WASHING MACHINE AND WASHING METHOD

• US 20110131735A1
• Filed: 12/06/2010
• Published: 06/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: PARK, Soonan, CHO, Kichul, KIM, Yongtae
• Granted Patent: US 9,284,674 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 8/137
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4212 Detection of water leaks; Collection of leaked water, e.g. in the casing
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/00 Parameters monitored or detected for the control of domestic laundry washing machines, washer-dryers or laundry dryers
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/48 Drum speed
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 33/47 Responding to irregular working conditions, e.g. malfunctioning of pumps safety arrangements D06F37/42
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 34/14 Arrangements for detecting or measuring specific parameters
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/081 Safety arrangements for preventing water damage

Abstract

Provided are a washing machine and a washing method. The washing machine includes a cabinet, an outer tub disposed in the cabinet and provided with an opened top through which wash water is supplied into the outer tub, an inner tub that is disposed in the outer tub to receive laundry and rotates about a vertical axis, a base that supports the cabinet and stores the wash water that is splattered from the outer tub by rotation of the inner tub, and an electrode sensor that is disposed on the base to detect the wash water splattered out of the outer tub.

Claims

1. A washing machine comprising:

a cabinet;

an outer tub disposed in the cabinet and provided with an opened top through which wash water is supplied into the outer tub;

an inner tub that is disposed in the outer tub to receive laundry and rotates about a vertical axis;

a base that supports the cabinet and stores the wash water that is splattered from the outer tub by rotation of the inner tub; and

an electrode sensor that is disposed on the base to detect the wash water splattered out of the outer tub.

2. The washing machine of claim 1, further comprising a control unit that, when the wash water splattered to the base is detected by the electrode sensor during the forming of centrifugal water circulation formed by the wash water that rises along a space defined between the outer and inner tubs by continuous rotation of the inner tub in a direction and is poured into the inner tub, reduces an RPM of the inner tub such that a rising height of the wash water rising along the space between the inner and outer tubs is lower than an upper end of the inner tub.

3. The washing machine of claim 1, wherein the base comprises:

an electrode sensor mounting portion on which the electrode sensor is mounted; and

a water collection inclined surface that is formed on the electrode sensor mounting portion to direct the splattered wash water toward the electrode sensor mounting portion.

4. The washing machine of claim 3, wherein the water collection inclined surface is inclined downwardly toward the electrode sensor mounting portion and a rib is formed on an edge of the water collection inclined surface and extends along an inclined direction to limit flow of the wash water flowing along the water collection inclined surface in a lateral direction.

5. The washing machine of claim 3, wherein the electrode sensor mounting portion comprises a water collecting portion that is depressed to collect the wash water introduced along the water collection inclined surface, wherein the electrode sensor detects the wash water collected in the water collecting portion.

6. The washing machine of claim 5, wherein the electrode sensor comprises first and second electrodes spaced apart from each other, wherein the first and second electrodes are spaced apart from a bottom surface of the water collecting portion.

7. The washing machine of claim 6, wherein the first and second electrodes are disposed in parallel with the bottom surface of the water collecting portion.

8. The washing machine of claim 6, wherein the first and second electrodes are disposed to be vertical to the bottom surface of the water collecting portion.

9. The washing machine of claim 5, wherein a rib is formed along an edge of the electrode sensor mounting portion, wherein the rib is spaced apart from the electrode sensor by a certain distance such that the wash water overflowing the water collecting portion is drained out of the electrode sensor mounting portion.

10. The washing machine of claim 1, wherein the base comprises a first water storage unit that is formed along a circumference of the base to collect the splattered water flowing down along an inner surface of the cabinet.

11. The washing machine of claim 10, wherein a coupling portion protrudes from a bottom surface of the first water storage unit and a coupling member for fixing the cabinet is coupled to the coupling portion, wherein the bottom surface of the first storage unit is further elevated from other surfaces such that the wash water splattered toward the coupling portion flows downward.

12. The washing machine of claim 1, further comprising a back panel coupled to a rear portion of the cabinet and provided with an air hole communicating with an inside of the cabinet, wherein the back panel comprises a splattered water guide that extends from an upper portion of the air hole toward the inside of the cabinet and is inclined downward toward the inside of the cabinet to prevent the splattered water from leaking to an external side through the air hole.

13. The washing machine of claim 12, wherein the splattered water guide is formed by bending a part that is partly cut from the back panel toward the inside of the cabinet to form the air hole.

14. The washing machine of claim 1, wherein the base has a central opening and a rib is formed along a circumference of the central opening.

15. The washing machine of claim 1, wherein the electrode sensor is disposed at a left side of a rear portion of the base and the inner tub rotates counterclockwise when the centrifugal water circulation that is formed by the wash water that rises along a space defined between the outer and inner tubs by continuous rotation of the inner tub in a direction and is poured into the inner tub is formed.

16. The washing machine of claim 1, wherein the electrode sensor is disposed at a right side of a rear portion of the base and the inner tub rotates clockwise when the centrifugal water circulation that is formed by the wash water that rises along a space defined between the outer and inner tubs by continuous rotation of the inner tub in a direction and is poured into the inner tub is formed.

17. A washing method comprises:

forming a centrifugal water circulation that is formed by wash water that rises along a space defined between an outer tub and an inner tub rotatably disposed in the outer tub by continuous rotation of the inner tub in a direction and is poured into the inner tub; and

reducing, when the wash water splattered to the base is detected by the electrode sensor during the forming of centrifugal water circulation formed by the wash water that rises along a space defined between the outer and inner tubs by continuous rotation of the inner tub in a direction and is poured into the inner tub, an RPM of the inner tub such that a rising height of the wash water rising along the space between the inner and outer tubs is lower than an upper end of the inner tub.

18. The washing method of claim 17, wherein RPM reduction of the inner tub is performed instead of forming the centrifugal water circulation until a N-th centrifugal water circulation forming process that is set to be performed after the RPM of the inner tub is reduced by the detection of the splattered wash water by the electrode sensor such that the rising height of the wash water rising along the space between the inner and outer tubs is lower than the upper end of the inner tub.

19. The washing method of claim 17, further comprising storing splattered water detection information that is detected by the electrode sensor during the forming of the centrifugal water circulation.

20. The washing method of claim 19, wherein RPM reduction of the inner tub is performed instead of forming the centrifugal water circulation in a process that is set to perform the forming of the centrifugal water circulation according to the splattered water detection information such that the rising height of the wash water rising along the space between the inner and outer tubs is lower than the upper end of the inner tub.