AU2011351584A1

AU2011351584A1 - A washing machine with self-cleaning feature

Info

Publication number: AU2011351584A1
Application number: AU2011351584A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Engin Bayatli; Omer Dogan
Original assignee: Arcelik AS
Current assignee: Arcelik AS
Priority date: 2010-12-29
Filing date: 2011-12-22
Publication date: 2013-07-18
Anticipated expiration: 2031-12-22
Also published as: RU2013135272A; AU2011351584B2; CN103380243B; WO2012089628A1; RU2560352C2; CN103380243A; EP2659046A1

Abstract

In the washing machine (1) of the present invention, when the self-cleaning program is started by the control unit (7), it is detected if there is any load in the drum (2); if load is detected, the self-cleaning program is stopped.

Description

WO 2012/089628 PCT/EP2011/073861 1 Description A WASHING MACHINE WITH SELF-CLEANING FEATURE [0001] The present invention relates to a washing machine with self-cleaning feature. [0002] In washing machines, special programs are used in order to clean the surfaces that the washing liquid contacts. These programs, called self-cleaning programs, have different conditions than other programs wherein laundry cleaning processes are realized. High water temperatures, sudden and variable drum movements, high drum rotation speeds, etc. are realized during self-cleaning programs. Thus, when the self-cleaning program is operated in the washing machine, there has to be no load in the drum, that is the drum has to be empty. If the self-cleaning program is realized in a drum with load therein, both the washing machine and the laundry in the drum are damaged. Some of the state of the art methods used for detecting if there is any load in the drum when the self-cleaning program is started by the user are described below. [0003] In the state of the art European Patent Application No. EP 1 860 226 B1, a washing machine operated according to the self-cleaning program is described. [0004] In the state of the art International Patent Application No. WO 2007/073012 Al, a washing machine operated according to the self-cleaning program is described. [0005] The aim of the present invention is the realization of a washing machine wherein it is effectively detected if there is any load in the drum at the beginning of the self-cleaning program. [0006] The washing machine realized in order to attain the aim of the present invention, explicated in the claims, comprises a control unit providing to detect if there is any load in the drum at the beginning of the self-cleaning program. [0007] When the self-cleaning program is selected by the user, the control unit checks three conditions in order to determine if there is any load in the drum, and if the control unit receives data stating that there is no load, it starts the self-cleaning program, if not, it does not realize the self-cleaning WO 2012/089628 PCT/EP2011/073861 2 program and warns the user. [0008] The control unit controls if there is any load that has water-absorption feature in the drum, controls if there is any unbalanced load in the drum and controls if there is any balanced load in the drum. If load is detected in at least one control, the control unit stops the self-cleaning program. The said controls are realized in any order. [0009] In order to control if there is any load that has water-absorption feature in the drum when the self-cleaning program is selected by the user, the washing machine of the present invention is operated by the control unit according to a method comprising the steps below: taking water in until the water level in the tub reaches the level that dampens the laundry without the laundry being saturated by opening the valve; measuring the pressure by the pressure sensor; rotating the drum by controlling the motor; measuring the pressure again by the pressure sensor after the drum is rotated; stopping the self-cleaning program after deciding that there is load in the drum if the second pressure value is lower than the first pressure value. [0010] In order to control if there is any unbalanced load in the drum when the self-cleaning program is selected by the user, the washing machine of the present invention is operated by the control unit according to a method comprising the steps below: discharging the water, if there is any water in the tub; rotating the drum by means of the motor at a speed predetermined by the producer and recorded in the memory thereof, lower than the resonance speed; detecting the unbalanced load; stopping the self-cleaning program if the detected unbalanced load is bigger than the unbalanced load value predetermined by the producer and recorded in the memory thereof. [0011] In order to control if there is any balanced load in the drum when the self-cleaning program is selected by the user, the washing machine of the present invention is operated by the control unit according to a method comprising the steps below: rotating the drum by means of the motor at least at a speed whereat the load is provided to stick onto the inner wall of the drum; stopping the motor; detecting the stopping time of the motor; WO 2012/089628 PCT/EP2011/073861 3 stopping the self-cleaning program if the stopping time of the motor is lower than the stopping time predetermined by the producer and recorded in the memory thereof. [0012] In an embodiment of the present invention, the control unit firstly controls if there is any load that has water-absorption feature in the drum, secondly controls if there is any unbalanced load in the drum and thirdly controls if there is any balanced load in the drum, in that order. If load is detected at any stage, the self-cleaning program is stopped. [0013] By means of the present invention, load is provided to be detected precisely and without error before the starting of the self-cleaning program. The load in the drum is detected by the control unit, even if it is balanced or unbalanced, or it absorbs water or not. [0014] A washing machine realized in order to attain the aim of the present invention is illustrated in the attached figure, where: [0015] Figure 1 - is the schematic view of a washing machine. [0016] The elements illustrated in the figures are numbered as follows: 1. Washing machine 2. Drum 3. Tub 4. Valve 5. Pressure sensor 6. Motor 7. Control unit [0017] The washing machine (1) of the present invention that has self-cleaning feature comprises a drum (2) wherein the laundry to be washed is placed and a control unit (7) processing the self-cleaning program (Figure 1). [0018] When the self-cleaning program is selected by the user, the control unit (7) checks three conditions in order to determine if there is any load in the drum (2), and if the control unit (7) receives data stating that there is no load in the whole, it starts the self-cleaning program, if not, it does not realize the self-cleaning program and warns the user. [0019] Before starting the self-cleaning program, the control unit (7) controls if there is any load that has water-absorption feature in the drum (2), WO 2012/089628 PCT/EP2011/073861 4 controls if there is any unbalanced load in the drum (2) and controls if there is any balanced load in the drum (2). If load is detected in at least one control, the self-cleaning program is stopped. The said controls are realized in any order. [0020] The washing machine (1) furthermore comprises a tub (3) wherein the drum (2) is placed, a valve (4) providing water intake by opening/closing the water line, a pressure sensor (5) detecting the pressure applied by the water taken into the tub (3) and a motor (6) rotating the drum (2). [0021] In order to control if there is any load that has water-absorption feature in the drum (2) when the self-cleaning program is selected by the user, the washing machine (1) of the present invention is operated by the control unit (7) according to a method comprising the steps below: - taking water in until the water level in the tub (3) reaches the level that dampens the laundry without the laundry being fully saturated by opening the valve (4), - measuring the pressure (P1) by the pressure sensor (5); - rotating the drum (2) by controlling the motor (6); - measuring the pressure (P2) again by the pressure sensor (5) after the drum (2) is rotated, - stopping the self-cleaning program after deciding that there is load in the drum (2) if the second pressure value (P2) is lower than the first pressure value (P1). [0022] In order to control if there is any unbalanced load in the drum (2) when the self-cleaning program is selected by the user, the washing machine (1) of the present invention is operated by the control unit (7) according to a method comprising the steps below: - discharging the water, if there is any water in the tub (3); - rotating the drum (2) by means of the motor (6) at a speed lower than the resonance speed value predetermined by the producer and recorded in the memory thereof; - detecting the unbalanced load (L1); - stopping the self-cleaning program if the detected unbalanced load (L1) is bigger than the unbalanced load value (L) predetermined by the WO 2012/089628 PCT/EP2011/073861 5 producer and recorded in the memory thereof. [0023] In order to control if there is any balanced load in the drum (2) when the self-cleaning program is selected by the user, the washing machine (1) of the present invention is operated by the control unit (7) according to a method comprising the steps below: - rotating the drum (2) by means of the motor (6) at least at a speed whereat the load is provided to stick onto the inner wall of the drum (2); - stopping the motor (6); - detecting the stopping time (t1) of the motor (6); - stopping the self-cleaning program if the stopping time (t1) of the motor (6) is lower than the stopping time (t) predetermined by the producer and recorded in the memory thereof. [0024] In an embodiment of the present invention, the control unit (7) firstly controls if there is any load that has water-absorption feature in the drum (2), secondly controls if there is any unbalanced load in the drum (2) and thirdly controls if there is any balanced load in the drum (2), in that order. If load is detected at any stage, the self-cleaning program is stopped. [0025] In the washing machine (1) of the present invention, when the self-cleaning program is started by the control unit (7), it is detected if there is load that has water-absorption feature in the drum (2), if there is unbalanced load and if there is balanced load; if load is detected, the self-cleaning program is stopped. [0026] It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed above and a person skilled in the art can easily introduce different embodiments. These different embodiments should also be considered within the scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A washing machine (1) having self-cleaning feature, comprising a drum (2) wherein the laundry to be washed is placed and a control unit (7) processing the self-cleaning program, characterized by the control unit (7) that detects if there is any load that has water-absorption feature in the drum (2), that detects if there is any unbalanced load in the drum (2), that detects if there is any balanced load in the drum (2) and if load is detected in at least one control, that stops the self-cleaning program.

