KR20150050856A - Washing apparatus and controlling method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention comprises: a tub; a drum arranged to be rotary inside the tub; a dry unit having a blast pan which inhales the air inside the drum and the tub, and a dry heater which heats the air inside the drum and the tub; a lint filter which filters a foreign substance included in the inhaled air; and a control unit which turns on and turns off the dry heater and the blast pan according to a temperature of the dry duct. The control unit decides blockage of the lint filter based on the temperature of the dry duct and the tub, and the turn on-time of the dry heater when the dry heater is turned off. A washing apparatus, which washes the lint filter according to the blockage of the lint filter, is capable of washing the lint filter even when wash, rinsing, and dehydration processes are not performed as the washer washes the lint filter during the dry process, and the apparatus is also capable of circulating air between the dry duct and the tub during the dry process.

Description

[0001] WASHING APPARATUS AND CONTROLLING METHOD THEREOF [0002]

The disclosed invention relates to a washing machine and its control method, and is an invention related to a washing machine capable of drying laundry.

Generally, a washing machine is a device including a tub in which water is contained and a drum rotatably installed in the tub, and a drum containing the laundry is rotated inside the tub to wash the laundry. Such a washing machine can perform a washing process for washing laundry, a rinsing process for washing laundry, a dewatering process for dewatering wet laundry, and a drying process for drying laundry.

In particular, the drying process uses a heating and drying method for heating the air inside the tub and the drum to dry the laundry. To perform the drying process, the washing machine includes a tub and a drying duct for heating the air inside the drum.

In this case, the lint filter may be provided in the drying duct to prevent the fiber pieces separated from the dried laundry, that is, the lint, from flowing into the drying duct. However, if the lint filter is clogged by the lint, the air may not circulate smoothly between the tub and the drying duct, and the drying efficiency may decrease.

In order to solve the above problems, one aspect of the present invention provides a washing machine and a method of controlling the washing machine, which determine whether the lint filter is clogged during a drying stroke and perform washing of the lint filter according to clogging of the lint filter.

According to an aspect of the present invention, a washing machine includes a tub, a drum rotatably provided in the tub, a blowing fan for sucking air in the drum and the tub, and a drying heater for heating air in the drum and the tub And a control unit for turning on or off the drying heater and the blowing fan according to the temperature of the drying duct. When the drying heater is turned off, the control unit controls the drying unit, the drying unit, the lint filter for filtering foreign substances contained in the inhaled air, May determine clogging of the lint filter based on the temperature of the drying duct, the temperature of the tub, and the drying heater-on time, and may wash the lint filter according to clogging of the lint filter.

The control unit may calculate a filter clogging index based on the difference between the temperature of the drying duct and the temperature of the tub and the initial drying heater on time, and may wash the lint filter according to the filter clogging index.

Also, the controller may calculate the filter clogging index by dividing the difference between the temperature of the drying duct and the temperature of the tub by the initial drying heater ON time.

In addition, if the filter clogging index is equal to or greater than a predetermined reference value, the controller can clean the lint filter during a filter cleaning time corresponding to the filter clogging index.

Further, the controller may reduce the rotational speed of the blowing fan while washing the lint filter.

Further, the controller may reduce the rotational speed of the drum while the lint filter is washed.

The washing machine may further include a wash water spray nozzle for spraying wash water to the lint filter, a wash water supply pipe for supplying the wash water to the wash water spray nozzle, and a wash water supply valve for opening and closing the wash water supply pipe.

When the drying heater is first turned off after the start of the drying stroke, the controller may open the washing water supply valve depending on whether the lint filter is clogged.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of controlling a washing machine, comprising: operating a blowing fan for sucking air from a tub into a drying duct, operating a drying heater for heating air in the drying duct, And if the drying heater is turned off, washing the lint filter according to the temperature of the drying duct, the temperature of the tub, and the drying heater-on time when the drying heater is turned off, And may be a time until the drying heater is turned off and then turned off.

The washing of the lint filter may include calculating a filter clogging index based on the difference between the temperature of the drying duct and the temperature of the tub and the initial drying heater on time, ≪ / RTI >

The calculating of the filter clogging index may include dividing the difference between the temperature of the drying duct and the temperature of the tub by the drying heater ON time.

The cleaning of the lint filter according to the calculated filter clogging index may include washing the lint filter during a filter cleaning time corresponding to the filter clogging index if the filter clogging index is greater than or equal to a predetermined reference value.

In addition, washing the lint filter may include supplying wash water to a wash water spray nozzle that injects wash water into the lint filter.

Also, flushing the lint filter may include reducing the rotational speed of the blowing fan.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a washing machine includes a tub, a drum rotatably provided in the tub, a blowing fan for sucking air in the drum and the tub, and a drying heater for heating air in the drum and the tub A lint filter for filtering foreign substances contained in the air to be sucked, and a controller for turning on or off the drying heater and the blowing fan according to the temperature of the drying duct during a drying cycle, The controller may clean the lint filter according to the time at which the temperature of the drying duct reaches a predetermined reference duct temperature and the temperature of the tub during the drying stroke.

When the temperature of the drying duct reaches the reference duct temperature is less than a predetermined reference time and the temperature of the tub is less than a predetermined reference tub temperature after a predetermined drying time has elapsed, Lt; / RTI >

Further, the controller may reduce the rotational speed of the blowing fan while washing the lint filter.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a method of controlling a washing machine includes operating a blowing fan that sucks air from a tub into a drying duct, activates a drying heater for heating air in the drying duct, And when the temperature of the drying duct reaches a predetermined reference duct temperature is less than or equal to a predetermined reference time and the predetermined drying time has elapsed, If it is below a predetermined reference tub temperature, the lint filter can be cleaned.

Also, flushing the lint filter may include reducing the rotational speed of the blowing fan.

