CONTROL METHOD OF LAUNDRY MACHINE

• US 20100050345A1
• Filed: 04/29/2009
• Published: 03/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kang, Dong Woo, Lee, Deug Hee, Lee, Kyu Won, Kim, Pyoung Hwan, You, Myoung Suk, Kim, Hyung Yong, Park, Eun Jin
• Granted Patent: US 8,375,495 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 8/159
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2101/12 Washing temperature
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/16 Washing liquid temperature
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/22 Content of detergent or additives
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/02 Water supply
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/52 Changing sequence of operational steps; Carrying out additional operational steps; Modifying operational steps, e.g. by extending duration of steps
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/58 Indications or alarms to the control system or to the user
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/60 Audible signals
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 33/38 of rinsing
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 34/22 Condition of the washing liquid, e.g. turbidity
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 34/32 characterised by graphical features, e.g. touchscreens

Abstract

A control method of a laundry machine comprising a water supply, washing and rinsing cycle, the control method includes first determination step performed prior to the rinsing cycle and determining a kind of detergent, second determination step performed during a first rinsing course of the rinsing cycle and determining an amount of remained detergent in a rinsing water, and condition determination step of at least one following rinsing course based on the kind and amount of the remained detergent.

Claims

1. A control method of a laundry machine comprising a water supply cycle, a washing cycle and a rinsing cycle, the control method comprising:

first determination step performed prior to the rinsing cycle and determining a kind of detergent;

second determination step performed during a first rinsing course of the rinsing cycle and determining an amount of remained detergent in a rinsing water; and

condition determination step of at least one following rinsing course based on the kind and amount of the remained detergent.

2. The control method of claim 1, wherein the second determination step is performed prior to an end of the first rinsing course with a predetermined time period.

3. The control method of claim 1, wherein the first determination step is performed during the washing cycle, and conductivity of washing water is measured and the kind of detergent is determined based on the measured conductivity.

4. The control method of claim 3, wherein, in the first determination step, it is determined that the detergent is powder detergent in case the measured conductivity is over a preset value and that the detergent is liquid detergent in case the measured conductivity is below the preset value

5. The control method of claim 3, wherein the measured conductivity is compensated based on the temperature of the washing water.

6. The control method of claim 1, the second determination step comprises:

measuring conductivity of the rinsing water; and

calculating the amount of the remained detergent based on the measured conductivity of the rinsing water.

7. The control method of claim 6, wherein, in the condition determination step, the number of the following rinsing course is determined based on the calculated amount of remained detergent.

8. The control method of claim 6, wherein the measured conductivity is compensated based on the temperature of the rinsing water.

9. The control method of claim 8, further comprising:

conductivity measuring step measuring conductivity of supplied water containing no detergent to compensate the conductivity of the rinsing water based on hardness of the supplied water.

10. The control method of claim 9, wherein the conductivity measuring step measuring the conductivity of the supplied water containing no detergent comprises,

measuring a first conductivity of the supplied water during the water supply cycle;

measuring a second conductivity of the supplied water during a last rinsing course of the rinsing cycle; and

storing an average value of the first and second conductivity if difference between the first and second conductivity is below a preset value, alternatively deleting the measured first and second conductivity and re-using a conductivity value stored prior if the difference is over the preset value.

11. The control method of claim 9, wherein the conductivity measuring step measuring the conductivity of the supplied water comprises,

measuring a first conductivity of the supplied water during the water supply cycle;

measuring a second conductivity of the supplied water during a last rinsing course of the rinsing cycle; and

comparing the first conductivity and the second conductivity and storing a smaller one of the two conductivity values.