based on the fact that the swing exceeding an allowable level has subsided.
A washing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3,

the detection part is an acceleration sensor and is provided with a plurality of sensors,

the control unit determines the magnitude of the swing based on acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor during rotation of the inner tub.
A washing machine according to claim 4,

and a second informing part is also provided for informing the user,

the acceleration sensor is capable of detecting accelerations acting in a first horizontal direction and a second horizontal direction orthogonal to each other,

the control unit determines a direction in which the casing is inclined when the swing occurs, based on the acceleration acting in the first horizontal direction and the acceleration acting in the second direction detected by the acceleration sensor during rotation of the inner tub, and causes the second notification unit to notify the casing in a direction corresponding to the direction in which the casing is inclined.
A washing machine according to claim 4 or 5,

a third informing part is also provided, and the first informing part,

the control unit determines whether or not the amount of inclination in the horizontal direction with respect to the casing exceeds an allowable amount of inclination based on the acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor before the inner tub is rotated by the driving unit, and notifies the third notification unit when the amount of inclination exceeds the allowable amount of inclination.