RU2520061C2 - Method of washing machine control - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: personal use articles.

SUBSTANCE: proposed is a method for operation of a washing machine with main motion for the drum rotation ensuring the washing capacity; according to the method, the user's input is waited for and at least one of steam supply into the drum is performed. According to one version of the method, the drum is brought into motion which such strong motion washing capacity exceeding that of the main motion. According to one version of the method, the drum is brought into motion which such strong motion washing capacity exceeding that of the main motion. According to the third version of the method, the drum is brought into at least either of an impact motion or a friction motion, such impact or friction motion washing capacity exceeding that of the main motion.

EFFECT: washing machine control method improves washing capacity alongside with improvement of efficiency and noise/oscillation.

19 cl, 26 dwg

Description

Technical field

The present invention relates to a washing machine and a method for controlling it.

State of the art

Washing machines are machines that are typically used for washing and / or drying fabrics. Washing machines may include a drum rotatably mounted in the housing, the drum being configured to hold laundry items therein for processing. In a top-loading washing machine, the drum may be oriented substantially vertically with an opening at its upper end through which laundry items can be received. In a front-loading washing machine, the drum may be oriented substantially horizontally with an opening at its front end through which laundry items can be received.

Disclosure of the technical objectives of the invention

When the laundry is processed in washing machines, the drum rotates with different movements. Drum movement and friction between items of laundry, washing water and detergents, and the inside of the drum can help remove dirt from the items.

Solution

An object of the present invention is to provide a method for controlling a washing machine that improves the performance of a washing machine.

According to an aspect of the present invention, the foregoing and other objects can be achieved by providing a control method including waiting for user input and performing at least one of supplying steam to the drum and driving the drum in strong motion when the user-entered program is a steam program .

Brief Description of the Drawings

Embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the following drawings, in which like reference numbers indicate a reference to identical elements, wherein:

figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of an exemplary washing machine, as embodied and outlined in the materials of this application;

figure 2 is an exploded view of another exemplary washing machine, as embodied and generally described in the materials of this application;

3A-3I, 4A-D, 5A-5F and 6 illustrate various drum movements and laundry movement patterns, as embodied and outlined in the materials of this application; and

7-21 and 25, 26 are flowcharts of the methods of various work programs including drum movements shown in FIGS. 3A-3I, 4A-D, 5A-5F and 6, in accordance with embodiments, as outlined in the materials of this application; and

22-24 illustrate actions and conditions for determining movements.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

I. WASHING MACHINE

The washing machine and its control method, as embodied and broadly described in the materials of this application, will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a washing machine according to a first embodiment, as described broadly herein, to which control methods according to various embodiments can be applied.

With reference to FIG. 1, a washing machine 100 according to a first embodiment includes a housing 110 configured to determine its appearance, a tub 120 provided in the housing 110 for holding water therein, and a rotary drum 130 provided in the tub 120. The cabinet 110 determines the appearance of the washing machine 100. A door 113 is provided in an opening 114 of the cabinet 110, and the user opens the door 113 to load laundry into the cabinet 110.

A tank 120 is provided in a housing 110 for holding water for washing therein. The drum 130 may be rotatable in the tub 120 and may accommodate laundry therein. In this case, a plurality of grips 135 may be provided in the drum 130 for raising and lowering the laundry during washing. The drum 130 includes a plurality of through holes 131 for allowing washing water held in the tub 120 to pass therethrough. The tank 120 may be supported by one or more springs provided on the outside of the tank 120. The motor 140 is mounted on the rear surface of the tank 120, and the motor 140 rotates the drum 130. When the vibrations are generated by the drum 130 rotated by the electric motor 140, the tank 120 undergoes vibrations in cooperation with the drum 130. When the drum 130 rotates, the vibrations generated in the drum 130b and the tank 120 can be absorbed by the damper located under the tank 120.

As shown in FIG. 1, the tub 120 and the drum 130 may be mounted substantially parallel to the base plate of the housing 110. Alternatively, the rear of the tub 120 and the drum 130 may be inclined, with the open end of the drum 130 oriented slightly upward. to facilitate loading laundry into the drum 130.

The control panel 115 may be provided on a predetermined portion of the front of the cabinet 110. The user can select a washing machine program using the control panel 115 or recognize information related to the washing machine. For example, a program selection part 117 configured to allow a user to select a specific washing program may be provided on the control panel 115. Moreover, an option selection part 118 may be provided to enable the user to customize the optional conditions of each cycle or step provided for in the selected program, and a display part 119 may be provided on the control panel 115 to display information about the current operation of the washing machine. Further details about the washing machine are described in US Pat. No. 6,460,382 B1, issued October 8, 2002, and US Patent Application No. 12/704923, filed February 12, 2010, whose entire disclosures are incorporated herein by reference.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a washing machine according to yet another embodiment, as described broadly herein. A washing machine according to various embodiments, as outlined in the materials of this application, may include a tank rigidly supported on the housing, or a tank supported on the housing through a non-rigid structure, such as a suspension unit, and thus, non-rigidly attached to him, as shown in figure 2. In addition, the support structure of the tank may be between the support through the suspension unit and the full mounting structure. That is, the tank can lean non-rigidly through the suspension assembly, which will be described later, it can lean rigidly to be in a more rigidly supported state than the above non-rigidly supported state. In alternative embodiments, a washing machine may be provided inside the housing. For example, the installation space of the built-in type washing machine may be determined by the wall structure inside the housing. That is, in some embodiments, a housing configured to form an independent appearance may not be provided.

With reference to FIG. 2, the tank may include a tank front 200 and a tank rear 220 constituting a rear part of the tank front 200. The front of the tank 200 and the rear of the tank 220 may be assembled with screws or other appropriate attachment mechanism, and a predetermined space is formed therein to hold the drum. The back of the tank 220 includes an opening formed in its rear surface, and the rear oil seal 250 may be attached to the inner circumference of the opening. The rear oil seal 250 may be coupled to the tank back 230, and the tank back 230 may include a through hole having a shaft that extends through its center.

The rear oil seal 250 is sealed and attached to each of the back of the tank 230 and the rear of the tank 220 to protect the wash water from escaping from the tank. Since the back of the tank 230 vibrates when the drum rotates, the back of the tank 230 can be distanced from the rear of the tank 220 by a predetermined distance so as not to interfere with the rear of the tank 220. In addition, the rear oil seal 250 may be formed of non-rigid material to allow the back of the tank 230 to move relatively without interfering with the rear of the tank 220. The rear oil seal 250 may include a corrugated portion that is extensible enough to allow relative movement of the tank back 230. This embodiment represents a rear oil seal 250 attached to a tank back 230, and the present invention is not limited thereto. The rear oil seal 250 is configured to seal the gap between the tank and the drive portion (not shown) including the shaft 351 and the bearing housing 400, and to allow the drive portion to move relatively with respect to the tank. As a result, the shapes and connected objects of the rear oil seal 250 can be infinitely variable only if this function is enabled. Non-rigid material 280, which will be described later as a front oil seal, may be mounted on the front of the front of the tank 200.

The drum may be configured from a front end 300 of the drum, a center 320 of the drum and a back of the drum 340. Ball balancers 310 and 330 can be installed in the front and rear of the drum, respectively. The drum head 340 may be attached to the spider 350, and the spider 350 may be attached to the shaft 351. The drum is rotatable inside the tank by a rotational force transmitted through the shaft 351.

Shaft 351 may be coupled to an electric motor and extend through tank backdrop 230. In some embodiments, the motor may be connected concentrically to the shaft 351. In some embodiments, the electric motor can be attached directly to the shaft 351 and, in particular, the rotor of the electric motor can be directly connected to the shaft 351. In alternative embodiments, the electric motor and shaft 351 can be connected to each other indirectly, for example, they can be connected by a belt .

The bearing housing 400 may be attached to the tank back 230 so as to rotate to support the shaft between the motor and the tank back 230. The stator may be rigidly attached to the bearing housing 400. And the rotor can be located around the stator. As mentioned above, the rotor can be directly connected to the shaft 351, the electric motor being an electric motor of the type with an external rotor, which can be directly connected to the shaft. Bearing housing 400 may be supported by base 600 through a suspension assembly. The suspension assembly may include a perpendicular suspension and an inclined suspension configured to support the bearing housing 400 with respect to the front and rear directions. For example, the suspension assembly according to this embodiment may include three perpendicular (vertical, as shown in FIG. 2) suspensions 500, 510 and 520 and two inclined (angled or beveled, as shown in FIG. 2) suspensions 450 and 530 configured to support the bearing housing 400 with respect to the front and rear directions. The suspension unit may be attached to the base 600 with a predetermined elastic transformation, allowing front / rear and / or right / left movement of the drum, and thus is not rigidly attached. That is, the suspension unit can be supported on the base with a sufficient predetermined elasticity to enable rotation at a given angle in the front / rear and right / left directions with respect to the points connected to the base. For such an elastic support, the perpendicular suspension can be mounted on the base by means of a rubber sleeve or other mechanism, as follows.

The perpendicular suspension of the suspension assembly can resiliently suspend the vibration of the drum, and the inclined suspension can damp the vibration. That is, the perpendicular suspension can be used as a spring, and the inclined suspension can be used as a damping means in an oscillating system including means of springing and damping.

The tank rests on the housing, and drum vibrations can be damped by the suspension assembly. As a result, the washing machine according to this embodiment may have a substantially independent support structure between the tub and the drum, or it may have a structure having drum vibrations not directly transmitted to the tub.

II. DRUM ROTATION MOVEMENT

The introduction of diversity in the movements of the drum drive and their combination, as embodied and broadly described in the materials of this application, can give significant improvements in washing ability, noise / vibration, energy consumption and customer satisfaction. A control method that provides improved washing ability will be described. The effect of hand washing can be embodied in various patterns of movement of linen. For example, the effect of hand washing can be embodied by a combination of massaging and / or unraveling, and / or beating, and / or swaying, and / or friction, and / or squeezing / filtering.

Such various patterns for moving laundry can be implemented by various movements from the drum drive and a combination (s) of different movements from the drum drive. Movements from the drum drive may include combinations of rotational directions and rotational speeds. The laundry located in the drum may have different lowering directions, lowering points and lowering distance due to movements from the drum drive. As a result, the laundry may have different movements within the drum. Movements from the drum drive, for example, can be implemented by controlling the direction and / or speed of rotation of the electric motor that drives the drum.

When the drum rotates, the laundry is lifted by one or more jaws 135 provided on the inner circular wall of the drum. As a result, the direction of rotation of the drum can be controlled, and the shock load applied to the laundry can be changed accordingly. That is, the mechanical force exerted on the laundry, such as the friction force generated between the laundry items, the friction force generated between the laundry and water, and the impact load of lowering the laundry, can change. In other words, the degree of knocking or scuffing applied to the laundry so as to wash the laundry may change, and the degree of distribution and turnover of the laundry inside the drum may accordingly change.

As a result, this method of controlling the washing machine can produce different movements from the drum drive, and the movements from the drum drive vary according to each of the cycles and the specific steps that make up the cycle, so that the optimal mechanical force can be used for the processing of the laundry depending on the type washable laundry, pollution levels and other such factors. As a consequence, the washing efficiency of the laundry can be improved. In addition, excessive time required by a typical movement from the drum drive can be avoided.

In some embodiments, for implementing such various motions from the drum drive, the electric motor 140 may be a direct coupled type. That is, the electric motor may have a stator attached to the rear surface of the tank 120 and a rotor that directly rotates the drum 120. Since the direction and torque of rotation of the directly coupled type electric motor can be controlled, lag or dead travel can be prevented, and then movement from the drive The drum can be controlled properly.

In contrast, movements from the drum drive that are lagging or free-running, for example, tipping motion or rotational motion, may be embodied in a type electric motor with an indirect connection including a pulley, so that its torque can be transmitted to the shaft through the pulley. However, an indirect coupled type electric motor may have limited applicability.

The movement from the drum drive can be implemented by controlling the electric motor 140. As a result, the method of controlling the electric motor can be varied, and then various movements from the drum drive can be achieved.

Schemes for moving sheets and movement from the drive of the drum to achieve a scheme for moving sheets, will be described in more detail below.

A movement pattern with massaging the laundry can be achieved if the friction between the laundry and the drum is maximized. For example, when the drum continuously rotates in a predetermined direction with a predetermined speed or less, the laundry may be moved by rolling to achieve a massaging effect, if the rotation speed of the drum driven in tumbling motion is determined as a reference speed, the predetermined speed may be a reference speed. For example, movement from a drum drive configured to rotate a drum at a predetermined speed or less in a predetermined direction may be defined as a “rolling motion ″.

A disengaging movement pattern, for example, may be embodied by a tumbling motion. The tumbling motion may be defined as the motion configured to continuously rotate the drum at a reference speed in a specific direction. The disengaging movement pattern lowers the laundry inside the drum with an average level of lowering distance and average friction.

A beating movement pattern can be achieved by lowering the laundry inside the drum from the maximum lowering distance. For example, if the drum rotates at a control speed or more to raise the laundry to the highest point inside the drum, and then the drum is braked sharply, this effect can be achieved. This movement from the drum drive can be defined as ″ step motion ″.

A swinging movement pattern can be achieved when the drum rotates at a predetermined speed less than the reference speed in a clockwise / counterclockwise direction. Such motion from the drum drive may be defined as a “swing motion”.

A friction movement pattern can be achieved when the friction between the laundry and the drum increases. For example, if a drum rotating at a control speed or greater in a clockwise direction is braked sharply and then rotates in a counterclockwise direction, the laundry is moved by rolling along the inner circular surface of the drum from a predetermined upper point of the drum. Such movement from the drum drive can be defined as a ″ scrub motion ″.

A movement pattern with squeezing and filtering can be achieved if the washing water is supplied along with the rotation of the drum at a reference speed or greater. Once the drum rotates at a relatively high speed, the laundry can be spread out or deployed and held along the inner circular surface of the drum, and then the washing water sprayed into the drum passes through the laundry, and then the laundry can be squeezed out to improve the rinse effect. Such motion from the drum drive can be defined as a ″ filter motion ″.

Various motions from the drum drive configured to achieve the above various laundry patterns will be described with reference to the drawings.

Figa and 3B is a diagram of various movements from the drum drive, which are embodied and generally described in the materials of this application.

3A (a) is a diagram of rolling motion. With rolling motion, the electric motor 140 continuously rotates the drum 130 in a predetermined direction, and the laundry located on the inner circular surface of the drum, rotating along the direction of rotation of the drum, falls from a position with an angle of approximately less than 90 ° relative to the direction of rotation of the drum, to the lower point of the drum .

That is, as soon as the electric motor 140 rotates the drum at a speed that is lower than the reference rotational speed (tipping speed), for example, at approximately 40 rpm, the laundry located at the lowest point of the drum 130 rises to a predetermined height along the direction of rotation the drum 130, and then the laundry is moved by rolling to the lowest point of the drum from a position less than 90 ° with respect to the direction of rotation of the drum from the lowest point of the drum. Typically, if the drum rotates in a clockwise direction, the laundry is continuously rolling in the third quadrant of the drum.

The laundry is washed with maximum friction with water for washing and maximum friction with other items for washing, as well as maximum friction with the inner circular surface of the drum during rolling movement. This rolling motion allows sufficient laundry turnover to produce an effect similar to a gentle massaging of a wash. The number of revolutions per minute of the drum drive from the drum drive can be determined based on the dependence on the radius of the drum. That is, the greater the number of revolutions per minute of the drum, the greater the centrifugal force that is caused in the laundry inside the drum. The difference between the centrifugal force and the gravity applied to the laundry in the drum distinguishes the point at which the laundry falls and the corresponding movement of the laundry inside the drum. Both the rotational force of the drum and the friction between the drum and the laundry can also be taken into account. Thus, the number of revolutions per minute of the drum during rolling movement can be determined in order to provide the generated centrifugal force and friction force with the possibility of being less than gravity (1G).

3A (b) is a diagram of a tumbling motion. In a tumbling motion, the electric motor 140 continuously rotates the drum 130 in a predetermined direction, and the laundry located on the inner circular surface of the drum falls from a position of about 90 ° to 110 °, relative to the direction of rotation of the drum, to the bottom of the drum. If the drum is controlled to rotate at the proper number of revolutions per minute in a predetermined direction, a mechanical force may be generated between the laundry and the drum during a tumbling motion. As a result, the tumbling motion can be used for washing and rinsing.

That is, the laundry loaded in the drum 130 is located at the lowest point of the drum 130 before the motor 140 is driven. When the motor 140 delivers torque to the drum 130, the drum 130 rotates, and the gripper 135 provided on the inner circular surface of the drum raises the laundry to a predetermined height from the lowest point of the drum. If the electric motor 140 rotates the drum 130 at a control speed of, for example, approximately 46 rpm, the laundry may rise to a position of approximately 90 ° to 110 ° with respect to the direction of rotation of the drum, and then fall to the lowest point of the drum. In a tilting movement, the number of revolutions per minute of the drum can be determined in order to provide the generated centrifugal force with the possibility to be greater than the centrifugal force generated by the rolling motion and to be less than the force of gravity.

Clearly, if the drum rotates in a clockwise direction during a tumbling motion, the laundry rises sequentially into the third quadrant and part of the second quadrant from the lowest point of the drum. After that, the laundry falls to the lowest point of the drum. As a result, the tumbling motion allows the laundry to wear out by the shock load produced by the friction with washing water and the shock load of lowering. As a result of this, in a tumbling motion, a mechanical force greater than the mechanical force of the rolling motion can be used to implement washing and rinsing. In addition, the rolling motion can be effective in separating entangled laundry and evenly distributing laundry.

3A (c) is a step motion diagram. In stepping motion, the electric motor 140 rotates the drum 130 in a predetermined direction, and the laundry located on the inner circular surface of the drum is controlled to fall to the lowest point of the drum from the highest point (approximately 180 °) relative to the direction of rotation of the drum. As soon as the electric motor 140 rotates the drum 130 at a speed that is higher than the reference rotational speed (tipping speed), for example, about 60 revolutions per minute or more, the laundry can be rotated by centrifugal force to reach the highest point of the drum without dropping. During the stepwise movement, the drum rotates at a predetermined speed so as not to lower the laundry, and then brakes sharply to maximize the shock load applied to the laundry while it is falling.

After the drum 130 is rotated at a predetermined speed that prevents the laundry from falling (approximately 60 revolutions per minute or more), until the laundry reaches the highest point of the drum, the electric motor 140 applies a reverse torque to the drum 130 with the laundry located near the highest point of the drum (180 ° relative to the direction of rotation of the drum). Thus, the laundry rises from the lowest point of the drum 130 along the direction of rotation of the drum, the drum instantly stops with the reverse torque of the electric motor, and the laundry falls from the highest point of the drum 130. The stepwise motion allows the laundry to be washed away by the shock load generated while the laundry falls from maximum height difference. The mechanical force generated by this step motion is greater than the mechanical force generated by the rolling motion or the tumbling motion mentioned above.

Visually, in the step movement, after moving from the lowest to the highest point of the drum by means of the drum rotating, the lowering distance inside the drum is the largest during step movement, and the mechanical force of the step movement can be effectively applied to a small amount of laundry. The electric motor 140 may be inhibited by phase reversal during stepping using the torque generated in the opposite direction relative to the direction of rotation of the electric motor. The phase of the current supplied to the electric motor can be varied to create reverse torque in the opposite direction of rotation of the electric motor, and phase reversal braking makes it possible to apply sharp braking. Phase reversal braking can be used to apply a powerful shock to the laundry.

Thus, after applying a torque to rotate the drum in a clockwise direction, a torque is applied to rotate the drum in a counterclockwise direction, and the drum is suddenly braked. After that, a torque is applied to the drum so that it rotates in a clockwise direction, and the step motion is embodied. The step motion can be used to wash laundry using friction between water drawn through the through hole 131 formed in the drum and the laundry and using the shock caused by the falling of the laundry when the laundry reaches the highest point of the drum. This step motion may cause a washing effect similar to “beat off”.

3A (d) is a diagram of a swing motion. With the swinging movement, the electric motor 140 rotates the drum 130 alternately in clockwise and counterclockwise directions, and the laundry falls in a position approximately less than 90 ° with respect to the direction of rotation of the drum. That is, as soon as the electric motor 140 rotates the drum 130 at a speed that is lower than the reference rotational speed (tilting speed), for example, approximately 40 revolutions per minute, in the counterclockwise direction, the laundry located at the lowest point of the drum 130 rises to a given height counterclockwise. Before the laundry reaches a position of approximately 90 ° relative to the counterclockwise direction of the drum, the electric motor stops the rotation of the drum, and the laundry falls to the lowest point of the drum from a position of approximately less than 90 (relative to the counterclockwise direction of the drum.

From here, the electric motor 140 rotates the drum 130 at a speed that is lower than the reference rotational speed (tilting rotation speed), for example, approximately 40 revolutions per minute, in a clockwise direction to raise the laundry to a predetermined height in a clockwise direction along the direction drum rotation. Before the laundry reaches a position of approximately 90 ° relative to the counterclockwise direction of the drum, the electric motor stops the rotation of the drum, and the laundry falls to the lowest point of the drum from a position of approximately less than 90 ° relative to the clockwise direction of the drum.

Thus, the swinging movement is a movement in which rotation and stop relative to the first direction and rotation and stop relative to the second (opposite) direction can be repeated. Visually, repeatedly the laundry that is raised to the part of the second quadrant from the third quadrant of the drum falls smoothly, and repeatedly rises to the part of the first quadrant from the fourth quadrant of the drum and gradually falls.

In some embodiments, the electric motor 140 may use rheostatic braking and a load applied to the electric motor 140, so that the mechanical wear of the electric motor 140 can be reduced and the shock load applied to the laundry can be controlled. Using rheostatic braking, if the current applied to the electric motor is turned off, the electric motor functions as a generator due to inertia of rotation, and the direction of the current flowing in the motor winding will be reversed until the power is turned off and the force (according to the rule Fleming's right hand) is applied along a direction that interferes with the rotation of the electric motor to brake the electric motor. In contrast to phase reversal braking, rheostatic braking does not cause sudden braking, but instead gradually changes the direction of rotation of the drum. As a result, the laundry can move around the figure eight through the third and fourth quadrants of the drum with a swinging motion. Swinging motion can cause a wash like “swaying laundry”.

Figa (e) is a diagram of the rubbing movement. In the rubbing motion, the electric motor 140 rotates the drum 130 alternately in both directions, clockwise and counterclockwise, and the laundry may fall from a position of more than 90 (relative to the direction of rotation of the drum.

That is, as soon as the electric motor 140 rotates the drum 130 at a speed that is higher than the reference rotational speed (tipping speed), for example, about 60 revolutions per minute or more, counterclockwise, the laundry located at the lowest point of the drum 130 rises to a predetermined height counterclockwise. After the laundry passes a position of approximately 90 ° with respect to the counterclockwise direction of the drum, the electric motor gives the drum reverse torque to temporarily stop the drum, and the laundry located on the inner circular surface of the drum can quickly fall, in particular, resulting in the laundry located on the inner circular surface of the drum, falls to the lowest point of the drum from a position of 90 ° or more relative to the clockwise direction of the drum. Thus, during the rubbing movement, laundry can quickly fall from a given height. The electric motor 140 may use phase reversal braking to brake the drum.

With the rubbing movement, the direction of rotation of the drum changes rapidly, and the laundry may not leave the inner circular surface of the drum for a large amount of time. As a result of this, an effect similar to intensive washing abrasion brought to a maximum by friction between the laundry and the drum can be achieved with the rubbing movement. During the rubbing movement, the laundry moved to the part of the second quadrant through the third quadrant quickly falls and re-falls again after moving to the part of the first quadrant through the fourth quadrant. As a result, clearly during the rubbing movement, the lifted laundry falls repeatedly over the inner circular surface of the drum.

3A (f) is a diagram of filtering motion. In the filtering movement, the electric motor 140 rotates the drum 130, so that the laundry does not fall from the inner circular surface of the drum, and washing water is sprayed into the drum. That is, during the filtering movement, the laundry spreads out and maintains close contact with the inner circular surface of the drum as the washing water is sprayed into the drum. Water is discharged from the tank through the through holes 131 of the drum by centrifugal force. Since the filtering movement expands / expands the surface area of the laundry and allows water to pass through the laundry, washing water can be supplied to the laundry evenly.

Figa (g) is a diagram of the squeezing movement. During the squeezing movement, the electric motor 140 rotates the drum 130, so that the laundry adheres to / does not fall from the inner circular surface of the drum using centrifugal force, and then the electric motor lowers the speed of the drum 130 to temporarily separate the laundry from the inner circular wall of the drum. This sequence of operations is repeated, and water is sprayed into the drum during rotation of the drum. That is, the drum rotates continuously at a speed that is high enough not to lower the laundry from the inner circular surface of the drum during filtering movement. In contrast, with the squeezing movement, the rotational speed of the drum is changed to repeat the sequence of operations of fitting the laundry to and separating from the inner circular surface of the drum 130.

Spraying the washing water into the drum 130 during the filtering movement and the squeezing movement, for example, can be realized by a circulation path and a pump. The pump can communicate with the bottom surface of the tank 120, with the end of the circulation path connected to the pump, so that washing water is sprayed from the tank into the drum through the other end of the circulation path.

In alternative embodiments, the washing water may be sprayed into the drum through a supply path connected to an external water supply source located outside the housing. That is, one end of the supply path is connected to an external supply source, and the other end is connected to the tank. If a sprayer is provided for spraying washing water into the drum, the washing water may be sprayed into the drum with one or both of the filtering and wringing movements.

Fig.3B (H) is a diagram illustrating the movement of 'A'. Movement A allows the electric motor to rotate the drum in a predetermined direction by changing the number of revolutions of the drum to change the movement of the laundry inside the drum. In other words, when the electric motor rotates the drum, the electric motor can change the number of revolutions per minute of the drum in at least two stages.

For example, the electric motor can first rotate the drum with a first number of revolutions per minute in a predetermined direction, as shown in FIG. 3B (h1), and then the electric motor can rotate the drum with a second number of revolutions per minute, which is faster than the first number of revolutions per minute, as shown in FIG. 3B (h2), and then the electric motor can rotate the drum at a third number of revolutions per minute, which is faster than the second number of revolutions per minute, as shown in FIG. 3B (h3). The number of revolutions per minute for each stage can be determined, as appropriate, and each of the stages can be performed for a predetermined period of time.

