washing machine

Abstract

This disclosure provides a washing machine that can detect and notify of blockages in the water supply path. [Solution] The washing machine of this disclosure comprises a housing, a washing tub disposed within the housing, a water supply path for supplying water to the washing tub, and a control device for controlling the washing process. The control device notifies the state of the water supply path based on the water level supplied to the washing tub and the time taken from the start of water supply until the water level is reached. This allows the control device to determine the state of the water supply path based on the water level supplied to the washing tub and the time taken from the start of water supply until the water level is reached, and to notify the determined state of the water supply path.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a washing machine. Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a washing machine comprising a control means that performs forced drainage by operating a drainage means in any energized state when an abnormally high water level arbitrarily set due to a failure of a water supply valve or the like is detected by a water level sensor. Prior Art Literature Patent Literature

[0003] Patent Document 1 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 10-179981 Summary of the Invention Problem to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The present disclosure provides a washing machine capable of detecting and notifying clogging in a water supply path. Means for Solving the Problem

[0005] The washing machine according to the present disclosure includes a housing, a washing tub disposed in the housing, a water supply path for supplying water to the washing tub, and a control device for controlling a washing process, wherein the control device notifies a state of the water supply path based on a water level of water supplied to the washing tub and a time from start of water supply until the water level is reached. Effect of the Invention

[0006] According to the washing machine of the present disclosure, the control device can determine the state of the water supply path based on the water level of water supplied to the washing tub and the time from the start of water supply until the water level is reached, and can notify the determined state of the water supply path. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0007] [Figure 1] Perspective view showing the external appearance of the washing machine in Embodiment 1 [Figure 2] Perspective view showing the inside of the washing machine in Embodiment 1 [Figure 3] Side view showing the inside of the washing machine in Embodiment 1 [Figure 4] Cross-sectional view showing the water supply valve in Embodiment 1 [Figure 5] Block diagram showing the control configuration of the washing machine in Embodiment 1 [Figure 6] Diagram illustrating the water level during water supply in Embodiment 1 [Figure 7] Flowchart showing the operation of the washing machine in Embodiment 1 [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] (Knowledge and other information that formed the basis of this disclosure) At the time the inventors conceived of this disclosure, there was a technology that would forcibly drain water if a water level sensor detected an arbitraryly set abnormal water level due to a malfunction of the water supply valve or the like. However, with conventional technology, even if a blockage gradually occurs in the water supply path to the washing machine, if the water level does not reach an abnormal level, the normal washing process will be carried out as long as the water level reaches the required level for washing within a predetermined time. Therefore, there was a problem in that it was not possible to detect when the water supply path became gradually blocked due to the use of the washing machine. Furthermore, the inventors discovered that conventional methods did not notify the user of blockages in the water supply path, and in order to solve this problem, they came to form the subject of this disclosure. Therefore, this disclosure provides a washing machine that can detect and notify of blockages in the water supply path.

[0009] The embodiments will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. However, some unnecessarily detailed explanations may be omitted. For example, detailed explanations of already well-known matters or redundant explanations of substantially identical configurations may be omitted. The attached drawings and the following description are provided to enable those skilled in the art to fully understand this disclosure and are not intended to limit the subject matter described in the claims.

[0010] (Embodiment 1) Embodiment 1 will be described below with reference to the drawings. [1-1. Structure] [1-1-1. Overall configuration of the washing machine] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the external appearance of the washing machine according to Embodiment 1. Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the interior of the washing machine in Embodiment 1. Figure 3 is a side view showing the interior of the washing machine in Embodiment 1.

[0011] The washing machine 1 of Embodiment 1 is a so-called drum-type washing machine equipped with a drying function. As shown in Figure 1, the washing machine 1 includes a casing 10. The casing 10 is formed in a roughly box shape by a front panel 11, side panels 12, and a back panel 13. A lid 14 is detachably attached to the top surface of the housing 10. A roughly circular opening 15 is formed on the front of the housing 10, and a door 16 that can be opened and closed is provided on the front of the housing 10 to close the opening 15.

[0012] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, a washing tub 17 (outer tub) is housed inside the casing 10. The washing tub 17 is a roughly cylindrical member that has the function of holding washing water. The washing tub 17 has an opening 18 at a position facing the opening 15 of the housing 10. Inside the washing tub 17, an inner tub is housed so as to be rotatable (not shown). The inner tub is a roughly cylindrical member that holds laundry such as clothes.

