Washer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10550506-B2
Application number	US-201515528879-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 27, 2015
Priority date	Nov 26, 2014
Publication date	Feb 4, 2020
Grant date	Feb 4, 2020

Abstract

The present invention relates to a washer and, particularly, to a washer providing a plurality of washer settings and formed so as to enable the changing of at least one option involved in a specific washer setting when the specific washer setting is selected from the plurality of washer settings, the washer comprising: an operation part formed to be rotatable so as to select the specific washer setting and the at least one option involved in the specific washer setting; a display part formed to selectively display, on the radial inner side of the operation part, input items including at least one of a plurality of washer setting icons, option icons, which are respectively involved in the plurality of washer setting icons, for the at least one option, and a start icon; at least one command input part provided at the radial outer side of the display part and the radial inner side of the operation part, and formed to input the washer setting selected by the operation part, change the at least one option, and input a signal for executing and stopping the selected washer setting; and a control part for controlling the display part such that preset information is displayed on the display part on the basis of the signals from the operation part and the command input part.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A laundry machine that provides a plurality of washing courses, and when a specific washing course is selected from among the washing courses, is capable of changing at least one option accompanying the specific washing course, the laundry machine comprising:
a rotatable manipulation unit configured to select a specific washing course and to select at least one option accompanying the specific washing course;
a display unit configured to selectively display input items, comprising one or more selected from among a plurality of washing course icons, an option icon indicating at least one option accompanying each of the washing course icons, and a start icon, inside the manipulation unit in a radial direction thereof;
at least one command input unit provided outside the display unit in a radial direction thereof and inside the manipulation unit in a radial direction thereof for inputting a washing course selected by the manipulation unit, changing the at least one option, and inputting a signal for executing and stopping the selected washing course; and
a controller configured to control the display unit such that predetermined information is displayed on the display unit based on signals from the manipulation unit and the command input unit,
wherein the display unit is formed in a circular shape, is provided inside the manipulation unit in the radial direction thereof, and is configured to selectively display the input item, and
wherein the command input unit comprises a first command input unit, configured to allow a user to input the washing course selected by the manipulation unit and to change the at least one option, and a second command input unit, configured to perform and stop the course selected by the manipulation unit.

2. The laundry machine according to claim 1 , wherein
when power is supplied to the laundry machine, a course selection screen is displayed on the display unit, and
the washing courses are displayed on the course selection screen in a circumferential direction of the display unit.

3. The laundry machine according to claim 2 , wherein each of the washing courses is displayed in a dot form.

4. The laundry machine according to claim 3 , wherein the controller controls the display unit such that the dots displayed on the display unit are sequentially lit in response to rotation of the manipulation unit.

5. The laundry machine according to claim 3 , wherein the controller controls the display unit such that information about at least one option accompanying the selected course is displayed at a position different from positions at which the washing courses are displayed.

6. The laundry machine according to claim 3 , wherein, when one of the washing course icons is selected in response to rotation of the manipulation unit and the selected washing course is input through the first command input unit, an option setting screen is displayed in the display unit, and one or more selected from among one or more predetermined option icons accompanying the selected washing course, a delay icon, and an additional option icon are displayed on the option setting screen in the circumferential direction of the display unit.

7. The laundry machine according to claim 6 , wherein the one or more option icons, the delay icon, and the additional option icon are sequentially lit in order of arrangement in response to rotation of the manipulation unit.

8. The laundry machine according to claim 6 , wherein
a back icon is further displayed on the option setting screen, and
when the back icon is selected in response to rotation of the manipulation unit and a signal is input through the first command input unit, the controller controls the display unit such that the course selection screen is displayed again on the display unit.

9. The laundry machine according to claim 6 , wherein, when the delay icon is selected in response to rotation of the manipulation unit and a signal is input through the first command input unit, a delay setting screen is displayed on the display unit in a form of an analog clock, a delay time is selected in response to the rotation of the manipulation unit, and a delay setting is completed through the second command input unit.

10. The laundry machine according to claim 1 , wherein the controller performs control such that only the second command input unit, selected from between the first command input unit and the second command input unit, is activated when a cycle execution screen is displayed on the display unit.

11. The laundry machine according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a power input unit configured to supply power to the laundry machine, wherein
when the manipulation unit is rotated by a predetermined angle or more or when the signal input through the command input unit is maintained for a predetermined time or more, power from an external power source is supplied to the laundry machine via the power input unit.

12. The laundry machine according to claim 11 , wherein, when the signal input through the command input unit is maintained for the predetermined time or more in a state in which the power is supplied to the laundry machine, the power input unit interrupts a supply of power from the external power source to the laundry machine.

13. The laundry machine according to claim 1 , wherein the first command input unit and the second command input unit are provided outside the display unit in the radial direction thereof and inside the manipulation unit in the radial direction thereof so as to be located at different positions.

14. The laundry machine according to claim 13 , wherein one of the first command input unit and the second command input unit is provided inside the manipulation unit in the radial direction thereof at a 3 o'clock position, and the other of the first command input unit and the second command input unit is provided inside the manipulation unit in the radial direction thereof at a 9 o'clock position.

15. The laundry machine according to claim 1 , wherein the washing courses comprise one or more selected from among normal washing, baby clothes, boiling, speed wash, allergy care, steam cleaning, functional clothes, bedding cleaning, cold water wash, lingerie/wool, bedclothes, and rinsing/spin drying.

16. The laundry machine according to claim 1 , wherein the option comprises one or more selected from among a washing intensity, a wash water temperature, a number of rinses, and a spin-drying intensity.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Oh Joohyeon
• Kim Youngwoo
• Kim Jayoen
• Kim Darae

Classifications

• D06F34/28 Primary

  Arrangements for program selection, e.g. control panels therefor; Arrangements for indicating program parameters, e.g. the selected program or its progress · CPC title

• D06F33/02

  Textiles & Paper · mapped topic

• D06F33/00

  Control of operations performed in washing machines or washer-dryers  (D06F31/00 takes precedence; details of control systems therefor D06F34/00; control of operations performed in domestic laundry dryers D06F58/32) · CPC title

• D06F2216/00

  Textiles & Paper · mapped topic

• D06F39/005 Primary

  Textiles & Paper · mapped topic