KR20070010551A - Method of drying the inside of washing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

A method of drying the inside of a washing machine is provided to prevent the inside of the washing machine from getting moldy and to keep the inside clean by operating the drying process inside the washing machine according to the humidity and the temperature inside. A method of drying the inside of a washing machine comprises: a step(302,304) of measuring the humidity and the temperature in the fixed tub; a step(308) of feeding water with the fixed tub until a part of a spin basket is sunken; a step(310) of boiling water in the fixed tub and heating the inside of the fixed tub when the humidity is high and the temperature is low in the fixed tub; and step(318) of rotating the spin basket in the fixed tub and drying the inside of the fixed tub when the temperature in the fixed tub rises to the predetermined degree. The washing machine is not equipped with a drying unit for heating the air in the fixed tub.

Description

How to dry the inside of a washing machine {METHOD OF DRYING THE INSIDE OF WASHING MACHINE}

1 is a view showing the configuration of a washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2 is a block diagram showing a control system of the washing machine shown in FIG.

3 is a view showing an internal drying method of the washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

4 is a view showing an internal drying method of the washing machine according to another embodiment of the present invention.

* Description of the symbols for the main parts of the drawings *

100: main body

102: fixed tank

104: condensation plate

106: condensing hose

108: rotating tank

110: motor

112: drying pan

114: drying heater

116: drain pump

The present invention relates to an internal drying method of a washing machine, and to a drying method of removing moisture inside a washing machine in order to prevent mold and the like from occurring due to high temperature and high humidity inside the washing machine.

A washing machine, particularly a drum washing machine, is a device in which the laundry and the washing water therein rise and fall along the inner surface of the rotating tub when the cylindrical rotating tub rotates, and the laundry is washed by the impact during the fall. Such a drum washing machine is provided with a water tank and a rotating tank, the tank is for the fresh water of the wash water, the rotating tank is formed in the through-hole for the dehydration around the rotatably installed inside the tank, the washing inside the tank When washing is performed while water and detergent are supplied, the washing tank rotates at a relatively low speed to perform the washing stroke.

Since water is always needed for washing in the washing machine, water remains in the drum of the washing machine. In particular, when the number of times of use of the washing machine is large, there is not enough time for the water to evaporate naturally inside the washing machine, so that the water always remains inside the washing machine, and mold may grow inside the washing machine. If mold grows inside the washing machine, it can be enlarged due to contamination of laundry, which is more problematic.

The internal drying method of the washing machine according to the present invention has an object to keep the inside of the washing machine clean by allowing the internal drying stroke of the washing machine to be automatically performed according to the humidity and temperature inside the washing machine.

The internal drying method of the washing machine according to the present invention for this purpose, measures the humidity and the temperature inside the fixing tank; High humidity and low temperature inside the fixed bath produce hot water in the fixed bath so that the inside of the fixed bath is heated by the hot water; When the inside of the fixing tank is heated to a predetermined temperature, the inside of the fixing tank is dried while rotating the rotating tank in the fixing tank.

Moreover, hot water supplies water in a fixed tank so that a part of rotation tank may be submerged; It is produced by heating the water supply in the fixed bath.

In addition, the washing machine is a washing machine that does not include a drying means for heating the air inside the fixing tank.

Another drying method of the washing machine according to the present invention for the above-mentioned object is to measure the humidity inside the fixing tank; If the humidity inside the fixed bath is high, the inside of the fixed bath is heated using a drying apparatus; When the inside of the fixing tank is heated to a predetermined temperature, the inside of the fixing tank is dried by rotating the rotating tank in the fixing tank while draining moisture in the fixing tank.

In addition, the drying apparatus includes a drying heater and a drying pan provided for heating the laundry in the laundry drying stroke.

In addition, the drainage of the water inside the fixed tank uses either a method of forcibly discharging the water inside the fixed tank to the outside by driving a drain pump and a method of forcibly discharging the air inside the fixed tank to the outside.

Referring to Figures 1 to 4 a preferred embodiment of the present invention made as described above are as follows. 1 is a view showing the configuration of a washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, a fixing tub (Tub) 102 is installed inside the main body 100 to contain wash water, and the washing tub is rotated by a driving force of the motor 110 inside the fixing tub 102. A rotating tub 108 for performing a dehydration stroke is installed. A large number of small holes are drilled in the rotating tub 108 so that the washing water flows between the rotating tub 108 and the fixing tub 102. When dewatering, the washing water centrifuged from the laundry is separated from the rotating tub 108. It is to be allowed to flow into the space between the fixing tank (102).

