KR102405269B1 - washing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

A compact washing machine capable of improving cleaning power and shortening cleaning time is provided. The drum 30 is rotatably accommodated in the water tank 20 installed inside the housing 10 with the inlet 12 facing the opening. A pulsator 40 having a radially extending projection 45 is rotatably installed at the bottom of the drum 30 . During washing, the control device 60 controls the driving device 50 to relatively rotate the pulsator 40 and the drum 30 .

Description

washing machine

The present invention relates to a washing machine.

Home washing machines may be largely divided into a top loading type washing machine and a front loading type washing machine (drum type washing machine).

In general, in a top-loading washing machine, a drum disposed in a vertically arranged water tank accommodates laundry and a sufficient amount of wash water, and the washing water is stirred by a water flow generated by agitating the received wash water with a pulsator (agitating blade). It is designed to be washed. (This washing method may be referred to as a "rubbing wash" method.)

Although the amount of washing water has recently been reduced even in the top-loading washing machine, the drum type washing machine is advantageous in terms of water saving due to the difference in washing methods.

That is, the drum type washing machine is configured such that a drum in a horizontally arranged water tank accommodates laundry and a small amount of wash water, and the drum rotates to lift and drop the laundry through a mechanical action. (This washing method may be referred to as a “tapping and sucking” method.) Therefore, compared to a top-loading type washing machine, the drum type washing machine can easily reduce the amount of washing water because the amount of washing water is not very important. .

When washing laundry with a small amount of water, it is important to increase the fluidity of the laundry so that the washing water is evenly contacted with the entire laundry and to increase the mechanical action in order to improve washing power or shorten the washing time. In particular, since drum-type washing machines in Europe and the United States (that is, Europe and the United States) generally operate with a smaller amount of water than Japanese drum-type washing machines, the above two actions are more important. is getting

On the other hand, since the magnitude of the mechanical action of the drum type washing machine is caused by the fall of the laundry and is largely determined by the inner diameter of the drum (usually set by the specifications of the washing machine), it is not easy to strengthen it. It is conceivable to increase the frequency of dropping by increasing the rotational speed of the drum, but even in that case, if the rotational speed increases, the laundry adheres to the drum and does not fall, so there is a limit.

Moreover, in recent years, with the increase in the capacity of washing machines, there is a tendency that a large amount of laundry is put into the drum. As a result, it becomes difficult for laundry to fall, and mechanical force is not sufficiently applied to the laundry. As a response to this, the immersion time in the washing water is increased to secure washing performance, in other words, the washing time is increased. have.

Accordingly, a drum-type washing machine devised to improve the laundry fluidity of a top-loading washing machine has been proposed. (Patent Documents 1 and 2)

In the drum washing machines of Patent Documents 1 and 2, the drum is constituted by a main drum and a sub-drum having a peripheral wall shorter than that of the main drum, and the sub-drum is installed so that the sub-drum overlaps inside the main drum. By rotating the main drum and the sub-drum at different rotation speeds or directions, in addition to the transverse rotation accompanying the tapping and sucking, rotation in the vertical axis direction is generated due to the deviation of the rotation speed at the boundary between the main drum and the sub-drum. This allows the laundry to flow more three-dimensionally.

A washing machine provided with a motor for rotating a rotating tub and a stirring body about the same rotating shaft via a shaft having a dual shaft structure is disclosed in Patent Document 3, for example.

The washing machine is provided with a motor (dual motor) in which an inner rotor and an outer rotor are disposed inside and outside a single stator. In the washing machine, a shaft (dual shaft) having a dual shaft structure for connecting to the inner rotor and the outer rotor is used. The double shaft is composed of a hollow outer shaft connected to the rotating tub, and an inner shaft rotatably inserted into the outer shaft and connected to the stirring body. The inner shaft is fixed to the outer rotor, and the outer shaft is fixed to the inner rotor.

In order to prevent a power supply voltage from being lowered in a dehydration cycle or a drying cycle that requires a large amount of power, a drum type washing and drying machine in which a booster circuit is installed in an inverter circuit for driving a motor is known. (Patent Document 4)

The drum type washing and drying machine of Patent Document 4 includes a drum motor that rotates the drum as a motor that consumes a lot of power, and a compressor motor used for air drying. In addition, the voltage supplied to each of the inverter for the drum motor and the inverter for the compressor motor is boosted and controlled according to the situation so that these motors can be stably controlled.

Patent Document 1; US2013/0111676 A1

Patent Document 2; Japanese Patent Publication No. 2014-530741

Patent Document 3; Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-276777

Patent Document 4; Japanese Patent Publication No. 5097072

In the case of the washing machines of Patent Documents 1 and 2, the force that causes rotation in the longitudinal direction is the laundry on the bottom side in the middle part in the front-rear direction of the drum where the boundary part between the main drum and the sub-drum is located among the laundry collected on the lower side of the drum. Because it acts only on the drum, laundry located on the front or rear of the drum or on it tends to be retained.

In the washing machines of Patent Documents 1 and 2, a plurality of lifters (agitating blades) extending in the front-rear direction are provided on the inner peripheral wall of the main drum or sub-drum to promote flow. I may damage it and may bite it and enter it. Therefore, both lifters need to be spaced apart to some extent, and there is a limit to the promotion of rotation in the longitudinal direction by the lifter. Therefore, the tendency for laundry to be liable to stay still remains.

In addition, since it is necessary to rotationally drive a relatively large sub-drum in addition to the main drum, the structure and driving mechanism of the drum become complicated and large, and the running cost increases as well.

In addition, since the sub-drum is arranged in the main drum, it is necessary to provide a predetermined gap between the main drum and the sub-drum. Therefore, in order to cope with the recent increase in capacity of washing machines, it is necessary to enlarge the drum. However, in doing so, the whole product becomes large, installation and the like are difficult, and the cost increases.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a compact washing machine with a relatively simple structure, strong mechanical action and great fluidity to laundry, and improvement of washing power and shortening of washing time by adopting a new mechanism. is to provide

The present invention relates to a washing machine.

The washing machine includes a housing having an inlet through which laundry is put in and out, a drum rotatably accommodated in a water tank installed inside the housing, with the inlet facing the opening, and rotatably installed at the bottom of the drum, A pulsator having a radially extending projection, a driving device for driving the drum and the pulsator, and a control device for controlling the driving device, wherein the control device controls the driving device during washing It is configured to relatively rotate the pulsator and the drum.

According to this washing machine, for example, when the amount of washing water is reduced so that only a part of the laundry is submerged, the mechanical force of the relatively rotating drum and the protrusion of the pulsator can be synthesized to act on the laundry. That is, when the rotation speed of the drum is set high and the laundry is operated so that the laundry is slightly fixed by centrifugal force, if the pulsator rotates relative to the drum, the laundry is slightly fixed to the drum, so that the protrusion taps the laundry and mechanical force to convey

In addition, there is no need to provide an unnecessary gap between the pulsator and the drum, but rather, laundry performance is improved by allowing clothes to enter the gap. For this reason, it becomes possible to also aim at the increase of the drum capacity, and it can respond to the capacity increase of the washing machine requested|required in recent years.

In the case of a drum type washing machine, the laundry to which the mechanical force is transmitted is separated from the drum and falls, collides with the rotating pulsator, and is pushed forward while receiving mechanical force again. At that time, the laundry moves while drawing in surrounding laundry. Thereby, the conventional tapping and sucking action and the friction action by movement of the laundry can be obtained. By mixing the laundry, it is also possible to reduce laundry stains.

In the case of a top-loading washing machine, the laundry to which mechanical force is transmitted falls from the drum and collides with the rotating pulsator, and is pushed upward while receiving mechanical force again. At that time, the laundry moves while drawing in surrounding laundry. Thereby, even if the conventional rubbing action cannot be obtained, the tapping and sucking action in the drum type washing machine and the friction action by the movement of laundry can be obtained. Washing stains can also be reduced by mixing the laundry.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to the washing machine of this invention, the improvement of washing power and shortening of washing time can be aimed at.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is a schematic sectional drawing of the washing machine of an Example.
Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of a main part of Fig. 1;
3A is an exploded perspective view of a main part of the washing machine;
Fig. 3B is an assembling explanatory view of a portion surrounded by a dashed-dotted line in Fig. 2;
3C is a partial cross-sectional view showing a preferred example of the washing machine.
4 is a schematic perspective view of a pulsator.
Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the arrow II line in Fig. 4;
6 is a schematic side view of the pulsator.
7 is a view for explaining a washing method.
8 is a view for explaining a washing method.
9 is a schematic diagram showing another form of the pulsator.
Fig. 10 is a block diagram showing main parts of the functions of the controller.
11 is a plan cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a motor. A state in which the number of magnetic poles of the outer rotor is 32 is shown.
12 is a circuit diagram showing the configuration of an inverter.
13 is a plan cross-sectional view illustrating a movement path of magnetic flux.
Fig. 14 is a plan cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the motor. The state in which the number of magnetic poles of an outer rotor is 16 is shown.
15 is a plan cross-sectional view showing a movement path of magnetic flux.
Fig. 16 is a diagram showing BH curves when magnets having different coercive forces are used for the fixed magnet and the switching magnet.
17 is a view for explaining a rotation mode when the number of magnetic poles of an outer rotor is 32 poles.
18 is a view for explaining a rotation mode when the number of magnetic poles of an outer rotor is 16 poles.
19 is a plan sectional view showing the configuration of a motor according to Modification Example 1. FIG. A state in which the number of magnetic poles of the outer rotor is 32 is shown.
20 is a plan cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a motor. The state in which the number of magnetic poles of an outer rotor is 16 is shown.
21 is a plan cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a motor according to a second modification.
22 is a plan sectional view showing the configuration of a motor according to a third modification.
23 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of an upper end portion of the dual shaft;
24 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of a lower end portion of the dual shaft;
25 is an exploded perspective view showing an installation structure of a retaining ring to an outer shaft.
Fig. 26 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a main part of a dual shaft according to a modification.
Fig. 27 is a schematic perspective view showing a fixture;
Fig. 28 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a main part of a motor in the washing machine of the application example.
Fig. 29 is a block diagram showing a power supply circuit in a washing machine of an application example;
30 is a view for explaining the generation timing of the magnetizing current in the washing machine of the application example.
Fig. 31 is a schematic diagram showing an example of application to a washing machine of the top loading system.

EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiment of this invention is described in detail based on drawing. However, the following description is essentially only an illustration, and does not limit this invention, its application, or its use.

<Basic configuration of washing machine>

1 and 2 show a washing machine 1 (drum washing machine) according to the present embodiment. The washing machine 1 is composed of a housing 10, a water tank 20, a drum 30, a pulsator 40, a motor 50, a driving device, a controller 60, and the like, and includes washing and rinsing. , it is configured so that each stroke of spin-drying can be performed automatically according to a set program (fully automatic). In particular, in this washing machine 1, the motor 50 is devised so that it can exhibit appropriate performance according to each treatment of the washing machine 1 with a compact size. Therefore, the motor 50 will be separately described in detail.

The housing 10 has a rectangular box shape having an upper surface portion 10a, a lower surface portion 10b, a pair of left and right side surface portions 10c, a front surface portion 10d, and a rear surface portion 10e. A circular inlet 12 that is opened and closed by the door 11 is formed in the substantially center of the front face portion 10d. Laundry is put in and out through this inlet 12 . An operation unit 13 having a switch or the like disposed thereon is installed at the upper portion of the front face portion 10d, and a controller 'is built-in at the rear thereof.

The water tank 20 is a bottomed cylindrical container having an opening 20a having a diameter smaller than the inner diameter at one end, and the opening 20a is directed toward the inlet 12, and its center line is in the front and rear approximately horizontal direction. It is installed in the housing 10 in a horizontally arranged state so as to extend to the When washing or rinsing, washing water or rinsing water is collected in the lower part of the water tank 20 .

The drum 30 is a bottomed cylindrical container having an opening 30a at one end and a bottom at the other end, and is accommodated in the water tank 20 with the opening 30a facing forward. . The opening 30a has an inner diameter smaller than a body portion of the drum 30 (a portion of a wrapper 33 to be described later). The drum 30 is rotatable about a rotating shaft J extending in the front-rear direction, and in a state in which the laundry is accommodated in the drum 30 , each cycle such as washing, rinsing, and spin-drying is executed.

4 to 6, the pulsator 40 is a disk-shaped member having a substantially conical front surface with a low head top, and a radially extending protrusion 45 on the front surface. The installed pulsator 40 is disposed at the bottom of the drum 30 . The pulsator 40 is rotatable about the rotating shaft J independently of the drum 30 .

As shown in detail in FIG. 2 , the dual shaft 70 including the inner shaft 71 and the outer shaft 72 is installed in a state that penetrates the bottom surface of the water tank 20 with the rotation axis J as the center. has been The outer shaft 72 is a cylindrical shaft whose shaft length is shorter than that of the inner shaft 71 . The inner shaft 71 is rotatably supported inside the outer shaft 72 via an inner bearing 73 . The outer shaft 72 is rotatably supported by the bearing housing 23a of the water tank 20 via an external bearing 74 .

The drum 30 is supported by being connected to the upper end of the outer shaft 72 , and the pulsator 40 is connected to and supported by the upper end of the inner shaft 71 . These outer shaft 72 and inner shaft 71 are connected to a motor 50 disposed on the rear side of the water tank 20 .

The motor 50 independently drives each of the outer shaft 72 and the inner shaft 71 . The controller 60 is composed of hardware such as a CPU or memory and software such as a control program, and comprehensively controls the washing machine 1, and according to instructions input from the operation unit 13, washing, rinsing, spin-drying, etc. Each stroke is automatically operated.