According to an aspect of the disclosed invention, the washing machine can obtain the clogging information of the lint filter during the drying stroke and clean the lint filter according to clogging information of the lint filter. Further, the lint filter can be washed even when the washing, rinsing or dewatering steps are not performed by washing the lint filter during the drying stroke, and air can be circulated smoothly between the drying duct and the tub during the drying stroke.

1 is a perspective view showing an appearance of a washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a side cross-sectional view showing a configuration of a washing machine according to an embodiment.
3 is an exploded perspective view showing the construction of a drying unit included in a washing machine according to an embodiment.
4 is a perspective view showing a lint filter of a drying unit included in a washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a lint filter of a drying unit included in a washing machine according to an embodiment.
FIG. 6 is a view showing a washing water supply pipe and a washing water supply valve of the drying unit included in the washing machine according to the embodiment.
7 is a block diagram showing a control flow of a washing machine according to an embodiment.
FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a method of performing a drying cycle of a washing machine according to an embodiment.
FIG. 9 is a view showing the flow of air while the washing machine according to the embodiment performs the drying stroke.
10 is a graph showing the temperature inside the drying duct during a drying cycle of the washing machine according to an embodiment.
11 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a method for determining whether a washing machine according to an embodiment is clogged with a lint filter.
12 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a method of washing a lint filter according to an embodiment of the present invention.
13 is a view showing the rotation of the drum during washing of the lint filter according to the embodiment of the present invention.
14A and 14B are flowcharts showing another example of a method for determining whether or not the washing machine according to an embodiment is clogged with the lint filter.
15 is a flowchart showing another example of a method of washing a lint filter according to an embodiment of the present invention.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description of the present invention are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention, as claimed, and it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments.

Hereinafter, a washing machine according to one embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an outer appearance of a washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a side sectional view showing a configuration of a washing machine according to an embodiment.

1 and 2, a washing machine 1 includes a cabinet 10 for forming an outer appearance, a tub 20 for receiving water used for washing, a drum 30 for rotating and washing clothes, a drum 30 A water supply unit 50 that supplies water to the tub 20; a drainage unit 60 that discharges water contained in the tub 20; a detergent supply unit 70 that supplies detergent; And a drying unit 80 for drying the laundry contained in the drum 30.

A door 13 for opening and closing the laundry inlet 11 is provided in the laundry inlet 11. The laundry inlet 11 is provided at the center of the front of the cabinet 10 for loading or unloading laundry. The door 13 is rotatably mounted to the cabinet 10 by a hinge and is not easily opened by a hook when the laundry inlet 11 is closed.

A control panel 90 is provided on the front side of the cabinet 10 for receiving operation commands for the washing machine 1 from the user and displaying operation information of the washing machine 1. The control panel 90 is provided on the front side of the cabinet 10 and includes a plurality of operation buttons 91 and 93 and a dial 92 for inputting an operation command to the washing machine 1 from the user, And a display panel 94 for displaying operation information of the display device. The washing machine 1 selects one of a plurality of washing courses preliminarily defined by the user via the dial 92. The washing machine 1 is operated by a user through a plurality of operation buttons 91 and 93 to change the temperature of the washing course, Enter the details. The plurality of operation buttons 91 and 93 may be a micro switch, a membrane switch, a touch pad, or the like. In addition, the display panel 94 displays the washing course selected by the user, the water temperature input by the user, the number of rinsing times, the dehydration intensity, and the washing time. The display panel 95 may include a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel, a light emitting diode (LED) panel, or an organic light emitting diode (OLED) panel.

The tub 20 includes a cylindrical tubular rear surface member 22 provided inside the cabinet 10 and having a closed rear surface and a tub front surface member 21 disposed in front of the tub rear surface member 21. [ A bearing 25 and a bearing housing 24 for rotatably fixing a driving motor 40 to be described later are provided on the rear surface of the tub rear face member 22 and a drying portion 80 is provided on the top side of the tub rear face member 22. [ An intake port 22a for sucking air inside the tub 20 and the drum 30 is provided. The front surface of the tub front member 21 is provided with an opening 21a for loading or unloading laundry into the drum 30 and air dried by the drying unit 80 is provided on the upper side of the opening 21a An exhaust port 21b for guiding the inside of the tub 20 and the drum 30 is provided.

A tub temperature sensor 26 for detecting the temperature inside the tub 20 is provided inside the tub 20 and a tub temperature sensor 26 employs a thermistor whose electrical resistance value changes according to the temperature .

The tub 20 is connected to the water supply unit 50 and the detergent supply unit 60 through a connection pipe 74 provided on the upper side of the tub 20 and a drain pipe 61 provided on the lower side of the tub 20 And is connected to the drain portion 60 through the drain portion 60.

The drum 30 is rotatably provided inside the tub 20. The drum 30 has a cylindrical drum body 31, a drum front plate 32 provided in front of the drum body 31, And a drum rear plate 33 provided at the rear of the drum 31.

The inner surface of the drum body 31 is provided with a through hole 31b for allowing water contained in the tub 20 to flow into the drum 30 and a lifter 31a for lifting the laundry upward. The drum rear plate 33 is provided with a flange 34 to which a driving motor 40 for rotating the drum 30 is connected, and an opening 32a for introducing or discharging laundry into / Respectively.

The driving motor 40 includes a stator 41 fixed to the rear surface of the tub 20 and a rotor 42 rotating through magnetic interaction with the stator 41. One side of the rotor 42 is connected to the rotor 42, A rotary shaft 43 connected to the flange 34 provided on the rear surface of the drum 30 through the rear surface of the tub 20 and a Hall sensor 45 for detecting the rotational displacement of the rotor 42. The rotary shaft 43 is rotatably fixed to the tub 20 by a bearing 25 and a bearing housing 24 provided on the rear surface of the tub 20 as described above. The driving motor 40 may employ a brushless direct current (BLDC) motor or a synchronous alternating current (AC) motor, which facilitates control of the rotation speed.

