Washing machine and control method therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10982369-B2
Application number	US-201615752185-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 29, 2016
Priority date	Aug 11, 2015
Publication date	Apr 20, 2021
Grant date	Apr 20, 2021

Abstract

Proposed are a washing machine and a control method therefor, which may allow a user to safely and additionally put laundry in during the operation of the washing machine including an auxiliary door. The washing machine includes an auxiliary door through which laundry is additionally put in, indicates whether additionally putting-in of laundry during the operation of the washing machine is allowed, and enables a user to determine the same, in order to provide an algorithm for safely operating the auxiliary door, and checks a rotation of a drum, a temperature of the inside, and a level of water when it is desired to additionally put laundry in, so as to enable the user to safely put the laundry in. Also, when the user additionally puts laundry in while the washing machine performs a cycle, the washing machine changes a cycle profile for each cycle, and corrects a cycle profile according to an additional put-in point, thereby raising reliability of the user for the washing machine.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A washing machine comprising:
a main body configured to form an exterior of the washing machine and includes a laundry port therein;
a tub installed inside the main body and configured to accommodate water;
a drum rotatably installed inside the tub and configured to accommodate laundry;
a detector configured to detect a temperature inside the tub;
a main door installed in the main body to open and close the laundry port;
an auxiliary door installed in the main door and configured to be openable and closable separately from the main door;
an inputter through which an operational signal for opening and closing of the auxiliary door is input; and
a controller configured to control a locking of the auxiliary door based on the temperature detected by the detector in response to the operational signal.

2. The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein:
the detector is further configured to detect a temperature inside the drum when the operational signal is input during operation of the washing machine, and
the controller is further configured to unlock the auxiliary door when the detected temperature inside the drum is lower than a set temperature.

3. The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein:
the detector is further configured to detect whether the drum is being rotated, and
the controller is further configured to control the locking of the auxiliary door based on whether the drum is being rotated.

4. The washing machine of claim 3 , wherein the controller is further configured to inform a user of an openable or closable state of the auxiliary door according to the detected temperature inside the drum and whether the drum is being rotated.

5. The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein:
the detector is further configured to detect a level of water stored in the tub, and
the controller is further configured to control the locking of the auxiliary door based on the detected level of water.

6. The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein:
the auxiliary door is further configured to maintain a locked state during operation of the washing machine, and
the drum is further configured to stop rotating when the locking state of the auxiliary door is released.

7. The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to control a locking of the main door based on the temperature detected by the detector in response to the operational signal.

8. The washing machine of claim 7 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
compare the detected temperature with a set temperature, and
unlock the main door according to a comparison result.

9. The washing machine of claim 7 , wherein:
the detector is further configured to detect whether the drum is being rotated, and
the controller is further configured to control the locking of the main door based on whether the drum is being rotated.

10. The washing machine of claim 9 , wherein the controller is further configured to inform a user of an openable or closable state of the main door according to the detected temperature inside the drum and whether the drum is being rotated.

11. A method of controlling a washing machine including a main body having a laundry port therein, a tub installed inside the main body and configured to accommodate water, a drum rotatably installed inside the tub, a main door installed in the main body to open and close the laundry port, and an auxiliary door installed in the main door and configured to be openable and closable separately from the main door, the method comprising:
determining whether an operational signal is input for opening of the auxiliary door while a cycle of the washing machine proceeds; and
controlling a profile for each cycle of the washing machine when the operational signal is input.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the cycle of the washing machine includes a wash cycle, a rinse cycle and a spin dry cycle.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
counting down a washing time at an input time of the operating signal when the operating signal is input during the wash cycle; and
extending a time of performing the wash cycle when the counted down washing time is compared with a set time and the washing time exceeds the set time.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
determining a number of times of rinsing carried out at an input time of the operating signal when the operational signal is input during the rinse cycle; and
controlling the number of times of rinsing of the rinse cycle when the number of times of rinsing carried out is not one.

15. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
informing a user of an unopenable state of the auxiliary door according to a spin dry RPM at an input time of the operating signal when the operational signal is input during the spin dry cycle.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Dong Young
• Wishney Adam
• Rou Doo Young
• Lee In Ju

Classifications

• D06F33/32 Primary

  Control of operational steps, e.g. optimisation or improvement of operational steps depending on the condition of the laundry · CPC title

• D06F37/42

  Safety arrangements, e.g. for stopping rotation of the receptacle upon opening of the casing door · CPC title

• D06F2105/60

  Audible signals · CPC title

• D06F2105/52

  Changing sequence of operational steps; Carrying out additional operational steps; Modifying operational steps, e.g. by extending duration of steps · CPC title

• D06F2103/70

  Number of operational cycles · CPC title