KR100934665B1 - Washing machine control method - Google Patents

Abstract

The control method of the washing apparatus according to the present invention includes a water supply process of supplying the washing water to the tub up to the set water level; Controlling the steam heater and the tub heater on / off, wherein the heater control process is completed when the set water level and a condition in which the temperature in the drum or the tub is set is achieved; It is configured to include. According to the present invention, energy efficiency is good because the tub heater and the steam heater are used together and the water supply valve is also controlled in achieving the condition that the water level in the tub is the set water level and the tub temperature is the set temperature.

Description

A control method of a laundry machine

The present invention relates to a laundry machine for washing laundry, and more particularly, to a laundry machine having a steam generator to supply steam to laundry.

In the washing machine, the laundry in the drum is lifted and dropped by a lift, while a washing machine with a relatively small amount of water is supplied to the drum washing machine. And a washing machine upright.

Some conventional drum washing machines have a heater provided in a tub. The washing power was improved by heating the wash water using the heater and using the heated wash water. However, such a conventional washing machine has a problem that requires a lot of energy because it has to heat a large amount of washing water in the tub.

Recently, a washing machine having a steam generator has emerged. Such a washing machine supplies steam directly to the laundry. Thus, not only the cleaning power was improved but also the energy efficiency was greatly improved.

There is a limit in terms of energy in heating the wash water in the tub to raise the laundry or its atmosphere temperature to the desired temperature. It is inefficient from an energy point of view to heat the entire water consumed for washing to raise it to the desired temperature.

One of the important factors with regard to the cleaning power is the laundry or its ambient temperature. Therefore, it is preferable to use a more efficient method among the methods which can raise laundry or the surrounding atmosphere to desired temperature.

In this respect, supplying steam directly to the laundry is more energy efficient than heating the entire wash water. Rather than heating the entire wash water for washing, a small amount of water is steamed and sprayed directly onto the laundry, saving much energy.

In addition, since the steam is a high temperature there is an advantage that can further increase the temperature of the laundry. Thus, the cleaning power may be further improved.

As such, although there have been great developments in terms of cleaning power and energy with the use of steam generators, there is always a need for more advanced washing machines. In other words, there is always a need for a washing machine that can improve washing power or further reduce energy.

An object of the present invention is to provide a washing machine with more energy efficiency. And, furthermore, an object of the present invention is to provide an improved washing machine.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION A conventional washing machine having a steam generator has been almost entirely dependent on steam to raise the laundry or its ambient temperature. By the way, in some cases, only steam is insufficient. For example, when the capacity of the steam generator is insufficient, there is a limit to raising the laundry or its atmosphere to a target temperature only by steam.

In addition, even when the temperature reaches the target temperature using steam, the effect of steam may be immediately lost when the temperature of the wash water used in the subsequent washing process is relatively low. In this case, it is not effective with regard to cleaning power and is not efficient from an energy point of view.

The control method of the washing apparatus according to the present invention includes a water supply process of supplying the washing water to the tub up to the set water level; Controlling the steam heater and the tub heater on / off, wherein the heater control process is completed when the set water level and a condition in which the temperature in the drum or the tub is set is achieved; It is configured to include.

The steam heater refers to a heater for heating water to generate steam and supply the laundry, and the tub heater refers to a heater for heating the washing water in the tub.

As described above, the present invention is one of several features of using a steam heater and a tub heater. It is more energy efficient than using a conventional steam generator or a tub heater alone.

When the temperature in the drum or tub (hereinafter referred to as 'tub temperature') has reached the set temperature, the water level in the tub is at the set level.

The set water level is more than the minimum level that the tub heater installed in the tub can be completely locked.

The water supply process of supplying water to the set water level is at least when the heater control process is completed. Thus, when the heater control process is completed, the wash water in the tub is at the set water level, and the tub temperature has reached the set temperature.

Here, the tub temperature may be the temperature of the drum or the atmosphere in the tub, it may be the temperature of the wash water in the tub. When it is difficult to sense the atmospheric temperature in the drum, the temperature in the tub can be sensed and used. In addition, if it is difficult to sense the ambient temperature it may be possible to use the temperature of the wash water in the tub.