The water supply unit 50 is provided on the upper side of the tub 20 and includes a water supply pipe 51 for connecting an external water supply source (not shown) and a detergent supply unit 70 to be described later, 51) for opening and closing the water supply valve (52). The water supply valve 52 may employ a solenoid valve that opens and closes the water supply pipe 51 in accordance with an electrical signal.

The detergent supply unit 70 is provided on the upper side of the tub 20 and is connected to the tub 20 through a connection pipe 74. The detergent supply unit 70 also includes a detergent case 71 for storing the laundry detergent and the rinsing detergent, and a detergent housing 72 for accommodating the detergent case 71.

The drying unit 80 is provided on the upper side of the tub 20 and sucks the air inside the tub 20 and the drum 30 and heats the sucked air and discharges the heated air to the tub 20 and the drum 30 .

The drying unit 80 will be described in detail below.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a configuration of a drying unit included in a washing machine according to an embodiment, FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a lint filter of a drying unit included in a washing machine according to an embodiment, FIG. 6 is a view showing a washing water supply pipe and a washing water supply valve of the drying unit included in the detacher according to the embodiment. FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a lint filter of the drying unit included in the washing machine.

3 to 6, the drying unit 80 sucks air inside the tub 20 through the drying duct 81 serving as a flow path for the air sucked from the tub 20, A guide pipe 87 for guiding the air sucked from the tub 20 to the drying duct 81, a connecting member 87 for connecting the drying duct 81 and the guide pipe 87 85).

The drying duct 81 includes a duct upper plate 81a and a duct lower plate 81b as shown in Fig. 3 and is provided extending from the rear of the tub 20 to the front of the tub 20. The front of the drying duct 81 is connected to the exhaust port 21b of the tub 20 and the rear of the drying duct 81 is connected to the intake port 22a of the tub 20 via the connecting pipe 87 .

A drying heater 82 for heating the air passing through the drying duct 81 and a duct temperature sensor 83 for detecting the temperature of the air passing through the drying duct 81 are provided in the drying duct 81 do. The duct temperature sensor 83 can detect the temperature of the air heated by the drying heater 82 by being positioned downstream of the drying heater 82 based on the flow of the air. Also, the duct temperature sensor 83 may employ a thermistor whose electrical resistance value changes according to the temperature.

The air blowing member 84 includes a blowing fan 84b for sucking air inside the tub 20 and a blowing fan motor 84a for rotating the blowing fan 84b as shown in Fig. The blowing fan 84b is located in the lower plate opening 81d formed in the lower duct plate 81b of the drying duct 81 and the blowing fan motor 84a is located in the upper plate opening 81a formed in the duct upper plate 81a of the drying duct 81 81c.

The air blowing member 84 sucks the air inside the tub 20 through the intake port 22a and the guide pipe 87 and pressurizes the sucked air by the drying duct 81 to heat- And discharges the air to the tub 20 through the exhaust port 21b. As described above, the air blowing member 84 allows the air inside the tub 20 to circulate in the tub 20 and the drying duct 81.

3, the guide pipe 87 is provided between the drying duct 81 and the tub 20. One side of the guide pipe 87 is connected to the tub 20, And the other side is connected to the connecting member 85. The guide pipe (87) guides the air sucked from the inside of the tub (20) to the drying duct (81).

As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the connecting member 85 has a cylindrical shape in which an upper portion is opened and a lower portion is closed, and a blowing member 84 is located inside the connecting member 85. [ A connection opening 85a through which air flows from the guide pipe 87 is formed below the connection member 85 and a connection port 85c connecting the connection member 85 and the guide pipe 87 is provided do. A lint filter 85b for filtering out foreign substances contained in the air sucked from the tub 20 is provided in the connection opening 85a on the lower side of the connecting member 85. The washing water is sprayed to the lint filter 85b, And a washing water spray nozzle 86a for removing foreign matter adhering to the filter 85b is provided.

6, the washing water spray nozzle 86a is connected to an external water source (not shown) through a washing water supply pipe 86b, and a washing water supply valve 86b for opening and closing the washing water supply pipe 86b 86c. 6, the washing water supply pipe 86b and the washing water supply valve 86c are provided separately from the water supply pipe 51 and the water supply valve 52 for supplying water to the tub 20, The washing water can be supplied to the washing water spray nozzle 86a even during the drying process in which no water is supplied. The wash water supply valve 85c may employ a solenoid valve that opens and closes the water supply pipe 51 in accordance with an electrical signal.

7 is a block diagram showing a control flow of a washing machine according to an embodiment.

7, the washing machine 1 includes a control unit 100 for driving and controlling the driving motor 40, the water supply unit 50, the drainage unit 60, the drying unit 80, and the control panel 90, A driving unit 110, and a storage unit 120.

The driving unit 110 is driven by the driving motor 40, the water supply valve 52, the drain pump 62, the drying heater 89, the blowing fan motor 84a, the washing water supply valve 86c ). ≪ / RTI > In particular, the driving unit 110 may include an inverter (not shown) for driving the driving motor 40.

The storage unit 120 stores programs and data for controlling the operation of the washing machine 1 as well as a non-volatile memory (not shown) such as a magnetic disk or a solid state disk for permanently storing data, And a volatile memory (not shown) such as a D-RAM or an S-RAM for temporarily storing temporary data generated in the process of controlling the operation of the personal computer 1.

