Washing machine using steam and method for controlling the same

• US 9,416,480 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2006
• Issued: 08/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Park, Seog Kyu, Ahn, In Geun
• Primary Examiner(s): Cormier, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bucci, Thomas
• Application Number:
  US11/628,192
• Publication Number:
  US 20080134446A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,809 Days
• Field of Search: 813/7, 814/2, 814/92, 814/93, 815/9, 68/5.C, 68/120.2, 68/120.4, 68/122.3, 681/39, 68/13.R, 68/5.R, 345/24, 341/32, 34/88, 344/99, 344/43, 344/87, 702/185
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2101/00 User input for the control of domestic laundry washing machines, washer-dryers or laundry dryers
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2101/20 Operation modes, e.g. delicate laundry washing programs, service modes or refreshment cycles
• 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 33/32 Control of operational steps, e.g. optimisation or improvement of operational steps depending on the condition of the laundry
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 34/28 Arrangements for program selection, e.g. control panels therefor; Arrangements for indicating program parameters, e.g. the selected program or its progress
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/40 Steam generating arrangements

Abstract

A washing machine using steam and a method for controlling the same is disclosed. The washing machine with a steam generator (100) selectively supplying steam not a drum (30) according to the present invention includes a course select part (420) for a user to select a wash course, a steam select part (430) for a user to select whether steam washing is operated and a controller (440) for controlling the steam generator (100) based on a wash course selected from the course select part (420) (an inputted wash course) and a signal selected from the steam select part (430). The present invention has an advantageous effect that convenience is improved for a user to use the washing machine using steam as well as washing performance is improved, because disadvantages due to malfunctions of a steam generator are prevented.

Claims

1. A laundry machine comprising:

a drum that holds laundry;

a motor configured to rotate the drum;

a steam generator configured to generate steam to be supplied to the drum;

a panel;

a course selector disposed on the panel to allow a user to select a course among a plurality of courses including multiple sub-cycles, and the courses are divided between courses that use steam and courses that do not use steam where a print is provided on a surface of the panel to indicate which course uses steam;

an option selector disposed on the panel to allow the user to select particular control of each course; and

a controller configured to control an operation of the machine according to selected course and the steam generator to generate steam when the course that use steam is selected and not to generate steam when the course that does not use steam is selected regardless of selection of the option selector.

2. The laundry machine according to claim 1, wherein the controller controls steam supplied by the steam generator by controlling at least one of a water supply of the steam generator and a heater of the steam generator.

3. The laundry machine according to claim 1, wherein the selected course that uses steam is one of a standard course, a tub/drum wash course, a sanitary course, and a freshen-up course.

4. The laundry machine according to claim 1, wherein the course selector includes at least one of a rotation knob, a touch panel, and a plurality of buttons.

5. The laundry machine according to claim 1, wherein the laundry machine further comprises a display to indicate that a steam course is selected or is being performed.

6. The laundry machine according to claim 5, wherein the display is liquid crystal display (LCD).

7. The laundry machine according to claim 1, wherein the laundry machine further comprises at least one of LCD, a light emitting diode (LED) and a lamp to indicate that the selected course is a course that uses steam.

8. The laundry machine according to claim 1, wherein the course selector includes a rotation knob, where a course is selected when the rotation knob is dialed until an indicator associated the course to be selected is activated and the rotation knob is disengaged.

9. The laundry machine according to claim 1, further comprising a motor to rotate the tub or the drum when the selected course uses steam.

10. The laundry machine according to claim 1, wherein the course selector includes a rotation knob to select a course based on the rotation angle and the rotation direction of the rotation knob.

11. The laundry machine according to claim 1, wherein the course selector is divided into a first section and the second section along the circumferential direction of the course selector, the first section including the courses that use steam and a second section including the courses that do not use steam.

12. A laundry machine comprising:

a drum that holds laundry;

a motor configured to rotate the drum;

a steam generator configured to generate steam to be supplied to the drum;

a panel;

a rotation knob disposed on the panel to allow a user to select a course among a plurality of courses including multiple sub-cycles, and the courses are divided between courses that use steam and courses that do not use steam where a print is provided on a surface of the panel to indicate which course uses steam;

an option selector disposed on the panel to allow the user to select particular control of each course; and

a controller configured to control an operation of the machine according to selected course and the steam generator to generate steam when the course that use steam is selected and not to generate steam when the course that does not use steam is selected regardless of selection of the option selector.

13. The laundry machine according to claim 12, wherein the controller controls steam supplied by the steam generator by controlling at least one of a water supply of the steam generator and a heater of the steam generator.

14. The laundry machine according to claim 12, wherein the laundry machine further comprises a display to indicate that a steam course is selected or is being performed.

15. The laundry machine according to claim 12, wherein the rotation knob is divided into a first section and the second section along the circumferential direction of the rotation knob, the first section including the courses that use steam and a second section including the courses that do not use steam.

16. A laundry machine including a steam generator, comprising:

a panel;

a course selector disposed on the panel to allow a user to select a course among a plurality of courses including multiple sub-cycles, and the courses are divided between courses that use steam and courses that enable to use steam;

a steam selector disposed on the panel to allow a user to select using steam; and

a controller configured to control an operation of the machine according to selected course,

wherein the controller controls the steam generator to generate steam when the course that uses steam is selected from the course selector regardless of selection of the steam selector or when both the course that enable to use steam and using steam are selected from the course selector and the steam selector, respectively.

17. The laundry machine according to claim 16, wherein the selected course that uses steam is one of a tub/drum wash course and a freshen-up course.

18. The laundry machine according to claim 16, wherein the selected course that enable to use steam is one of a standard course and a sanitary course.

19. The laundry machine according to claim 16, wherein the controller controls steam supplied by the steam generator by controlling at least one of a water supply of the steam generator and a heater of the steam generator.

20. The laundry machine according to claim 16, wherein the plurality of courses further includes courses that do not use steam.