Method for controlling a spin cycle of a washing machine and washing machine

By installing a dual-axis accelerometer on the washing machine's suspension assembly, vibration data is analyzed to detect changes in the weight of clothes, solving the problem of inaccurate detection of the drying state of clothes in existing technologies, and achieving optimization of centrifugal cycle time and energy savings.

CN117295857BActive Publication Date: 2026-04-24GIRBAU SA
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Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Patents(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
GIRBAU SA
Filing Date
2022-03-28
Publication Date
2026-04-24

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Current technology fails to accurately detect when clothes in a washing machine are fully dry, resulting in excessively long centrifugal cycles and increased energy consumption.

Method used

By installing a dual-axis accelerometer on the washing machine's suspension assembly, vibration data is analyzed to detect changes in the weight of the clothes. The stability of the vibration data is determined by an electronic control unit, which then precisely controls the end of the centrifugal cycle.

Benefits of technology

It enables precise detection of the dryness of clothing, shortens the centrifugal cycle time, and reduces energy consumption and machine wear.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

Method for controlling a spin cycle of a washing machine and washing machine, the washing machine comprising a suspension assembly (10) and a dual-axis accelerometer (30) supported on the suspension assembly (10), the suspension assembly comprising a rotating drum (11) housed in a damped casing (12) supported on a suspension mechanism (20), the method comprising the steps of obtaining and analyzing vibration data (40) relative to the vibration of the suspension assembly (10), detecting a change in the vibration data over time (43) indicative of a change in the weight of the laundry due to spinning, and determining a stability of the change in the vibration data over time (43) indicative of a change in the weight of the laundry due to the end of spinning.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a method for controlling the spin-drying cycle of a washing machine using vibration data collected from a biaxial accelerometer attached to the washing machine's suspension assembly. The vibration data is analyzed to determine when the clothes contained in the rotating drum of the suspension assembly have finished spinning during the centrifugal cycle. Background Technology

[0002] Various methods for adjusting the centrifugal cycle of a washing machine are known. For example, prior art EP2056079 describes a method that measures the weight of the clothes contained in the rotating drum before and after adding water to determine how much water needs to be discharged from it during the centrifugal cycle.

[0003] Document EP2415919 describes another method in which the washing machine includes several different programs that are optimized for different weights of laundry in order to select the best program.

[0004] Document ES2641548T3 describes another method, which measures the weight of the contents of the rotating drum during centrifugal circulation, and when the rate of weight reduction slows down, it indicates that most of the water has been discharged, at which point the centrifugal circulation is stopped.

[0005] Document EP2977502A1 describes a method that measures the time required to expel a certain amount of water from clothing during a centrifugal cycle, and terminates the centrifugal cycle when the time exceeds a predetermined threshold.

[0006] Document EP3045580A1 describes a washing machine including a smart movable counterweight whose position around the drum is precisely controlled to compensate for the eccentric forces generated by the clothes during the spin-drying process, which are detected by a biaxial accelerometer. The smart movable counterweight reduces or eliminates vibrations during the centrifugal cycle; however, the data collected by the biaxial accelerometer is not analyzed to reduce the duration of the centrifugal cycle. This document does not adjust the duration of the centrifugal cycle based on the drying state of the clothes contained in the drum.

[0007] Document US2018148877A1 describes a washing machine that includes an accelerometer for measuring drum vibration. During centrifugal cycling, when the vibration exceeds a certain threshold, the drum is slowed down or stopped to redistribute the clothes, and then the centrifugal cycle is restarted. This document does not adjust the duration of the centrifugal cycle based on the dryness of the clothes contained in the drum, but only implements the centrifugal cycle according to a predetermined standard procedure.

[0008] Document US2020040509A1 describes a washing machine that includes an accelerometer for measuring drum vibration and a control unit configured to determine the presence of waterproof clothing in the drum by analyzing the vibration detected by the accelerometer, and to set different predetermined centrifugal cycles according to the type of clothing detected. However, this document does not adjust the duration of the centrifugal cycle according to the drying state of the clothing contained in the drum.

[0009] None of these documents describe a method for accurately detecting when clothes contained in a drum are sufficiently dry, based on the analysis of vibration data obtained from accelerometers, thereby shortening centrifugation time and reducing energy consumption.

[0010] The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems and other problems. Summary of the Invention

[0011] This invention relates to a method for controlling the spin-drying cycle of a washing machine.