Among the drum washing machines, a model equipped with a drying heater 114 for drying laundry after washing is additionally subjected to a drying stroke in addition to a washing stroke, a rinsing stroke, and a dehydration stroke. The drying process of the laundry using the drying heater 114 is performed as follows. Dry air heated at a high temperature by the drying heater 114 and entering the inside of the fixing tank 102 (arrow ①) absorbs moisture contained in the laundry inside the rotating tank 108 and absorbs moisture contained in the wall of the fixing tank 102. The ride is sucked back to the drying fan 112 side (arrow ②). At this time, the moisture contained in the air circulated inside the fixing tank 102 and sucked back into the drying pan 112 is condensed on the wall of the fixing tank 102 by the condensation plate 104 installed on the wall of the fixing tank 102. do. The condensation plate 104 condenses moisture contained in the air through a small amount of cold water supplied through the condensing hose 106 connected to an external water supply. The air from which moisture is removed by the condensation action of the condensation plate 104 is heated by the drying heater 114 again, and is supplied to the inside of the fixing tank 102 again by the drying fan 112 (arrow ①). Water condensed by the condensation plate 104 flows to the bottom of the fixing tank 102, and the flowed water is discharged to the outside by the drain pump 116.

2 is a block diagram showing a control system of the washing machine shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, a temperature sensor 204, a humidity sensor 208, and an input unit 206 are connected to an input side of the controller 202 that controls the overall operation of the washing machine, such as a washing stroke, a rinsing stroke, a dehydration stroke, and a drying stroke. do. The temperature sensor 204 and the humidity sensor 208 respectively detect the temperature and humidity inside the fixed bath 102 and provide the value to the controller 202. The input unit 206 allows a user to set a desired washing condition or to selectively command only a stroke required by the user, and in particular, the user can instruct the user to perform an internal drying stroke of the washing machine through the input unit 206. Can be. The washing condition and the command set through the input unit 206 are transmitted to the control unit 102. The control unit 202 is provided with reference data for determining whether to perform the internal drying stroke of the washing machine, the temperature and humidity of the interior of the fixed tank 102 detected by the temperature sensor 204 and the humidity sensor 208 is provided. Comparative analysis with the reference data will determine whether to carry out the internal drying stroke of the washing machine.

A driver 210 is provided on the output side of the controller 202, which drives the motor 212, the drain pump 116, the hot water heater 214, the drying heater 114, and the like. The motor 112 rotates the rotating tank 108 forward and reverse at regular intervals during the washing stroke or the rinsing stroke, and rotates the rotating tank 108 at high speed during the dehydration stroke. The drain pump 116 is for discharging water accumulated in the bottom surface of the fixing tank 102. The hot water heater 214 is a heater separate from the drying heater 114, to heat the water supplied in the fixing tank 102 to generate hot water. In the case of the washing machine in which the drying stroke of the laundry is not provided, the drying heater 114 and the drying fan 112 are not provided.

3 is a view showing an internal drying method of a washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention, a view showing an internal drying method of a washing machine without a drying heater and a drying fan. As shown in FIG. 3, the humidity inside the fixing tub 102 of the washing machine is measured to determine whether drying inside the washing machine is necessary (302). If the humidity inside the fixing tank 102 is low enough to not perform the drying stroke inside the washing machine, the process is terminated without further processing. However, the humidity inside the fixing tank 102 performs the drying stroke inside the washing machine. If the high humidity state to be necessary to measure the temperature inside the fixing tank 102 in order to perform the drying stroke inside the washing machine (304).

When the temperature inside the holding tank 102 is low, and a separate process for heating the holding tank 102 and the rotating tank 108 is required, the drainage port is closed and water is supplied to the minimum water level in the holding tank 102. 306, where the minimum water level is set such that at least a portion of the lower end of the rotating tank 108 provided inside the fixing tank 102 can be immersed in the water supply, thereby allowing the rotating tank 108 to be heated. It is desirable to allow direct contact and heating. When the water supply to the minimum water level in the fixing tank 102 is completed (YES in 308), the hot water heater 214 is driven to heat the water supply to generate hot water (310).

