KR20130134487A - Washing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a steam supply mechanism of a washing machine. The present invention provides a washing machine which includes a tub storing cleaning water; a drum which is installed inside the tub to be rotated and which receives laundries; a duct which is connected to the tub; a heater which is installed inside the duct and which heats only a predetermined space inside the duct; a nozzle which is installed in the duct and which directly supplies the water to the heated predetermined space in order to produce steam and includes an eddy current generating device which is separately formed and fitted into the inside of the nozzle; and an air blower which is installed on the duct and which sends air toward the predetermined space in order to send the produced steam to the tub.

Description

Washing machine {WASHING MACHINE}

The present invention relates to a washing machine, and more particularly, to a steam supply mechanism of a washing machine.

Generally, a washing machine is a device for washing laundry using detergent and mechanical friction. According to the structural aspect, more specifically, the orientation of the tub to accommodate the laundry, the washing machine can be divided into a top-loading washing machine and a front-loading washing machine. In the top loading washing machine, the tub is erected in the housing of the washing machine, and an inlet is formed in the top portion thereof. Thus, the laundry is put into the tub through the opening formed in the upper part of the housing and communicating with the inlet of the tub. In addition, in the front loading washing machine, the tub is laid in a cabinet, the entrance of which faces the front of the washing machine. Thus, laundry is formed in the front of the housing and put into the tub through an opening in communication with the inlet of the tub. In both the top loading and front loading washing machine, a door is installed in the housing and opens and closes the openings of the housing.

Washing machines of this type may have various other functions in addition to the basic washing function. For example, the washing machine may be designed to perform drying as well as washing, and may further include a mechanism for supplying hot air for drying. In addition, the washing machine may have a function of refreshing laundry. For this refresh function, the washing machine may include a mechanism for supplying steam to the laundry. Steam is gaseous water made by heating liquid water, so it has a high temperature and can easily supply water to laundry. Thus, the supplied steam can remove wrinkles, odors, static electricity and the like of the laundry. In addition to this refresh function, steam can also sterilize laundry due to high temperature and moisture. In addition, when supplied to the washing step, the steam may create an atmosphere having a high temperature and high humidity in the drum or tub to accommodate the laundry, thereby greatly improving the washing performance.

The washing machine can use various methods to supply this steam. For example, a washing machine may use the mechanism provided for drying for steam generation, and the following prior arts exist with respect to this method.

First, KR 10-0709943 has a circulation passage for circulating hot air and a heater and a blower installed in the circulation passage. Water is supplied adjacent to the suction part of the blower, and the supplied water is discharged from the blower. The discharged water is conveyed to the heater by the air flow generated by the blower, and is converted into steam by the heater.

In addition, Korean Utility Model Publication No. KR 1997-0039170 sprays water to the discharge portion of the circulation passage, and the injected water is converted into steam by the heated air flow through the heater.

Finally, PCT publication WO 2004/059070 has a separate pan for receiving water in the circulation passage. The water in the pan is heated using hot air flow in the circulating flow path to produce steam.

Since these prior arts do not require additional equipment for steam generation, the washing machine can supply steam to laundry without increasing the production cost according to this prior art. However, these prior arts do not optimally control or utilize the drying mechanism, and thus do not efficiently generate a sufficient amount of steam when compared to a steam generator, which is an independent device configured to generate steam only. Also, for the same reason, the prior arts cannot effectively achieve the intended function, namely refresh, sterilization and atmosphere composition functions.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a washing machine capable of efficiently generating steam.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a washing machine capable of effectively performing the functions intended by the steam supply.

To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a washing machine comprising: a tub for storing washing water; A drum rotatably provided in the tub and receiving laundry; A duct configured to communicate with the tub; A heater installed in the duct and configured to heat only a predetermined space in the duct; A nozzle installed in the duct and directly supplying water to the heated predetermined space to generate steam, and having a generator formed separately and fitted in the nozzle to form a vortex; And a blower installed in the duct and blowing air toward the predetermined space to transfer the generated steam to the turbine.

The nozzle may include a head having an opening for spraying water, and a body formed integrally with the head, the body guiding water to the head. The generator may be fitted into the body.

The generator may include a core having a conical shape extending along a center thereof and a flow path extending spirally around the core.

The nozzle may have a positioning structure for determining the position of the generator. More specifically, the positioning structure may include a groove formed in one of the nozzle and the generating device, and a rib formed in the other of the nozzle and the generating device, and inserted into the groove.

Preferably, the washing machine may include a plurality of nozzles.

Other solutions for achieving the above objects can be more clearly identified from the accompanying claims.

The washing machine according to the invention utilizes a mechanism for hot air supply, ie a drying mechanism for steam generation and supply, applying only minimal deformation. In addition, the control method according to the present invention optimally controls the existing drying mechanism, that is, the modified steam supply mechanism. That is, the present invention implements the least deformation and optimum control for efficiently generating and supplying sufficient quality steam. For this reason, the present invention can effectively perform refreshing, washing performance improvement and sterilization as well as various other functions while minimizing the production cost.

1 is a perspective view showing a washing machine according to the present invention;
2 is a sectional view showing the washing machine of FIG.
3 is a perspective view showing a duct of a washing machine according to the present invention;
4 is a perspective view showing the cover of the blower housing of the duct shown in FIG. 3;
5 is a plan view showing a duct of a washing machine;
6 is a perspective view illustrating a nozzle installed in a duct of a washing machine;
FIG. 7 is a sectional view of the nozzle of FIG. 6; FIG.
8 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the nozzle of FIG. 6;
9 is a perspective view showing a modification of the duct;
10 is a side view of the duct of FIG. 9;
FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a heater installed in the duct of FIG. 9; FIG.
12 is a perspective view showing a modification of the duct;
FIG. 13 is a perspective view illustrating a heater installed in the duct of FIG. 12; FIG.
14 is a perspective view showing a modification of the duct;
15 is a plan view of the duct of FIG. 14;
16 is a flowchart illustrating a washing machine control method according to the present invention;
17 is a table showing a control method of FIG. 16;
18A-18C are time charts showing the control method of FIG. 16;
19 is a flowchart showing a step of determining the amount of water supplied;
20 is a flow chart showing the steps performed when not enough water is supplied;
21 is a flow chart showing the step of adjusting the time of the heating step according to the actual voltage;
FIG. 22A is a flowchart showing a modification of the adjustment step of FIG. 21; FIG.
FIG. 22B is a table showing a heating step execution time according to an actual voltage range applied to the adjustment step of FIG. 21;
23 is a flowchart showing a washing machine control method including the steam supplying process of FIG. 16;
24 is a plan view showing a duct to which a plurality of nozzles are applied;
25 is an exploded perspective view showing a nozzle assembly including a plurality of nozzles;
26 is a cross-sectional view of the nozzle assembly of FIG. 25;
Figure 27 is a further exploded perspective view of the nozzle assembly of Figure 25;
28 is a plan view showing an example of ducts having different configurations
29A-29C are partial perspective views showing a pairing structure applied to ducts having different configurations; And
30 is a partial perspective view showing an example of a combination of a duct and a nozzle having configurations not corresponding to each other.

In the following, preferred embodiments of the present invention, in which the above object can be specifically realized, are described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The present invention is described with reference to the structure of the front loading washing machine as shown in the figures but may be applied to a top loading washing machine without substantial modification.

1 is a perspective view showing a washing machine according to the present invention, Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the washing machine of FIG.

As shown in FIG. 1, the washing machine may have a housing 10 that forms an outline and houses components necessary for operation. The housing 10 may be formed to surround the entire washing machine. However, as shown in FIG. 1, the housing 10 wraps only a portion of the washing machine so that it can be easily disassembled for maintenance. Instead, the front cover 12 is mounted to the front part of the housing 10 to form the front part of the washing machine, and the control panel 13 is mounted above the front cover 12 to operate the washing machine. Similarly, a detergent box 15 is mounted on the washing machine. The detergent box 15 accommodates detergent and other additives for washing laundry, and may be made of a drawable drawer. In addition, a top plate 14 is provided in the housing 10 to cover the top of the washing machine. The front cover 12, the top plate 14, and the control panel 13 may also be regarded as part of the housing 10 because the front cover 12, the control panel 13, and the housing 10 form the outline of the washing machine. The housing 10, precisely the front cover 12, has an opening 11 formed in the front thereof, which is opened and closed by a door 20 which is likewise installed in the housing 10. The door 20 generally has a circular shape, but may be manufactured to have a substantially rectangular shape as shown in FIG. 1. Since the rectangular door 20 makes the entrance of the opening 11 and the drum 40 visible to the user, it is advantageous to improve the appearance of the washing machine. As shown in FIG. 2, the door glass 21 is installed in the door 20, and the user may look inside the washing machine to check the state of the laundry through the door glass 21.

2, the tub 30 and the drum 40 are installed in the housing 10. The tub 30 is installed to store wash water in the housing 10, and the drum 40 is rotatably installed in the tub 30. The tub 30 may be connected to an external water supply source in order to directly receive water for washing. In addition, the tub 30 is connected to the detergent box 15 by a connecting member such as a tube or a hose, and detergent and additives may be supplied from the detergent box 15. The tub 30 and drum 40 are oriented such that their inlets face the front part of the housing 10. The inlets of the tub and drum 30, 40 communicate with the opening 11 of the housing mentioned above, so that once the door 20 is opened, the user can open the opening 11 and the tub / drum 30, 40. Laundry can be put into the drum 40 through the inlets. In addition, a gasket 22 is provided between the opening 11 and the tub 30 to prevent leakage of laundry and washing water. The tub 30 may be formed of a plastic material in order to reduce the material cost and reduce the weight. On the other hand, the drum 40 may be made of a metal material to accommodate heavy wet laundry and repeatedly receive the impact of the laundry during washing, so as to have sufficient strength and rigidity. The drum 40 is formed with a plurality of through holes 40a through which the washing water in the tub 30 enters therein. In addition, a predetermined power unit connected to the drum 40 is installed around the tub 30, and the drum 40 is rotated by the power unit. Generally, the washing machine has a tub 30 and a drum 40 oriented to have a central axis substantially horizontal to the installed floor, as shown in FIG. However, the washing machine may have a tub 30 and a drum 40 oriented obliquely upward. That is, the inlets (ie, the fronts) of the tub 30 and the drum 40 are located higher than their rear parts. The openings 11 and the door 20 associated with them as well as the inlets of the tub 30 and the drum 40 are disposed higher than the inlets and openings 11 and the door 20 shown in FIG. 2. . Thus, the user can put the laundry in the washing machine or take the laundry out of the washing machine without bending the waist.

In order to further improve the washing performance of the washing machine, warm or hot washing water is required according to the type and condition of the laundry. To this end, the washing machine of the present invention may have a heater assembly including a heater 80 and a sump 33 so as to produce hot or warm washing water by itself. This heater assembly is provided to the tub 30 as shown in FIG. 2 and heats the wash water stored in the tub 30 to a desired temperature. The heater 80 is configured to heat the wash water, and the sump 33 is configured to receive this heater 80 and the wash water.

Referring to FIG. 2, the heater assembly may include a heater 80 configured to heat the wash water. The heater assembly may also have a sump 33 configured to receive the heater 80. As shown, the heater 80 may be inserted into the tub 40 and precisely into the sump 33 through a predetermined size opening 33a formed in the sump 33. The sump 33 may be formed of a cavity or recess formed integrally with the bottom of the tub 30. Therefore, the sump 33 has an open upper portion, and forms a predetermined size space therein to accommodate a part of the washing water supplied to the tub 30. Since the sump 33 is formed at the bottom of the tub 30, which is advantageous for discharging the stored washing water, as described above, the drain 33b is formed at the bottom of the sump 33, and the drain pipe ( 91 is connected to the drain pump 90. Therefore, the wash water in the tub 30 may be discharged to the outside of the washing machine through the drain port 33b, the drain pipe 91 and the drain pump 90. The drain 33b may be formed at another portion of the tub 30 instead of the bottom of the sump 33. By using the sump 33 and the heater 80, the washing machine may heat the washing water itself and use hot or warm washing water for washing.

On the other hand, the washing machine may be configured to dry the laundry also for the convenience of the user. For this purpose the washing machine may have a drying mechanism for producing and supplying hot air. As the drying mechanism, the washing machine may have a duct 100 configured to communicate with the tub 30. Since both ends of the duct 100 are connected to the tub 30, the air in the drum 40 as well as the tub 30 may be circulated through the duct 100. The duct 100 is structurally formed as one assembly, but may be functionally divided into a drying duct 110 and a condensation duct 120. The drying duct 110 is basically configured to generate hot air for drying the laundry, and the condensation duct 120 is configured to condense moisture in circulating air taken from the laundry.

First, the drying duct 110 may be installed in the housing 10 to be connected to the condensation duct 120 and the tub 30. A heater 130 and a blower 140 may be built in the drying duct 110. In addition, the condensation duct 120 may be disposed in the housing 10, and may be connected to the drying duct 110 and the tub 30, respectively. The condensation duct 120 may include a water supply device 160 supplying water to condense and remove moisture in the air. The drying duct 110 and the condensation duct 120, that is, the duct 100 are basically disposed in the housing 10 as described above, but may be partially exposed outside the housing 10 if necessary. .

The drying duct 110 heats the air using the heater 130 and blows the heated air toward the tub 30 and the drum 40 disposed therein by using the blower 140. Can be. Therefore, hot and dry air may be supplied to the drum 40 via the tub 30 to dry the laundry from the drying duct 110. In addition, since the blower 140 and the heater 130 are operated together, new air that is not heated is supplied to the heater 130 by the blower 140, and then the tub 30 and the drum 40 It may be heated while passing through the heater 130 to be supplied to. That is, the supply of hot and dry air may be continuously performed by simultaneous operation of the heater 130 and the blower 140. Meanwhile, the supplied hot air may dry the laundry and then be discharged from the drum 40 to the condensation duct 120 via the tub 30. The condensation duct 120 may remove moisture from the discharged air by using the water supply device 160 to dry air, and supply the dry air to the drying duct 110 to heat the dry air again. This supply may actually be generated by the pressure difference between the drying duct 110 and the condensation duct 120 generated by the operation of the blower 140. That is, the discharged air may be converted into hot and dry air while passing through the condensation duct 120 and the drying duct 110. Therefore, the air in the washing machine can continuously dry the laundry while circulating through the tub 30, the drum 40, the condensation and drying ducts 120 and 110. Considering the flow of circulating air described above, the end of the duct 100 for supplying hot and dry air, that is, the end communicating with the tub 30 and the drum 40 of the drying duct 110 or The opening may form an outlet or outlet 110a of the duct 100. In addition, the end of the duct 100 receiving the humid air, that is, the end or the opening in which the tub 30 and the drum 40 of the condensation duct 120 communicates with the suction part or the suction port of the duct 100. 120a) can be formed.

As shown in FIG. 2, the drying duct 110 and precisely the discharge unit 110a may be connected to the gasket 22 so as to communicate with the tub 30 and the drum 40. On the other hand, as shown by the dashed line in Figure 2, the drying duct 110, precisely the discharge portion (110a) may be connected to the upper region of the front portion of the tub (30). In this case, the tub 30 is formed with an inlet 31 communicating with the drying duct 110, and the drum 40 has an inlet 41 communicating with the drying duct through the suction port 31. Can be formed. In addition, the condensation duct 120, that is, the suction part 120a may be connected to the rear part of the tub 30, and the discharge port 32 may likewise communicate with the condensation duct 70 at the lower portion of the rear part of the tub. It can be formed in the area. Due to this location of the drying and condensation ducts 110 and 120 and the connections of the tub 30, the hot and dry air is the front of the drum 40 inside the drum 40, as shown by the arrows. From the rear to the rear portion. Precisely, the hot and dry air can flow from the upper region of the front part of the drum to the lower region of the rear part of the drum. That is, the hot and dry air may flow in the direction of the diagonal in the drum (40). As a result, the drying and condensation ducts 110 and 120 can be configured to allow the hot and dry air to completely cross the interior space of the drum 40 due to its proper mounting position. Therefore, the hot and dry air is uniformly diffused in the entire internal space of the drum 40, so that drying efficiency and performance can be greatly improved.