After the heater control process is completed, the washing process may continue for a set time at the water level and the temperature state. At this time, if the steam heater or the tub heater is not turned on, the temperature will gradually decrease. In addition, if the wash water is not additionally supplied to the tub, the wash water in the tub will maintain the set water level.

After the heater control process is completed, it is preferable not to additionally supply the wash water. Extra water can cause the tub temperature to drop dramatically. However, this does not mean that the wash water is excluded from additional water supply. If additional wash water is supplied, the steam or tub heaters may be switched on again.

There may be a number of ways to achieve the conditions set for the wash water level and tub temperature in the tub, respectively. For example, it may be achieved by supplying only steam, or by heating only the wash water in the tub. However, from an energy point of view, the most efficient thing is to use the steam heater and the tub heater in proper combination. In this case, it is also important to match the water supply process of supplying the wash water to the tub with the control of the heaters as described above.

As a first method, the water supply process is completed before the heater control process. That is, water is supplied until the water level in the tub reaches the set level, and then the tub temperature is increased to the set temperature using the steam heater and the tub heater.

At this time, the steam heater and the tub heater may be turned on alternately without turning on at the same time. This is because when two heaters are turned on at the same time, supply power may be insufficient.

In this method, the steam heater is supplied to the laundry using a steam heater for a predetermined time, and then the tub heater is kept on until the tub temperature reaches the set temperature. Here, the on / off control of the steam heater may also be made according to the tub temperature. That is, instead of maintaining the steam heater on for a set time as described above, it may be controlled to supply steam to the laundry until the tub temperature reaches a predetermined temperature (other set temperature lower than the set temperature). .

In addition, here, the tub heater may be used for a predetermined time (or until the tub temperature reaches a predetermined temperature) before the steam heater is used to heat the wash water in the tub. In this case, the washing water in the tub is first heated using the tub heater, then steam is supplied to the laundry using the steam heater, and then the tub heater is used again.

Small steam generators can be used due to space constraints in the laundry machine. When the capacity of the steam generator is small, there may be a limit to increase the tub temperature to the desired temperature using only steam. On the other hand, considering the general size of the tub, tub heaters that can be installed in the tub may be less limited in capacity. Thus, it may be effective to use the tub heater last to complete the heater control process.

As a second method, the water supply process includes a water supply process so that the water level in the tub gradually rises while the steam heater is kept on.

Then, to complete the water supply process to the above gradual water supply step. That is, the wash water is gradually supplied until the water level in the tub reaches the set water level. At this time, it may have an initial water supply step before the gradual water supply step as described above. That is, after the initial water supply to the washing water enough to wet the laundry, the gradual water supply step as described above is performed while the steam heater is kept on.

And, in this case, the amount of wash water supplied in the initial water supply step may be an amount suitable to wet the laundry in the drum. At this time, by operating the circulating pump in the initial water supply stage can be made to be made evenly. If steam is supplied while the laundry is dry, there may be damage due to steam temperature depending on the type of laundry. Thus, evenly washing the laundry before steam supply may be applied to other methods (ie, the first method described above or the third method to be described later).

As soon as the water supply process is completed, the steam heater is turned off, and then the tub heater is turned on and turned off to complete the heater control process.

In the initial water supply stage of the water supply process, the water supply valve may be controlled to be opened and closed once in succession until the wash water in the tub reaches the set water level or more. For example, in the initial water supply stage, the water supply valve may be controlled to be opened once and closed when the water level in the tub reaches or exceeds the set water level. When the circulation pump is operated after the initial water supply step, the washing water in the tub is contained in the laundry in the drum and the water level in the tub is lowered.

If a sufficient amount of wash water is supplied at the initial water supply stage, the tub heater may be used to heat the wash water in the tub before the steam heater is used. At this time, when the wash water level in the tub is lowered to a level insufficient to keep the tub heater on, the tub heater is turned off. However, if the water level in the tub is sufficient, the tub heater may continue to be used until the steam heater is used.

On the other hand, although the water supply valve may be kept open for the gradual step, depending on the characteristics of the water supply valve used in this case, the wash water may be supplied too fast or too much. Therefore, depending on the water supply valve, the water supply valve can be intermittently controlled on / off.

