JPH0696063B2 - Washing machine controller - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention utilizes a control device such as a microcomputer to detect the amount of laundry to wash, rinse,
The present invention relates to a washing machine control device for controlling a dehydration time.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a control device for this type of washing machine has a configuration as shown in FIG. In FIG. 3, 1 is a control means for controlling a series of sequential operations of washing, rinsing, and dehydration, 2 and 3 are semiconductor elements such as bidirectional thyristors, 4 is a capacitor for phase advance, and 5 is a dehydration tank. A rotating motor, 6 is an AC power supply, 7 is a capacitor voltage detecting means for detecting the voltage across the capacitor 4, and 8 is a load amount applied to the motor 5 from the voltage change detected by the capacitor voltage detecting means 7. The load amount detecting means, 9 is a power switch.

In the above-mentioned configuration, the laundry is supplied with a small amount of water before the regular water supply, and by the control of the control means 1,
The semiconductor element 3 is turned on and the motor 5 is driven. Then, the voltage across the phase advancing capacitor 4 of the motor 5 is detected by the capacitor voltage detecting means 7, and the load amount applied to the motor 5 is detected by the load detecting means 8 from the voltage change. Then, based on the detected load data, it controls the water supply level, water intensity, washing time, rinsing time, and dehydration time, and detects the load amount by the same method during dehydration, and detects the detected load. The dehydration time was controlled based on the amount data.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention In such a conventional configuration, the phase advance capacitor 4 of the motor 5 is used.
Since only the load amount applied to the motor 5 is detected from the change in the voltage across the motor 5, not only the load amount is erroneously detected when the semiconductor element 3 fails and is short-circuited, but also the dehydration tank rotates. There was a problem in safety for the user of the washing machine.

The present invention describes such a conventional problem, and detects a failure of a semiconductor element for controlling a motor by detecting a voltage across a phase advancing capacitor of data to prevent a danger to a user. The purpose is.

Means for Solving the Problems In order to solve this problem, a control device for a washing machine according to the present invention comprises a control means for controlling a series of sequential operations of washing, rinsing, and dewatering, and a dehydrating tub rotation by an output of the control means. Switching means for turning on and off the power supply to the driving motor, capacitor voltage detecting means for detecting the voltage across the phase advancing capacitor of the motor, and the detected voltage of the capacitor voltage detecting means are input to the motor. The load amount detecting means for detecting the load amount and the failure detecting means for inputting the detection voltage of the voltage detecting means to detect the failure of the switching means are provided, and the load amount detecting means is provided by the change of the capacitor voltage in the dehydration process. In addition to detecting the load amount, the control means performs the intermittent dehydration by turning on and off the switching means in the initial stage of the dehydration process, resulting in the failure. The detection means detects a change in the capacitor voltage in the intermittent dehydration process, and detects a failure of the switching means based on the change in the capacitor voltage.

With this configuration, by determining the capacitor voltage when the switching means for controlling the motor is turned off,
The failure of the switching means is detected, and in the case of failure, the reckless rotation of the motor is prevented, for example, to ensure the safety of the user.

Embodiment An embodiment in the case of a fully automatic washing machine controller according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. In the figure, the same components as those in the conventional example are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted. In FIG. 1, 3 is a semiconductor element 10 for dehydration control, semiconductor element failure detection means for detecting failure of the semiconductor elements 2 and 3 from the voltage detected by the capacitor voltage detection means 7, 11 is a semiconductor element, and 12 is a semiconductor. The electromagnetic magnet is controlled by the element 11 and turns off the power switch 9.

In such a configuration, when the load amount is first detected, the control means 1 controls the dewatering process of washing so that
With the semiconductor element 2 kept off, the semiconductor element 3 is intermittently turned on and off repeatedly to start the motor 5. After that, the semiconductor element 3 is continuously turned on and the motor 5 is continuously rotated to perform dehydration. At this time, the voltage change across the capacitor 4 is detected by the capacitor voltage detecting means 7. FIG. 2 shows changes in the voltage across the capacitor 4 detected by the capacitor voltage detection means 7 in the dehydration step.
The vertical axis represents the capacitor voltage, and the horizontal axis represents time.

