KR20100104819A - Washing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A washing apparatus is provided to enable a user to decide a course by manipulating a main button and to easily distinguish buttons, since a controller controls a lighting-emitting unit. CONSTITUTION: A washing apparatus comprises a cabinet(110), a tub(120), a drum(130), and a controller. The cabinet comprises control panels. The control panels comprise a manipulation unit and a lighting-emitting unit. The manipulation unit comprises multiple buttons. The lighting-emitting unit respectively displays the button of the manipulation unit. The drum is installed inside the tub to be rotated. The controller controls the lighting-emitting unit.

Description

Washing Machine

The present invention relates to a laundry machine, and more particularly, to a laundry machine that can be easily operated by the user.

In general, the laundry machine is a device for washing laundry through a process of washing, rinsing, and dehydrating to remove contaminants from laundry contained in the drum by using the washing water and detergent supplied into the tub.

Looking at the washing process of the washing machine, first, the quantity of clothes and the like put into the drum is measured, and the quantity of washing water and detergent and the total washing time are set according to the measured quantity, and then the drum is rotated with the whole washing time. A washing operation is performed to separate the stains from the laundry due to the friction between the wash water and the laundry.

When the washing administration is completed, the turbid wash water is discharged into the tub, and new washing water is supplied to the tub to rinse the laundry for a predetermined number of times. When the rinsing stroke is completed, the water in the tub is discharged and the drum is rotated at high speed to perform the dehydration stroke to remove the laundry water by centrifugal separation. After the dehydration is completed, the laundry may be further dried through the drying stroke.

Of course, the washing machine includes a washing machine for washing laundry, a dry washing machine having a drying function, and a dryer for performing only drying.

Such laundry machines allow a user to select various courses by operating buttons on the operation unit.

By the way, when the user does not select the correct button in the case of operating the operation unit in this way, it comes with a limit that can not drive the washing machine as desired.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a washing apparatus that can be easily operated by the user.

In order to achieve the above object, a laundry machine according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a cabinet having a control panel including a control panel having a plurality of buttons and a light emitting unit displaying the buttons of the control panel, respectively; A tub installed inside the cabinet to accommodate washing water; A drum rotatably installed inside the tub to accommodate laundry; And a control unit which controls the light emitting unit to identify buttons selected from the operation unit and buttons selectable from the operation unit.

In this case, the control unit preferably controls the luminous intensity of the light emitting portion of the selected button and the selectable button.

In another exemplary embodiment, the controller may turn on the light emitting portions of the selected button and the selectable button, and control the light emitting portion of the selectable button to be higher than the light emitting portion of the selected button.

In another embodiment, the controller may be configured to turn on a light emitting unit of the selected button and the selectable button and to flash the light emitting unit of the selectable button.

In another embodiment, the controller may light the light emitting part of the selected button and the light emitting part of the selectable button in different colors.

On the other hand, it is preferable that the light emitting unit is an LED mounted on each of the buttons of the operation unit, or a portion partitioned to display the buttons of the operation unit on the LCD, respectively.

The operation unit may include: a main button for selecting a plurality of washing courses including at least one of a washing step, a rinsing step, a dehydration step, and a drying step; And at least one sub-button capable of adjusting step conditions in at least one step of the course selected by the main button.

In addition, the operation unit is provided with a power button for turning on / off the power of the laundry machine, the control unit preferably controls the light emitting unit of the power button to identify the power button when electricity is connected to the laundry machine.

In addition, the operation unit includes an operation button for operating / pausing the operation of the washing machine, and the control unit controls the light emitting unit of the operation button to identify the operation button when selected by the main button or sub-button It is preferable.

The laundry machine according to the present invention includes a control unit for controlling buttons of light emitting units of the buttons so that the buttons of the operation unit are identified according to the operation sequence, and the buttons selected from the operation unit and the selectable buttons are easily manipulated by the user. can do.

1 is a perspective view showing a washing apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 is a side cross-sectional view schematically showing the washing apparatus of Figure 1, Figure 3 is a perspective view showing a control panel of the washing apparatus of FIG.

Referring to the drawings, the washing machine of the present invention is rotatably installed inside the tub 110, the tub 120 is installed inside the cabinet 110, the inside of the cabinet 110, the washing water is stored. The drum 130 and the motor 160 for driving the drum 130.