As a third method, the water supply process includes: an initial water supply step; A final water supply step of supplying water to the set water level during or at the time of switching to the on section of the tub heater in the on section of the steam heater during the heater control process; It is carried out including.

That is, when the water heater in the tub is switched from the steam heater on state to the tub heater on state, the water is supplied until the set water level is reached.

In this case, an intermediate water supply step may be added between the initial water supply step and the final water supply step. The intermediate water supply step is a step of maintaining the water level in the tub of the wash water supplied in the initial water supply step within a certain range. That is, the water level in the tub will be lowered as the wash water supplied in the initial water supply stage is contained in the laundry. At this time, the water supply step to maintain the water level in the tub within a certain range is the intermediate water supply step.

The feed valve is opened once for the initial water supply stage and then closed when the water level in the tub reaches the first level. Then, when the wash water is contained in the laundry in the drum, when the water level in the tub reaches the lower limit of the predetermined range, it is controlled to open again and close when the upper limit is reached. Thus, the water level in the tub can be maintained within a certain range after the initial water supply stage. Here, the upper limit of the predetermined range water level may be the same as the set water level.

As such, when the steam heater is turned off while the water level in the tub is maintained within a predetermined range, the final water supply step as described above is performed before the tub heater is turned on.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the circulation pump is not operated while the tub heater is kept on. When the wash water is circulated, some of the wash water in the tub flows into the circulation passage, thereby lowering the water level in the tub. As the water level is lowered, the tub heater may be exposed to the surface of the water.

According to the present invention, energy efficiency is good because the tub heater and the steam heater are used together and the water supply valve is also controlled in achieving the condition that the water level in the tub is the set water level and the tub temperature is the set temperature.

In addition, since the tub heater is used together, the water level and temperature conditions of the tub which could not be achieved by steam alone (due to the insufficient capacity of the steam generator) can be achieved.

1 shows a drum washing machine having a steam generator and a tub heater for heating wash water in the tub.

The drum washing machine includes a cabinet 52 forming an exterior, a tub 56 supported by a spring 54 and a damper assembly 55 inside the cabinet 52, and a tub 56 disposed in the tub 56. A drum 58, a motor 60 located behind the tub 56 to rotate the drum 58, a steam generator 70 for heating water to generate steam, and the tub 56 It is configured to include a circulating pump 80 for circulating by pumping the washing water in the upper side of the tub (56). The drum 58 has a lift 58a and a plurality of holes 58h formed on an inner wall thereof.

The drum washing machine further includes a water supply means 62 for supplying wash water to the tub 56 and a drain pump assembly 66 for draining the wash water.

Specifically, the water supply means 62 includes a water supply valve assembly 62a, a first water supply passage 62c, and a detergent box assembly 62b in which detergent is stored. The steam generator 70 is connected to the water supply valve assembly 62a through a second water supply passage 62c '.

The tub heater 40 is installed inside the tub 56 to heat the wash water. In addition, the tub 56 is provided with a temperature sensor 45 for sensing the temperature. The temperature sensor 45 may be installed at a different position than shown in the drawing.

The steam flow path 62d is installed through a gasket 57 connected between the tub 56 and the cabinet 52 by a nozzle-shaped end 62d 'so that steam can be injected into the laundry in the drum.

Each of the components of the drum washing machine as described above is individually known in the related art. Therefore, the description of each of the above configuration that is not necessary to understand the present invention will be omitted.

2, a first embodiment of a control method according to the present invention will be described.

Feed the wash water into the tub through the water supply valve. At this time, water is supplied until the water level in the tub reaches the first water level (WL1). More specifically, when the water level in the tub reaches the first water level WL1, the water supply valve is closed. When the water level falls to the second water level WL2, the water supply valve is opened again until the water level is lowered to the first water level WL1. Perform watering. In this way, the opening and closing of the water supply valve are controlled. When the water level in the tub is maintained at the first water level WL1, the water supply is terminated.

Here, the first water level (WL1) is a level above the lower end of the drum is a level that can be locked at least a part of the laundry in the drum.

When the water supply valve is initially opened and water is supplied to the first water level WL1, a part of the wash water penetrates into the laundry, and the water level in the tub is lowered. To do watering. Rotating the drum during water supply can speed up the process of wetting the laundry.

