washing machine

Abstract

The present invention discloses a washing machine, comprising: a shell, a front surface of which is formed with a feeding hole for feeding clothes; an outer barrel, arranged inside the shell to hold water, and having an inlet hole formed on the front surface of the outer barrel; a drum, rotatably arranged in the outer barrel; a washing motor, rotating the drum; an annular gasket, connecting the feeding hole of the shell and the inlet hole of the outer barrel; a plurality of nozzles, installed in the gasket, spraying water into the drum; a pump, comprising a pump motor, pumping water discharged from the outer barrel toward the plurality of nozzles; and a flow guide path, comprising an inlet for water pumped by the pump to flow in, guiding the water pumped by the pump toward the plurality of nozzles, the plurality of nozzles comprising a pair of first nozzles and a pair of second nozzles, when a first water level is reached in the drum, the pump motor is driven at a first speed to spray water from the pair of first nozzles, and when the water level in the drum rises to a second level, the pump motor is driven at a second speed higher than the first speed to spray water from the pair of first nozzles and the pair of second nozzles.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application with application number 201880084699.0, application date December 28, 2018, and invention name “Method for controlling a washing machine”. Technical Field

[0002] The present invention relates to a method for controlling a washing machine having a circulation pump for circulating wash water. Background Art

[0003] Generally speaking, a washing machine is a general term for devices that remove contaminants from clothing, bed sheets, and the like (hereinafter referred to as "laundry") by utilizing the chemical decomposition of detergent and water and physical forces such as friction between water and clothing. The washing machine includes a rotating cylindrical drum having a plurality of through-holes formed therein, mounted within an outer tub for holding water. When the washing machine is operated with laundry loaded in the drum, water containing detergent is supplied to the outer tub and / or the drum, which then begins to rotate, performing the washing operation.

[0004] In order to improve washing performance and prevent clothes from being contaminated by detergent, the detergent supplied to the water needs to be evenly dissolved. Generally, water with detergent is supplied in the initial washing operation, the drum is filled with water to a certain level while rotating, and the water is agitated while the drum rotates to dissolve the detergent.

[0005] However, this method is only applicable when the water level in the outer tub is high enough to fill the drum with water to a certain level. Therefore, if a predetermined amount of detergent is supplied, the concentration level of the wash water does not exceed the predetermined level. In addition, some of the water supplied with detergent (hereinafter referred to as "wash water") is absorbed into the clothes, so the water level in the outer tub decreases. In order to compensate for the lowered water level, more water needs to be supplied, which causes the concentration level of the wash water to further decrease. Therefore, it is impossible to use wash water with a high concentration of detergent to wash clothes.

[0006] Furthermore, in this method, an area away from the drum is less affected by the rotation of the drum. Therefore, in such an area, the water flow is weak and the detergent is not sufficiently dissolved. For example, the detergent is not sufficiently dissolved in the drain bellows (which is configured to guide the water discharged from the outer tub to the circulation pump) or in the circulation pump housing.

[0007] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2010036016A (hereinafter referred to as "Related Art 1") discloses a washing machine in which a circulation pump employing a BLDC motor is used to circulate wash water and spray the wash water into a drum (water container). During normal operation, Related Art rotates the circulation pump at 2500 rpm to supply the circulating water at a high angle to a deep area inside the drum. When the amount of laundry sensed by a load sensing device is determined to be less than a predetermined value, Related Art rotates the circulation pump at 2500 rpm to soak the laundry at the bottom of the drum at a low angle. Related Art 1 adjusts the speed of the circulation pump but still sprays the circulating water into the drum, making it difficult to form wash water with a high concentration of detergent before applying the water to the laundry.

[0008] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2008113982A (hereinafter referred to as "Related Technology 2") discloses a washing machine having a circulation pump capable of rotating forward / backward. The circulation pump includes an impeller provided in a housing having two outlets. One of the two discharge ports (hereinafter referred to as the "first outlet port") is used to dissolve detergent, while the other of the two discharge ports (hereinafter referred to as the "second outlet port") is used to supply circulating water to a circulation nozzle. In the housing, there are a first baffle and a second baffle, the first baffle being configured to prevent water from being discharged through the second outlet port when the impeller rotates backward, and the second baffle being configured to prevent water from being discharged through the first outlet when the impeller rotates forward.

[0009] Water (water containing dissolved detergent) discharged through the first outlet due to the backward rotation of the impeller flows along a predetermined pipe and is recovered by an inlet hole formed at the bottom of the outer tub (water tank) and returned to the outer tub. Specifically, as the impeller rotates backward, the water circulates in such a manner that the water discharged from the outer tub is pumped by a circulation pump and flows back into the outer tub. In particular, during this process, the circulating water does not flow into the drum but only into a recessed space provided on the underside of the outer tub, which does not come into contact with the drum. This prevents the application of incompletely dissolved detergent to the laundry in the drum, and forms wash water with a high concentration of detergent before the water is applied to the laundry.