The cabinet 110 includes a main body 111 forming side, rear and bottom surfaces, a front plate 112 forming a front surface, and a top coupled to an upper portion of the main body 111 to form an upper surface of the main body 111. Plate 113 is provided.

In this case, the front plate 112 forms the front surface of the cabinet 110, and the inlet 112a is provided to inject laundry, wherein the inlet 112a is installed to rotate in the cabinet 110. It is opened and closed by the door 115.

In addition, the upper portion of the tub 120 is supported on the upper portion of the cabinet 110 by the hanging spring 121, the lower portion of the tub 120 is supported by the friction damper 122 to rotate the drum 130 at high speed. Reduce vibration generated in the washing machine at the time.

In addition, the inner circumferential surface of the drum 130 is provided with a lift 131 for raising the laundry put into the drum 130 to a predetermined position, a plurality of through-holes so that the washing water is discharged from the drum 130 in a washing stroke such as dehydration, etc. 132 is formed.

On the other hand, the water supply hose 140 and the water supply valve 141 is installed on the water supply hose 140 to supply water from the external water source to the tub 120 in the upper side of the tub 120, the water supply valve 141 And, the detergent supply device 142 is installed is a detergent supply so that the water supplied through the water supply hose 140 is introduced into the tub 120 together with the detergent.

In addition, a drain hose 150 and a drain pump 151 are installed at the lower side of the tub 120 to discharge the wash water used for washing and rinsing to the outside.

In addition, the motor 160 mounted at the rear of the tub 120 is coupled to the drum 130 through the rotation shaft 165 to rotate the drum 130.

On the other hand, the washing machine is provided with a circulation duct 170 for circulating air for the drying administration. That is, the circulation duct 170 is configured to draw air from the inside of the tub 120 and heat it to flow back into the tub 120.

Here, the circulation duct 170 is provided with a drying duct 172 and a condensation duct 174.

In this case, the drying duct 172 is provided with a heater 173 and a blowing fan 173a therein to discharge hot air into the tub 120.

In addition, the condensation duct is provided with a cooling water supply 176 for supplying cooling water to condense moisture in the air circulated.

The drying duct 172 and the condensation duct 174 are installed to communicate with each other and communicate with the drum 130, the tub 120 and the inlet (120a) through which the hot air flows through the drying duct 172 and A discharge port 120b through which air is discharged to the condensation duct 174 is formed.

Here, looking at the condensation process in the condensation duct 174, as follows.

The air discharged from the tub 120 during the drying operation of the washing machine is introduced into the condensation duct 174 in a high humidity state by the laundry in the tub 120, and a cooling water supply unit disposed in the condensation duct 174 ( 176) provides cooling water to condense moisture in the air.

At this time, the condensed water is discharged to the outside through the drain hose 150 provided on the lower side as it is separated from the air.

Washing apparatus configured as described above may be provided with a control panel for controlling the drive of the washing machine in the front of the cabinet.

Referring to FIG. 3, one side of the control panel 180 includes an operation unit 182 for selecting a course of a washing machine, and a display unit 199 for displaying washing information and the like while the washing machine is driven.

Herein, the operation unit 182 may include a main button 184 for selecting a plurality of washing courses, and one or more sub buttons 186 for changing step conditions in one or more steps of the course selected by the main button 184. (187) (188) (189).

The main button 184 has a plurality of courses including at least one of washing, rinsing, dehydrating and drying.

For example, the main button 184 may include a standard course, a duvet course, a baby clothes course, an underwear course, and the like.

Each of these courses may include at least one or more steps of a washing step, a rinsing step, a dehydration step, and a drying step, and the washing apparatus is driven according to the selected course.

Here, the main button 184 may be made of a push type, but preferably made of a rotatable rotary type so that a user may select a desired course by rotating the main button 184.

In the meantime, when the user selects a course by the main button 184, the step conditions may be set in advance in the controller (not shown) and stored according to each step of the selected course.

For example, when the standard course is selected, the conditions for the water temperature in the washing step, the amount of water, the rinsing frequency in the rinsing step, the rinsing time, the dehydration rotation speed in rpm, and the drying time in the drying step are controlled in advance. Stored in, washing may proceed according to the stored conditions.