The duct 100 houses various components. Accordingly, the duct 100, that is, the drying and condensation ducts 110 and 120, may be made of detachable parts so that these parts can be easily installed therein. In particular, since most of the components, for example, the heater 130 and the blower 140, are arranged to interlock with the drying duct 110, the drying duct 110 may be made of detachable parts. Since the drying duct 110 is decomposable in this manner, components therein can be easily taken out of the drying duct 110 for maintenance. More specifically, the drying duct 110 may have a lower part 111. The lower part 111 has substantially a space therein, and the parts can be accommodated in such a space. In addition, the drying duct 110 may have a cover 112 covering the lower part 111. The lower part 111 and the cover 112 may be fastened to each other using a predetermined fastening member. In addition, the duct 100 may have a separate housing 113 configured to stably receive the blower 140 rotating at a high speed. The housing 113 may also be made of detachable parts for easy installation and maintenance of the blower 140. The housing 113 may be formed of a lower housing 113a accommodating the blower 140, and may also be formed of an upper housing 113b covering the lower housing 113a. Except for the upper housing 113b to be separated, the lower housing 113a may be integrally formed with the lower part 111 of the drying duct to reduce the number of parts of the duct 100. 3 to 5 show the lower part 111 and the lower housing 113a integrated with each other. In this case, the drying duct 110 itself may be considered to be integrated with the housing 113, and thus the drying duct 110 may also be considered to accommodate the blower 140. On the other hand, the lower housing 113a may be integrally formed with the condensation duct 120. The drying duct 110 generates and transports high temperature air, and thus requires high heat resistance and thermal conductivity. In addition, the housing 113a must have a high rigidity and strength because it must stably support the blower that rotates at a high speed. Therefore, the lower housing 113a and the lower part 111 integrated with each other may be made of a metal material. On the other hand, since the requirements are satisfied by the lower housing 113a and the lower part 111 of the metal material, the cover 112 and the upper housing 113b may be made of plastic to reduce the weight of the duct 110. Can be.

Furthermore, the washing machine according to the present invention may be configured to supply steam to the laundry in order to provide more various functions to the user. As already discussed above in connection with the prior art, the laundry can be refreshed by removing wrinkles, static electricity, odors, etc. by the supply of steam. In addition, steam may sterilize the laundry and may create an atmosphere optimized for washing. These functions can all be performed during the basic washing course of the washing machine, while the washing machine can have a separate process or course optimized to perform the respective functions. To supply steam for these functions, the washing machine may have a separate steam generator designed to generate steam only. On the other hand, however, the washing machine may use the mechanism provided for the steam supply to generate and supply steam for other functions. For example, as described above, the drying mechanism includes the heater 130 providing a heat source and the duct 100 and the blower 140 providing the transfer means to the tub 30 and the drum 40 , But also for the supply of steam as well as hot air. Nevertheless, the conventional drying mechanism actually requires some modification for the steam supply, and such a modified drying mechanism for the steam supply is described in the following with reference to Figs. 3, 5, 9, 12, and 14 show the duct 100 with the cover 112 of the drying duct removed to better show the structure inside the duct 100.

First, a high temperature environment suitable for generating steam for steam supply needs to be created. Therefore, the heater 130 may be configured to heat a predetermined space S in the duct 100. As is known, the air itself has a low thermal conductivity, so if the washing machine is forced to move the heat dissipated from the heater 130 to other areas of the duct 100, for example from the blower 140. If it does not provide the air flow of, the heater 130 may heat only the space itself and its surrounding space. Thus, the heater 130 may heat the space in the duct 100 to a locally high temperature for steam supply. That is, the heater 130 may heat the predetermined space S which is a part of the space in the duct 100 to a temperature higher than the temperature of the other space in the duct. More specifically, for heating to such a relatively high temperature, the heater 130 can heat only the predetermined space (S), on the other hand, directly heating such a predetermined space (S) can do. In this case, the predetermined space S may include a space occupied by the heater 130 itself, that is, a space occupied by the heater 130 itself and a peripheral space in the duct adjacent to the heater 130. That is, the predetermined space S is a concept including the heater 130 itself. Due to the local and direct heating to a high temperature, the predetermined space S can be quickly formed in an environment suitable for steam generation.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the heater 130 may be formed of a body 131. The body 131 is substantially located in the duct 100 and can generate heat for heating. To this end, the body 131 may use a variety of heating mechanisms, but generally may be made of a hot wire. More specifically, the body 131 may be formed of a sheath heater having a waterproof structure to prevent failure due to moisture that may exist in the duct 100. Also preferably, the body 131 may be bent a plurality of times on the same plane to generate maximum heat in a narrow space. The heater 130 may have a terminal 132 electrically connected to the body 131 to supply electricity to the body 131. The terminal 132 may be disposed at an end of the body 131. The terminal 82 may be located outside the duct 100 for connection with an external power source. A sealing member may be interposed between the body 131 and the terminal 132, and may seal the duct 100 to prevent the leakage of air and steam in the duct 100.

In addition, the heater 130 may be fixed to the bottom of the duct 100 (exactly, the lower part 111 of the drying duct) by using the bracket 111b. In addition, the boss 111a may be provided at the bottom of the duct 100 in association with the bracket 111b. The boss 111a may protrude to a predetermined length from the bottom of the duct 100. In practice, the bosses 111a may be provided at both sides of the bottom of the duct 100. The bracket 111b may be fastened to the boss 111a to fix the heater 130. Furthermore, the bracket 111b may be configured to support the body 131 of the heater 130. The bracket 111b extends across the body 131 to support the body 131 as shown, and may surround the body 131. In addition, the bracket 111b has a bent portion that is bent in accordance with the shape of the body 131, it can be supported so that the body 131 does not move by this bent portion. The bracket 111b includes a through hole to be fastened to the boss 111a and may be fastened to the boss 111a by using a fastening member and a through hole. Therefore, when both the bracket 111b and the boss 111a are used, the heater 130 may be more stably fixed and supported in the duct 100. In addition, since the boss 111a is spaced apart from the duct bottom by a predetermined distance, the heater 130 can make contact with more air while making the air flow smooth. The bracket 111b may be made of metal to withstand the heat of the body 131.

In order to generate steam in the predetermined space (S), a predetermined amount of water is required. Therefore, a nozzle 150 may be additionally provided to the duct 100 to supply water to the predetermined space S.

In general, steam refers to a vapor phase of water generated by heating liquid water. That is, when the liquid water is heated above the critical temperature, the liquid state changes to a gas state through phase change. Mist, on the other hand, refers to small water particles in the liquid state. That is, mist is produced by simply decomposing liquid water into small particles, and does not involve phase change or heating. Thus, steam and mist are clearly distinguished from one another at least in their phase and temperature and are only common in their ability to supply moisture to the object. These mists are made up of small particles and thus have a larger surface area than ordinary liquid water. Thus, the mist can be easily absorbed heat and changed into hot steam through a phase change. For this reason, the washing machine of the present invention can use the nozzle 150 that can decompose the liquid water into small particles instead of the outlet for supplying the liquid water as it is as a means of water supply. Nevertheless, the washing machine of the present invention may adopt a conventional outlet supplying a small amount of water to the predetermined space (S). On the other hand, by adjusting the water pressure supplied to the nozzle 150, the nozzle 150 may supply water, that is, a water jet instead of the mist. In any case, since the predetermined space S has an environment sufficient for steam generation, steam can be generated.

Water may be indirectly provided in the predetermined space S to generate steam. For example, the nozzle 150 may supply water to another space in the duct 100 instead of the predetermined space S, and the water may be supplied to the predetermined space by the air flow provided by the blower 140. S) may be transferred for steam generation. However, during the transfer, water adheres to the inner surface of the duct 100, so that the provided water does not reach the predetermined space S. In addition, the predetermined space (S), as described above, has the optimum conditions for steam generation by local and direct heating, it is possible to sufficiently convert the supplied water to steam.

In consideration of the aforementioned reasons, the nozzle 150 may directly supply water to the predetermined space S for efficient steam generation. In addition, for the same reason, the nozzle 150 may supply water only to the predetermined space S. FIG. Furthermore, the nozzle 150 may spray mist into the predetermined space (S). As already defined above, since the predetermined space S includes the heater 130 itself, any moisture for the predetermined space S, that is, water or mist, is provided with water for the heater 130. Includes provision. If the nozzle 150 directly sprays the mist in the predetermined space S, steam may be effectively generated while using less energy in consideration of the optimal environment formed in the predetermined space S. In addition, when such direct mist spraying is performed only in the predetermined space S, the generation of steam may be more effective.

In order to supply water directly to the predetermined space S including the heater 130, the nozzle 150 may be oriented toward the predetermined space S (including the heater 130). That is, the outlet of the nozzle 150 may be oriented toward at least the predetermined space (S). In this case, the nozzle 150 may be disposed directly above the predetermined space S to directly supply water to the predetermined space S, or directly below the predetermined space S. may be placed below). However, the water (exactly mist) supplied from the nozzle 150 travels a predetermined distance while being diffused at a predetermined angle due to water pressure, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5. On the other hand, the height of the duct 100 is considerably limited to make the washing machine compact. That is, the height of the predetermined space S is similarly limited. Therefore, when the nozzle 150 is disposed directly above or just below the predetermined space S, water is uniformly distributed throughout the predetermined space S, considering the diffusion angle and the moving distance thereof. May not be supplied, thus steam may not be produced efficiently. For the same reason, such inefficient steam generation may similarly occur even when the nozzle 150 is disposed at both sides of the predetermined space S. FIG.

On the other hand, the nozzle 150 may be disposed at either end of the predetermined space (S), that is, the regions (A, B). As described above, when the blower 140 is operated, air in the duct 100 is discharged from the blower 140 and passes through the heater 130, that is, the predetermined space S. Considering the direction of the air flow, the area A corresponds to the front part or the suction part of the predetermined space S in the air flow direction in the duct, and the area B corresponds to the predetermined space S. It may correspond to the rear part or the discharge part of the. In addition, the region A and the region B may correspond to the inlet and the outlet of the predetermined space S. Therefore, the nozzle 150 may be disposed in the front part or the suction part (ie, the area A) of the predetermined space S in the air flow direction in the duct. On the other hand, the nozzle 150 may be disposed in the rear portion or the discharge portion (that is, the region B) of the predetermined space (S) in the air flow direction in the duct. As such, even when the nozzle 150 is discharged to the region A or the region B, not all of the water supplied from the nozzle 150 may reach the predetermined region S. Only the predetermined area S may remain. However, if the nozzle 150 is disposed in the rear portion or the discharge portion (B), water that does not reach the predetermined space (S) will remain near the rear portion or the discharge portion (B). Thus, if the blower 140 is operated, such water can be supplied to the tub 30 without changing into steam. On the other hand, if the nozzle 150 is disposed in the front portion or the suction portion (A), the water that does not reach the predetermined space (S) is the predetermined space by the air flow supplied from the blower 140 (S) can be entered. Therefore, by arranging the nozzles 150 in the area A, all the supplied water can be efficiently changed into steam. As such, the nozzle 150 may be disposed in the front portion or the suction portion of the predetermined space S in the region A, that is, the air flow direction, for efficient steam generation. In addition, the nozzle 150 disposed in the region B on the side of the air flow direction in the duct 100 supplies water in the same direction as the air flow direction, while the nozzle disposed in the area A 150 supplies water in a direction opposite to the air flow direction. Therefore, for the same reason as discussed above, the nozzle 150 may supply water to the predetermined space S (including the heater) in the same direction as the air flow direction in the duct in view of the air flow direction. On the other hand, despite the reasons discussed above, the nozzle 150, if necessary, the areas (A, B), both sides of the predetermined space (S), the areas immediately above and just below the predetermined space (S) It may be installed in any one of them or in two or more of them.

As discussed above, for efficient water supply and steam generation, the nozzle 150 directly supplies the predetermined space S and may be oriented toward the predetermined space S. FIG. For the same reason, the nozzle 150 may supply water to the predetermined space S in the same direction as the air flow direction in the duct. In order to satisfy all of these conditions, as previously determined, it is optimal that the nozzle 150 is disposed in the front portion or the suction portion of the predetermined space S in the region A, that is, in the air flow direction. This area A corresponds to the area between the heater 130 and the blower 140 in the structural aspect of the duct 100. Therefore, the nozzle 150 may be disposed between the heater 130 and the blower 140 in the structural side of the duct 100. In other words, the nozzle 150 may be disposed between the predetermined space S and a supply source of air flow. Furthermore, the nozzle 150 may be disposed between the suction part of the predetermined space S and the discharge part of the blower 140. In addition, as mentioned above, the water supplied from the nozzle 150 is diffused at a predetermined angle. If the nozzle 150 is disposed close to the predetermined area S, precisely its suction part, in view of the diffusion angle, a large part of the water supplied is replaced with the predetermined area S (including the heater 130). It is supplied directly to the wall surface of the duct 100. In practice, since the heater 130 has the highest temperature in the predetermined region S, it is necessary to directly enter and contact the heater 130 of the predetermined region S as much as possible. It is advantageous to increase efficiency. Therefore, the nozzle 150 may be disposed as far away from the predetermined space S as possible so that a large amount of water may enter the predetermined space S (that is, the heater 130 directly). When the 150 is disposed away from the predetermined space, the water supplied when considering the diffusion of water may be substantially distributed from the suction part, that is, the inlet, of the predetermined space S, and the efficiency of the predetermined space S may be improved. Use, that is, efficient heat exchange and steam generation can be achieved.The further the nozzle 150 is from the predetermined area S, the closer the nozzle 150 is to the blower 140. For this reason In addition, the nozzle 150 may be disposed close to the blower 140 and at the same time may be spaced apart from the heater 130 at a predetermined interval. In addition, the nozzle 150 may be spaced as far as possible from the heater 130. Nozzle (1 50 may be disposed adjacent to the discharge portion of the blower 140. When the nozzle 150 is adjacent to the discharge portion of the blower 140, the water to be supplied is discharged air flow, that is, blower ( It can be directly affected by the earth output of the 140, and can be moved farther to make uniform contact with the entire predetermined area S. On the other hand, with the help of this air flow, high pressure in the nozzle 150 is applied. It may not be applied, thereby lowering the price of the nozzle 150 and increasing the service life of the nozzle 150. Furthermore, for the arrangement adjacent to the outlet of the blower 140, as shown in Figures 3 and 5. Likewise, the nozzle 150 may be installed in the blower housing 113. Also, the nozzle 150 may be installed in the detachable upper housing 113b for easy installation and maintenance. As shown in Figure 4, the furnace In order to install the bladder 150, the upper housing 113b may include a hole 113c, and the nozzle 150 may be fitted while being oriented toward the predetermined space S in the hole 113c. .

6 to 8, the nozzle 150 may include a body 151 and a head 152. The body 151 may have a generally cylindrical shape to be inserted into the hole 113c. The body 151 may have a flange 151a extending therefrom. The flange 151a has a fastening hole and can be fastened to the duct 100 by using the fastening hole. In order to reinforce the strength of the flange 151a, as shown in FIG. 6, a rib may be formed to connect the flange 151a and the body 151. In addition, the body 151 may have a rib 151b formed on its outer circumference. The rib 151b is caught by the edge of the hole 113c and prevents the nozzle 151 from being separated from the duct 100, precisely the upper housing 113b. The rib 151b may also serve to determine the correct installation position of the nozzle 150.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the head 152 may include a discharge port 152a at an end thereof. The discharge port 152a may be designed to decompose such water into small particles, that is, mist when water having a constant hydraulic pressure is supplied thereto. In addition, the discharge port 152a may be designed to apply additional pressure to the water to be supplied, and thus the water to be supplied may be diffused at a predetermined angle and moved at a predetermined distance. The diffusion angle a of this supplied water may be 40 °, for example. The head 152 may have a flange 152b extending radially therefrom. Similarly, the body 151 may also have a flange 151d facing and extending radially therefrom. If the body 151 and the head 152 are made of plastic, these flanges 152b and 151d are melt-joined with each other, whereby the body 151 and the head 152 may be joined. Can be. If the body 151 and the head 152 are made of a material different from plastic, the flanges 152b and 151d may be coupled to each other using a fastening member. In addition, as shown in detail in FIG. 8, the head 152 may have a rib 152c formed in the flange 152b, and the body 151 has a groove formed in the flange 151d. It may have 151c. The rib 152c is inserted into the groove 151c and increases the contact area between the body 151 and the head 152. Thus, the body 151 and the head 152 may be more firmly coupled to each other. In addition, the nozzle 150, precisely the body 151 includes a flow path 153 for guiding water supplied therein. As illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8, the flow path 153 may extend helically from the end of the body 151, that is, the discharge part. The spiral flow passage 153 swirls water and reaches the head 152, which can be discharged from the nozzle 150 to have a larger diffusion angle and a longer travel distance.