<Detailed configuration of washing machine 1>

As shown in Fig. 3A, the drum 30 includes an annular drum front 31 having an opening 30a formed thereon, an annular drum bag 32 facing the drum front 31 front and back, and these drums. It is composed of a cylindrical wrapper 33 connecting the front 31 and the drum back 32 .

A plurality of water passage holes 33a penetrating inside and outside the wrapper 33 are formed, and the washing water collected in the water tank 20 flows into the drum 30 through these water passage holes 33a. Each water passage hole 33a has a substantially burring shape, and protrudes in a spherical shape on the inner surface side of the drum 30 . The water passage hole 33a is not limited to the wrapper 33 , and may be formed in the drum front 31 , the drum bag 32 , or the pulsator 40 .

The drum front 31 and the wrapper 33 are integrally or detachably connected by pressure fastening or screw fixing. The wrapper 33 and the drum bag 32 are also integrally or detachably connected by pressure fastening or screw fixing.

The drum 30 is fixed to the outer shaft 72 through a disk-shaped flange shaft 34 (flange member) attached to the bottom thereof. The flange shaft 34 and the outer shaft 72 may be integrated with the flange shaft 34 by press-fitting the outer shaft 72 to the flange shaft 34, focusing on work efficiency at the time of assembly, or the flange shaft 34 ) may be integrally formed by insert molding the outer shaft 72 .

In the case of assembling and integrating the flange shaft 34 to the drum 30 , it is preferable to fasten it with a screw or the like from the outer peripheral side of the wrapper 33 in order to facilitate assembly. When the drum 30 is composed of a plurality of parts, it is preferable to insert the bent part of the drum bag 32 between the wrapper 33 and the flange shaft 34 and fasten them together. The drum bag 32 may be assembled by being fixed to the flange shaft 34 first, and then the wrapper 33 and the flange shaft 34 may be coupled.

In the washing machine 1, the assembly of the drum 30 and the flange shaft 34 is configured as such. The detail is shown in FIG. 3B. The wrapper 33 and the drum bag 32 are generally formed by bending or pressing a metal plate. Therefore, the annular drum front 31 and the drum back 32 are provided and integrated in the front end inner rim portion and the rear end inner rim portion of the cylindrical wrapper 33, thereby structurally strengthening and rigidity of the drum 30 is securing

Further, the drum bag 32 has a cylindrical outer fitting portion 32a and an annular flange portion 32b protruding inward from the front end portion of the outer fitting portion 32a. On the central side of the annular flange part 32b, a bulging part 32c that expands while being gently inclined toward the front is formed, and is circularly formed by the inner end face of the bulge part 32c. A rear opening 32d to be opened is constituted.

The outer diameter of the outer fitting portion 32a is approximately equal to the inner diameter of the wrapper 33, and the wrapper 33 is fitted to the outer fitting portion 32a. The inner diameter of the outer fitting portion 32a is approximately equal to the outer diameter of the outer end face of the flange shaft 34 , and the outer fitting portion 32a is fitted to the outer end face of the flange shaft 34 . The inner end surface (cylindrical portion) of the bulging portion 32c is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the pulsator 40, and faces the outer peripheral portion of the pulsator 40 with a slight gap.

Outside insertion holes 33b are formed at a plurality of locations of the rear end of the wrapper 33 . A plurality of inner insertion holes 32e are also formed in the outer fitting portion 32a so as to overlap each of these outer insertion holes 33b. In addition, fastening holes 34a overlapping the outer insertion holes 33b and the inner insertion holes 32e are also formed at a plurality of locations on the outer end surface of the flange shaft 34 .

When assembling the wrapper 33, the drum bag 32, and the flange shaft 34, as shown in FIG. 3B, first, the drum bag 32 is fitted so that the outer fitting part 32a is fitted to the outer peripheral end surface. It is fitted and fixed to the flange shaft (34). Then, the rear end of the wrapper 33 is fitted into the outer fitting portion 32a, and a fastener ( member) (T) is fastened from the outer side in the radial direction. By doing so, the wrapper 33 , the drum bag 32 and the flange shaft 34 are joined and integrated.

In this way, the flange shaft 34 excellent in strength and rigidity has a large diameter that is approximately equal to the diameter of the wrapper 33 (that is, the drum 30), and the wrapper 33 together with the drum bag 32 and the diameter When integrated together by fastening from the outside in the direction, the strength and rigidity of the drum 30 are improved, so that even the drum 30 that rotates and shakes in the lateral direction can be stably supported.

For reference, in a conventional washing machine, whether a top-loading type or a drum type, the diameter of the flange shaft is sufficiently smaller than the diameter of the drum, and the drum is generally fastened to the flange shaft from the direction in which the rotating shaft extends through the drum bag.

When the drum 30 is composed of one part, the drum bag 32 and the flange shaft 34 are fastened with screws or the like from the front of the wrapper 33 instead of from the outer peripheral side of the wrapper 33 to be fixed. good night.

When the flange shaft 34 and the outer shaft 72 are not integrated by insert molding or press-fitting, there is a serration at the connection portion between the flange shaft 34 and the outer shaft 72 . ) or by installing an anti-rotation structure consisting of a concave-convex fitting by a key and a key groove, etc., to regulate rotation in the rotational direction. After the flange shaft 34 and the outer shaft 72 are removed and fitted so as to be pluggable, the rotatable state is made impossible, and then they are fastened from the axial direction with a nut or bolt to regulate movement in the axial direction.

The inner bearing 73 may use a ball bearing or a sliding bearing. The inner bearing 73 is press-fitted and fixed to either one of the outer shaft 72 and the inner shaft 71, and the other of the outer shaft 72 and the inner shaft 71 is an inner bearing ( 73) with a loose fit. One of the ends of each of the outer shaft 72 and the inner shaft 71 has a step portion having a size different from the outer diameter of the main shaft portion by forming a flange or mounting a snap ring, and the step portion is internal It is fixed in contact with the bearing (73). A washer or the like may be sandwiched between the outer shaft 72 or the inner shaft 71 and the inner bearing 73 .

The other end of each end of the outer shaft 72 and the inner shaft 71 may be fixed with a snap ring or the like in order to prevent positional misalignment or disengagement during transport or assembly. You may install a washer, etc., on this side as well. At the end of the double shaft 70 on the water tank 20 side, a sealing member is mounted to prevent intrusion of wash water into the double shaft 70 or leakage of water through the double shaft 70 to the outside of the water tank 20 . (waterproof structure).

The water tank 20 is composed of two or more parts. The water tank 20 may be divided into upper and lower, left and right, etc., but the most effective is two divisions in the front-rear direction. The water tank 20 is configured. It is necessary to provide a seal structure for preventing water leakage at the joint portion of the water tank 20 .

An opening 20a is formed at the front end of the tab front 22 . A bearing housing 23a is provided at the rear end of the tab bag 23 . The tab bag 23 and the bearing housing 23a are made of different materials. The tab bag 23 and the bearing housing 23a may be configured as separate parts and the bearing housing 23a may be fixed to the tab bag 23 with bolts or the like, but in that case, a seal structure is required at the joint portion.

Therefore, it is preferable that the bearing housing 23a and the tab back 23 are integrally constituted by insert molding. Although the tab bag 23 and the bearing housing 23a may be formed of the same material and integrally formed, in the case of aluminum die-casting, it is not realistic in terms of weight, size, and cost. In addition, the bearing housing 23a may be formed by combining metal plates such as an iron plate or stainless steel plate. In this washing machine 1, the bearing housing 23a (made of aluminum die-cast) and the tab bag 23 (made of resin) are insert-molded. constituted integrally by

The bearing housing 23a has a shaft support portion 24 for supporting an outer shaft 72 via an outer bearing 74 . The bearing housing 23a may also be comprised by two or more components. The outer shaft 72 is axially supported by two or more external bearings 74 spaced apart from each other in the axial direction in the bearing housing 23a. These outer bearings 74 are press-fitted into either one of the outer shaft 72 and the bearing housing 23a, and the other of the outer shaft 72 and the bearing housing 23a is the outer bearing 74 ) with a loose fit.

Since the front of the tab bag 23 is released, the outer shaft 72 has a cylindrical shape formed in the center of the bearing housing 23a from the front of the tab bag 23 even if it is integrated with the flange shaft 34 . It can be inserted into the shaft support 24 of the. When the outer shaft 72 is separate from the flange shaft 34 , the outer shaft 72 may be inserted into the shaft support part 24 from the rear of the tab bag 23 .

When the outer shaft 72 is loosely fitted to the outer bearing 74, the outer shaft 72 has the same outer diameter over the entire length, or the outer diameter of the insertion start side is greater than the outer diameter of the insertion end side. it has to be small On the other hand, when the outer bearing 74 press-fitted to the outer shaft 72 is loosely fitted to the shaft support portion 24 , the shaft support portion 24 has at least the same inner diameter as the outer bearing 74 and is inserted The inner diameter of the start side position must be larger than the inner diameter of the insertion end side. When the bearing housing 23a is composed of two or more parts, the present invention is not limited thereto. In addition, it is preferable that the size of the outer bearing 74 on the front side is larger than that of the outer bearing 74 on the rear side so that it can be inserted from the front side of the tab bag 23 and supported stably.

As shown in FIG. 4 , the pulsator 40 has a boss part 41 positioned at the center thereof, and a disk part 42 positioned around the boss part 41 , as shown in FIG. 2 . Similarly, the boss portion 41 is fixed to the protruding end of the inner shaft 71 . Between the boss part 41 and the inner shaft 71, the rotation in the rotation direction is regulated by the uneven fitting (rotation prevention structure) such as a serration or a key.

In terms of strength, the boss portion 41 and the disk portion 42 are preferably composed of two or more parts having different materials. When the disk portion 42 and the boss portion 41 are made of the same material, they are inferior in strength. That is, metal with excellent strength such as aluminum or stainless steel increases the weight of the pulsator 40, so the inertia force increases and energy loss increases, so it is difficult to employ. There is a risk of causing

Therefore, it is most efficient to make the boss part 41 a minimum size with a strength member such as stainless steel, and to form the disk part 42 with a lightweight resin or the like. The boss part 41 is fixed to the disk part 42 by press-fitting, insert molding, or the like. The front surface of the disk part 42 may be in a state of resin or the like, but may be covered with a thin plate such as stainless steel for appearance or to prevent chafing.

Moreover, although it is expensive, you may form the disk part 42 with a stainless steel plate. When the disk portion 42 is formed of resin or the like, the thickness of the resin is required to be about 3 to 5 mm in order to secure a certain strength, but if it is a stainless steel plate, it is possible to configure it with a plate thickness of about 1 mm. By doing so, it is possible to further increase the capacity.

The boss part 41 is inserted into the protruding end of the inner shaft 71 by the uneven fitting so that it can be pulled out and inserted, and is prevented from being pulled out by fastening with a bolt or a nut. A protection cap 43 (protective part) is mounted on the top of the boss 41 to prevent damage to the laundry by the fastening portion. In the gap between the pulsator 40 and the drum 30, a labyrinth structure that surrounds the end of the pulsator 40 with a small gap is used in order to prevent dragging of laundry and the like. The labyrinth structure is generally formed by the drum bag 32 and the pulsator 40 . Therefore, the outer diameter of the pulsator 40 is less than 100% of the inner diameter of the drum 30, and is preferably set to 60% or more.

If the outer diameter of the pulsator 40 is 60% or more of the inner diameter of the drum 30 , the functions of the pulsator 40 such as stirring can be appropriately exhibited inside the drum 30 .

In particular, the outer diameter of the pulsator 40 is preferably smaller than the inner diameter of the opening (30a). By doing so, the pulsator 40 can be put into the inside of the drum 30 through the opening 30a, so it becomes possible to assemble the pulsator 40 to the drum 30 after assembling the drum 30, so that the manufacturing operation This simplifies In addition, when a user uses the pulsator 40 for a long time and a problem occurs, the replacement of the parts becomes easy, and the cost borne by the user at that time can also be reduced.

On the other hand, when the outer diameter of the pulsator 40 is larger than the opening 30a, the pulsator 40 is put in the drum 30 from the rear. In that case, it is necessary to insert the pulsator 40 into the drum 30 before the work in which the wrapper 33 and the drum bag 32 are integrated by pressure fastening or welding, etc., but the manufacturing process becomes complicated. Not realistic.

Therefore, in the stage before the wrapper 33 and the drum bag 32 are integrated, the pulsator 40 is fixed to the inner shaft 71 through the flange shaft 34, or the wrapper 33 and the drum bag 32. It is preferable to make it separable by fixing screws or the like.

On the other hand, by composing the labyrinth structure with three or more parts including the drum bag 32 and the pulsator 40 plus the flange shaft 34, after integrating the drum bag 32 and the wrapper 33, the pulsator ( 40) can be assembled. That is, by configuring the wall covering the outer side of the pulsator 40 with the drum bag 32, and configuring the wall covering the back side and the inner side of the pulsator 40 with the flange shaft 34 or other parts implementation is possible.

However, in order to avoid an increase in the number of parts, the wall covering the back side and the inner side of the pulsator 40 is preferably composed of a flange shaft 34 . The outer wall of the pulsator 40 may be configured with a flange shaft 34 or the like instead of the drum bag 32. The drum bag 32 is preferable because there is a possibility of damaging it.

In this washing machine 1, the labyrinth structure is configured as such. An example of the labyrinth structure is shown in detail in FIG. 3C.

The portion constituting the rear opening 32d of the drum 30 so as not to cause a large step difference with the outer peripheral portion of the pulsator 40 (the edge portion of the inclined surface portion 44 to be described later) is expanded (膨出) portion 32c is formed. In other words, in the direction in which the rotation shaft J extends, the outer peripheral front end portion of the inclined surface portion 44 and the front end portion of the bulging portion 32c are arranged at substantially the same position.