That is, the first number of revolutions per minute can be determined in order to allow the laundry inside the drum to fall at an angle less than 90 ° along the direction of rotation of the drum when the drum rotates. As a result, when the drum rotates at a first number of revolutions per minute, the laundry inside the drum can move mainly within the lower part of the drum without moving to the upper part of the drum. In particular, the first number of revolutions per minute allows the laundry to rise to an angle less than 90 ° along the direction of rotation of the drum and fall and roll along the inner circular surface of the drum in order to move to the lowest point of the drum. Clearly, it may turn out that the laundry items consistently roll in the third quadrant of the drum when the drum rotates in a clockwise direction, as shown in FIG. 3B (h1), and that the laundry items consistently roll in the fourth quadrant of the drum when the drum rotates in counterclockwise direction. As a result, as soon as the drum rotates with the first number of revolutions per minute, the friction force of the laundry inside the drum (the friction force between the laundry and the drum, between the laundry items themselves and between the laundry and the washing water) can be maximized. The first number of revolutions per minute, for example, may be approximately 40 revolutions per minute.

The second number of revolutions per minute may be faster than the first number of revolutions per minute, to provide linen inside the drum to fall after rising to the top of the drum. When the drum rotates at the first number of revolutions per minute, the laundry inside the drum does not rise to the top of the drum, but rather falls before it reaches the top of the drum. In contrast, as soon as the drum rotates at a second number of revolutions per minute, the laundry can rise to the top of the drum as soon as possible, thereby increasing the height of the laundry lowering and the magnitude of the shock load and mechanical force applied to the laundry compared to the rotation of the drum with the first number rpm. For example, when the drum rotates at a second number of revolutions per minute, the laundry inside the drum may fall at an angle of approximately 90 ° to 110 ° along the rotation direction of the drum, as shown in FIG. 3B (h2). The second number of revolutions per minute, for example, may be approximately 46 revolutions per minute.

A third rpm may be faster than both the first and second rpm. For example, when the drum rotates at a third number of revolutions per minute, the laundry inside the drum may remain adhered to and cannot be separated from the inner circular surface of the drum, since the centrifugal force generated in the drum rotating at a third number of revolutions per minute is greater than the force heaviness in the laundry. The third number of revolutions per minute can be adjusted based on the amount of laundry and the capacity of the drum, for example, between approximately 100 and 110 revolutions per minute. When washing water is supplied to a drum rotated at a third number of revolutions per minute, more effective washing and rinsing may be possible. In this case, the washing water may be repeatedly supplied by circulating the washing water inside the drum. In other words, as soon as the laundry is spread over the inner circular surface of the drum after the rotation of the drum with a third number of revolutions per minute, washing water is supplied. As washing water passes through the laundry and is discharged from the drum, the washing and rinsing performance can be improved accordingly.

Movement A uses the profile of the gradual and continuous increase in the number of revolutions per minute of the drum along with the rotation of the drum in a given direction. That is, the number of revolutions per minute of the drum can gradually increase, first moving the laundry at the bottom of the drum and lowering the laundry from the bottom of the drum, and then the top of the drum. Movement A may be performed when the amount of laundry inside the drum is a predetermined value or greater, for example, when the amount of laundry inside the drum is a predetermined value or greater, a greater load than necessary may be applied to the electric motor to rotate the drum at a high RPM from the beginning , and this can have a harmful effect on the electric motor. Because of this, if the drum rotates in motion, such as movement A, configured to drive the drum with a gradual increase in the velocity profile, as described above, when the amount of laundry is a predetermined value or large, too much load applied to the electric motor can be prevented, and the drum can rotate at a high rpm in a relatively short time.

During expansion, the movement A can be repeated, for example, at least two times or more, the drum speed is accelerated from the first number of revolutions per minute to the third number of revolutions per minute according to the movement A. After that, the number of revolutions per minute of the drum decreases to be the first number revolutions per minute, and then the acceleration stage can be repeated. Such repeated execution continuously changes the speed of the drum, and the movement of the laundry and washing water inside the drum can be formed like turbulence. As a result, the washing or rinsing ability of the washing or rinsing step is improved.

Each movement step A can be performed in an appropriate pre-set time period, which can be adjusted based on the amount and type of laundry. In some embodiments, the movement A may further include the step of lowering the drum RPM profile following the steps described above. For example, movement A can adjust the number of revolutions per minute so that it changes from the step of moving the laundry to the inner circular wall of the drum, and then the step of lowering the laundry to the step of moving to move the laundry in the lower part of the drum when the drum rotates.

Movement A described above can be explained by a combination of movements described above. That is, the step of rotating the drum with the first number of revolutions per minute can be a rolling motion, the step of rotating the drum with the second number of revolutions per minute can be a tumbling motion, and the step of rotating the drum with the third number of revolutions per minute can be a filtering motion. A further detailed description of the rolling, tipping and filtering motions mentioned above may thus be omitted.

Fig.3B (I) is a diagram illustrating the movement of 'B'. Movement B includes a step of an electric motor rotating the drum in a clockwise / counterclockwise direction, and a step of rotating the drum in a predetermined direction. In the step of rotating the drum in a clockwise / counterclockwise direction, the number of revolutions per minute of the drum may vary, and / or the angle of rotation of the drum (the angle at which the drum changes the direction of rotation) may increase to change the movement of the laundry inside the drum.

For example, movement B may include a step of an electric motor rotating a drum at a first number of revolutions per minute in both opposite directions, as shown in FIG. 3B (I1), a step of an electric motor rotating a drum at a second number of revolutions per minute that is faster than the first rpm in both directions, as shown in FIG. 3B (I2), and the step of the electric motor rotating the drum with the second rpm in one direction, as shown in FIG. 3B (I3). As a result, movement B may include a drum rotation step with a first number of revolutions per minute in a clockwise / counterclockwise direction, a drum rotation step with a second number of revolutions per minute in a clockwise / counterclockwise direction, and a drum rotation step in a given one direction. In addition, since the second rpm is higher than the first rpm, the movement of the first rpm can be defined as “weak movement ″, and the movement with the second rpm can be defined as ″ strong movement ″. As a result, the movement B may include a weak movement step configured to rotate the drum in a clockwise / counterclockwise direction, and a step of repeating the strong movement at least two times. Strong motion may include at least one of a predetermined one direction and clockwise / counterclockwise directions.

More precisely, the first step may include a step of rotating the drum with a first number of revolutions per minute in a predetermined direction until the drum reaches the first angle of rotation, a step of rotating the drum in a direction opposite to the predetermined direction until the drum reaches the second angle of rotation, and the repetition of these steps for a given time.

In some embodiments, the first rotation angle may be set to be approximately less than 90 °. That is, the electric motor rotates the drum in a predetermined direction to an angle less than 90 °, and the rotation of the drum is stopped. Thus, the first rpm can be determined to allow the laundry inside the drum to fall at an angle less than 90 ° along the direction of rotation of the drum, so that when the drum rotates at the first rpm, the laundry moves at the bottom parts of the drum. For example, the first number of revolutions per minute may be approximately 40 revolutions per minute.

As soon as the drum reaches the first angle of rotation, for example, a pre-set angle less than 90 °, the electric motor changes the direction of rotation of the drum and rotates the drum with the first number of revolutions per minute in the opposite direction until the drum reaches the second angle of rotation.

A second angle of rotation may be determined to allow the laundry inside the drum to move at the bottom of the drum. Thus, the second rotation angle can be determined to be approximately smaller than 90 °, so that when it is rotated in the opposite direction until the second rotation angle, i.e., an angle approximately smaller than 90 °, is reached, the laundry is lowered point of the drum, move within the bottom of the drum.

The electric motor performs the above steps repeatedly within a given cycle. As a result, the first stage rotates the drum at a relatively low speed in two opposite directions to cause the laundry to move quietly.

Following the first stage, the electric motor can accelerate the speed of the drum to perform the second stage. The second step may include a step of rotating the drum with a second number of revolutions per minute until the drum reaches the third angle of rotation, a step of rotating the drum in the opposite direction until the drum reaches the fourth angle of rotation, and a step of repeating these steps . The rotation angle and the number of revolutions per minute of the drum when the drum rotates can be different between the first and second stages of movement B.

A second number of revolutions per minute of the second step can be set to allow laundry items inside the drum to fall at an angle of about 90 ° to 180 ° along the direction of rotation as the drum rotates. When the drum rotates at a second number of revolutions per minute, items of laundry inside the drum may fall from the top of the drum. For example, the second number of revolutions per minute may be approximately 60 revolutions per minute. As a result, the second rpm may be higher than the rotation speed of the tumbling motion described above. The third and fourth angles of rotation can be 90 ° or more. As a result, the electric motor rotates the drum at a second number of revolutions per minute, that is, approximately 60 revolutions per minute, until the drum reaches a third angle of rotation, that is, pre-set 90 ° or more, and then rotates the drum at a second number of revolutions per minute in the changed direction of rotation (opposite direction) until the drum reaches the fourth angle of rotation. The fourth rotation angle may be 90 ° or greater, similar to the third rotation angle, to lower the laundry inside the drum at an angle of 90 ° to 180 ° along the rotation direction of the drum, as mentioned above.

When the rotation direction of the drum changes in the second step, the electric motor can apply a torque in the opposite direction of rotation of the drum, that is, reverse torque corresponding to “phase reversal braking” described above. As a result, when the direction of rotation of the drum changes in the second stage, phase reversal braking is performed, and a greater mechanical force can be applied in the second stage than in the first stage. Since the laundry falls from the upper position by a larger number of revolutions per minute in the second stage than in the first stage, a large shock load and mechanical force can be applied to the linen.

The third step may include the step shown in FIG. 3B (I3) to rotate the drum at a second number of revolutions per minute until the drum reaches the fifth rotation angle, the step of stopping the drum for a predetermined period of time, and the repetition step these stages. In other words, in the third stage, the electric motor can rotate the drum in a predetermined direction, while the electric motor rotates the drum in two opposite directions in the first and second stages.

More specifically, the electric motor can rotate the drum at a second number of revolutions per minute until the drum reaches the fifth rotation angle. As a result, the laundry inside the drum can rotate and can adhere to, not separating from, the inner circular surface of the drum until the fifth rotation angle is reached. The fifth rotation angle can be determined to be approximately 180 °, so that as the electric motor rotates the drum at approximately 60 revolutions per minute until the drum rotates approximately 180 °, the laundry can rotate and rise to the top parts of the drum along the direction of rotation of the drum without separation from the inner circular surface of the drum.

After that, the electric motor stops the drum for a predetermined period of time. In some embodiments, the electric motor stops the drum using phase reversal braking to apply powerful mechanical force to the laundry inside the drum, and laundry items may fall from the top of the drum to maximize the force of the fall.

These steps can be repeated, wherein the electric motor can rotate the drum continuously in a predetermined direction, and when the drum reaches the fifth angle of rotation, the electric motor can stop the drum for a predetermined period of time before resuming rotation.

In some embodiments, a step of rotating a drum in a predetermined direction without a sudden braking step may also be provided between a second step and a third step, that is, between a step of rotating a clockwise / counterclockwise direction and a step of rotating a predetermined direction. For example, a tipping step may be provided between the second and third steps.

The order of the second and third steps described with reference to movement B can be changed. More specifically, a rotation step of a predetermined direction, including a sharp braking step, may be performed first, and a clockwise / counterclockwise rotation step, including a sharp braking step, may be performed later.

The motion B described above can be explained by a combination of the other movements described above. That is, the step of rotating a drum with a first number of revolutions per minute in two opposite directions can be a swinging movement, and the step of rotating a drum with a second number of revolutions per minute in two opposite directions can be a rubbing movement. The stage of rotation of the drum with a second number of revolutions per minute in a given one direction can be a step motion. As a result, an additional detailed description is omitted.

4 is a diagram of a step motion shown in more detail.

First of all, the laundry moves from the lowest point to the highest point of the drum 130, as shown in FIGS. 4 (a) to (c). As described with respect to the tub 120, standing motionless adjacent to the drum 130, the laundry housed in the drum 130 is moved from a position adjacent to the lowest point of the tub 120, to the highest point of the tub 120. For each movement of the laundry, the electric motor 140 exerts a rotational force, namely, a torque moment, to the drum in a predetermined direction, which is a clockwise direction, as shown in the drawings, and the drum 130 rotates along a predetermined direction along with the laundry to lift the laundry.

The laundry can rotate together with the drum in close contact with the inner surface of the drum 130 by friction with the grippers and the inner circular surface of the drum 130. The laundry rises to the highest point of the drum 130, not separated from the drum 130, by rotating the drum 130 with approximately 60 revolutions per minute or more since this rotational speed causes a predetermined centrifugal force sufficient to protect the laundry from being separated from the drum 130, up to the highest point of the drum 130.

The rotational speed of the drum may vary, so that the generated centrifugal force is greater than the force of gravity, allowing the laundry to rotate with the drum from the lowest point of the drum 130, which is a given point on the inner surface of the drum adjacent to the lowest point of the tank 120, to the highest point of the tank 120. The laundry falls from the highest point of the drum 130 to the lowest point of the drum 130 when the drum 130 is sharply braked, at the moment when or just before the laundry reaches the highest point of the drum 130.

More specifically, in order to brake the drum 130 sharply, the electric motor 140 supplies the drum with reverse torque. Reverse torque is generated by phase reversal braking configured to supply reverse phase currents to the motor 140, as described with reference to FIG. 3A (c). Phase reversal braking is a type of electric motor braking using torque generated in the opposite direction with respect to the direction of rotation of the electric motor. The phase of the current supplied to the electric motor can be reversed to generate reverse torque in the opposite direction of rotation of the electric motor, and phase reversal braking allows sharp braking to be applied to the electric motor. For example, as shown, a current is applied to the motor to rotate the drum in a clockwise direction, and then current is applied to the motor sharply to rotate the drum in a counterclockwise direction.

The timing of the braking time of the reversal of the phase with respect to the motor 140 may be closely related to the location of the laundry inside the drum 130. As a result, a device used to determine or predict the location of the laundry and a measuring device, for example, such as an effect sensor A hall configured to determine the angle of rotation of the rotor may be an example of such a device. The control part can control the rotation angle of the drum using a measuring device, and control the electric motor 140 to inhibit phase reversal when or just before the drum has a rotation angle of 180 °. As a result, the drum rotated in a clockwise direction quickly stops in response to a torque of the counterclockwise direction. The centrifugal force applied to the laundry is removed, and then the laundry falls to a lower point.

From here, as shown in FIG. 4 (d), the drum 130 continuously rotates in a clockwise direction, and the rotation / lowering of the laundry is repeated. Although FIG. 4 shows that the drum rotates in a clockwise direction, the drum can rotate in a counterclockwise direction to realize a stepping motion. The step motion causes a relatively large load on the electric motor 140, and the overall coefficient of action of the step motion can be reduced.

The total coefficient of action is the ratio of the time the motor is driven to the total value of the time of propulsion and the stop time of the motor 140. If the total coefficient of action is set to '1', this means that the motor is driven without stop time. Step motion can be implemented with approximately 70% of the total coefficient of action, taking into account the load of the electric motor. For example, an electric motor may stop for 3 seconds after being set in motion for 10 seconds. Other ratios and driving / stopping times may also be suitable.

Before the falling laundry reaches the lowest point of the drum, that is, while the laundry falls, the drum 130 starts its rotation to realize the next step motion. In this case, the drum 130 is rotated by a predetermined angle, and then the laundry reaches the lowest point of the drum 130. From this moment, the laundry and the drum can rotate together. Although the drum rotates 180 °, as set, the laundry cannot rotate 180 °, that is, to the highest point of the drum 130, and it cannot fall from the highest point to obtain the desired washing ability.

Because of this, the drum 130 is controlled to rotate again, as shown in FIG. 4 (d), after the laundry reaches the lowest point of the drum. That is, the drum remains at its highest point until the laundry reaches the lowest point of the drum. More precisely, at the moment when the laundry actually begins to fall, the drum 130 is stopped. From the time of lowering to the moment at which the laundry reaches the lowest point of the drum, the drum remains stopped and does not rotate. The stopped time may be longer than the time taken so that the laundry falls to the lowest point (point 1) from the highest point of the drum. As a result, the drum may remain stopped, for example, for 0.4 seconds, or, in some embodiments, 0.6 seconds, to ensure sufficient time in a stopped state. This provides the stepping movement with the opportunity to be realized more precisely to produce maximum shock load, and the required washing ability can be achieved accordingly.

5 is a chart of the rubbing movement, shown in more detail.

First of all, the laundry moves from the lowest point of the drum 130 to a position achieved after rotating 90 ° or more in the clockwise direction of the drum 130, as shown in FIGS. 5 (a) to (c). As described with respect to the tub 120 standing motionless adjacent to the drum 130, the laundry inside the drum 130 is moved from a predetermined point on the inner surface of the drum adjacent to the lowest point of the tub 120 to a point on the inner surface of the drum rotated 90 (or more clockwise the arrow of the drum 120. In order to cause such a movement of the laundry, the electric motor applies a torque, that is, a torque, to the drum 130 in a predetermined direction (clockwise direction), and then the drum 130 rotates with eat to lift the laundry.

The laundry rotates with the drum, in close contact with the inner circular surface of the drum 130, by gripping and rubbing with the inner circular surface of the drum, and does not separate from the drum 130. To do this, the drum rotates at about 60 rpm or higher to cause sufficient centrifugal force so that the laundry does not separate from the drum 130. The rotation speed of the drum can be set to cause a centrifugal force greater than gravity, taking into account the size of the drum, such as the inner diameter . As a result, the laundry rotates with the drum from the lowest point of the drum to a rotation position of 90 ° or more relative to the lowest point of the drum.

The laundry then falls from a rotation position of 90 ° or more to a low point. For this lowering of the laundry, the drum 130 is sharply braked when the laundry reaches the drum rotation position of 90 ° or more. An electric motor 140 provides the drum 130 with reverse torque to apply sudden braking to the drum. As described with reference to FIG. 3A (e), reverse torque is reverse torque generated by phase reversal braking configured to supply reverse phase currents to motor 140.

The control part can determine the angle of rotation of the drum by using a measuring device, as described above. As soon as the rotation angle of the drum is 90 ° or more, the control part can control the motor 140 so that it is inhibited by phase reversal. As a result, the drum 130, rotating in a clockwise direction, is supplied with a torque in a counterclockwise direction to instantly stop the rotation and remove the centrifugal force applied to the laundry. As shown in FIG. 5 (c), the laundry may not fall perpendicular to the counterclockwise direction torque, but may fall at the lowest point of the drum obliquely to the inner circumferential surface of the drum. Due to the inclined lowering, the laundry may have a relatively large amount of friction with the inner surface of the drum in the middle of lowering, and at the same time there can be relatively large friction between the laundry and between the laundry and the washing water.

From here, as shown in FIG. 5 (d), the drum 130 continuously rotates in a counterclockwise direction, and the rotation / lowering of the laundry mentioned above can be repeated. 5 shows that the drum at the beginning rotates in a clockwise direction, but at the beginning, a counterclockwise rotation can be realized. The scrub motion causes a relatively large load applied to the electric motor 140, like a step motion, and the overall scrub motion coefficient can be reduced, for example, a stop of 3 seconds after the scrub motion can be repeated, and the total scrub motion coefficient can be adjusted to make a difference 70% Other arrangements may also be appropriate.

Before the falling laundry reaches the lowest point of the drum, that is, while the laundry falls, the drum 130 starts its rotation in the opposite direction to realize the next step motion. In this case, the drum 130 is rotated by a predetermined angle, and after that the laundry reaches the lowest point of the drum 130. From this moment, the laundry and the drum can rotate together. Although the drum rotates 90 °, as set, the laundry cannot rotate 90 °, that is, to the highest point of the drum 130, and it cannot fall from the highest point to obtain the desired washing ability.

As a result, the drum 130 rotates again, as shown in FIG. 5 (d), after the laundry reaches the lowest point of the drum. That is, the drum is controlled to remain in place until the laundry reaches the lowest point of the drum. More precisely, at the moment when the laundry actually begins to fall, a stop of the drum 130 is caused. From the time at which the laundry falls, until the laundry reaches the lowest point of the drum, the drum remains in a stopped state and does not rotate. The time interval of the drum stop state may be longer than the time required for the laundry to fall to the lowest point of the drum. As a result, the stop state maintained by the drum, for example, can be set to 0.2 seconds, which is less than the stop state of the drum during stepping.

While such a stop state is maintained supported by the drum, the step motion can be implemented more accurately so as to cause maximum friction between the inner surface of the drum and the laundry, maximum friction between the laundry items and maximum friction between the laundry and washing water, and the required ability washing can be achieved accordingly.

6 is a graph comparing the washing ability and the vibration level of each movement shown in FIG. 3A. The horizontal axis represents the washing ability with an easier separation of the contaminants contained in the laundry when moving to the left. The vertical axis represents the level of vibration or noise, with higher levels when moving upward, the washing time being reduced for identical laundry.

The step motion and the wiping motion are appropriate for washing programs implemented to reduce the washing time when the laundry is heavily soiled. The step motion and the scrub motion have a high level of vibration / noise and are typically not used to wash sensitive fabrics and / or to minimize noise and vibration.

The rolling motion has a good washing ability and a low vibration level with minimized laundry damage and low motor load. As a result, the rolling motion can be used in all washing programs, especially to help dissolve the detergent in the initial washing phase and to wet the laundry.

The tumbling motion has a lower washing ability than the rubbing motion and the average level of vibration compared to the rubbing motion and the rolling motion. The rolling motion has a lower vibration level, but it has a longer washing time than the tumbling motion. As a consequence, the tumbling motion may be applicable to all washing programs and may be effective in the washing program to evenly distribute the laundry.

The squeezing movement has a washing ability similar to the tipping movement and a higher level of vibration than the tipping movement. The squeezing movement repeats the process of pulling the laundry to and separating the laundry from the inner circular surface of the drum. In this sequence of operations, washing water is discharged outside the drum passing through the laundry. Thus, the squeezing movement can be applied to the rinse.

The filter motion has a lower washing ability than the squeeze motion and a vibration level similar to the rolling motion. In the filtering movement, water passes through the laundry and is discharged from the drum, with the laundry in close contact with the inner circular surface of the drum. As a result, the filtering motion can be applied to the laundry wetting program.

The swing motion has the lowest vibration and washing ability and can be used in the low noise and low vibration washing program and for washing sensitive or delicate products.

As mentioned above, each movement from the drum drive has its own advantages, and it is preferred that such various movements from the drum drive be used to maximize the benefits. Each movement of the drum drive, in addition, has advantages and disadvantages regarding the amount of laundry. Even in the case of the same program and cycle, different movements from the drum drive can be applied differently depending on the relationship with the amount of laundry.

The inside of the drum in the drum type washing machine may be visible externally through the door. Various movements from the drum drive can be implemented in a washing program, which will be described later. As a result, the user can see various movements from the drum drive implemented inside the drum. That is, the type of washing with light stress (tipping movement), the type of washing with strong emphasis (step motion), the type of washing with light rubbing (rolling motion) and the type of washing with strong rubbing (rubbing movement) can be visually identified. As a result, the user may feel that washing is doing well, which may cause improved user satisfaction in addition to substantially improved washing efficiency.

III. WASHING MACHINE PROGRAMS

Various control methods, that is, various programs of the washing machine, as embodied and broadly described herein, will be described below.

A. PROGRAM A (STANDARD PROGRAM)

Program A will be described with reference to FIG. 7A. Program A is a standard program that can be used to wash ordinary laundry without any additional option. Program A includes a wash cycle, a rinse cycle and a centrifugation cycle. The user can select a standard program from the program selection part 117 (S710).

A.1 Washing cycle (S730):

The washing cycle includes a water supplying step (S733) that supplies washing water and detergent to the tub 120 or drum 130 for dissolving the detergent in the washing water, and a washing step (S742) configured to drive the drum to wash clothes. At the water supply stage, water is supplied from an external water supply source to the washing machine along with detergent. By improving the efficiency of the water supplying step in preparation for the washing step, a washing cycle efficiency can also be achieved, including washing efficiency and reduced washing time.

A.1.1 Determining the amount of laundry (S731):

As mentioned above, the water supplying step is performed in preparation for the main washing step. As a result, dissolving the detergent, wetting the laundry and the like can be realized quickly and completely. However, taking into account the capacity of the drum and the amount of washing water supplied to the drum, the movement from the drum drive can be adjusted according to the amount of laundry in the drum in the water supplying step. That is, the movement from the drum drive capable of more efficiently dissolving the detergent and wetting the laundry may be selected based on the amount of laundry in the drum.

The laundry amount determination step configured to determine the amount of laundry contained in the drum may be implemented before the water supplying step. Based on a certain amount of laundry, the movement from the drum drive can be modified at the stage of water supply.

The amount of laundry can be determined by measuring the electric currents consumed to drive the drum. For example, the currents consumed to implement the tumbling motion can be measured. To implement the tipping movement, the control part controls the drum so that it rotates at a predetermined number of revolutions per minute, for example, 46 revolutions per minute. The current value required to drive the drum with this number of revolutions per minute may vary depending on the amount of laundry in the drum. Thus, the amount of laundry can be determined based on the amount of current consumed to drive a particular drum with a specific number of revolutions per minute during a particular movement.

If the laundry amount is relatively large, sufficient washing water can be supplied to the laundry at an initial stage of the water supplying step, and the washing efficiency can be further improved. The movement from the drum drive may vary according to the amount of laundry in the water supplying step, and the parameters of the water supplying step can be determined appropriately.

A.1.2 Water supply (S733):

A.1.2.1 Determination of the type of detergent (S734):

At the initial stage of the water supplying step, a step of determining the type of detergent may be implemented to determine whether the detergent supplied during the initial stage of the water supplying step is a liquid type or a powder type. This step is implemented to determine the movement from the drum drive or the number of rinses in the rinse cycle, which will be implemented after the wash cycle. Information regarding the washing cycle and the rinsing cycle may be available to the user through the display part 119 at the initial stage of operation of the washing machine. Because of this, the step of determining the type of detergent can be implemented at the initial stage of the water supply stage, more precisely, before the step of stimulating the dissolution of the detergent.

A.1.2.2 Promoting the dissolution of detergent (S735):

As the washing water and the detergent are supplied in the water supplying step, the step of dissolving the detergent may be implemented. To improve the efficiency of the washing cycle, the detergent can more fully and efficiently dissolve at the initial stage of the water supply stage. As a result, the step of stimulating the dissolution of the detergent can be implemented at the stage of supplying water to stimulate the dissolution of the detergent.

