Patent Application
20180355545
This application is based on and claims priority from Korean Patent Application No. 10-2017-0074386, filed on Jun. 13, 2017, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference for all purposes.
The present disclosure relates to a washing machine and a water level/vibration sensor for a washing machine and, more particularly, to a washing machine and a water level/vibration sensor for a washing machine, which are capable of accurately sensing both a water level and a vibration level of a washing machine through use of a vibrator.
In general, when washing items are put into washing water in a washing machine, dirt may be separated from the washing items under the chemical action of a detergent. However, a long washing time is required in the case of using only the action of the detergent. However, the dirt separation speed may be increased by applying mechanical action such as friction or vibration to the washing items.
For example, in a washing cycle, an amount of washing items put into a water storage tank (tub) is detected. The water flow, the detergent amount and the total washing time are set depending on the amount of washing items. Thereafter, the washing items may be washed during the total washing time. In this case, an appropriate water level corresponding to the amount of washing items contained in a washing bucket (drum) may be maintained using a water level sensor for sensing a water level in the drum.
After the washing cycle is completed, the contaminated water in the washing bucket is discharged and fresh water is supplied to the washing bucket to perform a rinsing cycle in which the washing items are rinsed in conformity with a predetermined number of rinsing times.
After the rinsing cycle is completed, the water in the washing bucket is discharged and the washing bucket is rotated at a high speed to perform a dewatering process in which moisture is centrifugally removed from the washing items. At this time, vibration generated during the dewatering process is sensed by a vibration sensor. This makes it possible to prevent damage caused by excessive vibration of the washing machine.
However, in the case of the conventional washing machine, a water level sensor and a vibration sensor are separately installed in the washing machine. Thus, the corresponding additional costs and manufacturing processes are required.
Vertical vibration (Z-direction vibration) generated in the washing machine may be sensed by a conventional vibration sensor. However, it is difficult to accurately detect vibrations (e.g., an X-direction vibration and a Y-direction vibration) other than vertical vibration.
Korean Patent No. 10-0425124 (published on May 18, 2004) is an example of the prior art.
In view of the above, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a washing machine and a water level/vibration sensor, which are capable of accurately sensing a water level in a water storage tank and a vibration level.
According to one embodiment, a water level/vibration sensor for a washing machine is disclosed. The water level/vibration sensor includes a sensor housing mounted to a cabinet of a washing machine; a diaphragm configured to deform in shape depending on a change in a water level in a water storage tank; a pusher configured to be moved up and down inside the sensor housing in response to the deformation in shape of the diaphragm; a core mounted to the pusher; a coil mounted to the sensor housing and configured to surround the core to provide a specific inductance value corresponding to movement of the core; and a vibration chamber mounted to the pusher and configured to accommodate a vibrator vibrating in conjunction with vibration of the water storage tank.
In the water level/vibration sensor, the vibration chamber may include a plurality of vibration chambers spaced apart from one another and disposed in a symmetrical relationship with respect to a center of the pusher.
In the water level/vibration sensor, a guide projection configured to convert horizontal movement of the vibrator into vertical movement of the vibrator may be provided in the vibration chamber.
In the water level/vibration sensor, the vibration chamber may include a first vibration chamber configured to accommodate a first vibrator vibrating in conjunction with the vibration of the water storage tank; and a second vibration chamber spaced apart from the first vibration chamber and configured to accommodate a second vibrator having a size different from a size of the first vibrator.
According to another embodiment, a washing machine is disclosed. The washing machine includes a cabinet configured to form an outer shell of the washing machine; a water storage tank installed inside the cabinet; a washing bucket rotatably installed inside the water storage tank and configured to provide a washing space for washing items; and a water level/vibration sensor configured to sense a water level in the water storage tank and vibration of the water storage tank. The water level/vibration sensor includes a sensor housing mounted to the cabinet of the washing machine, a diaphragm installed inside the sensor housing to deform in shape depending on the water level in the water storage tank, a pusher configured to be moved up and down inside the sensor housing in response to the deformation in shape of the diaphragm, a core mounted to the pusher, a coil mounted to the sensor housing and configured to surround the core to provide a specific inductance value corresponding to movement of the core, and a vibration chamber mounted to the pusher and configured to accommodate a vibrator vibrating in conjunction with a vibration of the water storage tank.
