Washing apparatus and control method thereof

• US 8,122,741 B2
• Filed: 09/03/2009
• Issued: 02/28/2012
• 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, Park, Seok Kyu, Ahn, Byung Hwan
• Primary Examiner(s): PERRIN, JOSEPH L
• Application Number:
  US12/585,112
• Publication Number:
  US 20100000269A1
• Time in Patent Office: 908 Days
• Field of Search: 68/5.R, 68/5.C, 68/122.1, 68/122.3, 68/15, 68/23.R, 68/24, 682/07
• US Class Current: 68/5.C
• 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 and configured to rotate about a substantially horizontal axis to agitate laundry in the drum;

a steam generator located between the body and the drum and upper side of the drum, wherein the steam generator includes a water storage part and a heater adjacent to the water storage part, the heater evaporating water into steam;

a pipe between the steam generator and the drum to supply steam into the drum from an upper portion of the drum; and

a water supply device in fluid connection with the steam generator to control water flow to the steam generator,

wherein the water supply device allows water to flow to the water storage part and the heater operates to evaporate water flowing in the pipe into steam by heating a portion of the pipe at least while the water supply device is turned on.

2. The washing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the heater is provided within the water storage part.

3. The washing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the water supply device is a pump.

4. The washing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the water storage part stores a prescribed amount of water so that the heater generates a prescribed amount of steam.

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

6. The washing apparatus of claim 5, wherein a steam outlet of the steam spray part is exposed to an 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 washing apparatus of claim 7, wherein the drum is configured to rotate about a substantially horizontal axis, provided within the outer tub and has a multitude of perforated holes on a circumference.

9. The washing apparatus of claim 8, wherein the heating unit is provided within the water storage unit.

10. The washing apparatus of claim 8, wherein the water supply unit is a pump.

11. The washing apparatus of claim 8, wherein the water storage unit stores a prescribed amount of water so that the heating unit generates a prescribed amount of steam.

12. The washing apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a steam spray unit configured to diffuse steam flowing from the pipe to an inward direction of the drum.

13. The washing apparatus of claim 12, wherein a steam outlet of the steam spray unit is exposed to an inside of the drum.

14. The washing apparatus of claim 8, wherein a steam outlet of the steam providing unit passes through upper portion of the outer tub to provide the steam flowing from the pipe to the drum in a downwards direction.

15. A washing apparatus, comprising:

a body forming an exterior of the washing apparatus;

a drum provided within the body and configured to rotate about a substantially horizontal axis to agitate laundry in the drum;

a steam providing unit located between the body and the drum, wherein the steam providing unit includes a heating part that evaporates water into steam and a steam supply pipe to supply steam into the drum;

a water storage part to store a prescribed amount of water for generation of a prescribed amount of steam; and

a water supply device in fluid connection with the steam providing unit to control water flow to the steam providing unit,

wherein the water supply device allows water to flow to the steam providing unit through the water storage unit and the heating part operates to evaporate water flowing in the steam supply pipe into steam by heating a portion of the steam supply pipe at least while the water supply device is turned on.

16. The washing apparatus of claim 15, wherein the heating part is a coil heater.

17. The washing apparatus of claim 15, wherein the water supply device is a pump.

18. The washing apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a steam spray part configured to diffuse steam flowing from the pipe to an inward direction of the drum.

19. The washing apparatus of claim 18, wherein a steam outlet of the steam spray part is exposed to an inside of the drum.

20. The washing apparatus of claim 18, further comprising:

a valve configured to spray the steam by turning on/off the pipe.

21. The washing apparatus of claim 15, further comprising:

an outer tub provided within the body, wherein the drum is rotatably provided within the outer tub.

22. The washing apparatus of claim 15, wherein the steam providing unit is provided on upper side of the drum.

23. A washing apparatus comprising:

a body forming an exterior of the washing apparatus;

a drum provided within the body and configured to rotate about a substantially horizontal axis to agitate laundry in the drum;

a steam providing unit located between the body and the drum, wherein the steam providing unit includes a heating part that evaporates water into steam and a steam supply pipe to supply steam into the drum and wherein the steam providing unit is separately provided on upper side of the drum to generate steam without water from the drum;

a water storage part to store a prescribed amount of water for generation of a prescribed amount of steam; and

a water supply device in fluid connection with the steam providing unit to control water flow to the steam providing unit through the water storage unit,

wherein the water supply device allows water to flow to the steam providing unit and the heating part operates to evaporate water flowing in the steam supply pipe into steam by heating a portion of the steam supply pipe at least while the water supply device is turned on.

24. The washing apparatus of claim 23, wherein the heating part is a coil heater.

25. The washing apparatus of claim 23, wherein the water supply device is a pump.

26. The washing apparatus of claim 23, further comprising a steam spray part configured to diffuse steam flowing from the pipe steam supplying part to an inward direction of the drum.

27. The washing apparatus of claim 26, wherein a steam outlet of the steam spray part is exposed to an inside of the drum.

28. The washing apparatus of claim 26, further comprising a valve configured to spray the steam by turning on/off the pipe.