DRUM-TYPE WASHING MACHINE

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a drum-type washing machine. The present disclosure relates to a drum-type washing machine capable of measuring the weight of laundry or the like with high accuracy.

BACKGROUND ART

In order to realize efficient operation for reducing energy consumption, it is important to accurately measure the weight of laundry (e.g., the amount of cloth) before washing. The weight of laundry may be estimated based on the inertial moment obtained by rotating a drum containing the laundry. Also, when the water supply amount may be measured, the estimation of cloth or the like may be performed and the washing performance may be further improved. However, the water supply amount may not be measured by the above laundry weight measurement method based on the inertial moment.

In this regard, a washing machine capable of directly measuring the weight of laundry or the like has also been proposed. For example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. hei 5-146582 discloses a vertical type washing machine mounted with a weight sensor on a leg portion of a washing machine main body. The weight of laundry loaded into the washing machine is measured by the weight sensor. Then, the water absorption amount of laundry is measured from the relationship between the water level and the weight of the washing machine after the water supply. The cloth of the laundry is determined from the relationship between the water absorption amount and the laundry amount. Japanese Patent Application Publication No. hei 10-80594 also discloses a vertical type washing machine capable of measuring the laundry amount and the water absorption amount. A tub unit including a driving device is suspended from a main body through a hanging rod, and a pressure sensing element is installed between a support plate and a stopper supporting the hanging rod. The laundry amount and the water absorption amount are measured from the change in the weight of the tub unit detected by the pressure sensing element.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
Solution to Problem

The present disclosure relates to a drum-type washing machine. A drum-type washing machine according to an aspect of the present disclosure may include a housing, a tub to be accommodated in the housing and to store water, and a drum rotatably while accommodated in the tub. The tub may be suspended from the housing by an upper support mechanism including one or more hanging springs. The tub may be supported while the tub is accommodated in the housing by a lower support mechanism including one or more dampers. A load detector may be configured to detect a load acting on each of the upper support mechanism and the lower support mechanism. A controller may be configured to obtain a load of the tub based on a load detection result of the load detector.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of a drum-type washing machine according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a schematic rear view of main components in a drum-type washing machine according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view illustrating a portion of an upper support mechanism according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a portion of an upper support bracket according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 4 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of a portion of a lower support bracket according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B of FIG. 6 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a circuit configuration of a load detector according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 9 is a diagram for describing an example of a verification test result of load measurement accuracy according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating a relationship between a controller and components of a washing machine according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

MODE FOR THE INVENTION

Various embodiments of the present disclosure and terms used herein are not intended to limit the technical features described herein to particular embodiments, and the present disclosure should be understood as including various modifications, equivalents, or alternatives of the embodiments of the present disclosure.

Throughout the present disclosure and drawings, like reference numerals may be used to denote like or relevant elements.

The singular form of a noun corresponding to an item may include the item or a plurality of items unless the relevant context clearly indicates otherwise.

As used herein, each of the phrases “A or B,” “at least one of A and B,” “at least one of A or B,” “A, B, or C,” “at least one of A, B, and C,” and “at least one of A, B, or C” may include any one of the items listed together in the phrase or any combinations thereof.

As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any one or any combination of the associated listed items.

Terms such as “first” and “second” may be merely used to distinguish an element from another element and are not intended to limit the elements in other aspects (e.g., importance or order).

When a certain (e.g., first) element is referred to as being “coupled” or “connected” to another (e.g., second) element with or without the term “functionally” or “communicatively,” it may mean that the certain element may be connected to the other element directly (e.g., by wire), wirelessly, or through a third element.

It will be understood that terms such as “comprise”, “include”, and “have”, when used herein, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, or combinations thereof, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, or combinations thereof.

When an element is referred to as being “connected”, “coupled”, “supported”, or “contacted” with another element, it may include not only a case where the elements are directly connected, coupled, supported, or contacted with each other but also a case where the elements are indirectly connected, coupled, supported, or contacted with each other through a third element.

When an element is referred to as being “on” another element, it may include not only a case where the element contacts the other element but also a case where one or more other elements are between the two elements.

A washing machine according to various embodiments may perform washing, rinsing, dewatering, and drying processes. The washing machine may be an example of a clothing treatment device, and the clothing treatment device may be a concept encompassing a device for washing clothes (laundry objects, drying objects), a device for drying clothes, and a device for performing both washing and drying of clothes.

The washing machine according to various embodiments may include a top-loading washing machine in which a laundry inlet for inputting or outputting laundry is provided to face upward, or a front-loading washing machine in which a laundry inlet is provided to face forward. The washing machine according to various embodiments may include a washing machine of other loading methods other than the top-loading washing machine and the front-loading washing machine.

In the case of the top-loading washing machine, laundry may be washed by using a water flow generated by a rotating body such as a pulsator. In the case of the front-loading washing machine, laundry may be washed by rotating a drum to repeatedly raise and drop laundry. The front-loading washing machine may include a drying-washing machine that may dry the laundry contained in the drum. The drying-washing machine may include a hot air supply device for supplying high-temperature air into the drum and a condensation device for removing the moisture from the air discharged from the drum.

As an example, the drying-washing machine may include a heat pump device. The washer according to various embodiments may include a washing machine of other washing methods other than the washing methods described above.

The washing machine according to various embodiments may include a housing that accommodates various components therein. The housing may have a box shape with a laundry inlet formed on one side.

The washing machine may include a door for opening/closing the laundry inlet. The door may be rotatably mounted on the housing by a hinge. At least a portion of the door may be transparent or translucent such that the inside of the housing may be seen.

The washing machine may include a tub provided in the housing to store water. The tub may have a roughly cylindrical shape with a tub opening formed on one side and may be arranged in the housing such that the tub opening corresponds to the laundry inlet.

The tub may be connected to the housing by a damper. The damper may absorb the vibration occurring when the drum rotates and attenuate the vibration transmitted to the housing.

The washing machine may include a drum configured to accommodate laundry.

The drum may be arranged in the tub such that a drum opening provided on one side corresponds to the laundry inlet and the tub opening. The laundry may sequentially pass through the laundry inlet, the tub opening, and the drum opening to be accommodated into the drum or output from the drum.

The drum may rotate in the tub to perform respective operations according to the washing, rinsing, and/or dewatering processes. A plurality of through holes may be formed in the cylindrical wall of the drum such that water stored in the tub may flow into the inside of the drum or flow out to the outside of the drum.

The washing machine may include a driving device configured to rotate the drum. The driving device may include a driving motor and a rotating shaft for transmitting a driving force generated by the driving motor to the drum. The rotating shaft may be connected to the drum by passing through the tub.