[0013] As shown in Figure 1, an operation display unit 20 is provided at the upper front of the washing machine. The operation display unit 20 includes operation buttons 21 for performing various operations such as turning the power on and off, washing, rinsing, spinning, drying, and setting the time, and a display unit 22 that displays predetermined information.

[0014] As shown in Fig. 1, a filter cover 23 for filter maintenance is provided on one side of the upper surface of the cover body 14. Further, on the other side of the upper surface of the cover body 14, a detergent cover 24 for putting in detergent, fabric softener, bleach and the like is openably and closably attached. Further, at the upper rear of the housing, a water supply port 25 connected to tap water via a hose or the like is provided. As shown in Fig. 3, a water supply valve 26 for supplying water from tap water is provided at the rear upper part of the housing 10.

[0015] Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the water supply valve in Embodiment 1. As shown in Fig. 4, the water supply valve 26 is provided with the water supply port 25 at an upper portion thereof, and a water supply outlet 27 at a side portion thereof. A valve body 28 is provided between the water supply port 25 and the water supply outlet 27. In the present embodiment, the flow path of water from the water supply port 25 to the washing tub 17 will be described as the water supply path 29.

[0016] As shown in Fig. 1, a drain filter cover 41 for maintenance of the drain filter 40 is openably and closably provided on the lower front side of the housing 10. As shown in Fig. 2, the drain filter 40 is housed inside the drain filter cover 41. A drainage path 42 is provided at the lower side portion of the housing 10, and a drain valve 43 (see Fig. 6) is provided in the middle of the drainage path 42.

[0017] [1-1-2. Control Configuration] Fig. 5 is a block diagram showing the control configuration of the washing machine in Embodiment 1. As shown in Fig. 5, the control device 50 includes a processor 51, a memory 52, and a communication unit 53. The control device 50 includes a processor 51 such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or MPU (Micro Processing Unit), memory 52, and interface circuits to which other devices and sensors are connected.

[0018] Memory 52 is a memory that stores programs and data. Memory 52 stores control programs and data to be processed by the processor 51. Memory 52 has a non-volatile storage area. Memory 52 also has a volatile storage area and constitutes the work area of ​​the processor 51. Memory 52 is composed of, for example, ROM (Read Only Memory) and RAM (Random Access Memory).

[0019] An operation display unit 20 is connected to the control device 50. When the operation button 21 of the operation display unit 20 is pressed, the processor 51 reads the control program stored in the memory 52 and performs operations such as controlling the operation of the washing machine and communication control. Furthermore, the processor 51 displays the washing mode, remaining washing time, etc., on the display unit 22 of the operation display unit 20.

[0020] The communication unit 53 is capable of communicating via the communication network NW. Furthermore, the communication unit 53 is capable of communicating with the terminal device 60 via the communication network NW. The terminal device 60 is equipped with a terminal display unit 61 that displays predetermined notification information.

[0021] The control device 50 is connected to a motor 54 for rotating the inner tank, a water supply valve 26 for supplying and stopping water from the water inlet 25, and a drain valve 43 for draining and stopping water from the drainage path 41. As a result, the processor 51 controls the drive of the motor 54 and the opening and closing of the water supply valve 26 and the drain valve 43.

[0022] Furthermore, the control device 50 is connected to a water level detection unit 55 that detects the water level inside the washing tub 17, and a fabric quantity detection unit 56 that detects the amount of fabric inside the washing tub 17. As a result, the processor 51 acquires detection information from the water level detection unit 55 and the fabric volume detection unit 56.

[0023] Figure 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the water level during water supply in Embodiment 1. As shown in Figure 6, when the lowest position of the inner tub is set to a water level of 0 mm, the processor 51 opens the water supply valve 26 to supply water to the washing tub 11 between the lowest position of the washing tub 17 (water level -10 mm) and a water level of +10 mm, and the water level detection unit 55 acquires water level detection information. The processor 51 then calculates the water supply rate based on the water level detected by the water level detection unit 55 and the time it takes from the start of water supply until the water reaches a predetermined level.