The movement, namely the movement from the drive of the drum to move the laundry inside the drum to stimulate the dissolution of the detergent, may be a movement configured to supply a powerful mechanical force to the washing and laundry water. For example, a step motion configured to re-lift the laundry on a rotating drum and to lower the laundry from the inner circular surface of the drum according to the brake applied to the drum can be implemented in the step of stimulating the dissolution of the detergent. Alternatively, a wiping motion configured to raise the laundry along the rotary drum and lower the laundry according to the brake and reverse rotation of the drum to re-raise the laundry may be implemented instead of the step motion. The stepping motion and the rubbing motion are motions configured to apply a sharp brake to the rotary drum to sharply change the direction of movement of the laundry, and apply a strong shock load to the laundry. In addition, the step motion and the rubbing motion are configured to also apply a strong shock load to the wash water. As a result, a powerful mechanical force is provided at the initial stage of the water supply stage to stimulate the dissolution of the detergent and to improve the efficiency of the washing cycle accordingly.

In alternative embodiments, the step of stimulating the dissolution of the detergent may be implemented by repeating a sequential combination of the step motion and the rubbing motion. In this case, two types of movements from the drum drive are re-combined, and the wash water flow patterns may be more diverse to improve the efficiency of the wash cycle.

In a typical water supply step, the drum would be driven in a tumbling motion that continuously rotates the drum in a given direction at a given speed to raise and lower the laundry. However, it was found that the time required for the detergent to dissolve in the wash water during the tumbling motion may be longer than with any of the step or wipe movements or a combination thereof. For example, the time for a detergent to dissolve during a tumbling motion in an exemplary washing machine may be approximately 15 minutes, while the time required for the detergent to dissolve the detergent in washing water during a step motion or wipe motion using the same washing machine may be 9 to 10 minutes. Thus, a step motion or a scrub motion can dissolve the detergent in the washing water faster, and the corresponding time of the specific washing program should be reduced.

During stepping and wiping movements, the laundry falls, and the shock load of lowering is applied to the laundry, along with the fact that the rotation and stop of the drum can cause a powerful vortex movement in the wash water.

Additionally, a circulation step configured to circulate the washing water held in the tub and to re-supply the washing water to the drum may be implemented in the step of stimulating the dissolution of the detergent. In the circulation step, the washing water held below the drum is fed into the drum, further stimulating the dissolution of the detergent and the wetting of the laundry.

In some embodiments, the step of stimulating the dissolution of the detergent, for example, may take about 2 minutes or another amount of time, as appropriate, until the water supply is complete. The water supply may be completed at the stage of stimulation of the dissolution of the detergent, or water may be additionally supplied, because the water level may decrease in the subsequent stage of wetting the laundry. The step of stimulating the dissolution of the detergent can be implemented within a relatively short time so as not to have a significant effect on damage to the fabric of the laundry. As a result, the movement from the drum drive in the detergent dissolution promoting step of each of the above programs may be a rubbing movement depending on the amount of laundry in the drum.

That is, the step of stimulating the dissolution of the detergent can be implemented if a certain amount of laundry has a value of a predetermined level or lower, since the movements from the drum drive, configured to supply powerful mechanical force, can be more effective with small amounts of laundry, and because small quantities of laundry may maintain sufficient contact with washing water. More specifically, a small amount of laundry indicates that the surface area of the laundry that is in contact with the washing water is small and that the dissolution of the detergent and the wetting of the laundry can be realized by the mechanical force applied to the laundry in a relatively short time. As a result, the step motion or the wiping motion gives the washing efficiency an opportunity to improve, and the washing time span is reduced accordingly.

In contrast, if the laundry amount determined in the laundry amount determination step is a predetermined level or higher, the detergent dissolution promoting step may be skipped. That is, if the laundry amount is relatively large, the mechanical force is insufficient so that the laundry creates sufficient contact with the washing water, since the washing water cannot be supplied to / absorbed by the tangled laundry in a sufficient amount.

As a result, if the laundry amount is a predetermined level or higher, the detergent dissolution promoting step is skipped, and the laundry wetting step immediately begins. If the laundry amount is a predetermined level or higher, the laundry can create better contact with washing water to stimulate the dissolution of the detergent using the circulation step of the water supply step.

A.1.2.3 Wet laundry (S736):

The step of sufficiently wetting the laundry with washing water can be implemented at the step of supplying water along with the dissolution of the detergent. In the case of a drum type washing machine, the laundry is not necessarily completely submerged in the washing water, and thus, wetting of the laundry can be quickly implemented at the initial stage of the washing cycle. After the step of stimulating the dissolution of the detergent, a step of stimulating wetting of the laundry to stimulate wetting of the laundry may be implemented. This step may be implemented after the water supplying step is implemented to a predetermined degree, or until the water supplying step is completed to ensure that the laundry is sufficiently saturated. Alternatively, the step of stimulating the dissolution of the detergent may be implemented after the water supply has been completed. The water level decreases at the stage of wetting the laundry, and an additional supply of water can be realized.

The wetting step of the laundry may be partially implemented in the detergent dissolution promoting step mentioned above, and the water level may be sufficiently increased to allow washing water to accumulate inside the drum. As a result, the laundry wetting stimulation step may be implemented after the detergent dissolution stimulation step. The movement from the drum drive of the laundry wetting stimulation step may be controlled differently than that of the detergent dissolution stimulation step. For example, movement from a drum drive of a laundry wetting promoting step may include a rolling motion and / or a filtering movement. In some embodiments, the filtering motion and the rolling motion may be implemented one after another.

The filtering movement is a movement in which the laundry is widely distributed to expand the surface area of the laundry, and thus, the filtering movement can be used to uniformly wet the laundry. The rolling motion is a movement in which the laundry is re-circulated to cause the washing water held under the drum to contact the laundry evenly, and the rolling motion is also used to wet the laundry. For the maximum possible use of these effects, different movements from the drum drive, that is, repeated / sequential implementation of the filtering and rolling movements in a given order, can maximize the effect of the stage of stimulating laundry wetting.

If the laundry amount is a predetermined level or higher, the movement from the drum drive of the laundry wetting promoting step may include a filtering movement. That is, with the filtering movement, the surface area of the laundry expands, and the washing water is supplied with the filtering movement, and the laundry is evenly distributed without tipping over, and the washing water is uniformly supplied to the laundry. Alternatively, or in addition to the filtering motion, the tumbling motion may also be implemented.

If the laundry amount is lower than the predetermined level, filtering and / or tumbling motion can be applied during the laundry wetting stimulation step.

The user can select the level of soiling from the selection part 118, and the overall coefficient of action of the electric motor may vary according to this choice. However, the overall coefficient of action at the water supply stage may not differ according to the selected level of contamination, since the general coefficient of action at the water supply stage is pre-set to optimize the dissolution of the detergent and the wetting of the laundry, and because worries about excessive damage to the laundry cannot be ignored . If the overall coefficient of action decreases, the dissolution of the detergent and the wetting of the laundry may not be sufficiently implemented.

The water supplying step in the standard program may include the step of determining the type of detergent, the step of stimulating the dissolution of the detergent and the step of stimulating wetting of the laundry described above. In alternative embodiments, the step of determining the type of detergent, the step of stimulating the dissolution of the detergent, or the step of wetting the laundry may be provided independent of the water supplying step. In this case, the step of determining the detergent, the step of stimulating the dissolution of the detergent, or the step of wetting the laundry may be implemented after the water supply is completed.

A.1.3 Heating (S740):

The washing cycle includes a washing step. To prepare for washing, a heating step may be implemented between the washing and water supply steps.

The heating step may be configured to heat the washing water by using a heater provided under the tub, or to raise the temperature of the washing water or drum using steam supplied to the inside of the drum. As a result, the heating step may be implemented or skipped as necessary. That is, if cold air or water is used to process the laundry, the heating step may not be implemented. However, if the temperature of the washing water is preset to be higher than the temperature of the cold water, due to the default temperature associated with the selected program, or if the temperature of the washing water is selected to be higher than the temperature of the cold water, from section 118 selecting an option, the heating step may be implemented.

The movement from the drum drive during the heating step may vary according to the amount of laundry. The tumbling motion can be implemented in the heating step, regardless of the amount of laundry. However, as mentioned above, if the laundry amount is a predetermined level or lower, the rolling motion may be implemented in the heating step. That is, if the laundry is relatively small, the repeated turning of the laundry at the bottom of the drum may be more effective when heating and washing than the distribution of the laundry. Alternatively, with a small amount of laundry during the heating step, a combination of tipping and rolling movements can be used, and with a large amount of laundry, a tipping movement can be used.

The heating step may include a heating preparation step configured to prepare for heating after the water supplying step. This means that the water supplying step is completed after the wetting of the laundry is completed. As a result, it is possible to more accurately determine the amount of laundry after the water supplying step, since the items of wetted laundry cannot differ from the items of dry laundry based on the amount of laundry before the laundry is wetted. For example, the number of items of wet laundry may be determined to be larger than the actual amount before wetting the laundry. As a result, in some embodiments, the step of more accurately determining the amount of laundry may be implemented in the step of heating prior to washing. If the heating step is skipped, the step corresponding to the heating preparation step can be implemented to determine the exact amount of the laundry. That is, if the heating step is skipped, the step of accurately determining the amount of laundry may be implemented before the washing step after the water supplying step is completed.

A.1.4 Wash (S742):

Once the water supplying step and the heating step described above are completed, a washing step configured to wash the laundry may be implemented. The movement from the drum drive during the washing step may be a sequential combination of stepping and / or tipping and / or rolling movements to apply powerful mechanical force and move the laundry in a variety of patterns to improve washing efficiency.

Alternatively, the movement from the drum drive during the washing step may be a sequential combination of filtering motion and a tumbling motion to continuously supply washing water to the laundry to improve the washing efficiency caused by the detergent, as well as the washing efficiency caused by the mechanical force applied to the laundry .

As a result, the movement from the drum drive in the washing step may vary according to the amount of laundry, since the movement from the drum drive capable of generating the optimum washing effect may be different depending on the amount of laundry. The laundry amount may be the laundry amount determined before the water supplying step or the heating step. In the washing step, the movement from the drum drive may vary according to the amount of laundry determined after the water supplying step.

If the laundry amount is a predetermined level or higher, the movement from the drum drive may include a filtering movement and / or a tumbling movement. If the washing machine is not equipped for circulating washing water, only a tumbling movement can be realized. In the case of a large amount of laundry, washing water can be uniformly supplied to the laundry, and mechanical force can be applied to the laundry at the same time to improve the washing efficiency.

If the laundry amount is a predetermined level or lower, the movement from the drum drive may include a step motion and / or rolling motion to improve washing efficiency, while the laundry moves in different patterns with mechanical force applied to the laundry. In some embodiments, the tipping motion may also be implemented with a step motion and / or rolling motion.

As mentioned above, in the standard program, the movement from the drum drive in the water supplying step, the heating step, and the washing step can vary, and the efficiency of the washing cycle can be improved accordingly. In addition, the movement from the drum drive in each of the steps may vary according to the amount of laundry in the drum, and an optimized washing cycle may be implemented accordingly.

If the user selects the level of soiling from the selection part 118, the overall coefficient of action of the heating step and the washing step may be adapted. If the overall coefficient of action were unnecessarily high in the case in which the level of contamination is relatively low, the laundry would be unnecessarily damaged.

A.2 Rinse cycle (S750):

The rinse cycle control method in program A will be described with reference to FIG. 7A. According to this embodiment, the rinse cycle may be implemented as part of a single program along with the washing cycle described above, or it may be implemented independently. Just for ease of discussion, a method for controlling the rinse cycle implemented after the wash cycle mentioned in the standard program will be described in the following.

A.2.1. First rinse (S751):

Once the washing cycle is completed, a first rinse step may be performed, configured to supply water and to drive the drum in order to implement the rinse.

One or more centrifugation steps can be implemented in a standard program in each of the wash cycle, rinse cycle, and centrifugation cycle. For example, centrifugation after a wash cycle and centrifugation in a rinse cycle may be implemented. These centrifugation steps may be referred to as “transitional centrifugation” to differ from the centrifugation cycle, which is the last cycle of the standard program.

The centrifugation level can be determined based on the number of revolutions per minute of the drum. Typically, transient centrifugation can be performed at about 200 to 400 rpm and, for example, at about 400 rpm in a sensitive tissue program, about 600 rpm in a weak program, about 800 rpm in an average program, and approximately 1000 rpm in a strong program. The rotational speed per minute of the drum for transient centrifugation can be selected based on the frequency of the lower resonant frequency and the upper resonant frequency during operation, depending on the current operating parameters.

The resonant frequency is the intrinsic physical value of the washing machine, and the vibration of the washing machine increases radically at a frequency near the resonant. If the drum rotates at a frequency near the resonance and the laundry is not evenly distributed, the vibration of the washing machine will increase very sharply. As a result, if centrifugation is carried out with a predetermined rpm higher than the resonant frequency, the laundry unraveling step would typically be implemented to uniformly distribute the laundry inside the drum, and vibration would be measured. If the measured vibration is less than a predetermined value, the acceleration step may be implemented to be outside the resonant frequency band.

Since the water supply and rinsing are repeated more times in the rinse cycle, the time required by the transitional centrifugation carried out in the middle of the rinses would be longer. In order to respond to concerns about residual detergent remaining after washing has been completed, the rinsing steps may be carried out at least three times or more in the rinse cycle. Transient centrifugation realized at this time can add a significant amount of time to the rinse cycle, resulting in an excessively long rinse cycle. According to this embodiment, the number of revolutions per minute during the transition centrifugation, which is realized in the middle of the water supply and rinsing, may vary. That is, the drum can rotate with a predetermined rpm lower than the lower resonance frequency, with a given specific transient centrifugation, and with a predetermined rpm higher than the upper resonant frequency, with a different specific transient centrifugation.

When a specific transient centrifugation is implemented with a rpm lower than the lower resonance frequency, the time required by the additional step of unraveling the laundry, the step of measuring the amount of vibration and the acceleration step may be unnecessary, thereby potentially reducing the time required by the rinse cycle. The number of revolutions per minute of this transient centrifugation can be set to be from about 100 to 110. In contrast, if a specific transient centrifugation is realized with a number of revolutions per minute lower than the lower resonance frequency, the time required for the rinse cycle can be reduced, but washing water, including detergent, may not be completely discharged.

The greatest contaminants and detergent residues can be found in the wash water after the wash cycle. As a result, washing water can be discharged from the laundry as thoroughly as possible after the washing cycle.

High speed centrifugation (S752) can be implemented at the initial stage of the first rinse after the wash cycle in the standard program. With high-speed centrifugation, the drum can rotate at a higher RPM than the upper resonant frequency, so that the maximum amount of washing water can be discharged from the laundry. For example, the number of revolutions per minute can be set to be approximately 1000 revolutions per minute. The high-speed centrifugation step can continuously rotate the drum at high speed, i.e., approximately 1000 rpm, regardless of the user's choice, so that the remaining detergent can be discharged as thoroughly as possible before rinsing.

Once the high-speed centrifugation is completed, the first drum driving step (S753) may be implemented to drive the drum after the water supply to rinse the laundry. The rinse water level can be relatively high, allowing the water level to be visible through the door so that the laundry is immersed in the wash water. Thus, a significant amount of washing water can be supplied to rinse the laundry at the initial stage of the rinse cycle.

The movement from the drum drive in the first driving stage of the drum may be a rubbing and / or swinging movement to move the maximum amount of laundry immersed in the washing water to improve the rinsing performance. These wiping and swaying movements correspond to the sequence of operations for continuously manually wiping the laundry under the wash water after the laundry is immersed in the wash water. The tumbling and stepping movements correspond to the sequence of operations for re-moving the laundry into and out of the washing water. As a result, the first driving step of the drum can control the drum to be driven into the scrubbing and / or swinging movement, with a high water level, which allows the user to clearly recognize that sufficient rinsing is implemented. In alternative embodiments, a circulation step configured to circulate the washing water held in the tub to the drum may be implemented in a first driving step of the drum. Laundry water is sprayed into the rinse drum. This process may be referred to as a ″ spray rinse ″. It is also displayed to the user, as it may be visible through the door, that sufficient rinsing is realized.

Once the first driving step of the drum is completed, the first water draining and transitional centrifugation step can be implemented (S754). During the discharge of water, the drum may be driven in a stepping and / or tumbling motion. The laundry rises and falls to improve the washing efficiency, and bubbles are produced to improve the washing efficiency. The movement from the drum drive may vary according to the amount of laundry. In the case of a small amount of laundry, the drum is stepped to form the maximum distance between raising and lowering. In the event of a large amount of laundry, the drum may be driven in a tumbling motion.

Transient centrifugation can occur at about 100 to 110 rpm during the first discharge of water and transitional centrifugation. In this case, the step of unraveling the laundry, the step of measuring vibration and the step of acceleration can be omitted, and the required time can be significantly reduced.

In alternative embodiments, during the first water discharge and transient centrifugation step in the standard program, transient centrifugation can be performed at approximately 400 rpm, higher than the lower resonance frequency. In this case, the step and / or tumbling motion can be realized when the water is drained and the laundry is sufficiently distributed. As a result of this, the unraveling step of the laundry may be omitted. Even at a rotational speed higher than the lower resonant frequency, transient centrifugation can take place in a short time, with a vibration measurement step and a single acceleration step. Such transient centrifugation can be implemented at a relatively high rpm to discharge detergent residues and contaminants that fail to be discharged by the high speed centrifugation step. However, in the case in which the vibration amount measured in the vibration measuring step is outside the allowable range, the vibration measuring step may be repeated so as not to enter the acceleration step, and the rinsing time could unfavorably increase. As a result of this, the vibration measurement step can be implemented at a drum speed of approximately 100 to 110 revolutions per minute, and if the acceleration step fails to start within a predetermined number of times the vibration stage is implemented, the first water discharge and transition centrifugation step can end.

A.2.2 Second rinse (S756) and final rinse (S760):

The second rinse step (S756) may follow the first rinse step. The second rinse step may include a second drum driving step (S757) and a second water discharge and transition centrifugation step (S758). The second drum driving step may be substantially the same as the first drum driving step described above. Furthermore, the second water discharge and transition centrifugation step may be substantially the same as the first water discharge and transition centrifugation step. However, transient centrifugation is carried out at about 100 to 110 rpm during the second water discharge and transition centrifugation in order to reduce the rinsing time, since the detergent residues have already been discharged during the high-speed centrifugation stage and the first water drain and transition centrifugation stage.

The rinse cycle can take advantage of the determination of the type of detergent.

If the detergent is a liquid type, a relatively small amount of detergent may remain, and the second rinse step may be omitted to reduce the time required for the rinse cycle. If the detergent is a powder type, the first rinse step and the second rinse step can be performed by default.

If the detergent is a liquid type, the third rinse step (S760) may serve as the final rinse step after the first rinse step. If the detergent is a powder type, the third rinse step may serve as the final rinse step after the second rinse step. However, when bubbles are detected in the third rinse step (in the case of a powder type detergent), the fourth rinse step may be implemented as the final rinse step.

The water level of the final rinse step (S760) may be relatively low. In the case of an inclined drum type washing machine having a drum inclined by a predetermined angle, the water level may be a predetermined level sufficient to supply water only to a predetermined lower portion of the inclined drum. That is, the water level may be such that it is not perceived and invisible outside the washing machine. However, such a water level is predetermined so as to no longer form bubbles in the laundry. Even if bubbles form, bubbles form in the tank and not in the drum to prevent excessive accumulation. As a result, the user can visually identify that no bubbles are formed during the final rinse, and satisfaction with the quality of the rinse can be improved.

The third rinse step (S762) may be implemented after the third drum driving step (S761) in the final rinse step to realize a centrifugation cycle. The drum can be stepped and / or scrubbed to distribute the laundry evenly during the third water discharge.

A.3 Centrifugation cycle (S770):

A method for controlling a centrifugation cycle in a standard program will be described with reference to FIG. 7A. The centrifugation cycle can be implemented as part of a standard cycle, together with a washing cycle and a rinse cycle, or independently as a single program. Just for ease of discussion, a method for controlling the centrifugation cycle implemented after the washing cycle and the rinse cycle that make up the standard program will be described below.

A.3.1 Unraveling laundry (S771):

The centrifugation cycle may include a laundry unraveling step configured to unravel the laundry by driving the drum to distribute the laundry uniformly. A centrifugation cycle is designed to minimize vibration generated when the drum rotates at high speed. If the drum is driven in a step and / or wipe motion at the stage of draining the water immediately after the centrifugation cycle, the laundry should probably unravel to a predetermined degree by the step and / or wipe motion, and the time required by the step of unraveling the laundry may be significantly reduced.

A.3.2 Measurement of eccentricity (S773):

After the laundry unraveling step, the amount of eccentricity during the rotation of the drum with a predetermined rpm lower than the lower resonant frequency can be measured over a predetermined period of time by accelerating the drum and determining whether the laundry is evenly distributed inside the drum.

The step of measuring the eccentricity of the centrifugation cycle in a standard program according to another embodiment may be implemented before the step of unraveling the laundry. A significant amount of unraveling of linen could be realized by moving the rinse cycle from the drum drive. As a result, the centrifugation cycle can begin with the step of measuring eccentricity to reduce the time of the centrifugation cycle. If the measured eccentricity compared with the reference value of the eccentricity is determined satisfactory, acceleration can be implemented, which will be described later. If the measured eccentricity is unsatisfactory compared to the control value of the eccentricity, a laundry unraveling step may be implemented. The drum may be stepped in the laundry unraveling step to stimulate the laundry unraveling, and the eccentricity measuring step may be re-started after the laundry unraveling step.

A.3.3 Acceleration and normal centrifugation (S775):

After the step of measuring the eccentricity, the step of accelerating the rotation of the drum to the number of revolutions per minute of normal centrifugation (the step of acceleration) can be implemented. After that, the normal centrifugation step configured to rotate the drum at the number of revolutions per minute of normal centrifugation can be implemented to complete the centrifugation cycle. The normal centrifugation drum speed can be set by default to be approximately 1000 rpm. That is, the amount of moisture contained in the laundry can be reduced as much as possible to minimize detergent residues. The number of revolutions per minute of normal centrifugation can be changed according to the choice of the user, since the number of revolutions per minute of normal centrifugation is related to the residual moisture level and the level of folds of linen after the centrifugation cycle is completed. As a result, the user can select the number of revolutions per minute of the normal centrifugation step related to the moisture level and the level of the folds of the laundry.

B. PROGRAM B (HEAVY DUTY PROGRAM):

Program B for heavy soiling, in which heavy soiling must be removed from the laundry, will be described with reference to Fig. 8. A program for severe contaminants can be selected in part 117 of the program selection (S810).

B.1 Washing cycle (S830):

B.1.1 Determining the amount of linen (S831):

Once a program for heavy contaminants is selected, the step of determining the amount of laundry to determine the amount of laundry loaded in the drum may be implemented. The method for determining the amount of laundry may be similar to that described above in the standard program, and thus, its re-description will be accordingly omitted. The step of determining the amount of laundry could be implemented before the step of selecting a program.

The control part compares the laundry amount determined in the laundry amount determination step with the reference value and controls the movements of the drum drive of the water supplying step and the washing step, which will be described later, based on the comparison result. Essentially, a certain amount of laundry greater than the control value can be considered a large load, and a certain amount of laundry less than the control value can be considered a small load. The movements from the drum drive of each step according to the determined amount of laundry will be described.

B.1.2 Water supply (S833):

In the water supplying step, the control part controls the water supply device (for example, the water supply path and the water supply valve) connected to the water supply source and the tub to supply washing water to the tub. If the laundry amount measured in the laundry amount determination step is less than the reference value, the control part can control that the drum is driven in the tumbling motion and / or the step motion and / or the wiping motion and / or the filtering motion and / or rolling motion.

First, if the laundry loaded in the drum is tangled, an eccentric rotation of the drum would be caused, and the control part can control so that the drum is driven in a tumbling motion in the water supplying step to unravel the laundry. In a tumbling motion, the drum rotates in a predetermined direction, and the laundry falls to the lowest point of the drum from a position of approximately 90 ° or more relative to the direction of rotation of the drum, so that the tangled laundry can become untangled and evenly distributed.

The control part controls that the drum rotates in a stepping motion and / or a rubbing motion, so that a lowering impact load is applied to the laundry loaded in the drum. Stepping and scrubbing can be used to easily remove insoluble contaminants. As a result, as soon as the drum is driven in a step motion and / or a scrub motion, insoluble contaminants can be removed at the water supply stage, and shortened washing time and improved washing efficiency can be achieved.

The water supplying step delivers washing water to the tub and wets the laundry loaded into the drum, as mentioned above. As a result of this, the control part may cause the drum to move in the filtering movement after the step-by-step movement and / or the wiping-out movement in order to wet the laundry.

In addition, the control part may cause the drum to roll in order to dissolve the detergent in the washing water in the water supplying step, in addition to the rolling motion to wet the laundry in the washing water before the water supplying step is completed.

If the laundry amount is larger than the reference value, the control part can control so that the drum is driven in the tumbling motion and / or the filtering motion in the water supplying step. If the laundry amount is relatively large, more precisely, is larger than the reference value, the drum movement configured to sharply brake the drum, such as the step motion and / or the rub motion, may impose an excessive load on the motor. When expanding, the initial effect of the stepping and / or rubbing movement, which is the application of the lowering impact load, cannot be achieved. Thus, the step and / or wiping movement is not realized if a large amount of laundry is loaded into the drum for washing. In addition, if a large amount of laundry is loaded into the drum, the wetting effect of the laundry caused by the rolling motion having a relatively low rotational speed cannot be effectively achieved, and therefore, instead of the tumbling motion, it can be implemented to wet the laundry. As a result, if the laundry amount is greater than the reference value, the drum may be driven in a tumbling and / or filtering motion so that the effects of distributing the laundry, removing insoluble contaminants, wetting the laundry, and dissolving the detergent mentioned above can be achieved.

B.1.3 Wash (S835):

After the water supplying step is completed, the washing step of the heavy contamination program may begin. The program washing step for heavy contaminants may include a soaking step, a contaminant removal step, and a residual contaminant removal step. In this case, washing water having different temperatures can be supplied at each stage, and each stage can be implemented accordingly.

