Control method for automatically positioning inner tub

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10415172-B2
Application number	US-201515559666-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 23, 2015
Priority date	Mar 20, 2015
Publication date	Sep 17, 2019
Grant date	Sep 17, 2019

Abstract

A control method for automatically positioning an inner tub. When the inner tub rotates to a certain position, a positioning pin at the bottom of an outer tub is released to press against the bottom of the inner tub, the inner tub continues to rotate, and when a positioning hole at the bottom of the inner tub is aligned with the positioning pin, the positioning pin stretches into the positioning hole, and thus the inner tub is locked. After the positioning pin is released, the inner tub continues to rotate under the effect of inertia, or the inner tub continues to rotate under the drive of a motor, when the inner tub rotates to the position where the positioning hole is aligned with the positioning pin, the positioning pin stretches into the positioning hole to achieve automatic positioning and locking of the inner tub.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A control method for automatically positioning an inner tub, comprising:
weighing a load loaded in the inner tub to determine a weight of the load, and determining an angle α at which the inner tub continues rotating under its own inertia at a speed v according to the weight of the load;
rotating the inner tub by a motor and stopping operation of the motor;
when the inner tub rotates to a position where an included angle between a positioning hole formed in a bottom of the inner tub and a positioning pin arranged at a bottom of an outer tub is less than or equal to α, the positioning pin being released to press against the bottom of the inner tub, and the inner tub continues rotating, and
when the inner tub rotates to a position where the positioning hole is aligned with the positioning pin, the positioning pin stretches into the positioning hole, and the inner tub is locked.

2. The control method for automatically positioning the inner tub according to claim 1 , wherein, after the positioning pin is released, the inner tub continues rotating under drive of a motor, and
when the inner tub rotates to the position where the positioning hole is aligned with the positioning pin, the positioning pin stretches into the positioning hole, and the inner tub is locked, and then the motor stops rotating.

3. The control method for automatically positioning the inner tub according to claim 2 , wherein the positioning pin stretches into the positioning hole to trigger a detection switch arranged in the positioning hole so as to control the motor to stop rotating.

4. The control method for automatically positioning the inner tub according to claim 1 , wherein, after the positioning pin is released, a motor stops rotating, and the inner tub continues rotating by its own inertia, and
when the inner tub rotates to the position where the positioning hole is aligned with the positioning pin, the positioning pin stretches into the positioning hole, and the inner tub is locked.

5. A control method for automatically positioning an inner tub, the inner tub having been rotated by a motor, and the motor subsequently stopping operation, the method comprising the following steps:
step 1, weighing a load loaded in the inner tub to determine a weight of the load, and determining an angle α according to the weight of the load, wherein after the motor stops operating, the inner tub continues rotating under its own inertia at a speed v by the angle α;
step 2, controlling the motor to drive the inner tub at the speed v, and when the inner tub rotates to a position where an included angle between the positioning hole and the positioning pin is less than or equal to α, the positioning pin is released, and the motor stops operating; and
step 3, the positioning pin presses against the bottom of the inner tub, the inner tub continues rotating under the effect of inertia, and when the inner tub rotates to the position where the positioning hole is aligned with the positioning pin, the positioning pin automatically stretches into the positioning hole, and the inner tub is positioned.

6. The control method for automatically positioning the inner tub according to claim 5 , wherein angles α corresponding to various speeds and loads are measured through tests and written into a program of the washing machine, and
in the step 1, angle α is retrieved according to the speed and the load acquired by weighing.

7. The control method for automatically positioning the inner tub according to claim 5 , wherein, in the step 2, a moment that the motor stops operating is determined by determining an operation time of the motor as the inner tub rotates from the position A to the position where the included angle between the positioning hole and the positioning pin is less than or equal to α.

8. The control method for automatically positioning the inner tub according to claim 7 , wherein, the motor is controlled to drive the inner tub at the speed v, and an operation time of the motor as the inner tub rotates for one round is t1 and satisfies t1=360°/v;
from a time when the positioning hole passes by the positioning pin to a time when the included angle between the positioning hole and the positioning pin is equal to the angle α, an operation time of the motor is t2 and satisfies t2=(360°−α)/v;
and in the step 2, timing is started when the positioning hole passes by the positioning pin, and an operation time of the motor until the motor stops operating is t and satisfies t2≤t≤t1.

9. The control method for automatically positioning the inner tub according to claim 5 , wherein angles α corresponding to various speeds and loads, and an operation time t3 of the motor as the inner tub rotates from the position A to the position where the included angle between the positioning hole and the positioning pin is equal to α are measured through tests, and correspondingly written into the program of the washing machine;
and in the step 2, the operation time t3 is retrieved according to the speed and the load, and the moment that the motor stops operating is determined.

10. The control method for automatically positioning the inner tub according to claim 5 , wherein, in the step 2, an angle α1 corresponding to a minimum load is retrieved, and
when the inner tub rotates to the position where the included angle between the positioning hole and the positioning pin is less than or equal to the angle α1, the positioning pin is released, and the motor is controlled to stop operating.

11. The control method for automatically positioning the inner tub according to claim 8 , wherein t=t2.

12. The control method for automatically positioning the inner tub according to claim 5 , wherein the motor is controlled to drive the inner tub at the speed v, and an operation time of the motor as the inner tub rotates for one round is t1 and satisfies t1=360°/v;
from a time when the positioning hole passes by the positioning pin to a time when the included angle between the positioning hole and the positioning pin is equal to the angle α, an operation time of the motor is t2 and satisfies t2=(360°−α)/v;
and in the step 2, timing is started when the positioning hole passes by the positioning pin, and an operation time of the motor until the motor stops operating is t and satisfies t2≤t≤t1.

13. The control method for automatically positioning the inner tub according to claim 7 , wherein angles α corresponding to various speeds and loads, and an operation time t3 of the motor as the inner tub rotates from the position A to the position where the included angle between the positioning hole and the positioning pin is equal to α are measured through tests, and correspondingly written into the program of the washing machine;
and in the step 2, the operation time t3 is retrieved according to the speed and the load, and the moment that the motor stops rotating operating is determined.

14. The control method for automatically positioning the inner tub according to claim 6 , wherein, in the step 2, an angle α1 corresponding to a minimum load is retrieved, and
when the inner tub rotates to the position where the included angle between the positioning hole and the positioning pin is less than or equal to the angle α1, the positioning pin is released, and the motor is controlled to stop operating.

Assignees

• Qingdao Haier Washing Mach Co

Inventors

• Lv Peishi
• Yang Lin
• Xu Wenting
• Fang Dafeng
• Tian Yun
• Shao Mingyan

Classifications

• D06F37/267

  Tubs specially adapted for mounting thereto components or devices not provided for in preceding subgroups (D06F37/206 takes precedence) · CPC title

• D06F37/12

  adapted for rotation or oscillation about a vertical axis · CPC title

• D06F23/04

  and rotating or oscillating about a vertical axis · CPC title

• D06F37/302 Primary

  Automatic drum positioning · CPC title

• D06F37/26

  Casings; Tubs · CPC title