The driving device may perform respective operations according to the washing, rinsing, and/or dewatering, or drying processes by forwardly or reversely rotating the drum.

The washing machine may include a water supply device configured to supply water to the tub. The water supply device may include a water supply pipe and a water supply valve provided on the water supply pipe. The water supply pipe may be connected to an external water source. The water supply pipe may extend from the external water source to a detergent supply device and/or the tub. Water may be supplied to the tub through the detergent supply device. Water may be supplied to the tub without passing through the detergent supply device.

The water supply valve may open or close the water supply pipe in response to an electrical signal from a controller. The water supply valve may allow or block the supply of water from the external water source to the tub. The water supply valve may include, for example, a solenoid valve that is opened/closed in response to an electrical signal.

The washing machine may include a detergent supply device configured to supply detergent to the tub. The detergent supply device may include a manual detergent supply device that requires the user to insert detergent for each washing, and an automatic detergent supply device that stores a large amount of detergent and automatically inserts a certain amount of detergent during the washing. The detergent supply device may include a detergent container for storing detergent. The detergent supply device may be configured to supply detergent into the tub during the water supply process. The water supplied through the water supply pipe may be mixed with the detergent via the detergent supply device. The water mixed with the detergent may be supplied into the tub. The detergent may be used as a term encompassing a pre-wash detergent, a main wash detergent, a fabric softener, a bleach, and the like, and the detergent container may be divided into a pre-wash detergent storage area, a main wash detergent storage area, a fabric softener storage area, and a bleach storage area.

The washing machine may include a drainage device configured to discharge the water accommodated in the tub to the outside. The drainage device may include a drain pipe extending from the bottom of the tub to the outside of the housing, a drain valve provided on the drain pipe to open/close the drain pipe, and a pump provided on the drain pipe. The pump may pump the water of the drain pipe to the outside of the housing.

The washing machine may include a control panel arranged on one side surface of the housing. The control panel may provide a user interface for the user to interact with the washing machine. The user interface may include at least one input interface and at least one output interface.

The at least one input interface may convert sensory information received from the user into an electrical signal.

The at least one input interface may include a power button, an operation button, a course selection dial (or a course selection button), and a wash/rinse/dewater setting button. The at least one input interface may include, for example, a tact switch, a push switch, a slide switch, a toggle switch, a micro switch, a touch switch, a touch pad, a touch screen, a jog dial, and/or a microphone.

The at least one output interface may visually or audibly transmit information related to the operation of the washing machine to the user.

For example, the at least one output interface may transmit information related to a wash course and an operating time of the washing machine, a wash setting/rinse setting/dewater setting to the user. The information about the operation of the washing machine may be output through a screen, an indicator, voice, or the like. The at least one output interface may include, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel, a light emitting diode (LED) panel, a speaker, and/or the like.

The washing machine may include a communication module for communicating with an external device by wire and/or wireless.

The communication module may include at least one of a short-range communication module or a long-range communication module.

The communication module may transmit data to an external device (e.g., a server, a user device, and/or a home appliance) or receive data from an external device. For example, the communication module may establish communication with a server and/or a user device and/or a home appliance and transmit/receive various data thereto/therefrom.

For this purpose, the communication module may support establishing a direct (e.g., wired) communication channel or a wireless communication channel with an external device and performing communication through the established communication channel. According to an embodiment, the communication module may include a wireless communication module (e.g., a cellular communication module, a short-range communication module, or a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) communication module) or a wired communication module (e.g., a local area network (LAN) communication module or a power line communication module). The communication module among these communication modules may communicate with an external device through a first network (e.g., a short-range communication network such as Bluetooth, wireless fidelity (WiFi) direct, or infrared data association (IrDA)) or a second network (e.g., a long-range communication network such as a legacy cellular network, a 5G network, a next-generation communication network, the Internet, or a computer network (e.g., LAN or WAN)). These various types of communication modules may be integrated into one component (e.g., a single chip) or may be implemented as a plurality of components (e.g., multiple chips) that separate from each other.

The short-range wireless communication module may include, but is not limited to, a Bluetooth communication module, a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) communication module, a Near Field Communication (NFC) module, a WLAN (WiFi) communication module, a ZigBee communication module, an Infrared Data Association (IrDA) communication module, a WiFi Direct (WFD) communication module, an Ultra-Wideband (UWB) communication module, an Ant+ communication module, and/or a microwave (μWave) communication module.

The long-range communication module may include a communication module performing various types of long-range communication and may include a mobile communicator. The mobile communicator may transmit/receive wireless signals to/from at least one of a base station, an external terminal, or a server on a mobile communication network.

In an embodiment, the communication module may communicate with an external device such as a server, a user device, or other home appliances through an access point (AP) therearound. The AP may connect a local area network (LAN) to which the washing machine or a user device is connected, to a wide area network (WAN) to which the server is connected. The washing machine or the user device may be connected to the server through the WAN. The controller may control various components of the washing machine (e.g., the driving motor and the water supply valve). The controller may control various components of the washing machine to perform at least one process including water supply, washing, rinsing, and/or dewatering according to a user input. For example, the controller may control the driving motor to adjust the rotation speed of the drum or may control the water supply valve of the water supply device to supply water to the tub.

The controller may include hardware such as a CPU or a memory and software such as a control program. For example, the controller may include an algorithm for controlling the operation of the components in the washing machine, at least one memory storing program-type data, and at least one processor performing the above operation by using the data stored in the at least one memory. Each of the memory and the processor may be implemented as a separate chip. The processor may include one or more processor chips or one or more processing cores. The memory may include one or more memory chips or one or more memory blocks. Also, the memory and the processor may be implemented as a single chip.

In drum-type washing machines, a dryer may often be assembled over a washing machine. In such a case, a washing machine having a structure in which a weight sensor is mounted on a leg portion may be restricted in its operation. That is, when the dryer is in operation or when the user operates the dryer, its vibration or weight change may be transmitted to the leg portion of the washing machine. Accordingly, it may be impossible to measure the laundry amount or the water supply amount, thus restricting the operation of the washing machine.

