Washing machine control method and washing machine
By installing water sensors on the outer wall of the outer barrel of the washing machine, monitoring overflow and executing control steps according to the duration, the shortcomings of overflow detection relying on water level sensors in the prior art are solved, and more accurate overflow monitoring and control are achieved, reducing overflow accidents occur.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202310723887.6
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2023-06-16
- Publication Date
- 2024-12-17
AI Technical Summary
Existing washing machines rely on water level sensors and water inlet valves for overflow detection, which can easily cause continuous water inlet due to hardware or software failures, resulting in overflow accidents, and there are problems of deviations in water level judgment and false alarms and missed reports.
By installing water sensors on the outer wall of the outer barrel of the washing machine, monitoring the overflow situation, and timing the water signal according to the duration of the water signal, performing corresponding control steps, such as closing the water inlet valve, starting the drain pump or adjusting the rinsing water level, to deal with different overflows, to ensure that the water level is within a safe range.
It improves the accuracy and reliability of overflow detection, reduces the incidence of overflow accidents, avoids overflow problems caused by hardware or software failures, and ensures the safety and water-saving performance of the washing machine.
Smart Images
Figure CN119145157A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of clothing processing equipment, and in particular, relates to a washing machine control method and a washing machine. Background Art
[0002] Existing washing machines are generally equipped with overflow ports. When the water inflow exceeds the overflow port, the water will automatically flow out from the overflow port. The overflow port only serves to discharge the overflow water and cannot alarm to stop the water inflow. The only alarm brake switch is the water level sensor. Because the water level sensor is an electrical device, it may fail, and the water inflow will continue. If the water inflow speed is greater than the overflow port drainage speed, the water level will continue to rise and eventually flow out from the outside of the washing machine outer barrel, which not only wastes water resources but also poses a safety hazard to the user's home.
[0003] At present, the method of detecting overflow is usually to detect the change of water level frequency value through computer board software for a certain period of time, and then issue a fault alarm and shut down the machine. However, the above-mentioned overflow detection method, the function of the water level sensor, the water level judgment circuit of the computer board and other factors will affect the water level frequency value, which will cause the water level judgment to be biased, resulting in false alarm or missed alarm. Moreover, the above-mentioned overflow detection method is not applicable to the case of water leakage in the washing machine drum itself.
[0004] In addition, there are some occasional situations with pulsator washing machines. For example, when the water level is within the normal range but at a high water level, if there is a problem such as eccentricity, the rotation of the inner drum will cause the water flow to be agitated, and some water will splash out from the mouth of the outer drum of the washing machine to the outside. In this case, the water level sensor cannot detect it. If the washing machine continues to run according to the original program, more water will splash out. Summary of the invention
[0005] The present invention aims to solve the problem that in the prior art, overflow of washing machines depends on detecting the water level in the drum and controlling the water inlet valve. When hardware or software failure occurs and causes overflow, there is no effective monitoring and control measure, which easily causes serious overflow accidents. A washing machine control method is proposed to solve the above problem.
[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions: A washing machine control method, comprising: Monitor whether there is water on the outer wall of the outer barrel, and generate a water signal when water is detected, and obtain the duration of the monitored water signal as a first duration t1; The first duration t1 is compared with a set threshold, and corresponding control steps are performed according to the comparison result.
[0007] In some embodiments, when the first duration t1 is greater than 0 and has not reached the set lower limit, it is determined to be an instantaneous signal, and the gear of the rinsing water level is lowered.
[0008] In some embodiments, when it is determined to be an instantaneous signal, it also includes determining whether the current washing machine is executing a rinsing program. When the washing machine is executing a rinsing program, the water pump is turned on to discharge a certain amount of water and then continue to execute the rinsing program.
[0009] In some embodiments, when the first duration t1 rises to a set upper limit value, it is determined that water inflow has not only caused overflow, and the drainage pump is controlled to start drainage and the water inlet valve is controlled to close.
[0010] In some embodiments, when the drainage pump starts draining, the duration of the monitored water signal is re-timed as the second duration t2. When the second duration t2 rises to a set upper limit value, it is judged that the drainage volume of the drainage pump is less than the water intake volume, and drainage is continued until the set drainage time is met or the set water level is met and a fault alarm is issued.
