Method of controlling water supply in washer

• US 20050241072A1
• Filed: 04/12/2005
• Published: 11/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kang, Jung Hoon, Kim, Jong Min, No, Yang Hwan, Cho, Han Ki, Kang, Dong Hoon, Jang, Ho Sung
• Application Number:
  US11/103,512
• Publication Number:
  US 20050241072A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 8/158
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 3/04 Cleaning involving contact with liquid
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/18 Washing liquid level
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/02 Water supply
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 33/34 of water filling
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/088 Liquid supply arrangements

Abstract

A method of controlling water supply in an automatic washer controls one or more water supply valves according to predetermined times for momentarily turning off the water supply valve until a predetermined water level is reached, to prevent flooding and a resulting contamination of a detergent box area and to control a mixing of agents with the supplied water. The automatic washer has at least one water supply valve for supplying the water to a tub via a detergent box and a water level detector for detecting a level of the water suppled to the tub. The method includes turning on the at least one water supply valve during a first predetermined time; and turning off, after elapse of the first predetermined time, the at least one water supply valve during a second predetermined time and further comprises repeating the above turning on and turning off until the level of the water supplied to the tub reaches a predetermined water level. The first predetermined time is proportional to a volume of the detergent box, and the second predetermined time is inversely proportional to the volume of the detergent box

Claims

1. A method of supplying water in an automatic washer having at least one water supply valve for supplying the water to a tub via a detergent box and a water level detector for detecting a level of the water suppled to the tub, the method comprising:

turning on the at least one water supply valve during a first predetermined time; and

turning off, after elapse of the first predetermined time, the at least one water supply valve during a second predetermined time.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

repeating said turning on and turning off until the level of the water supplied to the tub reaches a predetermined water level.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first predetermined time is proportional to a volume of the detergent box.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second predetermined time is inversely proportional to a volume of the detergent box.

5. The water supply control method of claim 1, wherein the detergent box comprises a plurality of compartments for respectively storing agents to be mixed with the supplied water and wherein the first and second predetermined times are set to have values corresponding to each compartment.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the values of the first and second predetermined times are based on a configuration of the detergent box.

7. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the values of the first and second predetermined times are based on a configuration of each compartment of the detergent box.

8. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the values of the first and second predetermined times are based on a volume of each compartment of the detergent box.

9. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the first predetermined time is proportional to a volume of one of the plurality of compartments of the detergent box.

10. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the second predetermined time is inversely proportional to a volume of one of the plurality of compartments of the detergent box.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said turning on and said turning off of the at least one water supply valve is performed according to one of a plurality of water supply modes.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the first and second predetermined times are set to have values corresponding to each mode.

13. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the plurality of water supply modes includes a preliminary detergent water supply mode, a main detergent water supply mode, a first liquid detergent water supply mode, a second liquid detergent water supply mode, a softening agent water supply mode, and a bleach water supply mode.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein, in the preliminary detergent water supply mode, water is supplied to a preliminary detergent compartment of the detergent box via a first predetermined valve of the at least one water supply valve.

15. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein, in the main detergent water supply mode, water is supplied to a main detergent compartment of the detergent box via a second predetermined valve of the at least one water supply valve.

16. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein, in the first liquid detergent water supply mode, water is supplied to a main detergent compartment of the detergent box via a second predetermined valve of the at least one water supply valve.

17. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein, in the second liquid detergent water supply mode, water is supplied to a main detergent compartment of the detergent box via a first predetermined valve of the at least one water supply valve.

18. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein, in the preliminary detergent water supply mode, water is supplied to a preliminary detergent compartment of the detergent box.

19. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein, in the second liquid detergent water supply mode, water is supplied to a second liquid detergent receptacle loaded in the preliminary detergent compartment.

20. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein, in the main detergent water supply mode, water is supplied to a main detergent compartment of the detergent box.

21. The method as claimed in claim 20, wherein, in the first liquid detergent water supply mode, water is supplied to a first liquid detergent receptacle loaded in the main detergent compartment.

22. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein, in the bleach water supply mode, water is supplied to a bleach compartment of the detergent box.

23. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein, in the softening agent water supply mode, water is supplied to a softening agent compartment of the detergent box.

24. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the first and second predetermined times have first values set according to the preliminary detergent water supply mode and have second values set according to the main detergent water supply mode.

25. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the first and second predetermined times have first values set according to the first liquid detergent water supply mode and have second values set according to the second liquid detergent water supply mode.

26. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the first and second predetermined times have first values set according to the bleach water supply mode and have second values set according to the softening agent water supply mode.