Washing Machine Clutch Control for Motor Lock Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Washing machines may experience damage due to erroneous clutch operation, where rotational force from the drive motor is unexpectedly transmitted to the spin basket, leading to potential damage from the clutch spring constricting and expanding excessively.
Innovation Solution
A control method and system for a washing machine that includes a motor lock detection current to determine if the drive motor is locked, controlling the clutch to prevent excessive rotational force transmission by comparing the motor's speed with a reference speed and adjusting the clutch's operation accordingly, ensuring the rotational force is only transmitted to the pulsator when necessary.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the clutch operates to transmit rotational force from the drive motor to the spin basket, then the washing machine can perform dehydration, but erroneous operation may cause unexpected transmission to the spin basket and damage the clutch
Solution Approach 1:
The controller performs a motor lock detection operation before the washing machine operates in wash or rinse modes. By detecting whether the drive motor is locked in advance, the system prevents erroneous clutch operation that would occur if the motor were locked, thereby avoiding clutch damage while maintaining normal dehydration function.
Solution Approach 2:
The controller continuously monitors the rotational speed of the drive motor and uses this feedback to determine lock status. When the motor is detected to be locked, the controller adjusts clutch operation accordingly, creating a closed-loop control system that prevents damage while maintaining normal operation when the motor is functioning properly.
2Reliability
If the controller supplies motor lock detection current to detect locked status, then clutch damage can be prevented, but additional control complexity is introduced
Solution Approach 1:
The drive motor itself is used to detect its own lock status by measuring its rotational speed. The controller supplies detection current and measures the resulting rotation, using the motor's own operational characteristics as the detection mechanism. This eliminates the need for separate detection sensors or complex additional monitoring systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The drive motor serves dual functions: it acts as both the actuator for driving the washing machine and as the detection sensor for identifying lock status. By measuring rotational speed, the same motor provides information about its operational state, reducing the need for separate detection components and simplifying the overall control system.
Data Source
AI summary
A washing machine and a control method thereof capable of determining whether a driving motor is locked. A pulsator is rotatably mounted in a spin basket, a driving motor generates rotational force, a clutch transmits the rotational force to the pulsator or the spin basket, a driving circuit supplies a driving current to the driving motor, and a control unit controls the driving circuit and the clutch so that the pulsator rotates in a forward or reverse direction and rotation of the spin basket is stopped in a washing or rinsing process. The control unit controls the driving circuit so that a motor lock detection current is supplied to the driving motor, and controls the clutch so that, if a rotating speed of the driving motor is less than a reference speed, the rotational force is transmitted only to the pulsator.