When steam is generated in the predetermined space S, the generated steam needs to be transferred to the tub 30 and the drum 40 as well as finally to the laundry to perform an intended function. Therefore, the blower 140 may blow air toward the predetermined space S (including the heater 130) to transfer the generated steam. That is, the blower 140 may supply air flow to the predetermined space (S). The generated steam moves along the duct 100 in this air flow, and may finally reach the laundry through the tub 30 and the drum 40. This steam performs the intended functions, for example to refresh the laundry, sterilize the laundry or create an optimal laundry environment.

As described above, the nozzle 150 has an optimal configuration for the uniform and sufficient supply of water to the predetermined space S. That is, the nozzle 150 has an optimal arrangement and orientation, and other configurations of the nozzle 150 are appropriately designed for the same purpose. Nevertheless, only a single nozzle 150 shown in FIGS. 3 and 5 may not be able to supply a sufficient amount of water to the entire predetermined space S. That is, when a single nozzle 150 is used, water may not be supplied to a part of the predetermined space S. For these reasons, the washing machine may include a plurality of nozzles 150, and Fig. 24 shows a plurality, more precisely two, nozzles 150 provided in the duct 100 as an example. 24, when a plurality of nozzles are applied, the predetermined space S is virtually divided, and each of the applied nozzles 150 is configured to be optimized to the corresponding divided space S . Therefore, the plurality of nozzles 150 can uniformly supply water over the entire predetermined space S. Also, for the same reason, the plurality of nozzles 150 can supply a sufficient amount of water to the predetermined space S to generate a larger amount of steam. The effect of the plurality of nozzles 150 is clearly shown in Fig.

Despite these advantages, however, the plurality of nozzles 150 require more parts and processes than the single nozzle 150 described above. Therefore, the manufacturing cost of the washing machine can be increased. This problem may be easily solved by integrating the components of the plurality of nozzles 150 among various other methods. For example, all the components of the nozzle 150 including the body 151 and the head 152 can be molded into a single body through molding. However, as described above, the nozzle 150 has a helical flow passage 153 formed inside the body 151. [ This helical flow passage 153 has a large diffusion angle and a longer travel distance in the water to be supplied, but due to its complicated structure, it may be difficult to manufacture the integral nozzle 150 including the spiral flow passage 153 . For this reason, as shown in FIGS. 25 to 27, a swirling device or a swirler may be provided to the nozzle 150 in place of the spiral flow path 153.

The generator 154 is basically configured to form a vortex similar to the spiral flow path 153. More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 25 and 26, the generator 154 may include a core 154a disposed at the center thereof. Also, a body 154c may be provided to the generator 154 to enclose the core 154a, and may have a generally cylindrical shape as shown. The core 154a extends along the center of the generator 154 and may have a conical shape. In particular, in the vicinity of the suction portion of the generator 154, the core 154a may have at least a conical shape. The conical portion extends in a direction opposite to the flow direction of the water supplied to the generator 154 as shown. That is, the sharp tip of the cone faces the flow of water supplied to the generator 154. With this arrangement, the flow of water supplied is divided by the sharp tip without substantial flow resistance, and is then continuously guided along the slope extending from the tip. Therefore, the flow of water supplied by the conical portion of the core 154a can be smoothly guided into the generator 154 without being subjected to abrupt flow resistance. 25 to 27 show that the core 154a has a conical portion only in a portion adjacent to the suction portion of the generator 154, but the core 154a may have a generally conical shape. In addition, the generator 154 may have a flow path 154b disposed around the core 154a. The flow path 154b extends spirally around the core 154a. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 26, a predetermined clearance is formed between the core 154a and the body 154c, and the flow path 154b spirally extends in the gap. The supplied water is guided into the generating device 154 by the core 154a and reaches the head 152 of the nozzle 150 by swirling by the flow path 154b. Accordingly, the supplied water can be discharged from the nozzle 150 with a larger diffusion angle and a longer travel distance.

The generator 154 is fabricated separately from the other components of the nozzle 150 as shown. Instead, the vortex forming structure having such a complicated structure, that is, the generating device 154 is separately manufactured, so that the other parts of the nozzle 150, mainly the body 151 and the head 152, As shown more clearly in Fig. The nozzles 150 may be integrally formed with flanges 151a including coupling holes of a predetermined size so as to be coupled to the duct 100 and more precisely to the upper housing 113b in the integrated body 151 and the head 152. [ ). In addition, the nozzle 150 may have a discharge port 152a to discharge water to the predetermined space S at a predetermined pressure. The integrally formed body 151 and the head 152, that is, the generator 154 separately formed in the nozzle 150, can be fitted. As shown in FIG. 26, the generator 154 can be fitted in the body 151 like the spiral flow path 153 described above. If the generator 154 and the body 151 are made of plastic, the generator 154 thus fitted may be fused to the body 151 using various methods, for example, ultrasonic waves. The fusing does not provide a large bonding strength, but the generating device 154 can be easily coupled to the body 151 by such fusing.

In order to maximize the effect of the generated vortex, it is preferable that the vortex generated in the generator 154 is directly supplied to the head 152 to be discharged. 26, the generator 154 is disposed adjacent to the head 152, and for this purpose, more specifically, the head 152 of the body 151, . Since the body 151 has a substantially long length, the generator 154 may be moved from one end of the body 151 to the other end, that is, the body 151, It may not be easy to accurately push it to the connecting portion of the head 152 and the connecting portion. For this reason, the nozzle 150 may have a positioning structure for determining the position of the generating device 154, as shown in FIG. More specifically, in the positioning structure, the nozzle 150 or the generating device 154 may have a groove. 27 shows an example of the groove 154d provided in the generator 154. [ The groove 154d may be formed in the body 154c adjacent to the nozzle 150. [ Instead of the generating device 154, a groove may be formed in the nozzle 150. In this case, the groove may be formed on the inner surface of the body 151 facing the generating device 154. On the other hand, with the positioning structure, the nozzle 150 or the generating device 154 may have ribs to mate with the groove. FIG. 27 shows a rib 151e provided in the nozzle 150 as an example. The rib 151e may be formed on the inner surface of the body 151 adjacent to the generator 154. [ Also, instead of the nozzle 151, a rib may be formed in the generator 154, and in this case, it may be formed on the body 154c facing the nozzle 151. [ When the generator 154 is fitted into the body 151, when the rib 151e is fitted in the groove 154d, the generator 154 is aligned at the correct position. When the rib 151e or the groove provided in the body 151 is continuously formed in the longitudinal direction of the body 151, the generator 154 may be arranged in an aligned state from one end of the body 151 to the other end, that is, And can be continuously guided to the connection portion of the body 151 and the head 152. Thus, the positioning structure allows the generator 154 to be accurately and easily coupled to the body 151 to be disposed adjacent to the head 152.

As described above, the generator 154 is configured to form a vortex, and is formed separately from the nozzle 150 and is fitted in the nozzle 150. Thus, the generating device 154 effectively replaces the spiral flow path 153 described above while allowing the remaining parts of the nozzle to be integrally formed. For this reason, even when the plurality of nozzles 150 are applied, the parts and the process may not be increased, and thus the manufacturing cost of the washing machine may not be increased while improving steam production performance.

As known in the art, different models of washing machines exist depending on required capacity and performance, and the designs of washing machines are different according to different models. Also, according to different designs, the sizes and arrangements of the internal components of the washing machines, for example the internal components, are different. Like the drum 40 and the tub 30, the duct 100 occupies a large volume of internal components of the washing machine, so that the configuration of the duct 100 is greatly influenced by different designs. More specifically, the configuration of components installed in the duct 100 changes according to the intended performance and capacity of the washing machine, and the configuration of the duct 100 may be changed have. For example, in consideration of the performance of the intended washing machine and the like, the heater 130 may have a different configuration, i.e., shape and size, as shown in Fig. Since the heater 130 occupies the largest volume among the components accommodated in the duct 100, the changed configuration of the heater 130 directly affects the configuration of the duct 100. That is, the configuration of the duct 100, and more precisely, the size of the drying duct 110, that is, the size and the shape, etc., can be changed so as to appropriately accommodate the heater 130. For the same reason, although not shown in detail, the configuration of the components disposed outside the duct 100 is also changed according to the intended performance and capacity of the washing machine, and the duct 100, Can also be changed. For example, the tub 30 and / or the drum 40 may have different configurations, i.e., shape and size, taking into account at least the capacity of the intended washing machine. The size of the housing 10, that is, the overall size of the washing machine is predetermined in most cases, so that the ducts 100 and 100 can be accommodated together with the changed tub 30 and the drum 40 in the predetermined housing 10, ), That is, the size and shape, and the like can be changed. As described above, designs varying in performance, capacity, and the like directly affect the configuration, at least the size and the shape of the duct 100. That is, the configuration of the duct 100 is different depending on different designs, that is, the configuration of related parts installed inside and outside the duct 100, which is clearly shown in FIG.

In addition, when the configurations of the duct 100 are different from each other, a structure for appropriately spraying water to the heater 130 and the predetermined space S disposed therein must be changed according to such a configuration. As described above, the injection of water is performed by the nozzle 150, and the nozzle 150 is installed in the fan housing 113 of the duct 100, more precisely, the upper housing 113b. Accordingly, proper water injection according to the configuration of the duct 100 can be determined according to the configuration of the nozzle 150 and the housing 113. [ However, depending on the different configurations of the duct 100, it can be substantially difficult to change both the configuration of the nozzle 150 and the housing 113, which may also reduce productivity and increase manufacturing costs . Meanwhile, the blower 140 has a relatively large volume among the components of the duct 100, and can be commonly applied to the different ducts 100 without changing its configuration. Further, when the housing 113 is designed to have a predetermined size, all of the blowers 140 smaller than the same size can be accommodated in the housing 113. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 28, fan housings 113, that is, upper and lower housings 113b and 113a, having the same configuration can be applied to the duct 100 having different configurations. In this case, if the same unadjusted nozzle 150 is used, such a nozzle 150 may be appropriately disposed in the heater 150 and the predetermined space S of the duct 100 of different configurations, Which is clearly shown in Fig. 28 as well. 28, in order to supply sufficient water to the entire space S and the heater 150 when the same fan housings 113b and 113a are used, The orientation needs to be adjusted. In addition to this orientation, the diffusion angle a of the nozzle 150 (see FIG. 5) can also be adjusted. For this reason, the configuration of the nozzle 150, that is, the orientation or the diffusion angle may be different depending on different configurations of the duct 100. These differently configured nozzles 150 are shown in Figure 29 and will be described in more detail below with reference thereto.

As shown in FIGS. 29A-29C, the duct 100 may have different configurations (100a, 100b, 100c), that is, sizes and shapes, depending on different designs, . As described above, since the fan housings 113a and 113b having the same configuration are commonly applied to the duct 100, the different ducts 100 may have different sizes and shapes, for example, At least a lower part 111 and an upper part 112 (not shown). The nozzles 150a, 150b, and 150c having different configurations are applied to the ducts 100a, 100b, and 100c having different configurations, respectively. The nozzles 150a, 150b, and 150c may have different orientations and / or spray angles depending on the configuration of the ducts 100a, 100b, and 100c. Accordingly, by applying the nozzles 150a, 150b, and 150c having different configurations according to the configuration of the duct, a sufficient amount of water can be supplied to the heater 150 and the predetermined space S as a whole. For this reason, despite the changes in the model and the design of the washing machine and accordingly the configuration of the duct 100, the desired performance can be refreshed by generating a sufficient amount of steam.

Meanwhile, as described above, there are a plurality of ducts 100 and a plurality of nozzles 150 that are different from each other depending on the model of the washing machine. Accordingly, the nozzle 150 and the duct 100, which do not have mutually corresponding configurations, may be erroneously assembled. For this reason, a pairing mechanism that precisely pairs the nozzles 150 and the duct 100 having corresponding configurations can be additionally applied.

The grooves 171a, 171b and 171c may be formed in the above-described pairing structure 170 according to the configurations of the ducts 100a, 100b and 100c and the nozzles 150a, 150b and 150c. And can be formed at different positions in the ducts 100a, 100b, and 100c. The grooves 171a, 171b, and 171c may be formed in the extending portion 111e extending from the lower part 111 of the duct as shown in FIG. The ribs 172a, 172b and 172c may be arranged in the nozzles 150a, 150b and 150c so as to be inserted only in the grooves 171a, 171b and 171c formed in the ducts 100a, 100b and 100c, have. As shown, the ribs 172a, 172b, 172c may be provided at the ends of the nozzles 150a, 150b, 150c to minimize interference with other components. When the nozzles 150a, 150b and 150c are coupled to the ducts 100a, 100b and 100c, only when the ribs 172a, 172b and 172c are correctly inserted into the grooves 171a, 171b and 171c, The nozzles 150a, 150b, and 150c may be disposed at the correct joining positions. 30, when the nozzle 150a is coupled to the duct 100b having no corresponding structure, the rib 172a can not be inserted into the groove 171b. Accordingly, the nozzles 150a, 150b, and 150c can not be disposed at the correct joining positions, so that the operator can recognize that the wrong combination has been made. The grooves 171a, 171b and 171c described above may be formed in the nozzles 150a, 150b and 150c instead of the ducts 100a, 100b and 100c. In this case, the ribs 172a, 172b and 172c, May be formed in the ducts 100a, 100b, and 100c.

In another embodiment 180 of the pairing structure, the information areas 181a, 181b, and 181c represent configurations of different ducts 100a, 100b, and 100c and / or nozzles 150a, 150b, and 150c And may be provided to the ducts 100a, 100b, and 100c. These information areas 181a, 181b, and 181c may actually represent different model names of the washing machine and may be provided in the upper housing 113b adjacent to the nozzles. In addition, indicators 182a, 182b, and 182c may be disposed on the nozzles 150a, 150b, and 150c to indicate corresponding configurations in the information areas 181a, 181b, and 181c. Accordingly, when the ducts 100a, 100b, and 100c having the same configuration and the nozzles 150a, 150b, and 150c are correctly coupled, the indicators 182a, 182b, 181c, for example, the model name of the washing machine. The information areas 181a, 181b and 181c may be formed in the nozzles 150a, 150b and 150c instead of the ducts 100a, 100b and 100c. In this case, the indicators 182a, 182b and 182c, May be formed in the ducts 100a, 100b, and 100c.

As described above, the pairing structures 170 and 180 allow only the nozzles 150a, 150b, and 150c having the corresponding configurations to be installed in the corresponding ducts 100a, 100b, and 100c. The pairing structures 170 and 180 can inform the operator of the precise combination of the nozzles 150a, 150b and 150c and the configuration information of the ducts 100a, 100b and 100c, for example, the model name. Accordingly, the pairing structure 170, 180 allows the operator to precisely combine the nozzles and the duct having the configurations that can be combined with each other, and the information of such combined nozzles and ducts can be referred to in future maintenance. Thus, the pairing structure 170, 180 can increase the productivity and reliability of the washing machine.

9, 10, 12, and 14, the duct 100 may have a recess 114 having a predetermined size. The recess 114 may be configured to receive a predetermined amount of water. In order to accommodate the predetermined amount of water, the recess 114 may be disposed at the bottom of the duct 100, and in detail, may be provided at the lower part 112 of the drying duct. For various reasons, water may remain in the duct 100. For example, some of the water supplied from the nozzle 150 may remain in the duct 100 without being changed to steam. On the other hand, even though the supplied water is converted into steam, it may be condensed back into water due to heat exchange with the duct 100. In addition, moisture contained in the air during drying of conventional laundry may also be condensed by heat exchange with the duct 100. The recess 114 may collect this residual water. As clearly shown in FIG. 10, the recess 114 may have a predetermined slope to facilitate collection of remaining water.

The recess 114 may additionally generate steam using the water received. Heating is required to convert the received water into steam. Accordingly, the recess 114 may be disposed directly below the heater 130 so that the received water may be heated by the heater 130. That is, the recess 114 may be considered to be disposed directly below the predetermined space S. Furthermore, since the space in the recess 114 is also heated by the heater 110, the predetermined space S may extend to the space in the recess 114. That is, the predetermined space S may include a space in the recess 114, as indicated by a dotted line in FIG. 8. By such a configuration, in addition to the steam generated from the water supplied from the nozzle 150, the water in the recess 114 may be converted to steam by the heating of the heater 130. Thus, substantially more steam can be supplied, and the intended function can be performed more effectively.

More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 11, the heater 130 may be configured to directly heat the water in the recess 114. A portion of the heater 130 may be submerged in the water in the recess 114 for the direct heating. That is, the heater 130 may directly contact water in the recess 114. The heater 130 may be submerged in the water in the recess 114 in a number of ways, but as shown in FIGS. 9 and 11, a portion of the heater 130 may be bent toward the recess. In other words, the heater 130 may have a bent portion 131a that is submerged in the water in the recess 114.