In addition, an annular rib 34c protruding concentrically is formed on the outer periphery of the front surface of the flange shaft 34 . On the other hand, on the back surface of the outer peripheral portion of the pulsator 40, an annular concave portion 37 concave in a concentric circle shape with a diameter substantially the same as that of the annular rib 34c is formed. By attaching the pulsator 40 to the double shaft 70 coupled to the flange shaft 34 , the annular rib 34c is accommodated in the annular recess 37 in a non-contact state.

Accordingly, the wall covering the outside of the pulsator 40 is constituted by the inner end face of the bulge 32c, which is the inner peripheral portion of the drum bag 32, and the annular rib 34c and the front face of the flange shaft 34 A wall covering the back side and the inner side of the pulsator 40 is constituted by The labyrinth) structure (R)) is configured to be close to each other.

Even when the outer diameter of the flange shaft 34 is made larger than the outer diameter of the pulsator 40 by providing such a labyrinth structure R, laundry is rolled up between the pulsator 40 and the drum 30 It is possible to prevent foreign substances from entering between the pulsator 40 and the flange shaft 34 .

<Motor (50)>

The inner shaft 71 and the outer shaft 72 are connected to a motor 50 which is a driving device. The motor 50 may be of any of the following types, and may be configured by combining these types. For reference, the motor 50 of the washing machine 1 of the present embodiment is type 1 .

(Type 1)

In the type 1 motor 50 , an inner rotor 52 and an outer rotor 53 are disposed inside and outside one stator 51 , respectively (dual motor). The inner rotor 52 is connected to the outer shaft 72 , and the outer rotor 53 is connected to the inner shaft 71 . The two rotors 52 and 53 are driven and controlled by one inverter. The motor 50 will be separately described in more detail later.

(Type 2)

It is a dual motor like Type 1, and the two rotors 52 and 53 are driven and controlled by two inverters. In the case of this motor, since each of the rotors 52 and 53 can be individually driven and controlled by an inverter, the ratio of the rotation speed is adjustable, and the rotation speed of each rotor 52, 53 can be freely controlled. can

(Type 3)

It is not a single stator, but has a double stator structure of two layers inside and outside in which two stators are arranged in a front and back relationship, and an inner rotor and an outer rotor are respectively arranged inside and outside the double stator structure. This motor is equivalent to arranging two functionally independent motors side by side around the rotation shaft J. In this motor, the two rotors are individually driven and controlled by two inverters.

(Type 4)

It is a motor in which two motors are arranged and arranged in the extending direction of the rotating shaft J, and are integrated. The rotor of the front side motor close to the tab back 23 is connected to an outer shaft 72 , and the rotor of the rear side motor is connected to the inner shaft 71 . These motors are individually driven and controlled.

(Type 5)

It is a normal motor, and two are used. However, unlike the above-described direct drive type motor, each of the drum 30 and the pulsator 40 is rotationally driven by each motor through a power transmission mechanism including a shaft, a pulley, and an endless belt.

(Type 6)

In this type as well as in Type 5, two normal motors (a first motor and a second motor) are used. However, the second motor is an inner rotor type motor of a direct drive type having a rotor rotating about the rotation shaft (J) inside the stator. A pulley rotating about a rotation shaft J is provided outside the stator of the second motor, and an endless belt is attached to the pulley taut (power transmission mechanism). The first motor is connected to the pulley through its power transmission mechanism. The pulsator 40 is driven by the first motor through the power transmission mechanism, and the drum is driven by the second motor.

When these motors are installed in the tab bag 23 or the bearing housing 23a, the motors are preferably fixed directly to them, but may be fixed indirectly through a bracket or the like. For the purpose of blocking the transmission of vibrations caused by the motor to the tab bag 23 or the like, it may be fixed through a bush having elasticity such as rubber or resin. For this fixing, it is preferable to use a bolt or a nut to fasten, and a washer that widens the range of axial force, a spring washer, a wave washer, etc. that prevent loosening may be interposed between these fasteners (members).

<Double Shaft (70)>

The double shaft 70 has an inner shaft 71 and an outer shaft 72, and the rotation shaft J and It is installed so that the center of the axis coincides.

The inner shaft 71 is an elongated cylindrical shaft member, and the outer shaft 72 is an elongated cylindrical shaft member having an inner diameter shorter than the inner shaft 71 and larger than the outer diameter of the inner shaft 71 . to be. A pair of inner bearings 73 and 73 spaced up and down are installed inside the outer shaft 72 . The inner bearing 73 may use a ball bearing or a sliding bearing. The inner shaft 71 is inserted into the outer shaft 72 and is rotatably supported by these inner bearings 73 and 73 .

These inner bearings 73 are fixed by being press-fitted into either one of the outer shaft 72 and the inner shaft 71 , and the other of the outer shaft 72 and the inner shaft 71 is internal. It has a loose fit to the bearing (73).

The front end of the inner shaft 71 protrudes from the front end of the outer shaft 72 , and the rear end of the inner shaft 71 protrudes from the rear end of the outer shaft 72 .

<Pulsator (40)>

4, 5 and 6, the front surface of the pulsator 40 has a mildly inclined surface portion 44 that is gently inclined downward from the central boss portion 41 toward the outer periphery, and a plurality of protrusions ( 45) is installed. The gentle slope portion 44 constitutes a disk-shaped base that spreads out on the front surface of the pulsator 40, and each protrusion 45 protrudes so as to rise from the surface of the base. In order to reduce the resistance at the time of rotation, the mildly inclined surface part 44 preferably has few irregularities, and is formed substantially flat. Each of the protrusions 45 extends radially from the boss portion 41 and is radially arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. If the protrusions 45 are unevenly arranged, the reaction force becomes non-uniform, which causes abnormal vibration and the like.

Although the number of the protrusions 45 of this pulsator 40 is three, 2-8 are preferable and, as for the number of the protrusions 45, two or three are more preferable at the point that favorable results are obtained. A preferred example of a pulsator having two protrusions 45 is shown in FIG. 9 . When there are two protrusions 45, each protrusion 45 is arranged to extend in opposite directions from the central boss portion 41 toward the outer periphery.

When the number of the protrusions 45 increases, it becomes difficult for laundry to enter between the protrusions 45 , so the effect of tapping or peeling the laundry with the protrusions 45 is reduced, and the fluidity of the laundry is also reduced. Therefore, the washing power decreases and the power consumption also increases.

Small projections smaller than the projections 45 may be provided at equal intervals in the portion between the projections 45 in the gentle slope portion 44 . The effect of rubbing the laundry is obtained by these small projections.

Among the protrusions 45 , the contact frequency of the central portion near the boss 41 is less than the rated capacity of laundry (for example, 60% of the capacity of the drum 30 ) or less, and thus the effect is not obtained. Therefore, it is preferable that the amount of protrusion of the central portion of the protrusion 45 from the mildly inclined surface portion 44 is small.

On the other hand, in the outer peripheral portion of the protrusion 45, the closer the outer edge of the protrusion 45 is, the higher the influence on the peeling performance of laundry increases. Therefore, it is preferable that the outer peripheral portion of the protrusion 45 has a larger amount of protrusion from the gently inclined surface portion 44 than the inner peripheral portion.

However, if the protrusion amount of the protrusion 45 from the gentle slope portion 44 is increased, the torque required for the rotation of the pulsator 40 also increases. In addition, when the drum 30 and the pulsator 40 rotate in the opposite direction, since the force of the protrusion 45 acts in a direction to offset the rotation of the drum 30 through the laundry, the rotation of the drum 30 The torque required for Therefore, it is not preferable that the protrusion amount of the outer peripheral side portion of the protrusion portion 45 is excessively large.

The shape of the protrusion 45 is also important. Each of the protrusions 45 bulges out from the mildly inclined surface portion 44 and extends from the central boss 41 in a radial direction in a straight line, and has an inverted "U" shape or an inverted "V" shape. It has a cross-section in the shape of a ruler. A plurality of substantially flat inclined surfaces 45a are formed on both side portions facing the circumferential direction in the outer peripheral side portion of each protrusion 45 .

As shown in FIG. 6 , when the inclined surface 45a is viewed from the cross-sectional direction of the protrusion 45, if the inclination angle θ of the inclined surface 45a with respect to the rotational axis J is small (approximately with the rotational axis J) Parallel) Since the laundry collides head-on with the inclined surface 45a, depending on the state of the laundry, the pulsator 40 may be locked to be unable to rotate or may be in a state of rotating like the laundry by resisting driving. In addition, there is a possibility of causing an increase in noise or abnormal vibration.

Accordingly, the inclination angle θ of the inclined surface 45a is preferably set to 15° or more. As the inclination angle θ increases, the rotational resistance of the pulsator 40 also decreases, so that power consumption is also reduced.

On the other hand, the larger the inclination angle θ, the more difficult it is for laundry to be caught, so the ability to tap or remove laundry decreases. Therefore, it is preferable that the inclination angle θ of the inclined surface 45a is 20° or less.

In particular, in consideration of balance, it is preferable to form two inclined surfaces 45a having different inclination angles θ on each side of the outer peripheral side portion of each protrusion 45 . Specifically, a first inclined surface 45a1 having a relatively large inclination angle θ1 is formed on the top of the protrusion 45, and a second inclined surface 45a1 having a relatively small inclination angle θ2 is formed on the bottom side of the protrusion 45 ( 45a2) is formed.

As shown in Figure 2, the outer peripheral edge of the pulsator 40 is disposed to face the inner peripheral surface of the drum 30 with a certain gap 200, and contact the laundry in the gap 200 to provide a mechanical action It is preferable to provide a working surface 201 to be applied.

Then, when the drum 30 and the pulsator 40 rotate in opposite directions during washing, the laundry enters the gap 200 and the working surfaces 201 (specifically, the gap) in three directions close to each other. Laundry is in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the drum 30 facing 200, the bottom surface of the drum 30, and the protruding end surface on the outer peripheral side of the protrusion 45), thereby effectively imparting a mechanical action to the laundry.

However, when such a gap 200 is installed, when a large amount of laundry is accommodated in the drum 30, depending on the shape of the gap 200, laundry may enter the gap 200, causing damage or overload of laundry. there is Therefore, in this washing machine 1, the size of the gap 200 in the radial direction and the protrusion amount of the protrusion 45 from the mildly inclined surface portion 44 meet predetermined conditions to prevent laundry from entering the gap 200. set to be satisfactory.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2 , the size of the gap 200 in the radial direction is ΔR (unit: mm), and the edge of the outer periphery of the protrusion 45 (the edge of the outer periphery: the radius is bisected) When the maximum amount of protrusion from the gentle slope portion 44 in the outer peripheral side of the object) is H (unit: mm), it is set so as to satisfy the expression of 0.1≤H/ΔR≤1.0.

When H/ΔR is less than 0.1, more specifically, when the protrusion amount of the protruding end of the protrusion 45 is less than half the width of the gap 200, the gap 200 becomes excessively shallow, thereby effectively imparting a mechanical action to the laundry. it is difficult On the other hand, when H/ΔR is greater than 1.0, that is, when the protrusion amount of the protruding end of the protrusion 45 is greater than the width of the gap 200 , the gap 200 becomes excessively deep, and thus the possibility of laundry contamination increases rapidly.

On the other hand, by forming a gap to satisfy this relational expression, even when a large amount of laundry is accommodated in the drum 30, a mechanical action can be applied to the laundry by the action surface 201 while preventing the laundry from being bitten, and even if the amount of washing water is small It is possible to effectively generate the flow of laundry.

(Modified example of the pulsator 40)

The pulsator 40 has a substantially conical shape, but may have a concave portion. A bowl shape with a concave front may be used, such as a pulsator of a top-loading washing machine. However, in this case, it is preferable that the outer peripheral portion of the disk portion 42 is located at the rear of the boss portion 41 . This is, when the outer periphery of the disk part 42 protrudes forward, laundry falls on that part, and the weight of the laundry is applied to the pulsator as well as the inertial force due to the enlargement of the pulsator. Motor 50 to drive the pulsator This is because the torque of

<Washing method>

In a conventional drum washing machine, a washing method called “tapping and sucking” is employed in which laundry is lifted and then dropped by a mechanical action of the drum rotating. Since the mechanical force is almost determined by the diameter of the drum, it is difficult to strengthen the mechanical force.

If the number of revolutions is increased to increase the mechanical force, the laundry will not stick to the drum and fall, making it impossible to "tap and suck", resulting in reduced mechanical force. Therefore, in order to increase the mechanical force, there is only a method such as rapidly repeating the inversion of the drum, but even if the mechanical force is increased, not only a slight but also a large energy loss is caused.

On the other hand, in this washing machine 1, "tapping and sucking" is not employed, but by opposing the rotation directions of the drum 30 and the pulsator 40, the respective mechanical forces can be synthesized and effectively applied to the laundry.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 7, the rotation speed of the drum 30 during washing is set sufficiently higher than that of a conventional drum washing machine so that the laundry C is attached to the inner peripheral surface of the drum 30 by centrifugal force ( For example, 50 rpm to 80 rpm). And, the pulsator 40 is rotated in the opposite direction to the rotation direction of the drum 30 as shown by the thin arrow in FIG.