The time point at which the water supply process is completed is a time point in which water is finally supplied to the first water level WL1 in a state in which the laundry is not wet enough to absorb water.

After the water supply process is completed, first, the tub heater is turned on to heat the wash water in the tub. In this case, the tub heater may be kept on for a set time, or may be kept on until the tub temperature reaches the first set temperature.

Then, the tub heater is turned off and the steam heater is turned on to inject steam into the drum. When a predetermined time elapses after the steam heater is turned on, steam is generated in the steam generator and supplied to the drum.

Here, the steam heater may be appropriately controlled to supply steam to the drum from the time when the tub heater is turned off. That is, the steam heater may be turned on before the tub heater is turned off for a time period from when the steam heater is turned on to when the steam is generated in the steam generator. Then, the steam heater is turned on before the tub heater is turned off, and steam can be supplied to the drum almost simultaneously with the tub heater being turned off. In this case, however, the electric power must be supplied to the point that the steam heater and the tub heater can be kept on at the same time. In addition, the control of the tub heater and the steam heater may be applied to other embodiments of the present invention.

In controlling the steam heater, the same can be based on time or temperature. That is, the steam heater may be kept on for a set time, or the steam heater may be kept on until the tub temperature reaches the second set temperature.

Next, the steam heater is turned off, and the tub heater is turned on to heat the wash water in the tub. The tub heater is kept on until the tub temperature reaches the third set temperature.

When the tub temperature reaches the third set temperature, the water level in the tub is at the first water level WL1. With this condition achieved, the drum continues to rotate so that washing continues for a set time.

On the other hand, the circulation pump is kept on except for the initial water supply process and while the tub heater is on to circulate the wash water in the tub. If the wash water is circulated by turning on the circulation pump during the initial water supply process, wetting of the laundry can be made more quickly. However, when the wash water is circulated, the water level in the tub changes, which may adversely affect the control of the water supply valve in the initial water supply process. In the present embodiment, since the first water level WL1 is such that a part of the laundry may be locked, wetting of the laundry may be performed quickly enough even by rotating the drum even without circulating the washing water.

In addition, while the tub heater is kept on, it is advantageous for safety that water is sufficiently maintained at the bottom of the tub so that the tub heater is not exposed to the surface of the water. Therefore, it may be desirable to keep the circulation pump off while the tub heater is kept on.

In the first embodiment as described above, the water supply process of adjusting the water level in the tub to the first water level WL1 is completed before the heater control process of controlling the tub heater and the steam heater on / off. That is, the tub heater and the steam heater are controlled so that the tub temperature becomes the set temperature after the water level in the tub is completed to the set water level.

3 shows a second embodiment of the present invention.

In the second embodiment, the water supply is gradually made while the steam heater is kept on.

First, water supply is performed until the water supply valve is opened and the water level in the tub reaches the third water level WL3. When the water supplied to the wash water penetrates the laundry, the water level in the tub is lowered to the fourth water level WL4 and the water supply valve is opened again to supply the water to the third water level WL3. At this time, since the circulation pump is kept on and the wash water in the tub is circulated, the water level in the tub can be drastically lowered. When the water level in the tub is lowered to the fourth water level (WL4), the water supply is performed once again. In this case, the water supply is performed only to the water level lower than the third water level (WL3). Then, the circulation pump is turned off. When the circulation pump is turned on, the water level in the tub is lowered more slowly.

The tub heater is turned on after the circulation pump is turned off, and the tub heater is kept on for a set time or until the tub temperature reaches a set temperature. Alternatively, the tub heater may be turned off when the water level in the tub falls to the set water level. If the tub heater is exposed to the water surface because the water level in the tub is low, it may cause overheating of the tub heater. And, as such, controlling the tub heater in consideration of the water level in the tub may be used with the control according to the time or tub temperature for safety.

After the tub heater is turned off, the steam heater is turned on to supply steam to the drum. Then, while the steam heater is kept on, the water supply valve is controlled to gradually supply water to the tub.

In order to perform such a gradual water supply, the water supply valve is repeatedly on / off controlled. By repeatedly controlling the water supply valve on and off as described above, the water level in the tub is raised step by step as shown in FIG.

