KR20050114774A - Washing machine and the control method of the same - Google Patents

Abstract

In the washing machine according to the present invention, some of the air drying the cloth is exhausted to the outside of the washing machine, and the rest of the air is condensed and heated and circulated into the drum.

Description

Washing machine and the control method of the same}

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a washing machine and a control method thereof, and more particularly, to a washing machine and a control method thereof capable of humidifying the outside of a washing machine by evacuating a part of the humid air during the drying stroke.

In general, washing machines use laundry, rinsing, and dehydration to remove dirt from clothes, bedding, etc. (hereinafter, referred to as pores) contained in a drum by using water and detergent (hereinafter, referred to as washing water). It is a device for washing, and in recent years, a drying device for drying the cloth in the drum is gradually installed.

The drying apparatus has an exhaust type drying apparatus which sucks the outside air and heats it to contact the cloth in the drum, and exhausts the humidified humid air to the outside of the washing machine while being in contact with the cloth.

Then, there is a condensation type drying apparatus that condenses and heats the air in the drum, and circulates the heated dry air back into the drum to dry the fabric.

However, the washing machine according to the prior art has a problem in that the wet air is always discharged to the outside of the washing machine when the exhaust type drying apparatus is installed, and when the condensation type drying apparatus is installed, it is not possible to control the room humidity using the washing machine simply by drying the sachet. There is a problem.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems of the prior art, an object of the present invention to provide a washing machine and a control method for controlling the humidity of the room using a drying apparatus.

Washing machine according to the present invention for solving the above problems is a tub; A drum rotatably positioned within the tub and containing the cloth; Drive means for rotating the drum; A washing machine comprising a drying device for drying the cloth while circulating the air in the drum so that the cloth is dried, characterized in that it further comprises a humidifying means provided to exhaust some of the air dried the cloth to the outside of the washing machine. .

In addition, the humidifying means is connected to one end of the tub and the drying device is connected to one end of the humidification duct disposed so that the other end through the outside of the washing machine; Installed in the humidifying duct or drying device is characterized in that it comprises a humid air control valve for controlling the discharge of the humid air to the humidifying duct.

In addition, the humidifying duct is characterized in that connected to the inlet of the drying apparatus.

In addition, the humidifying means is characterized in that it further comprises a humidifying fan installed in the humidifying duct.

In addition, the humidifying means is characterized in that it further comprises a humidity sensor for sensing the external humidity of the washing machine.

In addition, the control method of the washing machine according to the present invention includes a humidity sensing step of sensing the humidity outside the washing machine during the drying stroke; A comparison step of comparing the humidity sensed in the humidity sensing step with a set value; When the detected humidity of the result of the comparison step is greater than or equal to the set value, characterized in that it comprises a humidity control step of exhausting some of the humid air to the outside of the washing machine.

In addition, the humidity control step is characterized in that if the detected humidity is less than the set value, all of the humid air is dried by the drying apparatus.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a partially cutaway perspective view of a first embodiment of a washing machine according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing the inside of a first embodiment of the washing machine according to the present invention.

1 to 2, the washing machine according to the present embodiment is installed in the casing 2 and the casing 2 so as to be buffered so that the detergent is mixed with water or clean water (hereinafter, washing water (w) Tub 10, the drum 20 is rotatably positioned inside the tub 10, and the cloth (m) is accommodated, and the driving means 30 for rotating the drum 20. ), A drying apparatus 40 for circulating and drying the air in the drum 20 so that the fabric m is dried, and a part of the air for drying the fabric m to the outside of the casing 2. It is configured to include a humidifying means 50 installed to be exhausted.

The casing 2 forms an exterior of the washing machine, and includes a base 3, a cabinet 4 disposed above the base 3, and a front entrance of the cabinet 4, (5) is formed and comprises a cabinet cover (7) to which the door (6) for opening and closing the fabric access hole (5) is rotatable, and a top plate (8) disposed on the upper surface of the cabinet (4). do.

On the upper side of the cabinet cover 7, a control panel 9 for inputting various strokes and times of the washing machine is arranged.

The tub 10 is mounted on a damper 2a connected to the base 2 and connected to the spring 4a connected to both sides of the cabinet 4.

The tub 10 is a circular cylinder lying on its side, and an opening hole 12 is formed at the rear of the gun entrance hole 5, and the front part of the tub 10 is closed when the door 6 is closed. The gasket 14 is attached to the back of the to prevent the leakage of the washing water (w) and the separation of the cloth (m).