In the case of a washing machine having a structure for measuring the weight of a tub unit by using a pressure sensor, the weight of the tub unit including a vibration suppression weight and a driving device such as a driving motor may be very great. Therefore, it may not be easy to install a pressure sensing element to withstand this weight, and the structure may be complicated. Also, unlike in the vertical type washing machine, because the drum of the drum-type washing machine rotates around a horizontal axis, the tub unit may vibrate greatly in a vertical direction during operation. Thus, the vibration may not be completely suppressed simply by supporting the tub unit by suspending the tub unit by a hanging rod. Therefore, in general, a damper with one end fixed to a housing and the other end fixed to a tub unit may be provided in a drum-type washing machine to suppress the translational movement of the tub unit. In this case, because the damper also shares the support of the tub unit, it may also be necessary to install a pressure sensing element at the damper. However, from the viewpoint of vibration prevention, because both ends of the damper should be fixed, it may be difficult to install a pressure sensing element at the damper. Thus, in a drum-type washing machine, it may be difficult to adopt a laundry weight measurement structure using a pressure sensing element.

The present disclosure provides a drum-type washing machine capable of measuring the laundry amount or the water supply amount with high accuracy. Hereinafter, embodiments of the drum-type washing machine will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of a drum-type washing machine according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a schematic rear view of main components in a drum-type washing machine according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Hereinafter, the drum-type washing machine will be referred to as a washing machine 1. The washing machine 1 may be a fully automatic washing machine configured to automatically perform a series of processes of washing, rinsing, and dewatering. Although the washing machine 1 of the present embodiment is described as not having a drying function, it may have a drying function in other embodiments.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the washing machine 1 may include a housing 2, a tub 3, a drum 4, a driving device 5, a water supply device 6, a drainage device 7, and a controller 8. In order to improve the washing performance, the washing machine 1 may include a load detector 50 (see FIG. 4) that enables high-accuracy measurement of the weight of laundry or water accommodated in the drum 4. The load detector 50 will be described below.

The external shape of the housing 2 may be a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. For example, the housing 2 may be formed by combining a panel or the like to a frame forming a skeleton. A circular inlet 2a that is opened/closed by a door may be provided at the front surface of the housing 2. The laundry may be input/output through the inlet 2a. An operation unit 2b that the user operates to operate the washing machine 1 may be provided over the inlet 2a. The operation unit 2b may include, for example, a switch and a display.

The tub 3 may be a cylindrical water-storable container with a bottom portion. The tub 3 may include an annular front wall portion 3a including a tub opening having substantially the same diameter as the inlet 2a, a disk-shaped rear wall portion 3b facing the front wall portion 3a, and a cylindrical body wall portion 3c arranged therebetween. The tub 3 may be accommodated in the housing 2 such that the front wall portion 3a faces forward. A water level sensor 9 (see FIG. 10) for measuring the water level therein may be installed in the tub 3. The front wall portion 3a may be connected to the front surface of the housing 2 through an elastically-deformable annular sealing member 10, and the space between the inlet 2a and the tub 3 may be sealed by the sealing member 10. The driving device 5 may be assembled to the rear wall portion 3b. The driving device 5 will be described below in detail.

(Damping Support Mechanism)

The tub 3 may be integrated with the driving device 5. Although not illustrated, a balancer (weight) may be mounted on the tub 3 to adjust the center of gravity of the tub 3 and suppress vibration. When water is collected therein, the tub 3 may become heavier. Because the drum 4 containing the laundry rotates inside the tub 3, the heavy tub 3 may vibrate greatly inside the housing 2.

In order to stably support the tub 3 and suppress the vibration from being transmitted to the outside of the washing machine 1, the tub 3 may be elastically supported by the housing 2 by using a damping support mechanism. For example, a pair of beam members 2c may be installed inside the housing 2. The pair of beam members 2c may be arranged in the upper area of the housing 2. The pair of beam members 2c may be arranged apart from each other in a transverse direction, for example, in a left/right direction. An upper support bracket 21 (first bracket) may be installed at a central portion of the pair of beam members 2c in a front/rear direction.

A vertical rib 3d may be provided on the outer periphery of the body wall portion 3c. The vertical rib 3d may be provided at a central portion of the body wall portion 3c in the front/rear direction. The vertical rib 3d may extend along the outer periphery of the body wall portion 3c from the upper portion to the side portion of the body wall portion 3c. An upper supported bracket 22 (first bracket) may be installed on each of the upper right side and upper left side of the vertical rib 3d. A hanging spring 23 may be mounted between each of the upper support brackets 21 and each of the upper supported brackets 22 on the left and right sides. For example, the hanging spring 23 may be a tensile coil spring with one end portion and the other end portion respectively connected to the upper support bracket 21 and the upper supported bracket 22.

A lower support bracket 31 (second bracket) may be installed in a lower area inside the housing 2, for example, at the bottom. For example, a lower support bracket 31 may be installed at each of four places on the front left and right and the rear left and right of the bottom of the housing 2. Four lower supported brackets 32 (second brackets) respectively corresponding to four lower support brackets 31 may be provided at the lower portion of the body wall portion 3c. The four lower supported brackets 32 may be respectively provided on the front left and right and the rear left and right of the lower portion of the body wall portion 3c. A damper 33 may be mounted between each of the four lower support brackets 31 and each of the four lower supported brackets 32 corresponding thereto. A friction damper may be used as the damper 33 as described below.

In the case of the washing machine 1, the tub 3 may be suspended from the housing 2 by two hanging springs 23 and accordingly the upper side thereof may be elastically supported with respect to the housing 2. Also, the tub 3 may be supported by four dampers 33 and accordingly the lower side thereof may be supported with respect to the housing 2 by a frictional force. That is, two hanging springs 23 may form an upper support mechanism 20 (damping support mechanism), and four dampers 33 may form a lower support mechanism 30 (damping support mechanism). In the case of the washing machine 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, each of the upper support mechanism 20 and the lower support mechanism 30 may be a multi-point support mechanism including two or more hanging springs 23 and two or more dampers 33. The tub 3 may be supported mainly by the upper support mechanism 20. The main purpose of the lower support mechanism 30 may be to suppress the vibration, and the auxiliary purpose thereof may be to support the tub 3 with respect to the housing 2 (i.e., most of the load of the tub 3 is supported by the upper support mechanism 20).

The water supply device 6 may be installed at the upper portion of the housing 2 to supply water to the tub 3 from an external water supply facility or the like. Although not particularly illustrated, the water supply device 6 may include an electronic open/close valve, a water supply hose, and/or the like. The drainage device 7 may include a drain hose 7a. A drain port (not illustrated) may be installed at a lower end portion of the tub 3. The drain hose 7a may be connected to the drain port. The end of the drain hose 7a may be exposed to the outside of the housing 2. A pump (not illustrated) for drainage may be installed at the drain hose 7a.