B.1.3.1 Soaking (S836):

The soaking step is a sequence of soaking laundry in cold water to reduce the heavy contaminants contained in the laundry. Relatively cold water, for example, having a temperature of approximately 15 ° C, is used in the soaking step to weaken the protein components contained in heavy contaminants attached to the laundry for a long time. If these protein components come in contact with heated water, these heavy contaminants tend to solidify solidly in the laundry and it is difficult to separate them from the laundry. As a result, the soaking step can be carried out using cold water to prevent heavy contaminants having protein components from being attached to the laundry.

If the amount of laundry is less than a predetermined value, the electric motor can drive the drum in step motion. Tipping motion and / or rolling motion may be added after the step motion. Since the step motion has excellent washing ability and reduced washing time, heavy soiling attached to the laundry can be soaked and an impact load is applied to the laundry. As a result, the step motion has the effect of stimulating the separation of heavy contaminants from the laundry.

If the laundry amount is greater than the reference value, the drum may be driven in a tumbling motion and / or rolling motion in a soaking step. That is, if the measured amount of the laundry is larger than the predetermined reference value, the step motion may not be realized due to the excessive load that would be applied to the electric motor. As noted above, the step motion applies a lowering impact to the laundry inside the drum and to improve the washing efficiency. However, if the amount of laundry is large, the step motion may not be realized. When the amount of laundry is greater than the reference value, the step motion is also not implemented in the stages of removing contaminants and removing residual contaminants, which will be described later.

B.1.3.2 Removal of contaminants (S837):

After the soaking step, the decontamination step configured to heat the wash water in the range of 35 ° C to 40 ° C may begin to remove heavy soiling. The temperature of the washing water used in the stain removal step is set between 35 ° C to 40 ° C, since the sebum components contained in heavy soiling can be more easily removed at a temperature that is similar to the temperature of the human body. A heater provided on the bottom surface of the tank, or a moisture supply device configured to supply heated moisture, such as steam, to the tank, can be used to raise the temperature of the washing water within a predetermined range.

At the stage of removing contaminants, the control part can control the electric motor to drive the drum in a tumbling motion and / or rolling motion if the amount of laundry is a control value or less. Tipping motion and / or rolling motion can apply a low load to the electric motor and shorten the washing time with high washing efficiency. As a result, a reduced washing time can be achieved.

If the laundry amount is larger than the reference value, the control part can control the drum so that it is driven in a tumbling motion. In the case of a large amount of laundry, the rolling motion configured to rotate the drum at a relatively low speed may not be effective in removing contaminants, and thus a tumbling motion may be applied.

B.1.3.3 Removal of residual contaminants (S838):

The control part may implement a residual contamination removal step configured to heat the wash water so that it has a temperature of about 60 ° C, and to sterilize and bleach the laundry after the contaminant removal step. The temperature of the washing water may be approximately 60 ° C or higher in the step of removing residual contaminants in order to sterilize and bleach the laundry.

At the stage of removing residual contaminants, the control part can control the drum so that it is driven in stepwise motion or in the order of stepwise and / or tilting and / or rolling motion if the laundry amount is less than the control value.

If the laundry amount is larger than the reference value, the control part can control so that the drum is driven in the filtering movement and / or tipping movement, at the stage of removing residual contaminants.

B.2 Rinse cycle (S850):

The program rinse cycle for heavy soiling can be similar to the rinse cycle of the standard program described above and the rinse cycles of other programs that will be described later. Thus, a repeated description of the rinse cycle will be omitted.

B.3. Centrifugation Cycle (S870):

The centrifugation cycle of a heavy pollution program can be similar to the centrifugation cycle of a standard program described above and the centrifugation cycles of other programs that will be described later. Thus, a repeated description of the centrifugation cycle will be omitted.

C. PROGRAM C (FAST BOILER PROGRAM):

Program C will be described with reference to FIG. 9. Program C may be referred to as a “quick boil” program configured to heat the wash water to a predetermined temperature in a relatively short time to achieve a sanitary boiling effect of the laundry, such as in a sanitation cycle.

Typically, when sterilizing and bleaching laundry, the washing water held in the tub is heated to a predetermined predetermined temperature, and then the washing is realized. Since the washing time is relatively long, and the electric power consumption is quite large only for heating the washing water, it takes quite a long time and a large electric power to heat the washing water held in the tank to a predetermined temperature. In the program for quick boiling, linen can be sterilized and bleached, in addition, along with a reduction in the total washing time and energy consumption. The quick boil program heats the wash water supplied to the tank for a predetermined period of time, regardless of the temperature of the wash water, instead of heating the wash water until the wash water reaches a predetermined temperature. In order to take into account the washing ability, the step of compensating for the time of the washing step provided for in the quick boiling program according to the temperature of the washing water can be included in this washing program, as will be described with reference to FIG. 9.

First, the user can select a program for boiling quickly from the program selection part 117 (S910). Then, the control part implements the step of setting the time of the washing phase of the program for rapid boiling. This step of setting the wash time provides the control part with the ability to determine the time required by the step of washing the program for rapid boiling, which is stored in a storage device such as memory. This step may be implemented simultaneously with the step of selecting a program or the step of supplying water.

C.1 Washing cycle (S930):

C.1.1 Determining the amount of laundry and setting the washing time (S931):

As soon as the user selects a program for quick boiling, the control part may implement a laundry amount determination step configured to measure the laundry amount and a washing time setting step configured to set a time required by the washing step of the quick boil program based on the determined amount of laundry. The control part may use the time taken to rotate the drum to a predetermined position to determine the amount of laundry, as described above, or the time of residual rotation after rotation of the drum for a predetermined time.

At the step of setting the washing time, the control part can select the washing time corresponding to the measured amount of linen from the relevant times stored in the memory. The variety of time required by the washing step of the quick boiling program is stored in a memory device such as a memory, so that when the fast boiling program is selected, the proper time stored in the memory can be selected by the control part.

C.1.2 Water supply (S933):

The wash cycle of the quick boil program may include a water supply step configured to supply washing water to the tub. At the water supply stage, the control part controls the water supply device (for example, the water supply path and the water supply valve) connected to the water supply source and the tank to supply water to the tank. In addition, the control part controls the drum so that it is driven by the drum drive, similar to the movement of the drum of the water supplying step, for example, the severe contamination program described above, and thus an additional detailed description will be omitted.

C.1.3 Step for measuring water temperature / compensation (S935):

Once water is supplied to the tank, the control part measures the temperature of the washing water using the temperature of the temperature sensor provided in the washing machine, and compares the measured temperature with the reference temperature to adjust the time of the washing step.

For example, the control part may compare the measured temperature of the washing water with a reference temperature, for example, higher than about 50 ° C. If the measured temperature is higher than the control temperature, for example, if heated water is supplied to the tank, the control part may implement the washing step immediately. However, if the measured temperature is lower than the control temperature, the control part may implement a compensation step configured to adjust the time of the washing step.

As mentioned above, the washing step can be implemented after heating the washing water for a predetermined period of time in this program, regardless of the temperature of the water. Because of this, the temperature of the washing water held in the tank may be different depending on the temperature of the water supplied to the tank after the heating step has been completed, and there would be a difference in washing ability due to the difference in water temperature. As a result, a compensation step is provided to minimize the difference in washing ability caused by washing water having different temperatures after the heating step. If the temperature of the washing water is lower than the reference temperature, the time of the washing step is increased to compensate for the ability to wash at a lower temperature.

The number of control temperatures used to determine the temperature range can be adjusted appropriately. For example, in one embodiment, a single control temperature may be provided, and in alternative embodiments, a plurality of control temperatures may be provided. When the temperature of the washing water is higher than the first control temperature (for example, 50 ° C), and there are three control temperatures, that is, the first, second and third control temperatures are provided, the control part can implement the washing step immediately. When the measured temperature of the washing water is lower than the first control temperature and higher than the second control temperature, the second control temperature (e.g. 40 ° C) is lower than the first control temperature (e.g. 50 ° C), and when the measured temperature is lower than the second control temperature, and higher than the third control temperature, the third control temperature (e.g. 30 ° C) is lower than the second control temperature (e.g. 40 ° C), and when the measured temperature is lower than third control naya temperature, step compensation configured for time compensation washing stage, pre-installed on the stage of setting the washing time.

When the time of the washing step is compensated, the control part can adjust the compensated time so that it is different depending on the temperature of the washing water. The washing ability is substantially proportional to the temperature of the washing water. As a result of this, the lower the measured temperature of the washing water, the longer the compensated time. The control temperature and the time range added at the compensation stage can be pre-set based on the capacity of the washing machine and other such factors.

C.1.4 Heating (S937):

As soon as the predetermined time of the washing step is compensated for in the compensation step, a heating step configured to remove contaminants contained in the laundry by moving the drum and to simultaneously heat the washing water can be carried out for a predetermined period of time. The heating step may be implemented as an independent step or as part of a washing step, which will be described later. Just for ease of discussion in the description of this program, the heating step will be described as part of the washing step.

C.1.5 Wash (S939):

The movement from the drum drive of the washing step of the fast boiling program may include a step motion, and / or a tumbling motion, and / or a rolling motion.

The step motion has an excellent washing ability and imposes an impact load on the laundry so that the dirt attached to the laundry can separate and the washing time can be shortened. As a result, the control part can rotate the drum during the step motion at the initial stage of the washing step. In this case, the heating step may be implemented after the step motion of the washing step.

During step-by-step motion, the drum rotates at a predetermined speed, giving the laundry the opportunity not to fall from the inner circular surface of the drum due to centrifugal force. When the laundry is located near the highest point of the drum, a reverse torque is applied to the drum. Since the overall coefficient of action of the stepping motion is adjustable, the load applied to the electric motor is greater in the stepping motion than in other movements. As a result, if the heating step configured to heat the washing water continued during the stepping motion, the power consumption would increase and a safety problem could arise due to an increase in the current value. As a result, the heating step can be implemented for a predetermined time after the step motion is completed.

The heating step is configured so that the heater is not activated for a predetermined period of heating time, and optionally until the temperature of the washing water reaches a predetermined value. This provides the time and electrical power required by the washing step, the ability to accurately predict, and the user the ability to be notified of the predicted data. In addition, the washing step can only be carried out for essentially the same predetermined time, regardless of the temperature of the washing water supplied in the washing step, so that energy consumption and washing time can be reduced.

From here, the control part can control to implement the tumbling motion and / or the rolling motion. In this case, the tumbling motion and / or the rolling motion may occur simultaneously with the start of the heating step. The tumbling motion and the rolling motion apply a low load to the electric motor and have good washing ability with reduced washing time. As a result, the tumbling motion and the rolling motion can achieve the effect of shortening the washing time required by the washing step and the effect of proper washing ability, even with the washing step implemented using washing water having different temperatures.

C.2 Rinse cycle (S950):

The rinse cycle of a quick boil program may be similar to the rinse cycles of the programs described above and the rinse cycles of other programs that will be described later. Thus, its further detailed description will be omitted.

0

The centrifugation cycle of a fast boiling program may be similar to the centrifuging cycles of the programs described above and the centrifuging cycles of other programs that will be described later. Thus, its further detailed description will be omitted.

D. PROGRAM D (COLD WASHING PROGRAM):

The cold wash program D will be described with reference to FIG. 10. Program D for cold washing is configured to wash laundry without heating the wash water, providing energy savings without compromising the required washing ability. As a result, this program measures the temperature of the washing water supplied to the tank, the measured temperature is compared with the set temperature, and the operating parameters are adjusted accordingly, making it possible to maintain the washing ability. For example, if the temperature of the washing water does not reach the reference temperature based on the comparison result, the washing time is sufficiently compensated to provide the target washing ability in the cold wash program.

First, the user can select a program for cold washing from part 117 of the program selection (S1010). As soon as the user selects a program for functional clothing, the control part may implement a washing cycle, a rinse cycle and / or a centrifugation cycle one after another or selectively.

D.1 Wash cycle (first embodiment) (S1030):

D.1. Determining the amount of linen / setting the washing time (S1031):

As soon as the user selects a program for cold washing, the control part may implement a laundry amount determination step configured to measure the laundry amount and a washing time setting step configured to set a time required by the washing step of the cold wash program based on the measured laundry amount. In the step of determining the amount of laundry, the control part can use the time required to rotate the drum to a predetermined position, or the time of the residual rotation of the drum to measure the amount of laundry, as described above. In the step of setting the washing time, the control part can select the washing time corresponding to the measured amount of laundry from the appropriate times stored in the memory according to the amount of the laundry.

D.1.2 Water supply (S1033):

The wash cycle of a cold wash program may include a water supply step configured to supply washing water to the tub. At the water supply stage, the control part controls the water supply device (for example, the water supply path and the water supply valve) connected to the water supply source and the tank to supply water to the tank. In addition, the control part controls the drum to be driven by the drum drive, similar to the movement from the drum drive of the water supply stage of the heavy contamination program or the rapid boiling program described above. Thus, its further detailed description will be omitted.

D.1.3 Water temperature measurement / wash time compensation (S1035):

Once the washing water has been supplied to the tub, the control part can measure the temperature of the washing water using the temperature measuring device provided in the washing machine. The control part can compare the measured temperature with the control temperature (e.g. 15 ° C). If the measured temperature of the washing water is a reference temperature or greater, the control part may implement the washing step without compensating for the washing time according to the amount of laundry. If the measured temperature is lower than the control temperature, the control part may implement the step of compensating the washing time. In this example, a temperature of 15 ° C is presented as an example of a critical temperature capable of providing a cold wash ability and a reference temperature for checking a wash ability using cold water. As a result, if the measured temperature of the washing water is less than the reference temperature, the control part can adjust the time of the washing step set in the step of setting the washing time. For example, if the measured temperature is lower than the control temperature, the control part may add a predetermined time to the washing step to prevent deterioration of the washing ability due to the use of cold washing water having a lower temperature than the control value. For example, if the measured temperature of the washing water is less than about 10 ° C, 10 minutes may be added to the time of the washing step in the step of compensating the washing time. For example, if the measured temperature is greater than 10 ° C and less than 15 ° C, 5 minutes may be added to the time of the washing step.

D.1.4 Wash (S1037):

As soon as the time of the washing step is compensated, the laundry amount measured in the laundry amount determination step mentioned above is compared with the reference value of the laundry amount, and a washing step including various motions from the drum drive realized according to the laundry amount can be implemented. The reference value of the amount of linen can be pre-set based on the amount of linen that makes it possible to perform stepwise movement, taking into account the size of the drum and the output power of the electric motor. For example, a reference value for the amount of laundry may be a value of half the washing capacity of the washing machine (approximately 5-6 kg in a washing machine having a capacity of 11 kg). First, a case in which the measured value of the laundry amount is less than the reference value of the laundry will be described, and then a case in which the measured value is the reference value or larger will be described.

When the measured value of the laundry amount is less than the reference value of the laundry amount, the control part controls the step motion and / or the tumbling motion and / or the rolling motion to be implemented in the washing step. The step motion applies a lowering impact to the laundry loaded in the drum, and contaminants contained in the laundry can be easily removed, even if cold water is used. If the laundry becomes tangled during the washing step, an eccentric rotation of the drum may be caused. Thus, the control part drives the drum in a tumbling motion and / or rolling motion to unravel and distribute entangled laundry.

When the measured value of the laundry amount is a reference value or greater, the control part controls that the filtering motion and / or tumbling motion are realized in the washing step. If the laundry amount is a control value or large, a large load makes it difficult to achieve the effect of applying an impact load to the laundry during the step motion and the effect of rolling the laundry along the inner circular surface of the drum during the rolling motion. As a result of this, a filtering motion and a tumbling motion can be realized, individually or one after another, in order to achieve the effect of providing the washing ability and the distribution effect of the laundry.

D.1 ′ Washing cycle (second embodiment) (S1130):

11 is a diagram of a program for cold washing according to the second embodiment, as outlined in the materials of this application.

Compared to the cold wash program according to the first embodiment, the cold wash program according to the second embodiment skips the washing time setting step and the compensation step, and instead heats the wash water using a heater if the temperature of the washing water is lower than 15 ° C . That is, in the washing cycle according to the second embodiment, the laundry amount is determined (S1131), and the water supplying step (S1133) can be implemented immediately without setting the washing time. After that, the temperature of the washing water is measured (S1135) to implement the washing step (S1137). The movement from the drum drive to the drum may vary according to the amount of laundry in the washing step of the second embodiment, which is similar to the first embodiment described above. The washing step according to the second embodiment may further include a heating step based on the measured temperature of the washing water.

A case will be described in which the amount of laundry measured in the washing step is less than the reference value in which the movement from the drum drive at the drum includes a step motion and / or a tumbling motion and / or a rolling motion.

When the measured temperature of the washing water is less than the control value, the step motion is realized after the washing step begins. After the step-by-step movement, a heating step configured to heat the washing water using a heater or a moisture supply device provided in the tank may be implemented. The heating step begins after the step motion, since the step motion applies an increased load to the electric motor, as mentioned above. Thus, a safety problem, as well as a deterioration in the washing ability, can occur if the heating step and the step motion are realized simultaneously. In addition, if the heating step is implemented before the step motion to avoid the above problems, the washing time would adversely increase. Thus, in this embodiment, the heating step begins after the step motion is completed.

At the time of starting the heating step, the control part can sequentially implement the tumbling motion and the rolling motion. The tumbling motion and the rolling motion do not make one worry about deterioration when deteriorating the washing ability and safety, and can shorten the washing time even if they are implemented simultaneously with the heating step.

The temperature of the washing water is re-measured after the heating step, and it is determined whether the re-measured temperature reaches the control temperature. When the temperature of the washing water reaches the control temperature, the heating step may end. However, if the temperature of the washing water fails to reach the control temperature, the heating step may continue during the washing step. That is, even if the temperature of the washing water heated in the heating step fails to reach the control temperature, if the washing step ends, the heating step also ends.

If the measured temperature is a control temperature or greater, the control part drives the drum in a step motion and / or tilting motion and / or rolling motion, essentially the same as the description of the motion from the drum drive according to the first embodiment, and thus their further description will be omitted accordingly.

If the laundry amount is a reference value or large at the washing step, the control part may cause the drum to move in a filtering movement and / or tipping movement. At this time, a heating step may be provided if the measured temperature of the washing water is lower than the reference temperature. As described above, the drum is not driven in a step motion during the heating step.

D.1 ′ ′ washing cycle (third embodiment) (S1230):

12 is a diagram of a cold wash program according to a third embodiment, as described generally in the materials of the present application.

Compared to the cold wash program according to the first embodiment described above, the cold wash program according to the third embodiment supplies warm water to the tub if the temperature of the wash water supplied in the water supplying step is lower than about 15 ° C. That is, after determining the amount of the laundry (S1231), the control part may implement the water supplying step (S1233) configured to supply washing water to the tub based on the determined laundry amount, skipping the washing time setting and the time compensation step.

At the time of the implementation of the water supplying step, the control part supplies cold water to the tank (S1234) and, moreover, it can simultaneously implement the step of measuring the water temperature (S1235) and the cold water supply. In this case, when the measured temperature of the wash water is 15 ° C or higher, the washing step (S1240) may be implemented according to the amount of laundry loaded in the drum. If the measured temperature is lower than 15 ° C, a warm water supplying step may be implemented (S1236).

The warm water supplying step may continue until the amount of cold water and the amount of warm water supplied in the water supplying step reaches the amount of washing water determined according to the amount of laundry. Once the water supplying step is completed, a washing step can be started, implemented according to the amount of laundry. The movement from the drum drive may vary according to the amount of laundry in the washing step, similar to the first embodiment described above, and thus its further detailed description will be omitted.

D.2 Rinse cycle (S1050, S1150, S1250):

The rinse cycle of a cold wash program may be similar to the rinse cycles of the programs described above and the rinse cycles of other programs that will be described later. As a result, its further detailed description will be omitted.

D.3 Centrifugation cycle (S1070, S1170, S1270):

The centrifugation cycle of a cold wash program may be similar to the centrifugation cycles of the programs described above and the centrifugation cycles of other programs, which will be described later. As a result, its further detailed description will be omitted.

E. PROGRAM E (PROGRAM FOR COLORFUL PRODUCTS):

Program E will be described with reference to FIG. 13. Program E may be referred to as a “color product program” configured to more efficiently wash colored items. When washing items of colored laundry, a color transfer problem may occur, which may cause a color transition between colored products, fading, the problem of fluff formation and the problem of spool formation. The above color transition can probably be caused while the static friction between the drum and the laundry is large. This program may include a temperature control step configured to prevent color transition by controlling the temperature of the wash water, a color product washing step configured to drive the drum to prevent the formation of fluff and spools, and a rinse step. The steps will be described in detail as set forth below.

E.1 Wash cycle (first embodiment) (S1330):

E.1.1 Water supply (S1331):

In the water supplying step, the control part controls the cold water so that it is supplied to the drum. The color transition is more likely to occur in water for washing at a higher temperature. At the water supplying stage, the control part can control the electric motor to drive the drum in a swinging motion or a filtering motion, or a combination thereof. A water supplying step may be provided for supplying washing water required to wash the laundry into the drum and wetting the laundry loaded in the drum in the washing water. As a result, the drum is driven into the filtering movement at the stage of water supply from the condition that the wetting of the laundry can be implemented efficiently. In addition, the drum may be driven in a swaying motion at the water supplying stage rather than a filtering motion. The swinging motion can minimize the movement of the laundry inside the drum compared to other movements in order to minimize the formation of fluff and the formation of spools that could be formed by the friction force between the laundry items.

E.1.2 Step for measuring water temperature / heating (S1333):

Once the water supplying step is completed, the control part can measure the temperature of the washing water supplied to the tank. When the measured temperature is a reference temperature or greater (for example, 30 ° C or 40 ° C), the control part may start the washing step immediately. When the measured temperature is less than the reference temperature (for example, cold water, since the washing water supplied in the water supplying step is cold water), the control part may start a heating step configured to heat the washing water. In some embodiments, the temperature (reference temperature) of the washing water, allowing the washing step to start, may be set to be 30 ° C or 40 ° C, since the temperature of the washing water allowing maximum washing ability while minimizing color transition , is in the range from 30 ° C to 40 ° C.

The heating step heats the washing water supplied to the tank using a heater provided on the bottom surface of the tank or a steam generator configured to supply steam to the tank.

E.1.3 Wash (S1335):

When the heating step allows the temperature of the washing water to reach the control temperature (30 ° C or 40 ° C), the control part may start the washing step. In the washing step, the control part can control the drum so that it is driven by the drum drive, which can minimize the mechanical friction, to prevent the formation of fluff and spools, and to achieve the desired washing ability. For example, the control part may control the drum so that it is driven into a swinging motion and / or step motion at the washing step of this program. Such a step motion and a swing motion can be realized one after another, and a sequential implementation can be repeated.

The swinging motion rotates the drum in both opposite directions and lowers the laundry from a position of approximately 90 (or less relative to the direction of rotation of the drum. The swinging motion applies rheostatic braking to the electric motor, since the physical friction applied to the laundry can be reduced as much as possible while maintaining a predetermined level washing efficiency As a result, the likelihood of the formation of fluff and spools, which can be formed by friction between items of linen or between linen and drum ohm can be minimized.

As mentioned above, the step motion rotates the drum at a predetermined speed, allowing the laundry to not fall from the inner circular surface of the drum by centrifugal force, and then the drum is braked sharply to maximize the impact load applied to the laundry. As a result of this, the step motion has excellent washing ability and sufficient to compensate for the insufficient washing ability of the swing motion. The amount of time for which the step motion is performed may be shorter than the amount of time for which the swing motion is performed in order to minimize the likelihood of formation of fluff and spools.

E.1 ′ Washing cycle (second embodiment) (S1430):

Fig. 14 is a program diagram for color products according to a second embodiment. In contrast to the above program according to the first embodiment, the program for color products according to the second embodiment provides the step of measuring the water temperature and the heating step with the possibility of being implemented in the washing step (S1433) after the water supplying step (S1431). If the step of measuring the water temperature and the heating step were implemented before the washing step, the washing time would adversely increase. As a result, this embodiment provides a color product program capable of shortening washing time compared to the above embodiment.

After the water supplying step (S1431), the control part can control the drum to be stepped and / or swinging in the washing step, and it can simultaneously be determined whether the washing water temperature is a reference temperature (e.g., 30 ° C or 40 ° C) or more. When the temperature of the washing water is a control temperature or greater, based on the determination result, the control part controls the drum so that it is continuously driven in accordance with the washing step. When the temperature of the washing water is lower than the control temperature, the control part may start a heating step configured to heat the washing water.

The control part can control the drum so that it is not stepped in the heating step. That is, at the heating stage, the control part drives the drum into a swinging movement, and not into a step motion. The reason why the heating step is not implemented together with the step motion at the same time is described in the above programs, and thus an additional detailed description will be omitted.

E.2 Rinse cycle (S1450):

The control part may start the rinse cycle after the wash cycle is completed. The control part may control the drum so that it is driven into the filtering movement during the rinse cycle. The filtering motion rotates the drum at a predetermined speed, allowing the laundry to not fall from the inner circular surface of the drum by centrifugal force, and then sprays washing water into the drum, so that the filtering motion can be used to wet and rinse the laundry. In addition, the filtering movement may produce slight friction between the laundry and between the laundry and the drum. As a result, the filtering movement allows the laundry to rinse in a relatively short time. The control part may implement a tumbling motion in the rinse cycle to complement the rinse ability of the filter motion.

E.3 Centrifugation cycle (S1470):

After the rinse cycle is completed, a centrifugation cycle configured to remove washing water from the laundry may begin. The program centrifugation cycle for non-ferrous products may be similar to the centrifugation cycles of the programs described above and the centrifugation cycles of other programs that will be described later, and thus its further detailed description will be omitted.

F. PROGRAM F (PROGRAM FOR FUNCTIONAL CLOTHING)

Program F will be described with reference to FIG. Program F may be referred to as a ″ program for functional clothing ″ configured to efficiently wash functional clothing, including outdoor clothing such as mountaineering clothing and other sportswear, without damaging the fabric. Functional clothing is made to be suitable for outdoor activities such as mountain climbing, swimming, cycling, and the like. Functional clothing quickly absorbs sweat and releases absorbed moisture to the outside, and it helps retain body heat. However, this functional clothing is made of thin synthetic fabric and is more fragile than other types of fabrics. The washing program for functional clothes can be optimized to be suitable for functional clothes.