The tub 10 has a water supply port for supplying the washing water w on one side of the tub 10, a drain hole for draining the washing water w on one side of the tub 10, and a communication hole communicating with a drying apparatus to be described later. Is formed.

The drum 20 is a barrel lying sideways like the tub 10 so that the lower part is immersed in the wash water w in the tub 10, and is rotatably positioned inside the tub 10.

The drum 20 has a fabric access hole 22 formed therein to allow the fabric m to enter the rear of the fabric access hole 5 of the cabinet cover 7, and wash water w on the circumferential or rear surface thereof. Alternatively, a plurality of through holes 24 are formed to allow air to enter and exit, and a lifter 26 is mounted on the inner circumferential surface of the circumference to lift and drop the cloth m.

The rear of the drum 20 is equipped with a spider which is connected to the rotating shaft of the motor to be described later

The driving means 30 may be composed of a motor mounted on the rear surface of the tub 20 so as to directly rotate the drum 20, and the shaft fixed to the rear portion of the drum and mounted on the shaft. A driven pulley, a motor mounted below the drum, a drive pulley mounted on a shaft of the motor, and a belt wound around the drive pulley and the driven pulley may be configured, and the tub (for convenience of description) It demonstrates only by the motor mounted in the back of 10).

The motor 30 is a stator fixed to the back of the tub 10, a rotor surrounding the circumference and the back of the stator, and fixed to the rotor and penetrates the tub 10 to the spider Shafts.

The drying apparatus 40 includes a condensation duct 41 through which air inside the tub 10 and the drum 20 passes, and a cooling water hose 42 installed to supply cooling water into the condensation duct 41. And a coolant valve 43 connected to the external hose 43a to control the coolant supplied to the coolant hose 42.

A drying bellows 41a having one end connected to the tub 10 and the other end connected to the condensation duct 41 is disposed between the condensation duct 41 and the tub 10.

The drying device 40 is connected to communicate with the condensation duct 41 and to the inside of the gasket 14 so that air passing through the condensation duct 41 can be blown to the front of the drum 20. The drying duct 44 and the air in the tub 10 and the drum 20 sequentially pass through the condensation duct 41 and the drying duct 44 and then circulate into the drum 20. And a heater 46 installed in the drying duct 44 so that the air passing through the drying duct 44 is heated.

The humidifying means 50 is connected to any one side of the tub 10 and the drying device 40, the humidifying duct 52 for discharging the humid air, and the humidifying duct 52 or the drying device 52 It is installed on the) is configured to include a wet air control valve 54 for controlling the discharge of the wet air to the humidification duct (52).

The humidifying duct 52 has one end near the inlet portion 41a of the drying device 40, that is, the connection portion 41b of the drying bellows 41a to discharge the humid air that is not condensed or heated. Is preferably connected.

The humidification duct 52 is connected to a humidification bellows 52a for guiding the humid air to the outside of the casing 2 at the other end.

The humidifying bellows 52a may be disposed to penetrate any one of the cabinet cover 7, the top plate 8, and the cabinet 6 so that the humid air is discharged to one side of the front, top, and side of the washing machine. In the case of a built-in washing machine or in consideration of the arrangement direction of the washing machine, the cabinet cover 7 is most preferably disposed to penetrate through the cabinet cover 7.

The humid air control valve 54 is a kind of distributor that distributes the humid air introduced into the inlet portion 41a into the drying device 40 to the condensation duct 41 or the humidifying duct 52.

The humidifying means 50 further comprises a humidifying fan 56 installed in the humidifying duct 52.

On the other hand, the humidifying means 50 is configured to further include a humidity sensor 58 for sensing the external humidity of the casing (2).

In addition, the washing machine further includes a water supply device for supplying washing water into the tub 10.

The water supply device is connected to an external hose 60a to supply a water supply valve 62 to intercept water supplied through the external hose 60a, and a water supply hose 64 to guide water passing through the water supply valve 62. And, the water supply bellows for guiding the wash water passing through the detergent container (66) and the detergent container (64) installed so that the detergent is mixed with the water guided by the water supply hose (64) to the water inlet of the tub (10). It comprises a tube 68.

In addition, the washing machine further comprises a drainage system for draining the contaminated washing water in the tub 10 to the outside of the casing.

The drainage device drains the bellows pipe 72 connected to the drain hole of the tub 10 so that the wash water w in the tub 10 and the wash water guided to the drainage bellows pipe 72. It comprises a drain pump 74 for pumping, and a drain hose 76 connected to the drain pump 74 to drain the wash water pumped from the drain pump 74 to the outside of the casing (2).

