CN112442831A

CN112442831A - Method for controlling a washing machine and corresponding washing machine

Info

Publication number: CN112442831A
Application number: CN201910839918.8A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 彭澎; 陈爱芬; 陆峭峰; 朱杨磊; 张琦
Original assignee: Bo Xihua Electric Jiangsu Co Ltd; BSH Hausgeraete GmbH
Current assignee: BSH Electrical Appliances Jiangsu Co Ltd; Bo Xihua Electric Jiangsu Co Ltd; BSH Hausgeraete GmbH
Priority date: 2019-09-05
Filing date: 2019-09-05
Publication date: 2021-03-05

Abstract

A method (50) for controlling a washing machine (10) comprising a washing tub (12), an inlet channel (14) and an outlet seal (16) in fluid communication with the washing tub, a pump (18) in fluid communication with the outlet seal, and an inner drain (20) in fluid communication with the pump, the method comprising, (d) supplying the washing tub with a washing solution containing a laundry care agent for a washing program, and the following steps before step (d): (a) injecting a proper amount of clean water (22) into the washing tub through the liquid inlet channel; (b) starting the pump to pump the clean water into the inner liquid discharge pipe; and (c) closing the pump, so that the clean water seals the washing tub in the liquid outlet sealing part and the inner liquid discharge pipe. Therefore, the cost and the complexity of a hardware system can be reduced, and the sealing performance can be more efficient and stable.

Description

Method for controlling a washing machine and corresponding washing machine

Technical Field

The invention relates to the field of household appliances, in particular to a method for controlling a washing machine and the corresponding washing machine.

Background

In order to prevent leakage of washing powder, detergent, laundry care agent and the like, the method of adding parts of the washing machine and the like is mainly adopted at present, however, the hardware system cost and complexity of the washing machine are high, and the sealing performance of the existing washing machine can be relatively more efficient and stable.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention aims to solve at least one of the problems described above, for example.

In view of the above objects, an aspect of embodiments of the present invention provides a method for controlling a washing machine including a washing tub, an inlet passage and an outlet seal in fluid communication with the washing tub, a pump in fluid communication with the outlet seal, and an inner drain in fluid communication with the pump, the method including, d, supplying a washing solution containing a laundry care agent for a washing course to the washing tub, and the following steps before the step d: a, injecting a proper amount of clean water into the washing barrel through the liquid inlet channel; b, starting the pump to pump the clean water into the inner liquid discharge pipe; and c, closing the pump, so that the clean water seals the washing barrel in the liquid outlet sealing part and the inner liquid discharge pipe. Therefore, the cost and the complexity of a hardware system can be reduced, and the sealing performance can be more efficient and stable.

Optionally, the step a includes determining the amount of the fresh water injected into the washing tub according to the capacity of the inner drain pipe. Therefore, the waste caused by the fact that redundant clear water is discharged out of the inner liquid discharge pipe can be prevented while the amount of clear water required for sealing is ensured.

Optionally, step b comprises determining a time to turn on the pump. In this way, the clean water can be drained from the washing tub into the inner drain pipe without being drained out of the inner drain pipe.

Optionally, the washing tub has a discharge port, and the liquid outlet sealing portion has therein a sealing valve floatably openable and closable by buoyancy of liquid. In this way, sealing of the washing tub by the fresh water can be facilitated.

Optionally, the inner drain pipe has a lower first end and a higher second end along the water flow direction, and in step c, the vertical distance between the surface of the fresh water in the inner drain pipe and the discharge port is > 0. In this way, the fresh water can be facilitated to seal the washing tub.

Optionally, in the step c, the sealing valve closes the discharge port. In this way, sealing of the washing tub may be facilitated.

In another aspect, the embodiment of the present invention provides a washing machine, which includes a controller, and the controller has stored thereon executable computer instructions, and when the controller executes the computer instructions, the controller executes the method as described above. Therefore, the cost and the complexity of a hardware system of the washing machine can be reduced, and the sealing performance can be more efficient and stable.

Optionally, the washing machine comprises a detergent box in fluid communication with the inlet passage. Therefore, the clean water can enter the liquid inlet channel through the detergent box.

Optionally, the washing machine includes an outer drain in fluid communication with the inner drain. Therefore, when liquid drainage is needed, the liquid can be drained out of the washing machine from the inner liquid drainage pipe and the outer liquid drainage pipe.

Optionally, the washing machine comprises a control panel connected to the controller. In this way, the controller can be controlled by the control panel.