The drum 4 may be a cylindrical container with a bottom that is slightly smaller than the tub 3. The drum 4 may include a front surface portion 4a including a circular opening portion 4d, a rear surface portion 4b opposite to the front surface portion 4a, and a cylindrical peripheral surface portion 4c connecting them to each other. The drum 4 may be accommodated in the tub 3 with the front surface portion 4a facing forward, for example, in the front/rear direction. The drum 4 and the tub 3 may be arranged such that their respective center lines coincide with each other. The inlet 2a of the housing 2, the tub opening, and the opening portion 4d of the drum 4 may communicate with each other in the front/rear direction. A plurality of water passage holes 4e may be formed entirely in the peripheral surface portion 4c (only some of the water passage holes 4e are illustrated in FIG. 2).

In an embodiment, the driving device 5 may include a shaft member 5a, a motor 5b, a main pulley 5c, and a sub pulley 5d.

The shaft member 5a is installed in a central portion of the rear wall portion 3b. The shaft member 5a may include a shaft 5a1 and a bearing 5a2. The shaft 5a1 may extend in the front/rear direction by passing through the rear wall portion 3b of the tub 3. The shaft may be rotatably supported on a bearing housing 5a3 provided at the rear wall portion 3b of the tub 3, with the bearing 5a2 therebetween. A front end portion of the shaft 5a1 may be fixed to a boss portion provided at a central portion of the rear surface portion 4b of the drum 4. Accordingly, the drum 4 may be rotated around a rotation axis J that is substantially horizontal inside the tub 3.

The motor 5b may be arranged at the lower rear side based on the tub 3 inside the housing 2. The sub pulley 5d with a small diameter may be fixed to the output shaft of the motor 5b. The main pulley 5c with a large diameter may be fixed to a rear end portion of the shaft 5a1. An endless belt 5e may be installed between the sub pulley 5d and the main pulley 5c. The drum 4 may be rotated by driving the motor 5b.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, it may be installed inside the housing 2. The controller 8 may comprehensively control the operation of the washing machine 1 according to the operation in the operation unit 2b. The controller 8 may control the operation of the driving device 5, the water supply device 6, and the drainage device 7 to execute a series of processes including washing, rinsing, and dewatering. The controller 8 may include hardware such as a central processing unit (CPU) or a memory and software such as a control program. For example, the controller 8 may include an algorithm for controlling the operation of the components in the washing machine, at least one memory storing program-type data, and at least one processor 8e performing the above operation by using the data stored in the at least one memory. Each of the memory and the processor 8e may be implemented as a separate chip. The processor 8e may include one or more processor chips or one or more processing cores. The memory may include one or more memory chips or one or more memory blocks. Also, the memory and the processor 8e may be implemented as a single chip.

The controller 8, for example, the processor 8e, may be configured to improve the washing performance by executing a process of measuring the weight of the laundry accommodated in the drum 4 (a clothing amount measurement process) or a process of estimating the cloth of the laundry (a cloth estimation process), based on the detection results of the load detector 50 (see FIG. 4) and the water level sensor 9 (see FIG. 10). This will be described below in detail.

The washing machine 1 may include a load detector 50 for measuring the weight of laundry or water accommodated in the drum 4. The controller 8, for example, the processor 8e, may obtain the load of the tub 3 based on the detection result of the load detector 50. In order to increase the measurement accuracy, the load detector 50 may detect the load acting on each of the upper support mechanism 20 and the lower support mechanism 30. Each of the upper support mechanism 20 and the lower support mechanism 30 may include a bracket (a first bracket and a second bracket) for connecting the hanging spring 23 and the damper 33 to the housing 2 and the tub 3. The load detector 50 may include a plurality of load cells (e.g., a first load cell 51 (see FIG. 4) and a second load cell 52 (see FIG. 7)) assembled to a bracket, for example, each of first and second brackets. Each load cell may include a strain-producing body arranged between the housing 2 or the tub 3 and a holder to which the hanging spring 23 or the damper 33 is connected, and one or more strain gauges installed at the strain-producing body to measure the strain of the strain-producing body.

(First Load Cell 51)

FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view illustrating a portion of the upper support mechanism 20 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a portion of the upper support bracket 21 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 4. Referring to FIGS. 3 to 5, the upper support bracket 21 may include a first spacer 21a and a first load cell 51. The first load cell 51 may include a first holder 21b, a first strain-producing body 51a, and a first strain gauge 51b.

The first holder 21b may be a member for connecting the hanging spring 23. The first holder 21b may be provided with a support concave portion 21c that is concaved from top to bottom and has rounded edge portions on both sides. A hook portion 23a of the hanging spring 23 bent in an inverted U shape may be hooked on the support concave portion 21c. Accordingly, as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 5, the hook portion 23a of the hanging spring 23 may be in surface contact or line contact with the support concave portion 21c including two rounded edge portions, and the translational movement of the hanging spring 23 due to the vibration may be suppressed.

The first strain-producing body 51a may be a rectangular thin-plate member. A hook opening 51c may be formed at a central portion of the first strain-producing body 51a. The first holder 21b may be mounted across a lower end portion of the hook opening 51c. An upper end portion of the first strain-producing body 51a may be fastened and fixed by a bolt to the beam member 2c with the first spacer 21a therebetween. Accordingly, one end, that is, an upper end portion, of the first strain-producing body 51a may be supported by the beam member 2c and may be arranged between the first holder 21b and the housing 2. The hook portion 23a of the hanging spring 23 may be inserted into the hook opening 51c and may be hooked by the support concave portion 21c. Thus, when a load acts on the hanging spring 23, a lower end portion of the first strain-producing body 51a may bend in the left/right direction based on the upper end portion thereof.

In an embodiment, the first load cell 51 may include two first strain gauges 51b. One first strain gauge 51b may be installed on each of both surfaces of the first strain-producing body 51a such that the strain on both the expansion side and the contraction side may be measured according to the bending of the first strain-producing body 51a. In the present embodiment, because two first brackets are respectively provided on the left and right sides of the housing 2, and a first load cell 51 is arranged on each of the two first brackets, the total number of first strain gauges 51b may be 4.

(Second Load Cell 52)

FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of a portion of the lower support mechanism 30, that is, the lower support bracket 31, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B of FIG. 6. Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, the lower support bracket 31 may include a second spacer 31a and a second load cell 52. The second load cell 52 may include a second holder 31b, a second strain-producing body 52a, and a second strain gauge 52b.