First, the user can select a program for functional clothes from the program selection part 117 (S1510). As soon as the user selects a program for functional clothes, the control part can start the wash cycle, rinse cycle and / or centrifugation cycle one after another or selectively.

F.1 washing cycle (S1530):

F.1.1 Water supply (S1531):

The control part implements the water supply stage of the wash cycle. The water supply stage supplies the washing water required to wash the laundry. In addition, the water supplying step dissolves the detergent in the supplied washing water and wets the laundry loaded in the drum.

F.1.1.1 First water supply (S1533):

The water supplying step includes a first water supplying step implemented over a predetermined period of time. At the stage of the first water supply, the drum is driven into a swinging motion. As mentioned above, the swinging motion alternately rotates the drum in a predetermined direction and in the opposite direction. After turning 90 ° or less from the lowest point of the drum in a given direction and in the opposite direction, the laundry may fall. As a result, rotating the direction clockwise / counterclockwise alternately causes a swirling movement in the wash water, and the dissolution of the detergent can be stimulated. At the same time, the laundry rotated by 90 ° or less falls and a large impact load is not applied to the laundry. As a result, the swaying movement in the first water supply step allows the detergent to dissolve in the wash water, and a large shock load is not applied to the functional clothes. The swinging movement may be repeated for a predetermined period of time a number of times.

F.1.1.2 Second water supply (S1535):

As soon as the first water supply is completed, the second water supply can be realized for a predetermined period of time. At the second water supply, washing water is continuously supplied, and one after another, a filtering movement and a swinging movement are realized. The stages of the first and second water supply are classified according to a predetermined time. The time of each step can be customizable according to the amount of laundry and other parameters, as appropriate. For this, a laundry amount determination step configured to determine a laundry amount may be provided before the water supplying step.

As mentioned above, the filtering motion rotates the drum at high speed to generate centrifugal force, and the laundry is in close contact with the inner circumferential surface of the drum due to centrifugal force. In addition, washing water passes through the laundry and through holes of the drum under centrifugal force and is discharged into the tank. As a result, the laundry is wetted with washing water with a filtering movement to be washed. In addition, the washing water simply passes through the laundry, and functional clothes may not be damaged along with wetting in the washing water. After the filtering movement is realized within a predetermined period of time, a swinging movement can be realized. As mentioned above, the detergent can continuously dissolve without damage to functional clothing. The laundry can be effectively wetted in the wash water by a swirling movement and expansion, the swinging movement causes the drum to rotate again clockwise / counterclockwise. As a result, matted laundry may unravel before washing. In addition, a swinging movement lowers the laundry from a relatively low position, and damage to the laundry fabric can be minimized along with unraveling the laundry. As a result, a combination of filtering and swaying movements can minimize damage to functional clothing and allow wetting of the laundry, dissolution of the detergent and unraveling of the laundry to be effectively achieved. Such a sequential combination of filtering and swinging movements can be repeated a number of times over a given period of time.

F.1.2 Wash (S1540):

As soon as the washing water is supplied to a predetermined water level, the water supplying step is completed, and then the washing step may begin. Since functional clothes are relatively light and thin, essentially the same washing step can be implemented regardless of the amount of laundry in the drum.

F.1.2.1. First wash (S1541):

The washing step may include a first washing step implemented over a predetermined period of time, with the drum driven in a step motion. As mentioned above, the step motion lowers the laundry from the highest position. As a result, the step motion in the first washing step pre-uniformly mixes the laundry and water for washing. In addition, the stepping motion soaks the laundry soils and applies an impact load to the laundry to separate the dirt from the laundry by using a large rotation / lowering of the laundry.

F.1.2.2. The second wash (S1543):

After the first washing step, the second washing step may be implemented for a predetermined period of time. In the second washing step, the washing water is heated to wash more efficiently and remove impurities. Initially, the washing water may be heated by a heater provided on the bottom surface of the tank, or by a steam generator configured to supply steam to the tank. Essentially, the washing water can be heated up to about 25 ° C to 30 ° C, preferably about 27 ° C, in the second washing step. Functional clothing is made from a thin synthetic fabric structure and can be damaged if the temperature of the heated washing water is too high. As a result, washing water having an appropriate temperature used in the second washing step can improve the washing efficiency and can prevent tissue damage.

Simultaneously with the heating of the washing water, the drum may be driven into the swinging motion in the second washing step. The swing motion uses lowering the laundry from a relatively low position and alternating rotation of the drum. As a consequence, the laundry can gently sway and move enough in the wash water. The wash water during the swinging motion can be uniformly heated in a relatively short time, and the heat can be sufficiently transmitted by the laundry. In addition, the swinging movement can cause a shock by friction between the washing water and the laundry and the shock of falling, and it can effectively remove dirt without damaging the fabric.

F.1.2.3. Third wash (S1545):

After the second washing step, the third washing step may be implemented for a predetermined period of time. In the third washing step, any remaining soiling can be removed, and a combination of swaying and stepping movements can be realized. Although the swinging movement can remove dirt without damaging the fabric, as mentioned above, the washing ability is relatively low compared to other movements. As a result, a step motion capable of applying the strongest impact is added, and the washing ability of the washing step, mainly configured from the swing motion for functional clothes, can be improved. In addition, the strong impact of stepping can prevent the fluff from joining the laundry. As a result, the third washing step can minimize damage to functional clothes and separate contaminants from the laundry effectively and completely.

F.2. Rinse Cycle (S1550):

The program rinse cycle for functional clothes may be similar to program rinse cycles including the standard program mentioned above and other program rinse cycles, which will be described later, and thus an additional detailed description thereof will be omitted.

To enhance the overall rinse ability, the rinse cycle can be repeated more often than the standard rinse cycle. For example, a rinse cycle may be implemented at least three times or more. This is because the drum rotates at a lower RPM in the centrifugation cycle of the functional clothing program than in the standard program, thus providing a weaker rinse ability. That is, a centrifugation cycle separates the wash water from the laundry using centrifugal force caused by the rotation of the drum at a high speed, and may include a rinse function configured to simultaneously separate the detergent and the dirt along with the wash water from the laundry. The normal centrifugation step of the centrifugation program for functional clothing uses a relatively low RPM of the drum, and the final rinse ability may be weakened. Thus, the rinse step of the rinse cycle of the program for functional clothing can be implemented three times or more.

F.3 Centrifugation cycle (S1570):

The program centrifugation cycle for functional clothing may be similar to program centrifugation cycles including the standard program mentioned above and other programs centrifuging cycles, which will be described later. The normal centrifugation step of the centrifugation cycle can rotate the drum at a lower RPM than the normal centrifugation step of the standard program to prevent damage to the laundry.

G. PROGRAM G (SPEED WASHING PROGRAM):

A quick wash program G, referred to by reference as a “quick wash program”, capable of washing laundry in a relatively short time compared to other programs, will be described in FIG. 7B. A small amount of laundry typically requires significantly reduced time compared to a large amount of laundry. In the case of a small amount of laundry, an unnecessarily long amount of time can be taken to realize a full wash. As a consequence, a program may be provided that is used to wash a small amount of laundry in a reduced amount of time. The quick wash program is based on the standard program described above in FIG. 7A, and each cycle or operating conditions of each step in the standard program can be optimized, or a predetermined number of steps can be omitted, as appropriate.

First of all, the user can select a program for high-speed washing from the program selection part 117 (S710B), and the control part can implement a washing cycle (S730B), a rinse cycle (S750B) and a centrifugation cycle (S770) constituting the program for high-speed washing.

G.1 washing cycle:

G.1.1 Determination of the amount of laundry:

The control part may start the laundry amount determination step to determine the laundry amount (S731B). The step of determining the amount of linen may be implemented before the step of supplying water, after the user selects a program for high-speed washing. The amount of laundry measured at the stage of determining the amount of linen of the standard program, as described above, can be classified into two categories, that is, a large number and a small amount, to determine the subsequent cycle or drum movement of each stage and other operating conditions. In a high-speed wash program, the measured amount of laundry can be used to determine the total time for a full wash, that is, the total time required also for washing, rinsing and centrifuging cycles. In this case, the amount of laundry may be prescribed in more categories, for example, three or more categories, in the program for high-speed washing. If the laundry amount is classified into more categories, different full wash times (i.e., the total time required to complete the washing, rinsing and centrifugation cycles) can be set for each of the laundry quantity categories. As a result, the total washing time can be adjusted according to the amount of laundry. As a result, a relatively short time can be properly applied to a small amount of laundry without affecting the actual washing ability.

For example, a measured amount of laundry may be classified into three categories, including the first, second, and third categories, or may be classified into more than three categories. For example, the first category corresponds to a load of less than about 1.5 kg, and the proper washing time of the first category can be set to be from about 25 to 30 minutes, and in particular 29 minutes. The second category can correspond to a load of about 1.5 to 4.0 kg, and the proper washing time of the second category can be set to be from about 35 to 40 minutes, and in particular 39 minutes. Finally, the third category can correspond to a load of more than approximately 4.0 kg, and the proper washing time of the third category can be from 45 to 50 minutes, and in particular 49 minutes. Such categories and times may be stored in the memory of the control part as tabular data.

Once the laundry amount is determined in the laundry amount determination step, the control part determines each category to which the measured laundry amount corresponds when referring to the stored category table. After that, the control part can set the washing time set for the category corresponding to the measured amount of linen, so that is the real washing time.

G.1.2. Water supply / heating / washing:

After the above sequence of steps, the control part can sequentially implement the water supplying step (S733B), the heating step (S740B) and the washing step (S742B) of the washing cycle (S730B). The water supplying step, the heating step, the washing step of the washing cycle of the high-speed washing program are similar to those of the washing cycle of the standard program shown in FIG. 7A, and thus their further detailed description will be omitted.

As mentioned above in the standard program shown in FIG. 7A, a heating preparation step configured to stimulate heating of the wash water may be implemented before the heating step. However, the heating preparation step may be a preliminary step, and the movement of the drum of a predetermined period of time may increase the total washing time. As a result, preliminary steps, such as the step of preparing the heat before the step of heating, may not be implemented in the program for high-speed washing. After the water supply program, the heating step may begin.

G.2 Rinse cycle:

Once the washing cycle is completed, a rinse cycle (S750B) configured to remove any detergent residues and dirt left in the laundry may be implemented. The rinse cycle (S750B) is similar to the rinse cycle (S750) of the standard program shown in FIG. 7A, and thus, an additional detailed description of the rinse cycle will be omitted.

The first rinse stage, implemented at the initial stage of the rinse cycle of the standard program, may include the first stage of the movement of the drum using a filtering movement that requires a lot of time. In contrast, the drum movements implemented in the rinsing steps (S751B, S756B, S760B) require a relatively short time, along with the previous supply of the laundry with sufficient rinsing. As a result, the filtering motion of the first rinse step provided in the rinse cycle of the high-speed wash program can be omitted to reduce the total wash time.

G.3 Centrifugation cycle:

Once the rinse cycle is completed, the control part may start the centrifugation cycle (S770B). The centrifugation cycle of the high-speed wash program is similar to the centrifugation cycle of the standard program shown in FIG. 7A, and thus its further detailed description will be omitted.

The unraveling step of the laundry, implemented in the initial stage of the centrifugation cycle of the standard program, implements a drum movement capable of unraveling the laundry. However, such a movement of the drum may not have a significant effect on the centrifugation ability. As a result, the laundry unraveling step may not be implemented in the centrifugation cycle of the high-speed wash program to shorten the total washing time.

Although the drum during the normal centrifugation step of the standard program can rotate at approximately 1000 rpm, the drum during the normal centrifugation step of the high-speed wash program can rotate at approximately 800 rpm. As the rotational speed of the drum increases, the vibration and noise of the drum may become more noticeable, and the preparation step that is implemented so that the drum reaches the target speed per minute, such as the step of measuring the eccentricity, may be repeated enough to require a relatively long working time . As a result, the target speed of the program for high-speed washing is reduced compared to that of the standard program, and the acceleration time of the speed can be prevented from increasing.

As mentioned above, a speed washing program can classify laundry quantities into specific categories, and it can set the total washing time appropriate for each category so that the total washing time of a large amount of laundry, as well as a small amount of laundry, is reduced appropriately. In addition, compared to the standard program, optional steps can be omitted from cycles to reduce the total washing time. Nevertheless, most of the drum movements applied to the cycles of the standard program are adapted in the program for high-speed washing, and the required washing ability can be achieved. As a result, the high-speed wash program can wash a small amount of laundry in a short time while maintaining the washing ability.

H. PROGRAM H (SILENT PROGRAM)

Program H will be described with reference to FIG. Program H may be referred to as a ″ silent program ″ capable of reducing noise during washing.

In certain circumstances, less noise from the washing machine may be required by the user. For example, if washing is performed at night and / or an infant or child sleeps, it is preferable that the washing machine operate with less operating noise. Reduced operating noise can be achieved in various ways. Optimization of the control method of washing can effectively reduce noise without increased production costs. A washing control method configured to reduce such noise can be implemented in a single program, namely a silent program presented by optimizing operating conditions. A silent program is based on a standard program and is embodied by optimizing or eliminating certain operating conditions from certain cycles or stages of a standard program. FIG. 16 is a flowchart of a method of steps of a silent program other than steps of a standard program. First, the user can select a silent program from the program selection part 117 (S1610), and the control part can implement the following process sequences.

H.1 washing cycle (S1630):

H.1.1 Determination of the amount of laundry (S1631):

The control part may begin a laundry amount determination step to determine the amount of laundry. The step of determining the amount of laundry has been described above, and thus, its further detailed description will be omitted. The goal of a silent program is to reduce noise and / or vibration, in addition to preserving the washing ability. The movement from the drum drive of each stage may vary according to the amount of laundry.

H.1.1. Water Supply (S1633):

Once the user selects a silent program, the water supplying step may begin. The water supply stage supplies washing water to the tank. In addition, the water supplying step dissolves the detergent mixed with the washing water and wets the laundry loaded in the drum. At the silent program water supply stage, the control part can supply more washing water to the tank compared to the standard program water supply stage. The reason why more washing water is supplied will be described in the next washing step.

H.1.1.1 First water supply (S1635):

In the water supplying step, the control part may implement the first water supplying step along with the washing water supply. At the stage of the first water supply, the control part controls the drum so that it is brought into rolling motion.

As mentioned above, the rolling motion continuously rotates the drum in a predetermined direction, and the laundry is separated from the drum after turning to a position of 90 ° or less relative to the direction of rotation of the drum from the lowest point of the drum. With rolling motion, the drum rotates at a relatively low speed, and the separated laundry moves with rolling along the inner surface of the drum to the lowest point of the drum, without falling to the lowest point. As a result, the rotation of the drum and the rolling movement of the laundry can cause a predetermined swirling motion in the wash water, and the dissolution of the detergent can be stimulated in the wash water. At the same time, the rolling motion causes the laundry to roll along the inner surface of the drum, and it may not have the impact noise generated by abrupt lowering of the laundry. As a result, the rolling motion in the first water supplying step can provide the detergent with the ability to efficiently dissolve in the wash water, in addition to reducing noise. At the stage of the first water supply, the rolling motion can be repeated for a predetermined period of time a number of times.

H.1.1.2 Second water supply (S1637):

Once the first water supplying step is completed, the control part may begin the second water supplying step. At the second water supply stage, the control part can control the drum so that it is driven in one by one filtering movement and rolling movement with a continuous supply of washing water to the tank. The stages of the first and second water supply can differ from each other according to a corresponding predetermined time, and the time of each stage can be adjusted according to the amount of laundry.

As mentioned above, the filtering motion rotates the drum at high speed to generate centrifugal force, and the generated centrifugal force keeps the laundry in close contact with the inner circular surface of the drum. In addition, washing water passes through the laundry and through holes of the drum under centrifugal force to be discharged into the tank. As a result, the laundry is wetted with washing water during the filtering movement. In addition, the washing water simply passes through the laundry, and the laundry may not be damaged along with wetting in the washing water. After the filtering movement is realized within a predetermined period of time, rolling motion can be realized. As mentioned above, the rolling motion in the first water supplying step may enable the detergent to dissolve effectively in the wash water, in addition to reducing noise. In addition, the larger surface area of the laundry is in contact with the washing water, moving with rolling along the inner surface of the drum, and thus, the laundry can be wetted more effectively and more uniformly in the washing water. As a result, a combination of filtering and rolling movements can minimize noise and enable wetting of laundry, dissolution of detergent and unraveling of laundry to be effectively achieved. Such a sequential combination of filtering and rolling movements can be repeated a number of times over a given period of time.

H.1.2 Wash (S1635):

As soon as the washing water is supplied to a predetermined water level, the water supplying step is completed, and then the washing step may begin.

H.1.2.1 Heating step / first wash (S1640):

Once the water supplying step is completed, the control part may start the first washing step. The first washing step may include a heating step configured to heat the washing water to a predetermined temperature. In contrast to the heating step and the washing step of the standard program, the first washing step of the silent program may include only rolling movement. The rolling motion allows the laundry to move with rolling along the inner surface of the drum without drastically lowering the laundry. As a result, such rolling and rolling movement can maximize friction between the laundry and the washing water and between the laundry and the drum, and the washing step can effectively remove dirt from the laundry with minimized noise.

As mentioned above, the control part in the water supplying step may supply more washing water as compared to the water supplying step of the standard program. For example, the control part can control the amount of washing water supplied during the washing step of the silent program so that it is 1.2 times larger than the amount of washing water supplied to the same amount of laundry. An increase in the amount of washing water results in an increase in the water level inside the drum. When the laundry is moved with rolling in the drum with the increased water level by rolling movement, the friction between the washing water and the laundry can be further increased and the washing ability can be further improved. As a result, the rolling movement adapted at the washing stage can provide a washing ability that meets the requirements, in addition to suppressing noise generation.

Once a predetermined amount or more of laundry is loaded into the drum, spinning at a low speed of the drum cannot easily rotate the laundry with the drum. Even if it rotates with the drum, a large amount of laundry may have difficulty moving with rolling along the inner surface of the drum due to volume. As a result, since the rolling motion rotates the drum at a relatively low speed, a large amount of laundry lacks rolling motion as expected, and thus lacks the desired washing ability. Because of this, if a large amount of laundry is being washed, the washing step may accommodate a drum movement other than the rolling movement described above.

That is, when the laundry amount measured in the laundry amount determining step is larger than the predetermined reference value, the tumbling motion can be implemented in the washing step instead of the rolling motion. The tumbling motion continuously rotates the drum in a predetermined direction like a rolling motion, and the rotational speed of the drum in the tipping motion is higher than that of the drum in the rolling motion. As a result, the laundry is separated from the drum after turning to a position of 90 ° or more relative to the direction of rotation of the drum from the lowest point of the drum. Since the drum rotates at a relatively high speed during the tipping movement, the separated laundry falls to the lowest point of the drum, and this is different from the rolling movement. As a result, laundry may be washed by impact due to friction between the laundry and washing water, and also by lowering. Although the tumbling motion generates more noise than the rolling motion, the noise generated may be less than the noise generated by other drum movements, such as the step motion and the wiping movement, which have an enhanced washing ability. As a result, the tumbling motion can effectively wash a large amount of laundry along with the greatest possible suppression of noise generation. When the measured amount of laundry is less than the reference value, the rolling motion may be implemented as mentioned above.

To stimulate the heating of the wash water, the heating preparation step may be implemented before the heating step. However, the heating preparation step may include drum movement, and the drum movement may generate noise. As a result, preliminary steps, such as the heating preparation step before the first washing step, may not be implemented in the washing step of this program, and the washing water may be heated to a predetermined temperature in the first washing step. The washing water may be heated by a heater or a steam generator installed in the tank.

H.1.2.2 Second wash (S1642):

The control part may begin the second washing step after the first washing step. Contaminants can be more completely removed at the second washing stage. Like the first washing step, the second washing step of the silent program may include only rolling movement. Noise generation can be minimized by rolling motion, and soiling can be effectively removed by rolling motion, as described above. In addition, a larger amount of washing water is supplied by rolling movement, compared with the amount of washing water supplied in the standard program. As a consequence, adaptation of the rolling motion can provide sufficient washing ability, in addition to suppressing noise generation.

If the amount of laundry is large, the drum is driven in a tumbling motion. If the laundry amount is small, the drum is driven in a rolling motion, similar to the first washing step described above.

H.2 Rinse Cycle (1650):

As soon as the wash cycle is completed, a rinse cycle may begin, configured to remove residual detergent and dirt from the laundry. The rinse cycle is similar to the rinse cycles of the standard program described above, and thus its further detailed description will be omitted.

The first rinse stage, implemented at the initial stage of the rinse cycle of the standard program, includes the stage of the first driving of the drum using a filtering movement, which can generate a large amount of noise. As a result, the filtering movement is not realized in the rinse cycle of the silent program. Although the stages of the rinse cycle of the standard program can accommodate various drum movements, the silent program can only apply rolling motion to the stages of the rinse cycle to reduce noise, as in the washing phase.

To enhance the overall rinse ability, the rinse stages are repeated more times in a silent program than in the standard program. For example, a rinse cycle may occur four times or more. This is because the drum rotates at a lower rpm when centrifuging a silent program than the centrifuging cycle of a standard program, thereby impairing the rinse ability. That is, in the centrifugation cycle, the washing water is typically separated from the laundry by centrifugal force caused by the rotation of the drum at a high speed, and the detergent and dirt are simultaneously separated from the laundry along with the washing water. However, during the normal centrifugation step of the centrifugation cycle of the silent program, the drum rotates at a lower number of revolutions per minute, and thus the total washing ability may be impaired. As a result, the rinsing steps can be carried out four times or more in the rinse cycle of the silent program.

H.3 Centrifugation Cycle (S1670):

Once the rinse cycle is completed, the control part may begin the centrifugation cycle. The centrifugation cycle is similar to the centrifugation cycles of a standard program, and thus its further detailed description will be omitted.

At the stage of normal centrifugation of the silent program, the drum can rotate at a lower number of revolutions per minute than at the stage of normal centrifugation of the standard program, to reduce noise. For example, to reduce noise, the drum can rotate at a predetermined number of revolutions per minute, which is 50% of the number of revolutions per minute of a normal centrifugation cycle of a standard program. That is, the drum can rotate at approximately 400 rpm.

I. Program I (Programs for cotton, synthetic, mixed fabrics)

Similar to the program for functional clothing described above, programs may be provided corresponding to types of items of linen and types of fabric of linen. For example, a program for cotton fabrics configured to wash cotton fabrics such as towels, tablecloths, t-shirts, and the like, a program for synthetic fabric or an easy care program configured for washing synthetic fabric, and a program for mixed fabrics may be provided, configured to wash a mixture of fabric types such as cotton and synthetic fabrics. Synthetic material, for example, may include polyamide, acrylic, polyester, and other such fabrics.

Cotton fabric and synthetic fabric have different characteristics. That is, cotton fabric is more resistant to abrasion and shock, with less concern for deformation than synthetic fabric. In addition, a cotton fabric can absorb more washing water than a synthetic fabric, and causes less wrinkling than a synthetic fabric. However, it is not easy to separate items of cotton fabric from items of synthetic fabric and to implement appropriate washing programs to wash them separately all the time. This is because the user usually wears clothes made from both cotton and synthetic fabrics and does not want to wash individual partial loads of cotton and synthetic clothes. As a result, a washing program may be provided combining the advantages of a program for cotton fabrics and a program for synthetic fabrics, that is, a program for mixed fabrics.

A blended fabric program can be useful for many reasons. For example, if a user separates items of cotton underwear and items of synthetic fabric to be washed separately, the washing may adversely delay until a predetermined amount of laundry has been accumulated, and thus, dirty laundry can be ignored for a relatively a long time. Of course, if a small amount of laundry is washed separately, energy can be wasted. Consequently, a program for mixed fabrics, capable of washing items of linen from traditional types of fabrics, can prevent the problem of ignoring linen and waste of energy.

In the provided washing program corresponding to such fabric type mixtures shown in FIG. 17, the washing cycle, the rinse cycle and the centrifugation cycle may differ according to the characteristics of the particular type of fabric. As described below, a program for cotton fabrics, a program for synthetic fabrics, and a program for blended fabrics having operating conditions of each step that are customizable based on the type of fabric will be described with reference to the cycles and steps of the standard program described above. Compared to the standard program, a repeated detailed description will be omitted, as appropriate, and the difference will be described in detail.

As soon as the user selects a program for cotton fabrics, a program for synthetic fabrics or a program for mixed fabrics (S1710) according to the type of fabric, the control part can implement a washing cycle (S1730), a rinse cycle (S1750) and a centrifugation cycle (S1770), as well as stages according to the selected program.

I.1 washing cycle:

I.1.1 Step for determining the amount of linen (S1734):

The control part may determine the amount of laundry in the washing cycle, and the method for determining the amount of linen in this program is similar to the above methods, and a repeated description will be omitted. The measured amount of laundry can be appropriately used in the next step, which will be described in detail.

I.1.2. Water Supply Step (S1733):

The control part may implement a water supplying step configured to supply washing water and detergent to the tub or drum and to dissolve the detergent in the washing water. That is, the washing water is supplied from an external water supply along with the detergent. For the initial supply of washing water and detergent to the laundry, washing water and detergent are supplied directly to the laundry inside the drum. That is, the washing water supply path may be located in the front upper part of the drum towards the inside of the drum, and not in the lower part of the tank. When the detergent is a powder type, the dissolution of the detergent is not enough to be implemented sufficiently, and movement from the drum drive of the water supplying step, which will be described later, can effectively dissolve the detergent. As a result, the washing water and the detergent are supplied to the laundry at the initial stage of the washing cycle, and the time required by the washing cycle can be shortened to improve the washing efficiency.

I.1.2.1 Promoting the dissolution of detergent (S1735):

In the step of stimulating the dissolution of the detergent, the movement from the drum drive may vary according to the type of fabric of the laundry. For example, a rubbing motion may be implemented for items of cotton fabric underwear, and a step motion may be implemented for items of synthetic fabric underwear. In alternative embodiments, a scouring motion and / or step motion may be implemented.

The wiping motion bends / stretches and wipes the laundry by lowering the laundry to cause friction. As a result, a similar wipe with human hands can be expected at the initial stage of the wash cycle. However, this rubbing movement can be realized for a fabric that is somewhat resistant to abrasion, and the movement from the drum drive can be a rubbing movement in the detergent dissolution promoting step of the cotton fabric program.

