Method And Apparatus For Treating Laundry

• US 20100281625A1
• Filed: 11/20/2008
• Published: 11/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Oh, Soo Young, Im, Myong Hun, Woo, Kyung Chul, Park, Tae Young
• Application Number:
  US12/743,794
• Publication Number:
  US 20100281625A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 8/137
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/04 Quantity, e.g. weight or variation of weight
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/18 Washing liquid level
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/22 Content of detergent or additives
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/24 Spin speed; Drum movements
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/38 Time, e.g. duration
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/08 Draining of washing liquids
• 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

Abstract

A laundry treatment method and apparatus are provided. The laundry treatment method includes (a) measuring the amount of detergent in wash water in a tub during a rinsing operation; and (b) automatically determining whether to continue performing the rinsing operation based on a plurality of operating variables including the amount of detergent in the wash water.

Claims

1. A laundry treatment method comprising:

(a) measuring the amount of detergent in wash water in a tub during a rinsing operation; and

(b) automatically determining whether to continue performing the rinsing operation based on a plurality of operating variables including the amount of detergent in the wash water.

2. The laundry treatment method of claim 1, wherein the operating variables also include the weight of laundry and a user manipulation signal.

3. The laundry treatment method of claim 1, further comprising, if it is determined to continue performing the rinsing operation, (d) discharging the wash water from the tub, supplying wash water into the tub, and rinsing the laundry again.

4. The laundry treatment method of claim 1, further comprising, if it is determined to continue performing the rinsing operation, (c) determining at least one of the water level in the tub, the rotation speed of a drum and the duration of a spin-drying process.

5. The laundry treatment method of claim 1, further comprising, if is determined to continue performing the rinsing operation, (e) counting the total number of times a rinsing process has been performed and comparing the result of the counting with a predefined value.

6. The laundry treatment method of claim 1, further comprising (f) outputting information regarding the amount of detergent remained in the wash water.

7. A laundry treatment apparatus comprising:

a tub in which wash water for washing laundry is loaded;

a wash water sensing apparatus which measures the amount of detergent remained in the wash water; and

an alarm device which outputs information regarding the amount of detergent remained in the wash water.

8. The laundry treatment apparatus of claim 7, wherein the wash water sensing apparatus comprises a sealing cover, which is coupled to a tub by being inserted into a hole of the tub and includes a through hole, and a sensor body, which includes a plurality of electrodes for measuring the conductivity of wash water and is coupled to the sealing cover by being inserted into the through hole.

9. The laundry treatment apparatus of claim 7, wherein the alarm device comprises an audio output unit which outputs audio data regarding the amount of detergent remained in the wash water.

10. The laundry treatment apparatus of claim 7, wherein the alarm device comprises a display unit which displays the information regarding the amount of detergent remained in the wash water.

11. The laundry treatment apparatus of claim 7, further comprising a control unit which automatically determines whether to continue performing a rinsing operation based on measurement data provided by the wash water sensing apparatus regarding the amount of detergent in the wash water.