EP0441984A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Washing machine
Assignee: Panasonic Holdings Corp
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Filing: 1990-09-05
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2010-09-05
Abstract
Abstract A washing machine provided with a cleaning sensor (9) detecting the degree of dirtiness of washing water and with a washing-time-inference device (14) to determine a length of washing time dependently on the fuzzy inference theory after a length of time required for a value detected by the cleaning sensor (9) to become saturated and a detected value at the time of the saturation are inputted to the device, wherein the degree and nature of dirtiness usually judged by the user are inputted in terms of the detected value at the time when the value in the cleaning sensor (9) becomes saturated and the length of time until saturation, and a rule used by the user to determine the length of washing time on the basis of the dirtiness condition (degree and nature of contamination) is established dependently on the fuzzy theory, whereby a length of time for washing to be determined by the washing-time-inference device can be made equal to that determined by experience and know-how of the user, and a delicate washing under optimum conditions comparable to that offered by the user is possible.
Inventors
- 👤 Shinji A-302 Kondoh
- 👤 Shuji Abe
- 👤 Haruo Terai
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 00:15
CPC Classifications
D; D06; D06F; D06F34/00; D06F34/14; D06F34/22; D06F2101/00; D06F2101/02; D06F2101/04; D06F2101/14; D06F2103/00; D06F2103/02; D06F2103/04; D06F2103/18; D06F2103/20; D06F2103/38; D06F2105/00; D06F2105/02; D06F2105/52; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S706/00; Y10S706/90
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
55 words
A washing machine characterized in that it is provided with a cleaning sensor detecting the degree of the soiling of the laundry and a washing time inference unit which accepts a time through which the detected value of said cleaning sensor reaches its saturation and the detected value at that time as the input thereof.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
196 words
A washing machine in which, in claim 1, the washing time inference unit is comprised of a saturation time membership value arithmetic processing means for obtaining a membership value of the saturation time through which the detected value of the cleaning sensor reaches its saturation and a saturation time membership function, a detected value membership value arithmetic processing means for obtaining a membership value of the detected value of the cleaning sensor and a detected value membership function, an assumption part minimum arithmetic processing means for obtaining an assumption part membership value by selecting a smaller one from two membership values obtained by said two arithmetic processing means, a conclusion part minimum arithmetic processing means for obtaining conclusions for all washing time inference rules by arithmetically processing a minimum of said assumption part membership value and the washing time membership function, a center-of-gravity arithmetic processing means for obtaining a center of gravity of conclusions of all the rules, a saturation time membership function memory means, detected value membership function memory means, and a washing time membership function memory means, which are all for memorizing said respective membership function, and a washing time inference rule memory means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
22 words
A washing machine in which, in claim 2, the detected value membership function is constituted with a weighted monotonous type membership function.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
78 words
A washing machine which is provided with a cleaning sensor detecting the degree of soiling of laundry, a cloth amount sensor detecting the quantity of the laundry, a timer measuring the washing time and the rinse time, and a water flow inference unit for making the fuzzy inference on the washing water flow and the rinse water flow with having detected values of said cleaning sensor and said cloth amount sensor and a timer value as its input.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
94 words
A washing machine which is provided with a cloth amount sensor detecting the quantity of the laundry, a water level inference unit for making the fuzzy inference on the water-supply predetermined water level from the detected value of said cloth amount sensor, a water level sensor detecting the water level, a water supply valve control means controlling a water supply valve by means of comparison between the detected value of said water level sensor and the water-supply predetermined water level that is a result of the inference done by said water level inference unit.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
99 words
A washing machine which is provided with a manual-setting input part accepting manual inputs by an operator on the sort and quantity, a cloth amount sensor detecting the amount of the cloth, a cleaning sensor detecting the degree of soiling, a washing condition inference unit determining various washing conditions with having informations from said manual-setting input part and detected values from said cloth amount sensor and said cleaning sensor as its input, and a control part controlling a motor, a water supply valve, and a drain valve responding to various washing conditions determined by said washing condition inference unit.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
77 words
A washing machine which is provided with a manual-setting input part accepting manual inputs by an operator on the water volume and the extent of soiling, a cloth amount sensor detecting the amount of the cloth, and a water level determination means determining the washing water volume and rinse water volume by the fuzzy inference with having, as its input, the detected value of said cloth amount sensor and the information obtained from said manual-setting input part.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
72 words
A washing machine which is provided with a manual-setting input part accepting manual inputs by an operator on the washing mode, a cloth amount sensor detecting the amount of the cloth, and a water flow determination means determining the washing water flow and rinse water flow by the fuzzy inference with having, as its input, the detected value of said cloth amount sensor and the information obtained from said manual-setting input part.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
79 words
A washing machine which is provided with a manual-setting input part accepting manual inputs by an operator on the extent of soiling, a cloth amount sensor detecting the amount of the cloth, a cleaning sensor detecting the extent of soiling, and a washing time determination means determining the washing time and the rinse time by the fuzzy inference with having, as its input, the detected values of said various sensors and the information obtained from said manual-setting input part.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
93 words
A washing machine which is provided with a manual-setting input part accepting manual inputs by an operator the water volume and the extent of soiling, a cloth amount sensor detecting the amount of the cloth, a cleaning sensor detecting the extent of soiling, and a fuzzy inference unit making multiple-stage inference and determining various washing conditions of water level, washing time, rinse time, washing water flow, and rinse water flow and others with having, as its input, the detected values of those various sensors and the information obtained from said manual-setting input part.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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