At this time, since the laundry (C) is attached to the inner circumferential surface of the drum (30), the protrusion (45) of the pulsator (40) collides with the laundry (C) and pulsates the laundry (C) as if tapping the laundry (C) The mechanical force of the eater 40 is transmitted. Also, the laundry C is separated from the drum 30 by the impact that is struck even if it is not struck by the protrusion 45 or is directly separated from the drum 30 by the protrusion 45 ( FIGS. 7 and 8 ). C1) in

The laundry C1 collides with the simultaneously rotating pulsator 40 and is pushed forward while receiving mechanical force again (C2 in FIG. 7 ). The laundry C1 removed from the drum 30 by the pulsator 40 moves forward while drawing the laundry around it. In this way, it is possible to secure the same effect as the conventional "slap and suck", and also to obtain the effect of rubbing the laundry with each other due to movement of the laundry.

Since the laundry C2 is pushed forward of the drum 30, the laundry in the front of the drum 30 moves to the rear of the drum 30 along the inner circumferential surface of the drum 30 (from C3 in Fig. 7). C). Accordingly, a flow in which laundry circulates in the front-rear direction while rotating along the inner circumferential surface of the drum 30 is formed in the drum 30 .

In this way, as the mechanical force of the pulsator 40 is transmitted to the laundry and the laundry performs a complicated and three-dimensional flow, it is possible to reduce laundry stains. Since the mechanical force per unit time given to the laundry also increases, it is possible to improve the washing power and shorten the washing time.

The rotation speed of the drum 30 may be a rotation speed at which centrifugal force is difficult to act on laundry, such as 30 rpm. In this case, in addition to the conventional “tapping and sucking” action, an action of moving the laundry by pushing it forward with the pulsator 40 can be obtained. However, if the rotation speed of the pulsator 40 is excessively low, the mechanical force is not transmitted to the laundry, so that the laundry cannot be sufficiently moved. Therefore, in this case, the pulsator 40 requires a certain number of rotations, for example, it is preferable to rotate it at a rotation speed of 60 rpm or more.

In addition, if the rotation of the drum 30 is faster than the pulsator 40, the rotation moment of the laundry becomes larger than the rotation moment of the pulsator 40, so the pulsator 40 loses to the force of the laundry, and proper flow is not obtained. there is a fear that it will not In contrast, by making the rotation of the pulsator 40 faster than the drum 30 , the mechanical force of the pulsator 40 can be stably transmitted to the laundry, and a good three-dimensional flow can be obtained.

In the washing machine 1, the following pattern of operation is possible during the washing cycle.

(Pattern 1)

The drum 30 and the pulsator 40 are rotated in the same direction at the same number of revolutions.

(Pattern 2)

The drum 30 and the pulsator 40 are rotated in the same direction, and the pulsator 40 is rotated at a higher rotational speed than the drum 30 .

(Pattern 3)

Electricity to the motor 50 for driving the pulsator 40 is stopped, and the drum 30 is rotated in a state in which power is not transmitted to the pulsator 40 .

(Pattern 4)

The drum 30 is rotated in a state in which the rotation of the pulsator 40 is stopped by control.

(Pattern 5)

Power supply to the motor 50 for driving the drum 30 is stopped, and the pulsator 40 is rotated in a state in which power is not transmitted to the drum 30 .

(Pattern 6)

The pulsator 40 is rotated in a state in which the rotation of the drum 30 is stopped by control.

(Pattern 7)

The drum 30 and the pulsator 40 are rotated in opposite directions to each other, and the pulsator 40 is rotated at a higher rotational speed than the drum 30 .

(Pattern 8)

The drum 30 and the pulsator 40 are rotated in opposite directions at the same rotational speed.

In the operation of pattern 1, the operation similar to that of the conventional drum type washing machine is performed.

In the operation of the pattern 2, the operation in which the convection effect by the pulsator 40 is imparted to the operation of the pattern 1 is performed. That is, as the pulsator 40 rotates faster with respect to the laundry rotated in the drum 30, the action of pushing or pulling the laundry occurs. The laundry pushed or drawn in by the pulsator 40 is accelerated, climbs on the laundry staying in front of it, and enters the vertical middle of the drum 30 . As this operation is continuously repeated, the laundry on the rear is pushed forward, and with it, the laundry on the front moves backward. As a result, the laundry flows while circulating in the front-rear direction inside the drum 30, and it is possible to reduce laundry stains.

In the operation of pattern 3, since all of the mechanical force necessary for tapping and sucking is obtained from the drum 30, almost the same operation as that of the conventional drum type washing machine is performed. In this operation, since the power of the pulsator 40 is cut, power consumption can be reduced while maintaining the cleaning power.

In the operation of the pattern 4, the pulsator 40 is maintained in a stopped state (in the operation of the pattern 3, the pulsator 40 is capable of inertial rotation). Since the pulsator 40 is stationary, the pulsator 40 is in a relatively inverted state with respect to the rotating drum 30 . Accordingly, effects such as unwinding laundry or tapping laundry to a small extent can be obtained.

In the pattern 5 operation, opposite to the operation of pattern 3, the drum 30 rotates the pulsator 40 in a rotatable state. It is possible to perform "rubbing sucking" by causing it to occur. For example, when the laundry is delicate clothing, it is possible to reduce the damage or shape loss of the laundry by performing this pattern 5 operation.

In the operation of the pattern 6, unlike the operation of the pattern 5 in which the drum 30 is capable of inertial rotation, the drum 30 is maintained in a stationary state.

The operation of pattern 7 performs the most effective operation for realizing the above-described cleaning mechanism. In the pattern 8 operation, the action of the pulsator 40 is lower than that in the pattern 7 operation, so this pattern is suitable when it is desired to weaken the mechanical force acting on the laundry.

In a conventional drum-type washing machine that performs "tapping and sucking", in order to prevent laundry from adhering to the drum 30, the rotation speed of the drum 30 during washing is usually set to less than 50 rpm. Therefore, there is a problem in that the washing water collected in the water tank 20 tends to stagnate and it is difficult to continuously circulate and supply the washing water to the inside of the drum 30 .

Therefore, there is a model in which a pump or the like is installed so that the washing water collected in the water tank 20 can be continuously circulated and supplied to the inside of the drum 30, but the structure is complicated and the running cost is increased. do. In addition, there is a model in which a pumping stroke is installed for pumping up washing water into the drum 30 by rotation of the drum 30 during washing without using a pump. However, during the pumping cycle, it is necessary to set the rotation speed of the drum 30 high (eg, 60 rpm to 120 rpm), during which the laundry adheres to the drum 30 and cannot be sucked by tapping. Therefore, the pumping stroke is limited to a short time at the time of washing, and a sufficient effect is not acquired.

On the other hand, in this washing machine 1, since the rotation speed of the drum 30 can be set higher than that of the conventional drum type washing machine, washing water can be continuously circulated and supplied to the inside of the drum 30 without installing a separate pump or the like. That is, during washing, the drum 30 is rotated at a rotation speed of 60 rpm or more. By doing so, washing water starts to be ejected from the gap between the water tank 20 and the drum 30 in the front, and the washing water flows into the drum 30 . In this way, washing water can be uniformly and continuously circulated while applying sufficient mechanical force and flow to the laundry, so that high washing power can be secured and running cost does not increase.

In addition, there is a model in which the washing effect is improved by continuously circulating and supplying foamed wash water to the inside of the drum 30 . Such models are equipped with a special device to foam the washing water.

On the other hand, in the washing machine 1, by rotating the drum 30 at a rotation speed of 60 rpm or more, the washing water can be stirred and foamed in the narrow gap between the water tank 20 and the drum 30. The foamed wash water is pumped up (that is, pumped up by a pump) as described above and is continuously circulated and supplied to the inside of the drum 30 . In this way, in the washing machine 1, foamed washing water can be continuously circulated and supplied without installing a special device.

In addition, circulating supply of wash water and washing foam may be performed by rotation of the pulsator 40 instead of the drum 30 . In order to increase the circulating supply of wash water or foaming efficiency, the drum 30 or the pulsator 40 may be provided with a concave-convex structure, agitating blades, or the like.

In a conventional drum type washing machine, a structure called a “lifter” protruding from the inner circumferential surface of the drum 30 is usually provided. The lifter has a function of efficiently lifting laundry in accordance with the rotation of the drum 30 and dropping it from a high position, and is important in increasing the mechanical force by tapping and sucking.

However, in this washing machine 1, a lifter is not required so that the laundry is attached to the inner circumferential surface of the drum 30 by centrifugal force. Even if a lifter is installed, the amount of protrusion can be reduced. Conversely, if there is a large lifter, if the laundry is caught on both sides of the lifter and the protrusion 45 of the pulsator 40, there is a risk of damaging the laundry, so the smaller lifter is preferable.

Accordingly, it is possible to reduce the cost of the member and increase the volume of the drum 30 by omitting or downsizing the lifter. In addition, the lifter may be replaced with a simple projection formed on the inner peripheral surface of the drum 30 .

<Operation Control>

In order to bring out the optimal performance at the time of washing of this washing machine 1, it is preferable to select an operation pattern suitably according to a situation.

For example, when the drum 30 and the pulsator 40 rotate in opposite directions, power consumption increases when the laundry has a large capacity, such as near the rated capacity. In this case, it is possible to suppress power consumption by increasing the rotational speed of the drum 30 and the pulsator 40 .

That is, when the rotation speed is low, the bias fluctuation of the laundry inside the drum 30 increases, so a high torque is required, whereas when the rotation speed is high, the laundry is attached to the inner peripheral surface of the drum 30, so that the laundry bias is suppressed. and high torque becomes unnecessary. As the rotational speed of the pulsator 40 is increased, it is difficult for the laundry to be caught on the protrusion 45, thereby reducing power consumption.

On the other hand, when the capacity of laundry is small and there is sufficient space inside the drum 30 , if the rotation speed of the drum 30 is excessively increased, the centrifugal force increases and the amount of laundry applied to the protrusion 45 is reduced. Therefore, in this case, it is necessary to select an optimal operation pattern, such as reducing the number of rotations of the drum 30 or performing a tapping and sucking operation.

To this end, it is necessary to determine the weight of the laundry put into the drum 30 , the capacity of the laundry (or the remaining capacity of the drum 30 ), the type of laundry (the type of fabric), and the like before the washing process. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 10, the controller 60 of the washing machine 1 includes a weight determination unit 61, a fabric type determination unit 62, a capacity determination unit 63, an operating condition determination unit 64, and the like. This is provided.

The weight determination unit 61 determines the weight of the laundry put into the drum 30, for example, after the laundry is put into the drum 30, the drum 30 and the pulsator 40 are moved in the same direction or The weight of the laundry is detected by rotating it in the opposite direction. The rotation speed may be constant or may be changed.

The capacity determination unit 63 rotates the drum 30 and the pulsator 40 in a direction opposite to that at the time of weight determination, and rotates again. By doing so, the capacity determining unit 63 determines the capacity ratio of the laundry to the inner capacity of the drum 30 based on the difference with the weight detection.

The fabric type determination unit 62 introduces a predetermined amount of water into the water tank 20 , and causes the laundry into the drum 30 to absorb the water for a predetermined time. The fabric type determination unit 62 stores the absorption data for each type of fabric, and based on the change in the water level inside the water tank 20 at that time (the difference between the water level at the time of introduction and the water level after the lapse of a predetermined time) and the absorption data, the laundry Determine the type The water level is detected based on the water pressure inside the water tank 20, and the water level at the time of introduction may be calculated from the water introduced.

The driving condition determination unit 64 determines the rotation direction or the number of rotations of the drum 30 and the pulsator 40, respectively, based on at least one or more of these determination results. These determinations may be made not only at the start of the washing cycle but also during the washing cycle. Of course, it can also be carried out during the rinsing cycle.

Usually, the washing process is divided into each of "washing", "rinsing" and "drying".

A spin-drying cycle called intermediate spin-drying may be provided between the washing cycle and the rinsing cycle, or between consecutive rinsing cycles when there are two or more rinsing cycles. Torque is required to rotate the drum 30 or the pulsator 40, but the amount of torque required is different in the washing, rinsing, and dewatering operations. Generally, it is a washing or rinsing cycle that requires a large torque, and a large torque is not required in the spin-drying cycle.

Therefore, during dehydration, electricity to the motor 50 for driving the pulsator 40 is stopped, and the pulsator 40 may rotate only the drum 30 while performing inertial rotation. By doing so, power consumption for rotating the pulsator 40 is eliminated, so that power consumption can be suppressed. However, in this case, if the state of the laundry changes abruptly while the drum 30 and the pulsator 40 are rotating at different rotation speeds, there is a risk that the laundry may be damaged.

Accordingly, as a countermeasure, the magnetization rate of the motor 50 for driving the drum 30 may be changed. By doing so, even if the drum 30 and the pulsator 40 are rotated at the same time, power consumption can be suppressed. For example, at the start of the spin-drying cycle or during the spin-drying cycle, after the laundry reaches a stable state (a state in which the drum 30 rotates at a rotation speed of about 60 rpm to 120 rpm), the motor 50 is demagnetized , and by lowering the magnetization rate, it is possible to reduce the power consumption at high rotation.

<Effect of washing machine (1)>

The effect of the washing machine 1 mentioned above is compared and demonstrated with the conventional washing machine (the drum type washing machine of patent documents 1 and 2).

Since the washing machine 1 does not require a drum having a large-scale structure like that of a conventional washing machine, the internal capacity of the drum 30 can be increased, and manufacturing cost and running cost can be suppressed.

The washing machine 1 arranges the sub-drum in the main drum like a conventional washing machine, and there is no need to provide a predetermined gap between the drum and the sub-drum. On the contrary, in the washing machine 1, laundry performance is improved by allowing laundry to enter the gap. For this reason, it becomes possible to aim at the increase of the drum capacity|capacitance, and it can implement|achieve the compact washing machine which can respond to the capacity increase requested|required in recent years.

