The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 09, 2000
Filed:
Aug. 31, 1998
Masahiro Imai, Tajimi, JP;
Kazunobu Nagai, Aichi-gun, JP;
Hiroshi Ikeda, Seto, JP;
Yoshiyuku Makino, Seto, JP;
Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Kanagawa, JP;
Abstract
A full-automatic washing machine includes an outer tub, a rotatable tub rotatably mounted in the outer tub, an agitator rotatably mounted in the rotatable tub, and a brushless motor for direct driving at least one of the rotatable tub and the agitator. The brushless motor including windings of a plurality of phases and a rotor. Also, the washing machine includes rotor position detecting elements to detect a rotational position of the rotor. The rotor position detecting element are less in number than the phases of the motor. An energizing signal forming element to generate a sinusoidal energizing signal for each of the phases based on the detected rotational position of the rotor. Last, a driving element to energize the windings of the phases based on the energizing signals.