Washing Machine

Abstract

The present invention relates to a washing machine (1) comprising a motor (2), a main card (3) that provides the electronic control and a motor card (4) that enables the motor (2) to operate according to the commands provided by the main card (3).

Description

The present invention relates to a washing machine wherein the main card and the motor card communicate serially.

Washing machines can be operated with a universal motor (UMAC-UMDC) or a brushless motor (Brushless DC). Universal motors can be driven by the main card of the washing machine since their electronic controls are simple.

A separate electronic card is required to be used for the electrical controls of brushless motors. Data about the physical characteristics and operating principles of the motor such as the highest cycle speed, current bound, power, belt-pulley ratio are loaded in the motor card of the brushless motor. Along with the data about the washing machine like the display unit, data pertaining to the operation of the motor such as belt-pulley ratio and washing programs are loaded in the main card. Main card drives the motor by commanding the motor card.

Producing separate motor cards for each model employing different motors results in additional costs, though employing brushless motors increases the performance for the firms producing washing machines.

In the state of the art Japanese Patent Application No JP2001070686, the power consumption generated by the usage of a control card and a motor card in a washing machine, brush of which is driven by the motor, is mentioned.

Another embodiment known in the state of the art is explained in the European Patent Application No EP0684692. In this embodiment, compatible driving the motor to different model washing machines is provided by changing the position of the switches on the motor card.

In these state of the art embodiments, the control cards and motor cards used in different model washing machines are also required to be changed during production. Along with the compatibility and communication problems caused by the production of these cards different for each model, financial losses occur since time and old motor cards are wasted.

The aim of the present invention is the realization of a washing machine wherein production cost is reduced.

The washing machine realized in order to attain the aim of the present invention, explicated in the first claim and the respective claims thereof, comprises a Brushless DC motor, a main card enabling the control of the functions and components and a motor card enabling the operation of the motor in accordance with the commands (program duration, unbalanced load ratio, operation duration etc.) provided by the main card.

Characteristic features (current bound, power, belt-pulley ratio, torque data, the highest rotation speed etc.) related to the motor are loaded in the main card during the production phase of the washing machine. No information regarding the characteristic features of the motor is loaded in the motor card and the motor card drives the motor in accordance with the data about the characteristic features of the motor and to the operation commands provided by the main card.

The washing machine realized in order to attain the aim of the present invention is illustrated in the attached figures, where:

FIG. 1—is the schematic view of a washing machine.

FIG. 2—is the flowsheet of the parameter-loading algorithm used in an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3—is the flowsheet of the data exchange algorithm between the main card and the motor card.

FIG. 4—is the flowsheet of the diagnostic algorithm during the data exchange.

The elements illustrated in the figures are numbered as follows:

1. Washing Machine

2. Motor

3. Main Card

4. Motor Card

5. Communication Unit

The washing machine (1) of the present invention comprises

• • a Brushless DC motor (2),
  • a main card (3) providing the control of the functions and components of the washing machine (1),
  • a motor card (4) enabling the motor (2) to operate according to the commands (program duration, unbalanced load ratio, run duration etc.) provided by the main card (3).

Characteristic features (current bound, power, belt-pulley ratio, torque data, the highest rotation speed etc.) related to the motor (2) are loaded in the main card (3) during the production phase of the washing machine (1). No information regarding the characteristic features of the motor (2) is loaded in the motor card (4), the motor card (4) drives the motor (2) according to the data about the characteristic features of the motor (2) and to the operation commands provided by the main card (3).

Command units that will detect the commands coming from the main card (3) and transmit them to the motor (2) are provided on the motor card (4).

The motor (2) has different rotation speeds which are high during the spinning process and low during the washing process. The motor (2) rotation speed is determined by the values of motor (2) constant (k), angular speed, motor (2) resistor and the drawn current. The rotation speed varying in different motors (2) is loaded in the main card (3), thus a single motor card (4) can be used in different models of washing machines (1).

The starting torque amount required for the motor (2) to start rotating can vary between 10 Nm and 20 Nm in different motors (2), having different values during washing and spinning periods. By loading the starting torque data for the motor (2) in the main card (3), a single motor card (4) is enabled to be used for motors (2) having different torques.

The clothes clung to the wall of the drum during the spinning process create unbalanced load. Said imbalance makes the rotational movement of the drum difficult. As the imbalance increases, the operation of the motor (2) gets degraded and therefore the motor draws more current. Since the data about the bound of the highest current that can be drawn during unbalanced load are loaded in the main card (3), a single motor card (4) is used for motors (2) having different current bound values.