On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 12-15, the heater 130 may indirectly heat the water in the recess 114. For example, as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the heater 130 is mounted to the heater 130 and heats a heat sink 133 submerged in the recess 114. It can have as a member. As illustrated, the heat sink 133 has a plurality of fins, and thus has a structure suitable for heat dissipation. Thus, heat from the heater 130 is transferred to the water in the recess 114 via the heat sink 133. In addition, as shown in FIGS. 14-15, the heater 130 may have a support 111c extending from the bottom of the recess 114 as a heating member and supporting the heater 130. . As mentioned above, the lower part 111 may be made of a metal material to have high thermal conductivity and strength, and in this case, the support part 111c may be integrally formed with the lower part 111 by the same metal material. Can be formed. The support part 111c may have a groove accommodating the heater 130 in order to stably support the heater 130 and to have a large heat transfer area. Therefore, the heat of the heater 130 is transferred to the water in the recess 114 via the support 111c. By the heat sink 133 and the support 111c, that is, the heating member, the heater 130 comes into indirect contact with the water in the recess 114. More specifically, the heating members 133 and 111c may thermally connect the water in the heater 130 and the recess 114, and heat the water using the heat of the heater.

By the aforementioned bent portion 131a and the heating members 113 and 112c, the heater 130 directly or indirectly contacts the water in the recess 114, and may heat the water more effectively. Without such a structure for direct or indirect contact, the heater 130 may heat the water in the recess 114 and generate steam by heat transfer through air.

Using the steam supply mechanism described above with reference to FIGS. 2- 15, steam is provided to the washing machine, for example, a refreshment of laundry, sterilization of laundry, and a laundry atmosphere may be performed. In addition, many other functions may be performed, for example, by appropriately controlling the timing of the steam supply, the steam supply amount, and the like. These functions can all be performed during the basic washing course of the washing machine. On the other hand, the washing machine can have a separate course optimized to perform the respective functions. As such a separate course, a course optimized for refreshing laundry using steam will now be described with reference to FIGS. 16-20. In order to control such a refresh course, the washing machine of the present invention may include a controller or a controlling unit. The control device may be configured to control not only the refresh course described below, but also all courses that can be implemented in the washing machine of the present invention. In addition, all of the operations of each part of the washing machine including the steam supply mechanism described above can be performed or stopped by this control device. Therefore, all the functions / operations of the steam supply mechanism described above and all the steps of the control method described below are all under the control of the control device.

First, in the refresh course, the predetermined space S may be heated (S5). And such heating may be performed by the heater 130 of the various devices. This heating step (S5) can basically create a high temperature environment suitable for generating steam.

The predetermined space S refers to a predetermined predetermined space for steam generation as defined above. If no other external change is given to this, the heater 130 heats only the space itself and its surrounding space due to the low thermal conductivity of the air. Therefore, the heating step S5 may heat the space of the duct 100 to a locally high temperature by using the heater 130. That is, the heating step S5 may heat the predetermined space S which is a part of the space in the duct 100 to a temperature higher than the temperature of the other space in the duct. In this case, the predetermined space S may include the heater 130 itself (exactly, the space occupied by the heater 130 itself) and a peripheral space thereof heated by the heater 130. That is, the predetermined space S is a concept including the heater 130 itself, and all operations performed in the predetermined space S may be performed in the same manner with respect to the heater 130. More specifically, in order to effectively perform such a heating to a relatively high temperature, the heating step (S5) using the heater 130 may heat only the predetermined space (S). Furthermore, for the same purpose, the heating step S5 may directly heat the predetermined space S by using the heater 130. As such, the heating step S5 may be quickly formed in the predetermined space S in an environment suitable for steam generation, based on heating to a local and direct high temperature. In addition, since the heating step S5 heats only the minimum space required for steam generation, that is, the predetermined space S, only heating for a considerably short time is required. Therefore, the heating step S5 uses instantaneous heating as well as local and direct heating, thereby minimizing energy use. Such heating may be carried out for at least a part of the predetermined heating step S5 if a predetermined environment for the intended steam generation can be formed. In addition, the heating may be preferably performed for the entire period of the heating step (S5).

If an external change is given to the predetermined space S during the heating step S5, for example, when air flow is given to the predetermined space S, heat emitted from the heater 130 is duct ( May be forcibly moved to other areas of 100, and such other areas may be unnecessarily heated. Thus, localized and instantaneous heating can be difficult. In addition, it is difficult to create an environment suitable for steam generation in the predetermined space (S), the excessive use of energy can be expected. For this reason, the heating step (S5) is preferably performed without supply of air flow to the predetermined space (S). Furthermore, when the air flow is generated throughout the duct system, i.e. when air is circulated through the duct 100, the tub 30, the drum 40, etc. appear. Therefore, the heating step S5 may be performed without air circulation using the duct 100. Meanwhile, the predetermined space S may not be sufficiently heated during the heating step S5, that is, before completion. If water is supplied to the predetermined space S during the heating step S5, a large amount of water is not converted into steam and a desired amount of steam may not be generated. Therefore, the heating step S5 may be performed without supplying water to the predetermined space S. The exclusion of the air flow supply and / or the water supply may preferably be maintained for the entire period of the heating step S5. However, the exclusion of the air flow supply and / or the water supply may be maintained only for a part of the heating step S5.

Such exclusion of the airflow supply and the water supply can be carried out by various methods. However, in order to carry out this exclusion, the steam supply mechanism, ie the components in the duct 100 arrangement, can be controlled primarily. Control of these components is shown in more detail in FIGS. 17 and 18A-18C. 17 schematically shows the operation of the relevant parts during the entire refresh course using arrows. Arrows in FIG. 17 indicate the operation of the part and its duration. 18A-18C also show in more detail the actual time of operation of the relevant parts during the entire refresh course. More specifically, in Figs. 18A-18C, the number in " run time " indicates the total number of seconds that have elapsed since the start of the refresh course, and the number in each of the devices actually works at that step. Displays one hour (seconds).

For example, the blower 140 is a main component capable of generating air flow and air circulation. Thus, as shown in FIGS. 17 and 18B, the blower 140 may be stopped during the heating step S5 to exclude the supply of air flow and / or air circulation to the predetermined space S. . In addition, as described above, the nozzle 150 is a main component for water supply in the duct 100. Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 17 and 18B, the nozzle 150 may be stopped during the heating step S5 to avoid water supply to the predetermined space S. FIG. Such blowdown of the blower 140 and the nozzle 150 is preferably maintained continuously for the entire duration of the heating step S5. However, the operation of the blower 140 and the nozzle 150 may be maintained only for a part of the heating step S5. On the other hand, the heater 130 may be continuously operated for the entire period of the heating step (S5). In addition, the heater 130 may be operated for some period of the heating step (S5).

As discussed above, the airflow supply can basically prevent creating an optimal high temperature environment for steam generation. Since such an environment is most important in the heating step S5, it may be preferable that the heating step S5 is performed at least without supply of air flow. For these reasons, the heating step S5 may include stopping at least the blower 140. That is, the heating step S5 may include stopping the blower 140 while operating the nozzle 150. In addition, in consideration of the quality of steam to be additionally generated, the heating step (S5) can be carried out without the supply of water as well as the supply of air flow. That is, the heating step S5 may include stopping both the blower 140 and the nozzle 150. However, despite the importance of airflow exclusion, the heating step S5 can also be carried out without the exclusion of airflow (i.e. with the supply of airflow) while excluding the water supply. Accordingly, the heating step S5 may be performed by stopping only the nozzle 150 without stopping the blower 140 (ie, operating the blower 140). That is, the heating step S5 may also be performed by stopping the nozzle 150 at least. Even during the selective stop of the blower 140 and / or the nozzle 150, the heater 130 may be continuously operated for the entire period of the heating step S5. That is, as shown in FIGS. 17 and 18B, among the heaters 130, the blower 150, and the nozzles 150, which are the main components of the steam supply mechanism, only the heater 130 continues during the heating step S5. Can be operated. Nevertheless, the heater 130 may only be operated during a predetermined period of the heating step S5 if a predetermined environment for the intended steam generation, ie, a high temperature environment, can be achieved.

Referring to FIG. 18B, the heating step S5 may be performed for 20 seconds, which is a substantially short time. However, since the heating step S5 performs local and direct heating for only the predetermined space S, a high temperature environment suitable for generating steam in the predetermined space S while minimizing energy use even within such a short time. Can be made with

When the heating step (S5) is completed, water is supplied to the heated predetermined space (S6). This water supply can be made by the nozzle 150 of many devices. This water supply step (S6) may provide a material for steam generation in the pre-formed environment of the predetermined space (S).

Water may be indirectly provided to the predetermined space S by using the nozzle 150 to generate steam. Also, the indirect supply of water may use a device other than the nozzle 150, for example a conventional outlet. For example, water may be supplied to other spaces in the duct 100 instead of the predetermined space S by using various devices, and the water may be supplied to the predetermined space S by the air flow provided by the blower 140. May be transferred for steam generation. However, during the transfer, since water sticks to the inner surface of the duct 100, all of the provided water may not reach the predetermined space S. On the other hand, the predetermined space S has optimum conditions for steam generation by the local and direct heating in the heating step S5, as described above. Therefore, the water supply step (S6) may directly supply water to the predetermined space (S). In addition, for the same reason, the water supply step S6 may supply water only to the predetermined space S. FIG. This water supply can be carried out for at least part of the predetermined water supply step S6 if a sufficient amount of steam can be made as intended. However, preferably, the water supply may be performed for the entire period of the water supply step (S6). In addition, as described above, the production of a sufficient amount of steam with good quality is conditioned by the composition of an optimal environment, ie a hot environment. Therefore, the water supply step (S6) is preferably started or performed after the heating step (S5) is performed for a predetermined time, precisely for a predetermined time. That is, the heating step S5 is performed for a predetermined time before the start of the water supply step S6.

As defined above, steam refers to the vapor phase of water produced by heating liquid water, while mist refers to small water particles in the liquid state. These mists can easily absorb heat and turn into hot steam through phase change. For this reason, the water supply step (S6) may spray the mist toward the predetermined space (S). As already described above with reference to FIGS. 6-8, the nozzle 150 may be optimally designed to generate and supply mist. By the supply of such mist, the water supply step S6 may efficiently generate a sufficient amount of steam in the predetermined space S. On the other hand, by adjusting the water pressure supplied to the nozzle 150, the nozzle 150 may supply water, that is, a water stream or a water jet (water strean or water jet) instead of the mist. Even in this case, since the predetermined space S has an environment sufficient for steam generation, steam can be generated. As already defined above, since the predetermined space S includes the heater 130 itself, the provision of any moisture, that is, water or mist, to the predetermined space S in the water supply step S6 is performed. It may include the step of supplying moisture to the heater 130. If the water supply step (S6) directly spray the mist in the predetermined space (S), considering the optimal environment created in the predetermined space (S), it is possible to efficiently make steam using less energy Can be. In addition, if the water supply step (S6) performs such direct mist injection only in the predetermined space (S), the generation of steam can be more efficient.

While the water supply step S6 is in progress, since a sufficient amount of water has not been supplied yet, a sufficient amount of steam may not be generated as intended. If the air flow is supplied to the predetermined space S during the water supply step S6, an insufficient amount of steam may be supplied to the tub 30 together with the air flow. In particular, at the beginning of the water supply step (S6), since the supplied water is scattered by the air flow out of the predetermined space (S), a sufficient amount of steam cannot be generated and supplied as well. Furthermore, since a predetermined time is required before the supplied water is converted into steam, a large amount of liquid water may still exist in the predetermined space S while the water supply step S6 is in progress. If the air flow is supplied during the water supply step S6 as mentioned above, a significant amount of liquid water may be transported to the air flow together with steam and supplied to the tub 30. That is, the supply of air flow in the water supply step (S6) may reduce the quality of the steam supplied to the tub 30, and thus the intended function may not be performed effectively. Thus, the water supply step (S6) can be performed without supply of air flow to the predetermined space (S). Furthermore, when the air flow is generated throughout the duct system, ie when air is circulated through the duct 100 and the tub 30, the results described above may be more pronounced. Thus, the water supply step (S6) can be performed without air circulation for the same reason. This supply of air flow / circulation is preferably maintained for the entire period of the water supply step S6, but may only be maintained for a partial period of the water supply step S6.

On the other hand, the water supplied during the water supply step (S6) absorbs energy, that is, heat in the predetermined space (S), so that the temperature of the predetermined space (S) is lowered. Due to such a temperature drop, the predetermined space S may not have an optimal environment for steam generation. Accordingly, due to the presence of a large amount of liquid water, a sufficient amount of steam may not be generated and the quality of steam may deteriorate. Can be. Therefore, in order to continuously maintain the optimum environment for steam generation during the water supply step S6, heating to the predetermined space S is also preferable in the water supply step S6. For this reason, the water supply step S6 may be performed together with the heating for the predetermined space (S). In this case, the heating may be carried out for at least a part of the water supply step S6, or may be carried out for the entire period of the water supply step S6. In addition, since the heating itself is a basic and inherent function of the heating step S5, the heating in this water supply step S6 is further such that the heating step S5 is at least partially for a period of the water supply step S6. It can be substantially interpreted as being performed. Similarly, it can be explained that the heating step S5 may be performed for the entire period of the water supply step S6. Nevertheless, since the predetermined space S has been sufficiently heated above, steam may be generated to some extent in the water supply step S4 without additional heating. Thus, the water supply step S4 may be performed without additional heating.

Such exclusion and / or heating of the airflow supply can be performed by various methods, but can be easily accomplished by controlling the components in the steam supply mechanism, ie the duct 100 device. For example, as shown in FIGS. 17 and 18B, the blower 140 may be stopped during the water supply step S6 to prevent supply of air flow to the predetermined space S. This shutdown of the blower 140 can preferably be maintained continuously for the entire duration of the water supply step S6. However, it is also possible to maintain such an operation stop for a part of the water supply step S6. In addition, as described above, the heater 130 is a main component for heating the predetermined space (S). Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 17 and 18B, the heater 130 may be operated during the water supply step S6 for heating required for maintaining the optimum environment of the predetermined space S. FIG. In this case, the heater 130 may be operated for at least a part of the water supply step S6, and may also be preferably operated for the entire period of the water supply step S6. Also, as mentioned above, for additional water supply step S6 without heating, the heater 130 may be stopped during the water supply step S6. The operation of the heater 130 can be continuously maintained for the entire period of the water supply step (S6). On the other hand, preferably, the nozzle 150 may be continuously operated during the entire period of the water supply step (S6). However, if a sufficient amount of steam can be produced as intended, the nozzle 150 may only be operated during a portion of the water supply step S6.

As discussed above, the airflow supply essentially prevents the production of a sufficient amount of steam with good quality. Steam generation is most important in the water supply step (S6), it is important that the water supply step (S6) is carried out at least without the supply of air flow. In addition, in consideration of the steam generation environment, the water supply step (S6) can be performed with heating without supply of air flow. For these reasons, the water supply step S6 may include stopping at least the blower 140. In addition, the water supply step (S6) may include the step of operating the heater 150, while stopping the blower 140.

Since the size of the predetermined space S is limited, if a large amount of water is supplied for a substantially long period of time, all of such water is difficult to be converted into steam. Thus, as shown in FIG. 18B, the water supply step S6 may be performed for 7 seconds, which is a shorter time than the heating step S5. By this water supply step (S6) for a short time, an appropriate amount of water can be supplied to the predetermined space (S) and all can be converted into steam.

When the water supply step (S6) is completed, air may be blown toward the predetermined space (S) to move the generated steam (S7). That is, the air flow may be supplied to the predetermined space S so that the generated steam is supplied to the tub 30 (S7). The supply of such airflow may be performed by the blower 140 among various devices.

The generated steam moves along the duct 100 in this air flow and is primarily supplied to the tub 30. Thereafter, the steam may finally reach the laundry via the drum 40. This steam performs the intended functions, for example to refresh the laundry, sterilize the laundry or create an optimal laundry environment. If the supplied air flow can transfer all or a sufficient amount of the generated steam to the tub 30, this air supply can be carried out for some period of the air supply step S7. However, preferably, the air supply may be performed for the entire period of the air supply step S7. In addition, as described above, the supply step (S7) is a condition that generates enough steam to be supplied to the tub 40, the air flow supply step (S7) is the water supply step (S6) ) Is preferably started after performing for a predetermined time, preferably for a predetermined time. That is, the water supply step S6 is performed for a predetermined time before the start of the air flow supply step S7. In addition, since the water supply step (S6) is started after the predetermined time of the heating step (S5) is performed, the air flow supply step (S7) is the heating step (S5) and the water supply step (S6) is predetermined It starts after the time has been performed.

