Washing machine and control method of washing machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11427947-B2
Application number	US-201916283120-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 22, 2019
Priority date	Feb 23, 2018
Publication date	Aug 30, 2022
Grant date	Aug 30, 2022

Abstract

A washing machine includes: a tub; a drum of metal material configured to be rotated in the tub; an induction heater configured to be fixed to the tub in a state of being separated from the drum, and to heat the drum; a first temperature sensor configured to have a tube of metal material heated by the induction heater and a thermistor disposed in the tube, at least a part of the tube being exposed between the tub and the drum; a second temperature sensor configured to be disposed in a position further away than the first temperature sensor from the induction heater in a circumferential direction, and detect a temperature of air between the tub and the drum; and a controller configured to control the induction heater based on a first detection value of the first temperature sensor and a second detection value of the second temperature sensor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A washing machine comprising:
a tub configured to receive water;
a drum that is made of a metal material, that is disposed in the tub, and that is configured to rotate in the tub;
an induction heater that is coupled to the tub, that is spaced apart from the drum, and that is configured to heat the drum;
a first temperature sensor disposed between the induction heater and the drum, the first temperature sensor comprising:
a sensor tube made of a metal material and configured to be heated by the induction heater, at least a part of the sensor tube being exposed between the tub and the drum;

a second temperature sensor that is disposed at a position farther from the induction heater than the first temperature sensor in a circumferential direction of the tub and that is configured to detect a temperature of air between the tub and the drum; and
a controller configured to control the induction heater based on a first detection value of the first temperature sensor and a second detection value of the second temperature sensor.

2. The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
determine a temperature of the drum based on a linear combination of the first detection value and the second detection value; and
control the induction heater to control the temperature of the drum within a preset range.

3. The washing machine of claim 2 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
adjust the second detection value based on a difference between the first detection value and the second detection value; and
determine the temperature of the drum based on an adjusted value of the second detection value according to the difference between the first detection value and the second detection value.

4. The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the second temperature sensor is spaced apart from the first temperature sensor in the circumferential direction about a center of the drum, and disposed at a position in an angular range between 55 and 65 degrees from the first temperature sensor with respect to the center of the drum.

5. The washing machine of claim 4 , wherein the tub comprises a cooling water port disposed at a side surface of the tub and configured to receive cooling water for condensing moisture in air in the tub, and
wherein the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor are disposed vertically above the cooling water port.

6. The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the first detection value comprises a first phase value related to a variation of the first detection value, and
wherein the second detection value comprises a second phase value related to a variation of the second detection value, the second phase value being less than the first phase value.

7. The washing machine of claim 6 , wherein the tub comprises a cooling water port disposed at a side surface of the tub and configured to receive cooling water for condensing moisture in air in the tub, and
wherein the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor are disposed vertically above the cooling water port.

8. The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the sensor tube of the first temperature sensor is overlapped by the induction heater in a vertical view toward a center of the drum.

9. The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the tub defines a sensor mounting hole configured to receive the sensor tube of the first temperature sensor, and
wherein the first temperature sensor further comprises a sealer configured to provide sealing between the sensor tube and the sensor mounting hole.

10. The washing machine of claim 9 , wherein the sealer has a cylindrical shape and extends in a longitudinal direction of the sensor tube, the sealer defining a hollow portion configured to receive the sensor tube inside thereof, and
wherein the first temperature sensor further comprises a heat insulating cover that covers an outer portion of the sensor tube that protrudes to an outside of the tub through an upper end of the sealer.

11. The washing machine of claim 9 , wherein the sealer defines a fixing groove configured to receive a circumference of the sensor mounting hole, and
wherein the sealer is configured to be fixed inside the sensor mounting hole based on the circumference of the sensor mounting hole being inserted into the fixing groove.

12. The washing machine of claim 11 , wherein the sealer penetrates the sensor mounting hole, and comprises:
an outer portion disposed outside of the tub;
an inner portion disposed inside of the tub; and
a connection portion disposed in the sensor mounting hole between the outer portion and the inner portion of the sealer, and
wherein the connection portion of the sealer defines the fixing groove.

13. The washing machine of claim 12 , wherein a width of each of the outer portion and the inner portion of the sealer is greater than a width of the connection portion in the circumferential direction.

14. The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor are disposed at the tub and arranged about a center of the drum.

15. The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the first temperature sensor faces the induction heater in a radial direction of the tub, and
wherein at least a portion of the first temperature sensor is disposed radially between the induction heater and an outer circumferential surface of the tub.

16. The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the first temperature sensor passes through a portion of the tub in a radial direction of the tub and faces the induction heater in the radial direction.

17. The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the first temperature sensor is in contact with the induction heater in a radial direction of the tub.

18. The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the first temperature sensor has:
an inner portion that includes the sensor tube and is disposed between an inner circumferential surface of the tub and an outer circumferential surface of the drum; and
an outer portion that is disposed radially outward relative to the inner portion, the outer portion passing through an outer circumferential surface of the tub and facing the induction heater in a radial direction of the tub.

19. A washing machine comprising:
a tub configured to receive water;
a drum that is made of a metal material, that is disposed in the tub, and that is configured to rotate in the tub;
an induction heater that is coupled to the tub, that is spaced apart from the drum, and that is configured to heat the drum;
a first temperature sensor and a second temperature sensor, each of the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor comprising a sensor tube made of a metal material; and
a controller configured to control the induction heater based on a first detection value of the first temperature sensor and a second detection value of the second temperature sensor,
wherein the first temperature sensor is disposed between the induction heater and the drum, and at least a part of the sensor tube of the first temperature sensor is exposed between the tub and the drum,
wherein the first temperature sensor is disposed at a first position in a heating range in which the induction heater is configured to cause an increase of a temperature of the sensor tube of the first temperature sensor based on radiating a magnetic flux, and
wherein the second temperature sensor is disposed at a second position farther from the induction heater than the first temperature sensor in a ci

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Park Seulgi
• Kim Woore
• Hong Sangwook

Classifications

• D06F2105/28

  Electric heating · CPC title

• D06F2105/10

  Temperature of washing liquids; Heating means therefor · CPC title

• D06F2103/32

  Temperature · CPC title

• D06F39/04

  Heating arrangements · CPC title

• D06F34/14

  Arrangements for detecting or measuring specific parameters · CPC title