A step portion 2e stepped downward may be provided at a portion of a bottom plate 2d of the housing 2 where four lower support brackets 31 are installed. The second strain-producing body 52a may be a rectangular thin-plate member. The second strain-producing body 52a may include one end portion located outside the step portion 2e and the other end portion extending from the one end portion onto the step portion 2e. One end portion of the second strain-producing body 52a may be fastened and fixed by a bolt to the bottom plate 2d of the housing 2 outside the step portion 2e. The other end portion of the second strain-producing body 52a may be located upwardly apart from the bottom plate 2d of the housing 2 inside the step portion 2e.

The second holder 31b may include, for example, a rectangular thin plate-shaped base portion 31c and a pair of support portions 31d protruding upward from two long sides of the base portion 31c. The base portion 31c may be arranged to overlap the second strain-producing body 52a. One end portion of the base portion 31c may be fastened by a bolt to the other end portion of the second strain-producing body 52a with the second spacer 31a therebetween.

Accordingly, one end portion of the second strain-producing body 52a may be supported by the bottom plate 2d and the other end portion thereof may be supported by the second holder 31b and thus the second strain-producing body 52a may be arranged between the second holder 31b and the housing 2. A pivot support portion 31e may be provided at each of the pair of support portions 31d. The pivot support portion 31e may be provided at a position that is biased toward the other end portion of the base portion 31c in the support portion 31d, that is, toward one end portion of the second strain-producing body 52a. A damper 33 may be pivotably supported by the pivot support portion 31e. When a load acts on the damper 33, the second strain-producing body 52a may be bent into an S shape.

In an embodiment, the second load cell 52 may include one second strain gauge 52b. For example, the second strain gauge 52b may be installed on the lower surface or upper surface of the second strain-producing body 52a so as to measure the strain on the expansion side or the contraction side according to the bending of the second strain-producing body 52a. In FIG. 7, the second strain gauge 52b may be installed on the contraction side of the second strain-producing body 52a.

In the present embodiment, because four second brackets are respectively provided on the front, rear, left, and right sides of the housing 2, and a second load cell 52 is arranged on each of the four second brackets, the total number of second strain gauges 52b may be 4.

In order to efficiently and effectively operate the washing machine, it may be important to accurately measure the laundry weight (the clothing amount) before washing. In a drum-type washing machine of the related art, a drum containing laundry is rotated to estimate the laundry weight based on its inertial moment. Also, when the water supply amount (the amount of water supplied to the tub 3) may be measured, the cloth of the laundry may be estimated based on the measurement result and washing may be performed according to the cloth thereof. Thus, the washing performance may be improved.

It may be difficult to measure the laundry weight with high accuracy by using an indirect method based on the inertial moment of the drum, and it may be impossible to measure the water supply amount itself. Thus, a method of directly measuring the laundry weight and the water supply amount may be required. For this purpose, a method of mounting a weight sensor on the housing of the washing machine and measuring the laundry weight and the water supply amount from the weight change of the entire washing machine may be considered. However, in the case of a drum-type washing machine, there may be a case where a dryer is integrally assembled onto a washing machine. In this case, during the operation of the dryer, because the vibration of the dryer or the weight change of the dryer are transmitted to the housing of the washing machine, the measurement of the laundry amount or the water supply amount may be impossible and thus the operation of the washing machine may be restricted.

Because the tub is suspended from the housing, a method of measuring the weight of the tub by installing a weight sensor on a region where the tub is suspended may be considered. However, the tub may be very heavy and may become heavier when water is supplied thereto. In the case of the drum-type washing machine, because the tub vibrates in the vertical direction during operation, the tub may not only be suspended from the housing but also be supported by the housing with the damper therebetween to suppress the vibration. Thus, in order to measure the weight of the tub with high accuracy, it may be necessary to consider the influence of the damper. In the case of the washing machine, a relatively inexpensive friction damper may often be used as the damper. When a load exceeding the maximum static frictional force acts on the friction damper, it may expand/contract while resisting the load with a frictional force.

The washing machine 1 according to the present embodiment may also use a friction damper as the damper 33. When laundry is put into the drum 4, the position of the tub 3 may go down due to the weight of the laundry. Accordingly, the damper 33 may be compressed. When the damper 33 is compressed, the frictional force of the damper 33 may act not only in the compression direction of the damper 33 but also in the opposite direction thereof. Therefore, the load acting on the hanging spring 23 may be reduced by the frictional force. Conversely, when the laundry is taken out from the drum 4, because the position of the tub 3 may go up, the load acting on the hanging spring 23 may be increased by the frictional force of the damper 33.

The position and amount of laundry accommodated in the drum 4 may vary. When the laundry is put thereinto, the user's force may act on the drum 4 and thus the drum 4 may be pressed. Thus, the movement of the tub 3 before the start of washing may also be unequal and nonuniform. Accordingly, the manner in which the frictional force of each of the four dampers 33 arranged on the front, rear, left, and right sides acts on each of the two hanging springs 23 may be nonuniform. Therefore, when the influence of the damper 33 is not considered, the load of the tub 3 may not be measured with high accuracy. In other words, the frictional force of the damper 33 may act as a hysteresis on the load acting on the hanging spring 23, thus degrading the measurement accuracy.

According to the washing machine 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, as a measure for the hysteresis, a load cell may be assembled to a support region (particularly, the second bracket) by the damper 33 to measure the frictional force. Then, the measurement result may be applied to the load measurement result of the tub 3 at a connection region (particularly, the first bracket) of the hanging spring 23. Accordingly, the influence of the hysteresis may be excluded, thus improving the measurement accuracy.

For example, load cells (the first load cell 51 and the second load cell 52) are arranged on both the first bracket and the second bracket to measure the load (directly, the strain caused by the load) acting on both the upper support mechanism 20 and the lower support mechanism 30, based on the load acting on both a plurality of hanging springs 23 and a plurality of dampers 33. Thus, the weight of the tub 3 may be measured with high accuracy. Each of the upper support mechanism 20 and the lower support mechanism 30 may include four strain gauges (first strain gauges 51b and second strain gauges 52b). The load detector 50 may form a first Wheatstone bridge circuit 61 (see FIG. 8) with the four strain gauges (first strain gauges 51b) included in the upper support mechanism 20 and may form a second Wheatstone bridge circuit 62 (see FIG. 8) with the strain gauge (second strain gauge 52b) included in the lower support mechanism 30.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a circuit configuration of the load detector 50 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The load detector 50 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may measure the strain in each of the upper support mechanism 20 and the lower support mechanism 30, that is, the strain of the first and second strain-producing bodies 51a and 52a, by using a 4-gauge method that is advantageous for output. In FIG. 8, an upper left circuit may be a first Wheatstone bridge circuit 61, and a lower left circuit may be a second Wheatstone bridge circuit 62. The first and second Wheatstone bridge circuits 61 and 62 may be connected to the controller 8, for example, the processor 8e, through an amplifier 63. The resistance of the first strain gauge 51b and the second strain gauge 52b may change according to the bending of the first strain-producing body 51a and the second strain-producing body 52a. Thus, the first strain gauge 51b and the second strain gauge 52b may be equivalent to a resistor element in the circuit configuration of the load detector 50.