On the other hand, the tub 30 / drum 40 and the air therein has a relatively low temperature compared to the steam supplied. The supplied steam may condense as water by exchanging heat with the tub 30 / drum 40 and the air therein. Therefore, during the air flow supply step S7, a certain amount of generated steam is lost during the transfer, and the laundry cannot be reached. Furthermore, a sufficient amount of steam cannot be provided to the laundry and the intended effect may not be obtained. For this reason, water supply to the predetermined space S may be performed during the air flow supply step S7 to continuously generate steam. That is, the air flow supply step S7 may be performed together with water supply to the predetermined space S. In this case, steam is continuously generated in the air flow supply step S7 in addition to the water supply step S6, and thus, in a short time, excess steam can be prepared to sufficiently compensate for the loss during transportation. have. Thus, in spite of the loss in transit, the washing machine can provide the laundry with a sufficient amount of steam to be seen by the user through the door 20, whereby the intended effect can be reliably obtained by the steam. This water supply may be carried out for at least a part of the period of the airflow supply step S7, and more preferably for the entire period of the airflow supply step S7, preferably for further steam generation. . In addition, as described above, the water supply corresponds to the basic function of the water supply step (S6), the water supply in this air flow supply step (S7) is the water supply step (S6) is at least the air flow supply It can be substantially interpreted as being additionally performed during a part of step S7. Similarly, it can be explained that the water supply step S6 may be performed for the entire period of the air flow supply step S7.

In addition, the water supplied during the air flow supply step (S7) absorbs the heat in the predetermined space (S) while being converted into steam, the predetermined space (S) due to the temperature decreases the optimal environment for steam generation May not have. Therefore, in order to continuously maintain the optimum environment for steam generation during the air flow supply step S7, heating to the predetermined space S is also preferable in the air flow supply step S7. For this reason, the air flow supply step S7 may be performed together with the heating for the predetermined space S. Since the optimum environment is continuously maintained by this heating, the steam generation in the air flow supply step S7 can be performed more stably to obtain the excess amount of steam as intended. In this case, the heating may be carried out for at least a part of the air flow supply step S7, and further preferably for the entire period of the air flow supply step S7 for the continuous maintenance of the optimum environment for steam generation. May also be performed. In addition, as described above, since heating corresponds to a basic function of the heating step S5, the heating in this airflow supply step S7 is such that the heating step S5 is at least the airflow supply step S7. Can be substantially interpreted as being additionally performed during some period of time. Similarly, it can be explained that the heating step S5 may be carried out for the whole period of the air flow supply step S7.

Such water supply and / or heating can be performed by various methods, but can be easily accomplished by controlling the components in the steam supply mechanism, ie the duct 100 device. For example, the nozzle 150 and the heater 130 may be operated for at least a part of the air flow supply step S7 for water supply and heating for the predetermined space S. However, as shown in Figs. 17 and 18B, the operation of the nozzle 150 and the heater 130 is preferably performed in the air flow supply step S7 in order to generate excess steam and maintain an optimum environment therefor. It can be maintained continuously for the entire period. Meanwhile, as illustrated in FIGS. 17 and 18B, the blower 140 may be continuously operated during the entire period of the air supply step S7. Furthermore, the blower 140 may be operated for an additional time (for example, 1 second in FIG. 18B) beyond the air flow supply step S7, as shown in FIG. 18B. This additional operation is advantageous for releasing all of the steam remaining in the duct 100. Nevertheless, the blower 140 may be operated only for a part of the feeding step S5 if the supplied air flow can transfer all or a sufficient amount of the generated steam to the tub 30. .

On the other hand, water may be generated in the tub 30 by the steam supplied in the air flow supply step (S7). For example, the tub 30 / drum 40 and the air therein have a relatively low temperature compared to the steam supplied. Therefore, the supplied steam can be condensed as water by heat exchange with the tub 30 / drum 40 and the air therein. In addition, even in the water supply step S6, the generated steam may be condensed by heat exchange even in the duct 100, and the condensed water may be supplied to the tub 30 by air flow again. Thus, the condensed water can finally collect in the tub 30. As shown in FIG. 2, when a sump 33 is provided to the tub 30, condensed water may collect in the sump 33. Such condensed water can rewet the laundry and interfere with its intended function by steam supply. For this reason, water generated by the steam supply during the water supply and air supply steps S6 and S7 may be discharged from the tub 30. To discharge such water, a drain pump 90 may be operated, as shown in Figs. 17 and 18B. When the drain pump 90 is operated, water in the sump 33 may be discharged to the outside of the washing machine via the drain hole 33b and the drain pipe 91. This discharge of water can be carried out for the entire period of the water supply and air flow supply steps (S6, S7). In addition, if water can be discharged quickly, the discharge of water may be carried out only for a partial period of the water supply and air flow supply steps (S6, S7). Similarly, the drain pump 90 may also be operated for the entire period of the water supply and airflow supply steps S6 and S7, or for some period of time.

Since the size of the predetermined space S is limited, much time is not required to supply all the steam generated in the predetermined space S to the tub 30. Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 17 and 18B, the air flow supply step S7 may be performed for 3 seconds, which is a shorter time than the water supply step S6. Since the steps S5-S7 efficiently perform the functions intended for each step as described above, their execution times can be gradually shortened as shown in FIG. 18B, thereby using energy. Is also minimized.

As described above, the heater 130 may be operated continuously for the entire period of the step (S5-S7). However, due to such continuous operation, the heater 130 may overheat. Therefore, in order to prevent overheating of the heater 130, the temperature of the heater 130 may be directly controlled. For example, when the air temperature in the duct 100 or the temperature of the heater 130 rises to 85 ° C., the heater 130 may be stopped. On the other hand, when the air temperature in the duct 100 or the temperature of the heater 130 is lowered to 70 ℃, the heater 130 may be operated again.

On the other hand, in the air flow supply step (S7), sufficient air flow must be supplied to the predetermined space (S) in order to effectively transfer the generated steam to the tub (30). This sufficient airflow can actually occur when the blower 140 is rotated beyond a predetermined number of revolutions, and some time is required before the blower 140 reaches an appropriate number of revolutions. In particular, it takes the most time until the blower 140 starts to rotate from the completely stopped state. However, since the air flow supply step S7 is optimally set to be performed for a relatively short time in consideration of other related steps, the time for which the blower 140 is operated under an appropriate rotational speed is the air flow supply step S7. Can be shorter than Therefore, sufficient air flow may not be supplied during the air flow supply step (S7), and thus the effective transfer of generated steam may not be possible. For this reason, in order to ensure maximum performance of the blower 140 during the step S7, the blower 140 may be preliminarily rotated, i.e., operated before the airflow supplying step S7. If the blower 140 is previously rotated before the supplying step S7, the airflow supplying step S7 may be started during the rotation of the blower 140. Therefore, the number of revolutions of the blower 140 may be immediately increased to an appropriate number of revolutions at the beginning of the airflow supply step S7, and sufficient airflow may be continuously supplied.

The pre-rotation of the blower 140 may be performed in the water supply step (S6). However, as discussed above, the air flow supply in the water supply step (S6) is not preferable, because it leads to a decrease in the amount and quality of steam. Therefore, the preliminary rotation of the blower 140 may be performed in the heating step (S5). That is, as illustrated in FIGS. 17 and 18B, the heating step S5 may further include rotating, that is, operating the blower 140 for a predetermined time. In addition, the airflow supply in the heating step (S5) does not have a direct effect on steam generation, but may increase the consumption of energy by preventing local heating. Therefore, the operation of the blower 140 may be performed only for a part of the heating step S5. Furthermore, since the blower 140 is not operated during the water supply step S6, if the blower 140 is rotated only at the beginning of the heating step S5, the blower 140 is also inertial. It may not be possible to continuously maintain the rotation until the air flow supply step (S7). Therefore, the operating step of the blower is performed at the end of the heating step S5, as is also clearly shown in Figs. 17 and 18B. Preferably the actuation step can only be carried out at the end of the heating step S5.

As mentioned above, even in the heating step S5, since the airflow supply is not preferable, the operation step operates the blower 140 considerably limited. In practice, in the operation step, the blower 140 is turned on only for a predetermined time so as to be rotated by power. When the predetermined time expires, the blower 140 is immediately turned off and rotated inertia to simply maintain rotation. In addition, the blower 140 may be rotated at a low rotational speed during the turned-on period. Based on the operation of the blower, the heating step S5 may be divided into a step S5a for performing the first heating and a step S5b for performing the second heating. As shown in FIGS. 17 and 18B, the first heating step S5a corresponds to the beginning of the heating step S5 and does not include any operation of the blower 140. Therefore, the first heating step S5a heats only the predetermined space S without supplying water and supplying air flow. In addition, the second heating step S5b corresponds to the end of the heating step S5 and includes an operation step of the blower 140 as described above. Therefore, the second heating step S5b heats the predetermined space S while operating the blower 140. More specifically, the blower 140 is turned on for a predetermined period of time, that is, during the second heating step S5b to be rotated by power. That is, the air flow for the predetermined space S may be supplied in the second heating step S5b. However, as described above, since the blower 140 is operated at a low rotation speed, the adverse effect of air flow on the heating of the predetermined space S is minimized. Meanwhile, as shown in FIGS. 17 and 18B, the blower 140 may be continuously operated for the entire period of the second heating step S5b. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 18B, the blower 140 may be operated for an additional time (eg, 1 second in FIG. 18B) beyond the second heating step S5b for control reasons. Thereafter, at the end of the second heating step S5b, the blower 140 is immediately turned off. When turned off, the blower 140 is rotated inertia to simply maintain rotation during the water supply step S6. Therefore, since the blower 140 rotates at a considerably low rotational speed during the water supply step S6, no substantial air flow is supplied to the predetermined space S. The inertia rotation of the blower 140 extends to the air flow supply step S7, and when the air flow supply step S7 is started, the blower 140 still maintains rotation even under low revolutions. Therefore, the time from the stop of the blower 140 to the start of rotation at the beginning of the air flow supply step (S7) is saved, the number of revolutions of the blower 140 can be immediately increased to the appropriate number of revolutions. Therefore, sufficient air flow can be supplied continuously for the entire period of the air flow supply step S7, and the generated steam can also be effectively transferred.

When the operation step described above is performed, the blower 140 is operated and the air flow is supplied, so that the heating step S5 accompanying the operation step is merely a water supply and a nozzle 150 for the predetermined space S. Is performed without its operation. In addition, since the blower 140 rotates at a low rotation speed in the operating step, air circulation through the duct 100 does not occur. Therefore, the heating step S5 may be performed without air circulation through the duct 100 even when the blower operation step is performed. That is, even if the operation step is performed, this does not significantly affect the local heating and steam generation environment composition in the heating step S5. In addition, if the air flow supply step (S7) can supply the desired amount of steam efficiently without the blower operation step, this operation step is preferably excluded. As already discussed above, in any case it is most effective that the heating step S5 is still performed without both water supply and airflow supply. That is, the blower actuation step is optional and not indispensable.

As described above, the heating step (S5), the water supply step (S6) and the air flow supply step (S7) is functionally linked to each other for steam supply. Thus, as shown in Figs. 16, 17 and 18B, these steps S5-S7 form one process, that is, the steam supply process P2, in terms of their function. The refreshing effect, i.e. removal of wrinkles, static electricity, odors and the like can be achieved only by supplying a sufficient amount of steam. As described above, since the steam supply process P2 can generate a sufficient amount of steam already, the steam supply process P2 can perform the intended refresh function alone without additional steps described below. In addition, the set of steps S5-S7, that is, the steam supply process may be repeated a number of times, so that more steam may be continuously supplied to the tub 30 to maximize the refresh effect. As described in FIG. 18B, the steam supply process P2 may preferably be repeated 12 times. In addition, if necessary, the steam supply process (P2) may be repeated 13-14 times or more times. Since it takes 30 seconds to perform the steam supply process P2 once, it takes about 360 seconds to perform this 12 times. However, some delay may occur during the repetition of this process P2, and additional delay may also occur for control purposes. Thus, the step following the steam supply process P2 may not start exactly after 360 seconds.

The steam supply process P2 distinguishes in detail the functions and operations required for steam supply and assigns these distinct functions and operations to the corresponding steps S5-S7, respectively. As already described above, the heating step (S5), water supply step (S6) and air flow supply step (S7) mainly performs an operation associated with the intended function to effectively perform the respective intended functions. Accordingly, the associated parts are mainly operated. Also, for the same reason, that is, the starting point of the steps S5-S7 is controlled in order to optimally perform the given functions. For example, the water supply step S6 is started after the heating step S5 is performed for a predetermined time, and the air flow supply step S7 is started after the water supply step S6 is performed for a predetermined time. do. Thus, subsequent steps do not prevent the preceding steps from performing their intended function, and perform their function only after such intended functions have been sufficiently performed. In addition, the duration of the preceding steps (S5, S6) can be controlled to overlap the subsequent steps (S6, S7) and the preceding steps (S5, S6). More specifically, the foregoing steps S5 and S6 may extend beyond the subsequent steps S6 and S7. For example, heating is performed during the water supply step S6, and thus, the heating step S5 may be additionally performed during the water supply step S6. In addition, heating and water supply are performed during the air flow supply step S7. Accordingly, the heating step S5 and the water supply step S6 may be additionally performed during the air flow supply step S7. . Therefore, steam is continuously generated in the air flow supply step S7 in addition to the water supply step S6, thereby generating an excessive amount of steam while compensating for various losses. Furthermore, the air flow supply step (S7) can be further modified to enhance the steam transfer performance. For example, the blower 140 may be preliminarily operated prior to the air flow supplying step S7, so that the blower 140 is operated at an appropriate rotational speed as soon as the supplying step S7 is started. Can be rotated. Thus, sufficient airflow can be supplied for the entire period of the airflow supply step S7. As described above, the steam supply process P2 brings an improvement in the amount of steam production and transfer in addition to the effective performance of the intended functions. That is, the steam production amount is greatly increased, and this increased steam can be transferred more efficiently. For these reasons, the steam supply process P2 can basically greatly improve the refresh performance. In addition, since the steam supply process (P2) to supply a sufficient air flow to transfer all the excess steam in the tub 30, the transferred steam is transferred through the transparent portion of the door 20, that is, the door glass 21 It can be clearly seen by the user. This visualization of the steam supply allows the user to have high reliability for the washing machine.

As described above, the steam supply process P2 has an independent function of generating and supplying steam. Thus, although the process P2 has been described above as part of the refresh course, it can be applied to a basic laundry course or other individual course as it is.

On the other hand, if the washing machine itself including the steam supply mechanism can be prepared for steam supply in advance, the steam supply process (P2; S5-S7) can be performed more efficiently. Therefore, the steps for such preparation are described below. In the above preparation steps and the previously described steps (S5-S7) as well as all the steps described later, if a function is described as being performed or excluded, it basically performs such a function and excludes the function. May mean to be maintained for a predetermined total duration of the stage, and on the other hand, to be maintained for some duration of the stage. Likewise, the same logic applies when it is described that a part related to such a function is activated or stopped. In addition, if the operation of any function and / or part is not mentioned in each of the following steps, this may mean that this function is not performed at that step and the part is not working, i.e., stopped. As already mentioned above, the above-described logic can be applied in common to all the steps described in connection with the present invention

First, as a preparation step, prior to the heating step (S5), the duct 100 may be preliminarily heated (S4). The preheating step (S4) may be performed by various methods, but may be performed by circulating hot air in the duct 100 and the tub 30 connected thereto. In addition, this circulation of air can be easily achieved using components in the duct 100 forming the steam supply mechanism. For example, referring to FIGS. 17 and 18A, the blower 140 and the heater 130 may be operated to circulate hot air. When the heater 130 dissipates heat, this heat is carried along the duct 100 in the air flow provided by the blower 140. This heat circulates with the airflow and can heat not only air but also adjacent components. More specifically, this circulating heat and air flow can heat the tub 30 and drum 40 itself and the air therein, as well as the duct 100 (including the steam supply mechanism). That is, while the heating step S5 locally heats only the predetermined space S, the preheating step S4 includes the duct 100 and its internal parts, such as the tub 30 and the drum ( The entire washing machine system such as 40 may be heated substantially. In addition, while the heating step S5 directly heats the predetermined space S, the preheating step S4 uses the circulation of air, thereby indirectly heating the entire washing machine system. As shown in FIG. 17 and FIG. 18A, the blower 140 and the heater 130 may be continuously operated for the entire period of the preheating step S4. Meanwhile, as shown in FIG. 18A, the blower 140 may be operated for an additional time (for example, 1 second in FIG. 18A) beyond the preheating step S4 for control reasons.

