Laundry machine and controlling method of the same

• US 8,601,627 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2007
• Issued: 12/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Pyoung Hwan, Shin, Su Hee, Jeong, Seong Hae, Kim, Young Soo, Lee, Deug Hee
• Primary Examiner(s): Perrin, Joseph L
• Application Number:
  US11/920,355
• Publication Number:
  US 20100083445A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,286 Days
• Field of Search: 815/8, 815/9, 68/120.3, 68/121.2, 68/122.1, 68/122.3, 68/15, 68/23.R, 682/07
• US Class Current: 8/159
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 7/0089 Regulating or controlling systems the delivery being related to the movement of a vehicle B05B9/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/20 Gaseous substances, e.g. vapours
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 23/02 and rotating or oscillating about a horizontal axis
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/40 Steam generating arrangements

Abstract

The present invention relates to a laundry machine and a controlling method, which can remove allergens on the laundry. A controlling method of a laundry machine includes a mite-killing step of supplying seam to a drum to make laundry exposed to a hot environment at or over a temperature and for or over a duration of time, wherein the temperature and the duration are predetermined enough to kill house dust mites on the laundry; a rinsing step of rinsing the laundry; and a spin-drying step of spin-drying the rinsed laundry. The present invention has a advantageous effect of removing allergens including house dust mites, animal hair and pollens efficiently. In addition, if the house dust mites are killed by using steam, energy efficiency is high and an effect of mite-killing is great.

Claims

1. A controlling method of a laundry machine comprising:

receiving a selection of an allergy care course from a user;

a mite-killing step of making an environment inside a drum by supplying steam into the drum until a water temperature inside a tub reaches a preset temperature to make laundry exposed to a hot environment at, and for or over a preset duration of time, wherein the preset temperature is over 55°

C. and the preset duration is over 10 minutes, and wherein the laundry inside the drum is exposed to the hot environment of temperature over 55°

C. for or over 10 minutes;

a rinsing step of rinsing the laundry, wherein the rinsing the laundry is performed four times or more in the rinsing step; and

a spin-drying step of spin-drying the rinsed laundry.

2. The controlling method of claim 1, wherein the preset temperature is 55°

C.-60°

C.

3. The controlling method of claim 1, wherein the mite-killing step includes:

supplying water to the tub until the water reaches a preset water level;

supplying the steam to the drum until the ambient temperature or water temperature inside the tub reaches the preset temperature.

4. The controlling method of claim 3, wherein the supply of the steam is performed after the supplying of water is complete.

5. The controlling method of claim 3, wherein the mite-killing step further includes:

driving the drum for or over a predetermined duration after the supplying of the steam is complete.

6. The controlling method of claim 3, wherein detergent is supplied to the tub together with the water and the mite-killing step further includes driving the drum to wash the laundry.

7. The controlling method of claim 6, wherein the mite-killing step further includes:

circulating the water inside the tub by using a circulation pump.

8. The controlling method of claim 6, further comprising:

driving the drum for or over a predetermined duration to continue to wash the laundry.

9. The controlling method of claim 8, wherein the driving of the drum is performed until a preset time is reached and thereafter the water inside the tub is discharged.

10. The controlling method of claim 6, wherein the detergent contains protease.

11. The controlling method of claim 3, wherein hot water is supplied to the tub during the supplying of water.

12. The controlling method of claim 1, wherein the drum is rotated at a speed of or over 800 rpm during the spin-drying step.

13. A laundry machine comprising:

a steam generator to generate steam to supply the steam to a drum;

a controller to control the steam generator to supply the steam into the drum until—

a water temperature inside a tub reaches a preset temperature to make laundry exposed to or over a mite-killing temperature of 55°

C., and for or over a duration of time of 10 minutes, wherein the temperature and the duration are predetermined enough to kill house dust mites on the laundry, and wherein the preset temperature is 55°

C.-60°

C.; and

a course selector configured to allow a user to select an allergy care course which is memorized in the controller as a program, wherein the allergy care course includes a rinsing step for rinsing the laundry performed four times or more.