[0011] In some embodiments, when the second duration t2 does not reach the set upper limit value, it is judged that the drainage volume of the drainage pump is not less than the water intake volume, and the water level is monitored. When the water level reaches the set water level, the drainage pump is turned off. If the water level rises after turning off the drainage pump, the drainage pump is turned on again to drain the water, and a fault alarm is issued.
[0012] In some embodiments, in the step of monitoring the water level, if the water level does not rise after the drainage pump is turned off, the subsequent control steps are continued.
[0013] In some embodiments, if the set lower limit value < first duration t1 ≤ set upper limit value, it is judged that the water level is too high, the current water level is obtained, the drainage time is calculated according to the current water level and the set water level, and the water pump is controlled to drain according to the drainage time.
[0014] In some embodiments, in the step of monitoring whether there is water on the outer wall of the outer barrel, the monitored position is a position around the outer wall of the outer barrel below the barrel mouth.
[0015] The present invention also proposes a washing machine, comprising a casing, an outer barrel arranged on the inner side of the casing, and an inner barrel arranged on the inner side of the outer barrel, and also comprising a water sensor for monitoring whether there is water. The water sensor is arranged on the outer side wall of the outer barrel. The washing machine is controlled according to any of the washing machine control methods recorded in the preceding items.
[0016] Compared with the prior art, the advantages and positive effects of the present invention are: When overflow occurs, the overflowed water will definitely flow down along the outer wall of the outer barrel. By monitoring whether there is water on the outer wall of the outer barrel, it is used to determine whether there is water overflow, which is more accurate and reliable. By timing the duration of the water signal, it is used to determine what kind of overflow it is, and the corresponding control steps are executed according to the overflow situation. It can cope with a variety of overflow situations, and can intelligently adjust the water level control to a safe range, reducing the incidence of overflow problems during water intake and washing. In addition, the monitoring element for monitoring overflow is set on the outer wall of the outer barrel. In most cases, it is a dry environment. The monitoring element has high reliability and a longer service life. It can monitor overflow when there is a hardware failure or software failure in the water level monitoring device and the water inlet valve in the barrel, so as to avoid overflow accidents.
[0017] After reading the specific embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, other features and advantages of the present invention will become more clear. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0018] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.
[0019] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the structure of an embodiment of the washing machine proposed by the present invention Figure 2 is a schematic structural diagram of the outer drum of the washing machine proposed by the present invention; Figure 3 It is a flow chart of an embodiment of the washing machine control method proposed by the present invention. Implementation
[0020] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solution in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.
[0021] It should be noted that in the description of the present invention, the terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "inside", "outside" and the like indicating directions or positional relationships are based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the drawings, which are merely for the convenience of description and do not indicate or imply that the device or element must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present invention. In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance. In the description of the present invention, "multiple" means two or more, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.
[0022] In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", "connected", "fixed" and the like should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, it can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances. Specific embodiment 1
[0023] After the washing machine is started, the water inlet valve is controlled to open the water inlet. When the water reaches the set water level, the inner barrel is driven to rotate by controlling the motor to wash the clothes in the barrel. The washing machine is equipped with an overflow port, which is connected to an overflow pipe. When the water level reaches the overflow port, the water will flow through the overflow port and the overflow pipe to the sewer. The overflow port only serves to discharge the overflow water and cannot alarm to stop the water inlet. The only alarm brake switch is the water level sensor. Because the water level sensor is an electrical device, it may fail, and the water will continue to inlet. In addition, if the hardware or software of the water inlet valve used to control the water inlet fails, the water will continue to inlet. If the water inlet speed is greater than the overflow outlet drainage speed, the water level will continue to rise and eventually flow out from the outside of the outer barrel of the washing machine, which not only wastes water resources but also brings safety hazards to the user's home.