The washing machine may further include a controller configured to, when a vibration signal applied by the water level/vibration sensor deviates from a predetermined permissible vibration range, determine that the vibration of the water storage tank is at an excessive vibration level and stop an operation of the washing machine responsive thereto.
In the washing machine, the vibration chamber may include a plurality of vibration chambers spaced apart from one another and disposed in a symmetrical relationship with respect to a center of the pusher.
In the washing machine, a guide projection configured to convert horizontal movement of the vibrator into vertical movement of the vibrator may be provided in the vibration chamber.
According to the embodiments of the present disclosure, a water level in a water storage tank and a vibration level can be sensed by a single sensor. It is therefore unnecessary to provide individual, separate, sensors for detecting a water level in a water storage tank and a vibration.
Furthermore, according to the embodiments of the present disclosure, there is provided a vibrator capable of detecting fine vibration in a washing machine. It is therefore possible to accurately sense a vibration level of a washing machine during its dewatering cycle.
In addition, according to the embodiments of the present disclosure, three-dimensional vibrations generated in a washing machine are converted into a vertical motion of a vibrator. It is therefore possible to thoroughly detect vibrations generated in a washing machine.
In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof. The illustrative embodiments described in the detailed description, drawings, and claims are not meant to be limiting. Other embodiments may be utilized, and other changes may be made, without departing from the spirit or scope of the subject matter presented here.
One or more exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which one or more exemplary embodiments of the disclosure can be easily determined by those skilled in the art. As those skilled in the art will realize, the described exemplary embodiments may be modified in various different ways, all without departing from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure, which is not limited to the exemplary embodiments described herein.
It is noted that the drawings are schematic and are not necessarily dimensionally illustrated. Relative sizes and proportions of parts in the drawings may be exaggerated or reduced in size, and any discussed predetermined size is just exemplificative and not limitative. The same reference numerals designate the same structures, elements, or parts illustrated in two or more drawings in order to exhibit similar characteristics.
The exemplary drawings of the present disclosure illustrate ideal exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure in more detail. As a result, various modifications of the drawings are expected. Accordingly, the exemplary embodiments are not limited to the specific forms of the illustrated regions, and for example, may include modifications of a form due to manufacturing.
The configuration and operation according to one embodiment of the present disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
As shown in
Specifically, the cabinet 20 may be configured by a housing that forms an outer shell of the washing machine, and may be provided in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape as a whole. The water storage tank 30, the washing bucket 40 and the water level/vibration sensor 10 may be mounted inside the cabinet 20.
The water storage tank 30, which is a container capable of accommodating washing water, may be provided in a cylindrical shape. The water storage tank 30 may receive washing water from a water supply valve (not shown) and may discharge the washing water to the outside of the cabinet 20 through a drain port (not shown). The washing bucket 40 may be rotatably mounted inside the water storage tank 30. The water storage tank 30 may generally correspond to a tub of a drum type washing machine.
The washing bucket 40 may be a cylinder having a large number of water passage holes. The washing bucket 40 may be rotated inside the water storage tank 30 by a driving shaft of a driving motor 50. A pulsator (to be rotated a half revolution or one full revolution by the driving shaft) may be provided in the washing bucket 40. The washing bucket 40 may generally correspond to a drum of a drum type washing machine.
The water level/vibration sensor 10 may sense a water level of the washing water accommodated in the water storage tank 30 and may sense vibrations of the water storage tank 30 during a washing process (e.g., a dewatering cycle). The water level/vibration sensor 10 may apply water level information obtained by sensing the water level in the water storage tank 30 and vibration level information obtained by sensing the vibration of the water storage tank 30 to the controller 60. Details of the water level/vibration sensor 10 will be described later.
The controller 60 may determine the supply of washing water into the washing bucket 40 by analyzing the water level information received from the water level/vibration sensor 10. For example, the controller 60 may compare the water level information measured by the water level/vibration sensor 10 with a predetermined reference water level. If the water level information of the water level/vibration sensor 10 satisfies the reference water level, the controller 60 will stop the supply of the washing water into the water storage tank 30 and will apply an operation signal for a washing process to the driving motor 50.
In addition, if the vibration signal applied by the water level/vibration sensor 10 deviates from a predetermined permissible vibration range, the controller 60 may determine that the vibration generated in the water storage tank 30 is at an excessive vibration level, and may apply a stop signal to cease operation of the driving motor 50 of the washing machine.