In the first Wheatstone bridge circuit 61, R1 and R3 may represent two first strain gauges 51b of the first load cell 51 installed at one of the two upper support brackets 21. R2 and R4 may represent two first strain gauges 51b of the first load cell 51 installed at the other of the two upper support brackets 21. Each of R¹and R4 may represent the first strain gauges 51b installed on the surface of the first strain-producing body 51a facing the inside of the housing 2. Each of R2 and R3 may represent the first strain gauges 51b installed on the surface of the first strain-producing body 51a facing the outside of the housing 2. In the first Wheatstone bridge circuit 61, when R1 and R4 facing each other contract, R2 and R3 facing each other may expand. Conversely, when R1 and R4 expand, R2 and R3 may contract. A certain voltage (application voltage) may be input between P1 and P2 of the first Wheatstone bridge circuit 61, and a voltage (output voltage) between P3 and P4 may be output to the amplifier 63. The output voltage may be amplified by the amplifier 63 and then converted into a first measurement voltage value Vb (first signal) corresponding to the strain of the first strain-producing body 51a and output to the controller 8, for example, the processor 8e.

One second load cell 52 including one second strain gauge 52b may be installed on each of the four lower support brackets 31. Accordingly, R5 to R8 of the second Wheatstone bridge circuit 62 may respectively represent the four second strain gauges 52b of the second load cells 52 respectively installed on the four lower support brackets 31. In the second Wheatstone bridge circuit 62, when R5 and R8 facing each other contract, R6 and R7 facing each other may expand. Conversely, when R5 and R8 expand, R6 and R7 may contract. A certain voltage (application voltage) may be input between P5 and P6 of the second Wheatstone bridge circuit 62, and a voltage (output voltage) between P7 and P8 may be output to the amplifier 63. The output voltage may be amplified by the amplifier 63 and then converted into a second measurement voltage value Vd (second signal) corresponding to the strain of the second strain-producing body 52a and output to the controller 8, for example, the processor 8e.

The processor 8e may obtain the load of the tub 3 based on the measurement values of the strain gauges. For example, the controller 8, for example, the processor 8e, may obtain the load of the tub 3 based on the first measurement voltage value Vb and the second measurement voltage value Vd input from the amplifier 63. Particularly, the controller 8, for example, the processor 8e, may calculate the load acting on the upper support mechanism 20 and the load acting on the lower support mechanism 30, based on both the first measurement voltage value Vb and the second measurement voltage value Vd, and may obtain the load of the tub 3 by adding both of them.

When necessary, the controller 8, for example, the processor 8e, may perform a process (correction process) of correcting the sensitivity of one or both of the first measurement voltage value Vb and the second measurement voltage value Vd. For example, the correction process may be a process of multiplying one or both of the first measurement voltage value Vb and the second measurement voltage value Vd by a real number. The measurement sensitivity may be different in the strain measurement of each of the upper support mechanism 20 and the lower support mechanism 30. For example, the measurement sensitivities of a plurality of first and second load cells 51 and 52 may be different from each other. A certain coefficient (sensitivity coefficient) for matching the measurement sensitivities for each of the upper support mechanism 20 and the lower support mechanism 30 may be obtained in advance by an experiment or the like. The sensitivity coefficient may be stored, for example, in the memory. The measurement sensitivities in the strain measurement of the upper support mechanism 20 and the lower support mechanism 30 may be matched by multiplying one or both of the first measurement voltage value Vb and the second measurement voltage value Vd by the sensitivity coefficient. Accordingly, the load detection accuracy may be improved.

(Verification Test Result of Load Measurement Accuracy)

FIG. 9 is a diagram for describing an example of a verification test result of load measurement accuracy. Ten 600g weights may be put as a dummy of the laundry into the drum 4 and then taken out therefrom, and the strain of the first strain-producing body 51a and the second strain-producing body 52a according to the load change of the tub 3 may be measured. In FIG. 9, the vertical axis represents the strain the unit of which is microstrain (uST).

In FIG. 9, graph G1 represents the change in the strain according to the change in the load on the side of the hanging spring 23, and graph G2 represents the change in the strain according to the change in the load on the side of the damper 33. Graph G3 represents the change when graph G1 and graph G2 are corrected and added together. In FIG. 9, the scale of the strain on the vertical axis is different in each graph G1, G2, or G3. In FIG. 9, the vertical axis of graph G1 may have a smaller scale than the vertical axis of graph G2.

Graph L1 including a circular plot and a solid line represents the change in the strain when the weight is put into the drum 4, and graph L2 including a square plot and a dotted line represents the change in the strain when the weight is taken out therefrom. When the change in the strain is measured solely by the side of the hanging spring 23 or the side of the damper 33, because they have an hysteresis effect on each other, it may be impossible to obtain the linearity of the change in the strain due to the input/output of the weight into/from the drum 14.

However, when a sensitivity coefficient on the side of the damper 33 is obtained in advance and the correction strain obtained by multiplying the strain on the side of the damper 33 by the sensitivity coefficient and the strain on the side of the hanging spring 23 are added together, high linearity may be obtained in the load measurement of the tub 3.

As such, by adding the loads acting on both the upper support mechanism 20 and the lower support mechanism 30, the influence of the hysteresis may be suppressed and the load of the tub 3 may be measured with high accuracy. Furthermore, when the measurement sensitivities of the strain in the upper support mechanism 20 and the lower support mechanism 30 are different from each other, when a correction process is performed, the measurement sensitivities of both sides may be matched with each other and thus the load of the tub 3 may be measured with even higher accuracy.

Example of Control of Washing Machine 1

FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment of the relationship between the controller 8 and the components of the washing machine 1. The controller 8 may include an operation controller 8a, a laundry weight measurer 8b, a water supply amount measurer 8c, and a cloth estimator 8d as functional components.

The operation controller 8a may comprehensively control the operation of the washing machine 1 according to the operation input through the operation unit 2b. That is, the controller 8 may control the operation of the driving device 5, the water supply device 6, and the drainage device 7 to execute a series of processes including washing, rinsing, and dewatering.

