IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,729,471
Granted Patent B2
US 12,729,471 · App. 18/207,927 · Granted Sep 8, 2026

Washing machine and controlling method of washing machine

Inventors: Youngjin Cho (Suwon-si, KR); Kanghyun Lee (Suwon-si, KR); Dongpil Seo (Suwon-si, KR); Jaeryong Park (Suwon-si, KR)
Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
D06F33/42D06F33/47D06F2103/42D06F2105/08D06F2105/58D06F2105/62
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,729,471
App. No.
18/207,927
Granted
Sep 8, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A washing machine includes: a housing; a tub inside the housing; a case connected with the tub; a filter attachable to or detachable from the case; a filtering flow path formed to pass through a portion of the filter; a bypass flow path formed to bypass the portion of the filter; and at least one sensor configured to obtain information about a state of the filter. The washing machine includes; a flow path switching device configured to guide water entered into the case to the filtering flow path or the bypass flow path; and a controller configured to control the flow path switching device to guide the water based on the obtained information about the state of the filter.

Claims (61)

1 . A washing machine comprising:

a housing;

a tub inside the housing;

a case connected with the tub;

a filter attachable to or detachable from the case;

a filtering flow path formed to pass through a portion of the filter;

a bypass flow path formed to bypass the portion of the filter;

at least one sensor configured to obtain information about a state of the filter;

a flow path switching device configured to guide water entered into the case to the filtering flow path or the bypass flow path, the flow path switching device comprising:

a bypass body installed at an outer circumference of the case and configured to form the bypass flow path;

a bypass door rotatably installed inside the bypass body and configured to open or close the bypass flow path; and

a bypass driver installed on the bypass body and configured to operate the bypass door; and

a controller configured to control the flow path switching device to guide the water based on the obtained information about the state of the filter.

2 . The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the bypass door is positioned at a location at which the filtering flow path and the bypass flow path diverge.

3 . The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the case comprises an inlet and a drain opening, and

the bypass door is positioned on a drain flow path connecting the inlet with the drain opening.

4 . The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the flow path switching device comprises a bypass body rotatably supporting the bypass door and installed in the case.

5 . The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the filter comprises a first filter portion to filter the water to remove a first foreign material, and a second filter portion configured to filter the water that has been filtered by the first filter portion to remove a second foreign material that is smaller than the first foreign material and not filtered by the first filter portion,

the filtering flow path is configured to pass through the second filter portion so that the water is filtered by both the first filter portion and the second filter portion, and

the bypass flow path is configured to bypass the second filter portion.

6 . The washing machine of claim 1 , further comprising:

a pump configured to suck water into inside of the case and discharge the water inside of the case to outside of the case; and

a pump motor configured to drive the pump,

wherein the at least one sensor comprises a current sensor configured to detect a driving current value applied to the pump motor-, and the information includes the detected driving current value applied to the pump motor.

7 . The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor comprises a water level sensor configured to detect a water level of the tub, and the information includes the detected water level of the tub.

8 . The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor comprises an optical sensor configured to detect an amount of foreign materials collected in the filter-, and the information includes the detected amount of foreign materials collected in the filter.

9 . The washing machine of claim 1 , further comprising:

a filter blade slidably and rotatably inserted onto an inner surface of the filter; and

a blade motor configured to rotate the filter blade,

wherein the at least one sensor comprises a current sensor configured to detect a driving current value applied to the blade motor.

10 . The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to control the flow path switching device to guide the water entered into the case to the bypass flow path, based on an identification, included in the obtained information, that the filter is clogged.

11 . The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to control the flow path switching device to guide the water entered into the case to the filtering flow path, based on an identification, included in the obtained information, that the filter is not clogged.

12 . The washing machine of claim 1 , further comprising a display,

wherein the controller is configured to control the display to display a visual feedback notifying clogging of the filter, based on a detection of clogging of the filter by the at least one sensor.

13 . The washing machine of claim 1 , further comprising a communicator,

wherein the controller is configured to control the communicator to transmit a filter clogging notification message to a user terminal based on a detection of clogging of the filter by the at least one sensor.

14 . The washing machine of claim 13 , wherein the controller is configured to interrupt a washing cycle upon receiving of an operation stop command from the user terminal through the communicator.

15 . A washing machine comprising:

a tub;

a case connected with the tub;

a filter attachable to or detachable from the case;

at least one sensor configured to detect clogging of the filter;

a flow path switching device configured to guide water entered into the case to pass through the filter or bypass the filter, the flow path switching device comprising:

a bypass body installed at an outer circumference of the case and configured to form a bypass flow path;

a bypass door rotatably installed inside the bypass body and configured to open or close the bypass flow path; and

a bypass driver installed on the bypass body and configured to operate the bypass door; and

a controller configured to control the flow path switching device based on the clogging of the filter detected by the at least one sensor.

16 . The washing machine of claim 15 , wherein the filter comprises a first filter portion, and a second filter portion configured to filter a foreign material that is not filtered by the first filter portion,

the bypass door is adjacent to a location at which the first filter portion is connected with the second filter portion.

17 . The washing machine of claim 15 , further comprising:

a filter blade slidably and rotatably inserted onto an inner surface of the filter; and

a blade motor configured to rotate the filter blade,

wherein the at least one sensor comprises a current sensor configured to detect a driving current value applied to the blade motor.

18 . The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the state of filter includes clogging of the filter, and in response to obtaining the information of the clogging of the filter, the controller is configured to control the bypass door to open the bypass flow path to guide the water to the bypass flow path.

19 . A method for controlling a washing machine, the washing machine including a tub, a case connected with the tub, a filter attachable to or detachable from the case, at least one sensor, a flow path switching device, and a controller the method comprising:

detecting of clogging of the filter using the at least one sensor; and

controlling the flow path switching device, by the controller, to guide water entered into the case to pass through the filter or bypass the filter based on the detecting of clogging of the filter,

wherein the flow path switching device includes:

a bypass body installed at an outer circumference of the case and forming a bypass flow path;

a bypass door rotatably installed inside the bypass body; and

a bypass driver installed on the bypass body, and configured to operate the bypass door to open or close the bypass flow path.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 9, 2023
From: CHO, YOUNGJIN; LEE, KANGHYUN; SEO, DONGPIL; PARK, JAERYONG
To: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 063910/0452 →
Priority Claims (2)
KR 10-2022-0079296 · Jun 28, 2022 · national
KR 10-2022-0130088 · Oct 11, 2022 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTKR2023007539 · Jun 1, 2023
Related Publication 20230416964A1 · Dec 28, 2023
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