Washing machine and control method thereof

Abstract

A control method of a washing machine to supply wash water in stages, generate bubbles and supply the generated bubbles. The control method includes supplying wash water to a tub to a predetermined level in stages one or more times during a washing cycle, generating bubbles at the respective stages at which the wash water is supplied to the tub, and driving a pulsator so that the bubbles are introduced into a wash tub.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims the priority benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2010-0105238, filed on Oct. 27, 2010 in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.BACKGROUND[0002]1. Field[0003]Embodiments relate to a washing machine using bubbles and a control method thereof.[0004]2. Description of the Related Art[0005]Generally, a washing machine is an apparatus which applies energy, such as impact, to laundry to separate contaminants from the laundry. Based on how energy is applied to the laundry, a washing machine may be classified as a pulsator washing machine, an agitator washing machine or a drum washing machine.[0006]The pulsator washing machine performs washing using a water current generated by rotating a disk-shaped pulsator. The agitator washing machine rotates a wing-shaped agitator extending upward from the center of the bottom of a washing tub in alternating direc...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0021]The predetermined time may be about 4 seconds or less and drive time of the pulsator in one direction is set to be shorter than the time during which the pulsator is stopped.

[0022]The drive time of the pulsator in one direction may be about 1 second or less and the time during which the pulsator is stopped may be about 3 seconds or less.

[0023]The control method may further include driving the pulsator to perform washing using mechanical force when the level of the wash water reaches the predetermined level.

Problems solved by technology

For this reason, the detergent is not sufficiency dissolved in water at the early stage of washing with the result that removal of contaminants based on chemical action of the detergent is not effectively achieved.

Also, a large amount of water is consumed, and therefore, washing is performed using relatively low-concentration detergent liquid with the result that decomposition and removal of contaminants are not effectively achieved.

In this washing machine, however, laundry placed below the level reached by the small amount of water supplied into the wash tub to form high-concentration detergent liquid is affected by the detergent liquid.

As a result, the detergent is not uniformly transferred to the laundry vertically distributed in the wash tub, and therefore, non-uniform washing is performed.

Also, the laundry may be damaged during rotation of the wash tub and the pulsator at high speed so as to sufficiently dissolve the detergent.

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