Washing appliance and determination method for locking a drum of washing appliance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11891745-B2
Application number	US-202017636058-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 19, 2020
Priority date	Aug 20, 2019
Publication date	Feb 6, 2024
Grant date	Feb 6, 2024

Abstract

Washing appliance and a determination method for locking of a drum thereof. The washing appliance includes a drum for containing washing water, a drum motor for driving the drum to rotate and a locking structure for locking the drum. The drum motor drives the drum to rotate at a set power output, the locking structure generates a locking action for locking the drum, and until an output current of the drum motor is larger than a rated current, it is determined that the drum is locked by the locking structure; by comparing the output current of the drum motor with the rated current, until the output current of the drum motor is larger than the rated current. Whether the drum is locked by the locking structure or not can be accurately determined through the above determination, and therefore the drum locking accuracy can be improved.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A determination method for locking of a drum of a washing appliance, wherein the washing appliance comprising a drum motor for driving the drum to rotate and a locking structure, the determination method comprising:
driving the drum to rotate at a set power output by the drum motor;
locking the drum by the locking structure;
wherein the drum motor drives the drum to continuously rotate at the set power output;
determining whether or not the drum is locked by the locking structure by comparing a rated current I 0 of the drum motor with an output current I 1 of the drum motor after the drum has been driven to rotate for a time t;
wherein the drum is determined to be locked by the locking structure when I 1 >I 0 ; and
wherein the locking structure is determined to have failed to lock the drum when I 1 <I 0 .

2. The determination method for locking of the drum of the washing appliance according to claim 1 , wherein the locking structure comprises a bolt, and a locking motor for driving the bolt to stretch out and draw back in a radial direction, and a rotor of the drum motor is provided with a locking groove;
wherein after the drum rotates for the time t, the bolt of the locking structure is aligned with the locking groove, the locking motor drives the bolt to be inserted into the locking groove, and the drum is locked by the locking structure.

3. The determination method for locking of the drum of the washing appliance according to claim 2 , wherein after determining that the locking structure has failed to lock the drum, the locking motor drives the bolt to be detached from the drum motor, the bolt is reset, the drum motor drives the drum to continuously rotate at the set power output, and it is determined again whether or not the drum is locked by the locking structure.

4. The determination method for locking of the drum of the washing appliance according to claim 3 , comprising:
S1, driving the drum to rotate by the drum motor at the set power output, locking the drum by the locking structure, driving the drum to continuously rotate by the drum motor at the set power output;
S2, comparing the output current value I 1 of the drum motor after rotating for the time t with the rated current I 0 , and if I 1 >I 0 , executing step S3; and if I 1 <I 0 , executing step S5;
S3, if it is determined that the locking motor drives the bolt to be inserted into the locking groove and the drum is locked by the locking structure, executing step S4;
S4, powering off the drum motor to stop working; and
S5, driving the bolt to be detached from the drum motor by the locking motor, resetting the bolt, and driving the drum to continuously rotate at the set power output by the drum motor, and executing the step S1 again.

5. The determination method for locking of the drum of the washing appliance according to claim 2 , wherein, after the bolt is inserted into the locking groove to lock the drum, the drum motor is powered off to stop working.

6. The determination method for locking of the drum of the washing appliance according to claim 1 , wherein the drum motor receives a stop command, a power of the drum motor is reduced to a set power, and the drum motor drives the drum to rotate at the set power output.

7. The determination method for locking of the drum of the washing appliance according to claim 1 , wherein if it is detected that the locking structure has failed to lock the drum more than a pre-set number of times, then the locking structure stops locking, and the washing appliance sends out an alarm signal.

8. A washing appliance, comprising:
a drum for containing washing water;
a drum motor for driving the drum to rotate; and
a locking structure for locking the drum;
wherein a determination method for locking of the drum of the washing appliance comprises:
driving the drum to continuously rotate at a set power output by the drum motor;
locking the drum by the locking structure;
determining whether or not the drum is locked by the locking structure by comparing a rated current I 0 of the drum motor with an output current I 1 of the drum motor after the drum has rotated for a time t;
wherein the drum is determined to be locked by the locking structure when I 1 >I 0 ; and
wherein the locking structure is determined to have failed to lock the drum when I 1 <I 0 .

9. The washing appliance according to claim 8 , wherein the drum is a closed container for containing washing water when the washing appliance executes a washing program.

10. The washing appliance according to claim 8 , wherein the drum is rotatably mounted in an outer barrel of the washing appliance, and the locking structure is mounted on the outer barrel; wherein the locking structure comprises a bolt, and a locking motor for driving the bolt to stretch out and draw back in a radial direction, wherein a rotor of the drum motor is provided with a locking groove matched with the bolt, and wherein the bolt is inserted into or detached from the locking groove under the drive of the locking motor.

Assignees

• Qingdao Haier Laundry Electric Appliances Co Ltd
• Haier Smart Home Co Ltd

Inventors

• Zhao Zhiqiang
• Xu Sheng

Classifications

• D06F37/302 Primary

  Automatic drum positioning · CPC title

• D06F37/04 Primary

  adapted for rotation or oscillation about a horizontal or inclined axis · CPC title

• D06F37/42

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

• D06F2103/46

  of the motor driving the drum · CPC title

• D06F2105/46

  Drum speed; Actuation of motors, e.g. starting or interrupting · CPC title