The washing machine 1, like a conventional washing machine, synthesizes the two-dimensional movement of laundry obtained by switching the rotational speed or direction of the main drum and the sub-drum, and the movement of the entire drum, thereby synthesizing the three-dimensional flow of laundry. Rather than embodying , a three-dimensional flow of laundry can be obtained only by rotating the drum 30 and the pulsator 40 at different speeds. Preferably, a three-dimensional flow of laundry can be obtained only by rotating in the reverse direction. More preferably, by making the rotation of the pulsator 40 faster than the drum 30, it is possible to obtain a larger three-dimensional flow of laundry.

In each of the main drum and the sub-drum of a conventional washing machine, a mechanical force exceeding that of a normal drum type washing machine cannot be applied to the laundry, so that a significant improvement in the cleaning effect cannot be expected. On the other hand, in the washing machine 1, the rotation speed of the pulsator 40 is set higher than that of the drum 30, and "washing" is performed while using the centrifugal force of the drum 30 and the mechanical force of the pulsator 40. In addition to the effect of the pulsator 40, the tapping and sucking effect of tapping the laundry with the protrusion 45 of the pulsator 40, the rubbing sucking effect in which the laundry rubs against each other, and the washing stain reduction effect by mixing the laundry can be used comprehensively.

In addition, the protrusion 45 of the pulsator 40 also functions as a so-called lifter. Therefore, in the washing machine 1, a lifter on the inner peripheral surface of the drum 30 is not essential as in the conventional washing machine.

This effect becomes more pronounced when washing large volumes of laundry. That is, in the conventional washing machine, when the amount of laundry increases, the residual capacity in the drum capable of exerting mechanical force is insufficient. In order to solve this problem, in the conventional washing machine, instead of increasing the immersion time in washing water, that is, increasing the washing time, the washing performance is secured. On the other hand, in the washing machine 1, since the above effect is obtained, the extension of the washing time can be minimized.

Even in a conventional washing machine, when rotating at high speed, centrifugal force can be used, so the same effect occurs with respect to laundry positioned at the boundary between the main drum and the sub-drum. However, in the part away from the boundary part, the laundry adheres to the drum and cannot impart mechanical force.

In addition, in order to drive both the main drum and the sub-drum, a force greater than that of the washing machine 1 is required. The sub-drum larger than the pulsator 40 has a large inertia force, and not only requires a high torque by itself, but also requires a torque to lift the laundry from each drum. In addition, a torque for canceling the opposing force generated at the boundary between the main drum and the sub-drum is also required, and a high-output motor is required.

In general, in order to make a motor high output, it is necessary to increase the stacking thickness of the stator core or the rotor core, and to use a high magnetic force magnet. Since the increase in the lamination thickness is accompanied by an increase in the thickness of the motor, adverse effects such as an enlargement of the washing machine and a reduction in the inner capacity of the drum occur. Either way, an increase in manufacturing cost or running cost is unavoidable.

In contrast, in the washing machine 1, the force required to lift the laundry to the pulsator 40 is hardly generated, and the inertia force is small, so power consumption can be suppressed. The motor 50 can also be downsized, and the inner capacity of the drum 30 can also be enlarged.

<Motor details>

As shown in Fig. 2, the motor 50 has a flat cylindrical appearance having a diameter smaller than that of the water tank 20, and is attached to the bearing housing 23a of the water tank 20 so that the rotating shaft J passes the center thereof. is attached The motor 50 includes an outer rotor 53 (second rotor), an inner rotor 52 (first rotor), an inner shaft 71 , an outer shaft 72 , a stator 51 , etc. is composed of

And, the outer rotor 53 and the inner rotor 52 are connected to the pulsator 40 and the drum 30 without intervening a clutch or an accelerator or the like, and are configured to directly drive them. have.

These two rotors 52 and 53 are driven and controlled by one inverter. Each of the outer rotor 53 and the inner rotor 52 shares the coil 163 of the stator 51, and by supplying current to the coil 163, it can rotate independently has been In the case of this motor 50, when the two rotors 52 and 53 rotate in the same direction and when they rotate in the opposite direction, the ratio of the rotation speed of both rotors is, for example, 1:1, 1:-2 and together with a fixed value. The switching of each rotation in the same direction and the opposite direction is performed by magnetization, and the ratio of the rotation speed is different in each of the same direction and the opposite direction.

The outer rotor 53 is a cylindrical member with a flat bottom, and a bottom wall part 121 with an open center part, a rotor yoke 122 installed around the bottom wall part 121 and , has a plurality of outer magnets 124 made of circular arc-shaped permanent magnets. The bottom wall portion 121 and the rotor yoke 122 are formed by pressing an iron plate to function as a back yoke.

In this embodiment, the outer rotor 53 is a sequential rotor, and 16 outer magnets 124 are arranged so that S poles are arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction, and the rotor yoke ( 122) is fixed to the inner surface. Although details will be described later, by inverting the magnetic poles of the outer magnet 124, the number of magnetic poles of the outer rotor 53 can be switched between 16 and 32 poles.

The inner rotor 52 is a flat cylindrical member having an outer diameter smaller than that of the outer rotor 53 , an inner support wall portion 131 with an open central portion, and an inner side provided upright around the inner support wall portion 131 . It has the peripheral wall part 132 and the some inner magnet 134 which consists of a rectangular plate-shaped permanent magnet.

In this embodiment, the inner rotor 52 is a spoke-type rotor, and 32 inner magnets 134 are arranged so as to be radially arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction, and are installed and fixed to the inner peripheral wall portion 132 . has been A rotor core 133 is disposed between the inner magnets 134 in the circumferential direction.

The inner shaft 71 is a cylindrical shaft member, and is rotatably supported by the bearing housing 23a via an inner bearing 73 , an outer shaft 72 , and an outer bearing 74 . The lower end of the inner shaft 71 is connected to the outer rotor 53 . The upper end of the inner shaft 71 is connected to the pulsator 40 .

The outer shaft 72 is a cylindrical shaft member that is shorter than the inner shaft 71 and has an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the inner shaft 71, and includes upper and lower inner bearings 73 and 73, an inner shaft 71 and It is rotatably supported by the bearing housing 23a via the outer bearing 74. The lower end of the outer shaft 72 is supported by the shaft support 24 . The upper end of the outer shaft 72 is connected to the flange shaft 34 of the drum 30 .

The stator 51 is formed of an annular member having an outer diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the outer rotor 53 and larger than the outer diameter of the inner rotor 52 . As shown in FIG. 11 , the stator 51 is provided in a state in which a plurality of teeth 161 or a coil 163 are embedded in a resin. The stator 51 of the present embodiment is provided with 24 I-shaped teeth 161 and a coil 163 .

The teeth 161 are iron members in the form of a thin plate having an I-shape in longitudinal cross-section, and are arranged in an independent state around the entire circumference of the stator 51 so as to be radially arranged at equal intervals. The inner and outer peripheral side ends of the teeth 161 protrude from both corners in the circumferential direction in a flange shape.

A coil 163 is formed for each tooth 161 by continuously winding three wires coated with an insulating material with an insulating material interposed on the teeth 161 in a predetermined order and configuration. A group of teeth 161 in which the coils 163 are formed are embedded in a thermosetting resin by molding in a state where only the side end surfaces of each diameter are exposed, and are fixed in a fixed arrangement in an insulated state.

The end of the teeth 161 on the inner rotor 52 side faces the rotor core 133 with a slight gap, and the end of the teeth 161 on the outer rotor 53 side has an outer magnet ( 124), a stator 51, an inner rotor 52, and an outer rotor 53 are assembled so as to face each other with a small gap.

A position sensor 164 is disposed between adjacent teeth 161 . The position sensor 164 is disposed at a position near the inner rotor 52 , and is for grasping the position of the inner rotor 52 .

As shown in FIG. 12 , one three-phase inverter 118 is connected to the motor 50 . In this motor 50, when the coil 163 of the stator 51 is energized, different poles are simultaneously generated on the outer side and the inner side of the teeth 161, and depending on the rotating magnetic field, the outer The (outer) rotor 53 and the inner rotor 52 rotate independently of each other.

In this way, the outer rotor 53 and the inner rotor 52 share the stator 51, and the outer rotor 53 and the inner rotor 52 by one inverter 118. ) can be driven to rotate in a plurality of rotation modes.

(switching action of stimulus number)

Fig. 11 is a plan sectional view showing the main part of the motor, showing a state at a mechanical angle of 45°. All of the outer magnets 124 are constituted by switching magnets 125 (切換磁石). All of the inner magnets 134 are constituted by the fixed magnets 135 .

Here, the switching magnet 125 is a magnet whose polarity is reversed when a magnetizing current is supplied to the coil 163 serving as the magnetic pole number switching unit. The fixed magnet 135 is a magnet whose polarity does not reverse even when a magnetizing current is supplied to the coil 163 . There is no need to depend on the magnitude of the coercive force or the type of magnet, which will be described later. Here, "reverse" and "do not reverse" indicate the polarity of the entire magnet, and even if a part has a reverse polarity, it can be determined as the total magnetic flux.

In this embodiment, the number of poles St of the stator 51 is 24 poles, the number of poles of the inner rotor 52 is 32 poles, and the maximum number of poles of the outer rotor 53 is 32 poles, and the ratio is St:m=3:4. Here, the outer rotor 53 can be switched to 32 poles or 16 poles by switching the number of poles by magnetization.

In the state shown in Fig. 11, the outer magnets 124 are arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction so that the surface of the outer magnet 124 on the tooth 161 side becomes the S pole. By making the outer magnet 124 in such an arrangement, the rotor yoke 122 of the outer rotor 53 between the outer magnets 124 of the adjacent S pole becomes the N pole, The number of magnetic poles of the outer rotor 53 is 32 poles. Here, since the N-pole portion of the rotor yoke 122 does not have a salient pole structure, the magnetic resistance between the rotor yoke 122 and the teeth 161 is approximately equal. By using a sequential rotor without such a salient pole structure, it is possible to obtain a configuration in which vibration and noise are suppressed.

As shown in FIG. 13 , the magnetic flux from the N pole portion of the rotor yoke 122 passes through the inner rotor 52 side through the teeth 161 , and the outer magnet 124 through the other teeth 161 . ) enters the S pole, passes through the rotor yoke 122 and returns to the N pole of the rotor yoke 122 .

Here, when the number of magnetic poles of the outer rotor 53 is 32 poles, the induced voltage is large because the air gap that is the gap between the rotor yoke 122 and the teeth 161 of the N pole of the outer rotor 53 is large. gets smaller Therefore, it is preferable to set the number of magnetic poles of the outer rotor 53 to 32 poles during spin-drying that requires high speed and low torque.

On the other hand, a magnetizing current is supplied to the coil 163 to invert some magnetic poles of the outer magnet 124 , and as shown in FIG. 14 , N poles and S poles are alternately arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction When switched as much as possible, the number of magnetic poles of the outer rotor 53 becomes 16 poles.

As shown in FIG. 15 , the magnetic flux from the N pole of the outer magnet 124 passes through the inner rotor 52 side through the teeth 161 , and the outer magnet through the other teeth 161 . It enters the S pole of and returns to the N pole of the outer magnet 124 through the rotor yoke 122 .

Here, when the number of magnetic poles of the outer rotor 53 is 16 poles, the induced voltage is smaller than when the air gap that is the gap between the outer magnet 124 and the teeth 161 of the N pole is 32 poles. get bigger Therefore, it is preferable to set the number of magnetic poles of the outer rotor 53 to 16 poles when washing at low speed and requiring high torque.

Next, a method for switching the magnetic poles of the outer magnet 124 from 32 poles to 16 poles will be described with reference to FIG. 11 . 11 shows 32 poles, 16 poles can be obtained by switching the magnetic pole of the first magnet from the bottom from the S pole to the N pole. A magnetizing current is passed through the coil 163 so that a magnetic field flows through the first tooth 161 from the bottom and the second tooth 161 from the bottom in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. 11 . Accordingly, the magnetic pole of the first outer magnet 124 from the bottom can be reversed from the S pole to the N pole.

Next, a method of switching the magnetic poles of the outer magnet 124 from 16 poles to 32 poles will be described with reference to FIG. 14 . 14 shows 16 poles, 32 poles can be obtained by switching the magnetic pole of the first magnet from the bottom from the N pole to the S pole. A magnetizing current is passed through the coil 163 so that a magnetic field flows through the first tooth 161 from the bottom and the second tooth 161 from the bottom in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. 14 . Accordingly, the magnetic pole of the first outer magnet 124 from the bottom can be reversed from the N pole to the S pole.

In addition, in the case of the arrangement of the outer magnet 124 shown in FIG. 14, the front pole of the first outer magnet 124 from the bottom may remain, but if necessary, the outer It is possible to completely reverse the magnetization by performing magnetization a plurality of times by appropriately matching the angle of the rotor 53 and the phase of the magnetizing current flowing through the coil 163 .

In this way, by appropriately setting the magnetic flux path for magnetization, for example, even when the switching magnet 125 and the fixed magnet 135 are composed of ferrite magnets having the same coercive force, the switching magnet ( 125), it is possible to stably switch the stimulus.

In addition, the switching magnet 125 and the fixed magnet 135 may be constituted by two or more types of magnets having different coercive forces. For example, by making the coercive force of the fixed magnet 135 larger than the coercive force of the switching magnet 125, more stable magnetization can be obtained. In addition, by using a rare earth magnet for the fixed magnet 135 of the inner rotor 52 , it is possible to more easily balance the torque between the inner rotor 52 and the outer rotor 53 .