The laundry weight measurer 8b may measure the weight of the laundry based on a signal input from the load detector 50 (a clothing amount measurement process). Particularly, the laundry weight measurer 8b may measure the weight of the laundry from the load change of the tub 3 when the laundry is put into the drum 4. As described above, because the load of the tub 3 may be measured with high accuracy by the load detector 50, the weight of the laundry may be measured with high accuracy.

The water supply amount measurer 8c may measure the water supply amount based on a signal input from the load detector 50 (a water supply amount measurement process). Particularly, the water supply amount measurer 8c may measure the water supply amount from the load change of the tub 3 when water is supplied to the tub 3 in the washing or rinsing process. As described above, because the load of the tub 3 may be measured with high accuracy by the load detector 50, the water supply amount may be measured with high accuracy. Because the water supply amount may be controlled depending on the laundry, the washing performance and water saving may be improved.

The cloth estimator 8d may execute a cloth estimation process as described above. Particularly, the cloth estimator 8d may measure the change in the water level of the tub 3 from the water level sensor 9. Then, the water absorbency of the laundry may be determined from the change in the water supply amount and the water level, and the cloth estimator 8d may estimate the cloth from the absorbency. Depending on the cloth, the rinsing water amount and the dewatering time may be optimally controlled.

In general, the washing machine 1 may support the tub 3 at multiple points by providing a plurality of hanging springs 23 and/or a plurality of dampers 33 (a multi-point support mechanism). However, the structure supporting the tub 3 is not limited thereto. One of the upper support mechanism 20 or the lower support mechanism 30 may not be a multi-point support mechanism. That is, the hanging spring 23 or the damper 33 may be one. In this case, the load cell and the strain gauge may be arranged according to the support structure.

For example, when there is one hanging spring 23, the load cell may be installed on the bracket to which the hanging spring 23 is connected, that is, on the first bracket. In this case, because one load cell is installed on the first bracket, the load cell may include, for example, one strain-producing body and four strain gauges for measuring the strain of the strain-producing body. Likewise, when there is one damper 33, the load cell may be installed on the bracket to which the damper 33 is connected, that is, on the second bracket. In this case, because one load cell is installed on the second bracket, the load cell may include, for example, one strain-producing body and four strain gauges for measuring the strain of the strain-producing body. Accordingly, high-accuracy strain measurement may be performed by a four-bridge method using a Wheatstone bridge circuit.

For example, when there are two hanging springs 23 or two dampers 33, one load cell may be installed on both of the two brackets on the side that is a multi-point support mechanism and two strain gauges may be installed on each load cell. One load cell including four strain gauges may be installed on some of the two brackets, for example, one bracket. This may reduce the member costs.

For example, when there are three hanging springs 23 or three dampers 33, one load cell may be installed on each of the three brackets on the side that is a multi-point support mechanism and one strain gauge may be installed on each load cell. In this case, one of the four resistors of the Wheatstone bridge circuit may be a fixed resistor for adjusting the sensitivity of each transmission path. In order to reduce the member cost, one load cell may be installed on each of some of the three brackets, for example, two brackets. In this case, one load cell may be installed on each of the brackets (the front-side bracket and the rear-side bracket) that are located apart in the front/rear direction. Because the drum 4 rotates, the weight bias in the left/right direction may not easily occur but the weight bias in the front/rear direction may easily occur. Thus, it may be effective in terms of accuracy to obtain the load acting on the entire tub 3 based on the load of two support points in the front/rear direction rather than the load of two support points in the left/right direction of the tub 3.

For example, when there are four hanging springs 23 or four dampers 33, one load cell may be installed on each of the four brackets on the side that is a multi-point support mechanism and one strain gauge may be installed on each load cell. Because the load acting on the entire tub 3 is obtained based on the load of the tub 3 in the front/rear direction and the left/right direction, it may be effective in terms of accuracy. In order to reduce the member cost, one load cell may be installed on each of some of the four brackets, for example, three or less brackets. In this case, one load cell may be installed on each of two brackets (the front-side bracket and the rear-side bracket) that are located apart in the front/rear direction.

Each of the upper support mechanism 20 and the lower support mechanism 30 may include four or more strain gauges. That is, the load detector 50 may include a plurality of strain gauges, and the plurality of strain gauges may include four or more strain gauges configured to detect a load acting on the upper support mechanism 20 and four or more strain gauges configured to detect a load acting on the lower support mechanism 30. Accordingly, high-accuracy strain measurement may be performed by a four-bridge method using a Wheatstone bridge circuit.

An embodiment of the washing machine 1 according to the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments. For example, in the above embodiments, the controller 8 comprehensively controlling the washing machine 1, for example, the processor 8e, may calculate the load of the tub 3 based on the detection result of the load detector 50. Alternatively, a separate control device or control circuit may measure the load from the strain, and the controller 8, for example, the processor 8e, may obtain the measurement result thereof. That is, the controller 8, for example, the processor 8e, may include a controller that comprehensively controls the washing machine 1 and a controller that detects the load of the tub 3.

Also, in the above embodiments, the load cell may be installed on the bracket on the side of the housing 2; however, the load cell may be installed on the bracket on the side of the tub 3. Also, the damper 33 is not limited to a friction damper and may be an oil damper. The components (e.g., the driving device) of the washing machine 1 described above are just examples and may be modified according to the specifications of the washing machine 1.

A drum-type washing machine according to an aspect of the present disclosure may include a housing, a tub accommodated in the housing and capable of storing water, and a drum rotatably accommodated in the tub. The tub may be suspended from the housing by an upper support mechanism including one or more hanging springs. The tub may be supported with respect to the housing by a lower support mechanism including one or more dampers. A load detector may detect a load acting on each of the upper support mechanism and the lower support mechanism. A processor may obtain a load of the tub based on a load detection result of the load detector.

Accordingly, a tub containing a rotating drum may be supported by a housing by using a damping mechanism including an upper support mechanism including a hanging spring and a lower support mechanism including a damper. Thus, the vertical vibration of the tub due to its high weight may be suppressed and thus the tub may be stably supported by the housing. Because the load acting on the hanging spring by the tub is affected by the damper, the load of the tub may not be measured with high accuracy by a method of measuring only the load acting on the upper support mechanism. The load detector may detect the load acting on both the upper support mechanism and the lower support mechanism, and the processor may obtain the load of the tub based on the detection result of the load detector. Thus, the influence of the damper may be suppressed in obtaining the load of the tub, and the load of the tub and the laundry weight or the water supply amount may be measured based on the load of the tub with high accuracy. As a result, efficient washing may be performed.