The control unit 100 controls the driving motor 40, the water supply unit 50, and the drainage unit (not shown) included in the washing machine 1 according to the operation instruction of the user, the duct temperature sensor 83, 60, the drying unit 80, and the control panel 90. The control unit 90 controls the drying unit 80, For example, when the user selects a washing course through the control panel 90 and inputs a washing command, the control unit 100 transmits a water supply control signal for opening the water supply valve 52 of the water supply unit 50 to the driving unit 120, And transmits a motor control signal for driving the driving motor 40 to the driving unit 120. [

The structure of the washing machine 1 according to the embodiment has been described above.

Hereinafter, the operation of the washing machine 1 according to one embodiment will be described in detail, and the drying operation of the washing machine 1 will be described.

The overall operation of the washing machine 1 will now be described with reference to FIG. 2. The washing machine 1 supplies detergent and water to the tub 20, rotates the drum 30, A rinsing cycle in which the rinsing detergent and water are supplied to the tub 20 and then the drum 30 is rotated to wash the detached foreign matter and detergent separated from the laundry and the drum 30 is rotated at a high speed, And a drying step of heating and drying the air in the tub 20 and the drum 30 are performed.

For example, at the time of washing and rinsing, the washing machine 1 may supply detergent and water to the tub 20 and rotate the drum 30 at a speed of several tens of rpm in the clockwise and counterclockwise directions. Specifically, the washing machine 1 stops the drum 30 for about 5 seconds (off-time) after rotating the drum 30 for about 20 seconds (on-time) in the clockwise direction, and about 20 seconds (Off time) after rotating the drum 30 for a predetermined period of time (on-time). Further, at the time of dewatering, the washing machine 1 can rotate the drum 30 at several hundreds to several thousand rpm in either the clockwise or counterclockwise direction.

During the drying cycle, the washing machine 1 rotates the drum 30 at several hundred rpm in either the clockwise or counterclockwise direction, and the air blowing member 84 (see FIG. 3) of the drying unit 80 and the heating heater (Not shown).

The detailed operation of the washing machine 1 during the drying stroke will be described in detail below.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a method of performing a drying cycle according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 9 is a view showing a flow of air during a drying cycle of a washing machine according to an embodiment, 1 is a graph showing a temperature inside a drying duct during a drying cycle of a washing machine according to an embodiment.

Referring to FIGS. 8 and 10, upon entering the drying cycle, the washing machine 1 detects the amount of laundry (410). For example, the washing machine 1 rotates the drum 30 at a predetermined rotational speed, detects a driving current value supplied to the driving motor 40 while the drum 30 rotates at a predetermined rotational speed, The amount of laundry can be calculated based on the detected driving current value. In short, the washing machine 1 calculates the amount of laundry based on the load of the driving motor 40. [

Then, the washing machine 1 activates the air blowing member 84 and the drying heater 82 (415). The washing machine 1 sucks the air inside the tub 20 and the drum 30 into the drying duct 81 by operating the air blowing member 84 and drives the drying heater 82 to suck the air into the drying duct 81 And discharges the heated air to the tub 20 and the drum 30. [ 9, the air inside the drum 30 is discharged to the space between the drum 30 and the tub 20 through the through hole 31b formed in the outer peripheral surface of the drum 30, Is sucked into the drying duct (81) through the guide pipe (87) and the connecting member (85) at the rear of the tub (20). The air sucked into the drying duct 81 is fed by the air blowing member 84 toward the front of the drying duct 81 and heated by the drying heater 82. The heated air is exhausted through the exhaust port 21b in front of the tub 20. [ The air discharged through the exhaust port 21b flows into the drum 30 through the opening 31a formed in the front of the drum 30 and contacts the laundry in the drum 30. [

Then, the washing machine 1 detects the temperature T in the drying duct 81 (420). Specifically, the washing machine 1 detects the temperature T of the air inside the drying duct 81 by using a duct temperature sensor 83 provided inside the drying duct 81. The duct temperature sensor 83 is provided downstream of the drying heater 82 and can detect the temperature of the air heated by the drying heater 82 as described above.

Thereafter, the washing machine 1 determines whether the temperature T in the drying duct 81 is equal to or higher than a predetermined drying upper limit temperature TH (425). When the air blowing member 84 and the heating heater 82 are operated, the temperature of the drying duct 81 rises and reaches the drying upper limit temperature TH as shown in the range of 0 to t1 and t2 to t3 in Fig. 10 do. Particularly, the period from 0 to t1 is the time when the washing heater 1 first turns on the drying heater 82 after the drying stroke is started. Hereinafter, t1 is referred to as the initial drying-on time.

If the temperature T in the drying duct 81 is not higher than the drying upper limit temperature TH (No in 425), the washing machine 1 is allowed to dry And the detection of the temperature T in the duct 81 is repeated.

If the temperature T in the drying duct 81 is higher than the drying upper limit temperature TH (YES in step 425), the washing machine 1 stops operating the drying heater 82 (step 430). There is a risk of a fire if the temperature T in the drying duct 81 continuously increases and therefore the washing machine 1 is able to avoid the risk of fire when the temperature T within the drying duct 81 exceeds the drying upper limit temperature TH ). At this time, the washing machine 1 can maintain the operation of the air blowing member 84, thereby drying the laundry even when the operation of the drying heater 82 is stopped.

Thereafter, the washing machine 1 again detects the temperature T in the drying duct 81 (435). The washing machine 1 can detect the temperature T of the air inside the drying duct 81 by using the duct temperature sensor 83 provided inside the drying duct 81 as described above.

Thereafter, the washing machine 1 determines whether the temperature T in the drying duct 81 is equal to or less than the drying lower limit temperature TL (440). When the air blowing member 84 is operated while the heating heater 82 is stopped, the temperature of the drying duct 81 is lowered as shown in the interval of t1 to t2 in FIG. 10 and reaches the drying lower limit temperature TL .