16 is a diagram showing a B-H curve (magnetic hysteresis curve) when magnets having different coercive forces are used for the fixed magnet 135 and the switching magnet 125 . Here, when a magnetic field is generated that does not exceed +A or more and -A or less and the coercive force of the fixed magnet 135 by flowing a magnetizing current through the coil 163, as can be seen from the figure, the magnetic pole of the switching magnet 125 is It is possible to reverse The current to be magnetized may be a pulse current, and magnetization is possible in a time of about several tens of msec (millisecond).

However, in magnetizing the switching magnet 125, it is advantageous that the voltage applied to the coil 163 be as high as possible in order to increase the magnetizing current. In addition, even when performing high-speed rotation such as during spin-drying, a higher voltage is easier to perform. However, the efficiency of the inverter 118 is generally better when it is rotated at a low speed such as during washing or rinsing and is not excessively high in the case of a high torque.

Accordingly, in the present embodiment, the same voltage as that of magnetization is supplied to the inverter 118 during magnetization and dehydration, while a voltage lower than the voltage of magnetization is supplied to the inverter 118 during washing. Thereby, power consumption can be reduced.

(About rotation mode)

Here, the switching operation of the number of magnetic poles for reversing the magnetic pole of the switching magnet 125 by supplying a magnetizing current to the coil 163 is controlled by the controller 60 . That is, based on the control command of the controller 60, the outer rotor 53 and the inner rotor 52 are rotationally driven in a plurality of rotation modes.

Fig. 17 shows the positions of the stator 51, the outer rotor 53, and the inner rotor 52 between the electric angles of 360 degrees during the rotation of the three-phase motor divided into six steps, and the outer ) The principle of rotation of the rotor 53 and the inner rotor 52 is schematically shown.

In Fig. 17, the outer rotor 53 and the inner rotor 52 have the same number of poles of 32 poles, and the machine angle thereof is shown at 45°. When a driving current is passed through the three-phase coil 163 of the U-phase, V-phase, and W-phase, magnetic poles are generated in the teeth 161 . The magnetic poles become opposite poles on the inner rotor 52 side and the outer rotor 53 side of the teeth 161 .

In the first step shown in FIG. 17 , the inner rotor 52 side of the U- and V-shaped teeth 161 is the N pole, and the inner rotor 52 side of the W-shaped tooth 161 is the S pole. Therefore, the outer rotor 53 side of the U-phase and V-shaped teeth 161 is the S pole, and the outer rotor 53 side of the W-phase teeth 161 is the N pole. In addition, in the following description, only the pole of the inner rotor 52 side of the tooth 161 is demonstrated.

In the first step, the outer rotor 53 and the inner rotor 52 receive, as torque, a force rotating in the right direction in FIG. 17 in a state in which the electric angle is shifted by 180°.

In the second step, the stimulation of the V-phase teeth 161 is reversed. As a result, in a state in which the U-phase teeth 161 on the inner rotor 52 side are N-poles, the V-phase teeth 161 become S-poles, and the W-phase teeth 161 become S-poles in a state of the outer rotor. (53) and the inner rotor 52 move in the right direction.

In the third step, the magnetic pole of the W-phase tooth 161 is reversed. Thereby, in the state where the U-phase teeth 161 on the inner rotor 52 side are N poles and the V-phase teeth 161 are S poles, the W-phase teeth 161 become N poles, and the outer rotor ( 53) and the inner rotor 52 move in the right direction.

In the fourth step, the magnetic pole of the U-phase tooth 161 is reversed. Thereby, the teeth 161 of the U-phase on the inner rotor 52 side become the S pole, the teeth 161 of the V-phase are the S poles, and the teeth 161 of the W-phase are the N poles. 53) and the inner rotor 52 move in the right direction.

In the fifth step, the stimulation of the V-phase teeth 161 is reversed. As a result, the U-phase teeth 161 on the inner rotor 52 side become the S-pole state, the V-phase teeth 161 become the N-pole state, and the W-phase teeth 161 turn the N-pole state into the outer. The rotor 53 and the inner rotor 52 move in the right direction.

In the sixth step, the magnetic pole of the W-phase tooth 161 is reversed. As a result, in the state where the U-phase teeth 161 on the inner rotor 52 side are S poles and the V-phase teeth 161 are N poles, the W-phase teeth 161 become S poles, and the outer rotor ( 53) and the inner rotor 52 move in the right direction.

As such, the outer rotor 53 and the inner rotor 52 rotate in the same direction at the same speed. In this embodiment, this rotation mode is called a synchronous rotation mode. In addition, although the phase of the outer rotor 53 and the inner rotor 52 may shift slightly due to load or load fluctuation|variation, in the example shown in FIG. 17, it demonstrates as a thing without a phase shift.

Next, the rotation mode when the number of magnetic poles of the outer rotor 53 is switched is demonstrated using FIG. 18, the outer rotor 53 has 16 poles and the inner rotor 52 has 32 poles.

In the first step shown in Fig. 18 , the inner rotor 52 side of the U- and V-shaped teeth 161 is the N pole, and the inner rotor 52 side of the W-shaped tooth 161 is the S pole. Therefore, the outer rotor 53 side of the U- and V-shaped teeth 161 is the S pole, and the outer rotor 53 side of the W-shaped teeth 161 is the N pole.

In the first step, the inner rotor 52 receives as a torque a force rotating in the right direction in FIG. 18 . On the other hand, the outer rotor 53 receives a force rotating in the left direction in FIG. 18 as a torque.

In the second step, the stimulation of the V-phase teeth 161 is reversed. As a result, the teeth 161 of the U-phase on the inner rotor 52 side become the N-pole, the V-phase teeth 161 become the S-pole, and the W-phase teeth 161 become the S-pole in the state of the inner rotor 52 ) moves in the right direction, and the outer rotor 53 moves in the left direction.

In the third step, the magnetic pole of the W-phase tooth 161 is reversed. As a result, in the state that the U-phase teeth 161 on the inner rotor 52 side are N poles and the V-phase teeth 161 are S poles, the W-phase teeth 161 become N poles, and the inner rotor 52 is Moving in the right direction, the outer rotor 53 moves in the left direction.

In the fourth step, the magnetic pole of the U-phase tooth 161 is reversed. As a result, the U-shaped teeth 161 on the inner rotor 52 side become the S poles, the V-shaped teeth 161 become the S poles, and the W-phase teeth 161 become the N poles, and the inner rotor 52 moves in the right direction, and the outer rotor 53 moves in the left direction.

In the fifth step, the stimulation of the V-phase teeth 161 is reversed. As a result, the U-phase teeth 161 on the inner rotor 52 side are in the S-pole state, the V-phase teeth 161 are in the N-pole state, and the W-phase teeth 161 are the N-pole state in the inner rotor 52 ) moves in the right direction, and the outer rotor 53 moves in the left direction.

In the sixth step, the magnetic pole of the W-phase tooth 161 is reversed. As a result, in a state where the U-phase teeth 161 on the inner rotor 52 side are S poles and the V-phase teeth 161 are N poles, the W-phase teeth 161 become S poles, and the inner rotor 52 is Moving in the right direction, the outer rotor 53 moves in the left direction. At this time, the movement amount of the outer rotor 53 is double that of the inner rotor 52 .

As such, the outer rotor 53 and the inner rotor 52 rotate in different directions at different speeds. In this embodiment, this rotation mode is called a reciprocal rotation mode.

In addition, as a rotation mode, other rotation ratios of a synchronous rotation mode and an upper half rotation mode, or the same rotation ratio can be comprised by the combination of the number of magnetic poles other than this embodiment. As such, the synchronous rotation mode or the reverse rotation mode includes a rotation mode in which rotation at an arbitrary rotation ratio by rotating at different speeds in the same direction or in different directions, or rotation with different torques.

As described above, according to the motor 50, the inverter can rotate the outer rotor 53 and the inner rotor 52 in a plurality of rotation modes with one simple configuration. That is, a plurality of inverters 118 necessary for independently rotatingly driving two rotors as in the prior art are unnecessary, so that the size of the inverter 118 can be reduced to achieve compactness of the product and reduction of cost.

(Motor Modification 1)

19 is a plan cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a motor of Modification Example 1; Hereinafter, the same code|symbol is attached|subjected about the same part as the above-mentioned embodiment, and only the difference is demonstrated.

As shown in FIG. 19 , the inner rotor 52 is a spoke-type rotor, and 32 inner magnets 134 are arranged so as to be radially arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction, and the inner peripheral wall portion 132 . installed and fixed on the All of the inner magnets 134 are constituted by the fixed magnets 135 . A rotor core 133 is disposed between the inner magnets 134 in the circumferential direction.

The outer rotor 53 is an SPM-type rotor, and 32 outer magnets 124 are arranged such that S poles and N poles are alternately arranged in the circumferential direction, and fixed to the inner surface of the rotor yoke 122 . has been

Here, the outer magnet 124 is composed of a switching magnet 125 and a fixed magnet 135 . Specifically, the first, second, and fifth magnets from the bottom among the five outer magnets 124 shown in FIG. 19 are constituted by the switching magnets 125 . And, the third and fourth magnets from the bottom are composed of a fixed magnet 135 . That is, the adjacent two magnets are comprised by the magnet of the same function.

Then, when the magnetic poles of all the switching magnets 125 are reversed by supplying a magnetizing current to the coil 163, as shown in FIG. 20, the first and fifth switching magnets 125 from the bottom are N at the S pole. The pole is inverted, and the switching magnet 125 second from the bottom is inverted from the N pole to the S pole. In this way, the number of magnetic poles of the outer rotor 53 is 16 poles by switching so that two adjacent pairs of S-pole magnets and two adjacent pairs of N-poles are alternately arranged in the circumferential direction. becomes

Here, when the driving current is supplied to the coil 163 when the number of magnetic poles of the outer rotor 53 is 32 poles, the outer rotor 53 and the inner rotor 52 as indicated by arrows in FIG. 19 . both rotate clockwise. That is, rotational driving can be performed in the synchronous rotation mode.

On the other hand, when a driving current is supplied to the coil 163 when the outer rotor 53 has 16 poles, the outer rotor 53 rotates counterclockwise as shown by the arrow in FIG. 20, The inner rotor 52 rotates clockwise. That is, the rotational driving may be performed in a counter-rotation mode.

In addition, the number of the inner magnet 134 and the outer magnet 124 is only an example, and is not specifically limited to this form. Moreover, although the outer magnet 124 is comprised with the switching magnet 125 and the fixed magnet 135, you may comprise all with the switching magnet 125. As shown in FIG. In this case, the number of magnetic poles can be switched by inverting only the magnetic poles of any half of the switching magnets 125 . In this way, magnetization switching can be performed without distinguishing between the switching magnet 125 and the stationary magnet 135 .

(Motor Modification 2)

Fig. 21 is a plan sectional view showing the configuration of the motor of the second modification. As shown in FIG. 21, the inner rotor 52 is a buried SPM type rotor, 32 inner magnets 134 are arranged so that S poles and N poles are alternately arranged in the circumferential direction, and the inner peripheral wall part 132 ) is embedded in All of the inner magnets 134 are constituted by the fixed magnets 135 .

The outer rotor 53 is an SPM-type rotor, and 32 outer magnets 124 are arranged such that S poles and N poles are alternately arranged in the circumferential direction, and fixed to the inner surface of the rotor yoke 122 . has been In addition, although the outer magnet 124 is comprised with the switching magnet 125 and the fixed magnet 135, since the arrangement|positioning is the same as that of the modification 1, description is abbreviate|omitted.

(Motor Modification 3)

Fig. 22 is a plan cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the motor according to the third modification. 22, the inner rotor 52 is a buried SPM type rotor, 32 inner magnets 134 are arranged so that S poles and N poles are alternately arranged in the circumferential direction, and the inner peripheral wall part 132 ) is embedded in All of the inner magnets 134 are constituted by the fixed magnets 135 .

The outer rotor 53 is a sequential rotor, and 16 outer magnets 124 are arranged so that S poles are arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction, and fixed to the inner surface of the rotor yoke 122 have. All of the outer magnets 124 are composed of a switching magnet 125, and by inverting the magnetic poles of the switching magnet 125, the number of magnetic poles of the outer rotor 53 is switched between 16 and 32 poles. it is made possible In addition, since the magnetic pole reversal operation|movement of the switching magnet 125 is the same as that of embodiment, description is abbreviate|omitted.

<Details of the installation structure>

The inner rotor 52 is provided on the outer shaft 72 so that it does not contact the outer bearing 74 and does not shift its position with respect to the outer shaft 72 .

As shown in Fig. 23, the outer shaft 72 has an outer diameter R1 of a portion 72c supported by an external bearing 74 located on the drum 30 side, and is shown in Fig. 24. It is formed so that the outer diameter R2 of the part 72d axially supported by the outer bearing 74 (ball bearing 74) located on the opposite side to the drum 30 may become the same diameter as mentioned above.

The outer shaft 72 is not constituted by combining a plurality of members, but is constituted by one member (one part).

As shown in Fig. 25, the front end portion 72a located on the drum 30 side (tip side) of the outer shaft 72 and the drum 30 are located on the opposite side (base end side). In the vicinity of the proximal end side end portion 72b, an installation portion 72e having a fitting portion subjected to serration processing on the outer circumferential surface, respectively, is formed. The inner rotor 52 is attached to the outer shaft 72 by inserting the shaft hole of the inner rotor 52 into the mounting portion 72e of the base end side end portion 72b.

And, by fastening the nut N to the proximal side end portion 72b of the outer shaft 72, the inner rotor 52 is installed and fixed to the outer shaft 72 as shown in FIG. has been Further, between the lower surface of the outer shaft 72 and the upper surface of the nut N, a washer W functioning as a loosening prevention of the nut N is sandwiched.

Two grooves 152 and 153 concave along the circumferential direction are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the proximal end portion of the outer shaft 72 at intervals.