3 is a control block diagram of a washing machine according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

The washing machine is operated by the control panel 9, the motor 30, the cooling water valve 43, the circulation fan 45, the heater 46, the water supply valve 62, the drain pump ( And a controller 80 for controlling the humid air control valve 54 and the humidifying fan 56 according to the humidity sensed by the humidity sensor 56 during the drying stroke.

Looking at the operation of the present invention configured as described above are as follows.

First, when the cloth (m) is put through the cloth access hole 5, the door 6 is closed, and the washing machine is operated by inputting a stroke of washing, rinsing, dehydration, drying, and the like. Controls the motor 30, the coolant valve 43, the circulation fan 45, the heater 46, the water supply valve 62, and the drain pump 74 to perform the input stroke. .

The washing machine controls the motor 30, the coolant valve 43, the circulation fan 45, and the heater 46 on a drying stroke.

During the on control of the coolant valve 43, the coolant supplied through the external hose 43a is supplied into the condensation duct 41 through the coolant hose 42.

When the motor 30 is turned on, the cloth m in the drum 20 flows, and the air in the drying duct 44 is turned on by the heater 46 when the circulation fan 45 and the heater 46 are turned on. After heating, it is blown to the front of the drum 20 to be in contact with the flowing fabric (m) to remove the moisture of the fabric (m), the state of high humidity.

The high humidity air is blown into the condensation duct 41 through the through hole 24 of the drum 20, the communication hole of the tub 10, and the drying bellows 41a, and the condensation is performed. Condensation is brought into contact with the cooling water supplied into the duct 41 to be converted into low humidity air, and the air is blown into the drying duct 44 to repeat the above circulation.

On the other hand, the washing machine also serves as a humidity control function for controlling the humidity outside the washing machine with drying of the cloth (m) as described above.

4 is a flowchart illustrating a first embodiment of a control method of a washing machine according to the present invention.

The humidity sensor 56 detects humidity outside the washing machine during the drying stroke. (S1, S2)

The humidity sensor 56 outputs the detected humidity to the control unit 80, and the control unit 80 receives the received humidity and compares the detected humidity with a set value (S3).

The controller 80 controls the humid air control valve 54 to be in a drying / humidification mode so that a part of the humid air is exhausted to the outside of the washing machine and the rest is dried by the drying apparatus 40 when the detected humidity is greater than or equal to the set value. Then, the humidification fan 56 is turned on. (S4)

The humid air control valve 54 is opened so that the humidifying duct 52 communicates with the condensation duct 41 in the drying / humidity mode, and the humidifying fan 56 is blown with the condensation duct 41. Some of the air is sucked into the humidifying duct 52 and discharged to the outside of the casing 2, and the rest of the high humidity air blown into the condensation duct 41 is sucked by the circulation fan 45 to condense the condensation. Condensed while passing through the duct 41 and heated while passing through the drying duct 44 is circulated into the drum 20.

On the other hand, if the detected humidity is less than the set value, the controller 80 controls the humid air control valve 54 to be in a drying mode so that all of the humid air is dried by the drying apparatus 40, and controls the humidification fan 56. Do not turn on (S5)

The humid air control valve 54 is closed so that the humidifying duct 52 does not communicate with the condensation duct 41 in the drying mode.

5 is a schematic view showing the inside of a second embodiment of the washing machine according to the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a control block diagram of the second embodiment of the washing machine according to the present invention.

In the washing machine according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the condensation duct 41 in which the circulation fan 45 ′ is an inlet of the drying apparatus 40, in particular, the condensation duct 41 and the drying bellows is near the connection portion 41b. Built in).

In addition, the humidifying bellows 52a ′ is a circulating fan 45 at a rear position of the circulating fan 45 so that a part of the air blown by the circulating fan 45 flows in when the circulation fan 45 is turned on. ) Is closely connected.

In addition, a humid air control valve 54 ′ is installed in the condensation duct 41 to regulate the humid air discharge to the humidification bellows 52.

In the washing machine according to the present embodiment, since the air blown by the circulation fan 45 passes through the condensation duct 41 or the humidification bellows 52a ', a humidification duct and a humidification fan may be installed as in the first embodiment of the present invention. Since other configurations other than the circulation fan 45 ', the humidifying bellows 52a', and the humid air control valve 54 'are the same as those of the first embodiment of the present invention, the same reference numerals are used. Omit.

7 is a flowchart illustrating a second embodiment of a control method of a washing machine according to the present invention.

