Control Method of Washing Machine

• US 20080000272A1
• Filed: 05/28/2004
• Published: 01/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Young Soo, Go, Seog Ho, Park, Seok Kyu, Chung, Bo Sun
• Granted Patent: US 8,015,645 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 68/12.03
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/04 Quantity, e.g. weight or variation of weight
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/16 Washing liquid temperature
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/20 Washing liquid condition, e.g. turbidity
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/02 Water supply
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/42 Detergent or additive supply
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/58 Indications or alarms to the control system or to the user
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 33/36 of washing
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 34/22 Condition of the washing liquid, e.g. turbidity

Abstract

Disclosed is a control method of a washing machine comprising the steps of (a) setting a washing pattern in the present operation of the washing machine in consideration of hardness of the water calculated in the previous operation of the washing machine, (b) operating the washing machine based on the set washing pattern, and (c) calculating and storing hardness of the water in the present operation of the washing machine to set a next washing pattern in the next operation of the washing machine, thereby having the optimum washing or rinsing capacity of the washing machine in consideration of different characteristics of water by regional groups.

Claims

1. A control method of a washing machine comprising the steps of:

(a) setting a present washing pattern in consideration of the hardness of the water calculated and stored in the previous operation of the washing machine;

(b) operating the washing machine based on the set present washing pattern; and

(c) calculating and storing the hardness of the water in the present operation of the washing machine for setting a next washing pattern for the next operation of the washing machine.

2. The control method as set forth in claim 1,

wherein the hardness of the water stored in the previous operation of the washing machine is automatically loaded when power is inputted to the washing machine.

3. The control method as set forth in claim 1,

wherein the hardness of the water in the present operation of the washing machine is calculated after water in the washing machine is agitated for a predetermined time or more.

4. The control method as set forth in claim 1, wherein step (c) includes the sub-steps of:

(c-1) measuring temperature and conductivity of the water; and

(c-2) calculating the hardness of the water based on the temperature and conductivity of the water measured in sub-step (c-1).

5. The control method as set forth in claim 4,

wherein sub-step (c-1) is performed a predetermined time before a final rinsing operation is completed.

6. The control method as set forth in claim 1,

wherein the washing pattern includes at least one of washing intensity, supplied water level, washing time, rinsing frequency, rinsing time, and dehydrating time.

7. The control method as set forth in claim 1,

wherein in step (a), in case that the washing machine is in an initial operation, the washing pattern is set based on an already-inputted standard hardness of the water.

8. The control method as set forth in claim 1,

wherein in step (c), in case that the washing machine is operated plural times, the cumulative mean of the hardnesses of water in the plural operations of the washing machine is calculated and stored.

9. The control method as set forth in claim 1,

wherein in step (c), in case that the washing machine is operated four times or more, the cumulative mean of the hardnesses of water in the plural operations of the washing machine except for the maximum and minimum hardnesses of water is calculated and stored.

10. The control method as set forth in claim 1,

wherein in step (c), in case that the washing machine is operated times corresponding to a predetermined frequency or more, the running mean of the hardnesses of water in the plural operations of the washing machine is calculated and stored.

11. The control method as set forth in claim 1,

wherein the set present washing pattern is displayed so that it is recognized by users.

12. A control method of a washing machine comprising the steps of:

(I) sensing the quantity of clothes after instructions for operating the washing machine are inputted to the washing machine, and setting a washing pattern based on the sensed quantity of clothes;

(II) supplying water based on the washing pattern set in step (I), and dissolving a detergent in the water;

(III) measuring conductivity and temperature of the water containing the detergent, calculating the quantity of the detergent in consideration of the hardness of the water calculated and stored in the previous operation of the washing machine, and resetting the washing pattern based on the calculated quantity of the detergent; and

(IV) performing a washing or rinsing operation based on the reset washing pattern, and calculating and storing the hardness of the water in a final rising operation.

14. The control method as set forth in claim 12 or 13,

wherein in step (I), washing, rinsing and dehydrating times of the set washing pattern are displayed so that they are recognized by users.

15. The control method as set forth in claim 12 or 13,

wherein in step (III) the conductivity and temperature of the water containing the detergent dissolved therein are displayed to the outside through a sensor operation display so that they are recognized by users during the measurement thereof.

16. The control method as set forth in claim 12 or 13,

wherein in step (III), one table is selected from a plurality of tables containing quantities of the detergent according to hardnesses of water, and the quantity of the detergent corresponding to the conductivity and temperature of the water containing the detergent dissolved therein is calculated from the selected table.

17. The control method as set forth in claim 12 or 13,

wherein in step (III), in case that the washing machine is in an initial operation, the washing pattern is set based on an already-inputted standard hardness of the water.

18. The control method as set forth in claim 12 or 13, wherein step (IV) includes the sub-steps of:

(i) measuring temperature and conductivity of the water in a final rinsing operation; and

(ii) calculating the hardness of the water based on the temperature and conductivity of the water measured in sub-step (i).

19. The control method as set forth in claim 18,

wherein sub-step (i) is performed after water in the washing machine is agitated for a predetermined time or more.

20. The control method as set forth in claim 18,

wherein sub-step (i) is performed a predetermined time before a final rinsing operation is completed.

21. The control method as set forth in claim 12 or 13,

wherein in step (IV), residual washing, rinsing and dehydrating times changed by the reset washing pattern are displayed.

22. The control method as set forth in claim 12 or 13,

wherein in step (IV), in case that the washing machine is operated plural times, the cumulative mean of the hardnesses of water in the plural operations of the washing machine is calculated and stored.

23. The control method as set forth in claim 12 or 13,

wherein in step (c), in case that the washing machine is operated four times or more, the cumulative mean of the hardnesses of water in the plural operations of the washing machine except for the maximum and minimum hardnesses of water is calculated and stored.

24. The control method as set forth in claim 12 or 13,

wherein in step (c), in case that the washing machine is operated times corresponding to a predetermined frequency or more, the running mean of the hardnesses of water in the plural operations of the washing machine is calculated and stored.

13. A control method of a washing machine comprising the steps of:

(I) setting a washing pattern based on the hardness of the water calculated and stored in the previous operation of the washing machine after instructions for operating the washing machine are inputted to the washing machine;

(II) supplying water based on the washing pattern set in step (I), and dissolving a detergent in the water;

(III) measuring conductivity and temperature of the water containing the detergent, calculating the quantity of the detergent in consideration of the hardness of the water calculated and stored in the previous operation of the washing machine, and resetting the washing pattern based on the calculated quantity of the detergent; and

(IV) performing a washing or rinsing operation based on the reset washing pattern, and calculating and storing the hardness of the water in a final rising operation.