If the temperature T in the drying duct 81 is not lower than the lower limit of the drying temperature TL (No in 440), the washing machine 1 stops the operation of the drying heater 82, The detection of the temperature T is repeated.

When the temperature T in the drying duct 81 is equal to or lower than the lower limit of the drying lower limit TL (YES in 440), the washing machine 1 activates the drying heater 82 (415).

Thus, the washing machine 1 repeats the operation of the drying heater 82 and the operation stop of the drying heater 82 according to the temperature T of the drying duct 81 during the drying time determined according to the amount of the laundry.

The drum 20 provided inside the sear tub 30 in which the washing machine 1 proceeds in the drying stroke continuously rotates and the pieces of fiber are separated from the laundry as the laundry in the drum 20 is dried. That is, friction occurs between the laundry due to the rotation of the drum 20, and the fiber fragments are separated from the laundry. Such a piece of fiber is called a lint. The lint is discharged to the tub 20 through the through hole 31a (see Fig. 2) of the drum 30 and moves along the guide pipe 87 to be filtered by the lint filter 85b provided on the connecting member 85 . Further, as the drying process progresses, the lint filter 85b is gradually clogged by the lint.

If the lint filter 85b is clogged by the lint, the air inside the tub 20 and the drum 30 is not sucked into the drying duct 81, thereby lowering the drying efficiency. In order to prevent the deterioration of the drying efficiency, the washing machine 1 judges whether the lint filter 85b is blocked or not. When it is determined that the lint filter 85b is clogged, the lint filter 85b is cleaned.

Hereinafter, a method for determining whether or not the washing machine 1 has clogged the lint filter 85b and washing the lint filter 85b corresponding thereto will be described.

11 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a method for determining whether a washing machine according to an embodiment is clogged with a lint filter.

11, at the time of the drying stroke, the washing machine 1 detects the amount of laundry (510) and activates the air blowing member (84) and the heating heater (82) (515).

Then, the washing machine 1 initializes the maximum duct temperature Dmax and the maximum tub temperature Wmax (520). The maximum duct temperature Dmax is a maximum temperature inside the drying duct 81 until the drying heater 81 stops operating for the first time after the washing machine 1 starts the drying cycle. Wmax means the maximum temperature inside the tub 20 until the drying heater 81 is stopped for the first time after the washing machine 1 starts the drying stroke.

Then, the washing machine 1 detects the temperature inside the drying duct 81 (525). The temperature inside the drying duct 81 can be detected through the duct temperature sensor 83 as described above.

Thereafter, the washing machine 1 determines whether the temperature inside the drying duct 81 detected by "525 " is not less than the maximum duct temperature Dmax (530).

If the temperature inside the drying duct 81 is equal to or higher than the maximum duct temperature Dmax (YES in 530), the washing machine 1 updates the maximum duct temperature Dmax (535). That is, if the temperature inside the drying duct 81 is equal to or higher than the maximum duct temperature Dmax, the washing machine 1 inputs the temperature of the drying duct 81 currently detected at the maximum duct temperature Dmax. The temperature inside the drying duct 81 continuously rises as shown in FIG. 10 until the operation of the drying heater 82 is stopped for the first time after the drying stroke is started. Therefore, if the drying heater 82 is operating, the maximum duct temperature Dmax) will be updated.

Then, the washing machine 1 detects the temperature inside the tub 20 (540). The washing machine 1 can detect a temperature inside the tub 20 through a tub temperature sensor 26 provided inside the tub 20. [

Thereafter, the washing machine 1 determines whether the temperature inside the tub 20 detected at 540 is equal to or greater than the maximum tub temperature Wmax (545).

If the temperature inside the tub 20 is equal to or greater than the maximum tub temperature Wmax (YES in step 545), the washing machine 1 updates 550 the maximum tub temperature Wmax. That is, if the temperature inside the tub 20 is equal to or greater than the maximum tub temperature Wmax, the washing machine 1 inputs the temperature of the tub 20 currently detected to the maximum tub temperature Wmax. If the temperature inside the tub 20 is not higher than the maximum tub temperature Wmax (NO in 545), the washing machine 1 does not update the maximum tub temperature Wmax.

The washing machine 1 detects the temperature inside the drying duct 81 and compares the detected temperature with the maximum duct temperature Dmax to update the maximum duct temperature Dmax and detects the temperature inside the tub 20, And repeats updating the maximum tub temperature Wmax by comparing it with the maximum tub temperature Wmax.

If the temperature inside the drying duct 81 detected at "530" is not more than the maximum duct temperature Dmax (NO at 530) while the maximum duct temperature Dmax and the maximum tub temperature Wmax are updated, , The washing machine 1 determines whether the difference between the detected temperature of the drying duct 81 and the maximum duct temperature Dmax is 2 degrees or more (555). There is a possibility that the temperature of the inside of the drying duct 81 is detected as the temperature of the inside of the drying duct 81 is lowered because the heat is not properly transmitted to the duct temperature sensor 83. Therefore, in order to clearly ascertain the temperature drop inside the drying duct 81, If the difference between the detected temperature of the drying duct 81 and the maximum duct temperature Dmax is equal to or greater than 2 degrees, it is determined that the temperature inside the drying duct 81 has dropped.

If the difference between the detected temperature in the drying duct 81 and the maximum duct temperature Dmax is not more than 2 degrees (NO in 555), the washing machine 1 does not update the maximum duct temperature Dmax, 20), and updates the maximum tub temperature (Wmax) based on the detected temperature.

If the difference between the detected temperature in the drying duct 81 and the maximum duct temperature Dmax is equal to or greater than 2 degrees (YES in 555), the washing machine 1 calculates the filter clogging index F (560) . The filter clogging index F indicates whether or not the lint filter 85b is clogged and the degree of clogging. The washing machine 1 determines whether or not the lint filter 85b is cleaned.

