Bleaching and dyeing; fluid treatment and chemical modification – Fluid treatment – Manipulation of liquid
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-20
2001-06-05
Coe, Philip R. (Department: 1746)
Bleaching and dyeing; fluid treatment and chemical modification
Fluid treatment
Manipulation of liquid
C068S012060, C068S012140
Reexamination Certificate
active
06240586
ABSTRACT:
CLAIM OF PRIORITY
This application makes reference to, incorporates the same herein, and claims all benefits accruing under 35 U.S.C. §119 from an application for UNBALANCE SENSING METHOD OF A WASHING MACHINE earlier filed in the Korean Industrial Property Office on Mar. 26, 1999 and there duly assigned Serial No. 10519/1999.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an unbalance detecting device and method of a drum washing machine having a 3-phase induction motor operated by an inverter circuit, and more particularly to an unbalance detecting device and method of a washing machine by detecting input voltage variations as well as variations of current ripple thereby providing a more accurate detection of unbalanced mass.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally, a drum washing machine includes, as illustrated in
FIG. 1
, a body
1
, a detergent can
3
, a manipulating unit
5
, both disposed on front upper side of the body
1
, and hot and cold water supply valves
7
and
8
connected to a faucet (not shown) for supplying hot and cold water.
The body
1
is in turn disposed with a tub
9
in which there is arranged with a rotatory drum for washing and spin-drying the laundry. The tub
9
is provided at a front side thereof with a diaphragm
15
for coupling a door
13
for opening and closing when the laundry is tossed in or taken out. The tub
9
is disposed at a front side thereof with a balance weight
19
for preventing vibration generated from a high speed rotation of the drum
11
during washing and spin-dry operations.
The diaphragm
15
is disposed thereon with an air vent
17
for inducing dry air during drying operation of the laundry. The air vent
17
is arranged therein with a drying heater
21
for drying air induced from outside.
The drying heater
21
is formed at one side thereof with a fan motor
23
for blowing high-temperature air provided by the drying heater
21
to the drum
11
via the diaphragm
15
.
The tub
9
is connected at a periphery thereof to a condensing hose
25
for supplying cold water to condense the dried air infused into the tub from the drying heater
21
, and the tub
9
is provided thereunder with rotation force generating means of 3-phase induction motor
27
(hereinafter referred to as motor) for rotating the drum
11
in the forward and reverse directions.
The body
1
is mounted at a rear lower side thereof with a drainage pump
29
for draining the washing water in the tub
9
through a drainage hose (not shown) and at a front lower side thereof with a filter
31
for preventing the drainage pump
29
from being clogged by residual water, filth and the like flowed out from the tub
9
and for draining the washing water in case the drainage pump
29
could not operate due to, such as blackout.
The drum
11
is formed at overall surfaces thereof with a plurality of through holes
11
a
for allowing the washing water in the tub
9
to flow into the drum
11
. The drum
11
is provided therein with a water flowage adjusting member
11
b
performing as a laundry paddle for allowing the laundry to tumble in the drum
11
and pulling up and dropping the laundry. Each of the water flowage adjusting members is spaced 120° apart from one another.
In the conventional drum washing machine thus described, when a user inserts the laundry (clothes) into the drum, manipulates the manipulating unit
5
to input a desired washing condition (according to the kind of laundry, temperature, washing course, dry time and the like) and presses an operation button, washing water is supplied into the tub
9
from a faucet (not shown) through the hot and cold water valves
7
and
8
.
When the washing water is supplied into the tub
9
, the drum
11
is rotated at a high speed in forward and reverse directions according to the operation of the motor
27
in order to form water flowage in the supplied washing water and to apply physical force to the laundry, thereby separating grime, foreign objects and the like stained on the laundry, and then the laundry passes through the washing, rinsing and drying processes.
Ripple width of electrical current supplied to the motor
27
during the spin-dry operation is proportional to unbalanced mass generated by eccentricity of laundry when the drum rotates at a high speed, such that the ripple width of the current is detected by a current sensor, and the detected ripple width of current is compared with a size of a predetermined ripple width. Then, if the detected rippled width of the current is larger than the predetermined value, the spin-dry operation is stopped or changed to the fabric unravelling operation.
However, according to the conventional method, since only the rippled width of current generated by the unbalanced mass could be detected, when an abnormal voltage, which is lower (~195 volts) or higher (250 volts~) than the normal voltage, is applied, data from the ripple width of current are overlapped so as to make it difficult to detect accurate unbalance.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is disclosed to solve the aforementioned problem and it is an object of the present invention to provide an unbalance detecting method of a washing machine adapted
In to accurately detect and determine an unbalanced mass of a washing machine according to an input voltage variation while detecting unbalance by utilizing a ripple width of a current detected by a current sensor.
In accordance with one object of the present invention, there is provided an unbalance detecting device of a washing machine, the device for detecting unbalanced mass generated by eccentric laundry according to high speed rotation of a motor, the device comprising:
input voltage detecting means for detecting an Alternating Current (AC) input voltage;
input current detecting means for detecting an Alternating Current input current; and
control means for comparing a set-up ripple width with a ripple width of the input current detected by the input current detecting means to calculate an unbalanced mass according to an input voltage value detected by the input voltage detecting means when the current ripple width is less than the set-up ripple width and to output a control signal for controlling a spin-dry speed of the motor.
In accordance with another object of the present invention, there is provided an unbalance detecting method of a washing machine including a motor, the unbalance generated by eccentricity of laundry, the method comprising the steps of:
increasing the speed of the motor to a predetermined revolution per minute (rpm);
detecting a variation of an input voltage by an input voltage detecting means;
detecting a ripple current of an input current by an input current detecting means;
obtaining a difference between a maximum value and a minimum value of a ripple current detected by the input current detecting step to thereby determine whether a current ripple width is larger than a predetermined value;
calculating an unbalanced mass according to the input voltage value detected at the input voltage detecting step when it is determined that the current ripple width is less than the predetermined value; and
controlling the speed of the motor according to the unbalanced mass calculated at the unbalanced mass calculating step to perform a spin-dry operation.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5720066 (1998-02-01), Kim
patent: 6047428 (2000-04-01), Min
Bushnell , Esq. Robert E.
Coe Philip R.
Samsung Electronics Co,. Ltd.
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