Washing machine and method for controlling the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10697103-B2
Application number	US-201514642953-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 10, 2015
Priority date	Mar 10, 2014
Publication date	Jun 30, 2020
Grant date	Jun 30, 2020

Abstract

A method for controlling a dishwasher is described. The method includes the actions of increasing a rotation speed of the washing tub to a predetermined target rotation speed with at least a part of laundry soaked in wash water. The actions further include rotating the washing tub at the target rotation speed for a predetermined period of time; decreasing the rotation speed of the washing tub. The actions further include draining the wash water from the washing tub while rotating the washing tub at the target rotation speed for the predetermined period of time or decreasing the rotation speed of the washing tub.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for controlling a washing machine, the washing machine comprising a water reserve tub, a washing tub configured to rotate about a vertical axis in the water reserve tub, and a pulsator located at a lower portion of the washing tub and configured to rotate, the method comprising:
raising a water level in the washing tub that includes laundry;
after raising the water level in the washing tub, agitating the laundry by rotating the pulsator;
after agitating the laundry by rotating the pulsator, determining that a degree of vibration of the washing tub satisfies a predetermined degree of vibration;
in response to determining that the degree of vibration of the washing tub satisfies the predetermined degree of vibration, lowering the water level in the washing tub to a predetermined water level by draining wash water from the washing tub;
after lowering the water level in the washing tub by draining the wash water from the washing tub, increasing a rotation speed of the washing tub to a predetermined target rotation speed with at least a part of the laundry soaked in the wash water;
while increasing the rotation speed of the washing tub to the predetermine target rotation speed, sensing a degree of imbalance of the washing tub;
rotating the washing tub at the target rotation speed for a predetermined period of time;
decreasing the rotation speed of the washing tub;
based on the sensed degree of imbalance of the washing tub being less than a predetermined degree of imbalance, draining the wash water from the washing tub while rotating the washing tub at the target rotation speed for the predetermined period of time or decreasing the rotation speed of the washing tub;
stopping rotation of the washing tub; and
after stopping rotation of the washing tub, dehydrating the laundry by rotating the washing tub,
wherein while increasing the rotation speed of the washing tub a water level between the water reserve tub and the washing tub is lower than an upper end of the washing tub.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising sensing a water level while draining the wash water, wherein based on the sensed water level reaching a predetermined water level, finishing the draining wash water from the washing tub and increasing the rotation speed of the washing tub to the predetermined target rotation speed with at least the part of laundry soaked in the wash water.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein increasing a rotation speed of the washing tub to a predetermined target rotation speed with at least a part of laundry soaked in wash water comprises sensing a degree of vibration of the water reserve tub while the rotation speed of the washing tub is increasing.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising, based on the sensed degree of vibration of the water reserve tub being smaller than a predetermined allowable degree of vibration of the water reserve tub, draining the wash water from the washing tub while rotating the washing tub at the target rotation speed for the predetermined period of time or decreasing the rotation speed of the washing tub.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising, based on the sensed degree of vibration of the water reserve tub being lower than the allowable degree of vibration of the water reserve tub, stopping the rotation of the washing tub and then dehydrating the laundry by rotating the washing tub at an increased rotation speed.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising, based on the sensed degree of vibration of the water reserve tub being larger than the allowable degree of vibration of the water reserve tub, distributing the laundry by rotating at least one of the pulsator and the washing tub with at least a portion of the laundry soaked in the wash water.

7. The method of claim 3 , further comprising sensing an additional degree of imbalance of the washing tub while increasing the rotation speed of the washing tub to the predetermined target rotation speed with at least the part of laundry soaked in the wash water, wherein determining the degree of vibration of the water reserve tub comprises determining the degree of vibration of the water reserve tub based on the additional degree of imbalance of the washing tub.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein lowering the water level in the washing tub by draining wash water from the washing tub comprises lowering the water level to a predetermined water level by draining a portion of the wash water from the washing tub.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein draining the wash water from the washing tub while rotating the washing tub at the target rotation speed for the predetermined period of time or decreasing the rotation speed of the washing tub comprises draining a remaining portion of the wash water from the washing tub while rotating the washing tub at the target rotation speed for the predetermined period of time or decreasing the rotation speed of the washing tub.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein dehydrating the laundry by rotating the washing tub comprises dehydrating the laundry by rotating the washing tub after draining the wash water from the washing tub.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Heo Kwangchul
• Jung Seungwook

Classifications

• D06F33/42

  of draining · CPC title

• D06F2105/48

  Drum speed · CPC title

• D06F2105/08

  Draining of washing liquids · CPC title

• D06F2103/26

  Imbalance; Noise level · CPC title

• D06F2103/18

  Washing liquid level · CPC title