Washing apparatus and control method thereof

• US 7,600,402 B2
• Filed: 11/03/2004
• Issued: 10/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Shin, Soo Hee, Ahn, Byung Hwan, Park, Seok Kyu
• Primary Examiner(s): Perrin; Joseph L
• Application Number:
  US10/979,883
• Publication Number:
  US 20050092035A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,805 Days
• Field of Search: 68/5.C, 68/122.1
• US Class Current: 68/5.00C
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/16 Washing liquid temperature
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/18 Washing liquid level
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/34 Humidity
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/02 Water supply
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/28 Electric heating
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 25/00 Washing machines with receptacles, e.g. perforated, having a rotary movement, e.g. oscillatory movement, the receptacle serving both for washing and for centrifugally separating water from the laundry and having further drying means, e.g. using hot air control of washing or of washing and drying D06F33/00, D06F34/00; domestic laundry dryers D06F58/00
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 33/54 of water filling
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 33/72 Control of the energy or water consumption
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 34/08 Control circuits or arrangements thereof
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/04 Heating arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/087 Water level measuring or regulating devices
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/088 Liquid supply arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/40 Steam generating arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 43/00 Dry-cleaning apparatus or methods using volatile solvents D06F9/00 - D06F41/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 43/007 Dry cleaning methods
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 43/02 having one rotary cleaning receptacle only
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 58/04 Details controlling or regulating devices D06F34/00
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 58/203 Laundry conditioning arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 58/26 Heating arrangements, e.g. gas heating equipment D06F58/18 takes precedence

Abstract

The present invention provides a washing apparatus and control method thereof, by which laundry can be dry-cleaned through the loaded configurations of the wet pad cloth, the filth transfer cloth, the steam providing unit, the fragrance spraying unit, and the detergent supplying unit using either the wet pad cloth or the filth transfer cloth or without using both of the wet pad cloth and the filth transfer cloth.

Claims

1. A washing apparatus comprising:

a body forming an exterior of the washing apparatus;

a drum provided within the body;

a water storage part located between the body and the drum;

at least one steam supply pipe, wherein the steam supply pipe is between the water storage part and the drum;

a water supply valve in fluid connection with the water storage part to control water flow to the water storage part;

a heating part, wherein the heating part is located outside of the steam supply pipe, the heating part evaporating water into steam; and

a controller configured to turn on the valve to allow water to flow to the steam supply pipe and operating the heating part at least while the valve is turned on.

2. The washing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the heating part comprises a coil heater enclosing a portion of the steam supply pipe.

3. The washing apparatus of claim 1, wherein water in the water storage part flows out of an outlet of the water storage part when the water exceeds an outlet level of the water storage part.

4. The washing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a steam spray part configured to diffuse steam flowing from the steam supply pipe to an inward direction of the drum.

5. The washing apparatus of claim 4, wherein a steam outlet of the steam spray part is exposed to an inside of the drum.

6. The washing apparatus of claim 5, wherein the steam outlet of the steam spray part is passed through a laundry inlet of the drum to face the inside of the drum.

7. The washing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

an outer tub provided within the body,

wherein the drum is rotatably provided within the outer tub.

8. The laundry machine of claim 1, wherein the drum is configured to rotate about a horizontal axis and provided within the body.

9. The washing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to turn off the valve and to turn off the heating part at least while the valve is turned off.

10. The washing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to rotate the drum at least while the valve and the heating part is turned on.

11. The washing apparatus of claim 10, wherein the controller is configured to rotate the drum is a clockwise and counter clockwise direction.

12. The washing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the washing apparatus includes a dryer.

13. A washing apparatus comprising:

a body forming an exterior of the washing apparatus;

an outer tub provided within the body;

a drum configured to rotate about a horizontal axis, provided within the outer tub and having a multitude of perforated holes on a circumference;

at least one steam providing unit to provide steam from an upper portion of the outer tub,

wherein the steam providing unit comprises;

a water storage part including an outlet located between the body and the outer tub, wherein water in the water storage part flows out of the outlet when the water exceeds an outlet level of the water storage part,

a heating part, wherein the heating part is located at a portion of a steam supply pipe and outside of the steam supply pipe to evaporate water into steam, and the steam supply pipe is between the water storage part and the tub;

a water supply valve in fluid connection with the water storage part to control water flow to the water storage part; and

a controller configured to turn on the valve to allow water to flow to the water storage part and operating the heating part at least while the valve is turned on.

14. The washing apparatus of claim 13, wherein the water storage part stores a prescribed amount of water.

15. The washing apparatus of claim 13, wherein the water storage part is between a pipe path for a water supply and the steam supply pipe.

16. The washing apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a spray part coupled to the steam providing unit, wherein a steam outlet of the spray part is exposed to the inside of the drum.

17. The washing apparatus of claim 13, wherein a steam outlet of the steam providing unit passes through upper portion of the outer tub to provide the steam flowing from the steam supply Pipe to the drum in a downwards direction.

18. The washing apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a steam spray part configured to diffuse steam flowing from the steam supply pipe to an inward direction of the drum.

19. The washing apparatus of claim 13, wherein the controller is configured to turn off the valve and to turn off the heating part at least while the valve is turned off.

20. The washing apparatus of claim 13, wherein the controller is configured to rotate the drum at least while the valve and the heating part is turned on.

21. The washing apparatus of claim 20, wherein the controller is configured to rotate the drum is a clockwise and counter clockwise direction.

22. The washing apparatus of claim 13, wherein the washing apparatus includes a dryer.

23. A washing apparatus comprising:

a body forming an exterior of the washing apparatus;

a drum configured to rotate about a horizontal axis and provided within the body; and

at least one steam providing unit to supply steam into the drum,

wherein the steam providing unit comprises;

a water storage part to contain water therein and provided between the body and the drum, wherein the water storage part is configured to allow the water in the water storage part to overflow from the water storage part when the water exceeds a prescribed amount of water that can be held by the water storage part;

a heating part located outside of a steam supply pipe, the heating part evaporating water into steam, and the steam supply pipe is between the water storage part and the drum;

a water supply valve in fluid connection with the water storage part to control water flow to the water storage part; and

a controller configured to turn on the valve to allow water to flow to the water storage part and operating the heating part at least while the valve is turned on.

24. The laundry machine of claim 23, wherein the flow path is connected to the water storage part at a side surface thereof.

25. The laundry machine of claim 23, wherein the flow path is connected to the water storage part at a portion higher than a bottom thereof.

26. The laundry machine of claim 23, wherein the flow path is connected to the water storage part horizontally.

27. The laundry machine of claim 23, wherein the flow path is connected horizontally to the water storage part at a portion higher than a bottom thereof.

28. The laundry machine of claim 23, wherein the heating part is arranged around the steam supply pipe.

29. The laundry machine of claim 23, wherein the heating part is so arranged as to evaporate the water flowing through the steam supply pipe without directly contacting the water.

30. The washing apparatus of claim 23, wherein the controller is configured to turn off the valve and to turn off the heating part at least while the valve is turned off.

31. The washing apparatus of claim 23, wherein the controller is configured to rotate the drum at least while the valve and the heating part is turned on.

32. The washing apparatus of claim 31, wherein the controller is configured to rotate the drum is a clockwise and counter clockwise direction.

33. The washing apparatus of claim 23, wherein the washing apparatus includes a dryer.