Washing machine and method for controlling the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2015252509-A1
Application number	US-201514642921-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 10, 2015
Priority date	Mar 10, 2014
Publication date	Sep 10, 2015
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method for controlling a washing machine is described. The method includes washing laundry by rotating the pulsator in alternating directions with at least a portion of the laundry soaked in wash water in the washing tub. The method further includes draining the wash water from the washing tub; supplying additional wash water into the washing tub. The method further includes increasing a rotation speed of the washing tub with the laundry soaked in the additional wash water. The method further includes sensing a degree of vibration while increasing the rotation speed of the washing tub. The method further includes, based on the sensed degree of vibration being smaller than an allowable degree of vibration, dehydrating the laundry by draining the additional wash water from the washing tub and rotating the washing tub at an increased rotation speed.

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:
washing laundry by rotating the pulsator in alternating directions with at least a portion of the laundry soaked in wash water in the washing tub; draining the wash water from the washing tub; supplying additional wash water into the washing tub; increasing a rotation speed of the washing tub with the laundry soaked in the additional wash water; sensing a degree of vibration while increasing the rotation speed of the washing tub; and based on the sensed degree of vibration being smaller than an allowable degree of vibration, dehydrating the laundry by draining the additional wash water from the washing tub and rotating the washing tub at an increased rotation speed.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
based on the sensed degree of vibration being larger than the allowable degree of vibration, redistributing the laundry by rotating at least one of the pulsator and the washing tub with the laundry soaked in the additional wash water; after redistributing the laundry by rotating at least one of the pulsator and the washing tub, increasing the rotation speed of the washing tub with the laundry soaked in the additional wash water and sensing a second degree of vibration; and based on the second degree of vibration being smaller than the allowable degree of vibration, dehydrating the laundry.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein sensing a degree of vibration while increasing the rotation speed of the washing tub comprises sensing a degree of imbalance while increasing the rotation speed of the washing tub.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein sensing the degree of imbalance comprises sensing the degree of imbalance based on a variation of the rotation speed of the washing tub.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a level of wash water between the water reserve tub and the washing tub is lower than an upper end of the washing tub while increasing the rotation speed of the washing tub.

6 . 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:
rotating the washing tub with at least a part of laundry soaked in wash water in the washing tub, the rotating comprising:
increasing a rotation speed of the washing tub until the rotation speed reaches a predetermined target rotation speed;
sensing a first degree of imbalance while increasing the rotation speed of the washing tub;
decreasing the rotation speed of the washing tub; and
based on determining that the first degree of imbalance is smaller than an allowable degree of imbalance, dehydrating the laundry by draining the wash water from the washing tub and rotating the washing tub at an increased rotation speed.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein rotating the washing tub further comprises:
based on the first degree of imbalance being larger than the allowable degree of imbalance, redistributing the laundry by rotating at least one of the pulsator and the washing tub with the laundry soaked in the wash water; further increasing the rotation speed of the washing tub and sensing a second degree of imbalance; and based on the second degree of imbalance being smaller than the allowable degree of imbalance, dehydrating the laundry by draining the wash water from the washing tub and rotating the washing tub at the increased rotation speed.

8 . The method of claim 6 , wherein a level of wash water of the water reserve tub is higher than a level of wash water of the washing tub and both are lower than an upper side of the washing tub while increasing the rotation speed of the washing tub.

9 . The method of claim 6 , wherein rotating the washing tub comprises rotating the pulsator in alternating directions before increasing the rotation speed of the washing tub.

10 . A washing machine comprising:
a washing tub configured to rotate about a vertical axis; a pulsator configured to rotate and located at a lower portion of the washing tub; a motor configured to rotate at least one of the washing tub and the pulsator; a drain unit configured to drain wash water from the washing tub; and a controller configured to:
control the motor such that rotation speed of the washing tub is increased while at least a portion of the laundry in the washing tub is soaking in the wash water;
determine a degree of imbalance while the rotation speed of the washing tub is increasing; and
control the drain unit and motor based on the degree of imbalance for dehydrating the laundry.

11 . The washing machine of claim 10 , wherein the controller is configured to control the drain unit to drain the wash water out of the washing tub and the motor to rotate the washing tub at an increased rotation speed based on the sensed degree of imbalance being smaller than an allowable degree of imbalance.

12 . The washing machine of claim 11 , wherein the controller is configured to control the motor to rotate at least one of the washing tub and the pulsator based on the degree of imbalance being larger than the allowable degree of imbalance.

13 . The washing machine of claim 10 , wherein:
the controller is configured to control the motor so that rotation speed of the washing tub is increased to a target rotation speed, the washing tub is configured to rotate at the target rotation speed for a predetermined time and thereafter decrease the rotation speed of the washing tub, and the controller is configured to determine the degree of imbalance based on a variation of rotation speed of the washing tub during a period in which the rotation speed of the washing tub is increasing.

14 . The washing machine of claim 13 , further comprising a water reserve tub having the washing tub therein, wherein a level of wash water between the water reserve tub and the washing tub is lower than an upper side of the washing tub while the washing tub rotates at the target rotation speed.

15 . A washing machine comprising:
a washing tub configured to rotate about a vertical axis; a pulsator configured to rotate and located at a lower portion of the washing tub; a motor configured to rotate at least one of the washing tub and the pulsator; a drain unit configured to drain wash water from the washing tub; a vibration sensor configured to sense a vibration while the rotation speed of washing tub is increasing with at least a part of laundry soaked in wash water in the washing tub; and a controller configured to control, in response to a degree of vibration sensed by the vibration sensor, the drain unit to drain wash water from the washing tub and the motor to rotate the washing tub at an increased rotation speed for dehydrating the laundry.

16 . The washing machine of claim 15 , wherein the controller is configured to control the drain unit to drain the wash water from the washing tub and the motor to rotate the washing tub at the increased rotation speed, based on the degree of vibration being smaller than an allowable degree of vibration.

17 . The washing machine of claim 15 , wherein the controller is configured to control the motor to rotate at least one of the washing tub and the pulsato

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Heo Kwangchul
• Jung Seungwook

Classifications

• D06F23/04

  and rotating or oscillating about a vertical axis · CPC title

• D06F23/00

  Washing machines with receptacles, e.g. perforated, having a rotary movement, e.g. oscillatory movement, the receptacle serving both for washing and for centrifugally separating water from the laundry  (with further drying means D06F25/00; programme control aspects D06F33/00) · CPC title

• D06F37/12

  adapted for rotation or oscillation about a vertical axis · CPC title

• D06F37/203 Primary

  Textiles & Paper · mapped topic

• D06F2105/48

  Drum speed · CPC title