According to the characteristics of synthetic fabric, synthetics are lighter than cotton items, and synthetics have a lower percentage of water than cotton items. In addition, items made from synthetics make you worry more about damage caused by friction than items made from cotton. Because of this, the step motion can be implemented in the step of stimulating the dissolution of the detergent, in order to stimulate the dissolution of the detergent and to prevent tissue damage. That is, the movement from the drum drive in the step of stimulating the dissolution of the detergent for the synthetic fabric may be a step motion. A step motion applies a maximum lowering shock to a light synthetic fabric in order to stimulate the dissolution of the detergent, and an effect similar to that of a person washing can be expected at the initial stage of the washing cycle.

The movement from the drum drive of the detergent dissolution stimulation step in the mixed fabric program may be a combination of the step motion and the rubbing motion. That is, the step motion and the wiping motion, which are optimal for cotton and synthetic fabrics, respectively, can be combined so that the dissolution of the detergent can be stimulated and the washing effect can be expected at the initial stage of the washing cycle. In this case, different movements from the drum drive are combined, and as a result, the laundry moving patterns and the washing water moving patterns can be varied enough to improve the efficiency of the washing cycle.

I.1.2.2 Wet laundry (S1736):

At the stage of wetting the laundry of the standard program, the drum can rotate with rolling movement. The rolling motion produces less friction applied to the laundry than the above rubbing movement, and the rolling motion is realized during the period that the laundry is wetted. As a result, although friction is applied between the wetted laundry items, there will be little concern about the damage to the laundry, and the laundry wetting step implemented in the rolling motion can be implemented in a similar manner, regardless of the type of fabric of the laundry.

Regardless of whether the fabric is cotton or synthetic, the rolling motion can be realized at the stage of wetting the laundry. Even when the user selects any one of the programs for cotton fabrics, programs for mixed fabrics, or programs for synthetic fabrics, the rolling movement can be realized at the stage of wetting the laundry after the step of stimulating the dissolution of the detergent.

The laundry wetting step may include two steps, including the first and second laundry wetting steps, which are implemented separately. For example, when the laundry wetting step is implemented within 10 minutes, the first wetting step of the laundry may be implemented within 5 minutes, and the second wetting step of the laundry may be implemented within 5 minutes. More specifically, the additional water supply can be implemented at the stage of first wetting the laundry, and the second stage of wetting the laundry can be implemented as soon as the additional water supply is completed.

The movements from the drum drive of the first and second laundry wetting steps may vary in order to wet the laundry more efficiently and to uniformly supply both the detergent and the washing water to the laundry. For example, the movement from the drum drive of the first laundry wetting step may be a rolling motion, and the movement from the drum drive of the second laundry wetting step may be a combination of rolling motion and filter motion. That is, the rolling motion can be realized with a predetermined overall coefficient of action at the stage of the first wetting of the laundry. In the second wetting step of the laundry, after the filtering movement is implemented once, the rolling movement is implemented four times and this forms a single cycle. The cycle can be repeated.

The rolling motion continuously turns the laundry at the bottom of the drum to increase the contact time between the washing water and the detergent. The filtering movement stretches the laundry widely and allows washing water and detergent to be uniformly fed into the laundry, so that it can effectively wet the laundry. This can typically take about 13 minutes to complete the wetting of the laundry in the rolling motion, while the wetting of the laundry can take about 10 minutes according to this embodiment.

The movement from the drum drive of the first laundry wetting step may vary according to the amount of laundry. The movement from the drum drive of the first laundry wetting step may vary according to the laundry amount determined in the laundry amount determining step. For example, if a certain amount of laundry is a predetermined level or more, the drum is driven in a rolling motion, as mentioned above. If a certain amount of laundry is less than a predetermined level, the drum may be driven in a combination of step and rolling movements.

The step motion sharply lowers the laundry after lifting. If the amount of laundry is large, the lowering distance of the laundry may be reduced. Thus, a step motion is appropriate for a small amount of laundry. Such a step motion could cause damage to the laundry. As a result, in a program for cotton fabrics, when the amount of laundry is less than a predetermined level, a combination of the step motion and the rolling motion can be implemented in the first wetting step of the laundry. When the laundry amount is a predetermined level or large, the rolling motion may be implemented in the first wetting step of the laundry. In the program for synthetic fabrics and the program for mixed fabrics that make you worry about damage to the laundry, the rolling movement can be implemented at the stage of the first wetting of the laundry, regardless of the amount of laundry.

In alternative embodiments, the circulation step may be implemented in the water supply step as regards driving the drum. That is, the circulation step can be synchronized with an electric motor drive configured to drive the drum. The washing water circulated when the laundry is moved by driving the drum can be supplied to the laundry, and the purpose of the water supplying step can be achieved more efficiently.

The detergent dissolution promoting step and the laundry wetting step are included in the water supplying step according to this embodiment. However, the step of stimulating the dissolution of the detergent and the step of wetting the laundry could be provided regardless of the step of supplying water. In this case, after the water supply, the step of stimulating the dissolution of the detergent or the step of wetting the laundry may be implemented.

I.1.3. Heating (S1741):

The heating step may vary according to the selected program of work in this program. For example, the temperature of the washing water used in the heating step may be set different depending on the type of fabric of the laundry.

Cotton fabric is somewhat resistant to heat. As the temperature of the washing liquid rises, more detergent dissolves in the washing water, and the activation of the detergent is further stimulated. As a result, when a program for cotton fabrics is selected, the temperature of the washing water can be set to be approximately 60 ° C during the heating step. Such washing water temperature may be selected from a range extending from cold water to water at about 95 ° C through the selection part 118. As the temperature of the washing water increases, the activation of the detergent can be further stimulated, and the washing ability can be further improved, further improving the sterilization / bleaching effect, if appropriate.

Synthetic fabric may be more susceptible to / less resistant to heat, and thus a program for synthetic fabrics or a program for mixed fabrics is intended to prevent heat damage to the laundry. When a program for cotton fabrics or a program for mixed fabrics is selected, the temperature of the washing water can be set to be approximately 40 ° C during the heating step. In the program for synthetic fabrics or the program for mixed fabrics, the user can be prevented from choosing the temperature of the wash water so that it is higher than 60 ° C to prevent damage to the laundry. For example, when a program for synthetic fabrics or a program for mixed fabrics is selected, the temperature of the washing water during the heating step may have the highest limit of 60 ° C.

The movement from the drum drive of the heating step may be a tumbling motion regardless of the program selected. This is because the tumbling motion can unravel the laundry while reducing damage to the laundry. As a result, the tumbling motion can provide steam or heated washing water with the ability to effectively pass into the laundry.

In alternative embodiments, a circulation step may be implemented in a heating step. The circulation stage can be synchronized with the drum drive. Since the circulation step is implemented after the initial heating is realized to a predetermined degree, the circulation step can be synchronized with the drum drive at a predetermined time after the initial driving of the drum begins.

I.1.4 Wash (S1742):

The movement of the drum drive of the washing step may be a sequential combination of the rolling motion and / or the tumbling motion and / or the swinging motion. The movement from the drum drive of the washing step can be modified according to the selected program, since both the effect of protecting the fabric and the effect of the improved washing ability should be achieved.

That is, in the case of washing the laundry from the cotton fabric, movement from the drum drive configured to wash the laundry using powerful mechanical force can be realized. In the case of washing laundry from a synthetic fabric, movement from the drum drive configured to wash the laundry by using a relatively low mechanical force can be realized. The washing step may include one of the steps of the washing cycle, which requires the longest time. As a result, the washing step can be controlled to realize the washing most efficiently. Since the required time of the washing step is long, the greatest damage to the laundry is likely to be caused at the washing step.

With this in mind, the drum can be brought into a combination of rolling motion and tumbling motion at the washing stage when a program for cotton fabrics is selected. The combination of two different movements applies different patterns of powerful mechanical force to the laundry, and washing efficiency can be improved. That is, according to the characteristics of the cotton fabric, there is little concern about tissue damage. As a consequence, a powerful mechanical force is applied to wash the laundry, and the washing effect can be improved to a greater extent. When a program for cotton fabrics is selected, a combination of the filtering motion and the tumbling motion can be implemented in the washing step, the circulation step being synchronized with the drum drive. Since the cotton fabric makes you worry less about damage to the laundry, the filtering movement can supply washing water and detergent to the laundry continuously and efficiently.

In contrast, when a program for synthetic fabrics is selected, the drum may rotate in a combination of swing motion and tilt motion during the washing step. The combination of two different movements can improve the washing effect. The swing motion gently sweeps the laundry in the wash water, and thus the damage caused by friction can be minimized. In addition, the time during which the laundry is in contact with the washing water can be increased sufficiently to improve the washing effect.

Since the program for mixed fabrics is designed to effectively wash together both cotton items and synthetic items, the washing effect should be improved and the damage to the clothes should be reduced as much as possible, regardless of the type of fabric. To satisfy this, the movement from the drum drive of the washing step when the mixed fabric program is selected may be a combination of the tumbling motion and / or the swinging motion and / or the rolling motion. That is, a swing motion configured to prevent damage to the laundry may be provided, and a rolling motion configured to improve the washing ability may be provided.

In the program for synthetic fabrics and the program for mixed fabrics, the circulation stage can be synchronized with the drum drive to provide both washing water and detergent the ability to be continuously fed into the laundry.

As mentioned above, although one of the programs for cotton fabrics, programs for synthetic fabrics or programs for mixed fabrics is selected, movements from the drum drive of the washing step can be controlled to combine two different movements. This should form a variety of patterns of mechanical force and movement of linen, as well as visually improve user satisfaction.

When the level of contamination of the laundry is selected from the selection part 118, the overall coefficient of action of the electric motor can be adjusted according to the selected level of contamination. However, an increase in the overall coefficient of action also increases the time during which a mechanical force is applied to the laundry. Given this, the overall coefficient of action of the wash cycle may vary according to the program selected by the user. That is, the overall coefficient of action of a program for cotton fabrics may be greater than that of a program for synthetic fabrics and a program for mixed fabrics.

I.1.2 Rinse cycle (S1750):

Once the wash cycle is completed, a rinse cycle may begin. In the rinse cycle, the rinsing steps configured to drain the washing water after the laundry is rinsed using the supplied washing water may be repeated. The rinse stage of the rinse cycle in this program can be repeated three times or more.

Water for washing can be supplied so that the water level of the rinse cycle is higher than the water level of the wash cycle. That is, the washing water can be supplied to a predetermined level of water that is visible from the outside in order to improve the rinsing effect by using enough washing water.

The movement from the drum drive of the rinse cycle may be a tumbling movement. A tumbling motion dips / pulls the laundry into / out of the washing water, and this can be repeated. A high water level along with a tipping movement visually notifies the user of sufficient rinsing. The tumbling movement of the rinse cycle can prevent the motor from overheating and also improve the rinse efficiency. That is, the water level of the rinse cycle may be higher than that of the washing cycle, and the load applied to the drum may be increased accordingly by the washing water. The stepping motion, the rubbing motion and the swinging motion repeat the rotation and braking of the electric motor. As a result, such braking can cause an excessive load on the engine. In addition, if the water level is high, the load caused by the washing water can be increased. In a rinse cycle having a high washing level, the movement from the drum drive does not even have a sharp braking effect to prevent the motor from overheating. Thus, a tumbling motion configured to rotate the drum in a predetermined direction may be preferable in the rinse cycle.

The circulation step may be implemented in a rinse cycle to circulate the washing water held in the tub to the drum. This may have the effect of visually notifying the user of sufficient rinsing.

I.3. Centrifugation Cycle (S1770):

Once the wash cycle and the rinse cycle are completed, a centrifugation cycle can be implemented to discharge as much water as possible for washing from the laundry. In the normal centrifugation step of the centrifugation cycle, the RPM of the drum may vary according to the program selected by the user, taking into account the percentage of water content and residual wrinkling according to the type of fabric.

Cotton fabric has a high percentage of water content or absorption, with less wrinkle worries. Even if there are creases formed on the cotton fabric, creases are easy to remove. In contrast, synthetic fabric has a low percentage of water content or absorption, with great concern for wrinkles. As a result, in a program for cotton fabrics, a predetermined number of revolutions per minute may be higher than in a program for synthetic fabrics and a program for mixed fabrics, and a predetermined number of revolutions per minute, for example, may be 1000 revolutions per minute or more. Here, the revolutions per minute of centrifugation can be changed through the user selection part of the option.

The set number of revolutions per minute of the program for synthetic fabrics and the program for mixed fabrics can be set to be from 400 to 600 revolutions per minute. Even when centrifuging synthetics at low revolutions per minute, washing water can be sufficiently discharged from synthetics and wrinkles can be prevented. In this case, the number of revolutions per minute of centrifugation can be changed through the user selection part of the option. In some embodiments, the centrifugation rpm is set to a maximum of 800 rpm.

J. PROGRAM J (PROGRAM FOR WOOL FABRIC):

A washing program provided according to the type of fabric of the laundry may also more preferably include a program for woolen fabrics than a program for cotton fabrics, a program for synthetic fabrics and a program for mixed fabrics. The woolen fabric program applies to linen that has less soiling and more concern about tissue damage. That is, a program for woolen fabrics may be provided for washing items of linen from woolen fabrics that are hand-washable. If they are washed using powerful mechanical force, items of wool cloth are likely to be damaged. As a result, in the program for woolen fabrics, the drum is driven in a predetermined movement having a weak mechanical force, for example, a swinging movement. Taking into account the characteristics of the wool fabric, the movements of the drum of the wash cycle, the rinse cycle and the centrifugation cycle of the program for wool fabrics may be different from the movement of the drum of the standard program.

J.1. Washing cycle:

In a program for woolen fabrics, it is important to prevent damage to the fabric, and the drum may be driven into a swinging motion configured to gently move the laundry to the right and left at the bottom of the drum, in the wash cycle of the program for woolen fabrics. In this case, the water level may be high enough to allow the water level inside the drum to be visible from the outside. As a result, the friction between the inner circumferential surface of the drum and the laundry can be minimized, and the touch of the laundry grips can be repeated with the rotation of the laundry immersed in the washing water, which prevents damage to the laundry, and it allows washing and rinsing to be carried out gently. This swinging movement can minimize damage to the laundry and increase the contact time of the washing water and the detergent with the laundry in order to improve the washing effect.

The program for woolen fabrics is shown in Fig. 18. Selects a wash cycle for a wool program (S1810). At the initial stage of the washing cycle (S1830), washing water and detergent can be supplied to the tub or drum, that is, the water supplying step can be implemented (S1833). The water supplying step may include a detergent dissolution promoting step (S1835) and a laundry wetting step (S1836). The detergent dissolution promoting step is configured to promote detergent dissolution implemented in the initial stage of the water supplying step, and the laundry wetting step is configured to sufficiently wet the laundry to prepare the washing step after the water supply is completed. The wetting step of the laundry may be carried out before or after the water supply is completed.

The detergent used in the wool fabric program may be a neutral detergent and typically a liquid type, which may not take so long to dissolve in washing water as a powder type. Given this, the detergent is supplied to the laundry at the initial stage of the water supply along with the washing water. As soon as the water supply starts, the washing water is supplied to the liquid detergent held in the detergent drawer. Laundry water and liquid detergent are supplied together in a tank or drum. In order to supply the washing water and the liquid detergent to the laundry faster, the washing water and the liquid detergent mixed together can be sprayed onto the laundry located in the drum. For more efficient dissolution of the detergent, a circulation step configured to supply washing water held in the tub to the top of the drum may be implemented.

The drum can be driven into a swinging motion, and then a slight vortex movement is caused in the wash water, so that the dissolution of the detergent can be stimulated while preventing damage to the laundry. Once the water supply is complete, the swing motion and the circulation step can be implemented together to prepare for the washing step. This may be considered a type of laundry wetting step.

Once the detergent dissolution promoting step and the laundry wetting step are completed, if necessary, the heating step (S1841) configured to heat the washing water can be implemented. However, the temperature of the washing water in the heating step can be controlled so as not to exceed 40 ° C. The heat generated if the temperature of the washing water rises too much will distort the linen and damage the linen from the woolen fabric. A temperature of 40 ° C does not cause thermal deformation and stimulates the activation of detergent and the absorption of washing water in the laundry.

The movement of the drum drive of the washing step (S1842) may be a swinging movement. The washing step requires the longest time from the steps of the washing cycle, and in order to prevent damage to the laundry in the washing step, the swinging motion is used in the washing step. If the application and stopping of mechanical force is reapplied to the linen of woolen fabric, fabric damage may be caused. This mechanical repetition causes shrinkage of the woolen fabric. To prevent shrinkage, the swinging movement can be continuously implemented during the washing step.

As mentioned above, the swinging motion drives the drum using rheostatic braking, and this may not apply a large load to the electric motor. In addition, the swing motion may have a drum drive configured to reciprocate between the right and left sides by less than 90 °. As a result, a large load is not required to lift the laundry. If the drum is continuously driven in a tumbling motion and a step motion, excessive load may be applied to the electric motor. With a tumbling motion, less load may be applied to the electric motor than with the scrubbing and stepping motion, but the laundry rises and falls to cause tissue damage. Given this, the swinging movement is realized at the washing stage.

J.2 Rinse cycle (S1850):

Once the wash cycle is completed, a rinse cycle may be implemented. First, intermediate centrifugation may be implemented. After the intermediate centrifugation, the washing water is supplied to start rinsing, and the rinsing cycle is carried out several times, if necessary. That is, after the water is supplied and rinsed, the draining of the water can be repeated. Typically, intermediate centrifugation is carried out in the middle of the water supply after draining the water.

Intermediate centrifugation unravels laundry at a relatively low speed. Intermediate centrifugation includes transient centrifugation configured to unravel laundry at a relatively low speed, along with measuring vibration, and basic centrifugation configured to centrifuge laundry at a relatively high speed for a predetermined time. Transient centrifugation can be carried out at about 100 rpm, and the main centrifugation can be carried out at about 200 rpm (low resonant frequency) or more.

However, when a wool program is selected, intermediate centrifugation may be omitted. Intermediate centrifugation is a series of operations for removing water for washing laundry with centrifugal force, and tensile force can inevitably be generated in the laundry. As a result, linen made of woolen fabric that is subjected to external force may be damaged during the centrifugation cycle. To relieve such anxiety, intermediate centrifugation may be skipped. For example, main centrifugation and intermediate centrifugation are removed, and only transitional centrifugation can be implemented. If the entire sequence of water drainage operations for washing by centrifugal force is withdrawn, the rinse ability may noticeably deteriorate. Considering the rinse ability and damage to the laundry, transient centrifugation may be implemented, and the main centrifugation may be omitted.

The sequence of the rinse, which includes the supply and discharge of water, can be implemented three times or more, since the remnants of the detergent should be effectively removed from the laundry. The rinse water level may be higher than the water level of the washing step, and the circulation step may be carried out by rinsing. When a liquid detergent is used, it is usually possible to sufficiently drain the remaining detergent due to the fact that the rinsing step is carried out twice, and intermediate centrifugation. However, in the case of this program, the main centrifugation from the intermediate centrifugation is omitted to prevent damage to the laundry, and the rinsing step can be carried out three times to achieve the desired rinse effect.

The driving of the drum of the rinsing step may be a swinging motion to prevent damage to the laundry. The swinging motion gently sweeps the laundry in the washing water and provides the remaining detergent soaked in the laundry with the possibility of being diverted into the washing water so that the rinsing efficiency can be enhanced.

J.3 Centrifugation Cycle (S1870):

Once the rinse cycle is completed, a centrifugation cycle can begin. The centrifugation cycle is similar to the centrifugation cycle of the standard program described above, the number of revolutions per minute of the drum of the normal centrifugation step can be set to be 800 revolutions per minute or less, to protect the wool fabric of the linen.

K. PROGRAM K (PROGRAM FOR DELICATE FABRICS):

A washing program provided according to the type of fabric of linen may include a program for delicate fabrics, as shown in FIG. 19, to wash items made of delicate fabrics such as silk, plastic fabric, items of linen having metal accessories, attached to them, and other such delicate products. A drum movement having a relatively weak mechanical force, such as a swinging movement, can be implemented to gently wash laundry from delicate fabrics in a delicate fabric program like a wool program. As a result, taking into account the characteristics of the delicate fabric, the movements from the drum drive of the wash cycle, the rinse cycle and the centrifugation cycle of the program for delicate fabrics may be different from the movements from the drum drive of the standard program.

K.1 washing cycle (S1930):

Like a program for woolen fabrics, a program for delicate fabrics is selected (S1910), and the drum is driven in a swaying motion in the wash cycle (S1930) of the program for delicate fabrics, and washing water is supplied (S1933) to a relatively high water level. In addition, the detergent dissolution promoting step (S1935) may be similar to the detergent dissolution promoting step of the wool fabric program, since the liquid type detergent is typically used to wash delicate laundry items in the delicate fabric program, as in the program for woolen fabrics. However, after the detergent dissolution promoting step, the laundry wetting step (S1936) may be different from the laundry wetting step of the woolen fabric program. Woolen fabric has a relatively good water absorption capacity compared to delicate fabric, and delicate fabric is more susceptible to heat damage than wool fabric. Because of this, the temperature of the washing water used to wash the delicate fabric can be set to be approximately 30 ° C. Although cold water could be selected, a temperature higher than 40 ° C is usually not selected.

The wetting of the laundry can be effectively implemented using a filtering motion in the wetting step of the laundry. The circulation stage can also be implemented. After rotationally driving the drum and uniformly distributing the laundry inside the drum to expand the surface area of the laundry, the circulation step circulates the washing water held in the tub on the laundry. In addition, a swinging movement is implemented to flood the laundry in the wash water, and to cause the laundry to move quietly to stimulate wetting of the laundry. The filtering motion and the swinging motion are repeated in various patterns to stimulate wetting of the laundry. However, the movement from the drum drive of the laundry wetting step can only be a swinging movement.

Once the wetting of the laundry is completed, the washing step may begin (S1942). The drum movement of the wash cycle may be a swinging movement. Delicate fabric can be more resistant to external shock than wool. In order to achieve a more effective washing efficiency, the movement of the drum of the washing step may be a combination of a swinging motion and a tumbling motion, with a relatively high level of washing water.

Alternatively, only the tumbling motion can be realized in the washing step. In this case, the laundry that is dropping collides with the surface of the washing water, and not with the inner surface of the drum at the drum, due to the high water level. This means that the lowering distance is reduced. Although the shock load applied to the laundry is reduced by the high water level, vortex movement is caused in the wash water in order to improve the washing effect. Since the laundry has a relatively low pollution, the time of the washing step can be set to be relatively short, and the overall coefficient of action can be set to be relatively low. Although only a tumbling motion is realized, damage to the laundry can be prevented. The circulation step may also be implemented in the washing step.

K.2 Rinse cycle (S1950):

Once the wash cycle is completed, a rinse cycle may begin. As mentioned above, a liquid type detergent can be used in a delicate fabric program, and residual detergent can be sufficiently discharged by a rinse step performed twice. Like a program for woolen fabrics, intermediate centrifugation can be omitted in a program for delicate fabrics. For example, intermediate centrifugation is not skipped, but only main centrifugation can be skipped. The drum movement of the rinse cycle can only be a tipping movement. Such a tumbling motion has the effect of distributing the laundry. That is, the tumbling movement provides the surface area of the laundry with the opportunity to evenly contact the washing water and divert the remaining detergent to the outside. In this case, the washing water level may be relatively high. Swing motion can be added to tipping motion in the rinse cycle.

K.3 Centrifugation cycle (S1970):

Once the rinse cycle is completed, a centrifugation cycle can begin. The centrifugation cycle of this program may be similar to that of the program for wool fabrics. The drum rpm of the normal centrifugation step can be set so as not to exceed 800 rpm. The delicate fabric has a low percentage of water content / absorption, and washing water can be sufficiently discharged even when the drum rotates at a relatively low RPM in the normal centrifugation step. In addition, normal centrifugation can be implemented at a relatively low RPM to prevent tissue damage caused by centrifugation.

L. PROGRAM L (SPORTS CLOTHING PROGRAM):

Next, a sportswear program shown in FIG. 2D will be described, which may be provided in a washing program categorized based on the type of fabric of the laundry. A program for sportswear may be provided to wash laundry made from a functional fabric having good breathability and good sweat absorption function, such as mountaineering clothing, jogging suits and sportswear. Like a program for woolen fabrics or a program for delicate fabrics, a drum movement having a weak mechanical force, such as a swinging movement, can be implemented in a program for sportswear. Consequently, taking into account the characteristics of the fabric of sportswear, the drum movements of the washing, rinsing and centrifugation cycles provided for in the sportswear program may be different from the drum movements in the standard program. As soon as the sportswear program (S2010), the wash cycle (S2030), the rinse cycle (S2050) and the centrifugation cycle (S2070) are selected can be implemented like a program for woolen fabrics and a program for delicate fabrics. However, due to the characteristics of the sportswear, the washing cycle of the sportswear program may be different from the washing cycle of the other programs described above.

L.1 Washing cycle (S2030):

Sportswear has hydrophobic characteristics that protect moisture from being easily absorbed into the fabric. As a result, compared with other types of fabrics, sportswear fabric has a low percentage of water content / absorption, and thus, water can be supplied to sportswear fabric sufficiently and continuously in the wash cycle. For this, the movement from the drive of the drum of the washing cycle (S2030), in particular, the water supplying step (S2033) provided in the washing cycle, may be different from the movement of the drum of the washing cycle in other programs.

First, in this program, the movement from the drum drive of the detergent dissolution stimulation step (S2035) may be a rubbing motion and / or a step motion. Sportswear fabric has little damage to the fabric compared to woolen or delicate fabric, so the sportswear program can use a drum drive movement capable of exerting more powerful mechanical force than the swinging movement.

The laundry wetting step (S2036) of the sportswear program may be different from the program for woolen fabrics and the program for delicate fabrics. Although it can prevent damage to the laundry, the swinging movement is not enough to supply washing water to the folded sections of the laundry due to the hydrophobic characteristics of the sportswear fabric. With this in mind, the filtering movement (including the circulation stage) can be implemented at the stage of wetting underwear programs for sportswear. The filtering movement evenly distributes the laundry inside the drum and evenly supplies washing water to the drum. Together with the filtering movement, the rolling movement configured to turn the laundry over can be continuously implemented.

L.2 Rinse cycle (S2050):

The rinse cycle of this program may be similar to the rinse cycles of the standard program, the program for woolen fabrics and the program for delicate fabrics, and thus its further detailed description will be omitted.