Hereinafter, the water level/vibration sensor of the washing machine according to one embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail.
As shown in
The sensor housing 100 may provide an accommodation space in which may be mounted the major components of the water level/vibration sensor 10, for example, the diaphragm 200, the pusher 300, the core 400, the coil 500 and the vibration chambers 600. The sensor housing 100 may be installed inside the washing machine (e.g., inside the cabinet 20). More specifically, a flow path for guiding the vertical movement of the pusher 300 may be formed at the center of the sensor housing 100. An elastic spring 700 for elastically supporting the upper end of the pusher 300 may be provided in the flow path. A cylindrical support member 110 for supporting the upper end portion of the coil 500 and a support cap 120 for closing the upper portion of the sensor housing 100 may be provided in the upper portion of the sensor housing 100. In addition, the coil 500 surrounding the flow path may be provided on the outer periphery side of the sensor housing 100.
The diaphragm 200 may be positioned between the outer peripheral edge of the pusher 300 and the inner wall of the sensor housing 100 so that the diaphragm 200 can be deformed depending on the air pressure corresponding to the water level in the water storage tank 30. The diaphragm 200 may be made of a rubber material which is convexly deformable by the air pressure.
The pusher 300 may move up and down along the flow path of the sensor housing 100 depending on the change in shape of the diaphragm 200. The core 400 may be mounted to the pusher 300. When the pusher 300 moves up and down, the core 400 may change the specific inductance value of the coil 500 using the electromagnetic interaction with the coil 500.
The coil 500 may be mounted to the sensor housing 100 so as to surround the core 400 and may provide the specific inductance value corresponding to the movement of the core 400. For example, when the pusher 300 to which the core 400 is mounted is moved up and down due to the deformation of the diaphragm 200, the specific inductance of the coil 500 is changed depending on the vertical movement amount of the core 400. The specific inductance change value of the coil 500 is multiplied by two capacitance values of an LC resonance circuit to generate a predetermined resonance frequency. The water level in the washing machine may be measured using the amount of change in the resonance frequency.
The vibration chambers 600 may be mounted on the upper surface of the pusher 300. The vibration chambers 600 may be provided in a plural number and may be spaced apart from one another in a symmetrical relationship with respect to the center of the pusher 300. In the present embodiment, three vibration chambers 600 are disposed to be spaced apart at 120 degree intervals in the circumferential direction with respect to the center of the pusher 300. However, the present disclosure is not so limited thereto. The number of the vibration chambers 600 and the arrangement pattern thereof may be variously changed as long as the vibration chambers 600 are disposed in a symmetrical relationship with respect to the center of the pusher 300.
The vibration chamber 600 may be provided in the form of a box having a rectangular parallelepiped internal space. A vibrator 610 vibrating in conjunction with the vibration of the water storage tank 30 may be accommodated in the internal space of the vibration chamber 600. Although the vibration chamber 600 is provided in the form of a rectangular parallelepiped box in the present embodiment, the shape of the vibration chamber 600 may have various forms as long as the vibration chamber 600 can effectively transfer the vibration of the vibrator 610. For example, in one embodiment, the vibration chamber 600 may be provided in the form of a circular column having a cylindrical space.
As shown in
In this case, the first vibration chamber 600a may be disposed on the center side of the pusher 300. A first vibrator 610a vibrating in conjunction with the vibration of the washing machine may be accommodated in the first vibration chamber 600a. The second vibration chamber 600b may be disposed on the outer periphery side of the pusher 300. A second vibrator 610b larger in size than the first vibrator 610a may be accommodated in the second vibration chamber 600b.
The first vibrator 610a and the second vibrator 610b have different sizes and may respond to vibrations of different magnitudes. Eventually, the first vibrator 610a and the second vibrator 610b may sense vibrations of different magnitudes generated in the washing machine.
As shown in
To this end, guide projections 620 may be provided on the bottom surface of the vibration chamber 600. The guide projections 620 may be provided in the form of ridges protruding upward from the bottom surface of the vibration chamber 600 and may guide the horizontal (x-direction or Y-direction) movement of the vibrator 610 into a vertical direction (Z-direction) movement thereof. Thus, even if the water storage tank 30 makes rotational movement while describing an elliptical trajectory, the vibrator 610 may sense changes in the center and displacement of the elliptical trajectory in real time and may reflect the center and displacement of the elliptical trajectory as the vibration of the water storage tank 30.