[0012] The washing machine performing the method includes a suspension assembly comprising a rotating drum contained within a damped enclosure supported on the suspension mechanism.

[0013] The suspension mechanism supports the damping assembly, allows it to vibrate, and connects the suspension assembly to the external chassis of the washing machine.

[0014] The washing machine also includes a dual-axis accelerometer, which is supported on a suspension assembly to determine its acceleration on two orthogonal axes perpendicular to the rotation axis of the rotating drum, and is connected to an electronic control unit.

[0015] A biaxial accelerometer is typically attached to the outside of a damped housing and can consist of two independent monoaxial accelerometers in the vertical direction, or preferably a single accelerometer that detects acceleration in two orthogonal directions.

[0016] The proposed method includes the following steps:

[0017] • Centrifugal circulation is performed by accelerating the rotating drum to a centrifugal speed, which is adjusted to keep the clothes against the inner periphery of the rotating drum by centrifugal force, and centrifugal circulation is performed by draining water and / or soapy water from the damping housing.

[0018] • During centrifugal cycling, vibration data related to the vibration of the suspension assembly caused by the weight shift of the clothing are obtained by a biaxial accelerometer.

[0019] Before centrifugal circulation, a cleaning cycle can also be performed by introducing water and / or soapy water into the rotating drum and adjusting the speed of the rotating drum to a tumbling speed that can tumble the clothes contained therein.

[0020] During the cleaning cycle, the centrifugal force generated around the clothes inside the rotating drum is lower than the force of gravity, causing the clothes to tumble inside the drum and increasing the cleaning effect of water and / or soapy water.

[0021] During the centrifugal circulation process, the centrifugal force generated inside the rotating drum is greater than gravity, thus keeping the clothes inside the drum against the peripheral wall, and the water contained within is discharged to the outside of the drum. The discharged water is collected by a damping shell surrounding the rotating drum and then discharged through a drain outlet.

[0022] During centrifugal circulation, the clothes contained in the rotating drum are typically distributed unevenly around the drum's perimeter, resulting in a weight distribution imbalance. Consequently, the drum vibrates in a plane perpendicular to its axis of rotation as it rotates. Because the drum is connected to a damping housing, this vibration is transmitted to the housing, causing movement throughout the suspension assembly. The vibration is absorbed by the suspension mechanism, preventing its transmission to the washing machine's external chassis.

[0023] Typically, the axis of rotation is horizontal, and the vibration is generated in the vertical plane and detected by a biaxial accelerometer.

[0024] The proposed method, in a manner unknown in the prior art, further includes the following steps:

[0025] • The electronic control unit analyzes the vibration data provided by the dual-axis accelerometer and detects the changes in vibration data over time, which indicate the weight reduction of the clothing due to dehydration.

[0026] • The electronic control unit analyzes the vibration data changes, and when the vibration data decreases at a rate below a predetermined stability threshold, it determines the stability of the vibration data changes over time, indicating the stability of the weight reduction of the garment due to the end of the dehydration process; and

[0027] • The centrifugal cycle ends in response to the stability of vibration data changes.

[0028] Accordingly, the biaxial accelerometer provides data relating to the vibration of the suspension assembly in a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the rotating drum.

[0029] The vibration data is analyzed by an electronic control device, which detects changes in the vibration. For example, the electronic control device can define a function that indicates how the vibration data changes over time.

[0030] Vibration is a cyclic load that produces acceleration and deceleration. It should be understood that the change does not refer to the change of load due to the cyclic characteristics of the vibration load, but rather to the change of the maximum positive and / or negative detection values ​​of the load on each of the two orthogonal axes.

[0031] The vibration changes can be caused by changes in the rotational speed of the rotating drum, changes in the weight distribution inside the rotating drum, or changes in the weight of the contents of the rotating drum.

[0032] The rotation speed is controlled by an electronic control unit, which is therefore aware of when the rotation speed changes. During centrifugal circulation, centrifugal force holds the garments against the peripheral wall of the rotating drum, preventing them from shifting position. Therefore, when a change in vibration is detected during centrifugal circulation without a change in rotation speed, it indicates a decrease in weight due to the expulsion of water from the garments caused by centrifugal force.

[0033] When the analysis of vibration data determines that the stability of the vibration value is independent of changes in rotational speed, or when the rotational speed does not change, the stability indicates that continuing the centrifugal cycle will not significantly improve the dehydration effect of the clothes. Then, the electronic control device can trigger the end of the centrifugal cycle, thereby saving energy and time.

