IP Library Granted Patent US 12,344,981
Granted Patent B2
US 12,344,981 · App. 17/624,723 · Granted Jul 1, 2025

Washing machine and control method of washing machine

Inventor: Han Kim (Seoul, KR)
Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
D06F33/34D06F33/40D06F33/44D06F39/04D06F39/085D06F2105/02D06F2105/10D06F2105/48
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,344,981
App. No.
17/624,723
Granted
Jul 1, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A control method for a washing machine includes a first drum operation of supplying water by a first set amount with a detergent into a tub and rotating a drum at a first drum rotation speed while supplying water and operating a pump at a first pump rotation speed, a second drum operation of operating a heater to heat the water in the tub having the first set amount of water, rotating the drum at the first drum rotation speed during the operation of the heater, and operating the pump at the first pump rotation speed, rotating the drum at a preset spin-drying speed to spin-dry laundry, operating the drum at a second drum rotation speed greater than the first drum rotation speed while supplying water, after the operation of spin-drying the laundry, and accelerating the pump from the second pump rotation speed to a third pump rotation speed.

Claims (43)

1. A washing machine comprising:

a tub configured to store water;

a drum rotatably provided in the tub;

a driving motor configured to rotate the drum;

a water supply configured to supply water supplied from an external water source to the tub;

a pump comprising a pump motor, the pump being configured to pressure-feed water discharged from the tub;

a nozzle configured to spray the water pressure-fed by the pump into the drum;

a heater configured to heat the water in the tub; and

a controller configured to control the driving motor, the water supply, the pump motor, and the heater,

wherein the controller is configured to:

perform a first operation in which the controller controls the water supply to supply a first set amount of water to the tub, controls the driving motor to rotate the drum at a first drum rotation speed while water is being supplied, and rotates the pump motor at a first pump rotation speed while rotating the drum at the first drum rotation speed,

perform a second operation in which the controller operates the heater in a state in which the first set amount of water is supplied to the tub, and controls the driving motor to rotate the drum at the first drum rotation speed while operating the heater and rotating the pump motor at the first pump rotation speed,

stop an operation of the heater, and control the driving motor to rotate the drum at a preset spin-drying speed in a state in which the operation of the heater is stopped,

control the water supply to supply water to the tub after rotating the drum at the preset spin-drying speed, while controlling the driving motor to rotate the drum at a second drum rotation speed greater than the first drum rotation speed, and accelerating the pump motor from a second pump rotation speed to a third pump rotation speed, and

control a stop period and a rotation period of the pump motor during each of the first operation and the second operation, and

wherein a ratio of the stop period of the pump motor to the rotation period of the pump motor during the second operation is greater than a ratio of the stop period of the pump motor to the rotation period of the pump motor during the first operation.

2. The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the water supply includes:

a water supply pipe configured to receive water from the external water source;

a water supply valve configured to control the water supply pipe; and

a dispenser configured to accommodate a detergent and connected to the water supply pipe and the tub.

3. The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein, while the drum is rotating at the first drum rotation speed, laundry positioned at the lowest point in the drum rises to a certain height by the rotation of the drum and then rolls down along an inner surface of the drum.

4. The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the first drum rotation speed is 36 rpm.

5. The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to, based on rotating the drum and the pump motor while supplying the first set amount of water to the tub, control the driving motor to cause the drum to repeat rotation and stop and to cause the pump motor to repeat rotation and stop, and

wherein the rotation and stop of the pump motor are synchronized with the rotation and stop of the drum during the first operation.

6. The washing machine of claim 5 , wherein, during the first operation, when the first set amount of water is supplied to the tub, a ratio of a rotation period of the drum to a stop period of the drum is 30:4.

7. The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the third pump rotation speed is equal to the first pump rotation speed.

8. The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to control the driving motor to cause the drum to alternately repeat rotation and stop at the first drum rotation speed while operating the heater, and

wherein a ratio of a rotation period of the drum to a stop period of the drum is 36:4.

9. The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to, based on supplying water to the tub after rotating the drum at the preset spin-drying speed, control the driving motor to cause the drum to alternately repeat rotation and stop at the second drum rotation speed, and

wherein a ratio of a rotation period of the drum to a stop period of the drum is 25:9.

10. The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein, while the drum is rotating at the second drum rotation speed, laundry in the drum rotates together with the drum without falling even from the highest point of the drum due to the rotation of the drum.

11. The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to control a stop period and a rotation period of the drum during each of the first operation and the second operation, and

wherein a ratio of the stop period of the drum to the rotation period of the drum during the first operation is equal to a ratio of the stop period of the drum to the rotation period of the drum during the second operation.

12. The washing machine of claim 11 , wherein, during the first operation, the ratio of the stop period of the pump motor to the rotation period of the pump motor is equal to the ratio of the stop period of the drum to the rotation period of the drum.

13. The washing machine of claim 11 , wherein, during the second operation, the ratio of the stop period of the pump motor to the rotation period of the pump motor is greater than the ratio of the stop period of the drum to the rotation period of the drum.

14. A control method of a washing machine including a drum configured to rotate about a horizontal rotation axis in a tub and a plurality of nozzles configured to spray water discharged from the tub and circulated by a pump into the drum, the control method comprising:

performing a first drum operation of supplying a first set amount of water together with a detergent into the tub while rotating the drum at a first drum rotation speed;

operating the pump at a first pump rotation speed during the first drum operation;

performing a second drum operation of operating a heater to heat the water in the tub in a state in which the first set amount of water is supplied into the tub, while controlling the drum to rotate at the first drum rotation speed and controlling the pump to rotate at the first pump rotation speed;

rotating the drum at a preset spin-drying speed to spin-dry laundry;

operating the drum at a second drum rotation speed greater than the first drum rotation speed, while supplying water into the tub after rotating the drum at the preset spin-drying speed, and accelerating the pump from a second pump rotation speed to a third pump rotation speed; and

controlling a stop period and a rotation period of the pump during each of the first drum operation and the second drum operation,

wherein a ratio of the stop period of the pump to the rotation period of the pump during the second drum operation is greater than a ratio of the stop period of the pump to the rotation period of the pump during the first drum operation.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 30, 2025
From: KIM, HAN
To: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
Reel/Frame 071263/0603 →
Priority Claims (1)
KR 10-2019-0080611 · Jul 4, 2019 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220251751A1 · Aug 11, 2022
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