L.3 Centrifugation cycle (S2070):

The centrifugation cycle of this program may be similar to the centrifugation cycles of a standard program, a program for woolen fabrics and a program for delicate fabrics, and thus its further detailed description will be omitted.

M. PROGRAM M:

In the washing machine according to the second embodiment described above in FIG. 2, the tub is directly attached to the housing, and a drum is provided in the tub. According to a second embodiment, the tank is stationary and only the drum vibrates. As a result, it is important to prevent the drum from touching the tub when the drum rotates, and the distance between the tub and the drum may be greater than the distance in the washing machine according to the first embodiment shown in FIG.

When the distance between the tub and the drum is large, the laundry loaded in the drum may not be sufficiently moistened with washing water fed into the tub. Because of this, when water is supplied to the washing machine according to the second embodiment, the circulation pump is activated to effectively wet the laundry, and the washing water supplied to the tub may be circulated. For example, the circulation pump can be continuously driven or driven at a predetermined interval, which is an open water supply valve.

In the washing machine according to the second embodiment, the drum is connected to the rear side 230 of the tub. However, the rear side 230 of the tank is supported by the suspension unit through the bearing housing 400, and not the tank. Therefore, compared with the washing machine according to the first embodiment, which includes a back of the tank attached directly to the tank to support the load of the drum, the degree of freedom of the drum provided in the washing machine according to the first embodiment can be relatively large, and the front part The drum may have an increased degree of freedom.

However, when water is supplied to the tank, the water supply line and the circulation line are used to supply washing water from the front of the tank. As a result, the laundry located in the front of the drum would be wetted first, and the load on the front of the drum is greater than the load on the back. This may cause the front of the drum to move down. If the front of the drum moves down, noise and vibration may increase during rotation of the drum and may cause the drum to come into contact with the inside of the tank. As a result, in the washing machine according to the second embodiment, the laundry located in the front and rear of the drum should be uniformly wetted when water is supplied to the laundry. Program M is referred to as a washing program applicable to the washing machine according to the second embodiment, namely the standard program of the washing machine according to the second embodiment. This program will be described with reference to FIG.

M.1 washing cycle (S2130):

21 is a flowchart of a method according to program M. As soon as the user selects this program from the program selection part (S2110), the control part can implement the following cycles of the sequence of operations.

The washing cycle may include a laundry amount determining step (S2131), a water supplying step (S2133), a laundry wetting step (S2135), a heating step (S2137), and a washing step (S2139). In the following description, the laundry wetting step is described as an independent step separate from the water supplying step. However, the laundry wetting step may be included in the water supplying step.

M.1.1. Water supply (S2133):

After measuring the amount of laundry in the wash cycle, the water supplying step may begin. The laundry determination step of the water supplying step is described in detail in the above programs, and thus its further detailed description will be omitted.

The control part supplies washing water to the inside of the tank in the water supplying step. More specifically, the control part opens a water supply valve for supplying washing water to the tub through the water supply line and a detergent drawer. As described below, when the washing water is supplied to the laundry in the washing machine according to the second embodiment, embodiments of the water supply methods allowing uniform wetting of the laundry located in the front and rear of the drum will be described.

According to the water supply method according to the first embodiment, when the water supply step delivers water, the circulation pump is activated to circulate the wash water, and the drum is simultaneously activated. The control part may drive the drum in a scrub motion from the drum motions described above.

In the washing machine according to the second embodiment, the distance between the drum and the tub is larger than the distance between the tub and the drum in the first embodiment. Thus, in the second embodiment, if the drum is driven in a tumbling motion (as in the first embodiment) during the water supplying step, the laundry located at the rear of the drum is not enough to be uniformly wetted. That is, since the gap between the drum and the tank is large, the washing water between the drum and the tank is not enough to be lifted by the rotation of the drum during a tipping movement, and especially the laundry located at the rear of the drum is not enough to be wetted .

As a result, at the water supply stage of this program, the scrub motion is implemented instead of the tumbling motion. As mentioned above, the scrubbing motion rotates the drum at a higher rpm (compared to the tipping motion), and the washing water located between the drum and the tub can be lifted by rotating the drum and then falling onto the laundry.

In particular, if the rear of the drum and the tub are tilted downward in the washing machine according to the second embodiment, the washing water located in the rear of the tub can be supplied to the surface area of the laundry by a rubbing motion. The scrubbing motion rotates the drum in a clockwise / counterclockwise direction, abruptly reversing the direction of rotation. As a result, sharply inverted rotation of the drum causes a swirling movement in the wash water, and the laundry located in the front and rear parts of the drum can be uniformly wetted.

When the water supply valve is open to supply water for washing, the drum is driven and rotated, and the laundry moves inside the drum according to the drum drive. In this case, the washing water supplied through the water supply line connected to the front of the drum can mainly be supplied to the laundry conveyed in the front of the drum. The laundry located in the front of the drum is wetted more easily than the laundry located at the back of the drum. As a result, according to the second embodiment of the water supply method, the drum may not be driven until a predetermined time elapses after the water supply valve for supplying water is opened, or until the water level reaches a predetermined level . When the drum is not driven for a predetermined time, or until the washing water reaches a predetermined level, the washing water supplied through the water supply line can be held at the bottom of the tub. The set water level can be determined taking into account the gap between the tank and the drum, and the set time can be determined according to the capacity of the tank and the drum and the amount of laundry.

In particular, if the back of the tub provided in the washing machine according to the second embodiment is tilted downward, a lot of washing water may accumulate in the back of the tub. From here, after a predetermined time has passed, the drum is driven and rotated, and the washing water held in the back of the tub can evenly wet the laundry located in the back of the drum. When the drum is driven in the washing machine according to the second embodiment, the movement of the drum may be a tumbling motion or a rubbing motion.

When the water supply valve is opened to supply water according to the second embodiment, without driving the drum, the on / off of the water supply valve can be controlled. That is, when the water supply valve is open for supplying water, the washing water may have a predetermined pressure due to the pressure of an external water supply source, such as a water tap, and then the washing water supplied through the water supply line can be supplied to the front of the drum under water pressure, so that the laundry located in the front of the drum can more easily be wetted.

As a result, during the water supply in the second embodiment, the water supply valve is repeatedly controlled to turn on and off, rather than being continuously open, and then the washing water supplied can be controlled to turn on and off to obtain a predetermined water pressure sufficient not to be fed directly into the drum. Sufficient pressure so as not to be directly supplied to the drum means the pressure of the water, which allows the water supplied through the water supply line, to fall through the drum, tank or door to accumulate in the lower part of the tank rather than being sprayed directly into the drum. Water falling down the drum, tank or door may accumulate in the rear of the tank, and a description of the washing water accumulated in the tank is similar to the second embodiment, so that a repeated description can be omitted.

When the laundry inside the drum becomes tangled during the water supplying step, the laundry may be partially wetted. In particular, the laundry located in the center of the lump of tangled laundry may not be wetted, and only the laundry located on the surface area of the lump may be wetted. If only some of the laundry is wetted, the washing cannot be realized in the washing cycle, and the washing ability may be impaired. As a result, the control part may cause the drum to filter in order to uniformly wet the laundry if the laundry is tangled.

That is, the control part opens the water supply valve for supplying water and it drives a circulation pump for simultaneously circulating washing water. In addition, the control part rotates the drum at a predetermined number of revolutions per minute. The predetermined number of revolutions per minute is determined to be the number of revolutions per minute, giving the linen the opportunity not to fall under gravity, but to be in close contact with the inner surface of the drum during rotation of the drum. As a result, a predetermined number of revolutions per minute can be set so that the centrifugal force caused by the rotation of the drum is greater than the acceleration of gravity when the drum rotates. In addition, a predetermined rpm can be set to be lower than the overspeed region (from about 200 rpm to 35 rpm) that causes resonance in the washing machine. If the drum rotates at a higher RPM than the overspeed region, noise and vibration can noticeably increase in resonance. As a result, a predetermined number of revolutions per minute can be set to be from about 100 revolutions per minute to 170 revolutions per minute in this control method.

As a result, as soon as the control part rotates the drum at a predetermined number of revolutions per minute, the laundry may be in close contact with the inner surface of the drum due to centrifugal force. The washing water supplied through the circulation line and the water supply line can be distributed parallel to the rotation of the drum. Distributed washing water may be supplied to the drum and to the laundry in close contact with the inner surface of the drum, so that the laundry can be wetted uniformly.

M.1.2 Wet laundry (S2135):

After the water supplying step, the control part may start the laundry wetting step. In the laundry wetting step, the control part closes the water supply valve. The control part drives the drum, and the washing water is circulated along with the actuation of the circulation pump. Although the wetting of the laundry is implemented in the water supplying step, the water supply valve is turned off in the wetting step of the laundry, and the wetting of the laundry can be realized by driving the drum.

At the laundry wetting step of this program, the control part drives the drum to realize laundry wetting. In this case, the control part may cause the drum to roll. Since the rolling motion moves with rolling the laundry inside the drum along with the rotation of the drum, the washing water often comes into contact with the laundry, and the wetting of the laundry can be freely implemented.

In the implementation of the laundry wetting step, the control part classifies the laundry wetting step into the first and second laundry wetting steps. The stages of the first and second wetting of the laundry can be driven according to the movements of the drum at the drum, that is, the control part can control the movements of the drum of the first and second wetting stages of the laundry so that they are different from each other. The operation of the circulation pump is as follows.

More specifically, in the first wetting step of the laundry, the control part can drive the drum into one of the rolling and / or stepping movements. The selection of movements from the drum drive can be determined according to the amount of laundry. That is, if the laundry amount inside the drum is less than a predetermined reference value, for example, if the laundry amount is small, the control part may drive the drum according to the stepwise movement. If the laundry amount is a reference value or more, the control part may drive the drum according to the rolling motion.

As mentioned above, if the amount of laundry is small, the effect of lowering the laundry of the stepping motion can be improved. As a result, if the amount of the laundry is small at the stage of the first wetting of the laundry, a step motion lowers the laundry with a maximum lowering distance to allow water to be absorbed into the laundry. Meanwhile, if the amount of laundry is large at the stage of the first wetting of the laundry, a rolling motion is realized. This is because the lowering distance of the laundry of the stepping motion is not relatively large in the case of a large amount of laundry.

From here, at the second wetting stage, the control part can set the drum in motion with a predetermined number of revolutions per minute, giving the linen the opportunity to be in close contact with the inner surface of the drum, not to fall under gravity, that is, according to the filtering movement. As a result, the drum rotates at a predetermined number of revolutions per minute, and the laundry may be in close contact with the inner surface of the drum due to centrifugal force. The washing water supplied by the circulation pump is uniformly supplied to the laundry attached to the inner surface of the drum, and thus, the laundry can be uniformly wetted.

At the second wetting stage of the laundry, the control part can realize another movement from the drum drive after the filtering movement. For example, a control part may implement a rolling motion after a filtering motion. In this case, the filtering movement distributes the laundry to supply washing water to the laundry, and the rolling movement moves the laundry by rolling to uniformly wet the laundry in the washing water.

M.1.3 Heating (S2137):

After that, the control part starts the heating step. More specifically, the control part drives the drum according to one of the tumbling and / or rolling and / or swinging movements in the heating step, by actuating the heater provided in the tub for heating the washing water held in the tub.

In the washing machine of the second embodiment, the gap between the drum and the tub is larger than the gap of the first embodiment. As a result, when the washing water is heated by driving the heater, the drum rotates, and only the washing water held in the tub is heated, and not the washing water held in the drum. As a result, compared with heated washing water, soiling of the laundry may not be removed unhindered during the washing step, which will be described later, due to the relatively low temperature of the laundry.

As a result, the control method applied to the washing machine according to the second embodiment drives the circulation pump in the heating step to circulate the washing water. The heated washing water held in the tank is re-fed to the top of the tank with a circulation pump, so that the laundry can heat up. However, in the heating step, the circulation pump can be driven periodically, at a predetermined interval, rather than continuously driven. In particular, in the heating step, the circulation pump can be controlled so that the turn-off time of the circulation pump is longer than the turn-on time. If the circulation pump is operated continuously during the heating step, or if the turn-on time of the circulation pump is longer than the turn-off time, washing water not heated to a predetermined temperature would circulate, and the washing water may not heat up to the desired temperature.

If a heater is provided in the tank, it is important to operate the heater when it is not exposed from the surface of the water. If the heater is driven while it is exposed, too much load is applied to the motor and the heater may malfunction. As a result, if the heater is driven in the heating step, a predetermined water level remote from the heater (hereinafter, the reference water level) can be maintained in the heating step. That is, when the water level is lower than the control level in the heating step, the control part turns off the heater. When the water level rises to a predetermined level or more by re-supplying water, the control part turns on the heater again (hereinafter, “cuts off”).

However, if the heating step uses the cut-off method in the washing machine according to the second embodiment, too much load can be applied to the heater and the variety of circuits, and the useful life of the washing machine can be reduced.

That is, the heating step of the washing machine according to the second embodiment drives and heats the heater while simultaneously driving the circulation pump, as mentioned above. As a result, the water level inside the tank may not be constantly supported by the actuation of the circulation pump, but may continuously change to a predetermined degree. In this case, the water level inside the tank changes sufficiently to drop below the reference water level. In particular, if the water level inside the tank changes above the control level, the heater can turn on if the water level is above the control level, and turn off if the water level is below the control value, so that the motor can be turned on / off continuously. Turning the heater on / off repeatedly may put too much strain on the heater and the variety of circuits, and this may shorten the useful life.

As a result, if the water level inside the tank decreases to reach a reference level during driving the electric motor during the heating step of the washing machine according to the second embodiment, water replenishment can be implemented to prevent the heater from turning on / off again. More precisely, when the water level inside the tank drops below the control level at the heating stage, the control part stops the drum drive and turns off the circulation pump. At this time, in addition, the water supply valve opens to realize the replenishment of water. The reason why the drum and the circulation pump are turned off is that it is difficult to measure the exact water level due to the changing water level when the drum and the circulation pump are activated. When expanding, you can turn off the motor. Meanwhile, replenishment of water can be realized within a predetermined time or until a water supply is realized so that the water level reaches a control level or above a control level by measuring the water level. The specific water level at the replenishment of water can be modified according to the type of program selected at the initial stage of heating.

M.1.3 Wash (S2139):

After the heating step, the control part may implement a washing step configured to drive the circulation pump along with driving the drum. In the washing step, the movement from the drum drive at the drum may be appropriately selected from the movements of the drum according to a program selected by the user. For example, the movement from the drum drive of the washing step may be determined similarly to one of the washing steps provided for in the above programs. The circulation pump can be driven at a predetermined interval to circulate the washing water held in the tub.

M.2 Rinse Cycle (S2150):

Once the washing cycle is completed after the above steps, the control part may start the rinse cycle. The general rinse cycle may include a rinse-centrifugation step, a water supply step, a drum driving step, and a water drainage step. First, the control part starts rinsing-centrifugation by rotating the drum at a second speed (2 rpm) (S2151), in the rinsing-centrifugation step to remove residual moisture and detergent in the laundry along with rotating the drum from about 500 rpm minute to 700 rpm. The control part stops the drum and opens the water supply valve to supply rinse water to the tank. The rinse water level can be pre-set according to the program selected by the user, or according to the user's manual setting.

After the water supply, the control part sets the drum in motion at the first speed (number of 1 revolutions per minute) at a predetermined interval. At the stage of driving the drum, the control part controls the movement of the drum drive at the drum and removes detergent from the laundry. The control part of this step may control the drum so that there is one of the tumbling and / or stepping and / or rubbing and / or rolling and / or swinging movements described above.

From here, the control part stops the drum drive and drives the water drain pump to drain the rinse water held in the tank to the outside (S2153).

The rinse-centrifugation cycle, the water supplying step, the drum driving step and the water draining step described above can be a single cycle in the rinse cycle. The control part may implement the cycle once or several times according to the selected program or user choice. However, a single cycle in a rinse cycle may include a rinse-centrifugation step. The second rotation speed of the rinse-centrifugation step may correspond to approximately 500 rpm to 700 rpm, as mentioned above, and the rotation frequency of such a rinse-centrifugation may correspond to an overspeed region (approximately 200 rpm to 350 rpm) , which causes the resonance of the washing machine.

As a result, if the laundry located in the drum is not evenly distributed, a laundry distribution step configured to distribute the laundry may be implemented, and then the drum speed may be accelerated to rinse-centrifuge. The laundry distribution step re-rotates the drum at a predetermined number of revolutions per minute in a clockwise and / or counterclockwise direction. After the laundry distribution step, the eccentricity level of the drum is identified. If the eccentricity level of the drum is less than a predetermined value, rinsing-centrifugation may be implemented. If the eccentricity level is a predetermined value or greater, the laundry distribution step may be repeated. Since the laundry distribution step is implemented before the rinse-centrifugation step, the rinse cycle time may increase. In particular, as the laundry distribution step is repeated, the rinse cycle time can increase markedly and the time consumed by the rinse cycle cannot be accurately predicted.

As described below, in order to solve the above problem, a rinse cycle control method will be described, allowing a reduction in the total time consumed by the rinse cycle.

As shown in FIG. 21, the rinsing cycle of the washing machine according to the second embodiment may include a step for supplying washing water, a step for driving the drum (S2151), and a step for draining the water (S2153). Compared to the first embodiment, the rinse cycle according to the second embodiment skips the rinse-centrifugation step. Since the rinse-centrifugation cycle is omitted, the rinse cycle time can be reduced as much as the time of the rinse-centrifugation step, and the laundry distribution step may not be necessary, thereby preventing a noticeably longer rinse cycle caused by the repeat of the laundry distribution step. Although skipping the rinse-centrifugation step reduces the rinse cycle time, the rinse-centrifugation step configured to remove the detergent residues by rotating the laundry at a relatively high speed is skipped, and then it would be difficult to sufficiently remove the detergent residues.

As a result, in the rinse cycle control method according to the second embodiment, the drum rotates at a second rotational speed (2 rpm) for approximately 1 to 3 minutes and does not stop at the water discharge stage. The second rotational speed is determined to be a predetermined speed, which allows the laundry to attach to the inner surface of the drum due to gravity, and not fall during rotation of the drum. The second speed can be set so that the centrifugal force caused by the rotation of the drum is greater than the acceleration of gravity. In addition, the second speed may be set to be lower than the overspeed region of the washing machine. If the drum rotates at high speeds, resonance can markedly increase noise and vibration. As a result, a second speed may be set to be from about 100 to 170 rpm.

As a result, the stage of draining the water rotates the drum at a predetermined speed and, thus, the laundry can be in close contact with the inner surface of the drum due to centrifugal force, so as to remove residual detergent from the laundry. Compensating for the missed rinse-centrifugation step, the water draining step rotates the drum at a second rotation speed to prevent deterioration of the rinse ability.

At the stage of rotation of the drum with a second rotation frequency (a predetermined speed, which allows the laundry to be in close contact with the inner surface of the drum), if the water held in the tank is drained, all of their stages of draining the water can be implemented before the rinse cycle. That is, even if the water is drained in the washing cycle, the stage of rotation of the drum with a given number of revolutions per minute can be implemented.

M.3 Centrifugation Cycle (S2170):

The centrifugation cycle of this program may be similar to the centrifugation cycles of other programs, for example, the centrifugation cycle of program A. Thus, its further detailed description will be omitted.

Program M described above can be applied to the washing machine according to the second embodiment. However, program M can also be applied to the washing machine according to the first embodiment. That is, program M can be applied to any of the washing machines according to the first and second embodiments.

N. TIME MANAGEMENT OPTION:

Next, a time management option will be described. As a rule, as soon as a specific program is selected, the work of the selected program begins on the basis of a predetermined algorithm, and the work ends in a given amount of time. The run time required to implement the program may be the sum of the time periods required by the individual cycles that make up the program. This total operating time may be displayed on the display part 119.

In certain circumstances, the operating time may be too long. For example, if the user has to leave after 1 hour, and the specified operating time is 1 hour and 20 minutes, the operating time is 20 minutes longer than desired by the user. In contrast, heavy contamination can make the washing operation, which is carried out for 1 hour and 20 minutes, insufficient for washing the laundry. To solve the problem, there is provided a washing machine and a method for controlling it, capable of managing time.

The washing machines described above may include a time management option provided for time management. That is, the operating time of a specific program can increase or decrease through part of the selection. More precisely, the user can select a time saving option from a time management option. Alternatively, the user can select an intensive option through a time management option. If no such options are selected, the work can be implemented according to a predefined program. This time management selection option may be implemented before the wash cycle begins and after the selection of the work program.

For example, when the user selects a time saving option, if the run time of the cotton program is 120 minutes, the required run time, for example, can be reduced to 100 minutes. When the user selects the intensive option, the operating time can be extended up to 140 minutes to ensure sufficient cleaning of heavily soiled items. There may be a predetermined difference between a predetermined time and the actually required time.

The required time of the wash cycle and / or rinse cycle can be changed according to the choice of time saving option. That is, the cycle, whose required operating time is changed / adjusted, may be different depending on the selected program. For example, in the case of a program for cotton fabrics, programs for synthetic fabrics and programs for mixed fabrics, it is important to improve the washing ability. As a result, the required normal wash cycle time may not be changeable, even if the time saving option is selected. Thus, the required time of one of the components of the rinse cycle can be considered for setting.

The rinse cycle repeats the flow of water, draining and centrifuging. Rinsing can be carried out twice, three times or four times. Centrifugation can be carried out in the same order of the centrifugation cycle, with the number of revolutions per minute and the time of the main centrifugation, less than the centrifugation cycle. As a result, when the time saving option is selected, the main centrifugation of the rinse cycle may be skipped.

When the time saving option is selected, the step of determining the amount of laundry may be skipped depending on the selected program. For example, when a program for wool, delicate fabrics, or sportswear is selected, the amount of this special fabric is relatively small. If such items of cloth become dirty, the user seeks to wash them immediately. As a result, it is rarely necessary to erase a large number of these types of items of laundry in one program operation. With this in mind, the step of determining the amount of laundry may be skipped when a program for woolen fabrics, delicate fabrics or sportswear is selected.

In contrast, when the intensive option is selected, the number of rinse implementations in the rinse cycle or the required wash cycle time may increase, or both may increase.

This time management option matches the purpose of a specific program and provides the user with the ability to conveniently manage time.

O. Program O:

″ Program O ″ will be described with reference to FIG. ″ Program O ″ can be installed as a program specific to laundry, which can be washed with increased washing, such as heavily soiled clothing or children's clothing. That is, an enhanced washing ability is required for washing clothes having severe soiling, such as work clothes. In this case, at least one step included in this program may include the step of supplying steam to the laundry, when steam is supplied to the laundry, the temperature of the laundry is increased by high temperature steam, and the dirt attached to the laundry is soaked to improve the washing ability and / or rinsing. In addition, in the case of clothes required for sterilization, such as children's clothing, steam is used to achieve the sterilization effect. Here, a steam generating device (not shown) may be provided for generating steam by using water supplied from an external water supply to supply steam to the laundry, in other words, the steam generating device receives water from an external water supply and heats the water to generate steam. After that, the vaporization device supplied steam to the laundry, in this case, a steam line configured to move steam through it, and a steam nozzle configured to supply steam can be provided in the steam generation device. The vaporization device may be multi-purpose to be a storage type configured to store water in it, or a heating type configured to move water.

O.1 Stage of waiting for user input:

First of all, the washing machine performs a user input waiting step (S2510) configured to wait for user input. In this case, the washing machine visually displays the input of the program through the display device to wait for user input. Alternatively, the washing machine may inform the user of program input in an audible manner.

O.2 Execution of the selected program:

When the user selects a program, the controller identifies whether the selected program is a steam program (S2530). Here, a steam program is a program including at least one step using steam. In other words, at least one step included in the washing, rinsing and centrifuging cycle of the selected program includes a step using steam, and then the program may be referred to as a steam program.

When a steam program is selected, the control part performs the step of supplying steam to the drum of the washing machine and the step of driving the drum at least once (S2570). Here, steam can be generated by the steam generation device described above, and the steam generation device can supply steam to the drum when the drum is driven, the movement from the drive of the drive drum can be a strong movement, such as a rubbing and / or step movement, a movement including the sharp braking stage or ″ shocking movement ″ and / or ″ rubbing movement ″, wiping and step motion are described above, and their repeated description will be omitted. Such a steam supplying step and a drum moving step may be performed, and their sequence being combined with each other.

For example, steam is first supplied, and the drum movement step is performed later. Even so, foreign substances attached to the laundry can be effectively soaked with steam. Because of this, when the drum movement is performed after the steam supplying step, foreign substances attached to the laundry can be removed without hindrance. In other words, the steam soaking step and the washing step using the drum movement may be included. In particular, the drum movement step may include a movement having a strong movement, such as a rubbing and / or step, or a sharp braking step, and it can remove foreign substances more efficiently. As a result, when the step of moving the drum is performed after steam is supplied, the washing efficiency of the laundry can be markedly improved. When the drum movement step is performed after steam is supplied to the laundry, the predetermined period of each step may overlap with each other, in which case a similar effect can be achieved.

When the steam supplying step is performed after the drum moving step, it is expected that the steam can remove creases and unpleasant odors from the laundry and prevent static electricity. The drum movement step can be performed in the wash cycle or rinse cycle, therefore, when steam is supplied after the drum movement in such a cycle, a refreshing effect using steam can be expected, such as sterilizing the laundry, removing wrinkles, removing an unpleasant odor, or preventing static laundry. When the steam supplying step is performed after the drum moving step, the predetermined period of each step may overlap with each other, in which case a similar effect can be achieved.

Meanwhile, the steam supplying step and the drum moving step may substantially overlap without prioritizing the two steps. For example, at least one of the starting point and ending points of the steam supplying step fully corresponds to at least one of the moments of the drum moving step, alternatively, each of the steps may be performed before or after the overlapping period.

The case of the steam supply step and the drum movement step substantially overlapping with each other, for example, can be performed in a ″ steam refreshing program ″. A steam freshening program may be defined as a program configured to perform freshening by using steam without supplying water, when the drum is driven whenever steam is supplied, steam can be uniformly applied to the laundry, and the refreshing effect can be improved more efficiently. In particular, when the drum is driven in motion including a strong movement, such as a rubbing and / or step movement, or a movement having a sharp braking, a relatively strong shock load can be applied to the laundry, and the effect of removing dust attached to the laundry can be achieved. .