[0034] Precise measurement of vibrations experienced by the suspension components allows for precise control of safety margins and tightening margins, thereby improving system efficiency.

[0035] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, analyzing vibration data includes filtering the vibration data to separate the maximum amplitude of each vibration as measured by a biaxial accelerometer, regardless of the direction of the vibration in a plane defined by two orthogonal axes perpendicular to the rotation axis of the rotating drum, thereby obtaining the maximum amplitude vibration parameters.

[0036] Based on the maximum amplitude vibration parameters, a vibration reduction curve is calculated, and this curve is used to detect the rate at which the vibration contained in the vibration data decreases over time. The detected rate at which the vibration decreases is used to determine when it falls below a predetermined stability threshold.

[0037] The predetermined stability threshold is a predefined threshold for the rate at which vibration decreases. It is usually stored in and accessible by the electronic control unit. The predetermined stability threshold is selected to indicate the stability of the garment's weight reduction due to the end of the spin cycle.

[0038] Typically, the vibration of a rotating drum with a non-uniform mass distribution produces an elliptic curve, the longest axis of which is the maximum amplitude of the vibration. The longest axis of the elliptic curve can have any direction in a plane perpendicular to the rotating drum. The magnitude of the maximum amplitude varies with the changes in the vibration data, but its direction can change with centrifugal cycles, and therefore is irrelevant and can be ignored.

[0039] If the vibration reduction curve is plotted on a graph with amplitude as the vertical axis and time as the horizontal axis, the graph will have a shape similar to a logarithmic shape with horizontal asymptotes, as the dehydration rate decreases with the centrifugal cycle.

[0040] The filtering process can further ignore vibration data whose statistical deviation from the surrounding vibration data exceeds a predetermined deviation threshold, such as a single vibration or a group of several consecutive vibrations within a few seconds (e.g., less than 2 seconds) that is equal to or greater than 10% or 15% of the data before and after the vibration.

[0041] Preferably, at the start of the centrifugation cycle, once the centrifugation speed is reached, the maximum value of the vibration reduction curve is set as a reference value of 100%, and the remainder of the vibration reduction curve is defined as a percentage relative to the reference value of 100%. A stability threshold is also determined as a percentage relative to the reference value of 100%. For example, the stability threshold can be defined as a reduction in the vibration reduction curve of 5% or less, or 2% or less, occurring within a time period of at least 60 seconds, or a portion of that time period and percentage, such as a reduction of 2.5% or less or 1% achieved within a 30-second time period.

[0042] The stability threshold can also be adjusted based on priorities such as maximizing drying effect, reducing centrifugal cycle duration, or reducing energy consumption.

[0043] The maximum value of the vibration reduction curve can vary considerably in different centrifugal cycles because it depends on the mass contained in the rotating drum and also on the distribution of that mass within the drum. A centrifugal cycle with a large mass and a large eccentricity will have a much higher maximum vibration value than one with a small mass and a small eccentricity; however, both have very similar logarithmic shapes but different maximum amplitudes. This difference can be eliminated by replacing the vertical axis with percentage values, where 100% indicates the maximum amplitude at the start of the centrifugal cycle.

[0044] During centrifugal cycling, vibration data changes are calculated between several pairs of consecutive predetermined time points. The stability of the vibration data changes is determined when one or more consecutively calculated changes fall below a predetermined stability threshold. Preferably, the pairs of time points are equidistant from each other.

[0045] Accordingly, the centrifugal cycle is divided into multiple time periods, each consisting of two consecutive time points, and vibration data changes are measured between the two consecutive time points to determine the changes within the time period. Preferably, all time periods have equal durations.

[0046] When the change within a specified time period is equal to or less than a predetermined stability threshold, for example, the maximum vibration decreases by only 5%, or only 3%, or preferably only 2%, the centrifugal cycle is triggered to end.

[0047] Preferably, the vibration data changes are measured during a portion of a centrifugation cycle with a constant centrifugal speed.