[0024] The overflow in this embodiment refers to the washing water in the outer barrel overflowing from the barrel mouth of the outer barrel to the outside of the outer barrel. The overflow will flow along the outer wall of the outer barrel to the bottom of the casing, and then flow out to the outside of the casing along the gap. What's worse, it will soak the motor and damage the motor.
[0025] In view of the problem that the overflow of washing machines in the prior art relies on monitoring the water level in the tub and controlling the water inlet valve, when a hardware or software failure occurs and causes overflow, there is no effective monitoring and control measure, which easily causes serious overflow accidents. This embodiment proposes a washing machine control method, such as Figure 3 As shown, including: Monitor whether there is water on the outer wall of the outer barrel, and generate a water signal when water is detected, and obtain the duration of the monitored water signal as a first duration t1; The first duration t1 is compared with a set threshold, and corresponding control steps are performed according to the comparison result.
[0026] There are many situations that cause overflow. It may be due to a malfunction of the water level sensor, which makes it impossible to monitor and generate a signal that the target water level has been reached, resulting in the inability to generate a closing signal to trigger the closing of the water inlet valve, and continuous water inflow causes overflow.
[0027] Another possible cause of overflow is a hardware or software failure of the water inlet valve, which causes the generated signal to trigger the closing of the water inlet valve to fail to be executed, resulting in the water inlet valve continuing to open, which can also cause overflow.
[0028] Overflow may also be caused by occasional instantaneous splashing, such as splashing caused by the mismatch between the rinse water level and the actual amount of laundry, control logic, etc. When the rinse water level is too high, the motor is controlled according to the control logic suitable for the current amount of laundry, which can easily cause splashing. This method can eliminate the cause of hardware or software failure.
[0029] Regardless of the cause of the overflow, when overflow occurs, the overflowed water will definitely flow down along the outer wall of the outer barrel. Therefore, this solution sets the water sensor in the overflow flow path, that is, sets the water sensor on the outer wall of the outer barrel. When overflow occurs, by monitoring whether there is water on the outer wall of the outer barrel, it is used to determine whether there is water overflow, which is more accurate and reliable.
[0030] In addition, this solution is used to determine what kind of overflow the water has occurred by timing the duration of the water signal, and executes corresponding control steps according to the overflow situation. It can deal with a variety of overflow situations and can intelligently adjust the water level control to a safe range, reducing the incidence of overflow problems during water intake and washing. In addition, the monitoring element for monitoring overflow is set on the outer wall of the outer barrel, which is a dry environment in most cases. The monitoring element has high reliability and a longer service life. It can monitor the overflow when the water level monitoring device in the barrel and the water inlet valve have hardware failures or software failures, etc., to avoid overflow accidents.
[0031] Different control methods are used for the overflow caused by the above reasons. Instantaneous splashing caused by mismatch between setting parameters and control logic is not a fault cause, and only the setting parameters need to be readjusted.
[0032] The continuous water inflow caused by the failure of the water level sensor is manifested by the long duration of the monitored water signal. At this time, the water inlet valve is controlled to be closed and the drain pump is started to drain the water. After the water level is pumped out to normal, the water level judgment method is changed to ensure that the washing machine can continue to work normally.
[0033] For continuous water inflow caused by a fault in the water inlet valve, the manifestation is that the monitored water signal lasts for a long time, and the drain pump needs to be started to drain the water, and a fault alarm needs to be issued to remind the user to close the water inlet pipe valve to solve the problem.
[0034] The continuous water inflow caused by the failure of the water level sensor and the water inlet valve means that the monitored water signal lasts for a long time. Therefore, further judgment is needed to improve the accuracy of the judgment and avoid misjudgment leading to incorrect control methods.
[0035] When no water is detected on the outer wall of the outer tub, it means that no overflow has occurred and the washing machine can operate according to normal control logic.
[0036] In some embodiments, when the first duration t1 is greater than 0 and does not reach the set lower limit tmin, that is, the overflow duration is short, that is, water splashes out only momentarily, and it is judged as an instantaneous signal. When instantaneous overflow water is detected, it means that the gear of the rinsing water level does not match the actual amount of laundry, the control logic, etc., the gear of the rinsing water level is too high, and water splashes out occasionally when the inner barrel drives the laundry to rotate. The handling method of this situation only needs to lower the gear of the rinsing water level. After lowering the gear of the rinsing water level, the normal washing control program can be continued without affecting the normal washing of the laundry.