[0024] The calculated water supply rate is recorded in memory 52. ​​Then, the processor 51 compares the previous water supply rate with the current water supply rate and calculates the difference. If the difference between the previous water supply speed and the current water supply speed exceeds a predetermined value, the processor 51 determines that there is a high possibility that the water supply path 29 is clogged and notifies the display unit 22 of the operation display unit 20 or the terminal display unit 61 of the terminal device 60 accordingly.

[0025] Furthermore, the processor 51 may determine the degree of blockage in the water supply path 29 based on the change in the current water supply speed relative to the previous water supply speed. The system may also be configured to notify the user of the maintenance schedule based on the degree of blockage in the water supply path 29.

[0026] Furthermore, the processor 51 may also be configured to provide notification when the water supply speed falls below a predetermined threshold, based on the calculated water supply speed. This control method is considered effective, for example, in cases where the water supply path 29 becomes blocked suddenly rather than gradually.

[0027] [1-2. Operation] Next, the operation of Embodiment 1 will be described. Figure 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of the washing machine in Embodiment 1. As shown in Figure 7, in this embodiment, first, when water supply is started (SA1), the processor 51 measures the water supply time until a predetermined water level is reached (SA2).

[0028] The processor 51 calculates the water supply rate (SA3) based on the water level detected by the water level detection unit 55 and the water supply time from the start of water supply until a predetermined water level is reached. The processor 51 compares the current water supply speed with the previous water supply speed (SA4). If it determines that the current water supply speed is slower than the previous water supply speed (SA5: YES), it notifies the display unit 22 of the operation display unit 20 or the terminal display unit 61 of the terminal device 60 that there is a high possibility that the water supply path 29 is clogged (SA6).

[0029] On the other hand, if the processor 51 determines that the current water supply speed is not slower than the previous water supply speed (SA5:NO), it records the current water supply speed in memory 52 (SA7) and measures the next water supply time (SA2).

[0030] [1-3. Effects, etc.] As described above, the washing machine 1 of Embodiment 1 comprises a housing 10, a washing tub 17 disposed within the housing 10, a water supply path 29 for supplying water to the washing tub 17, and a control device 50 for controlling the washing process. The control device 50 notifies the state of the water supply path 29 based on the water level supplied to the washing tub 17 and the time from the start of water supply until the water level is reached. As a result, the control device 50 can determine the state of the water supply path 29 based on the water level supplied to the washing tub 17 and the time taken from the start of water supply until the water level is reached, and can notify the system of the determined state of the water supply path 29.

[0031] Furthermore, in the washing machine 1 of Embodiment 1, the control device 50 calculates the water supply speed based on the time from the start of water supply until the water level in the washing tub 17 reaches a predetermined level, and determines the state of the water supply path 29 based on the difference between the current water supply speed and the previous water supply speed. This allows the control device 50 to determine that the water supply path 29 is gradually becoming clogged, and to notify the system of the determined state of the water supply path 29.

[0032] Furthermore, in the washing machine 1 of Embodiment 1, the control device 50 determines the degree of blockage in the water supply path 29 based on the amount of change in the current water supply speed compared to the previous water supply speed. This allows the control device to determine the degree of blockage in the water supply path 29 and to notify the system of the determined state of the water supply path 29.

[0033] Furthermore, the washing machine 1 of the first embodiment is equipped with a display unit 22 that displays notification information, and the control device 50 notifies the display unit 22 of the status of the water supply path 29. This allows the washing machine's display unit 22 to display the status of the water supply path 29.

[0034] Furthermore, the washing machine 1 of Embodiment 1 has a terminal display unit 61 that displays notification information, and is equipped with a terminal device 60 that can communicate with the control device 50, and the control device 50 notifies the terminal display unit 61 of the status of the water supply path 29. This allows the terminal display unit 61 of the terminal device 60 to be notified of the status of the water supply path 29.

[0035] (Other embodiments) Embodiment 1 has been described as an example of the technology disclosed in this application. However, the technology in this disclosure is not limited to this and can be applied to embodiments that have been modified, replaced, added, or omitted. Therefore, other embodiments are described below as examples.

[0036] In the above-described embodiment 1, a drum-type washing machine 1 was used as an example, but the washing machine 1 may also be a top-loading type.

[0037] The processor 51 may consist of a single processor 51 or multiple processors 51. The processor 51 may also be hardware programmed to implement the corresponding functional unit. That is, the processor 51 may consist of, for example, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array).