The subject matter of any independent claim above may be combined with any subject matter or combination of subject matter of any dependent claims as may be permitted under the circumstances of technology to form new claimed subject matter.

The invention will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same or similar reference numerals may be used to refer to the same or similar elements in different embodiments, and the description of the same or similar elements in different embodiments may be omitted.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a partial schematic view of a washing machine according to an aspect of an embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling a washing machine according to another aspect of an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of the washing machine of FIG. 1 at step a of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of the washing machine of FIG. 1 at step b of FIG. 2; and

fig. 5 is a schematic view of the washing machine of fig. 1 at step c of fig. 2.

Detailed Description

As shown in fig. 1 and 2, one aspect of an embodiment of the present invention provides a method 50 for controlling a washing machine 10. Referring to fig. 1, the washing machine 10 includes a washing tub 12, an inlet passage 14 and an outlet seal 16 in fluid communication with the washing tub 12, a pump 18 in fluid communication with the outlet seal 16, and an inner drain pipe 20 in fluid communication with the pump 18.

The washing tub 12 receives laundry (not shown) therein to perform washing, dehydrating, rinsing, etc. operations on the laundry. At least one of clean water, washing powder, detergent, laundry care agent, etc. may enter the washing tub 12 through the liquid inlet passage 14, and may be discharged through the liquid outlet sealing portion 16, the pump 18, the inner drain pipe 20, etc. At least one of clean water, washing powder, detergent, laundry care agent, etc. needs to be maintained inside the washing tub 12 during washing and rinsing, so it is generally necessary to seal the washing tub 12. Especially, before the washing powder, the detergent, the clothes care agent and the like exert full effects, if the leakage of the washing powder, the detergent, the clothes care agent and the like occurs due to insufficient high-efficiency and stability of sealing, the treatment effect of the clothes is poor, for example, the clothes can not be washed cleanly, and the pollution problem of the washing powder, the detergent, the clothes care agent and the like to the environment can be caused.

Referring to fig. 2, the method 50 comprises, d, supplying the washing tub 12 with a washing solution containing a laundry care agent for a washing program, and, before the step d, the following steps: a, injecting a proper amount of clean water 22 into the washing barrel 12 through the liquid inlet channel 14; b, starting the pump 18 to pump the clean water 22 into the inner liquid discharge pipe 20; and c, turning off the pump 18, so that the clean water 22 forms a seal with the washing tub 12 in the liquid outlet sealing part 16 and the inner liquid discharge pipe 20. Thus, no additional parts are required to be added for sealing in the washing machine 10, the cost and complexity of a hardware system can be reduced, and the sealing performance can be more efficient and stable.

As shown in fig. 1, the washing tub 12 has a discharge port 24, and the liquid outlet sealing portion 16 has a sealing valve 26 therein that is floatably opened and closed with respect to the discharge port 22 by buoyancy of liquid. In this way, sealing of the washing tub 12 by the buoyancy of the fresh water 22 can be facilitated. The sealing valve 26 may be a float ball, a float sheet, or the like. The discharge port 22 may be shaped and configured to correspond to the sealing valve 16 such that, when mated, the discharge port 22 is sealed by the sealing valve 16. The inner drain tube 20 has a lower first end 38 and an upper second end 40 in the direction of water flow.

As shown in fig. 3, in step a, the sealing valve 16 is separated from the discharge port 22, and the discharge port 22 is in an open state. The clean water 22 is fed into the washing tub 12 through the inlet passage 14, and then stays in the washing tub 12, the outlet seal 16, the pump 18, and the inner drain pipe 20. The water levels in the washing tub 12 and the inner drain pipe 20 are maintained to be uniform.

Optionally, the step a includes determining the amount of the clean water 22 injected into the washing tub 12 according to the capacity of the inner drain pipe 20. In this way, the waste of clean water caused by the excessive clean water discharged out of the inner liquid discharge pipe 20 can be prevented while the amount of clean water required for sealing can be ensured. The determination method can be calculation, simulation, experiment and the like. The amount of clean water 22 may be the amount of clean water that can be contained by the inner drain pipe 20, and the volume of the clean water 22 may be the volume of the inner drain pipe 20.

Referring to fig. 4, in the step b, the sealing valve 16 is separated from the discharge port 22, and the discharge port 22 is in an open state. The clean water 22 enters the inner liquid discharge pipe 20 from the washing tub 12 and the liquid outlet sealing portion 16 and stays therein under the action of the pump 18.