As described above, since the entire duct 100 is primarily heated by the preheating step S4, the steam provided by the steam supply process P2; Condensation in the duct 100 before reaching the drum 40 can be prevented to some extent. In addition, since the preheating step (S4) also heats the tub 30 and the drum 40 as a whole, it is possible to suppress the condensation of the steam provided in the tub 30 and the drum 40. Thus, since a sufficient amount of steam is supplied without unnecessary loss, the intended function can be effectively performed. This preheating step S4 may be performed, for example, for 50 seconds, as shown in FIGS. 17 and 18A.

In addition, as described above, the water remaining in the washing machine, specifically the duct 100, the tub 30 and the drum 40, may interfere with the intended function by steam supply. Residual water can also lead to rapid condensation of the supplied steam and can also wet the laundry again. For these reasons, water remaining in the washing machine may be discharged to the outside of the washing machine (S3). The discharging step S3 may be performed at any time before the heating step S5. However, the water present in the washing machine may exchange heat with the supplied hot air, thereby reducing the efficiency of the preheating step (S4). Therefore, the discharging step S3 may be performed before the preheating step S4, as shown in FIGS. 17 and 18A. In order to perform this discharge step (S3), the drain pump 90 may be operated. When the drain pump 90 is operated, water in the tub 30 may be discharged to the outside of the washing machine via the drain hole 33b and the drain pipe 91. In addition, in order to promote such water discharge, unheated air may be circulated during the discharge step S3. During the circulation step for circulation of unheated air, only the blower 140 can be operated for a predetermined time (eg, 3 seconds) without the heater 130 being operated (see FIGS. 17 and 18A). In the circulating step, unheated air, that is, air at room temperature, circulates through the duct 100, the tub 30, and the drum 40, moving water existing in them, and finally the tub 30. In detail, the tub 30 is collected at the bottom of the tub 30. As shown in FIG. 2, if a sump 33 is provided at the bottom of the tub 30, all remaining water may be collected in the sump 33. In practice, the water remaining in the duct 100 cannot simply be discharged by the operation of the drain pump 90. However, by using air circulation, the water in the duct 100 can also be moved to remove. Therefore, the water remaining by this circulation step can be discharged more effectively. Such discharging step S3 may be performed, for example, for 15 seconds, as shown in FIGS. 17 and 18A.

In addition, impurities such as lint may be attached to the surface of the heater 130 during repeated operation of the washing machine, and such impurities may interfere with the operation of the heater 130. For this reason, prior to the heating step (S5), the surface of the heater 130 may be cleaned (S2). The cleaning step S2 may be performed at any time before the heating step S5. However, since the cleaning step S2 is configured to use a predetermined amount of water for the efficient and rapid cleaning of the heater 130, as shown in FIGS. 17 and 18A, S2. ≪ / RTI > More specifically, in order to perform this cleaning step (S2), the nozzle 150 sprays a predetermined amount of water to the heater 130. If too much water is injected into the heater 130, it is more likely that a significant amount of water will remain in the duct 100, and as already mentioned above, the remaining water will be subjected to subsequent steps. Affect Therefore, the nozzle 150 may intermittently spray water on the heater 130. For example, the nozzle 150 may spray water for 0.3 seconds and stop for 2.5 seconds. This set of injections and stops may also be repeated four times, for example. Since impurities of the heater 130 are removed by the cleaning step S2, stable operation of the heater 130 is ensured in the following steps, in particular, the steam supply process P2. In addition, in the cleaning step (S2), the sprayed water may cool the heater 130 as a whole. Thus, the temperature of the surface of the heater 130 is made uniform throughout, so that the heater 130 can operate more stably and effectively in the following steps. On the other hand, as described above, in the steam supply process (P2) a considerable amount of steam continues to be supplied to the tub (30). Since the detergent box 15 is connected to the tub 30, some of the steam may leak to the outside of the washing machine through the detergent box 15. Therefore, the user may be burned by the leaked steam, and the reliability of the washing machine itself may be lowered. In order to prevent such leakage, a predetermined amount of water is supplied to the detergent box 15 in the cleaning step (S2). More specifically, the valve connected to the detergent box 15 is opened for a short time (for example, 0.1 second), and thus water may be supplied to the detergent box 15. The supplied water wets the inside of the pipe connecting the detergent box 15 and the detergent box 15 and the tub 30. Therefore, the steam leaked from the tub 30 is condensed by the water present in the interior of the connection pipe and the detergent box 15, and thus does not leak from the detergent box 15. The heater cleaning and leakage prevention described above uses a significant amount of water. Residual water can reduce the efficiency of the subsequent steps. Therefore, even during the cleaning step S2, as shown in FIGS. 17 and 18A, the drain pump 90 may be operated to discharge used water. Such a cleaning step S2 may be performed, for example, for 12 seconds as shown in FIGS. 17 and 18A.

In addition, the voltage supplied to the washing machine can be sensed for more efficient control (S1). This control based on voltage sensing is described in more detail in the relevant part of this specification.

As described above, the steps S1-S4 can create an optimal environment for the following steps S5-S7, ie the steam supply process P2. In other words, the steps S1-S4 perform a function of providing preparation for the steam supply process P2. Thus, as shown in Figs. 16, 17 and 18A, these steps S1-S4 form one process, that is, preparation process P1, in terms of their function. The preparation process P1 is substantially assisted in the steam supply process P2 by creating an optimal environment for steam generation and supply. Thus, if the steam supply process P2 is applied independently to supply steam to the basic washing course or other individual course other than the refresh course, as mentioned above, the preparation process P1 is such. May be optionally applied to courses.

On the other hand, the steam supplied in the steam supply process (P2) can be refreshed by removing some of the wrinkles, odors, static electricity, etc. of the laundry due to its high temperature and moisture as intended. Nevertheless, in order to maximize the effect of this refresh function, some post-processing may be additionally required. In addition, since the supplied steam supplies moisture to the laundry, a post-treatment for removing moisture from the refreshed laundry may be required for the user's convenience.

As such a post-treatment, after the air supply step S7, the first drying step S9 may be performed first. As is known, the process of rearranging the tissue of the fiber is required to unfold the fiber. For the rearrangement of such fibrous tissues, a predetermined amount of water is first provided and water in the fiber must be slowly removed for a sufficient time. That is, only when moisture is slowly removed, the deformed fibrous tissues can be smoothly restored to their original state. If the fiber is dried at too high a temperature, only moisture is rapidly removed from the fiber and the fibers remain deformed. For this reason, in order to slowly remove moisture, the first drying step S9 may be configured to dry the laundry while heating the laundry to a relatively low temperature. That is, the first drying step S9 may substantially correspond to low temperature drying.

The first drying step S9 may be performed by various methods, but may be performed by supplying air heated to a relatively low temperature to the tub 30 for a predetermined time. The supplied heated air may finally be supplied to the laundry in the drum 40. This heated air supply can be easily achieved using the components in the duct 100 forming the steam supply mechanism. For example, referring to FIGS. 17 and 18C, the blower 140 and the heater 130 may be operated to supply heated air. When the heater 130 emits heat, this heat heats the surrounding air, and the heated air may be moved along the duct 100 in the air flow provided by the blower 140. This heated air can reach the laundry via tub 30 and drum 40 with airflow. In addition, if the heater 130 is continuously operated, the temperature of the supplied air is continuously raised, and thus it is difficult to be maintained at a relatively low temperature. Thus, in order to supply air heated to a relatively low temperature, the heater 130 may be intermittently operated. For example, the heater 130 may be operated for 30 seconds, stopped for 40 seconds, and may repeat such operation and stop. In addition, for the supply of air heated to a relatively low temperature, the temperature of the air or heater 130 may be directly controlled. For example, when the air temperature of the duct 100 or the temperature of the heater 130 drops to 57 ° C., the heater 130 may be operated. In addition, when the air temperature of the duct 100 or the temperature of the heater 130 rises to 58 ° C, the heater 130 may be stopped. On the other hand, as described above, only by simple control of the heater 130 based on the temperature, the temperature of the air or the heater 130 can be continuously maintained in the relatively low temperature range of 57 ℃-58 ℃. have. Therefore, in addition to the simple control of the heater 130 based on the temperature, the intermittent operation of the heater 130 may not be forcibly performed. In addition, the temperature in the tub 30 is already higher than room temperature in the steam supply process P2, and the first drying step S9 requires a relatively low temperature environment. Thus, as shown in FIGS. 17 and 18C, the heater 130 may start to operate after the blower 140 is operated for a predetermined time (eg, 3 seconds).

Since the air heated to a relatively low temperature by the above-described first drying step (S9) is supplied to the laundry, the fiber structure of the laundry is slowly dried and rearranged. Thus, the laundry can be restored to not include wrinkles and wrinkles. This first drying step S9 may be performed, for example, for 9 minutes and 30 seconds, as shown in FIG. 18C to slowly dry the laundry for a sufficient time.

In addition, since the laundry becomes wet due to the supplied steam, it is necessary to completely remove the moisture from the laundry. Therefore, after the first drying step S9, a second drying step S10 is performed. In order to remove the moisture from the laundry in a short time, the second drying step S10 may be configured to dry the laundry at a high temperature, that is, at least higher than the first drying step S9. That is, the second drying step (S10) may correspond to high temperature drying as compared with the first drying step (S9).

The second drying step S10 may be performed by various methods, but may be performed by supplying air having a considerably high temperature to the tub 30 for a predetermined time. At least the second drying step S10 may supply air having a temperature higher than the air temperature of the first drying step S9. For example, as shown in FIGS. 17 and 18C, as in the first heating step S9, the blower 140 and the heater 130 may be operated to supply air heated at a high temperature. Can be. Unlike the intermittent operation of the first drying step S9, the heater 130 may be continuously operated for the continuous supply of high temperature air. However, while the heater 130 is continuously operated, the heater 130 may be overheated. Therefore, in order to prevent overheating of the heater 130, the temperature of the air or the heater 130 may be directly controlled. For example, when the air temperature of the duct 100 or the temperature of the heater 130 rises to 95 ° C., the heater 130 may be stopped. On the other hand, when the air temperature of the duct 100 or the temperature of the heater 130 is lowered to 90 ℃, the heater 130 may be operated again.

Since the air heated to a high temperature by the above-described second drying step S10 is supplied to the laundry, the laundry can be completely dried in a short time. This second drying step S10 may be performed for one minute, for example, shorter than the first drying step S9 as shown in FIGS. 17 and 18C. That is, the period of the first drying step S9 is longer than the second drying step S10.

As described above, the first and second drying steps S9 and S10 are linked to each other to provide a drying function as a kind of post treatment. Thus, as shown in FIGS. 16 and 17, these steps S9 and S10 form one process, ie drying process P4, in terms of their function.

On the other hand, after the steam supply process (P2) is completed, a substantial amount of steam is present inside the washing machine. This steam condenses to form a thin water film on the surface of the duct 100, the tub 30, the drum 40, and their internal components. Therefore, if the drying steps (S9, S10) is performed immediately after the steam supply process (P2), that is, the air flow supply step (S7), such water film is easily evaporated and water is supplied to the laundry, thus drying efficiency This can be greatly reduced. In addition, such a water film may interfere with the operation of some components, in particular the heater 130. For this reason, the operation of the washing machine is paused for a predetermined time after the air flow supplying step S7 before the first drying step S9 (S8). That is, the rest step S8 is performed between the air flow supply step S7 and the first drying step S9. As shown in Fig. 17 and Fig. 18B, all the parts of the washing machine except for the drum 40 and the motor for rotation thereof are temporarily stopped during the rest phase S8. Thus, the water film formed on the parts is further condensed into water and collected. Unlike the water film, the condensed water does not easily evaporate, and moisture is not supplied to the laundry during the drying steps S9 and S10. In addition, by removing the water film, normal operation of the heater 130 may be ensured. For this reason, the reduction of the drying efficiency can be prevented by the rest step (S8). The idle step S8 may be performed for 3 minutes (180 seconds), for example, as shown in FIG. 18B. Since the resting step S8 performs an independent function of removing the water film, that is, moisture from the parts, like the other processes defined above, it may be regarded as one moisture removal process P3.

The laundry having passed through the drying steps S9 and S10 has a high temperature by heating by heated air. Therefore, the user may be burned by the laundry, and even though the moisture is removed, the user may not wear the dry laundry immediately. For this reason, after the second drying step (S10), the laundry can be cooled (S11). More specifically, the cooling step (S11) may supply air that is not heated to the laundry. For example, as shown in FIGS. 17 and 18C, only the blower 130 is operated for the flow of air at room temperature without the operation of the heater 130 in the cooling step S11 to supply unheated air. Can be. Unheated air, ie, air at room temperature, may move over the duct 100, the tub 30, and the drum 40 and finally be supplied to the laundry. The air at room temperature supplied can cool the laundry by heat exchange with the laundry. Therefore, the user can immediately wear the refreshed laundry, thereby increasing the convenience of the user. In addition, the supplied air at room temperature may cool the entire parts of the washing machine as well as the duct 100, the tub 30, and the drum 40 to some extent. Therefore, the user can be substantially prevented from getting burned. The cooling step S11 may be performed for 8 minutes, for example, as shown in FIG. 18B. Since this cooling step S11 performs an independent function, it can be regarded as one cooling process P5 like other processes defined above. If necessary, as shown in Figure 17, after the cooling step (S11), the laundry and the washing machine may be naturally cooled under an additional room temperature air for a predetermined time.

The refresh course shown in FIG. 16 may be completed by continuously performing the steps S1-S11. In view of the functional aspects, the steam supply process P2 efficiently generates sufficient quality steam by optimally controlling the steam supply mechanism, and thus can mainly perform the intended function of the refresh course. By assisting the steam supply process P2, the preparation process P1 creates an optimal environment for steam generation, and the water removal process P3 forms an optimal environment for drying. In addition, the drying and cooling processes P4 and P5 perform post treatment or additional treatment such as drying and cooling. By properly linking these processes, the refresh course can effectively perform its intended function, such as removing wrinkles, odors and static electricity.

On the other hand, if the nozzle 150 is abnormally operated or failure, the amount of water supplied to the predetermined space (S) in the water supply step (S6) of the steam supply process (P2) is less than the preset As a result, the water supply can be interrupted. Unlike other components, such an abnormal operation or failure of the nozzle 150 immediately leads to overheating of the heater 150 and may even lead to breakage of the washing machine. As mentioned above, abnormal operation or failure of the nozzle 150 directly affects the amount of water (hereinafter, 'water supply') supplied to the predetermined space S in the duct 100, more precisely, Abnormal operation or failure can be determined together by determining the water supply amount. For this reason, as shown in FIGS. 16-18C, the refresh course may further include a step S12 of determining a water supply amount to the predetermined space S. FIG. The refresh course including this water supply amount judgment step S12 will be described below with reference to FIGS. 16-20.

The water supply determination step (S12) may directly measure the actual amount of water supplied for accurate determination. However, this direct method requires a relatively expensive device, which can increase the production cost of the washing machine. Therefore, the water supply amount determining step S12 may be performed by only determining whether a sufficient amount of water is supplied to the predetermined space S. That is, the determination step (S12) may adopt an indirect method in determining the water supply amount. As described above in the steam supply process (P2), when the water supplied from the nozzle 150 is changed to steam, it naturally increases the air temperature in the duct (100). More specifically, if water is supplied in a predetermined amount, a sufficient amount of steam is generated and the air temperature in the duct 100 may be increased to a certain level. On the other hand, if the water supply is reduced or the water supply is interrupted, a relatively small amount of steam will be generated, thus increasing the air temperature to a relatively low level. Considering these results, the water supply amount has a correlation with the temperature increase amount of the air in the duct 100. In other words, a large water supply yields a large temperature increase, and a relatively small water supply yields a relatively small temperature increase. Therefore, in this indirect determination, the determination step S12 may determine the amount of water supplied to the predetermined space S based on the amount of temperature rise in the duct 100 for a predetermined period of time.