First, the washing machine controls the inside of the drum 20 by turning on the motor 30, the coolant valve 43, the circulation fan 45 ′, and the heater 46 as in the first embodiment of the present invention during a drying stroke. Air to circulate the tub 10, the condensation duct 41, the drying duct 44 and the drum 20 to dry the cloth, and control the humidity outside the washing machine with the drying of the cloth (m) as described above It will also function as a humidity control.

The humidity sensor 56 detects humidity outside the washing machine during the drying stroke. (S11, S12)

The humidity sensor 56 outputs the detected humidity to the control unit 80, and the control unit 80 receives the received humidity and compares the detected humidity with a set value (S13).

The control unit 80 controls the wet air control valve 54 to be in a dry / humidified mode when the detected humidity is equal to or greater than a set value.

The humid air control valve 54 'is opened to allow the humidification bellows 52a' to communicate with the condensation duct 41 in the drying / humidity mode, and the humid air blown by the circulation fan 45 'is partially Passed through the humidification bellows (52a ') is discharged to the outside of the casing (2), and the rest is condensed while passing through the condensation duct 41 and then heated while passing through the drying duct 44 to the drum 20 Circulated inside

On the other hand, if the detected humidity is less than the set value, the controller 80 controls the wet air control valve 54 to be in a drying mode.

The humid air control valve 54 is sealed so that the humidification bellows 52a 'does not communicate with the condensation duct 41 in the drying mode, and the humid air blown by the circulation fan 45' is entirely condensed with the condensation duct. Condensed while passing through the 41 and then heated while passing through the drying duct 44 is circulated into the drum 20.

In the washing machine according to the present invention configured as described above, since some of the air drying the cloth is exhausted to the outside of the washing machine, and the rest is condensed and heated and circulated into the drum, there is an advantage of controlling the indoor humidity while drying the cloth. have.

In addition, the control method of the washing machine according to the present invention senses the humidity of the outside of the washing machine during the drying stroke, if the detected humidity is above the set value, exhaust some of the humid air to the outside of the washing machine, if the detected humidity is less than the set value all of the humid air drying apparatus Since it is to be dried by, to prevent unnecessary air discharge, there is an advantage to control the indoor humidity by discharging the wet air to the outside only when the room is dry.

1 is a partially cutaway perspective view of a first embodiment of a washing machine according to the present invention;

2 is a schematic view showing the inside of the first embodiment of the washing machine according to the present invention;

3 is a control block diagram of a washing machine according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

4 is a flow chart illustrating a first embodiment of a control method of a washing machine according to the present invention;

5 is a schematic view showing the inside of a second embodiment of a washing machine according to the present invention;

6 is a control block diagram of a washing machine according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

7 is a flowchart illustrating a second embodiment of a control method of a washing machine according to the present invention.

<Explanation of symbols on main parts of the drawings>

2: casing 3: bass

4: cabinet 5: laundry entrance hall

6: door 7: cabinet cover

8: top plate 9: control panel

10: Tub 12: opening hole

14: gasket 22: laundry entrance hall

24: through air 26: lifter

30: motor 40: drying device

41: condensation duct 42: coolant hose

43: coolant valve 44: drying duct

45: circulation fan 45 ′: circulation fan

46: heater 50: humidification means

52: humidification duct 52 ': humidification duct

54: wet air control valve 54 ': wet air control valve

56: humidification fan 58: humidity sensor

80: control unit m: gun

w: washing water

Claims (7)

Tub; A drum rotatably positioned within the tub and containing the cloth; Drive means for rotating the drum; In the washing machine including a drying device for drying while circulating the air in the drum to dry the fabric, And a humidifying means installed to exhaust some of the air from which the cloth is dried to the outside of the washing machine. The method of claim 1, The humidifying means is connected to pass through any one of the tub and the drying device humidification duct for discharging the humid air; Washing machine characterized in that it comprises a humid air duct installed in the humidifying duct or drying device to control the discharge of the humid air to the humidifying duct. The method of claim 2, The humidifying duct is washing machine, characterized in that connected to the inlet of the drying apparatus. The method of claim 2, The humidifying means is a washing machine characterized in that it further comprises a humidifying fan installed in the humidifying duct. The method according to claim 1 or 2, The humidifying means is a washing machine characterized in that it further comprises a humidity sensor for sensing the external humidity of the washing machine. A humidity sensing step of sensing humidity outside the washing machine during the drying stroke; A comparison step of comparing the humidity sensed in the humidity sensing step with a set value; And a humidity control step of exhausting a part of the humid air to the outside of the washing machine when the detected humidity of the comparison step is greater than or equal to a predetermined value. The method of claim 6, The humidity control step is a control method of a washing machine, characterized in that all of the humid air is dried by a drying device if the detected humidity is less than the set value.