Here, if the time that the steam heater is kept on is set to be constant, such a gradual water supply step is performed so that the water level in the tub can gradually reach the third water level (WL3) during that time. If it is not necessary to exactly match the time that the steam heater remains on and the time to perform the gradual feed stage, it is only roughly matched.

When the steam heater is off, turn on the tub heater. When the tub temperature reaches the set temperature, the tub heater is turned off.

More specifically, the steam heater is turned off at the same time as the water level in the tub reaches the third water level WL3. When the water level in the tub is maintained at the third water level WL3, the tub heater is kept on. Here, there may be a time difference between the time point at which the steam heater is turned off and the time point at which the tub heater is turned on, or may be almost absent. If the water level in the tub is maintained as it does not go down after reaching the third water level (WL3) there may be little time difference. Alternatively, since the water level in the tub will be near the third water level WL3, the tub heater can be turned on when the steam heater is turned off regardless of the water level. The same is true for other similar embodiments.

In the second embodiment, the circulation pump is likewise kept off while the tub heater is kept on. The drum then continues to rotate.

After the tub temperature reaches the set temperature and the tub heater is turned off, the drum is rotated for a certain time and washing is continued.

On the other hand, it is preferable that the detergent is supplied together with the wash water in the initial water supply process, which is the same in other embodiments of the present invention.

In the second embodiment, the water supply is gradually made while the steam heater is kept on after the initial water supply process. Then, the water supply is completed to the third water level WL3 which is set at the time when the steam heater is turned off. After the water supply is completed to the third water level WL3, the tub heater is turned on.

Fig. 4 is another embodiment of the second embodiment. In Fig. 4, the tub heater is not turned on after the initial water supply and before the steam heater on interval. And, in the initial water supply process, the water level in the tub is higher than the subsequent set water level unlike in the case of FIG. 3 (in FIG. 4, the fifth water level WL5 is higher than the sixth water level WL6).

The initial water supply process of FIG. 4 is performed faster than the case of FIG.

The circulation pump is kept on during the initial water supply and the drum is rotated to quickly wet the laundry.

Thereafter, while the steam heater is kept on, the water supply valve is repeatedly turned on and off so that the water level in the tub gradually rises. When the water level in the tub reaches the sixth water level WL6, the tub heater is kept on. Similarly, when the tub temperature reaches the set temperature, the tub heater is turned off.

In FIG. 4, the steam heater is turned off at the same time as the water level in the tub reaches the sixth water level WL6. Further, the water supply is further made so that the tub heater is turned on when the water level in the tub is maintained at the sixth water level WL6. At this time, the circulation pump is stopped between the time when the tub heater is turned on after the steam heater is turned off. This is because the circulation pump needs to be stopped for accurate control of the water level. Similarly, if the water level in the tub is maintained without falling after reaching the sixth water level WL6, there may be little time difference between the time when the steam heater is turned off and the time when the tub heater is turned on.

5 shows a third embodiment of the present invention.

In this embodiment, the water supply process includes an initial water supply step and a final water supply step. The final water supply step is performed at or between the transition period from the warm section of the steam heater to the warm section of the tub heater. In the final water supply step, the water level in the tub is supplied to the set water level.

In the initial water supply stage, the water level in the tub is made to be supplied to the eighth water level (WL8). Then, the intermediate water supply step is performed. The intermediate water supply step is made to maintain the water level in the tub within a certain level range. In FIG. 5, the intermediate water supply step is performed such that the water level in the tub is maintained between the ninth water level WL9 and the tenth water level WL10.

After the completion of the intermediate water supply stage, after the steam heater is turned off, the final water supply stage for adjusting the water level in the tub to the ninth water level WL9 is performed. When the water level in the tub is set to the ninth water level WL9, the tub heater is kept on. Here again, the tub heater is turned off when the tub temperature reaches the set temperature.

The eighth water level WL8 of the initial water supply stage is higher than the ninth water level WL9. And, in this embodiment, the steam heater is kept on from the start of the initial water supply stage. Here, the steam heater may be kept on after the initial water supply stage.

In the embodiment of FIG. 5, after the initial water supply step, the intermediate water supply step is performed to maintain the water level in the tub within a certain range, and the final water supply step is performed after the steam heater is turned off.