By the way, the conditions of each step as described above may be stored in advance in the control unit, it may be changed by the user's selection.

That is, the user may manipulate the subbuttons 186, 187, 188, and 189 to change the conditions of the above-described steps.

Accordingly, at least one subbutton 186, 187, 188, 189 may be provided corresponding to each step of the selected course.

In FIG. 3, four subbuttons 186, 187, 188, and 189 are illustrated as being provided in response to washing, rinsing, dehydration, and drying, but are not limited thereto and may include more subbuttons. .

On the other hand, one side of the control panel 180 is provided with a power button 190 for turning on / off the power of the washing machine and an operation button 192 for inputting a driving command to drive the selected course. do.

The user can turn on / off the power of the washing machine by the power button 190, 40, and make a selection by the main button 184 and / or the subbuttons 186, 187, 188, 189. After finishing, the washing machine may be driven by the operation button 192.

In the control panel 180 having the above configuration, the user first selects the desired course by the main button 184, and then proceeds with the selected course according to a preset step condition by default, or the subbutton 186. Steps are manipulated by (187) (188) (189) to proceed to the selected course.

In this way, the washing apparatus must be operated in a certain operation sequence, and since a plurality of buttons are provided in the operation unit, it is difficult for a user to operate the same according to the operation sequence.

However, the conventional washing machine does not have a separate configuration or device for guiding the operation unit in accordance with the operation order, which is inconvenient for the user to arbitrarily operate the operation unit.

Therefore, the present invention guides the operation sequence by allowing the buttons of the operation unit to be identified according to the operation sequence, and furthermore, a light emitting unit (not shown) configured to identify a button selected by the operation unit and the next selectable button, and controlling the light emitting unit. It includes a control unit (not shown).

The light emitting unit is configured to display the buttons of the operation unit, respectively, such a light emitting unit can be implemented in a variety of forms, as an example can be utilized LED.

Such a light emitting portion is disposed on the rear portion of the button and selectively emits light so as to display respective buttons of the operation portion.

For example, when the main button is a rotary type in which the main button is rotatable, and the shape is circular, the light emitting part is provided at the rear part thereof so as to be capable of emitting light along the circumference of the main button.

In addition, the light emitting unit is disposed at a position adjacent to each course to identify each course marked around the main button according to the classification by laundry or the function.

In addition, the sub-button is equipped with a light emitting unit to emit light along its circumference similarly to the main button.

Of course, the light emitting unit may be installed and utilized therein so that the main body of the sub-button and the main button is emitted.

At this time, the portion of the operation unit corresponding to the light emitting unit may be made of a transparent or translucent material that can transmit the LED light of the light emitting unit to the outside so that the user can recognize the light emitted from the light emitting unit.

Here, the present invention is not limited only to the use of the LED as the light emitting unit, and a portion partitioned to display the buttons of the operation unit in the LCD may be used as the light emitting unit. Preferably, as the light emitting unit, the LCD emits light by providing a figure or a symbol for easily expressing the buttons on a predetermined part of each of which displays the buttons of the operation unit, thereby guiding the user more easily.

On the other hand, the control unit of the washing machine is controlled to drive the washing machine according to the course selected by the main button and the sub-buttons, the selected step conditions, and controls the light emitting unit for dimming the main button and the sub-buttons.

The control unit controls the light emitting unit so that the buttons of the operation unit are identified according to the operation sequence, and the buttons selected by the operation unit and the selectable button are identified.

Then, a process in which the light emitting units of the operation unit buttons are controlled by the control unit will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 9.

First, the user puts laundry into the drum, and then turns on the power by operating the power button 190, 40.

At this time, the controller is connected to the washing machine to guide the user to turn on the power button 190, that is, when the plug of the washing machine is connected to the current flowing socket, the power button 190 to turn on / off the power To identify the, as shown in Figure 4, to identify the light emitting portion of the power button 190.

As a result, the washing machine is turned on, and then the controller turns on the light emitting unit for illuminating the main button 184 as shown in FIG. 5.

Thus, the user knows that the main button 184 is in the order of operation, and selects a desired course by operating the main button 184.

When the light emitting part of the main button 184 emits light as described above, only the main button 184 is activated, and the buttons of the remaining operation parts are deactivated.