[0037] When it is judged as an instantaneous signal, lowering the gear of the rinse water level can only ensure that the water level of the next round of water inlet is lowered. If the current water level is high, splashing may still occur again during this round of rinsing. If splashing occurs again, lowering the gear of the rinse water level again will cause repeated reduction. The superposition of the reduction values will cause the rinse water level to be too low.
[0038] In order to solve the above problem, the method also includes a step of determining whether the instantaneous signal is detected for the first time. If the instantaneous signal is detected for the first time during the current rinsing process, the rinsing water level is lowered according to the setting. If the instantaneous signal is not detected for the first time during the current rinsing process, the rinsing water level is not lowered until the next rinsing round begins.
[0039] If the gear is too high, it will need to be adjusted multiple times. If the above adjustment method is used, multiple rounds of rinsing are required to adjust it normally. However, in actual practice, there are often not so many rounds of rinsing, which means that water splashing will always occur during the entire rinsing process.
[0040] In order to avoid the above problems, in some embodiments, when it is determined to be an instantaneous signal, it also includes determining whether the current washing machine is performing a rinsing program. When the washing machine is performing a rinsing program, the water pump is turned on to discharge a certain amount of water and then the rinsing program is continued. That is, the water level is adjusted to a low gear for this round of rinsing. If the gear is seriously high, after the water level is adjusted, it will be reflected in the subsequent control steps of this round, and then continue to adjust without waiting for the next round of rinsing. It can timely feedback the splashing problem and respond to make adjustments in time to avoid repeated splashing problems.
[0041] In some embodiments, when the first duration t1 rises to the set upper limit tmax, it is determined that the water inflow continues to overflow, and the drainage pump is controlled to start drainage and the water inlet valve is controlled to close. Regardless of the cause of the first duration t1, that is, continuous overflow, it means that there is continuous water replenishment. Therefore, the water inlet valve is first controlled to be closed, the purpose of which is to prevent more water from overflowing to the outside of the washing machine by controlling the water inflow to stop.
[0042] Controlling the water inlet valve to close is only a control command generated and issued by the control module. If the hardware and software of the water inlet valve are normal, the water inlet valve will be closed as controlled. However, if there is an abnormality in the hardware or software of the water inlet valve, even if the control module issues a control closing command, it cannot be executed and water will continue to flow in. Therefore, this situation will be taken into consideration in the subsequent judgment steps and further judgment is required.
[0043] In order to determine whether there is a water level sensor failure, in some embodiments, the duration of the monitored water signal is re-timed while the drainage pump is turned on, which is the second duration t2. When the second duration t2 rises to the set upper limit value, it means that the drainage valve is not closed and water is still entering. Moreover, the drainage volume of the drainage pump is less than the water intake, so there is still a problem of continuous overflow. Therefore, if this phenomenon occurs, it is determined that the drainage volume of the drainage pump is less than the water intake, and the drainage pump is controlled to continue to drain until the set condition is met to stop drainage. The set condition can be that the preset drainage time is reached or the water level meets the set water level. Due to the water level sensor failure, the drainage is stopped and a fault alarm is issued. This is to be able to notify the user in time, so that maintenance personnel can be contacted for maintenance, and further serious overflow accidents can be avoided to cause losses.
[0044] In some embodiments, when the second duration t2 does not reach the set upper limit value, that is, after the drain pump starts to drain water, it no longer overflows or stops overflowing after a short overflow, it is judged that the drainage volume of the drain pump is not less than the water intake volume, and the water level needs to be monitored. When the water level reaches the set water level, the drain pump is turned off. If the water level rises after the drain pump is turned off, it means that the water inlet valve is not closed and water is still intaken. Since the control signal for closing the water inlet valve has been sent before, but water is still intaken at this time, it means that the water inlet valve is faulty. In order to prevent serious overflow, the drain pump is restarted to drain water, and a fault alarm is issued to notify the user to deal with it in time. For example, the loss can be stopped by closing the water inlet pipe valve, and maintenance personnel can be contacted for inspection.