Here, A indicates a case where the load amount is relatively small and B indicates a case where the load amount is relatively large. When A is the time when the predetermined threshold value V _H of the capacitor voltage is reached, in the case of _A , t _A and B and t _B If, when the time of shifting from the intermittent dehydration to successive dehydration and t _0, t _a -t ₀ is the time from the continuous dehydration start t ₀ until it reaches the threshold V _H in the case of a, B Then t _B −t ₀ ,
Comparing the two results in (t _A −t ₀ ) <(t _B −t ₀ ). In this way, the load amount applied to the motor 5 is detected by the load amount detecting means 8 based on the time until the threshold value V _H of the capacitor voltage is reached. Then, based on the detected load amount data, the water flow and time limit of the subsequent strokes are controlled.

Next, a case where the failure detection of the semiconductor elements 2 and 3 is performed will be described. In this case, the voltage of the capacitor 4 is detected by the capacitor voltage detecting means 7 while the control means 1 is in the off state for both the semiconductor elements 2 and 3. At this time, if the semiconductor element 3 is normal, the input of the capacitor voltage detecting means 7 is substantially equal to the power supply voltage, and if the semiconductor element 3 has a short circuit failure, the motor 5 is rotating and the capacitor voltage is Rising above threshold V _H. When the capacitor voltage exceeds the threshold value V _H , the semiconductor element failure detection means 10
It is determined that the semiconductor element has failed, and the control means 1 controls the semiconductor element.
11 is turned on, and the power switch 9 is turned off by the electromagnetic magnet 12. As a result, the motor 5 is stopped, the dehydration tank does not continue to rotate, and the safety of the user is ensured.

Further, in the present embodiment, the power supply is turned off by detecting the failure of the semiconductor element, but a buzzer, a display device, or the like may be used to notify the user of the abnormality, and the safety of the user may be ensured. In addition, although this embodiment is an example of a fully automatic washing machine,
Alternatively, it can be applied to an automatic two-tub washing machine. Further, the energization control of the motor is performed by the semiconductor element, but the point is that the on / off control can be performed by the switch.

As described above, according to the present invention, the capacitor voltage detection means of the motor is also used for the detection of the load amount and is used for the failure detection of the switching means. The danger to the user can be prevented by stopping the rotation of the device or by notifying the abnormality. Further, since the capacitor voltage detection means detects both the load amount and the failure of the switching means, it is not necessary to provide a new failure detection sensor to detect the failure of the switching means, and the structure can be simplified and the It is possible to improve the sex.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of essential parts of a washing machine control device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a voltage change across a phase advancing capacitor, and FIG. 3 is a conventional washing machine control device. It is a principal part block diagram. 1 ... Control means, 2, 3 ... Semiconductor element, 4 ... Phase advancing capacitor, 5 ... Motor, 6 ... AC power supply, 7 ... Capacitor voltage detecting means, 8 ... Load amount detecting means, 9 ... power switch, 10 ... thyristor failure detection means, 11 ... semiconductor element, 12 ... electromagnetic magnet.

Front page continuation (72) Inventor Shoichi Matsui 1006 Kadoma, Kadoma City, Osaka Prefecture Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (72) Sadayuki Tamae 1006 Kadoma, Kadoma City, Osaka Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. References JP-A-60-68894 (JP, A)

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A control means for controlling a series of sequential operations of washing, rinsing and dewatering, a switching means for turning on and off a power supply to a motor for driving the dehydration tub rotation by an output of the control means, and a progress of the motor. Capacitor voltage detection means for detecting the voltage across the phase capacitors, load voltage detection means for inputting the detection voltage of the capacitor voltage detection means, and detection of the load amount applied to the motor, and the detection voltage of the voltage detection means However, the load detecting means includes a failure detecting means for detecting a failure of the switching means, the load amount detecting means detects the load amount by the change of the capacitor voltage in the dehydration step, and the control means in the initial stage of the dehydration step, the switching means. Is turned on and off to perform intermittent dehydration, and the failure detection means detects changes in the capacitor voltage during the intermittent dehydration process, and Control device for a washing machine which detects a failure of the switching means by the voltage change of the service.