6 shows another form of the third embodiment as described above.

In the initial water supply stage, the water level in the tub reaches the eleventh water level (WL11). Then, the intermediate water supply step is performed so that the water level in the tub is maintained between the twelfth water level WL12 and the thirteenth water level WL13.

Here, the steam heater is kept on since the initial water supply stage.

When the steam heater is turned off, the water supply valve opens and the water level in the tub reaches the twelfth level WL12 (final water supply stage). Then, the tub heater is turned on and maintained until the tub temperature reaches the set temperature.

Here, the final water supply step may be performed while the water supply valve is repeatedly on / off control. That is, the water level in the tub may be reached in stages up to the twelfth water level WL12.

1 shows a drum washing apparatus.

2 shows a first embodiment of the present invention.

3 and 4 show a second embodiment of the present invention.

5 and 6 show a third embodiment of the present invention.

* Description of the main parts of the drawing *

40: tub heater 45: temperature sensor

62a: water supply valve assembly 62b: detergent box assembly

62c, 62c ': 1st and 2nd water flow path 62d: steam flow path

70: steam generator 74: steam heater

76a: inlet valve 76b: discharge valve

Claims (18)

A water supply process of supplying the washing water to the tub up to a predetermined level; Controlling the steam heater and the tub heater on / off, including the heater control process is completed when the set water level and the condition in which the temperature in the drum or tub is a set temperature is achieved, The water supply process includes an initial water supply step; A final water supply step of supplying water to the set water level during or at the time of switching to the on section of the tub heater in the on section of the steam heater during the heater control process; Control method of a laundry machine, characterized in that performed. The method of claim 1, wherein after the heater control process is completed, the washing is continued for a predetermined time while driving the drum. The method of claim 1, wherein the water supply process is completed before the start of the heater control process. The method of claim 3, wherein the heater control process comprises: Turning off the steam heater after being kept on for a predetermined time; Turning off the tub heater after being kept on for a predetermined time; Method for controlling the washing machine, characterized in that carried out alternately. The method of claim 4, wherein the heater control process comprises: Turning off the tub heater after being kept on for a predetermined time; Turning off the steam heater after being kept on for a predetermined time; Turning off the tub heater after being kept on for a predetermined time; Method of controlling a washing apparatus characterized in that is carried out sequentially. The method of claim 1, wherein the water supply process is: A gradual water supply step of gradually increasing the water level by repeatedly turning on / off the water supply valve until the water level in the tub reaches the set water level while the steam heater is kept on; Method of controlling a laundry machine comprising a. The method of claim 6, wherein the gradual water supply step is completed when the water level reaches the set water level. The method of claim 7, wherein when the gradual water supply step is completed, the steam heater is turned off, and the tub heater is turned on and then turned off to complete the heater control process. 7. The washing apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the water supply process further comprises an initial water supply step in which a water supply valve is continuously opened once to supply water to the set level or higher before the gradual water supply step. Way. The method of claim 9, wherein the heater control process comprises turning off the tub heater after the tub heater is turned on between the initial water supply step and the gradual water supply step. delete The method of claim 1, wherein the heater control process is completed while the tub heater is turned off. The control method according to claim 12, further comprising an intermediate water supply step of supplying water to maintain the water level in the tub within the set water level range between the initial water supply step and the final water supply step. The method of claim 13, wherein the initial water supply step includes a water supply valve that is continuously opened once to supply water to the set water level or more. The control method according to claim 13, wherein an upper limit of the set water level range is the set water level. The method of claim 1, wherein the heater control process is completed by turning off the tub heater after it is kept on. The method of claim 1, wherein the circulation pump is kept off while the tub heater is kept on during the heater control process. A water supply valve for opening and closing a water supply line to the tub; A tub heater installed in the tub to heat the wash water; A steam generator having a steam heater and supplying steam to the tub; And a controller for controlling the water supply valve, the tub heater, and the steam heater to achieve a condition in which the water level in the tub is a set water level, and the temperature in the drum or the tub is a set temperature. The controller controls the water supply valve so that an initial water supply step and a final water supply step for supplying the wash water to the set water level are performed at the time of switching to the warm section of the tub heater in the on section of the steam heater. Washing apparatus characterized in that.

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