[0045] In some embodiments, in the water level monitoring step, if the water level does not rise after the drain pump is turned off, it means that the water inlet valve is effectively closed. Therefore, after the water level reaches the set water level, the subsequent control steps can be continued.
[0046] In some embodiments, if the set lower limit value < the first duration t1 ≤ the set upper limit value, it is determined that the water level is too high, the current water level is obtained, the drainage time is calculated according to the current water level and the set water level, and the water pump is controlled to drain water according to the drainage time. This solution drains water by calculating the drainage time, which can avoid the problem of unreliable water level monitoring due to a water level sensor failure.
[0047] According to the drainage flow rate V of the drainage pump, the maximum water storage capacity X of the outer barrel, and the water volume Y at the set water level, the drainage time T is calculated, T=(XY) / V, and the system automatically adjusts to the appropriate water level.
[0048] In some embodiments, in the step of monitoring whether there is water on the outer wall of the outer barrel, the position to be monitored is a position around the outer wall of the outer barrel below the barrel mouth, which must be located on the flow path of the overflow water, and the reliability of monitoring the overflow water is high. And by setting the monitoring position at a position around the outer wall of the outer barrel below the barrel mouth, when the overflow water overflows from a local position due to the uneven barrel mouth of the outer barrel or when the occasional splashing water is at a random position, the overflow water can be accurately monitored. Specific embodiment 2
[0049] The present invention also provides a washing machine, such as Figure 1 , Figure 2 As shown, it includes a casing 11, an outer barrel 12 arranged on the inner side of the casing 11, and an inner barrel 13 arranged on the inner side of the outer barrel 12, and also includes a water sensor 14, which is used to monitor whether there is water. The water sensor 14 is arranged on the outer side wall of the outer barrel 12.
[0050] In some embodiments, in the step of monitoring whether there is water on the outer wall of the outer barrel, the position to be monitored is a position around the outer wall of the outer barrel below the barrel mouth, which must be located on the flow path of the overflow water, and the reliability of monitoring the overflow water is high. And by setting the monitoring position at a position around the outer wall of the outer barrel below the barrel mouth, when the overflow water overflows from a local position due to the uneven barrel mouth of the outer barrel or when the occasional splashing water is at a random position, the overflow water can be accurately monitored.
[0051] Therefore, in this embodiment, the water sensor is annular, and the annular water sensor is fixed to the outer wall of the outer barrel by pasting, snapping, embedding, etc.
[0052] This annular water sensor consists of a flexible structure, which is close to the upper edge of the outer barrel and transmits signals to the computer board through wires from the back side.
[0053] The annular water sensor is mainly composed of a hygroscopic resistor and a hygroscopic capacitor. By setting the hygroscopic resistor and the hygroscopic capacitor as flexible hygroscopic elements, they can be bent to a certain extent and withstand a certain degree of deformation, which ensures that the annular water sensor can be fixed around the circular outer barrel.
[0054] The resistance of the flexible humidity-sensitive element of this annular water sensor can remain stable when no water flows over its surface, and the corresponding current transmitted to the control module also remains stable. At this time, the control module is set to the initial value. When water flows over its surface, the resistivity and capacitance of the humidity-sensitive material in the humidity-sensitive element change with the amount of water flow. At this time, the current signal transmitted to the control module changes, and the control module determines that water overflow has occurred.
[0055] After the washing machine is started, the water inlet valve is controlled to open the water inlet. When the water reaches the set water level, the inner barrel is driven to rotate by controlling the motor to wash the clothes in the barrel. The washing machine is equipped with an overflow port, which is connected to an overflow pipe. When the water level reaches the overflow port, the water will flow through the overflow port and the overflow pipe to the sewer. The overflow port only serves to discharge the overflow water and cannot alarm to stop the water inlet. The only alarm brake switch is the water level sensor. Because the water level sensor is an electrical device, it may fail, and the water will continue to inlet. In addition, if the hardware or software of the water inlet valve used to control the water inlet fails, the water will continue to inlet. If the water inlet speed is greater than the overflow outlet drainage speed, the water level will continue to rise and eventually flow out from the outside of the outer barrel of the washing machine, which not only wastes water resources but also brings safety hazards to the user's home.