When hot water is generated at a predetermined temperature or more in the fixed tank 102, the rotating tank 108 is rotated at a relatively low speed so that the entire rotating tank 108 can be heated by the hot water (312). When it is determined that the temperature of the surface of the rotating tub 108 as well as the temperature of the air inside the fixing tub 102 is sufficiently heated by the contact with the hot water, the drain is opened and drained (314). It is preferable to rotate the rotating tub 108 at high speed while the water inside is drained to forcibly drop the water on the surface of the rotating tub 108 (316).

If it is determined that the internal humidity of the fixing tank 102 is low enough by the measurement of the humidity inside the fixing tank 102 (YES in 318), the drainage port is closed and the internal drying stroke of the washing machine is terminated. On the contrary, if it is determined that the internal drying of the washing machine is not completed (No in 318), the process returns to the fixing tank internal temperature measuring step 304 and repeats the internal drying process of the washing machine.

Through the internal drying method of the washing machine shown in FIG. 3, a separate laundry drying heater may automatically perform washing machine internal drying even in a washing machine in which a drying fan is not provided.

4 is a view showing an internal drying method of the washing machine according to another embodiment of the present invention, a view showing the internal drying method of the washing machine having a drying heater and a drying fan. As shown in FIG. 4, in order to determine whether drying of the washing machine is necessary, humidity inside the fixing tub 102 of the washing machine is measured (402). If the humidity inside the fixing tank 102 is low enough to not perform the drying stroke inside the washing machine, the process is terminated without further processing. However, the humidity inside the fixing tank 102 performs the drying stroke inside the washing machine. If it is a high humidity condition, the drying fan 112 is driven to rotate (404) and the rotating tank 108 at high speed (406) while driving the drain pump 116 to the inside of the fixed tank 102 The water is discharged to the outside or the air inside the fixing tank 102 is discharged to the outside (408). In this case, drainage through the driving of the drain pump 116 may be applied to a condensation drying type washing machine in which condensate is generated, and the discharge of air inside the fixing tank 102 may be applied to a washing machine of a vent type. Can be.

While driving the drying fan 112 and rotating the rotating tank 108 at high speed (406) while driving the drain or exhaust, the drying heater 114 is also driven to heat the air in the fixing tank 102 (412) . If the internal humidity of the fixing tank 102 is determined to be low due to the humidity measurement inside the fixing tank 102 (YES in 412), the drain pump 116 is stopped and the internal drying stroke of the washing machine is stopped. On the contrary, if it is determined that the internal drying of the washing machine is not completed (No at 412), the process returns to the drying heater driving step 410, and the air inside the fixing tank 102 is continuously heated to dry the stroke. Keep it going

The internal drying method of the washing machine according to the present invention removes residual moisture in the fixing tank to prevent mold and bacteria from propagating, and in particular, to automatically carry out an internal drying stroke of the washing machine according to humidity and temperature inside the washing machine. Keep it clean.

Claims (6)

Measure humidity and temperature inside the bath; When the humidity inside the holding tank is high and the temperature is low, hot water is generated in the holding tank so that the inside of the holding tank is heated by the hot water; And drying the inside of the fixing tub while rotating the rotary tub in the fixing tub when the inside of the fixing tub is heated to a predetermined temperature. The method of claim 1, The hot water supplies water into the fixed bath such that a part of the rotary bath is locked; The internal drying method of the washing machine to generate water by heating the water supplied in the fixed tank. The method of claim 1, The washing machine does not have a drying means for heating the air in the fixing tank, the internal drying method of the washing machine. Measuring humidity inside the fixed bath; Heating the inside of the fixing tank by using a drying device if the humidity inside the fixing tank is high; And drying the inside of the fixing tank by rotating the rotary tank in the fixing tank while draining the water in the fixing tank when the inside of the fixing tank is heated to a predetermined temperature. The method of claim 4, wherein The drying apparatus is an internal drying method of the washing machine comprising a drying heater and a drying fan provided for heating the laundry in the laundry drying stroke. The method of claim 4, wherein the drainage of the internal water of the fixing tank, And a method of forcibly discharging water in the fixing tank to the outside by driving a drain pump and a method of forcibly discharging air in the fixing tank to the outside.

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