As shown in Fig. 24, a rubber ring 175 is fitted into the groove portion 153 located on the tip side. This rubber ring 175 contacts the upper end of the ball bearing 74 .

A snap ring 181 is fitted into the groove portion 152 located on the proximal end side. The snap ring 181 is a so-called C-shaped snap ring, and has an approximately C-shaped shape in plan view. The snap ring 181 protrudes outward from the outer peripheral surface of the outer shaft 72 when it is fitted into the groove portion 152 and fixed, and constitutes the contact portion 80 . That is, the snap ring 181 has a width greater than the depth of the groove portion 152 .

A predetermined distance is provided in the axial direction between the contact portion 80 constituted by the snap ring 181 and the ball bearing 74 .

The inner rotor 52 is configured to contact the contact portion 80 when the outer shaft 72 is inserted into the inner rotor 52, and the inner rotor 52 is in a state in which the nut N is fastened. It is sandwiched between the contact portion 80 and the nut N.

(variant example)

26 and 27 show a modified example of a structure for attaching an inner rotor to an outer shaft.

As described above, the outer shaft 72 is rotatably supported by the bearing housing 23a through two external bearings 74 that are vertically spaced apart from the shaft support part 24 .

In this modified example, these outer bearings 74 (outer race 174a) are press-fitted to the bearing housing 23a and fixed, and the outer shaft 72 is these outer bearings 74 (inner). It has a loose fit to the lace (174b, inner lace).

Among these outer bearings 74, the front outer bearing 74 (front bearing 74F) is larger in size than the rear outer bearing 74 (rear bearing 74R), and a bearing excellent in support stability is used. . Since a larger load is applied to the front bearing 74F than the rear bearing 74R, by making the front bearing 74F relatively large, stable support can be provided, and vibration and noise can be suppressed.

The front end portion of the outer shaft 72 protrudes forward from the shaft support 24 and is located inside the water tank 20 . A drum 30 is installed through a flange shaft 34 at the front end of the outer shaft 72 . Between the front end portion of the outer shaft 72 and the flange shaft 34, a rotation preventing structure consisting of a serration or uneven fitting is installed, and the outer shaft 72 and the flange shaft 34 ) is fixed so that it cannot be rotated.

In this way, the pulsator 40 is non-rotatably fixed to the front end of the inner shaft 71 protruding into the drum 30 , similarly to the outer shaft 72 , through a rotation preventing structure.

On the other hand, the rear end portion of the outer shaft 72 protrudes backward from the shaft support 24 , and the rear end portion of the outer shaft 72 is inserted into the shaft hole of the inner rotor 52 . The inner rotor 52 is connected to the outer shaft 72 by insertion. In addition, by inserting the rear end of the inner shaft 71 protruding from the rear end of the outer shaft 72 into the shaft hole of the outer rotor 53, the outer rotor 53 is connected to the inner shaft ( 71) is connected.

When the dual shaft 70 is installed in the shaft support part 24, it is performed by inserting the outer shaft 72 from the front into the shaft support part 24 to which the external bearing 74 is fixed. Therefore, as also shown in FIG. 26, the inner diameter of the front bearing 74F is a magnitude|size more than the inner diameter of the rear bearing 74R. Correspondingly, the outer shaft 72 has a large-diameter portion 172a having an outer diameter for fitting (loose fit) to the front bearing 74F in the body portion between the front end portion and the rear end portion thereof, and the rear bearing A small-diameter portion 172b having an outer diameter smaller than that of the large-diameter portion 172a to be fitted (loosely fitted) to the 74R is provided. The large-diameter portion 172a is located continuously in front of the small-diameter portion 172b.

The front end portion of the outer shaft 72 on the insertion rear end side has an outer diameter larger than the large diameter portion 172a, and at the boundary line between the front end portion and the large diameter portion 172a, the outer shaft 72 ) is provided with an annular front-side step 172c for regulating the rearward movement. Further, on the boundary line between the large-diameter portion 172a and the small-diameter portion 172b, an annular rear step 172d for regulating the rearward movement of the outer shaft 72 is provided.

The front bearing 74F is in contact with the front step 172c, and the rear bearing 74R is in contact with the rear step 172d, so that the outer shaft 72 is positioned on the shaft support portion 24. .

And, since the rear end portion of the outer shaft 72, which is the insertion tip side, needs an outer diameter equal to or less than the outer diameter of the small diameter portion 172b, the rear end portion of the outer shaft 72 is a small diameter portion ( 172b) (also referred to as rotor connection end 172e). By making the outer diameter of the rotor connection end 172e smaller than the small diameter part 172b, the insertion of the outer shaft 72 into the rear bearing 74R or the front bearing 74F becomes easy, so that the workability is excellent.

As such, the outer shaft 72 is supported by the shaft support 24, so that the gap maintaining ring 80a, the inner rotor 52 and the fixture ( 90, 固定具) is installed.

Specifically, the rotor connection end 172e is provided with a mounting portion 172f connected to the small-diameter portion 172b and having a rotation preventing structure. The inner rotor 52 is attached to this attachment part 172f through the clearance holding ring 80a by being inserted so that the shaft hole of the inner rotor 52 can be removed and inserted.

The gap maintaining ring 80a is a thick metal ring having an outer diameter that is in contact with the inner race 174b of the rear bearing 74R and does not contact the outer race 174a of the rear bearing 74R. , is attached to the mounting portion 172f before the inner rotor 52 . The inner rotor 52 is attached to the mounting portion 172f via this gap holding ring 80a. Accordingly, the inner rotor 52 is rotatably supported by the bearing housing 23a together with the outer shaft 72 .

On the side of the protruding end of the rotor connection end 172e rather than the mounting portion 172f, a male screw portion 172g having an external screw formed thereon is provided. A fixture 90 is fastened to this male screw part 172g and is fixed.

As shown in FIG. 27 , the fastener 90 includes a fixing base 91 having a female threaded portion 91a fitted with a female threaded portion to be fitted to the male threaded portion 172g, and the female threaded portion 91a is disposed around the It has a plurality of fixing rods 92 (six in this embodiment). A plurality of rod holes 9lb extending parallel to the female screw portion 91a at equal intervals around the female screw portion 91a are formed in the fixing base portion 91, and these rod holes 9lb A fixed rod 92 is installed on the .

A male screw is formed on the outer periphery of each fixing rod 92, and a female screw fitted to the male screw is formed in each rod hole 9lb. Thereby, the fixed rod 92 is slidable along the rotating shaft J.

Therefore, by twisting these fixing rods 92 into the rod holes 9lb, a pressing force can be applied to the inner rotor 52 from the outside in the axial direction (the protruding end side of the rotor connection end 172e), and the inner rotor ( 52 is pressed against the gap maintaining ring 80a and fixed to the outer shaft 72 .

Since the inner rotor 52 is fixed by pressing firmly at a plurality of locations, it is possible to improve the support strength, to prevent misalignment or loosening in the axial direction, and to suppress vibration and noise. It has excellent support stability because it firmly presses the spaced parts around the shaft. Moreover, since the support points are arrange|positioned uniformly, it is further excellent in support stability.

Since the press-fitting amount of each fixed rod 92 can be changed, a high-precision support balance can be ensured, and even if loosening occurs, it can be adjusted easily.

<Application example of washing machine>

In a fully automatic washing machine, operations such as washing, rinsing, and spin-drying are continuously performed. In the case of the washing machine as in Patent Document 3 described above, since the rotating tub and the stirring body are rotated in different rotational speed or rotational direction in each stroke, a motor that rotates and drives them is required to output a motor according to the state.

For example, in a washing or rinsing process, since not only laundry but also washing water is accommodated in the rotating tub, a high torque is required for a motor driving the rotating tub and the stirring body. On the other hand, high torque is not required for the motor in the spin-drying cycle in which wash water is removed, but high-speed rotation is required. In addition, in the washing or rinsing cycle, the rotation direction and rotation speed of the rotating tub and the stirring body are changed in some cases to increase fluidity, whereas in the dehydration cycle, the rotating tub and the stirring body are integrally rotated in the same direction and at the same rotation speed it is common to be

In addition, when the process of changing the amount of magnetization of the magnet installed in the rotor and varying the output performance of the motor according to each stroke is performed, it is necessary to supply a large magnetizing current to the motor at the time of magnetization.

Therefore, it is desirable to supply a large power voltage to stably operate the washing machine that simultaneously controls the rotation of the rotating tub and the stirring body through the shaft of the dual shaft structure. There is an upper limit. In addition, since there are regions where the commercial power voltage itself is unstable overseas, it is necessary to ensure that the washing machine can be operated stably even in such regions in order to provide a washing machine to a wide range of the world.

Therefore, in the washing machine of this application example, even if the power supply voltage is different, it is possible to stably drive and control the motor for rotating the rotating tub and the stirring body through the shaft of the dual shaft structure, and is configured to be used in a wide range of regions around the world.

(Basic configuration of this washing machine)

It is comprised similarly to the washing machine 1 shown in FIG. 1 etc. In the washing method, as shown in FIG. 7 or FIG. 8 , the drum 30 and the pulsator 40 rotate in opposite directions so that the respective mechanical forces can be synthesized and effectively applied to the laundry. Accordingly, the same reference numerals are used for the same components, and descriptions thereof are omitted.

However, this washing machine 1 is mainly designed for general household use, and is used by being connected to a rated commercial AC power source such as 100V or 200V. In addition, the washing machine 1 is assumed to be used worldwide, and the commercial power supply voltage itself may be unstable depending on the country or region in which it is used. Therefore, this washing machine 1 is devised so that it can be used stably even when such a different rated commercial AC power supply or a commercial AC power supply is unstable.

The controller 60 controls the magnetization of the motor 50 performed according to the driving state of the drum 30 and the pulsator 40 in each stroke.

As shown in Fig. 28, the stator 51 is a stator core 51a configured by laminating metal plates, or a stator core 51a that is configured by winding a conducting wire around the stator core 51a, and is arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. It has a plurality of coils 5lb and the like. The stator 51 is provided on the rear surface of the bearing housing 23a of the water tank 20 .

The outer rotor 53 is a cylindrical member with a flat bottom, and on the inner surface of its peripheral wall facing the stator 51, a plurality of magnetic poles (N pole and S pole) are alternately arranged in the circumferential direction. The magnets 54 in the shape of a rectangular plate are arranged at equal intervals. These magnets 54 are composed of alnico magnets that can change the state of magnetization, that is, can reversibly change the direction or amount of magnetization by magnetization (magnetization-response magnet 54).

The inner rotor 52 is a flat member having an outer diameter smaller than that of the outer rotor 53, and magnetic poles (N poles and S poles) are alternately circumferentially formed on the outer surface of the peripheral wall facing the stator 51 in the circumferential direction. A plurality of rectangular plate-shaped magnets 55 are arranged at equal intervals so as to be arranged. Unlike the outer rotor 53, these magnets 55 are composed of a neodymium magnet or the like having a high coercive force that cannot change the magnetization state (non-magnetic magnet 55).

(Power circuit 80')

The motor 50 is provided with a power supply circuit 80 ′ to be driven by power supplied from an external commercial AC power source. As shown in Fig. 29, the power circuit 80' is connected to a pair of electric cables 82 and 82 having an outlet 81 at one end, and is electrically connected to an external commercial AC power source through a plug. connected Electric power is supplied to the motor 50 through the power supply circuit 80'.

The power supply circuit 80' includes a rectifier circuit 83, a boost circuit 84, a capacitor 85, an inverter circuit 86, etc. arranged in series on a pair of electrical cables 82 and 82. and supplies a predetermined complex current (a mixture of three-phase and six-phase current) to the motor 50 according to the control of the controller 60 .

The rectifier circuit 83 is a general circuit constituted by a bridge rectifier circuit or the like, and is disposed on the power supply side of the power supply circuit 80'. A commercial AC power is rectified by the rectifier circuit 83 to generate a DC voltage. An AC phase detection means 87 is provided on the power supply side rather than the rectifier circuit 83 in the power supply circuit 80'. The AC phase detection means 87 detects the phase of the commercial AC power supply.

The boost circuit 84 is a general circuit capable of boosting the DC voltage rectified by the rectifier circuit 83, and is composed of a reactor, a short circuit, or the like. The boost circuit 84 is provided adjacent to the motor side of the rectifier circuit 83 . A first current detecting resistor 88 and a first current detecting means 89 are provided between the step-up circuit 84 and one electric cable 82 . The first current detecting means 89 detects the amount of current flowing into the step-up circuit 84 from the voltage at both ends of the first current detecting resistor 88 .

Since the voltage supplied from the step-up circuit 84 can be boosted, when the rated output of the commercial power supply voltage is lower than the voltage required for driving the motor 50 , or the commercial AC power supply is unstable and a constant voltage can be stably supplied to the inverter circuit 86 even when a voltage required for driving the motor 50 occurs.

In addition, by providing the step-up circuit 84, the output voltage to the motor can be adjusted to be constant even for other power supply voltages, so that the output voltage of the 100V series and the 200V series is compatible with both rated outputs worldwide. ), the convenience of the washing machine 1 is improved.

In addition, since the step-up circuit 84 can also be used as a power factor improving circuit, it is also possible to improve the power factor.

In addition, since the upper limit of the maximum rotation speed of the motor is limited by the supply voltage, the maximum rotation speed of the motor can be increased by boosting the voltage.

The capacitor 85 is a general member having a power storage function, and is provided between the step-up circuit 84 and the inverter circuit 86 . The voltage supplied to the inverter circuit 86 may be stabilized by the capacitor 85 . On the motor side of the capacitor 85, a voltage detecting resistor 90' and a voltage detecting means 91' are provided adjacent to each other. The voltage detecting means 91' detects the voltage boosted by the step-up circuit 84.