[0048] According to an embodiment of the invention, at the start of a centrifugal cycle, if vibration data analysis determines that the maximum amplitude of the vibration is equal to or higher than a predetermined first vibration threshold, the rotational speed of the rotating drum is reduced to the tumbling speed or stopped, ending the centrifugal cycle to alter the distribution of clothes within the rotating drum, and then a new centrifugal cycle begins. This function can alter the weight distribution of clothes if excessive vibration exceeding the first threshold is detected during the centrifugal cycle, which could potentially harm the washing machine. This function prevents excessive vibration of the washing machine. This test can be performed at a specific centrifugal speed, which may differ from (i.e., be lower or higher than) the centrifugal speed used later when analyzing changes in vibration data to determine the stability of the vibration data.

[0049] If, at the start of the centrifugal cycle, vibration data analysis determines that the maximum amplitude of the vibration is between a predetermined first vibration threshold and a predetermined second vibration threshold that is lower than the predetermined first vibration threshold, then the rotating drum is kept at a certain speed for a predetermined time period, such as between ten seconds and one hundred seconds, to discharge some water.

[0050] Once these initial tests determine that the weight distribution is acceptable, the centrifugation speed can be adjusted to the desired speed for use during a portion of the centrifugation cycle. Vibration data during this portion is analyzed to determine its stability, thereby allowing for acceleration or deceleration of the centrifugation speed. The desired centrifugation speed can be adjusted to different levels based on the results of those initial tests, using higher or lower centrifugation speeds depending on the vibration levels detected during those initial tests.

[0051] If the maximum amplitude remains above the second threshold after the predetermined time period, the rotation speed is reduced to the tumbling speed or stopped, ending the centrifugal cycle to change the distribution of clothes in the rotating drum, and a new centrifugal cycle begins later.

[0052] During the predetermined time period, the centrifugal force causes the clothing to lose some water and weight, thereby reducing the maximum amplitude of the vibration. If this reduction is sufficient to lower the maximum amplitude below the second vibration threshold, the centrifugal cycle can continue; otherwise, the centrifugal cycle will end, the rotation speed will be reduced to the tumbling speed or stopped, and it will restart later.

[0053] If, during centrifugal circulation, vibration data analysis determines that the maximum amplitude of the vibration is equal to or below a predetermined second vibration threshold, the rotational speed of the rotating drum can be maintained. Alternatively, the rotational speed can be increased over time, for example, by analyzing vibration data after each increase in speed to keep the maximum amplitude of the vibration below the predetermined second vibration threshold. Another option is to increase the rotational speed over time while keeping the maximum amplitude of the vibration constant, as the weight of the clothing decreases due to moisture loss.

[0054] In continuous centrifugal cycle attempts, a first vibration threshold and a second vibration threshold can be increased, keeping the first vibration threshold below the maximum vibration threshold, as vibration exceeding the maximum vibration threshold would damage the washing machine. By increasing these thresholds, the safety margin decreases, but the probability of successful centrifugal cycles according to the proposed method increases.

[0055] If a centrifugation cycle ends due to excessive vibration parameters, and a new centrifugation cycle is subsequently started with a new weight distribution that still produces vibrations with excessive maximum amplitude, then the next centrifugation cycle begins with a higher first and second threshold that are easier to achieve.

[0056] Because of this characteristic, the initial centrifugal cycle attempt has a wider safety margin than subsequent centrifugal cycle attempts, reducing machine wear in most cleaning cycles.

[0057] The centrifugation speed during the centrifugation cycle can be automatically set to the speed at which the maximum amplitude of vibration reaches a predetermined second vibration threshold. The centrifugation speed can then be kept constant for the remainder of the centrifugation cycle, or it can be increased to maintain the maximum amplitude of vibration equal to or below the predetermined second vibration threshold.

[0058] It is also recommended to accelerate the drum to the test speed during the initial phase of the centrifugal cycle. The test speed can be defined as, for example, a centrifugal force between 5G and 12G generated on the peripheral wall of the rotating drum, or preferably a centrifugal force between 8G and 11G.

[0059] The method may further include, based on initial vibration data collected during the start of the centrifugation cycle and analyzed by the control unit, predicting the expected development of vibration data changes during the remaining time of the centrifugation cycle, and predicting the time until the vibration data changes stabilize, the time prediction being obtained by analyzing the expected development of vibration data changes.

[0060] Time prediction can be used to calculate or adjust the duration of a centrifugation cycle. The duration of a centrifugation cycle can be communicated to the user through an interface such as a screen.

[0061] The proposed method can also be defined as a computer implementation method.

