Washing machine having detergent supply device and method of controlling the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9970142-B2
Application number	US-201414313033-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 24, 2014
Priority date	Aug 2, 2013
Publication date	May 15, 2018
Grant date	May 15, 2018

Abstract

A washing machine that performs refresh washing in which smell or mold that permeates laundry can be removed, and a method of controlling the washing machine. When clothes that are kept for a long time without being worn or laundries that are hardly contaminated due to a short wearing time are washed, a refresh washing course in which various smell or mold that permeates laundry can be removed using a very small amount of detergent, is performed. Thus, overuse of detergent caused by an excessive use of detergent can be prevented, and since the necessity for rinsing is low due to the use of the very small amount of detergent, an intermediate dehydration operation may be omitted, or an intermediate dehydration revolutions per minute (rpm) may be reduced so that washing and rinsing operations do not need to be excessively performed and thus damage of laundry is reduced.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of controlling a washing machine operable in a plurality of pre-defined washing courses, the washing machine including a controller, a detergent supply device configured to store detergent input by a user, a tub, a drum installed in the tub, a motor to rotate the drum, and a water supply device, the method comprising:
receiving a user input selecting a refresh washing course among the plurality of pre-defined washing courses, the refresh washing course including at least a washing operation, a rinsing operation, and a dehydration operation, and having default settings assigned to the washing operation in the refresh washing course, the default settings including a first amount of detergent to be supplied into the tub for the washing operation in the refresh washing course, a first amount of water to be supplied by the water supply device for the washing operation in the refresh washing course, and an operating rate of the motor for the washing operation in the refresh washing course;
controlling, by the controller, the first amount of detergent to be supplied by the detergent supply device into the tub for the washing operation in the refresh washing course among the plurality of pre-defined washing courses for a load accommodated in the drum, the first amount of detergent being a smaller amount of detergent than a second amount of detergent that would be controlled by the controller to be supplied by the detergent supply device for a same load for a washing operation in a standard washing course among the plurality of pre-defined washing courses;
supplying the first amount of water by the water supply device for the washing operation in the refresh washing course for the load, the first amount of water being a larger amount of water than a second amount of water that would be supplied by the water supply device for the same load for the washing operation in the standard washing course; and
performing the washing operation in the refresh washing course by operating the motor at a lower operating rate than an operating rate that would be utilized for the same load for the washing operation in the standard washing course,
wherein, in the refresh washing course, the controller controls the detergent supply device to be operated for a predetermined reference time included in the default settings, regardless of a weight of the load, to supply the first amount of detergent by the detergent supply device into the tub, and
in the refresh washing course, the first amount of detergent to be supplied by the detergent supply device is a fixed uniform amount included in the default settings that does not change according to the weight of the load.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
performing the rinsing operation in the refresh washing course by operating the motor at an operating rate which is less than an operating rate that would be utilized for the same load for a rinsing operation in the standard washing course,
wherein
an operating rate of the motor in the washing operation in the refresh washing course is about 30% to 40% less than an operating rate of the motor that would be utilized for the same load for the washing operation in the standard washing course,
an operating rate of the motor in the rinsing operation in the refresh washing course is about 30% to 40% less than an operating rate of the motor that would be utilized for the same load for the rinsing operation in the standard washing course, and
the refresh washing course has default settings assigned to the rinsing operation in the refresh washing course which include the operating rate of the motor for the rinsing operation in the refresh washing course.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein
the dehydration operation in the refresh washing course includes an intermediate dehydration operation and a final dehydration operation, and
the method further comprises:
performing the intermediate dehydration operation in the refresh washing course between completion of the washing operation in the refresh washing course and a final rinsing of the rinsing operation in the refresh washing course; and
performing the final dehydration operation in the refresh washing course upon completion of the final rinsing of the rinsing operation in the refresh washing course,
wherein
a number of revolutions per minute of the motor in the intermediate dehydration operation in the refresh washing course is about half a number of revolutions per minute of the motor that would be utilized for the same load for an intermediate dehydration operation in the standard washing course performed between completion of the washing operation in the standard washing course and a final rinsing of the rinsing operation in the standard washing course, and
the refresh washing course has default settings assigned to the dehydration operation which include the number of revolutions per minute of the motor in the intermediate dehydration operation in the refresh washing course.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein a time to perform the washing operation in the refresh washing course is a fixed uniform amount of time that is included in the default settings, and is set without regard to a weight of the load.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the fixed uniform amount of time to perform the washing operation in the refresh washing course is less than half an amount of time to perform the washing operation in the standard washing course for the same load.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of pre-defined washing courses further include a delicate washing course and a wool washing course, the delicate washing course and the wool washing course each having different default settings from each other and from the refresh washing course and the standard washing course.

7. A method of controlling a washing machine operable in a plurality of pre-defined washing courses, the washing machine including a controller, a detergent supply device configured to store detergent input by a user, a tub, a drum installed in the tub, a motor to rotate the drum, and a water supply device, the method comprising:
receiving a user input selecting a refresh washing course among the plurality of pre-defined washing courses, the refresh washing course including at least a washing operation, a rinsing operation, and a dehydration operation, and having default settings assigned to the rinsing operation in the refresh washing course, the default settings including a first amount of fabric conditioner to be supplied into the tub for the rinsing operation in the refresh washing course, a first amount of water to be supplied by the water supply device for the rinsing operation in the refresh washing course, and an operating rate of the motor for the rinsing operation in the refresh washing course;
controlling, by the controller, the first amount of fabric conditioner to be supplied by the detergent supply device into the tub for the rinsing operation in the refresh washing course for a load accommodated in the drum, the first amount of fabric conditioner being a smaller amount of fabric conditioner than a second amount of fabric conditioner that would be controlled by the controller to be supplied by the detergent supply device for a rinsing operation in a standard washing course among the plurality of pre-defined washing courses;
supplying the first amount of water by the water supply device for the rinsing operation in the refresh washing course for the load, the first amount of water being a larger amount of water than a second amount of water that would be supplied by the water supply device for the same load for the rinsing operation in the standard washing course; and
performing the rinsing operation in the refresh washing course by op

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kang Min Ji

Classifications

• D06F39/02

  Devices for adding soap or other washing agents · CPC title

• D06F35/006

  for washing or rinsing only · CPC title

• D06F39/088

  Liquid supply arrangements · CPC title

• D06F2204/065

  Textiles & Paper · mapped topic

• D06F2204/086

  Textiles & Paper · mapped topic