[0010] However, Related Art 1 needs to have an additional flow path for dissolving the detergent, as well as a flow path for spraying wash water into the drum.

[0011] In addition, in Related Art 2, as the backward rotation speed of the impeller increases, the flow rate at the first outlet port increases, thereby reducing the circulation period of the washing water. Therefore, within one circulation period, the washing water is not stirred by the impeller. Summary of the Invention

[0012] Technical issues

[0013] A first object of the present invention is to provide a method for controlling a washing machine, which enables detergent to be uniformly dissolved in wash water using a circulation pump.

[0014] A second object of the present invention is to provide a method for controlling a washing machine, which enables laundry to be uniformly soaked in wash water in which detergent is dissolved.

[0015] A third object of the present invention is to provide a method for controlling a washing machine, which prevents laundry from being contaminated by incompletely dissolved detergent.

[0016] A fourth object of the present invention is to provide a washing machine and a method for controlling such a washing machine, which washing machine and its control method use a nozzle for spraying circulating water pumped by a circulating pump to perform a detergent dissolving step, wherein the circulating water is prevented from reaching the inside of the drum during the detergent dissolving step so as to prevent incompletely dissolved detergent from being applied to clothes.

[0017] These objects are achieved by the features of the claims.

[0018] Technical Solution

[0019] In one overall aspect of the present invention, a method for controlling a washing machine is provided, the washing machine having an outer tub for holding water, a drum rotatably disposed in the outer tub, at least one nozzle disposed in front of the drum to spray water into the drum, a washing motor configured to rotate the drum, and a circulation pump configured to circulate water discharged from the outer tub to the at least one nozzle.

[0020] The method includes supplying water containing detergent into an outer tub to a first water level, and operating a circulation pump at a first speed. The first speed is set within a range in which water discharged from the circulation pump fails to reach any of the at least one nozzle, or even if the water reaches the at least one nozzle, the sprayed water fails to reach the inside of the drum.

[0021] When the circulation pump is operated at the first speed, the washing pump repeatedly accelerates and brakes. The clothes in the drum are attracted to the inner peripheral surface of the drum in response to the acceleration of the washing motor, and the clothes fall from the inner peripheral surface of the drum in response to the deceleration of the washing motor.

[0022] When the laundry is lifted from the lowest position in the drum to a height corresponding to a set angle (ie, a rotation angle set to be less than 180 degrees of the drum), braking of the washing motor may be performed.

[0023] The first speed may be equal to or less than 1500 rpm.

[0024] Then, a step of repeatedly running and stopping the circulation pump multiple times while the washing motor is continuously rotated in one direction (hereinafter referred to as a "washing step") may be performed. When the washing motor is continuously rotated in the washing step, the laundry in the drum may be repeatedly lifted to a predetermined height and dropped from the predetermined height while the washing motor is continuously rotated in one direction. In this case, after the drum 360 rotates 360 degrees or more, the washing motor may be decelerated.

[0025] The step of additionally supplying water to the outer tub may be further performed in the washing step. In the washing step, when the operation of the circulation pump is performed multiple times and the operation of the circulation pump is performed after water is additionally supplied to the outer tub, the speed of the circulation pump may be set to be higher than the speed in the previous operation.

[0026] In step (e), in response to multiple continuous rotations of the washing motor in one direction, the circulation pump may be repeatedly operated multiple times, and the multiple operations of the circulation pump may include: a first operation, in which the circulation pump rotates at a first speed; and a second operation, in which the circulation pump rotates at a second speed higher than the first speed after the first operation.

[0027] The at least one nozzle may include: two or more lower nozzles for spraying water toward a first area on the inner circumferential surface of the drum; and two or more middle nozzles for supplying water along a flow path shared with the two or more lower nozzles and arranged higher in the flow path than the two or more lower nozzles to spray water toward a second area on the inner circumferential surface of the drum. The rotation of the circulation pump may be controlled during the washing step so that water is sprayed from the two or more lower nozzles and the two or more middle nozzles.

[0028] In the washing step, a step of controlling the circulation pump may be performed such that water pumped by the circulation pump is sprayed through the two or more lower nozzles without reaching the two or more nozzles.

[0029] The washing machine may further include a direct water nozzle for spraying water supplied through the water supply valve into the drum. The washing step may include the steps of opening the water supply valve to spray water through the direct water nozzle and simultaneously spraying water through the two or more middle nozzles and the two or more lower nozzles.