In an embodiment, each of the upper support mechanism and the lower support mechanism may include a bracket for connecting the hanging spring or the damper to the housing and the tub, and the load detector may include a load cell installed on the bracket. Because the load cell is installed on the bracket of the upper support mechanism and the lower support mechanism and the load cell is integrated with the bracket, the load detector may be easily installed even when there is no sufficient space in the housing.

In an embodiment, the load cell may include a strain-producing body arranged between the housing or the tub and a holder to which the hanging spring or the damper is connected, and a strain gauge installed on the strain-producing body to measure a strain of the strain-producing body. The processor may obtain the load of the tub based on a measurement value of the strain gauge. Accordingly, the load cell may be easily assembled to the bracket of the upper and lower support mechanisms and thus the manufacturing costs may be reduced.

In an embodiment, the load detector may include a first Wheatstone bridge circuit including a strain gauge of a load cell installed in the upper support mechanism, and a second Wheatstone bridge circuit including a strain gauge of a load cell installed in the lower support mechanism. The processor may obtain the load of the tub by adding first and second signals output from the first and second Wheatstone bridge circuits.

In an embodiment, the processor may perform a correction process of multiplying at least one of the first and second signals by a real number. Accordingly, the measurement error due to the difference in the measurement sensitivity in the process of detecting the strain of the upper and lower support mechanisms may be corrected. For example, the measurement sensitivity in the measurement of the strain of the upper and lower support mechanisms may be matched with each other, and because the voltage values representing the influence of the damper are matched with each other on the hanging spring side and the damper side, the voltage values due to the influence of the damper may be offset by the addition process of the corrected first and second signals. Thus, the measurement error due to the influence of the damper in the load measurement of the tub may be corrected.

In an embodiment, at least one of the upper support mechanism and the lower support mechanism may include a multi-point support mechanism including two or more hanging springs or two or more dampers. In this case, in an embodiment, the load cell may be installed in all of two or more brackets on a side of the multi-point support mechanism among the upper support mechanism and the lower support mechanism. In an embodiment, the load cell may be installed in some of two or more brackets on a side of the multi-point support mechanism among the upper support mechanism and the lower support mechanism. When the load cell is assembled to all of a plurality of brackets, because the load of the tub may be measured based on the strain of the brackets, it may be excellent in terms of accuracy. Moreover, when the load cell is assembled to some of the plurality of brackets, because the number of load cells may be reduced, it may be advantageous in terms of the member cost.

In an embodiment, at least one of the upper support mechanism and the lower support mechanism may include a multi-point support mechanism including four hanging springs or four the dampers, and one load cell including one strain gauge may be installed in each of four brackets on a side of the multi-point support mechanism among the upper support mechanism and the lower support mechanism. Because the entire strain of the bracket may be measured by a four-gauge method by using the minimum necessary load cells and strain gauges, it may be possible to suppress the member costs and improve the measurement accuracy.

In an embodiment, at least one of the upper support mechanism and the lower support mechanism may include a multi-point support mechanism including three or more hanging springs or three or more dampers, three or more brackets on a side of the multi-point support mechanism among the upper support mechanism and the lower support mechanism may include a front-side bracket and a rear-side bracket that are located apart from each other in the front/rear direction, and one load cell may be installed in each of the front-side bracket and the rear-side bracket. Because the drum rotates, the weight imbalance may be more likely to occur in the front/rear direction than in the left/right direction. Thus, in the case of selecting brackets for assembling the load cell, when brackets spaced apart from each other in the front/rear direction are selected and the load acting on the entire tub is obtained based on the load at the front/rear both ends rather than the load at the left/right both sides of the tub, it may be advantageous in terms of accuracy and the load of the tub may be efficiently measured with high accuracy.

In an embodiment, the drum-type washing machine may further include a water level sensor 9 configured to measure a water level of the tub. The processor may execute a clothing amount measurement process for measuring weight of laundry accommodated in the drum and a cloth estimation process for estimating cloth of the laundry, based on a detection result of the load detector and the water level sensor. Accordingly, because the load of the tub may be measured with high accuracy, the laundry weight or the water supply amount may be measured with high accuracy. The water absorption of the laundry may be evaluated with high accuracy from the change in the water level measured by the water level sensor, the laundry weight, and the water supply amount, and the cloth of the laundry may be estimated with high accuracy from the water absorption of the laundry. When the cloth may be estimated, because the rotation of the drum may be controlled according to the cloth, the washing performance may be improved.

In an embodiment, the load detector may include a plurality of strain gauges, and the plurality of strain gauges may include four or more strain gauges configured to detect a load acting on the upper support mechanism and four or more strain gauges configured to detect a load acting on the lower support mechanism. Accordingly, high-accuracy strain measurement may be performed by a four-bridge method using a Wheatstone bridge circuit.

In an embodiment, the drum-type washing machine may include two upper support mechanisms configured to suspend each of both sides in a left/right direction, which is also a central portion of the tub in a front/rear direction, from the housing, and four lower support mechanisms configured to support each of both sides in the left/right direction, which is also a front side of the tub, and both sides in the left/right direction, which is also a rear side of the tub, with respect to the housing. The load detector may include two first load cells respectively installed on the two upper support mechanisms and each including two first strain gauges, and four second load cells respectively installed on the four lower support mechanisms and each including one second strain gauge.

In an embodiment, each of the two first load cells may include a first strain-producing body that is bent by a load acting on the hanging spring. The two strain gauges of each of the two first load cells may be arranged on both sides of the first strain-producing body so as to measure a strain of a contraction side and an expansion side of the first strain-producing body. Each of the four second load cells may include a second strain-producing body that is bent by a load acting on the damper. The one strain gauge of each of the four second load cells is arranged on one surface of the second strain-producing body so as to measure a strain of any one of a contraction side and an expansion side of the second strain-producing body.

In an embodiment, the load detector may include a first Wheatstone bridge circuit including the four first strain gauges, and a second Wheatstone bridge circuit including the four second strain gauges. The processor may obtain the load of the tub by adding first and second signals output from the first and second Wheatstone bridge circuits.

In an embodiment, the processor may perform a correction process of multiplying at least one of the first and second signals by a real number.

Accordingly, the laundry weight or the water supply amount may be measured with high accuracy, and effective washing may be performed based on the measured laundry weight and water supply amount.

Although the washing machine of the present disclosure have been described above with reference to particular embodiments and the accompanying drawings, the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments and various modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

	Number	Date	Country
Parent	PCT/KR2023/019740	Dec 2023	WO
Child	19170427		US

DRUM-TYPE WASHING MACHINE

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CPC

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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

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