Here, 'activation' refers to a state in which a button of an operation unit can input changed course information or step condition to a control unit by a user, and 'deactivation' means that a button of an operation unit is operated by a user. The course information refers to a state in which course information or step conditions are not changed.

In other words, when the light emitting part of the selected main button 184 is turned off and does not emit light, the user is recognized as not being selected.

Furthermore, when the user selects the power button 190, the light emitting portion of the activated, ie selectable main button emits light with a certain degree of light, and the light emitting portion of the already selected power button 190 is lower than the light emitting portion of the main button. It emits light.

That is, the controller may guide the identification of the already selected button and the selectable button by controlling the brightness of the light emitting part of the already selected button and the light emitting part of the selectable button. In such an embodiment, the controller turns on the light emitting portions of the selected button and the selectable button, and controls the light emitting portion of the selectable button to be higher than the light emitting portion of the selected button.

In addition, as another embodiment for guiding identification of the selected button and the selectable button, the controller may control to turn on the light emitting part of the selected button and the selectable button and to flash the light emitting part of the selectable button. At this time, the light emitting unit of the selectable button may be repeatedly turned on and off until a predetermined time or until the user selects.

In addition, as another embodiment, the controller may light the light emitting portion of the selected button and the light emitting portion of the selectable button in different colors. At this time, the color of the light emitting unit of the selectable button is used to be visible to the user, it is preferable that the color of the light emitting unit of the selected button is less visible than the color of the light emitting unit of the selectable button.

On the other hand, referring to the operation sequence of the washing machine again, the user proceeds the course selected by the step conditions stored by default in the control unit for the selected course, for example, washing step, rinsing step, dehydration step, or drying step step conditions. Or, at least one or more step conditions in the selected course may be changed.

First, when the course is to be proceeded according to the step condition stored by default for the selected course, the user selects the course by the main button 184, and then, as shown in FIG. You can proceed by operating button 192.

However, when the user changes the step conditions in each course step, the user selects the course by operating the main button 184, and then operates the sub-buttons 186, 187, 188 and 189 for each step condition. You can change the course to proceed with the selected course.

That is, when a user selects a desired course by manipulating the main button 184, the controller according to an embodiment of the present invention subsequently displays the light emitting units of the subbuttons 186, 187, 188, and 189 in the operation sequence. The light is then emitted so that the user can change the step conditions at each step. Here, the 'operation sequence' may be implemented in various ways, but preferably follows the washing sequence.

As shown in FIG. 3, four sub-buttons may be provided in the operation unit. In the button 186 having a washing function on the left side, the temperature of water, the amount of water, the number of rinses in the rinsing step, the spin speed of dehydration in the dehydrating step, The drying time can be manipulated in the drying step.

As an example, the control unit controls the light emitting unit of the sub-buttons 186, 187, 188, and 189 when the operation procedure follows the washing procedure.

Referring to FIG. 6, when the sub-button 186 of the washing step is illuminated and the user operates the sub-button 186 of the washing step, the controller then displays a subsequent rinsing step as shown in FIG. 7. The light emitting part of the sub-button 187 emits light.

In this case, the light emitting part of the subbutton 186 in the washing step is turned off.

On the other hand, if the user does not operate the sub-button of the washing step for a predetermined time when the sub-button 186 of the washing step is illuminated, the controller determines that the user does not intend to change the conditions of the step, the rinsing The light emitting unit of the sub-button 187 of the step may be emitted to proceed to the next step.

Subsequently, as illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9, the control unit controls the light emitting unit of the subbutton 188 in the dehydration step or the subbutton 189 in the drying step is similar to that described above, and thus, repeated description thereof will be omitted.

Meanwhile, after the main buttons 184 and the sub buttons 186, 187, 188 and 189 of the operation unit 182 are selected, the operation buttons 192 may be operated or paused.

In addition, as shown in FIGS. 6 to 9, the operation button 192 may be selected at any time after the main button 184 is selected. The light emitting portion can be controlled.

In this case, the light emitting part of the operation button 192 emits light with a lower brightness than that of the light emitting parts of the other buttons that emit light. In addition, the light emitting unit of the operation button 192 may be controlled such that any one of brightness, lighting, and color is different from the light emitting unit of other buttons that emit light.