The above steam freshening program may be described as follows. For example, when you try to increase the temperature inside the drum, steam is supplied, and the temperature of the inside of the drum can rise up to a predetermined temperature or more, when the temperature of the inside of the drum rises to a predetermined temperature or more, the control part can set the drum in motion with the steam supply, the strong movement of the drum makes it possible to eliminate foreign substances such as dust attached to the laundry. The steam supply makes it possible to achieve a refreshing effect. After that, the steam supply is stopped to unravel the laundry inside the drum, and the stage of movement of the drum is performed only for a predetermined period of time. Alternatively, to remove creases from the laundry by using strong movement, the drum movement step is stopped, and the steam supply step and the supply step can be performed for another predetermined period of time.

Meanwhile, if the program entered by the user is not a steam program, the program may be executed as set in advance (S2550). Here, when the user selects one of the above programs, the selected program may be executed as described above.

P. Program P:

″ Program P ″ will be described with reference to FIG. ″ Program P ″ can be used to sterilize laundry items such as baby clothes. In other words, enhanced washing ability may be required to wash clothes with high levels of contamination, such as work clothes. In this case, at least one step included in such a program may include the step of spraying steam onto the clothes in the drum. When steam is supplied to the clothes, the temperature of the clothes rises with high-temperature steam, the dirt attached to the clothes can be soaked to improve the washing and / or rinsing performance. In addition, if items of laundry, such as baby clothes, are to be sterilized, steam may be supplied to achieve the effect of sterilizing the laundry. A steam generating device configured to generate steam from water received from an external water supply source can be used to supply steam. Such a vaporization device may include a steam line configured to move steam, and a steam nozzle configured to supply steam. A type with accumulation of water, a type with heating running water, and the like, can be used as a vaporization device.

″ Program P ″ may include a wash cycle, a rinse cycle, and a centrifugation cycle to wash and / or sterilize items that are highly contaminated, such as work clothes or baby clothes. The user can select the program P from the program selection part 117 (S2610).

P.1 Wash cycle (S2630)

P.1.1 Water supply step (S2631):

Detergent is supplied in the step of supplying water along with washing water, and a series of steps for dissolving the detergent in washing water may be performed. To enhance the effectiveness of the washing cycle, the dissolution of the detergent can be effectively performed at the initial stage of the water supply stage. Thus, the step of stimulating the dissolution of the detergent can be performed at the step of supplying water to stimulate the dissolution of the detergent.

To stimulate the dissolution of the detergent, the movement from the drum drive, providing the laundry with the ability to move inside the drum, may be a movement capable of applying a powerful mechanical force to both the washing water and the laundry. For example, a step motion configured to re-lower laundry raised along a rotating drum from an inner circular surface of the drum by braking the drum may be implemented during the water supplying step to stimulate the dissolution of the detergent. A wiping motion configured to re-lower and re-lift the laundry rising along the rotary drum, brake the drum and reverse the rotation of the drum can be implemented in addition to or instead of a step motion. The step motion and the rubbing motion both abruptly stop the drum after the rotation of the drum, so that the direction of movement of the laundry can change dramatically. As a result of this, these movements apply a strong impact to the wash water, and a powerful mechanical force is applied at the initial stage of the water supplying step. As a result, the dissolution of the detergent is stimulated, and the efficiency of the washing cycle can be improved.

In addition, a sequential combination of step and wipe movements can be repeated to stimulate the dissolution of the detergent. In this case, another type of movement from the drum drive may be combined, and the type of movement of the laundry and the type of movement of the washing water may vary to further improve the efficiency of the washing cycle.

In some embodiments, a circulation step configured to circulate the wash water inside the tub to re-supply the wash water to the drum may be performed in the water supply step to stimulate the dissolution of the detergent. This circulation step allows the washing water to be held under the drum to circulate back into the drum, further stimulating the dissolution of the detergent and the wetting of the laundry.

P.1.2 Water draining step (S2633):

Programs using steam may include an intermediate step of draining the water after the step of supplying water to maximize the action of steam.

In other words, the water supplying step described above supplies washing water along with the detergent, and proper movement from the drum drive allows the detergent to dissolve sufficiently and the laundry to be sufficiently moistened. When the detergent is sufficiently absorbed into the laundry, the water inside the drum may drain and steam can then be supplied. In other words, once the detergent has sufficiently absorbed into the laundry and the water has been removed, the temperature of the drum and the temperature of the laundry can increase with steam, and then the soaking effect of the laundry inside the drum can be achieved for more efficient washing in the washing step. This stage of water drainage may not be used in all programs, but rather used selectively. That is, provided that it takes time to replenish water after draining the water and supplying steam, the stage of draining the water may be applicable only when the clothes have a high level of contamination. To complete the washing program in a relatively short amount of time, using steam, the main and intermediate stages of draining the water can be omitted.

During the main discharge of water, the drum can rotate with a given number of revolutions per minute or more. Along with the rotation of the drum, intermediate centrifugation can be performed and water can be removed from the laundry inside the drum, maximizing the soaking and steaming effect described above. In this case, the number of revolutions per minute of the drum may be determined to be the number of revolutions per minute, which allows water to be removed from the laundry. For example, when the drum rotates during the discharge of water, the number of revolutions per minute can be determined to be the number of revolutions per minute, allowing the laundry inside the drum to contact the inner circular surface of the drum.

P.1.3 Heating step (S2635):

The washing cycle may include a heating step between the main washing step and the water supplying step for heating the inside of the drum in preparation for the main washing step.

The heating step feeds steam into the drum and maintains or raises the temperature of the wash water or drum up to a predetermined value or more. In the description of ″ program P ″, steam is sprayed at the main wash stage, which will be described later. However, steam may be supplied at other times along with the execution of the washing program P. For example, if steam is supplied in a rinse cycle, a heating step may be provided in the last part of the wash cycle before the rinse cycle.

During the heating step, the vaporization device described above heats the water and produces steam. As a result, the heater of the vaporization device is driven, and therefore the movement from the drum drive can be adjusted accordingly in the heating step. For example, a relatively high load may be applied to the electric motor during one of the motions from the drum drive, including sudden braking, such as rubbing or stepping. If a movement involving such sudden braking is realized along with the actuation of a heater to generate steam, excessive load may be applied to the washing machine. As a result, when the heater is used to generate steam, motions from the drum drive can be realized that do not use sudden braking, such as, for example, rolling and / or tipping and / or swinging movement (s).

P.1.4 Washing step (S2637):

Once the water supplying step and the heating step are completed, the main washing step may be performed and completed to complete the washing cycle.

The washing step of this program may include a steam supply step configured to supply steam into the drum. Such a steam supplying step may be performed at one or more of an initial stage, an intermediate stage, or a second half stage of a washing step to enhance the steam effect. Such a steam supplying step may be appropriately combined with appropriate movement from the drum drive before, along with or after the steam supplying step. The movement from the drum drive may be implemented in at least one of the steam supplying step, after the steam supplying step and / or during the steam supplying step.

The movement from the drum drive during the washing step may include a sequential combination of stepping, tilting and rolling movements to apply powerful mechanical force and varied movement of the laundry in order to improve the washing efficiency. Alternatively, the movement from the drum drive in the washing step may be a sequential combination of filtering motion and tumbling motion. This consistent movement from the drum drive allows the washing water to be continuously supplied to the laundry to improve the washing efficiency and to evenly apply mechanical force to the laundry to improve the washing efficiency. As a result, the movement from the drum drive during the washing step may vary according to the amount of laundry to achieve an optimized washing effect.

In some embodiments, the laundry amount may be the laundry amount determined before the water supplying step, or the laundry amount determined during the heating step. A small amount of wet laundry may be erroneously determined by a large amount of laundry, therefore, the movement from the drum drive during the washing step may vary according to the amount of laundry determined after the water supplying step.

When the laundry amount is a predetermined laundry amount level or greater, the movement from the drum drive may include a filtering movement. Together with the filtering movement, a tumbling movement can also be realized. If it is not centrifuged to circulate the washing water, only a tumbling motion can be realized. In the case of a large amount of laundry, the washing efficiency can be enhanced by a uniform and continuous supply of washing water to the laundry along with the simultaneous application of mechanical force to the laundry.

When the laundry amount is less than the predetermined laundry amount level, the movement from the drum drive may be a step motion or a rolling motion applying a strong mechanical force using various types of motion to improve the washing efficiency. In addition, the tumbling motion may occur along with such a motion.

As mentioned above, the water supplying step, the heating step and the washing step constituting the washing cycle and associated movements from the drum drive can be changed to improve the efficiency of the washing cycle. In addition, the movement from the drum drive at each stage can be modified so that an optimal washing cycle can be performed according to the amount of laundry.

P.2 Rinse cycle (S2650):

The rinse cycle in this program can be performed similarly to the rinse cycle of the other programs described above, and thus, a repeated description thereof will accordingly be omitted.

P.3 Centrifugation cycle:

The centrifugation cycle in this program can be carried out similarly to the centrifugation cycle of the other programs described above, and thus, its re-description will accordingly be omitted.

IV. DRUM DRIVING MOVEMENT ACCORDING TO THE PROGRAM AND PROGRAM STAGE

Next, movement from the drum drive will be described according to each cycle of each program. As mentioned above, the movement from the drum drive includes a combination of the direction of rotation of the drum and the frequency of rotation of the drum and distinguishes between the lowering direction and the lowering point of the laundry located in the drum to make up the different movements of the drum. These movements from the drum drive can be realized by controlling an electric motor.

Since the laundry is lifted by a grip provided on the inner circumferential surface of the drum during rotation of the drum, the rotation frequency and the direction of rotation of the drum are controlled to modify the shock load applied to the laundry. That is, the mechanical force, including the friction between the laundry, the friction between the laundry and the washing water, as well as the impact load of lowering, can be modified. In other words, the stress or rubbing level of the laundry may vary to wash the laundry, and the distribution level of the laundry or the circulation level of the laundry may vary.

As a result, the movement from the drum drive can vary according to each cycle constituting different washing programs and to each specific step constituting each cycle, so that the laundry can be technologically processed by optimized mechanical force. As a result, washing efficiency can be improved. In addition, a single, fixed movement from the drum drive may result in excessive washing times. Next, movement from the drum drive for each cycle will be described.

Washing cycle:

The washing cycle includes a step of determining the amount of laundry, a step for supplying water and a washing step. The water supplying step includes a detergent dissolution promoting step configured to dissolve the detergent, and a laundry wetting step configured to wet the laundry. The step of stimulating the dissolution of the detergent and the step of wetting the laundry may be provided independently, separately from the water supplying step. A heating step may be further provided according to each program.

1.1. Determination of the amount of linen:

The electric currents consumed to rotate the drum are measured to implement the step of determining the amount of laundry. In this case, when the drum rotates in a predetermined direction, the consumed currents are measured, and the drum can be driven according to a single rotation motion, for example, a tumbling motion, in the laundry amount determination step.

1.2 Water supply:

In the water supplying step, the washing water is supplied together with the detergent, and the step of dissolving the detergent may be implemented. To improve the efficiency of the washing cycle, the dissolution of the detergent can be effectively performed at the initial stage of the water supply stage. To quickly dissolve the detergent in the washing water, a movement configured to apply strong mechanical force can be effective. That is, a powerful mechanical force is applied to the washing water to dissolve the detergent in the washing water more efficiently. As a result, at the step of stimulating the dissolution of the detergent, the drum rotates according to the step motion and / or the rub motion. As mentioned above, the step motion and the scrub motion rotate the drum at a relatively high speed, applying sharp braking to the drum to change directions, and powerful mechanical force can be generated. The combination of stepping and scrubbing may be possible at this point.

At the stage of stimulating the wetting of the laundry, it is important to wet the laundry in washing water mixed with a detergent. In this case, the movement from the drum drive may be a filtering movement. Alternatively, filtering motion and rolling motion can be sequentially implemented. The rolling motion continuously turns the laundry over to allow the washing water held in the lower part of the drum to evenly contact the laundry, and is appropriate when wetting the laundry. The filtering movement expands the laundry during rotation of the drum to bring the laundry into tight contact with the inner circular surface of the drum while spraying the washing water into the drum, so that the washing water can be discharged from the tub through the laundry and through holes of the drum due to centrifugal force . As a result, the filtering movement expands the surface area of the laundry and allows washing water to pass through the laundry. As a result, the effect of a uniform supply of washing water to the laundry can be achieved. In addition, to use this effect, the two different movements from the drum drive, that is, the filtering movement and the rolling movement, are sequentially repeated at the stage of stimulating laundry wetting. If the laundry amount is a predetermined value or more, the wetting effect of the laundry may be deteriorated by the rolling motion having a relatively low drum speed, and thus, the tumbling motion having a relatively high drum speed may be implemented instead of the rolling motion.

However, the step of stimulating the dissolution of the detergent or the step of wetting the laundry of the water supplying step may be classified according to the movement from the drum drive when the washing water is supplied continuously. As a result, it is difficult for the user to distinguish between the above steps in the water supplying step. From the point of view of the user, it seems that the drum is driven according to one of the rolling and / or tipping and / or step movements at the water supply stage, or a combination of two or more of the movements.

According to the type of fabric, there may be programs configured to prevent damage to the fabric. In addition, according to the program, there may be programs configured to suppress noise generation when laundry is washed on the basis of the programs. When the drum is driven according to a movement capable of applying powerful mechanical force, damage to the laundry fabric or the generation of noise during the water supplying step can generally be difficult to avoid. As a result, movements are provided at the water supply stages that are capable of reducing noise generation as much as possible or preventing tissue damage. In these programs, the effect of dissolving the detergent and the effect of wetting the laundry are achieved so that in these programs the drum can be driven by the swinging movement or the time of the rolling movement can be increased.

The swinging motion can minimize the movement of the laundry inside the drum compared to other movements, and it can minimize tissue damage caused by the friction of the laundry and the friction between the laundry and the drum. In addition, the rolling motion causes the laundry to roll along the inner surface of the drum and does not cause an impact load produced by abrupt lowering of the laundry.

If the dissolution of the detergent and the wetting of the laundry are realized in the water supplying step, a circulation step configured to circulate the washing water may be provided at least at a predetermined stage. Such a circulation step can be implemented behind the water supply step or at a predetermined stage of the water supply step.

1.3 Heating:

At the heating stage, movement from the drum drive may be provided, configured to transfer heat generated, while the heater provided in the tank heats the washing water with laundry. In the heating step, the drum is driven according to a tumbling motion configured to continuously rotate the drum in a predetermined direction. If the direction of rotation of the drum changes, swirling motion is caused in the wash water, and heat transfer efficiency may deteriorate. If the laundry amount is less than a predetermined level of the laundry amount, the drum is driven in a rolling motion. If the laundry amount is a predetermined laundry amount level or large, the drum is driven in a tipping movement. The rolling motion can effectively heat the laundry if the amount of laundry is less than a predetermined level. If the laundry amount is a predetermined level or large, a tumbling motion configured to rotate the drum at a relatively high speed may be appropriate.

1.4 Wash:

The washing step may take the longest time from the washing cycle. In the washing step, the contaminants of the laundry can be substantially removed, and the movement from the drum drive of the washing step can be a movement capable of moving the laundry in different patterns. For example, the movement from the drum drive of the washing step may be one of either a combination of a step motion and / or a tumbling motion and / or a rolling motion. Such a combination of movements can apply powerful mechanical force to the laundry. Especially in the case of a small amount of linen, a combination of these movements can be effective.

The movement of the drum drive of the washing step may be a combination of a filtering motion and a tumbling motion. Such movement from the drum drive can supply washing water to the laundry continuously to improve washing efficiency and can apply mechanical force to the laundry uniformly to improve washing efficiency. This combination can be effective with a large amount of linen.

A heating step is provided before the washing step, and the washing water may be heated in the washing step in order to improve the washing efficiency. If the washing water is heated, movements from the drum drive can be combined. For example, if the heater provided in the tank is driven to heat the washing water, the drum may be driven in accordance with movement from the drum drive that does not have sudden braking.

As mentioned above, in programs configured to prevent tissue damage and suppress noise generation, a movement capable of applying a relatively weak mechanical force to the laundry may be provided during the washing step. For example, in the washing steps of the above programs, a swing motion can be implemented to reduce noise generation and prevent tissue damage. As a result, the duration of the swing motion can be longer than other movements in the program. If the washing step is implemented only by the swinging movement, the washing efficiency may deteriorate, and in addition, a movement having a powerful mechanical force may be provided. The duration of a movement having a strong mechanical force can be set to be shorter than that of a movement having a weak mechanical force.

2. Rinse cycle:

In the rinse cycle, the steps of supplying water, driving the drum and draining the water are repeated to wash away any dirt attached to the laundry or residues of detergent. As a result, the movement of the rinse cycle from the drum drive can be a movement capable of causing a wiping-like effect. For example, the movement from the drum drive of the rinse cycle may be a rubbing movement and / or a swinging movement. Both the scrubbing motion and the swinging motion have the effect of continuously scrubbing and swaying the laundry in the wash water to improve the rinse ability.

When the drum is driven in the rinse cycle, a circulation step configured to circulate the washing water held in the tub inside the drum and the filtering movement can be implemented together. That is, the washing water is sprayed into the drum, and the laundry is rinsed with running water. The filtering movement generates a powerful centrifugal force and can separate detergent and dirt from the laundry along with washing water.

In the rinse cycle, the washing water can be drained together with the bubbles by using the mechanical force applied to the laundry during the drainage and / or intermediate centrifugation. As a result, the drum is driven in a step motion or tumbling motion. By lowering the raised laundry, the washing efficiency can be improved, and the bubbles can be removed without hindrance. The movement from the drum drive may vary according to the amount of laundry. That is, in the case of a small amount of linen, the step motion is implemented to form the maximum lowering distance. In the case of a large amount of laundry, a tumbling motion is realized.

As mentioned above, in programs selected to prevent tissue damage and to suppress noise generation, a movement capable of applying a relatively weak mechanical force to the laundry may be provided in the rinse step. For example, swing motion may be provided in program rinsing cycles. In the program chosen to reduce the washing time, the rinse cycle time can be reduced. For example, the filtering movement consumes a relatively large amount of time and, thus, the filtering movement can be skipped at the stage of driving the rinse cycle of the drum in the case of a program selected to reduce the total washing time.

3. Centrifugation cycle:

In a centrifugation cycle, the drum rotates at a predetermined speed or higher to remove moisture contained in the laundry, and the centrifugation cycle may include a step for unraveling the laundry and an eccentricity measurement step for accelerating the drum speed to a predetermined RPM. The proper movement from the drum drive can be selected according to the purpose of each step. For example, at the stage of unraveling laundry, it is useful to apply a relatively powerful mechanical force to the laundry. If a movement capable of applying powerful mechanical force is provided in the previous rinse cycle, even a movement having a weak mechanical force is sufficient. Moreover, in order to accurately measure eccentricity, movement from the drum drive configured to continuously rotate the drum in one direction may be appropriate in the step of measuring eccentricity.

V. NEW PROGRAMS

In the description of various programs, each program includes a washing cycle, a rinse cycle and a centrifugation cycle. However, you can skip a single cycle from each program according to the user's choice. That is, you can skip the wash cycle from program A (standard program) or skip the rinse cycle from program B (heavy soiling program), or skip the centrifugation cycle from program C (fast boiling program). Through expansion, one of the cycles provided for in each program can be set as an additional program. For example, the wash cycle of program F (programs for functional clothing) can be set as a new program. In this case, it may be referred to as ″ washing functional clothes ″. Preferably, the wash cycle, rinse cycle or centrifugation cycle provided in each program can be set as a new program.

Although the wash cycle, rinse cycle and centrifugation cycle are described in a specific order to explain each program, such cycles from one program can be combined with cycles from another program to create a new program. For example, the rinse cycle and centrifugation cycle of program A (standard program) can be combined with the wash cycle of program B (heavy soiling program) and set as a new program. Alternatively, each cycle can be taken out of other programs. For example, the rinse cycle of program A (standard program) and the centrifugation cycle of program M can be combined with the wash cycle of program B (heavy soiling program) and set as a new program. In this case, the steps configured to connect the loops can be adjusted or changed as follows.

In addition, a new program can be created based on the effects and conditions of the wash. Figures 22-24 illustrate the steps, effects, and conditions used to determine movements for a standard program, programs for strong movements (programs for heavy contaminants, programs for fast boiling, and programs for cold washing) and programs for weak movements (programs for color, delicate or woolen fabrics). Based on the desired effects and conditions, drum movements can be selected interchangeably between the standard program, the program for strong movements and the program for weak movements to create new control programs. The present disclosure and features, in addition, can be applied to the movement of the dryer drum, for example, which are disclosed in US Patent Publications Nos. 2009/0126222, 2010/0005680 and 2010/0162586, whose entire disclosures are incorporated herein by reference.

Any reference in this description of the invention to “one embodiment”, “embodiment”, “exemplary embodiment”, etc., means that a particular feature, design, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in in at least one embodiment of the invention. Appearances of such phrases in various places in the description of the invention do not necessarily all indicate a reference to the same embodiment. In addition, when a specific feature, design, or characteristic is described in connection with any embodiment, it is assumed that they are within the purview of a person skilled in the art to implement such a feature, design, or characteristic in connection with other such of the embodiments.

Although embodiments have been described with reference to a number of illustrative embodiments thereof, it should be understood that numerous other modifications and embodiments may be devised by those skilled in the art that will fall within the spirit and scope of the principles of this disclosure. More specifically, various variations and modifications are possible in the constituent parts and / or arrangements of the subject combination arrangement within the scope of the disclosure, drawings, and the attached claims. In addition to the variations and modifications in the constituent parts and / or arrangements, alternative applications will also be apparent to those skilled in the art.

Claims (19)

1. A method of operating a washing machine with a main movement for rotating the drum to provide a washing ability, according to which a user input is expected and at least one of steam supply to the drum and the drum driving in strong movement is performed when the program entered by the user is a program with steam, and the washing ability of the strong movement exceeds the washing ability of the main movement. 2. The method according to claim 1, whereby when performing at least one of the steam supply to the drum and the drum drive in a strong movement, steam is additionally supplied into the drum and the drum is driven in strong motion before steam is fed into the drum, or after steam is supplied inside the drum, or for a predetermined period that overlaps with the steam supply inside the drum, while strong movement contains at least one of the rotation of the drum with a given number of revolutions per minute in a given direction or rotation b slave with a predetermined number of revolutions per minute alternating clockwise direction and the counter-clockwise direction. 3. The method according to claim 2, according to which the strong movement further comprises abrupt braking of the drum based on the rotation angle of the drum. 4. The method according to claim 3, according to which during sudden braking of the drum a torque is applied in a direction opposite to the current direction of rotation of the drum. 5. The method according to claim 3, according to which sudden braking of the drum temporarily stops the rotation of the drum in a given direction or changes the direction of rotation of the drum when alternating between clockwise and counterclockwise directions. 6. The method according to claim 1, whereby bringing the drum into a strong movement causes the laundry in the drum to fall from the top of the drum. 7. A method of operating a washing machine with a main movement for rotating the drum, according to which a user input is expected and at least one of supplying steam to the drum and applying sudden braking to the drum is performed based on the rotation angle of the drum when the program entered by the user is a program with steam, and the level of vibration when applying sudden braking to the drum exceeds the vibration level of the specified main movement. 8. The method according to claim 7, according to which when performing at least one of the steam supply to the drum and applying sharp braking to the drum based on the rotation angle of the drum, steam is additionally supplied into the drum; drive the drum before steam supply or after steam supply, or in a predetermined period that overlaps with the steam supply inside the drum, and when driving the drum, rotate the drum with at least a predetermined number of revolutions per minute and periodically apply sharp braking to drum based on the angle of rotation of the drum. 9. The method according to claim 8, according to which, when driving the drum, rotate the drum with a first number of revolutions per minute in a predetermined direction and / or rotate the drum with a second number of revolutions per minute with alternating clockwise and counterclockwise directions. 10. The method according to claim 8, according to which, with periodic use of sudden braking, torque is applied to the drum in a direction opposite to the current direction of rotation of the drum. 11. The method according to claim 10, according to which applying torque to the drum during rotation of the drum with a first number of revolutions per minute in a given direction temporarily stops the rotation of the drum in a given direction, and applying torque to the drum when alternating clockwise and counterclockwise directions arrows changes the direction of rotation of the drum. 12. The method according to claim 7, according to which the application of sharp braking to the drum causes the laundry in the drum to fall from the top of the drum. 13. A method of operating a washing machine with a main movement for rotating the drum to provide the ability according to which user input is expected and at least one of supplying steam to the drum and driving the drum to at least one of the striking movement or rubbing movement is performed when the program entered by the user is a steam program, wherein the washing ability of the impact motion or the rubbing movement exceeds the washing ability of said main movement. 14. The method according to item 13, according to which, when performing at least one of the steam supply to the drum and the drum drive in at least one of the shock movement or rubbing movement, steam is additionally supplied into the drum and the drum is brought into at least one of the striking movement or the rubbing movement so as to hit or rub the laundry in the drum, the drum being driven before steam is supplied, after the steam has been supplied, and for a predetermined period that overlaps with the steam supplied inside the drum. 15. The method according to 14, according to which, when the drum is set in motion after the steam is supplied, the laundry is additionally soaked with the supplied steam and the drum is driven in the wash cycle or rinse cycle. 16. The method according to 14, according to which, when the drum is set in motion before steam is supplied, at least one of the sanitary processing of the laundry, removing wrinkles from the laundry, removing the unpleasant odor from the laundry, and preventing static electricity of the laundry by the supplied steam are additionally performed . 17. The method according to 14, according to which, when the drum is set in motion for a predetermined period that overlaps with the steam supply inside the drum, the temperature of the inside of the drum is further increased to a predetermined or more temperature by means of the supplied steam for sanitary treatment of laundry, removal creases from the laundry, removing unpleasant odors from the laundry and preventing static electricity and remove foreign substances from the laundry by moving the drum. 18. The method according to 14, according to which, when driving the drum, rotate the drum with a first predetermined number of revolutions per minute in a predetermined direction and / or rotate the drum with a second preset number of revolutions per minute with alternating clockwise and counterclockwise directions . 19. The method according to 14, according to which, when driving the drum, sharp braking is applied to the drum based on the angle of rotation of the drum, while applying sharp braking to the drum, torque is applied to the drum in a direction opposite to the current direction of rotation of the drum, forcing the laundry in the drum fall from the top of the drum.

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