The operations of the washing machine of the present disclosure configured as above will be described below.
First, at the initial stage of a washing process, in order to maintain a water level suitable for accommodation in the water storage tank 30 (including the washing bucket), the water supply valve is opened according to the accommodation amount, thereby supplying water until the water level reaches a predetermined water level. At this time, if the core 400 of the water level/vibration sensor 10 is vertically moved in the internal space of the coil 500, the controller 60 may determine that water exists in the water storage tank 30, depending on the movement amount of the core 400.
For example, if water exists in the water storage tank 30, the air pressure corresponding to the water level in the water storage tank 30 is transferred to the diaphragm 200 of the water level/vibration sensor 10. Then, the diaphragm 200 is convexly deformed due to the air pressure. At this time, the convexly deformed diaphragm 200 pushes up the pusher 300, whereby the core 400 of the pusher 300 is also vertically moved upward. Therefore, the core 400 is moved upward along the internal space of the coil 500, namely the flow path of the sensor housing 100. In this case, the specific inductance of the coil 500 is changed depending on the upward movement amount of the core 400. The water level in the water storage tank 30 is measured through the amount of changes in the resonance frequency thus generated. If it is determined that the measured water level is at a level suitable for the predetermined accommodation amount, the controller 60 stops supplying water and performs a washing process.
Thereafter, if the washing process is completed and if the water is drained, the water level in the water storage tank 30 will be lowered and the air pressure is also lowered. Therefore, by virtue of the restoration force of the elastic spring 700, the core 400 is gradually moved down through the internal space of the coil 500 and is returned to the initial position. If the core 400 is returned to the initial position, the inductance of the coil 500 is reduced and the resonance frequency is also changed. This enables the controller 60 to determine the drain completion time.
Meanwhile, if a dewatering process is performed after a rinsing process, vibrations are generated in the washing bucket 40 due to the rotation of the driving motor 50. At this time, the water level/vibration sensor 10 may accurately sense the three-dimensional vibrations generated in the washing bucket 40.
For example, when the washing bucket 40 is rotated, the vibrator 610 of the water level/vibration sensor 10 is horizontally moved on the bottom surface of the vibration chamber 600 and is then vertically moved by the guide projections 620, thereby generating a vertical direction vibration inside the vibration chamber 600. At this time, the vertical direction vibration in the vibration chamber 600 is transferred to the diaphragm 200 of the water level/vibration sensor 10. As the pusher 300 is pushed up by the diaphragm 200, the core 400 is moved upward in the internal space of the coil 500. In response to the upward movement of the core 400, the specific inductance of the coil 500 is changed. Eventually, the vibration level of the washing bucket 40 is measured through the change amount of the resonance frequency.
If the vibration signal applied by the water level/vibration sensor 10 deviates from a predetermined permissible vibration range, the controller 60 determines that the vibration generated in the water storage tank 30 is at an excessive level. Then, the controller 60 applies a stop signal to stop operation of the driving motor 50 of the washing machine. This makes it possible to immediately stop the operation of the washing machine.
As described above, according to the embodiments of the present disclosure, the water level in the washing machine and the vibration may be sensed by a single sensor. It is therefore unnecessary to provide individual, separate, sensors for detecting both the water level in the washing machine and the vibration level. There is provided a vibrator capable of detecting a fine vibration in the washing machine. It is therefore possible to accurately sense the vibration level of the washing machine during the dewatering process. Three-dimensional vibrations generated in the washing machine are converted into the vertical motions of the vibrator. It is therefore possible to thoroughly detect the vibrations generated in the washing machine regardless of their directions.
Although exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, those skilled in the art will understand that the present disclosure may be implemented in various ways without changing the necessary features or the spirit of the present disclosure.
Therefore, it should be understood that the exemplary embodiments described above are not limiting, but only an example in all respects. The scope of the present disclosure is expressed by claims below, not the detailed description, and it should be construed that all changes and modifications achieved from the meanings and scope of claims and equivalent concepts are included in the scope of the present disclosure.
From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that various embodiments of the present disclosure have been described herein for purposes of illustration, and that various modifications may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. The exemplary embodiments disclosed in the specification of the present disclosure do not limit the present disclosure. The scope of the present disclosure will be interpreted by the claims below, and it will be construed that all techniques within the scope equivalent thereto belong to the scope of the present disclosure.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-2017-0074386 | Jun 2017 | KR | national |