[0062] According to a second aspect of the present invention, it relates to a washing machine comprising:

[0063] • A suspension assembly, comprising a rotating drum contained in a damping housing supported on a suspension mechanism, the rotating drum being connected to the damping housing via a drive shaft actuated by a variable-speed motor to generate its rotation about the rotating shaft;

[0064] • A dual-axis accelerometer, supported on the suspension assembly, determines its acceleration on two orthogonal axes perpendicular to the rotation axis of the rotating drum, and is connected to an electronic control unit to transmit vibration data related to the vibration of the suspension assembly caused by the weight shift of the garment.

[0065] In a manner unknown in the prior art, the biaxial accelerometer is a single accelerometer, preferably attached to a damping housing, and the electronic control device is also configured to implement the above-described method, that is, to perform at least the following steps:

[0066] • Analyze the vibration data to detect changes in vibration data over time, the changes in vibration data indicating changes in the weight of the clothing due to dehydration;

[0067] • Determine the stability of vibration data changes, indicating the stability of garment weight changes due to the end of the spin cycle; and

[0068] • The stability of the response to changes in vibration data triggers the termination of the centrifugal cycle.

[0069] The suspension mechanism can preferably be configured to avoid resonance with the vibration parameters generated by the rotating drum, which rotates at a speed lower than that required to generate a 12G centrifugal force on its periphery.

[0070] It should be understood that any given range of values ​​may not be optimal at extreme values, and the invention may need to be adapted to accommodate these applicable extreme values, such adaptation being within the capabilities of those skilled in the art.

[0071] Other features of the invention are presented in the following detailed description of the embodiments. Attached Figure Description

[0072] Referring to the accompanying drawings, embodiments will be described in detail below in an illustrative rather than limiting manner to provide a more complete understanding of the foregoing and other advantages and features, wherein:

[0073] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a washing machine, in which the front of the damping housing has been removed for clarity;

[0074] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of vibration data obtained from a biaxial accelerometer during a typical centrifugal cycle, where the maximum amplitude of a single vibration is plotted as a diagonal straight line.

[0075] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the filtered vibration data, showing only the change in the maximum amplitude of the vibration during the centrifugal cycle. The maximum amplitude of the vibration determines the line corresponding to the change in the vibration data, which typically corresponds to a logarithmic descending line.

[0076] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the line defining the changes in vibration data, in which multiple time periods have been marked and the changes in vibration data within each time period have been measured;

[0077] Figure 5 A flowchart of a proposed embodiment of the proposed method is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0078] Referring to the accompanying drawings, embodiments will be described in detail below in an illustrative rather than restrictive manner to provide a more complete understanding of the foregoing and other advantages and features.

[0079] Figure 1 The proposed washing machine is shown, which includes an external chassis containing a suspension assembly 10 formed by a damping housing 12, the suspension assembly 10 including a rotating drum 11.

[0080] The damping housing 12 is connected to the external chassis via a suspension mechanism 20, which is formed, for example, by a spring, an elastic block, a piston, or a combination thereof, thereby isolating the external chassis from the vibration of the damping housing 12.

[0081] The rotating drum 11 is connected to the damping housing 12 via a drive shaft driven by a variable speed motor, causing it to rotate around the rotation axis E.

[0082] The hollow interior of the rotating drum 11 can be accessed through a door-sealed opening in the damping housing to allow the removal of clothes to be washed or dried.

[0083] A rotating drum is typically a cylindrical drum with two circular sidewalls and a cylindrical circumferential wall. It has through-holes to allow water to enter and exit while retaining the laundry inside.

[0084] The damping housing includes at least one water inlet and / or one soap water inlet and one drain outlet.

[0085] Variable speed motors are typically mounted outside the damping housing.

[0086] The damping housing 12 is connected to the drain pipe to drain the water therein.

[0087] According to this embodiment, a biaxial accelerometer 30 is attached to a damping housing 12 to measure the vibration of the suspension assembly 10 on two orthogonal axes X and Y, which define a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation E. The vibration is generated by the rotation of the eccentric weight distribution of wet clothing within the rotating drum 11.

[0088] Figure 2 A graph of vibration data 40 obtained by the biaxial accelerometer 30 is shown. Each rotation of the rotating drum 11 produces one elliptical-like vibration motion of the suspension assembly 10. Each elliptical-like vibration motion defines a maximum amplitude 41 of vibration that is the same as the longest diagonal of the elliptical-like vibration motion.