The filter clogging index F is calculated as the maximum duct temperature Dmax, the maximum tub temperature Wmax and the initial drying heater ON time ("t1" in FIG. 10), that is, after the drying heater 82 is turned on for the first time, 82) is turned off. Specifically, the filter clogging index F can be calculated by Equation (1).

[Equation 1]

(Where F is the filter clogging index, Dmax is the maximum duct temperature, Wmax is the maximum tub temperature, and t1 is the initial drying heater on time).

The temperature difference between the inside of the drying duct 81 and the inside of the tub 20 becomes large because the air circulation between the drying duct 81 and the tub 20 is not properly performed when the lint filter 85b is blocked by the lint, The temperature inside the duct 81 rapidly increases and the initial drying heater ON time t1 becomes small. Consequently, as the lint filter 85b is blocked by the lint, the filter clogging index F becomes larger. As the filter clogging index F increases, the washing machine 1 can judge that the lint filter 85b is blocked by the lint.

When the filter clogging index F is calculated, the washing machine 1 determines whether the lint filter 85b is cleaned according to the filter clogging index F. [ In particular, the washing machine 1 preferably cleans the lint filter 85b immediately when it is judged that the lint filter 85b is clogged based on the filter clogging index F.

In the example of the method of determining whether the washing machine 1 is blocked with the lint filter, the maximum duct temperature Dmax and the maximum tub temperature Wmax are detected when the temperature of the drying duct 81 is lowered, but the present invention is not limited thereto . That is, in order to detect the maximum duct temperature Dmax and the maximum tub temperature Wmax, the washing machine 1 controls the inside of the drying duct 81 through the duct temperature sensor 83 at the time when the drying heater 82 is first turned off. The temperature of the tub 20 can be detected through the tub temperature sensor 26 and input to the maximum tub temperature Wmax.

FIG. 12 is a flow chart showing an example of a method of washing a lint filter according to an embodiment, and FIG. 13 is a view illustrating rotation of a drum during washing of a lint filter according to an embodiment .

Referring to FIG. 12, the washing machine 1 determines whether the filter clogging index F is equal to or greater than a first reference value (610). The first reference value may be set in advance through experimentation as a criterion for determining whether the lint filter 85b is clogged.

If the filter clogging index F is not equal to or greater than the first reference value (NO at 610), the washing machine 1 determines that the lint filter 85b is not blocked. That is, the washing machine 1 proceeds the drying process without performing a separate filter cleaning operation.

If the filter clogging index F is equal to or larger than the first reference value (YES in 610), the washing machine 1 rotates the blowing fan 84b at a low speed (620). As described above, when the filter clogging index F is equal to or larger than the first reference value, the washing machine 1 determines that the lint filter 85b is partially or completely blocked. Accordingly, the washing machine 1 will spray the washing water to the lint filter 85b to wash the lint filter 85b during the drying stroke. However, during the drying stroke, since the blowing fan 84b is rotating at a high speed as described above, there is a possibility that the sprayed washing water is sucked into the drying duct 81 by the blowing fan 84b. In order to prevent this, the rotational speed of the blowing fan 84b is decelerated before injecting the washing water into the lint filter 85b.

13A, when the guide pipe 87 of the drying unit 80 is positioned on the right upper side of the tub 20, the washing machine 1 rotates the drum 30 at a low speed in the clockwise direction, The washing machine 1 preferably rotates the drum 30 at a low speed in the counterclockwise direction when the guide pipe 87 of the drying unit 80 is positioned at the upper left side of the tub 20 as shown in FIG. This is to allow the washing water to be drained smoothly through the rotation of the drum 30. [

Then, the washing machine 1 determines whether the filter clogging index F is equal to or greater than a second reference value (625). It is preferable that the second reference value is set through experiments beforehand as a criterion for determining whether the lint filter 85b is partially clogged or completely clogged.

If the filter clogging index F is equal to or greater than the second reference value (YES in step 625), the washing machine 1 injects the washing water into the lint filter 85b during the first washing time (630). When the filter clogging index F is equal to or greater than the second reference value, the washing machine 1 judges that the lint filter 85b is completely blocked and can spray the washing water during the first washing time sufficient to wash the completely blocked lint filter 85b have. That is, the washing machine 1 can open the wash water supply valve 86c during the first washing time.

If the filter clogging index F is not equal to or greater than the second reference value (NO in 625), the washing machine 1 injects the washing water to the lint filter 85b during the second washing time (635). If the filter clogging index F is not equal to or greater than the second reference value, the washing machine 1 judges that the lint filter 85b is partially clogged and cleans the washing water during the second washing time sufficient to wash the partially clogged lint filter 85b It can be sprayed. That is, the washing machine 1 can open the wash water supply valve 86c during the second washing time.

Thereafter, the washing machine 1 returns to the drying cycle (640). That is, the washing machine 1 ends the filter cleaning operation and rotates the blowing fan 84b at high speed again.

In the foregoing, an example of a method of calculating the filter clogging index F by the washing machine 1 and performing the washing of the lint filter 85b based on the calculated filter clogging index F has been described.

Hereinafter, another example of a method of cleaning the lint filter 85b based on the temperature inside the drying duct 81 and the tub 20 of the washing machine 1 will be described.

14A and 14B are flowcharts showing another example of a method for determining whether or not the washing machine according to an embodiment is clogged with the lint filter.

14A and 14B, in the drying cycle, the washing machine 1 detects the amount of laundry (710) and activates the air blowing member (84) and the heating heater (82) (715).

Thereafter, the washing machine 1 detects the initial tub temperature (720). The initial tub temperature refers to the temperature inside the tub 20 when the washing machine 1 starts the drying stroke. The washing machine 1 can acquire the initial tub temperature using the tub temperature sensor 26 at the start of the drying stroke.