[0056] The overflow in this embodiment refers to the washing water in the outer barrel overflowing from the barrel mouth of the outer barrel to the outside of the outer barrel. The overflow will flow along the outer wall of the outer barrel to the bottom of the casing, and then flow out to the outside of the casing along the gap. What's worse, it will soak the motor and damage the motor.
[0057] In view of the problem that the overflow of washing machines in the prior art relies on monitoring the water level in the tub and controlling the water inlet valve, when a hardware or software failure occurs and causes overflow, there is no effective monitoring and control measure, which easily causes a serious overflow accident. The washing machine control method of this embodiment includes: Monitor whether there is water on the outer wall of the outer barrel, and generate a water signal when water is detected, and obtain the duration of the monitored water signal as a first duration t1; The first duration t1 is compared with a set threshold, and corresponding control steps are performed according to the comparison result.
[0058] There are many situations that cause overflow. It may be due to a malfunction of the water level sensor, which makes it impossible to monitor and generate a signal that the target water level has been reached, resulting in the inability to generate a closing signal to trigger the closing of the water inlet valve, and continuous water inflow causes overflow.
[0059] Another possible cause of overflow is a hardware or software failure of the water inlet valve, which causes the generated signal to trigger the closing of the water inlet valve to fail to be executed, resulting in the water inlet valve continuing to open, which can also cause overflow.
[0060] Overflow may also be caused by occasional instantaneous splashing, such as splashing caused by the mismatch between the rinse water level and the actual amount of laundry, control logic, etc. When the rinse water level is too high, the motor is controlled according to the control logic suitable for the current amount of laundry, which can easily cause splashing. This method can eliminate the cause of hardware or software failure.
[0061] Regardless of the cause of the overflow, when overflow occurs, the overflowed water will definitely flow down along the outer wall of the outer barrel. Therefore, this solution sets the water sensor in the overflow flow path, that is, sets the water sensor on the outer wall of the outer barrel. When overflow occurs, by monitoring whether there is water on the outer wall of the outer barrel, it is used to determine whether there is water overflow, which is more accurate and reliable.
[0062] In addition, this solution is used to determine what kind of overflow the water has occurred by timing the duration of the water signal, and executes corresponding control steps according to the overflow situation. It can deal with a variety of overflow situations and can intelligently adjust the water level control to a safe range, reducing the incidence of overflow problems during water intake and washing. In addition, the monitoring element for monitoring overflow is set on the outer wall of the outer barrel, which is a dry environment in most cases. The monitoring element has high reliability and a longer service life. It can monitor the overflow when the water level monitoring device in the barrel and the water inlet valve have hardware failures or software failures, etc., to avoid overflow accidents.
[0063] Different control methods are used for the overflow caused by the above reasons. Instantaneous splashing caused by mismatch between setting parameters and control logic is not a fault cause, and only the setting parameters need to be readjusted.
[0064] The continuous water inflow caused by the failure of the water level sensor is manifested by the long duration of the monitored water signal. At this time, the water inlet valve is controlled to be closed and the drain pump is started to drain the water. After the water level is pumped out to normal, the water level judgment method is changed to ensure that the washing machine can continue to work normally.
[0065] For continuous water inflow caused by a fault in the water inlet valve, the manifestation is that the monitored water signal lasts for a long time, and the drain pump needs to be started to drain the water, and a fault alarm needs to be issued to remind the user to close the water inlet pipe valve to solve the problem.
[0066] The continuous water inflow caused by the failure of the water level sensor and the water inlet valve means that the monitored water signal lasts for a long time. Therefore, further judgment is needed to improve the accuracy of the judgment and avoid misjudgment leading to incorrect control methods.
[0067] When no water is detected on the outer wall of the outer tub, it means that no overflow has occurred and the washing machine can operate according to normal control logic.