2. A washing machine (1) as in Claim 1, characterized by the control unit (7) that firstly controls if there is any load that has water-absorption feature in the drum (2), that secondly controls if there is any unbalanced load in the drum (2) and that finally controls if there is any balanced load in the drum (2), in that order; if any load is detected at any stage, that stops that self-cleaning program.

3. A washing machine (1) as in Claim 1 or 2, characterized by a tub (3) wherein the drum (2) is placed, a valve (4) providing water intake by opening/closing the water line, a pressure sensor (5) detecting the pressure applied by the water taken into the tub (3) and a motor (6) rotating the drum (2).

4. A control method that is operated by the control unit (7), in the washing machine (1) as in Claim 3, in order to control if there is any load that has water-absorption feature in the drum (2) when the self-cleaning program is selected by the user, that comprises the steps of: - taking water in until the water level in the tub (3) reaches the level that dampens the laundry without the laundry being fully saturated by opening the valve (4), - measuring the pressure (P1) by the pressure sensor (5); - rotating the drum (2) by controlling the motor (6); - measuring the pressure (P2) again by the pressure sensor (5) after the drum (2) is rotated, - stopping the self-cleaning program after deciding that there is load in the drum (2) if the second pressure value (P2) is lower than the first pressure value (P1).

5. A control method that is operated by the control unit (7), in the washing machine (1) as in Claim 3, in order to control if there is any unbalanced load in WO 2012/089628 PCT/EP2011/073861 7 the drum (2) when the self-cleaning program is selected by the user, that comprises the steps of: - discharging the water, if there is any water in the tub (3); - rotating the drum (2) by means of the motor (6) at a speed lower than the resonance speed value predetermined by the producer and recorded in the memory thereof; - detecting the unbalanced load (L1); - stopping the self-cleaning program if the detected unbalanced load (L1) is bigger than the unbalanced load value (L) predetermined by the producer and recorded in the memory thereof.

6. A control method that is operated by the control unit (7), in the washing machine (1) as in Claim 3, in order to control if there is any balanced load in the drum (2) when the self-cleaning program is selected by the user, that comprises the steps of: - rotating the drum (2) by means of the motor (6) at least at a speed whereat the load is provided to stick onto the inner wall of the drum (2); - stopping the motor (6); - detecting the stopping time (t1) of the motor (6); - stopping the self-cleaning program if the stopping time (t1) of the motor (6) is lower than the stopping time (t) predetermined by the producer and recorded in the memory thereof.