As described above, the step-by-step progress of the course is controlled by the control unit so that the buttons of the operation unit 182 are identified according to the operation sequence, and the light emitting unit of the buttons controls the buttons selected by the operation unit 182 and the selectable buttons. do.

As described above, the step-by-step progress of the course utilizes a control method for the light emitting unit of the control unit, that is, a method such as lighting and turning off the light emitting unit, brightness control, blinking, and color control as described above. Detailed description of the method is omitted.

On the other hand, in the washing apparatus of the present invention, the user selects a course by the main button 184, and then, in the step of selecting sub-buttons 186, 187, 188, and 189, the previous step condition is to be changed. In this case, for example, when the sub-button 188 of the dehydration step emits light, there may occur a case where it is desired to change the conditions of the washing step.

In this case, the user can operate the main button 184 again to fit the desired course, and thus, the user operates the main button 184 in the selection step of the sub buttons 186, 187, 188 and 189. In this case, each step condition changed by the user is reset, and the user can operate the step conditions stored by default from the washing step again.

In the special case as described above, although not shown, a method such as color control among the control methods for the light emitting unit of the controller may be used. It is not limited about the utilization of.

As described above, although the present invention has been described by way of limited embodiments and drawings, the present invention is not limited thereto and is intended by those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains. Of course, various modifications and variations are possible within the scope of equivalents of the claims to be described.

1 is a perspective view showing a washing apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a side cross-sectional view schematically showing the washing apparatus of FIG.

3 is a perspective view showing a control panel of the washing apparatus of FIG.

4 is a perspective view illustrating that the light emitting unit of the power button is turned on in the control panel of FIG. 3.

5 is a perspective view illustrating that the light emitting part of the main button is turned on in the control panel of FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating that the light emitting unit of the washing function subbutton is turned on in the control panel of FIG. 3.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view illustrating that the light emitting unit of the rinse function subbutton is turned on in the control panel of FIG. 3.

8 is a perspective view illustrating that a light emitting part of a dewatering sub button is turned on in the control panel of FIG. 3.

9 is a perspective view illustrating that a light emitting unit of a drying function sub button is turned on in the control panel of FIG. 3.

<Explanation of symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

180: control panel 184: main button

186,187,188,189: Subbutton 190: Power button

192: operation button

Claims (9)

A cabinet having a control panel including a control panel having a plurality of buttons and a light emitting unit for displaying the buttons of the control panel, respectively; A tub installed inside the cabinet to accommodate washing water; A drum rotatably installed inside the tub to accommodate laundry; And A control unit for controlling the light emitting unit so that the buttons of the operation unit are identified according to an operation sequence, and the buttons selected by the operation unit and the selectable button are identified; Laundry apparatus comprising a. The method of claim 1, And the control unit controls the brightness of the light emitting unit of the selected button and the light emitting unit of the selectable button. The method of claim 2, The control unit turns on the light emitting unit of the selected button and the selectable button, And a light intensity of the light emitting portion of the selectable button is higher than that of the light emitting portion of the selected button. The method of claim 2, The control unit turns on the light emitting unit of the selected button and the selectable button, Washing apparatus characterized in that the control to flash the light emitting portion of the selectable button. The method of claim 1, The control unit is characterized in that the light emitting unit of the selected button and the light emitting unit of the selectable button to light in different colors. 6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, The light emitting unit is a washing machine, characterized in that each of the LED mounted on the buttons of the operation unit, or partitioned to display the buttons of the operation unit in the LCD, respectively. 6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, The operation unit, A main button for selecting a plurality of washing courses including at least one of a washing step, a rinsing step, a dehydration step, and a drying step; And At least one subbutton capable of adjusting step conditions in at least one step of the course selected by the main button; Laundry apparatus comprising a. The method of claim 7, wherein The operation unit is provided with a power button for turning on / off the power of the laundry machine, The control unit is a laundry machine, characterized in that for controlling the light emitting unit of the power button to identify the power button when electricity is connected to the washing machine. The method of claim 7, wherein The operation unit includes an operation button for operating / pausing the operation of the washing machine, And the control unit controls the light emitting unit of the operation button to identify the operation button when the main button or the sub-button is selected.

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