[0068] In some embodiments, when the first duration t1 is greater than 0 and does not reach the set lower limit, that is, the overflow duration is short, that is, water splashes out only momentarily, and it is judged as an instantaneous signal. When instantaneous overflow water is detected, it means that the gear of the rinsing water level does not match the actual amount of laundry, the control logic, etc., the gear of the rinsing water level is too high, and water splashes out occasionally when the inner barrel drives the laundry to rotate. The handling method of this situation only needs to lower the gear of the rinsing water level. After lowering the gear of the rinsing water level, the normal washing control program can be continued without affecting the normal washing of the laundry.
[0069] When it is judged as an instantaneous signal, lowering the gear of the rinse water level can only ensure that the water level of the next round of water inlet is lowered. If the current water level is high, splashing may still occur again during this round of rinsing. If splashing occurs again, lowering the gear of the rinse water level again will cause repeated reduction. The superposition of the reduction values will cause the rinse water level to be too low.
[0070] In order to solve the above problem, the method also includes a step of determining whether the instantaneous signal is detected for the first time. If the instantaneous signal is detected for the first time during the current rinsing process, the rinsing water level is lowered according to the setting. If the instantaneous signal is not detected for the first time during the current rinsing process, the rinsing water level is not lowered until the next rinsing round begins.
[0071] If the gear is too high, it will need to be adjusted multiple times. If the above adjustment method is used, multiple rounds of rinsing are required to adjust it normally. However, in actual practice, there are often not so many rounds of rinsing, which means that water splashing will always occur during the entire rinsing process.
[0072] In order to avoid the above problems, in some embodiments, when it is determined to be an instantaneous signal, it also includes determining whether the current washing machine is performing a rinsing program. When the washing machine is performing a rinsing program, the water pump is turned on to discharge a certain amount of water and then the rinsing program is continued. That is, the water level is adjusted to a low gear for this round of rinsing. If the gear is seriously high, after the water level is adjusted, it will be reflected in the subsequent control steps of this round, and then continue to adjust without waiting for the next round of rinsing. It can timely feedback the splashing problem and respond to make adjustments in time to avoid repeated splashing problems.
[0073] In some embodiments, when the first duration t1 rises to a set upper limit, it is determined that the water inflow continues to overflow, and the drainage pump is controlled to start drainage and the water inlet valve is controlled to close. Regardless of the cause of the first duration t1, that is, continuous overflow, it means that there is continuous water replenishment. Therefore, the water inlet valve is first controlled to be closed, the purpose of which is to prevent more water from overflowing to the outside of the washing machine by controlling the water inflow to stop.
[0074] Controlling the water inlet valve to close is only a control command generated and issued by the control module. If the hardware and software of the water inlet valve are normal, the water inlet valve will be closed as controlled. However, if there is an abnormality in the hardware or software of the water inlet valve, even if the control module issues a control closing command, it cannot be executed and water will continue to flow in. Therefore, this situation will be taken into consideration in the subsequent judgment steps and further judgment is required.
[0075] In order to determine whether there is a water level sensor failure, in some embodiments, the duration of the monitored water signal is re-timed while the drainage pump is turned on, which is the second duration t2. When the second duration t2 rises to the set upper limit value, it means that the drainage valve is not closed and water is still entering. Moreover, the drainage volume of the drainage pump is less than the water intake, so there is still a problem of continuous overflow. Therefore, if this phenomenon occurs, it is determined that the drainage volume of the drainage pump is less than the water intake, and the drainage pump is controlled to continue to drain until the set condition is met to stop drainage. The set condition can be that the preset drainage time is reached or the water level meets the set water level. Due to the water level sensor failure, the drainage is stopped and a fault alarm is issued. This is to be able to notify the user in time, so that maintenance personnel can be contacted for maintenance, and further serious overflow accidents can be avoided to cause losses.