In this way, the determining step (S12) determines the amount of temperature rise due to steam generation in order to indirectly determine the water supply amount. Therefore, such temperature rise determination first necessitates the generation of steam. For this reason, the determining step S12 may basically include generating steam. In addition, since the air in the predetermined space S is heated not only by the steam but also by the heater 130, it may be difficult to accurately measure the temperature increase of the air by steam only in the predetermined space S. On the other hand, the space in the duct 100 outside the predetermined space (S) can accurately reflect the temperature increase of steam only. As is known, when water is changed to steam, its volume expands greatly. Therefore, the generated steam is naturally discharged from the predetermined space (S). For this reason, the determination step S12 may measure and determine the temperature increase amount of the air discharged from the predetermined space S during the predetermined period for accurate measurement of the temperature increase amount. That is, the determination step S12 is located outside the predetermined space S and mixed with the discharged steam, thereby measuring the temperature increase amount of the heated air. Since the discharged air and steam immediately enters the outlet 110a of the duct, the determination step S12 may measure the air temperature increase amount at the outlet 110a of the duct. In practice, for controlling the drying of the laundry, the discharge unit 110a may be equipped with a sensor for measuring the temperature of the circulating hot air. In this case, the sensor may be commonly used in the drying step (S9, S10) (including the normal laundry drying step) as well as the determination step (S9). Therefore, the above-described determination step S12 is very advantageous for reducing the production cost of the washing machine. Furthermore, the determining step S12 may be performed at any time during the refresh course. In addition, since the water supply step (S6) generates steam required for measuring the temperature increase amount, the determination step (S12) may be performed in the water supply step (S6) during the steam supply process (P2). However, in order to quickly and accurately determine the abnormal operation of the nozzle 150, the determination step S12 is performed immediately before the steam supply process P2, that is, the heating step, as shown in Figs. 16, 17, and 18a. It may be performed before (S5).

Based on the basic concept described above, the determination step S12 is described in more detail with reference to Fig. 19 mainly.

As described above, since the determination of the water supply amount uses the temperature increase amount due to steam generation, in the determination step S12, steam is first generated in the predetermined space S in the duct for a predetermined time. In this steam generation, as described in the steam supply process P2, the predetermined space S in the duct 100 is heated to a temperature higher than the temperature of the other space in the duct 100 (S12a). . In addition, water is directly supplied to the heated predetermined space S (S12a). That is, this heating and supplying step S12a is similar to the heating step S5 and the water supplying step S6 of the steam supply process P2 described above. In order to perform this heating and supplying step (S12a), as shown in FIGS. 17 and 18A, the heater 130 and the nozzle 150 may be operated. As described above in the heating step S5 and the water supply step S6, for proper steam generation, it is preferable that water is supplied after heating for a predetermined time first. That is, after the heater 130 is operated for a predetermined time, it is preferable that the nozzle 150 is operated. However, in order to quickly measure the amount of temperature rise in subsequent steps, the generation of steam can also be made earlier. Thus, as shown in Figs. 17 and 18A, in the heating and supplying step S12a, the operation of the heater 130 and the nozzle 150 is started at the same time. In addition, since the determination step S12 itself is not an intended step for supplying steam like the steam supply process P2, the blower 140 is not operated. This heating and supplying step S12a may actually be continued for the entire period of the determining step S12, for example, may be performed for 10 seconds.

When the heating and supplying step S12a is performed, that is, when the steam starts to be generated, the first temperature may be measured (S12b). The first temperature corresponds to the temperature of the air discharged from the predetermined space (S). In other words, the first temperature is located outside the predetermined space S, and corresponds to a temperature of air heated while being mixed with steam discharged from the predetermined space S. In addition, as described above, the first temperature may correspond to the air temperature at the outlet 110a of the duct. Furthermore, steam is generated as soon as the heating and supplying step S12a is started and is naturally discharged from the predetermined space S. Therefore, the measuring step S12b may be performed at any time after the heating and feeding step S12a is started. However, in order to ensure the reliability of the temperature rising amount measurement, the measuring step S12b is preferably performed immediately after the heating and feeding step S12a is performed, that is, immediately after the steam starts to be generated. On the other hand, at the initial stage of the heating and supplying step (S12a) it may not be discharged smoothly from the predetermined space (S) due to the small amount of steam generation. Thus, as shown in FIG. 18A, the blower 140 may be operated for a short time (eg, 1 second) at the beginning of the heating and feeding step S12a. Steam may be smoothly discharged from the predetermined space S at the beginning of the heating and supplying step S12a by the air flow supplied from the blower 140.

 When the measuring step (S12b) is completed, after a predetermined time a second temperature which is the temperature of the discharged air is measured (S12c). The air to be measured in the measuring step S12c is the same as the air described in the measuring step S9b.

When the measuring step S12c is completed, a temperature increase amount may be calculated from the measured first and second temperatures (S12d). The amount of rise can generally be obtained by subtracting the first temperature from the second temperature. By the above-described steps (S12b-S12d) it can be determined the amount of temperature rise of the air discharged from the predetermined space (S) during the predetermined time.

Thereafter, the calculated temperature increase amount may be compared with a predetermined reference value (S12e). If the calculated temperature increase amount is less than a predetermined reference value in the comparison step S12e, this means that the temperature increase has not been sufficiently achieved. Furthermore, this result means that not enough water is supplied or that the water supply is interrupted and thus not enough steam is generated. Therefore, when the calculated temperature increase amount is less than a predetermined reference value, it may be determined that at least sufficient water is not supplied (S12f). On the other hand, if in the comparison step S12e, the calculated temperature increase amount is more than a predetermined reference value, it means that the temperature increase has been sufficiently made. Furthermore, this result means that sufficient water is supplied and not enough steam is generated. Therefore, when the calculated temperature increase amount is more than a predetermined reference value, it may be determined that at least sufficient water is supplied (S12g). In the comparison and determination step (S123-S12g), the predetermined reference value may be obtained through experiment or analysis, for example, may be 5 ° C.

If it is determined that sufficient water is supplied as in the determination step S12g, it may be determined that the nozzle 150 is operating normally without any failure. Thus, as shown in FIG. 19, the heating step S5 may be performed continuously. That is, the steam supply process P2 may be performed. In addition, the set of steps S5-S7, that is, the steam supply process P2 may be repeated a predetermined number of times.

On the other hand, since the determination step (S12) uses steam, after the determination step (S12) is completed, a considerable amount of steam is present in the duct (100). This steam is condensed on the surface of the components inside the duct 100 and may interfere with the operation of these components. In particular, such condensate may interfere with the operation of the heater 130 in the steam supply process (P2). For this reason, after the determination step S12, the operation of the washing machine is paused for a predetermined time before the heating step S5 (S13). That is, the rest step S13 is performed between the determination step S12 and the heating step S5. As shown in Figs. 17 and 18B, the operation of all parts of the washing machine except for the drum 40 and the motor for rotation thereof is temporarily stopped during the rest step S13. Thus, condensate on parts in the duct 100 including the heater 130 may evaporate or naturally fall off from these parts by their own weight. For this reason, components in the duct including the heater 130 can be operated normally in subsequent steps. In addition, as shown in FIGS. 17 and 18B, the blower 140 may be operated during the rest stage S13. The air flow provided by the blower 140 may promote the removal of the condensate. In addition, the air flow cools the surface of the heater 130, and thus the heater 130 has a uniform surface temperature as a whole. Therefore, in the subsequent heating step S5, the heater 130 may more stably achieve the desired performance. Meanwhile, as shown in FIG. 18B, the blower 140 may be operated for an additional time (for example, 1 second in FIG. 18B) beyond the idle step S13 for control reasons. In addition, the rest step S13 may be performed, for example, for 5 seconds.

As described above, the determining step (S12) can determine the normal state of the nozzle 150 by the determination of the water supply amount, the rest step (S13) is a kind of post-processing such determination step for subsequent steps ( Minimize the impact of S12). Accordingly, the determination and rest steps S12 and S13 are linked to each other in terms of their functions, and form one process, that is, a check process P6, as shown in FIGS. 16, 17, 18a, and 18b.

If it is determined that sufficient water is not supplied in the determination step S12f, it may also be determined that the nozzle 150 operates abnormally or has failed. Such abnormal operation of the nozzle 150 may occur for a variety of reasons, including, for example, the case where the water pressure supplied to the nozzle 150 is abnormally low. Abnormal operation or failure of such a nozzle 150 may result in overheating and failure of the heater 150, and moreover, breakage of the washing machine. Therefore, when it is determined that sufficient water is not supplied as in the determination step S12f, the washing machine may be stopped for safety reasons. Nevertheless, the refresh course can be configured to perform its intended function even under abnormal conditions. In particular, the refresh course can be modified to perform the intended function if the nozzle 150 still has the capacity to supply water, even if it is a small amount. For this purpose, FIG. 20 shows alternative steps.

As shown in Fig. 20, when it is determined that sufficient water is not supplied (S12f), the steam supply process P2 does not proceed or repeat any more. That is, the further production and supply of steam is stopped. Instead, the third drying step S14 is performed. In the refresh course, since the removal of wrinkles may be the most important function, the third drying step S14 may be configured for at least such wrinkle removal. As described above, the dehydrated fibrous tissue can be smoothly restored to its original state only when water is slowly removed. Also, if the fiber is dried at too high a temperature, only moisture can be rapidly removed from the fiber without the wrinkles being removed. Therefore, in order to slowly remove the moisture from the laundry, the third drying step S14 may be configured to dry the laundry while heating the laundry to a relatively low temperature. That is, the third drying step S14 may also correspond to low temperature drying similarly to the first drying.

The third drying step S14 may be performed by supplying air heated to a relatively low temperature to the tub 30 for a predetermined time. In order to supply heated air, the blower 140 and the heater 130 may be operated. In addition, in order to supply the air heated to a relatively low temperature, the heater 130 may be intermittently operated (S14a). For example, the heater 130 may be operated for 40 seconds, stopped for 30 seconds, and may repeat such operation and stop. Since the third drying step (S10) is performed in a state that the hot steam is not supplied, the laundry and its ambient temperature in the third drying step (S10) is lower than the first drying step (S9). Therefore, despite the intermittent operation of the same heater, the heater operation time (40 seconds) in the third drying step (S14) is longer than the heater operation time (30 seconds) in the first drying step (S9). Is set.

Similarly, sufficient moisture may not be provided to the laundry of the third drying step S14 due to the stop of the steam supply process P2. However, as described above in the first drying step (S9), it is advantageous to supply a predetermined amount of water and then remove the supplied water for effective wrinkle removal. For this reason, moisture may be supplied to the laundry in the third drying step S14 (S14b). Such moisture may be supplied to the laundry in various forms, for example, gaseous water or liquid water may be supplied to the laundry. However, as mentioned above, steam which is gaseous water is difficult to supply in the third drying step S14. Mist, on the other hand, is made of small particles despite being in the liquid state, which is sufficiently effective to provide moisture to laundry. Therefore, the water supply step (S14b) may supply the mist to the laundry. That is, the mist may be supplied to the tub 30 to be supplied to at least the laundry. In addition, such a mist supply can also be made by various methods. For example, if the nozzle 150 is in an abnormal state but still operable, that is, it can still supply a small amount of water, the nozzle 150 can spray mist. Air flow may be continuously generated to supply the heated air to the laundry during the third drying step S14. That is, the blower 140 may be continuously operated during the third drying step S14. Therefore, the mist sprayed from the nozzle 150 may be transported by the air flow from the blower 140 to reach the laundry through the duct 100, the tub 30, and the drum 40. In addition, a large portion of the sprayed mist may be changed to steam while passing through the heater 130, thereby effectively performing the intended functions in the refresh course. On the other hand, in case the nozzle is completely out of order, a separate device may be provided in the washing machine to supply water directly to the laundry, and more particularly, to spray mist. Such a separate device may operate in conjunction with or independently of the nozzle 150. Mist supplied from the separate device may also convert steam at least partially by the high temperature environment in the tub 30. Furthermore, the nozzle 150 and the separate device may supply the water in the liquid state instead of the mist to supply water to the laundry.

The water supply step S14b may be started at any time during the third drying step S14. However, supplying moisture in a high temperature environment is basically advantageous for subsequent removal of the supplied moisture. In addition, in order to partially convert the supplied mist into steam, it is preferable that the mist is sprayed into the environment as high as possible. Therefore, the water supply step (S14b) may be performed while the air supplied to the laundry is heated. That is, the water supply step S14b may be supplied while the heater 150 is operated in the intermittent operation of the heater. Furthermore, for a more certain result, the water supply step S14b may be performed only while the air supplied to the laundry is heated. That is, the water supply step S14b may be supplied only while the heater 150 is operated in the intermittent operation of the heater. More specifically, the water supply step (S14b) is preferably performed for 40 seconds when the heater 150 is operated. In addition, it is more preferable to carry out during the last 10 seconds of operation of the heater 150 in which the highest temperature environment can be formed. Also, if too much water is supplied, the wrinkles of the laundry are not removed but rather the laundry is wet. Therefore, the water supply step S14b is performed only during a part of the third drying step S14. Furthermore, for the same reason, the water supply step S14b is preferably performed only during the first half of the third drying step S14. On the other hand, since the third drying step (S14) is performed in a state where the high-temperature steam is not supplied, it may be performed, for example, for 20 minutes to have a sufficient time to remove wrinkles. The period of this third drying step S14 is set longer than the similar first drying step S9. In addition, the water supply step (S14b) can also be performed during the first half of the 20 minutes of the third drying step (S14), that is, up to 11 minutes after the third drying step (S14) is started.

In addition, since the laundry becomes wet due to the supplied water, it is necessary to remove the moisture from the laundry. Therefore, after the third drying step S14, the fourth drying step S15 is performed. This fourth drying step (S15) may be substantially the same in function and specific operation of the second drying step (S10) described above. Therefore, all the features discussed above in relation to the second drying step S10 may be applied to the fourth drying step S15 as it is, and thus, further description is omitted below.

The third and fourth drying steps S14 and S15 described above are linked to each other to perform a refresh function and simultaneously provide a drying function when steam supply is impossible. Thus, as shown in FIG. 20, these steps S14 and S15 form one process, that is, a drying and refreshing process P7 in terms of their function.

Since the laundry that has passed the above drying steps has a high temperature by heated air, after the fourth drying step S15, the laundry may be cooled (S16). This cooling step (S16) may be substantially the same in the above-described cooling step (S11) and its function and specific operation. Therefore, all the features discussed in relation to the cooling step S11 may be applied to the cooling step S16 as it is, and thus further description is omitted below. Since this cooling step S16 also performs an independent function, it can be regarded as one cooling process P8 like other processes defined above. If necessary, as shown in Figure 17, after the cooling step (S16), the laundry and the washing machine may be naturally cooled under an additional room temperature air for a predetermined time.

The refresh course shown in FIG. 20 includes modified steps S14-S16 to perform the intended function even when a sufficient supply or supply of steam is not possible. This modified refresh course can provide a mist to the laundry instead of the steam to provide the necessary moisture. It is also possible to partially supply steam in the modified refresh course. Furthermore, proper operation of the relevant parts can eliminate static as well as wrinkles. Therefore, the modified refresh course can implement the intended refresh function by optimally controlling the existing parts of the washing machine even if the supply of steam is stopped.

In at least one of the steps S1-S13 described above, the laundry may be mixed. For this mixing, the drum 40 can be rotated, as shown in FIGS. 17 and 18A-18C. For example, the drum 40 may continue to rotate in one direction, and the laundry is lifted to a predetermined height by a lifter provided in the drum 40 and then repeatedly drops. In other words, the laundry is tumbled. Since the drum 40 and the laundry therein have a considerable weight, the inertia also greatly affects them. Thus, the drum 40 does not need to be continuously powered by the motor to rotate. Even if the motor is stopped, the drum 40 and the laundry can be rotated for a predetermined time by inertia. Thus, the motor can be operated intermittently during the rotation of the drum 40. For example, as shown in Figs. 17 and 18A-18C, the motor can be run for 16 seconds and stopped for 4 seconds to save energy. The rotation of the drum 40 can cause the laundry to be well mixed and help to perform the intended functions effectively in each step S1-S13. Thus, the washing of the laundry, ie the rotation of the drum 40 can be carried out continuously during all the steps (S1-S13). Furthermore, the shuffling of the laundry can be applied without modification to the steps S14-S16 for the modified refresh course described above. In addition, if the laundry can be mixed well, the motions of the other drum 40 can also be applied. For example, instead of the tumbling described above, the drum 40 rotates in one direction for a predetermined time and then rotates in another direction, and this set can be repeated continuously. In addition, other motions may be applied where necessary.

