Abstract: An operation control device for a washing machine incorporating electrical equipment such as a motor and electromagnetic valves includes a sub microcomputer for controlling the electrical equipment incorporated in the washing machine and a host microcomputer supplying control commands to the sub microcomputer to control the same. The host microcomputer determines whether or not a control sequence of the washing machine has reached a stage where the incorporated electrical equipment are to be controlled by the sub microcomputer and then, supplies a reset signal to the sub microcomputer to reset the same when a result of the determination signifies a negative.

Abstract: A clothes washing machine includes an agitator driven for agitating clothes to be washed, a dc brushless motor for driving the agitator and a microcomputer-based control device. A voltage applied to the motor can be varied in accordance with a voltage value command delivered from the control device. The number of revolution of the motor is detected and compared with a reference number of revolution for determination of whether the motor is locked or not. When the control device sequentially detects at a predetermined number of times that the number of revolution of the motor is equal to or below the reference number of revolution or below, it is determined that the motor is locked.

Abstract: A dehydrator includes a dehydration basket for containing clothes to be dehydrated, a variable speed motor such as a dc brushless motor for driving the dehydration basket so that the basket is rotated for dehydrating the clothes, and a microcomputer-based control device controlling rotational speed of the motor so that the rotational speed of the motor is increased stepwise when a dehydration operation is initiated.

Abstract: A clothes washing machine includes an agitator driven for agitating clothes to be washed, a dc brushless motor for driving the agitator and a microcomputer-based control device. A voltage applied to the motor can be varied in accordance with a voltage value command delivered from the control device. The number of revolution of the motor is detected and compared with a reference number of revolution for determination of whether the motor is locked or not. When the control device sequentially detects at a predetermined number of times that the number of revolution of the motor is equal to or below the reference number of revolution or below, it is determined that the motor is locked.

Abstract: A washing machine installed with a brushless motor for driving an agitator and an inner tub includes a storage device storing a data table representative of a plurality of preselected rotational speed values and values of voltage applied to the brushless motor driven at each preselected speed with respect to every different load applied to the brushless motor, a load amount determining device, a control device determining the voltage applied to the motor based on the data table when one preselected speed is selected with an operating switch. An amount of load is determined when one preselected speed is selected. A suitable value of applied voltage is selected which value has a predetermined relation to the preselected speed selected in the condition of the determined amount of load. The amount of load is determined by collating the load amount and the number of revolution with the data table.