[0076] In some embodiments, when the second duration t2 does not reach the set upper limit value, that is, after the drain pump starts to drain water, it no longer overflows or stops overflowing after a short overflow, it is judged that the drainage volume of the drain pump is not less than the water intake volume, and the water level needs to be monitored. When the water level reaches the set water level, the drain pump is turned off. If the water level rises after the drain pump is turned off, it means that the water inlet valve is not closed and water is still intaken. Since the control signal for closing the water inlet valve has been sent before, but water is still intaken at this time, it means that the water inlet valve is faulty. In order to prevent serious overflow, the drain pump is restarted to drain water, and a fault alarm is issued to notify the user to deal with it in time. For example, the loss can be stopped by closing the water inlet pipe valve, and maintenance personnel can be contacted for inspection.
[0077] In some embodiments, in the water level monitoring step, if the water level does not rise after the drain pump is turned off, it means that the water inlet valve is effectively closed. Therefore, after the water level reaches the set water level, the subsequent control steps can be continued.
[0078] In some embodiments, if the set lower limit value < the first duration t1 ≤ the set upper limit value, it is determined that the water level is too high, the current water level is obtained, the drainage time is calculated according to the current water level and the set water level, and the water pump is controlled to drain water according to the drainage time. This solution drains water by calculating the drainage time, which can avoid the problem of unreliable water level monitoring due to a water level sensor failure.
[0079] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, rather than to limit the same. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, it is still possible for a person skilled in the art to modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or to replace some of the technical features therein by equivalents. However, these modifications or replacements do not deviate the essence of the corresponding technical solutions from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions claimed to be protected by the present invention.
Claims
1. A washing machine control method, It is characterized in that include: Monitor whether there is water on the outer wall of the outer barrel, and generate a water signal when water is detected, and obtain the duration of the monitored water signal as a first duration t1; The first duration t1 is compared with a set threshold, and corresponding control steps are performed according to the comparison result.
2. The washing machine control method according to claim 1, It is characterized in that When the first duration t1 is greater than 0 and does not reach the set lower limit, it is determined to be an instantaneous signal and the gear of the rinsing water level is reduced.
3. The washing machine control method according to claim 2, It is characterized in that When it is determined to be an instantaneous signal, it also includes determining whether the current washing machine is executing a rinsing program. When the washing machine is executing a rinsing program, the water pump is turned on to discharge a certain amount of water and then the rinsing program continues.
4. The washing machine control method according to claim 1, It is characterized in that When the first duration t1 rises to a set upper limit value, it is determined that water inflow is not only overflowing, and the drainage pump is controlled to start drainage and the water inlet valve is controlled to close.
5. The washing machine control method according to claim 4, It is characterized in that When the drainage pump starts draining, the duration of the monitored water signal is re-timed as the second duration t2. When the second duration t2 rises to the set upper limit value, it is judged that the drainage volume of the drainage pump is less than the water intake volume, and the drainage continues until the set drainage time is met or the set water level is met and a fault alarm is issued.
6. The washing machine control method according to claim 5, It is characterized in that When the second duration t2 does not reach the set upper limit value, it is judged that the drainage volume of the drainage pump is not less than the water intake volume, and the water level is monitored. When the water level reaches the set water level, the drainage pump is turned off. If the water level rises after turning off the drainage pump, the drainage pump is turned on again to drain and a fault alarm is issued.
7. The washing machine control method according to claim 6, It is characterized in that In the step of monitoring the water level, if the water level does not rise after the drain pump is turned off, continue to execute the subsequent control steps.
8. The washing machine control method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, It is characterized in that If the set lower limit value < the first duration t1 ≤ the set upper limit value, it is determined that the water level is too high, the current water level is obtained, the drainage time is calculated according to the current water level and the set water level, and the water pump is controlled to drain according to the drainage time.
9. The washing machine control method according to claim 7, It is characterized in that In the step of monitoring whether there is water on the outer wall of the outer barrel, the monitored position is a position around the outer wall of the outer barrel below the barrel mouth.
10. A washing machine, comprising a casing, an outer tub disposed inside the casing, and an inner tub disposed inside the outer tub, It is characterized in that It also includes a water sensor for monitoring whether there is water, and the water sensor is arranged on the outer wall of the outer barrel. The washing machine is controlled according to the washing machine control method according to any one of claims 1-9.