Then, the washing machine 1 detects the temperature inside the drying duct 81 (725). The washing machine 1 can obtain the temperature inside the drying duct 81 by using the duct temperature sensor 83 provided inside the drying duct 81. [

Then, the washing machine 1 determines whether the temperature inside the drying duct 81 is equal to or higher than the reference duct temperature (730). The reference duct temperature may vary depending on the heating value of the drying heater 81 and the capacity of the drying duct 81 and the tub 20, and may be set to approximately 70 to 80 degrees.

If the temperature in the drying duct 81 is not higher than the reference duct temperature (NO in 730), the washing machine 1 continuously detects the temperature inside the drying duct 81.

If the temperature inside the drying duct 81 is equal to or higher than the reference duct temperature (YES in 730), the washing machine 1 determines whether the reference time has elapsed since the start of the drying cycle (735). The reference time may vary depending on the heating value of the drying heater 81 and the capacity of the drying duct 81 and the tub 20, and may be set to approximately 5 minutes to 10 minutes.

If the reference time has elapsed since the start of the drying cycle (YES in 735), the washing machine 1 judges that the lint filter 85b is not blocked and proceeds the drying cycle (780). If the air circulates normally between the drying duct 81 and the tub 20, the temperature inside the drying duct 81 slowly rises along with the temperature of the tub 20, so that the temperature inside the drying duct 81 rises too fast The washing machine 1 can judge that the lint filter 85b is not blocked.

If the reference time has not elapsed since the start of the drying cycle (NO in 735), the washing machine 1 determines whether the first drying time has elapsed since the start of the drying cycle (740). The first drying time may vary depending on the heating value of the drying heater 81 and the capacity of the drying duct 81 and the tub 20, and may be set to approximately 10 minutes to 20 minutes.

When the first drying time has elapsed, the washing machine 1 detects the temperature inside the tub 20 (745).

Thereafter, the washing machine 1 determines whether the difference between the temperature of the inside of the tub 20 detected by "745 " and the initial tub temperature is less than the reference temperature difference (750). The reference temperature difference may vary depending on the heating value of the drying heater 81 and the capacity of the drying duct 81 and the tub 20, and may be set to approximately 5 to 15 degrees.

If the difference between the temperature inside the tub 20 and the initial tub temperature is not less than the reference temperature difference (NO at 750), the washing machine 1 judges that the lint filter 85b is not blocked, ). When the air circulates normally between the drying duct 81 and the tub 20, the temperature of the tub 20 and the temperature of the inside of the drying duct 81 rise together, so that the temperature inside the tub 20 is higher than that at the start of the drying stroke The washing machine 1 can judge that the lint filter 85b is not blocked.

If the difference between the temperature inside the tub 20 and the initial tub temperature is less than the reference temperature difference (example of 750), the washing machine 1 determines that the temperature inside the tub 20 detected at "745" (755). The first reference tub temperature may vary depending on the calorific value of the drying heater 81 and the capacity of the drying duct 81 and the tub 20, and may be set to approximately 25 to 35 degrees.

If the temperature inside the tub 20 is not less than the first reference tub temperature (NO in 755), the washing machine 1 judges that the lint filter 85b is not blocked and advances the drying stroke (780). When the air circulates normally between the drying duct 81 and the tub 20, the temperature of the tub 20 and the temperature of the inside of the drying duct 81 rise together. Therefore, if the temperature inside the tub 20 sufficiently rises, ) Can judge that the lint filter 85b is not blocked.

If the temperature inside the tub 20 is lower than the first reference tub temperature (step 755), the washing machine 1 determines whether the second drying time has elapsed since the start of the drying cycle (760). The second drying time may vary depending on the heating value of the drying heater 81 and the capacity of the drying duct 81 and the tub 20, and may be set to approximately 20 minutes to 30 minutes.

When the second drying time has elapsed, the washing machine 1 detects the temperature inside the tub 20 (765).

Thereafter, the washing machine 1 determines whether the temperature inside the tub 20 detected by "765" is lower than the second reference tub temperature (770). The second reference tub temperature may vary depending on the heating value of the drying heater 81 and the capacity of the drying duct 81 and the tub 20, and may be set to about 35 to 45 degrees.

If the temperature inside the tub 20 is not lower than the second reference tub temperature (NO in 770), the washing machine 1 judges that the lint filter 85b is not blocked and proceeds the drying stroke (780). When the air circulates normally between the drying duct 81 and the tub 20, the temperature of the tub 20 and the temperature of the inside of the drying duct 81 rise together. Therefore, if the temperature inside the tub 20 sufficiently rises, ) Can judge that the lint filter 85b is not blocked.

If the temperature inside the tub 20 is lower than the second reference tub temperature (YES in step 770), the washing machine 1 determines that the lint filter 85b is blocked by the lint (step 775).

If it is determined that the lint filter 85b is blocked, the washing machine 1 proceeds to the drying step after performing the following lint filter cleaning operation.

15 is a flowchart showing another example of a method of washing a lint filter according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 15, the washing machine 1 rotates the blowing fan 84b at low speed (810). If it is determined that the lint filter 85b is clogged, the washing machine 1 will spray the washing water to the lint filter 85b to clean the lint filter 85b during the drying stroke. However, during the drying stroke, since the blowing fan 84b is rotating at a high speed as described above, there is a possibility that the sprayed washing water is sucked into the drying duct 81 by the blowing fan 84b. In order to prevent this, the rotational speed of the blowing fan 84b is decelerated before injecting the washing water into the lint filter 85b. 13A, when the guide pipe 87 of the drying unit 80 is positioned on the upper right side of the tub 20, the washing machine 1 rotates the drum 30 in the clockwise direction, It is preferable that the washing machine 1 rotates the drum 30 in the counterclockwise direction when the guide pipe 87 of the drying unit 80 is located on the upper left side of the tub 20. [ This is to allow the washing water to be drained smoothly through the rotation of the drum 30. [

Thereafter, the washing machine 1 injects washing water into the lint filter 85b during the filter washing time (630). That is, the washing machine 1 can open the wash water supply valve 86c during the first washing time.