[0089] Figure 3 The filtered vibration data 40 is shown to separate the maximum amplitude 41 of each vibration during the centrifugal cycle.

[0090] During the centrifugal cycle, the maximum amplitude 41 of the vibration decreases over time due to the weight loss of the clothes contained in the rotating drum 11. Typically, the decrease in the maximum amplitude 41 of the vibration during the centrifugal cycle produces a logarithmic curve corresponding to the change in vibration data 42, which tends towards a horizontal asymptote. When the change in vibration data 42 approaches the asymptote, it indicates that the dehydration of the clothes is complete, and the centrifugal cycle can be ended.

[0091] Figure 4 This demonstrates that if the centrifugation cycle is divided into several time periods of equal length, P1, P2, P3…PN, such as periods between 10 seconds and 100 seconds, then the reduction in maximum vibration in each period is less than the reduction in the preceding period. Once the reduction in a period falls below the stability threshold, dehydration is considered stable, and the centrifugation cycle ends.

[0092] Preferably, after determining the stability of the vibration data change 43, it is also verified whether the centrifugation cycle has lasted for at least one minimum centrifugation period T2 before ending the centrifugation cycle. If not, the centrifugation cycle is extended until the minimum centrifugation period T2 is lasted; otherwise, the centrifugation cycle is ended.

[0093] Figure 5 A flowchart illustrating how to control the centrifugal cycle is shown.

[0094] At the start of the centrifugal cycle, once the centrifugal speed is reached, if the suspension assembly 10 vibrates, preferably with a maximum amplitude 41 higher than a first vibration threshold 1VT, the centrifugal cycle stops and restarts, thereby causing a redistribution of weight within the rotating drum 11.

[0095] If the vibration is lower than the first vibration threshold 1VT, then check whether the vibration of the suspension assembly 10 is higher than the second vibration threshold 2VT, wherein the second vibration threshold 2VT is lower than the first vibration threshold 1VT.

[0096] When the vibration is below the second vibration threshold 2VT, the centrifugal cycle continues. When the vibration is above the second vibration threshold 2VT, the centrifugal cycle is maintained for a period of time T1, for example, 10 to 100 seconds, to allow for some weight loss and vibration reduction. If, after the time period T1, the vibration is below the second vibration threshold 2VT, the centrifugal cycle continues. If, after the time period T1, the vibration is still above the second vibration threshold 2VT, the centrifugal cycle is stopped and restarted, thereby creating a redistribution of weight within the rotating drum 11.

[0097] Once these initial checks are successfully completed, the rate at which the vibration decreases is analyzed, for example, to verify... Figure 4 The vibration data changes over the continuous time periods P1, P2, P3...PN are shown in Figure 43.

[0098] Once the vibration decreases below a certain stable threshold, dehydration becomes irrelevant or almost irrelevant, and the centrifugal cycle can be terminated.

[0099] If, after a certain period of time, such as once the time period PN is reached, the stable threshold has not been reached, the centrifugal cycle can be completed automatically to avoid its excessive duration.