The inverter circuit 86 is disposed on the motor side of the power supply circuit 80' and is connected to the stator 51 of the motor 50 via three output cables 92'. The inverter circuit 86 is provided with a second current detecting resistor 93 and a second current detecting means 94 . Specifically, as conceptually shown in Fig. 7, the second current detecting resistor 93 is provided in the output path of any one of the output cables 92', and the second current detecting means 94 is The current flowing into the inverter circuit 86 is detected from the voltages at both ends of the two current detection resistors 93 .

The inverter circuit 86 adjusts the waveform of electric power (current) based on the control of the controller 60 , and outputs the composite current to the motor 50 . Each of the outer rotor 53 and the inner rotor 52 can be driven independently by this compound current.

The power supply circuit 80' is controlled by the controller 60 . The controller 60 includes a timer 61' for controlling the output frequency of the step-up circuit 84, a step-up amount determining unit 62' for calculating and determining the output amount of the step-up circuit 84, and the output amount of the inverter circuit 86 An inverter output determination unit 63 ′ and a magnetization control unit 64 ′ and the like for calculating and determining are provided.

For example, the voltage output to the motor 50 is adjusted according to the driving state of the motor 50 in each cycle such as washing, rinsing, and spin-drying by the control of the power circuit 80 ′ by the controller 60 . designed to be That is, the voltage optimal for the driving pattern in each stroke is preset, and the voltage boosting circuit 84 in the boosting amount determining unit 62' so that the supply voltage becomes the set voltage whenever the driving pattern is changed in each stroke. is determined based on the voltage value detected by the voltage detecting means 91'.

In addition, the step-up circuit 84 is also used as a power factor correction circuit. That is, based on the phase of the electric power detected by the AC phase detecting means 87, the voltage value detected by the voltage detecting means 91', and the current value detected by the second current detecting means 94, the current The output amount of the step-up circuit 84 is determined in the step-up amount determining unit 62' so as to improve distortion and improve power factor.

In addition, in order to improve the output efficiency, the switching frequency of the step-up circuit 84 is changed by the timer 61' according to the output amount of the step-up circuit 84 determined by the step-up amount determining unit 62'. That is, the switching frequency is changed high and low according to the change in the magnitude of the output amount of the step-up circuit 84 so that the output efficiency is improved.

(magnetized)

In the washing machine 1, the magnetization of the motor 50 is performed according to the driving conditions of the drum 30 and the pulsator 40 in each stroke under the control of the magnetization control unit 64'.

That is, in this washing machine 1, a single inverter circuit 86 generates a complex current to control the respective rotations of the inner rotor 52 and the outer rotor 53 of the motor 50, In order to independently control this rotational direction, at least one of the magnets 54 and 55 of the inner rotor 52 and the outer rotor 53 (in this washing machine 1, the magnetization-response magnet 54) It is necessary to change the magnetization state.

For example, in the case of changing the rotation direction of the drum 30 and the pulsator 40 from the same direction to the opposite direction, and from the reverse direction to the same direction, the magnetic poles of the magnetization corresponding magnet 54 (N pole and S pole) need to switch

In addition, in the washing or rinsing cycle, since not only laundry but also washing water is accommodated in the drum 30 , a high torque is required to rotate the drum 30 or the pulsator 40 . Therefore, a high magnetic force is required for the magnetization-response magnet 54 . In contrast, in the spin-drying stroke, high torque is not required for these rotations, but high-speed rotation is required. If the magnetic force of the magnetization-response magnet 54 is high, a large rotational resistance is generated at high-speed rotation, resulting in energy loss, noise, and vibration.

Therefore, in this washing machine 1, the controller 60 magnetizes the motor 50 before the washing cycle, so that the drum 30 and the pulsator 40 rotate in the reverse direction. It is set to execute a process or a process for increasing the amount of magnetization of the magnetization-corresponding magnet 54 so that a high torque is obtained from the outer rotor 53 . In addition, when the rotation direction is changed during the washing cycle, the process for switching the magnetic pole is also executed at that time.

In addition, the controller 60 magnetizes the motor 50 before the spin-drying stroke, so that the drum 30 and the pulsator 40 rotate in the same direction. It is set to perform the process of reducing the magnetization amount of (54). When the rotation direction is changed in the rinsing stroke before the dewatering stroke, the process for switching the magnetic pole is executed at that time, and the demagnetization process is executed before the dewatering stroke.

In the case of magnetization, it is necessary to supply a large magnetizing current in the form of a pulse to the motor 50 . On the other hand, in many cases, the voltage (magnetizing voltage) necessary for supplying the magnetizing current cannot be ensured only by the commercial power supply voltage. Therefore, in this washing machine 1, in such a case, the magnetizing control unit 64' boosts the voltage in the boosting circuit 84 to ensure the magnetizing voltage.

Specifically, during magnetization, a predetermined magnetizing current flows based on the current value detected by the second current detecting means 94, and the magnetizing voltage is determined based on the voltage value detected by the voltage detecting means 91'. The output amount of the step-up circuit 84 is determined in the step-up amount determining unit 62' so that it becomes constant.

And, the magnetization timing is controlled so that the power required for the magnetization can be efficiently supplied.

That is, after being rectified by the rectifying circuit 83, a voltage of a continuous waveform (full-wave rectification waveform) is output at a constant period as indicated by a thin solid line in FIG. On the other hand, in magnetization, since a large magnetizing current is output in a pulse shape, a difference in efficiency occurs depending on the timing of passing the magnetizing current in relation to the voltage waveform.

Accordingly, in this washing machine 1, the magnetizing current is generated according to the phase of the voltage as shown by the thick solid line in FIG. Specifically, as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 30, the supply of the magnetizing current is started at the timing when the phase detected by the AC phase detection means 87 coincides with the reference phase θs, and the second current detection means 94 The output amount of the inverter circuit 86 is determined in the inverter output determining unit 63 ′ so that the current detected in the voltage reaches the reference current value Is at the reference time ts. In addition, the reference phase θs, the reference time ts, and the reference current value Is are preset in the magnetization control unit 64'.

Therefore, according to the washing machine 1, even if the power supply voltage is different, the motor 50 rotating the drum 30 and the pulsator 40 can be stably driven and controlled through the dual shaft 70, so It can be used extensively.

In addition, in the washing machine of this application example, although the washing machine using one dual motor 50 was illustrated, you may use two normal motors instead of the dual motor 50. As shown in FIG.

Specifically, two motors having one rotor inside or outside one stator, that is, an inner rotor type or an outer rotor type motor, are provided instead of the dual motor 50 .

For example, if the motor has a double stator structure of two layers inside and outside that are arranged in a front and back relationship, and an inner rotor and an outer rotor are arranged on the inside and outside of the double stator structure, respectively, a simple dual motor (50) can be substituted. This motor is functionally equivalent to arranging two independent motors side by side around the rotation shaft J. Of course, you may install two normal motors individually.

In the power supply circuit 80', instead of the inverter circuit 86, two inverter circuits are provided in parallel, and the motors are individually driven and controlled by these inverter circuits. In this case, since the drum 30 and the pulsator 40 can be individually controlled to rotate, the magnetization control becomes unnecessary. In addition, as the number of inverter circuits becomes two, the power circuit 80' becomes more complicated, but there is an advantage in that procurement is easy because an ordinary motor is used.

<Another embodiment>

In this embodiment, the example of application to the washing machine of a top loading system is shown.

Fig. 31 shows a washing machine 1' of the present embodiment. This washing machine 1' is likewise a fully automatic washing machine. The washing machine 1 ′ has a housing 102 in the shape of a long rectangular box, and an inlet 104 that opens and closes with a cover 103 is formed on the upper portion of the housing 102 . Laundry is put in and out through this inlet 104 . Various switches and display units operated by the user are installed at the rear of the inlet 104 .

Inside the housing 102 , a water tank 110 , a drum 111 , a motor 50 , a pulsator 40 , a balancer 114 , a controller 115 , and the like are installed. The water tank 110 is a bottomed cylindrical container capable of storing water, and is suspended inside the housing 102 by a plurality of suspension devices 116 in a state in which the opening faces the upper inlet 104 . Water can be poured into the water tank 110 through a watering mechanism (not shown). A drain pipe 117 that is controlled to be opened and closed by a valve 117a is connected to the lower portion of the water tank 110 , and unnecessary water is drained to the outside of the washing machine 1 ′ through the drain pipe 117 .

The drum 111 is smaller than the water tank 110 and is a bottomed cylindrical container for accommodating laundry. The drum 111 is accommodated in the water tank 110 in a state of being rotatable about a longitudinal axis J extending in the vertical direction with its opening toward the inlet 104 . All laundry processing is performed inside this drum 111 . A number of drain holes 111a are formed over the entire surface of the cylindrical wall of the drum 111 (only a part is shown in the drawing).

A balancer 114 is provided in the opening of the drum 111 . The balancer 114 is a ring-shaped member accommodating a plurality of balls or viscous fluid therein, and adjusts an imbalance in weight balance caused by bias of laundry when the drum 111 rotates.

The above-described pulsator 40 is installed at the bottom of the drum 111 , and the above-described motor 50 is installed at the bottom of the water tank 110 .

Also in this washing machine 1', the washing water is used in a small amount during washing, and the mechanical force of the protrusions of the drum 111 and the pulsator 40 can be synthesized to act on the laundry, so that the conventional rubbing and sucking action is reduced. Even if it is not obtained, the action of tapping and sucking in the drum type washing machine and the friction action by movement of the laundry are obtained. Washing stains can be reduced by mixing the laundry. Therefore, it is possible to improve the washing power and shorten the washing time.

Claims (15)

a housing having an inlet through which laundry is put in and out of the front;
a water tank provided inside the housing and storing washing water;
A drum provided rotatably with respect to a rotating shaft extending in the front-rear direction inside the water tank, an annular drum front forming an opening, and an annular drum disposed behind the drum front and facing the drum front a drum including a bag and a cylindrical wrapper connecting the drum front and the drum back;
A pulsator provided inside the drum and configured to be rotatable with respect to the drum, the pulsator comprising a circular plate and a protrusion extending in a radial direction of the circular plate;
a driving device for rotating the drum and the pulsator;
a double shaft provided to connect the driving device and the pulsator;
a flange shaft disposed at the rear of the pulsator and provided to connect the drum and the shaft; and
A control device for controlling the driving device to rotate the drum so that the laundry is attached to the inner circumferential surface of the drum by centrifugal force during the washing cycle, wherein, during the washing cycle, the laundry attached to the inner circumferential surface of the drum is moved to the drum A control device for controlling the driving device to rotate the pulsator in a direction opposite to the rotation direction of the drum so as to collide with the protrusion in the upper part of the
The pulsator is disposed such that the outer peripheral surface of the protrusion and the inner peripheral surface of the drum are spaced apart to form a gap between the outer peripheral surface of the protrusion and the inner peripheral surface of the drum,
The drum bag includes an outer fitting portion coupled to an outer end surface of the flange shaft, an annular flange portion protruding inward from the front end of the outer fitting portion, and inclinedly bulges from the center side of the annular flange portion toward the front and a rear opening formed by an inner end surface of the expanded portion,
The flange shaft includes an annular rib protruding forward toward the pulsator,
The pulsator includes an annular concave portion recessed forward to accommodate the annular rib, and a rim portion protruding backward from the annular concave portion,
The rear opening of the drum bag is spaced apart from the outside of the rim of the pulsator, and the annular rib of the flange shaft is spaced apart from the inside of the rim of the pulsator. delete According to claim 1,
The control device is a washing machine that controls the driving device so that the number of rotations of the pulsator is higher than the number of rotations of the drum during the washing cycle. delete According to claim 1,
The driving device is
stator;
an inner rotor disposed inside the stator;
an outer rotor disposed outside the stator; and
Washing machine including; an inverter controlling the inner rotor and the outer rotor. 6. The method of claim 5,
The stator includes a plurality of I-shaped teeth arranged in a radial shape, and a plurality of coils wound around each of the plurality of teeth,
A washing machine in which a magnetic pole of a portion adjacent to the inner rotor and a magnetic pole of a portion adjacent to the outer rotor are oppositely formed in the teeth when a current flows through the coil. 6. The method of claim 5,
At least one of the inner rotor and the outer rotor is configured such that the number of magnetic poles can be switched according to a change in magnetic poles due to magnetization. 6. The method of claim 5,
One of the drum and the pulsator is connected to the inner rotor,
The other one of the drum and the pulsator is connected to the outer rotor. 9. The method of claim 8,
The double shaft is
an outer shaft connecting the drum and the inner rotor and having a hollow therein; and
and an inner shaft connecting the pulsator and the outer rotor and rotatably inserted into the hollow. According to claim 1,
The protrusion portion is formed such that the amount of protrusion protruding from the disk portion increases from the center of the disk portion toward the outer periphery. 11. The method of claim 10,
The gap is in contact with the laundry and includes a working surface that applies a force to the laundry. 12. The method of claim 11,
When the maximum protrusion amount of the protrusion is H and the distance between the outer peripheral surface of the protrusion and the inner peripheral surface of the drum is ΔR, the H and ΔR satisfy the following equation.
0.5 ≤ H/ΔR ≤ 1.0 11. The method of claim 10,
The disk unit includes an inclined surface on which one surface on which the protrusion is disposed is inclined downward from the center to the outer periphery. 11. The method of claim 10,
The pulsator is located in the center of the disc part and includes a boss part connected to the shaft serving as a rotation axis,
The boss portion is a washing machine composed of a material of a material different from that of the disk portion. According to claim 1,
The control device controls the driving device to rotate the pulsator in the same direction as that of the drum during the spin-drying cycle.

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