[0038] The operational step units shown in Figure 7 are divided according to the main processing content to facilitate understanding of the operation, and the operation is not limited by the way the processing units are divided or the names of the processing units. Depending on the processing content, it may be further divided into more step units. Alternatively, it may be divided so that one step unit includes even more processing. Furthermore, the order of the steps may be changed as appropriate, as long as it does not impede the intent of this disclosure.

[0039] Since the embodiments described above are for illustrative purposes of the technology described herein, various modifications, substitutions, additions, omissions, etc., can be made within the claims or their equivalents.

[0040] (Note) Based on the above description of embodiments, the following technologies are disclosed.

[0041] (Technical 1) A washing machine comprising a housing, a washing tub disposed within the housing, a water supply path for supplying water to the washing tub, and a control device for controlling the washing process, wherein the control device notifies the state of the water supply path based on the water level supplied to the washing tub and the time from the start of water supply until the water level is reached. With this configuration, the control device can determine the state of the water supply path based on the water level supplied to the washing tub and the time it takes to reach that level from the start of water supply, and can notify the system of the determined state of the water supply path.

[0042] (Technical 2) The washing machine according to Technical 1, wherein the control device calculates the water supply rate based on the time from the start of water supply until the water level in the washing tub reaches a predetermined level, and determines the state of the water supply path based on the difference between the current water supply rate and the previous water supply rate. This configuration allows the control device to determine if the water supply path is gradually becoming clogged, and to notify the system of the determined state of the water supply path.

[0043] (Technical 3) The washing machine according to Technical 1 or Technical 2, wherein the control device determines the degree of blockage in the water supply path based on the amount of change in the current water supply speed relative to the previous water supply speed. This configuration allows the control device to determine the degree of blockage in the water supply path and to notify the system of the determined state of the water supply path.

[0044] (Technical 4) A washing machine according to any one of Technical 1 to 3, comprising a display unit for displaying notification information, wherein the control device notifies the display unit of the status of the water supply path. This configuration allows the washing machine's display to show the status of the water supply path.

[0045] (Technical 5) A washing machine according to any one of Technical 1 to Technical 4, comprising a terminal display unit that displays notification information and a terminal device that can communicate with the control device, wherein the control device notifies the terminal display unit of the status of the water supply path. This configuration allows the terminal display unit of the terminal device to be notified of the status of the water supply path. [Industrial applicability]

[0046] As described above, this disclosure is suitably applicable as a washing machine capable of detecting and notifying of blockages in the water supply path. [Explanation of symbols]

[0047] 1. Washing machine 10 cabinets 11 Front plate 12 Side plate 13 Back plate 14 Lid 15 Aperture 16 doors 17 Washing machine tub 18 Aperture 20 Operation display section 21 Operation buttons 22 Display section 23 Filter cover 24. Detergent lid 25 Water inlet 26 Water supply valve 27 Water supply outlet 28 Valve body 29 Water supply routes 40 Drain filter 41 Drain filter cover 42 Drainage routes 43 Drain valve 50 Control device 51 processors 52 memory 53 Communications Department 54 Motor 55 Water level detection unit 56 Fabric quantity detection unit 60 Terminal devices 61 Terminal display unit NW (Network Communication Network)

Claims

1. The casing and A washing tub is arranged inside the aforementioned housing, A water supply path for supplying water to the washing tub, It includes a control device for controlling the washing process, The control device notifies the state of the water supply path based on the water level supplied to the washing tub and the time taken from the start of water supply until the water level is reached. washing machine.

2. The control device calculates the water supply rate based on the time from the start of water supply until the water level in the washing tub reaches a predetermined level, and determines the state of the water supply path based on the difference between the current water supply rate and the previous water supply rate. The washing machine according to claim 1.

3. The control device determines the degree of blockage in the water supply path based on the change in the current water supply rate relative to the previous water supply rate. The washing machine according to claim 1.

4. It is equipped with a display unit that displays notification information, The control device notifies the display unit of the status of the water supply path. The washing machine according to claim 1.

5. It has a terminal display unit that displays notification information, and is equipped with a terminal device that can communicate with the control device, The control device notifies the terminal display unit of the status of the water supply path. The washing machine according to claim 1.

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