On the other hand, a household power supply is generally supplied with a standard voltage, and various home appliances including a washing machine are manufactured to meet the standard voltage. However, the voltage of the power source supplied to the actual home has a slight variation with respect to the standard voltage. Furthermore, the voltage of the supplied power source can be changed each time the washing machine is operated, and accordingly, the deviation can be changed as well. This slight variation affects the operation of the washing machine, particularly the performance of the heater 130 using a lot of electricity. More specifically, the heater 130 generates heat using an electrical resistance, which is affected by the voltage of the power supply. Accordingly, when the voltage of the supplied power source is changed, the actual heating value of the heater 130 is also affected. That is, when a voltage higher than the standard voltage is supplied for a unit time, the heater 130 may generate a larger amount of heat than the expected amount during the unit time. Further, when a voltage smaller than the standard voltage is supplied for a unit time, the heater 130 may generate a smaller amount of heat than expected during the unit time. However, as described above, a predetermined period, that is, a fixed period is basically set in the step of supplying heat using the heater 130, i.e., the heating step S5. In such a case, when the washing machine starts operating to perform at least the refresh course of FIG. 16, if the washing machine is supplied with a voltage higher than the standard voltage, the heater 130 is operated during the heating step S5 ≪ / RTI > Accordingly, due to such a large voltage, the heater 130 may be overheated, and such overheating and repetition thereof may cause fire as well as breakage of the heater 130. On the other hand, if the washing machine is supplied with a voltage lower than the standard voltage at the start of operation of the washing machine, the heater 130 generates less heat than expected during the heating step S5. Therefore, sufficient heat may not be supplied during the heating step (S5), so that a desired amount of steam may not be generated. As is applied in all general controls, the heating time (S5) is preset based on the normal performance of the heater (130). However, if the washing machine is supplied with power having a voltage different from the standard voltage, the heater 130 will operate according to the changed performance, and the desired performance can not be obtained from the heating step S5 during the predetermined execution period . Therefore, in consideration of the actual voltage of the power source supplied to the washing machine, at least the heating step (S5) needs to be additionally controlled. The control of the heating step S5 in consideration of such a voltage may be performed by various methods. However, the total amount of heat supplied by the heater 130 during the heating step S5 may be simply dependent on the entire time during which the heating step S5 is performed, i.e., a time period. Therefore, even if the performance of the heater 130 is changed by the supplied power source, such a change and thus the change in the supplied calorific value can be appropriately adjusted by changing the execution time. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 16 and FIG. 21-22b, the refresh course of the present invention includes adjusting the execution time of the heating step S5 based on the voltage of the power source actually supplied to the washing machine (S100 ). ≪ / RTI >

As described above, since the heating step S5 is basically set to have a fixed execution time, the adjusting step S100 is performed in accordance with the actual voltage of the power supplied to the washing machine, The execution time of the heating step S5 is changed. Similarly, as already explained in the heating step S5, the main function of the heating step S5 is to heat the predetermined space S, and in order to achieve this object, the heating step S5 is performed by a heater 130). Therefore, the execution time of the heating step S5 corresponds to the operating time of the heater 130. For the same reason, the adjusting step S100 corresponds to the step of adjusting the operating time of the heater 130 . The heating step S5 is divided into a first heating step S5a and a second heating step S5b and the first heating step S5a is basically divided into a first heating step S5a and a second heating step S5b, And is performed for the corresponding 13 seconds. In addition, the first heating step (S5a) heats only the predetermined space (S) without flowing water and air. That is, during the first heating step S5a, only the heater 130 is purely operated for heating. Accordingly, the first heating step S5 determines the main performance of the heating step S5, and is most sensitive to the performance change of the heater 130. [ For this reason, the adjusting step S100 may be configured to adjust the execution period of the first heating step S5a. That is, the conditioning step S100 can be described as adjusting the time of the heating step S5 (i.e., the first heating step S5a) performed without the supply of water and air flow. On the other hand, The adjusting step S100 may also be described as adjusting the time at which only the heater 130 is activated (i.e., the first heating step S5a). However, even if the first heating step S5a is performed during the heating step The heating time of the entire heating step S5 is also adjusted if the execution time of the first heating step S5a is adjusted. In the adjusting step S100, The adjustment of the execution time of the first heating step S5a still corresponds to the adjustment of the execution time of the overall heating step S5. As such, if the execution time is adjusted by the adjusting step S100, (S5), i.e., the first heating step S5a, is performed during the adjusted execution time.

On the basis of the above-described basic concept, the adjustment step SlOO will be described in more detail below mainly with reference to Figs. 21-22b.

Referring to FIG. 21, as described above, the actual voltage of the power supplied to the washing machine may be measured (S110). This measurement step S110 is the same step as the voltage sensing step S1 as shown in Fig. 16, and is performed for control based on the actual voltage, as already described in connection with the sensing step S1 . This voltage measurement step S110 can be measured by various methods. However, if a separate measuring device is actually installed for this voltage measurement, this can increase the production cost of the washing machine. However, practically, the control device of the washing machine has a resistance in its circuit and can conveniently measure the actual voltage value of the power supplied using the resistor.

If other components are operated during the measurement step S110, since the power is used during operation, it is difficult to measure the accurate actual voltage of the supplied power. Therefore, as shown in Figs. 17 and 18A, the measuring step S110 (i.e., step S1) is performed in a state in which all the parts of the washing machine are stopped. In addition, the measuring step S110 may be performed any time before the heating step S5 in which the execution time thereof is adjusted by the adjusting step S100. However, in order to eliminate the interference due to the operation of other components and to measure the correct voltage, it is preferable that the refreshing is performed immediately after the refreshing process is started, that is, before the cleaning step S2 (see sensing step S1). Apart from the measuring step S110, the subsequent steps of the adjusting step S100, which will be described later, can also be performed at any time before the heating step S5. Preferably, however, these subsequent steps may be performed immediately after the measuring step S110. This measurement step S110 may be performed, for example, for 3 seconds, as shown in Fig. 18A.

When the measurement step S110 is completed, the measured actual voltage may be compared with the standard voltage of the supplied power source (S121). These standard voltages are set differently by country, and all appliances, including washing machines, are designed and controlled for these standard voltages. These standard voltages are 220V in Korea and 110V in the Americas.

If the measured actual voltage is smaller than the standard voltage, even if the heating step (S5), or more precisely the first heating step (S5a), is performed for a predetermined time, It may not be supplied to the predetermined space S. Therefore, the refresh course may fail to generate a sufficient amount of steam for refreshing. Accordingly, when the measured actual voltage is smaller than the standard voltage, the execution time of the heating step S5 may be increased (S131a). As mentioned above in this increase step S131a, the execution time of the first heating step S5a may actually be increased. Also, the increase in the execution time of the first heating step (S5a) may be adjusted in consideration of the actual difference between the actual voltage and the standard voltage. On the other hand, the execution time of the first heating step S5a may be increased by a predetermined time regardless of the actual difference between the actual voltage and the standard voltage. On the other hand, if the measured actual voltage is equal to the standard voltage, the heating step (S5), especially the first heating step (S5), may be performed for a predetermined set time.

Further, if the heating step (S5), or more precisely the first heating step (S5a), is performed for a preset time period even though the measured actual voltage is greater than the standard voltage, the heater (130) And may even cause a fire. Therefore, if the measured actual voltage is greater than the standard voltage, the execution time of the heating step S5 may be shortened (S131b). In this shortening step S131b, as mentioned above, the execution time of the first heating step S5a may actually be reduced. In addition, the execution time reduction of the first heating step S5a may be adjusted in consideration of the actual difference between the actual voltage and the standard voltage. Also, the execution time of the first heating step S5a may be reduced by a predetermined time regardless of the actual difference between the actual voltage and the standard voltage.

As described above, the increasing and heating steps S131a and S131b determine the execution time of the heating step S5 based on the result of the comparison step S121.

On the other hand, as already mentioned above, if the actual magnitude of the difference between the actual voltage and the standard voltage is taken into consideration, the execution time of the heating step S5 can be adjusted more accurately and appropriately. For example, if the actual difference between the actual voltage and the standard voltage is large, the execution time of the heating step (S5) can be relatively controlled, i.e., increased or decreased according to the difference, and vice versa to be. For this more precise adjustment, an adjustment step S100 according to FIGS. 22A and 22B may be applied. This adjustment step S100 basically uses a table as shown in FIG. 22B. In the table of FIG. 22B, the execution times of the optimal heating step, precisely the first heating step S5a, are preset according to the ranges of the voltages measured by the analysis and the experiment. The table in FIG. 22B is prepared in advance and is stored in a storage device (for example, a memory) of the control device so as to be always referred to. The table in FIG. 22B considers the actual difference between the actual voltage and the standard voltage by setting the ranges of the plurality of voltages, and by giving different execution times to these voltage ranges, more precise and detailed execution time adjustment is enabled do.

Referring to FIG. 22A, the actual voltage of the power supply to the washing machine can be measured (S110). Since the measuring step S110 is the same as the measuring step of FIG. A further explanation for this is omitted from the following.

When the measurement step S110 is completed, the execution time corresponding to the measured actual voltage is confirmed from the table (S122). In the checking step S122, the controller finds a range including the measured actual voltage first in the table of FIG. 22B, and then reads the execution time of the corresponding heating step, that is, the first heating step S5a. Thereafter, the confirmed execution time is set by the controller to the execution time of the actual heating step, that is, the first heating step (S5a) (S132). As indicated by an arrow in the table of FIG. 22B, 225V-234V corresponding to the standard voltage range is given a predetermined execution time, i.e., 13 seconds as a standard execution time, according to the standard voltage as shown in FIG. 18B. On the other hand, as the measured voltage is lower than the standard voltage, that is, the voltage range is smaller, the execution time of the given first heating step is gradually increased. Further, the greater the measured voltage is than the standard voltage, the given execution time is gradually reduced. Therefore, similar to the steps S131a and S131b, if the measured actual voltage is smaller or larger than the standard voltage in the series of confirmation and setting steps S122 and S132, the execution time of the heating step S5 Is increased or decreased.

Therefore, even if the heater 130 generates a smaller amount of heat than the standard voltage, it is possible to increase the operating time according to the steps S131a, S122 / S132, A sufficient amount of heat can be supplied to generate steam. Also, even if the heater 130 generates a larger heat than the standard voltage, the heater 130 generates heat at a higher voltage than the standard voltage. In this case, the heating time is reduced according to the steps S131b and S122 / (130) may not be overheated or broken. Therefore, even if the performance of the heater 130 is changed by the actual voltage of the supplied power source, such a change and thus the change in the supplied calorific value can be appropriately controlled by the adjustment step S100 according to FIGS. Lt; / RTI > For this reason, by the adjustment step (S100), the refresh course can produce sufficient steam while eliminating the trouble regardless of the voltage change of the supplied power source, and further improve the performance and reliability of the washing machine .

As described above, the execution time of the heating step S5 is increased or decreased by the adjusting step S100, and the adjusted heating step S5 is repeated by the repetition of the process P2 . Therefore, the increase and decrease of the execution time by the adjustment step S100 is actually amplified, so that the total time of the refresh course also changes greatly. However, this large change in overall time confuses the user and negatively impacts reliability. For this reason, the adjusting step S100 may further include adjusting the total time of the refresh course to a predetermined time based on the execution time of the controlled heating step. The time of the refresh course may be adjusted by adjusting various steps except the heating step S5, i.e., the first heating step S5a. In particular, the dormancy step S8 has a longer execution period than the other steps, and thus is suitable for adjusting the time of the refresh course. Accordingly, the adjusting step S100 may further include adjusting the execution time of the dormant step S8 based on the execution time of the controlled heating step S140.

21, when the execution time of the heating step S5, that is, the first heating step S5a, is increased, the execution time of the dormancy step S8 is (S140a). If the execution time of the heating step (S5), that is, the first heating step (S5a) is reduced, the time of the dormant step (S8) may be increased (S140b). If the range including the actual voltage measured in the checking step S122 is found in the table of FIG. 22B in the adjusting step (S140) of FIG. 22A, together with the execution time of the heating step given to the corresponding range, The execution time of the granted dormancy step S8 is also read by the control device and can be set as the execution time of the actual dormancy step S8. As shown in the table of FIG. 22B, the dormancy step S8 is set to sufficiently decrease or increase in consideration of the execution time and the repetition of the first heating step S5a which is increased or decreased. More specifically, the table of FIG. 22B is also decreased in accordance with the increase of the execution time of the first heating step (S5a), and the step of performing the resting step (S8) which is increased as the execution time of the first heating step (S5a) Show time. That is, the adjustment step S140 of FIG. 22A also adjusts the execution time of the dormant step S8 in a manner similar to the steps S141a and S141b of FIG.

As described above, by the adjustment step (S140), the refresh course can be always performed for a predetermined time irrespective of the adjustment of the execution time of the heating step, and it is possible to reduce the reliability of the refresh course .

On the other hand, the steam supply process (P2: S3-S5), because of its independent steam generation and supply function, as previously discussed, can be applied to the refresh course as well as the basic washing course or other individual course as it is. Fig. 23 shows a basic washing course to which the steam supplying process is applied. Referring to FIG. 23, the function of the steam supply process in the basic washing course will be described as follows.

In general, the washing course may be composed of a washing water supply step (S100), a washing step (S200), a rinsing step (S300), and a dehydration step (S400). In addition, when the washing machine has a structure for drying, as shown in Figure 2, it may further include a drying step (S500) after the dehydration step (S400).

If the steam supply process is performed before the supply step (S100) and / or during the supply step (S100) (P2a, P2b), the laundry may be pre-soaked by the supplied steam, the supplied wash water is heated Can be. If the steam supply process is carried out before the washing step (S200) and / or during the washing step (S200) (P2c, P2d), the supplied steam is supplied to the air and wash water in the tub 30 and drum 40 By heating, the high temperature environment favorable for washing | cleaning can be formed. When the steam supply process is performed before the rinsing step (S300) and / or during the rinsing step (S300) (P2e, P2f), the supplied steam can likewise heat the internal air and rinsing water to favor the rinsing. When the steam supply process is performed before the dehydration step (S400) and / or during the dehydration step (S400) (P2g, P2h), the supplied steam mainly serves to sterilize the laundry. When the steam supply process is performed before the drying step (S500) and / or during the drying step (S500) (P2i, P2j), the supplied steam increases the internal temperature of the tub 30 and the drum 40 significantly Induces easy evaporation of moisture from the laundry. If necessary, in order to finally sterilize the laundry, the steam supply process (P2k) may be performed after the drying step (S500). In addition, all the steam supply process (P2a-P2j) described above basically performs the function of sterilizing the laundry using steam. Furthermore, the preparation process P1 may be performed together to assist the steam supply process.

As such, the steam supply process P2 according to the present invention forms an atmosphere favorable for washing by publicly supplying a sufficient amount of steam, thereby greatly improving the washing performance. In addition, the steam supply process (P2) may sterilize the laundry, so that, for example, allergy of the user may be prevented.

In consideration of the refreshing course and the basic washing course as well as the steam supply mechanism described above, the washing machine according to the present invention uses a mechanism for supplying hot air, that is, a drying mechanism for steam generation and supply, and applies only minimal deformation. do. In addition, the control method according to the invention, in particular the steam supply process P2, optimally controls the existing drying mechanism, that is, the modified steam supply mechanism. Thus, the present invention implements the least deformation and optimum control to efficiently produce and supply sufficient high quality steam. For this reason, the present invention can effectively perform refreshing, washing performance improvement and sterilization as well as various other functions while minimizing the production cost.

Although several embodiments have been described above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be embodied in many other forms without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. Accordingly, the described embodiments are to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive, and all embodiments within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents are included within the scope of the present invention.

100: duct 110: drying duct
120: condensation duct 130: heater
140: blower 150: nozzle
160: water supply

Claims (7)

A tub for storing washing water;
A drum rotatably provided in the tub and receiving laundry;
A duct configured to communicate with the tub;
A heater installed in the duct and configured to heat only a predetermined space in the duct;
A nozzle installed in the duct and directly supplying water to the heated predetermined space to generate steam, and having a generator formed separately and fitted in the nozzle to form a vortex; And
And a blower installed in the duct and configured to blow air toward the predetermined space so as to transfer the generated steam to the tub. The nozzle of claim 1, wherein the nozzle comprises:
A head having an opening for spraying water;
And a body which is integrally formed with the head and guides water to the head. The washing machine according to claim 2, wherein the generating device is fitted in the body. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the generator comprises:
A core extending along a center thereof and having a conical shape;
And a flow path extending spirally around the core. The washer of claim 1, wherein the nozzle has a positioning structure for determining a position of the generating device. 6. The washing machine as set forth in claim 5, wherein the positioning structure comprises a groove formed in one of the nozzle and the generator, and a rib formed in the other of the nozzle and the generator, the rib being inserted into the groove. The washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the nozzle has a plurality of nozzles.

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