Washing machine and method for controlling the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11060233-B2
Application number	US-201916361896-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 22, 2019
Priority date	Mar 23, 2018
Publication date	Jul 13, 2021
Grant date	Jul 13, 2021

Abstract

A method of controlling a washing machine includes: rotating, by controlling a washing motor, a drum in a state in which a tub accommodates water; during the rotation of the drum, rotating a pump motor at a first pump rotation speed to spray water through at least one nozzle into the drum without interfering with a window of a door; and during the rotation of the drum, decelerating the pump motor from the first pump rotation speed to a second pump rotation speed to allow water sprayed from the at least one nozzle to be dropped to a portion of the window protruding into the tub.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of controlling a washing machine that includes a casing that defines an input port configured to receive laundry, a tub disposed in the casing, a drum rotatably disposed in the tub, a door disposed at the casing and configured to open and close the input port, the door including a window configured to protrude into the tub through the input port in a closed state of the input port, a washing motor configured to drive the drum, at least one nozzle disposed vertically above the window and configured to spray water downward into the drum, and a pump configured to circulate water discharged from the tub to the at least one nozzle, the pump including a pump motor configured to vary a speed of the pump motor to control a flow rate of water circulated to the at least one nozzle, the method comprising:
rotating, by controlling the washing motor, the drum in a state in which the tub accommodates water;
during the rotation of the drum, rotating the pump motor at a first pump rotation speed to spray water through the at least one nozzle into the drum without interfering with the window; and
during the rotation of the drum, decelerating the pump motor from the first pump rotation speed to a second pump rotation speed to allow water sprayed from the at least one nozzle to be dropped to a portion of the window protruding into the tub.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein rotating the drum comprises:
driving the washing motor to rotate the drum at a first drum rotation speed;
accelerating the washing motor from the first drum rotation speed to a second drum rotation speed;
decelerating the washing motor from the second drum rotation speed to the first drum rotation speed; and
based on decelerating the washing motor from the second drum rotation speed to the first drum rotation speed, driving the washing motor to rotate the drum at the first drum rotation speed,
wherein decelerating the pump motor comprises decelerating the pump motor based on accelerating the washing motor from the first drum rotation speed to the second drum rotation speed.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
accelerating the pump motor from the second pump rotation speed to the first pump rotation speed in response to decelerating the washing motor from the second drum rotation speed to the first drum rotation speed.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein rotating the drum further comprises repeating a rotation of the drum a plurality of times, and
wherein the method further comprises:
in response to repeating the rotation of the drum the plurality of times, repeating, a plurality of times, (i) a deceleration of the pump motor from the first pump rotation speed to the second pump rotation speed and (ii) an acceleration of the pump motor from the second pump rotation speed to the first pump rotation speed.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein rotating the drum comprises:
driving the washing motor to rotate the drum at a first drum rotation speed;
accelerating the washing motor from the first drum rotation speed to a second drum rotation speed;
based on accelerating the washing motor from the first drum rotation speed to the second drum rotation speed, driving the washing motor to rotate the drum at the second drum rotation speed;
decelerating the washing motor from the second drum rotation speed to the first drum rotation speed; and
based on decelerating the washing motor from the second drum rotation speed to the first drum rotation speed, driving the washing motor to rotate the drum at the first drum rotation speed,
wherein decelerating the pump motor comprises decelerating the pump motor based on driving the washing motor to rotate the drum at the second drum rotation speed.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein decelerating the pump motor further comprises decelerating the pump motor based on the washing motor being accelerated from the first drum rotation speed to the second drum rotation speed.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein decelerating the washing motor comprises:
based on the pump motor being accelerated from the second pump rotation speed to the first pump rotation speed, decelerating the washing motor from the second drum rotation speed to the first drum rotation speed.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein rotating the drum comprises repeating a rotation of the drum a plurality of times, and
wherein the method further comprises:
in response to repeating the rotation of the drum the plurality of times, repeating, a plurality of times, (i) a deceleration of the pump motor from the first pump rotation speed to the second pump rotation speed and (ii) an acceleration from the second pump rotation speed to the first pump rotation speed.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one nozzle is disposed forward of the drum, and
wherein rotating the pump motor comprises spraying water rearward from the at least one nozzle toward the drum.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein rotating the drum comprises:
driving the washing motor to rotate the drum in one direction to cause laundry in the drum (i) to be raised to a height relative to a bottom of the drum along an inner circumferential surface of the drum and (ii) then to be dropped from the inner circumferential surface of the drum.

11. The method of claim 2 , wherein the first drum rotation speed is set in a range of speed to cause laundry in the drum to be raised to a height with respect to a bottom of the drum along an inner circumferential surface of the drum and then to be dropped from the inner circumferential surface of the drum, and
wherein the second drum rotation speed is greater than or equal to a threshold speed to allow laundry in the drum to remain in contact with a highest point of the drum relative to the bottom of the drum while being raised to the highest point of the drum along the inner circumferential surface of the drum by rotation of the drum.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
draining washing water from the tub and supplying washing water to reduce detergent dissolved in washing water in the tub,
wherein rotating the drum comprises rotating the drum after draining washing water and supplying washing water.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein draining washing water and supplying washing water comprise repeating, a plurality of times, (i) draining washing water from the tub and (ii) supplying washing water to the tub, and
wherein rotating the drum comprises rotating the drum after supplying washing water at a final time among the plurality of times in which detergent is no longer dissolved in washing water supplied into the tub.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising rinsing laundry,
wherein rinsing laundry comprises:
accelerating the drum to reduce water absorbed in laundry;
draining washing water in the tub; and
supplying washing water having no dissolved detergent into the tub, and

wherein rotating the drum comprises rotating the drum after rinsing laundry.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein rinsing laundry further comprises:
rotating, by controlling the washing motor, the drum at a rinse speed to allow laundry in the drum to remain in contact with a highest point of the drum relative to a bottom of the drum while being raised to the highest point of the drum along an inner circumferential surface of the drum by rotation of the drum; and
based on rotating the drum at the rinse speed, supplying washing water having no dissolved detergent into the tub.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein rinsing laundry further comprises:
discharging water in the tub ba

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Im Myunghun
• Jung Hwanjin
• Woo Kyungchul

Classifications

• D06F33/43 Primary

  Control of cleaning or disinfection of washing machine parts, e.g. of tubs · CPC title

• D06F2105/48

  Drum speed · CPC title

• D06F2105/06

  Recirculation of washing liquids, e.g. by pumps or diverting valves · CPC title

• D06F37/304

  Arrangements or adaptations of electric motors · CPC title

• D06F37/04

  adapted for rotation or oscillation about a horizontal or inclined axis · CPC title