By loading the characteristic features of the motor (2) such as rotation speed, torque data and bound of the highest current that can be drawn in the main card (3), a single motor card (4) is used for different motors (2) used in different models of the washing machine (1).

The washing machine (1) of the present invention comprises a communication unit (5) that exchanges data diagnostically between the main card (3) and the motor card (4). The communication unit (5) provides each loaded parameter regarding the motor (2) to be sent from the main card (3) to the motor card (4).

The motor card (4) responds the commands provided by the main card (3) only after the loading of the parameters is completed.

The parameter loading algorithm from the main card (3) to the motor card (4) comprises the following steps (FIG. 2):

• • starting the algorithm by starting the washing machine (1) (200)
  • importing the characteristic features of the motor (2) from the main card (3) by calling the parameter set regarding the motor (2) from the memory (201)
  • sending the parameter set from the main card (3) to the motor card (4) (202)
  • querying whether all of the parameters are loaded to the motor card (4) or not (203)
  • sending the next parameter if the parameter loading is not yet finished (205)
  • starting the Normal operating program if the parameter loading is completed (206).

The data exchange method between the main card (3) and the motor card (4) comprises the following steps :

• • calling the parameters and commands from the memory that will be sent from the main card (3) to the motor card (4) (300)
  • querying all of the commands and parameters whether they are sent or not (301)
  • sending the next command if the command sending is not yet finished (302)
  • controlling the response receiving if the command sending is finished (303)
  • proceeding with the sending the response if the response sending is not yet finished (304)
  • returning to the first step in order to send the new command if the response sending is completed (300) (FIG. 3).

The diagnostic method during the data exchange between the main card (3) and the motor card (4) comprises the following steps (FIG. 4):

• • checking errors that may occur during the data exchange (400)
  • checking the required response time to the commands in case the given period of time (tc) is exceeded (401)
  • proceeding with the next command (402) if tc is not exceeded, else proceeding with the step of checking the error repetition rate (403)
  • controlling the command (300) sent from the main card (3) to the motor card (4) whether the command has the total byte length as required (402)
  • proceeding with the next step (404) if the command has the total byte length as required, else proceeding with the step of checking the error repetition rate (403)
  • checking if there are any commands other than the commands (300) expected to be sent from the main card (3) to the motor card (4) (404)
  • proceeding with the next step (405) if there is not any other command, else proceeding with the step of checking the error repetition rate (403)
  • resetting the motor card (4) if the predetermined error repetition count goes down to zero (405)
  • realizing the command sent from the main card (3) to the motor card (4) (406).

If the number of resets of the motor card (4) exceeds the predetermined number, the user is warned and the washing machine (1) is shut down. By means of the communication unit (5) exchanging diagnostic data of the present invention, the motor (2) is prevented from malfunctioning and the user safety is provided.

The motor card (4) used in the washing machine (1) of the present invention is compatible for operating with the structure of the washing machine (1) in different models since no data parameter is previously loaded in the motor card (4). Thus the model of the washing machine (1) can be produced only by changing the main card (3) and without the requirement of any other compatibility testing.

Claims

1-7. (canceled)

8. A washing machine comprising: a brushless DC motor; a main card providing control of a plurality of functions and components of the washing machine; a motor card enabling the motor to operate according to a plurality of commands provided by the main card; characterized by

a plurality of characteristic features about the motor are loaded in the main card during production of the washing machine, and

the plurality of characteristic features related to the motor do not appear on the motor card during production and the motor card drives the motor according to the plurality of characteristic features and operational commands sent from the main card.

9. The washing machine according to claim 8, wherein the motor card responds to the plurality of commands coming from the main card only after a loading of parameters containing the features of the motor is finished.

10. The washing machine according to claim 8, wherein rotation speed data of the motor during washing and spinning periods are among the plurality of characteristic features of the motor that are loaded on the main card.

11. The washing machine according to claim 9, wherein rotation speed data of the motor during washing and spinning periods are among the plurality of characteristic features of the motor that are loaded on the main card.

12. The washing machine accordingly to claim 8, wherein torque data required for the motor to start are among the characteristic features of the motor that are loaded on the main card.

13. The washing machine according to claim 8, wherein data about a bound of a highest current that the motor can draw when an unbalanced load occurs during spinning are among the characteristic features of the motor that are loaded on the main card.

14. The washing machine according to claim 8, further comprising a communication unit that provides data exchange with diagnostics between the main card and the motor card.

15. The washing machine according to claim 8, wherein the motor card is reset and starts reoperation when an error is found as a result of a total length of commands control and of a sequential communication check.