Thereafter, the washing machine 1 returns to the drying cycle (830). That is, the washing machine 1 ends the filter cleaning operation and rotates the blowing fan 84b at high speed again.

In this manner, whether or not the lint filter 85b is clogged during the drying stroke of the washing machine 1 is determined, and the lint filter 85b is cleaned to always exhibit the best drying efficiency.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it is clearly understood that the same is by way of illustration and example only and is not to be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; It will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

1: Washing machine 10: Cabinet
20: tub 21b: exhaust port
22a: Intake port 30: Drum
40: drive motor 50: water supply part
60: drainage part 70: detergent supply part
80: drying section 81: drying duct
81a: Duct upper plate 81b: Duct lower plate
82: drying heater 83; Duct temperature sensor
84: air blowing member 84a: blowing fan motor
84b: blowing fan 85: connecting member
85a: connection opening 85b: lint filter
85c: connection port 86a: wash water spray nozzle
86b: Wash water supply pipe 86c: Wash water supply valve
87: Guide tube 90: Control panel

Claims (19)

A tub;
A drum rotatably installed in the tub;
A drying unit including a blowing fan for sucking air inside the drum and the tub, and a drying heater for heating the air inside the drum and the tub;
A lint filter for filtering the foreign substances contained in the air to be sucked;
And a control unit for turning on or off the drying heater and the blowing fan according to a temperature of the drying duct,
When the drying heater is turned off, the controller determines clogging of the lint filter based on the temperature of the drying duct, the temperature of the tub, and the drying heater-on time, and cleans the lint filter according to clogging of the lint filter A washing machine that was one. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the controller calculates the filter clogging index based on the difference between the temperature of the drying duct and the temperature of the tub and the initial drying heater ON time and cleans the lint filter according to the filter clogging index. 3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein the controller calculates the filter clogging index by dividing the difference between the temperature of the drying duct and the temperature of the tub by the initial drying heater ON time. The method of claim 3,
Wherein the control unit cleans the lint filter during a filter cleaning time corresponding to the filter clogging index if the filter clogging index is equal to or greater than a predetermined reference value. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the control unit reduces the rotational speed of the blowing fan while washing the lint filter. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the control unit decreases the rotational speed of the drum while washing the lint filter. The method according to claim 1,
A washing water spray nozzle for spraying washing water to the lint filter;
A wash water supply pipe for supplying the wash water to the wash water spray nozzle;
And a washing water supply valve for opening / closing the washing water supply pipe. 8. The method of claim 7,
Wherein when the drying heater is first turned off after the start of the drying stroke, the controller opens the washing water supply valve depending on whether the lint filter is clogged. Operating a blowing fan to suck air from the tub into the drying duct;
Operating a drying heater for heating the air in the drying duct;
Turning off the drying heater if the temperature of the drying duct is above the drying upper limit temperature;
And washing the lint filter according to a temperature of the drying duct, a temperature of the tub, and a drying heater-on time when the drying heater is turned off,
Wherein the drying heater on time is a time until the drying heater is turned off and then turned off. 10. The method of claim 9,
The washing of the lint filter may be performed by,
Calculating a filter clogging index based on the difference between the temperature of the drying duct and the temperature of the tub and the initial drying heater ON time,
And washing the lint filter according to the calculated filter clogging index. 11. The method of claim 10,
Wherein calculating the filter clogging index comprises dividing the difference between the temperature of the drying duct and the temperature of the tub by the drying heater ON time. 11. The method of claim 10,
And washing the lint filter according to the calculated filter clogging index includes washing the lint filter during a filter washing time corresponding to the filter clogging index if the filter clogging index is not less than a predetermined reference value. 10. The method of claim 9,
Wherein the washing of the lint filter comprises supplying washing water to the washing water spray nozzle for spraying the washing water to the lint filter. 10. The method of claim 9,
Wherein the washing of the lint filter includes reducing the rotational speed of the blowing fan. A tub;
A drum rotatably installed in the tub;
A drying unit including a blowing fan for sucking air inside the drum and the tub, and a drying heater for heating the air inside the drum and the tub;
A lint filter for filtering the foreign substances contained in the air to be sucked;
And a control unit for turning on or off the drying heater and the blowing fan according to a temperature of the drying duct during a drying cycle,
Wherein the control unit cleans the lint filter in accordance with the time when the temperature of the drying duct reaches a predetermined reference duct temperature and the temperature of the tub during the drying stroke during the drying stroke. 16. The method of claim 15,
If the time at which the temperature of the drying duct reaches the reference duct temperature is less than or equal to a predetermined reference time and the temperature of the tub is less than a predetermined reference tub temperature after a predetermined drying time has elapsed, The washing machine is to do. 16. The method of claim 15,
Wherein the control unit reduces the rotational speed of the blowing fan while washing the lint filter. Operating a blowing fan to suck air from the tub into the drying duct;
Operating a drying heater for heating the air in the drying duct;
And turning off the drying heater when the temperature of the drying duct is higher than a drying upper limit temperature,
Wherein when the temperature of the drying duct reaches a predetermined reference duct temperature is less than a predetermined reference time and the temperature of the tub is below a predetermined reference tub temperature after a predetermined drying time has elapsed, / RTI > 19. The method of claim 18,
Wherein the washing of the lint filter includes reducing the rotational speed of the blowing fan.

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