Claims

1. A method for controlling the spin-dry cycle of a washing machine, the washing machine comprising: A suspension assembly, the suspension assembly including a rotating roller contained in a damping housing supported on a suspension mechanism, the rotating roller being connected to the damping housing via a drive shaft actuated by a variable speed motor to generate its rotation about a rotation axis; A biaxial accelerometer, supported on the suspension assembly, is used to determine the acceleration of the roller on two orthogonal axes perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the rotating drum, and is connected to an electronic control device. The method includes the following steps: Centrifugal cycles are performed by accelerating the rotating drum to a centrifugal speed, which is adjusted to keep the clothes in the rotating drum against the inner periphery of the rotating drum by centrifugal force, and by draining water and / or soapy water from the damping housing. During the centrifugal cycle, vibration data related to the vibration of the suspension assembly caused by the weight shift of the clothing is obtained by the biaxial accelerometer; During the centrifugal cycle, the vibration data provided by the biaxial accelerometer is analyzed by an electronic control unit, and changes in the vibration data over time are detected, the changes in vibration data indicating a reduction in the weight of the clothing due to dehydration. The method is characterized in that it further includes: During the centrifugal cycle, the electronic control unit analyzes the changes in the vibration data. When the vibration data decreases at a rate below a predetermined stability threshold, the stability of the changes in the vibration data over time is determined, indicating the stability of the weight reduction of the garment due to the end of the dehydration process; and The centrifugal cycle ends in response to the stability of the vibration data changes.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The analysis of the vibration data includes filtering the vibration data to separate the maximum amplitude of each vibration measured by the biaxial accelerometer, ignoring the direction of the vibration in a plane perpendicular to the rotation axis of the rotating drum, obtaining the maximum amplitude vibration parameter, calculating the vibration reduction curve based on the maximum amplitude vibration parameter, and using the vibration reduction curve to determine the stability of the vibration data changes over time.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein, The filtering process also includes ignoring vibration data whose statistical deviation from surrounding vibration data exceeds a predetermined deviation threshold.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein, Once the centrifugation speed is reached, at the start of the centrifugation cycle, the maximum value of the vibration reduction curve is set to a reference value of 100%, and the remaining portion of the vibration reduction curve is defined as a percentage relative to the reference value of 100%. The predetermined stability threshold is also determined as a percentage relative to the reference value of 100%.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein, During the centrifugation cycle, vibration data changes are calculated between several pairs of consecutive predefined time points or between several pairs of consecutive equidistant predefined time points to detect the stability of the vibration data changes. When one or more consecutively calculated vibration data changes are below a predetermined stability threshold, the stability of the vibration data changes is determined.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, If, at the start of the centrifugal cycle, analysis of the vibration data determines that the maximum amplitude of the vibration is equal to or higher than a predetermined first vibration threshold, the centrifugal cycle is terminated, the rotating drum is stopped, or the rotational speed of the rotating drum is reduced to a tumbling speed to change the distribution of clothing within the rotating drum, and a new centrifugal cycle is restarted later.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein, If, at the start of the centrifugal cycle, analysis of the vibration data determines that the maximum amplitude of the vibration is between a predetermined first vibration threshold and a predetermined second vibration threshold lower than the predetermined first vibration threshold, then the rotational speed of the rotating drum is maintained for a predetermined time period. If, after the predetermined time period, the maximum amplitude of the vibration remains greater than the predetermined second vibration threshold, then the centrifugal cycle is terminated, the rotating drum is stopped, or the rotational speed of the rotating drum is reduced to a tumbling speed to change the distribution of clothing within the rotating drum, and a new centrifugal cycle is restarted later.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein, In continuous centrifugal cycle attempts, the predetermined first vibration threshold and the predetermined second vibration threshold are increased, while the predetermined first vibration threshold is kept below the maximum vibration threshold, and vibrations above the maximum vibration threshold are harmful to the washing machine.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein, The centrifugal speed is automatically set to the speed at which the maximum amplitude of the vibration reaches the predetermined second vibration threshold.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein, During the centrifugation cycle, the centrifugation speed is increased while maintaining the maximum amplitude of the vibration equal to or below the predetermined second vibration threshold.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, Before the centrifugal cycle begins, the rotating drum is accelerated to a test speed, which is defined as generating a centrifugal force around the rotating drum, between 5G and 12G, where G represents gravitational acceleration.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein, The centrifugal force is between 8G and 11G.

13. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, The method further includes an electronic control unit predicting the expected development of vibration data changes during the remaining time of the centrifugation cycle based on initial vibration data collected during the start of the centrifugation cycle, as analyzed by the control unit, and a time prediction until the vibration data changes stabilize, the time prediction being obtained from the analysis of the expected development of the vibration data changes.

14. A washing machine, comprising: A suspension assembly including a rotating roller contained in a damping housing supported on a suspension mechanism, the rotating roller being connected to the damping housing via a drive shaft actuated by a variable speed motor to generate its rotation about the rotating shaft; A biaxial accelerometer, supported on the suspension assembly, is used to determine its acceleration on two orthogonal axes perpendicular to the rotation axis of the rotating drum, and is connected to an electronic control unit to transmit vibration data related to the vibration of the suspension assembly caused by the weight offset of the clothing. The electronic control device is characterized in that it is further configured to implement the method according to any one of claims 1-13, and wherein the dual-axis accelerometer is a single accelerometer.

15. The washing machine according to claim 14, wherein, The suspension mechanism is configured to avoid resonance with the vibration parameters generated by the rotating drum, which rotates at a speed lower than that required to generate a 12G centrifugal force around its periphery, where G represents gravitational acceleration.

Citation Information

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