Washer dryer machine and control method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10934657-B2
Application number	US-201815898218-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 15, 2018
Priority date	Mar 16, 2017
Publication date	Mar 2, 2021
Grant date	Mar 2, 2021

Abstract

A washing machine includes: a drum that rotates with a washing or drying object contained in the drum; a motor that rotationally drives the drum; a controller that controls rotation of the motor; and an electric current measurer that measures an electric current value representing an electric current flowing in the motor. The controller controls the rotation of the motor to rotate the drum less than one turn, and in accordance with the measured electric current value, detects whether a foreign object that is different from the object and whose mass is greater than an expected mass of the object is inside the drum. In a case where the controller detects the foreign object, the controller stops operation of the washing machine.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A washer dryer machine that washes or dries an object, the washer dryer machine comprising:
a drum configured to rotate with the washing or drying object contained in the drum;
a motor configured to rotationally drive the drum;
an electric current measurer configured to measure an electric current value representing an electric current flowing in the motor;
a communicator configured to receive, from an external device, a laundry reservation instruction to reserve time at which to make the washer dryer machine start washing the object, or a laundry start instruction to make the washer dryer machine start washing the object; and
a controller configured to:
set a remote control mode to allow an external device connected to the washer dryer machine via a network to remotely control the washer dryer machine,
control first rotation of the motor to rotate the drum less than one turn when the remote control mode is set,
measure first drive current during the first rotation by the electric current measurer,
store the measured first drive current in a storage,
control second rotation of the motor to rotate the drum less than one turn when the communicator receives the laundry reservation instruction or the laundry start instruction, before the reserve time at which to make the washer dryer machine start washing the object, or before the washer dryer machine starts washing the object,
measure second drive current during the second rotation by the electric current measurer,
calculate a difference between the measured second drive current and the first drive current stored in the storage,
detect whether a foreign object having a mass greater than an expected mass of the washing or drying object is inside the drum based on the calculated difference, and
stop the rotation of the motor when detecting the foreign object.

2. The washer dryer machine according to claim 1 , wherein
the controller configured to control the first rotation and the second rotation of the motor to rotate the drum less than a half turn.

3. The washer dryer machine according to claim 1 , wherein
the controller configured to control the first rotation and the second rotation of the motor to rotate the drum at a rotation speed that is slower than a rotation speed at which the drum rotates to detect an amount of the object.

4. The washer dryer machine according to claim 1 , wherein
in a case where the calculated difference is greater than a predetermined threshold, the controller is configured to detect the foreign object inside the drum.

5. The washer dryer machine according to claim 1 , further comprising
an output device that, in a case where the foreign object is detected, notifies that the drum contains the foreign object.

6. The washer dryer machine according to claim 1 , wherein
the controller is further configured to detect an amount of the object in accordance with the measured electric current value, and to detect whether the foreign object is inside the drum before detecting the amount of the object.

7. The washer dryer machine according to claim 1 , wherein
when the foreign object is detected, the communicator sends the external device notification information notifying that the drum contains the foreign object.

8. The washer dryer machine according to claim 7 , wherein
after sending the external device the notification information, the communicator receives from the external device a foreign object detection instruction to make the controller again detect whether the foreign object is inside the drum, and
when the communicator receives the foreign object detection instruction, the controller configured to again control the second rotation of the motor to rotate the drum less than one turn, and in accordance with the second drive current again measured during the second rotation by the electric current measurer, to again detect whether the foreign object is inside the drum.

9. The washer dryer machine according to claim 1 , wherein
the drum has a rotation center axis extending in a horizontal direction, or a rotation center axis extending in an inclined direction that is inclined with respect to the horizontal direction.

10. A method of controlling a washer dryer machine that washes or dries an object, the washer dryer machine including:
a drum configured to rotate with the washing or drying object contained in the drum;
a motor configured to rotationally drive the drum;
a controller configured to control rotation of the motor;
an electric current measurer configured to measure an electric current value representing an electric current flowing in the motor; and
a communicator configured to receive, from an external device, a laundry reservation instruction to reserve time at which to make the washer dryer machine start washing the object, or a laundry start instruction to make the washer dryer machine start washing the object,
the method comprising:
setting a remote control mode to allow an external device connected to the washer dryer machine via a network to remotely control the washer dryer machine,
controlling first rotation of the motor in order to rotate the drum less than one turn when the remote control mode is set,
measuring first drive current during the first rotation by the electric current measurer,
storing the measured first drive current in a storage,
control second rotation of the motor to rotate the drum less than one turn when the communicator receives the laundry reservation instruction or the laundry start instruction, before the reserve time at which to make the washer dryer machine start washing the object, or before the washer dryer machine starts washing the object,
measuring second drive current during the second rotation by the electric current measurer,
calculating a difference between the measured second drive current and the first drive current stored in the storage,
detecting whether a foreign object having a mass greater than an expected mass of the washing or drying object is inside the drum based on the calculated difference, and
stopping the rotation of the motor when detecting the foreign object.

11. The method of controlling according to claim 10 , wherein the first rotation and the second rotation of the motor are controlled to rotate the drum less than a half turn.

12. The method of controlling according to claim 10 , further comprising controlling the first rotation and the second rotation of the motor to rotate the drum at a rotation speed that is slower than a rotation speed at which the drum rotates to detect an amount of the object.

13. The method of controlling in according to claim 10 wherein, in the detecting, the foreign object inside the drum is detected when the calculated difference is greater than a predetermined threshold.

14. The method of controlling according to claim 10 , further comprising, when the foreign object is detected, outputting a notification signal indicating that the drum contains the foreign object.

15. The method of controlling according to claim 10 , further comprising detecting an amount of the object in accordance with the measured electric current value and detecting whether the foreign object is inside the drum before detecting the amount of the object.

16. The method of controlling according to claim 10 , the drum of the washer dryer machine having a rotation axis extending in a horizontal direction, or having a rotation axis extending in a direction inclined with respect to the horizontal direction.

Assignees

• Panasonic Ip Man Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kamiyama Teruo
• Nakaso Mariko
• Sakamoto Kazuki
• Sugimoto Hiroko

Classifications

• D06F37/42 Primary

  Safety arrangements, e.g. for stopping rotation of the receptacle upon opening of the casing door · CPC title

• D06F2105/62

  Stopping or disabling machine operation · CPC title

• D06F2105/48

  Drum speed · CPC title

• D06F2103/44

  Current or voltage · CPC title

• D06F34/18 Primary

  Condition of the laundry, e.g. nature or weight · CPC title