Optionally, step b includes determining a time to turn on the pump 18. The time the pump 18 is turned on may be determined according to the time required to drain the fresh water 22 from the washing tub 12 to the inner drain pipe 20. In this manner, the clean water 22 can be drained from the washing tub 12 into the inner drain pipe 20, but not out of the inner drain pipe 20.

As shown in fig. 5, in the step c, the pump 18 is turned off, and the clean water 22 partially flows back from the inner liquid discharge pipe 20 to the liquid outlet sealing portion 16. The vertical distance Vh >0 between the water surface 28 of the fresh water 22 in the inner drain pipe 20 and the discharge port 24. In this way, the clean water 22 can be assisted in sealing the washing tub 12. The sealing valve 16 is combined with the discharge port 22 by the buoyancy of the clean water 22, and the discharge port 22 is in a closed state.

In another aspect, the embodiment of the present invention provides a washing machine 10, which includes a controller 30, and the controller 30 stores executable computer instructions, and when the controller 30 executes the computer instructions, the method is performed as described above. In this way, the washing machine 10 does not need to add additional components for sealing, the cost and complexity of hardware systems can be reduced, and the sealing performance can be more efficient and stable.

Optionally, the washing machine 10 includes a detergent box 32 in fluid communication with the inlet passage 14. Thus, the clean water 22 can enter the liquid inlet channel 14 through the detergent box 32. In addition to the detergent box 32, the fresh water 22 may also enter the inlet passage 14 through other channels.

Optionally, the washing machine 10 includes an outer drain 34 in fluid communication with the inner drain 20. In this manner, when liquid drainage is desired, liquid can drain from the inner and

outer drain tubes

20, 34 out of the washing machine 10.

Optionally, the washing machine 10 includes a control panel 36 connected to the controller 30. As such, the controller 30 may be controlled by the control panel 36.

As described above, the embodiment of the present invention can seal the washing machine 10 before the washing process is started, and can perform efficient and stable sealing at relatively low hardware system cost and complexity, thereby effectively preventing the problems of unclean washing and environmental pollution caused by leakage of washing powder, detergent, laundry care agent, etc.

The various embodiments described above and shown in the drawings are illustrative of the invention and are not exhaustive of the invention. Any modification of the present invention by a person of ordinary skill in the related art within the scope of the basic technical idea of the present invention is within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method (50) for controlling a washing machine (10), said washing machine (10) comprising a washing tub (12), an inlet channel (14) and an outlet seal (16) in fluid communication with said washing tub (12), a pump (18) in fluid communication with said outlet seal (16), and an inner drain (20) in fluid communication with said pump (18), said method (50) comprising, (d) supplying to said washing tub (12) a washing solution containing a laundry care agent for a washing program, characterized in that said method (50) comprises, before said step (d), the steps of:

(a) injecting a suitable amount of clean water (22) into the washing tub (12) through the inlet passage (14);

(b) starting the pump (18) to pump the clean water (22) into the inner liquid drainage pipe (20); and

(c) the pump (18) is turned off, so that the clean water (20) forms a seal against the washing tub (12) in the outlet liquid seal (16) and the inner drain pipe (20).

2. The method (50) of claim 1, wherein said step (a) comprises determining an amount of said fresh water (22) injected into said washing tub (12) based on a volume of said inner drain (20).

3. The method (50) of claim 1, wherein step (b) includes determining a time to turn on the pump (18).

4. The method (50) according to claim 1, wherein the washing tub (12) has a discharge port (24), and the liquid outlet seal (16) has a sealing valve (26) therein which is floatably openable and closable of the discharge port (22) by buoyancy of the liquid.

5. The method (50) according to claim 4, wherein the inner drain (20) has a lower first end (38) and a higher second end (40) in the direction of flow, and in step (c) the vertical distance (Vh) >0 between the water surface (28) of the fresh water (22) in the inner drain (20) and the discharge opening (24).

6. The method (50) according to claim 4, wherein in step (c) said sealing valve (26) closes said discharge port (24).

7. A washing machine (10) comprising a controller (30), said controller (30) having stored thereon computer instructions operable, characterised in that said controller (30), when executing said computer instructions, performs the method of any of claims 1 to 6.

8. The washing machine (10) as set forth in claim 7, characterized by a detergent box (32) in fluid communication with the inlet passage (14).

9. The washing machine (10) as set forth in claim 7, including an outer drain (34) in fluid communication with the inner drain (20).

10. A washing machine (10) as in claim 7, characterized by a control panel (36) connected to the controller (30).