Washing machine and washing control method of the same

• US 8,551,256 B2
• Filed: 08/22/2007
• Issued: 10/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Bo Ram, Pyo, Sang Yeon, Kim, Hyun Sook, Kim, Sung Hoon, Oak, Seong Min
• Primary Examiner(s): Kornakov, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): WHATLEY, KATELYN B
• Application Number:
  US11/892,406
• Publication Number:
  US 20080099052A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,239 Days
• Field of Search: 815/8, 134/18, 68/120.4, 68/121.2
• US Class Current: 134/18
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 35/002 using bubbles

Abstract

A washing machine and a washing control method of the same that is capable of controlling laundry to be effectively washed with bubbles depending upon load of the washing machine and types of the laundry. The washing control method includes detecting the amount of load depending upon the weight of laundry, controlling the amount of wetting water according to the detected amount of load to wet the laundry, and generating bubbles to wash the laundry.

Claims

1. A method for use in a washing machine having a water tub and a rotary drum rotatably mounted therein to receive laundry, the method comprising:

detecting an amount of load depending upon a weight of laundry;

supplying detergent-free water containing no detergent into the water tub after laundry is loaded in the rotary drum;

wetting the laundry in the drum, wetting the laundry including operating the rotary drum at a predetermined RPM depending upon the amount of load;

supplying detergent water containing detergent into the water tub to a bubble generation water level at which the bubbles are generated while the detergent water is not in contact with the laundry in the rotary drum after the laundry is wetted;

supplying air using an air supply unit mounted below the water tub to the detergent water such that bubbles are generated as the supplied air mixes with the detergent water in the water tub below a water surface and, the bubbles generated in the water tub are introduced into the rotary drum through through-holes formed throughout the rotary drum, whereby the bubbles permeate the already wetted laundry in a plurality of directions;

detecting a water level of the detergent water changed depending upon the bubble generation;

resupplying the detergent-free water in the water tub if the water level of the detected detergent water reaches a heater safety water level; and

rotating the rotary drum to perform washing of the laundry using bubbles filled therein without submerging the laundry contained in the rotary drum.

2. The method according to claim 1,

wherein the supplying the detergent-free water includes controlling an amount of detergent-free water according to the detected amount of load.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein controlling the amount of detergent-free water according to the amount of load comprises increasing the amount of detergent-free water as the amount of load increases.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein increasing the amount of detergent-free water comprises increasing an amount of detergent-free water to be supplied for a one-time wetting operation.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein the controlling the amount of detergent-free water according to the detected amount of load further includes increasing a number of wetting times to wet the laundry as the amount of load increases.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein when the detergent water containing detergent is at the bubble generation water level, the bubbles are generated.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein when the bubbles are generated exceeding a level suitable for washing, the rotary drum, in which the laundry is put, is rotated.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the heater safety water level is a minimum water level necessary to drive the washing heater during hot water washing using bubbles.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

setting a number of water resupplies to resupply detergent water depending upon the amount of load, wherein

resupplying detergent water comprises controlling a water resupply action based on the set number of water resupplies.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

driving a washing heater to heat the detergent water containing detergent to a user-predetermined temperature,

wherein heating the detergent water containing detergent to the user-predetermined temperature is carried out along with the bubble generation.