[0030] After the washing step, the steps of accelerating the washing motor to a contact mainlining speed so that the clothes in the drum rotate while being adsorbed to the inner circumferential surface of the drum, and rotating the washing motor while maintaining the contact mainlining speed, and accelerating the circulation pump in response to the acceleration of the washing motor to spray water through at least one nozzle can be further performed.

[0031] Beneficial effects of the present invention

[0032] The control method for a washing machine according to the present invention causes wash water to be stirred by a circulation pump at a low water level, thereby uniformly dissolving detergent in the wash water. Then, as wash water is supplied to the laundry through at least one nozzle and the water level rises due to the additional water supply, detergent can be evenly applied to the laundry, and after washing is completed, incompletely dissolved detergent residue does not remain in the laundry.

[0033] The method for controlling a washing machine according to the present invention utilizes wash water with a high concentration of detergent in the initial washing stage, thereby improving washing performance. That is, as the water level in the outer tub gradually increases, contaminants can be removed from the clothes in the initial washing stage using the wash water with a high concentration of detergent. Then, the clothes can be washed using the rising water level in the outer tub using the water flow sprayed from the nozzle, thereby improving washing performance.

[0034] Furthermore, since the circulation pump motor can be controlled to change the amount of water jetted from the plurality of nozzles during washing, washing can be performed by adjusting the amount of circulating water according to the water level.

[0035] Furthermore, since the detergent dissolving step is performed using the nozzle formed in the gasket, a simple structure can be achieved without an additional circulation flow path for the detergent dissolving step, and the detergent dissolving step can be easily performed using an existing washing machine. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0036] The above and other objects, features and other advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0037] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 2 It shows Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the washing machine shown in ;

[0039] Figure 3 is a block diagram illustrating a control relationship between main components of a washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 4 is a diagram schematically showing main components of a washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 5 A front view of the drum is schematically shown, showing the spray range of each nozzle;

[0042] Figure 6 A side view of the drum is schematically shown, showing the spray range of each nozzle;

[0043] Figure 7 is a diagram illustrating various drum driving actions that can be implemented by a washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0044] Figure 8 It is a chart used to compare the washing performance and vibration levels between various drum drive actions;

[0045] Figure 9 1 is a diagram for explaining the ejection action in each roller driving action of the present invention in comparison with the conventional action;

[0046] Figure 10 is a flow chart showing a method for controlling a washing motor and a circulating pump motor in a drum driving operation;

[0047] Figure 11 Shows the entire washing sequence of the washing machine applicable to the present invention;

[0048] Figure 12 1. A graph showing the speed of the washing motor (a) and the speed of the circulation pump motor (b) in a rolling motion and a tumbling motion;

[0049] Figure 13 is a diagram for explaining how a washing motor and a circulating pump motor operate in a swing motion, a scrubbing motion, and a step motion according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0050] Figure 14 shows a change in the number of rotations of the drum (a) and a change in the number of rotations of the pump (b) according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0051] Figure 15 Shows the arrangement of the laundry in the drum in the middle of the filtering action;

[0052] Figure 16 is a graph comparing the speed of the circulation pump motor in each drum driving action when the laundry load falls within a first laundry load range I and when the laundry load falls within a second laundry load range II;

[0053] Figure 17 Showing changes in the number of rotations of the drum (a) and the number of rotations of the pump (b) according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0054] Figure 18 is a diagram for explaining a squeezing action according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0055] Figure 19 is a diagram for explaining a water supply / clothes soaking cycle according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0056] Figure 20 is a diagram for explaining a method for controlling a washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

[0057] Figure 21 is a diagram for explaining a method for controlling a washing machine according to another embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0058] Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating a washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 It shows Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the washing machine shown in FIG. Figure 3 is a block diagram illustrating a control relationship between main components of a washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 is a diagram schematically illustrating main components of a washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0059] Reference Figures 1 to 4 The housing 10 defines the appearance of the washing machine, and a loading hole 12h through which clothes are loaded is formed on the front surface of the housing 10. The housing 10 may include: a cabinet 11 having an open front surface (open front surface), a left surface, a right surface, and a rear surface; and a front panel 12 coupled to the open front surface of the cabinet 11. The loading hole 12h may be formed on the front panel 12. The cabinet 11 may have an open bottom surface and an open top surface, and a horizontal base 1 for supporting the washing machine may be coupled to the bottom surface of the cabinet 11. The housing 10 may further include: a top plate 13 covering the open top surface of the cabinet 11; and a control panel 14 arranged on the upper side of the front panel 12.

[0060] The control panel 14 may include: an input unit (e.g., button, dial, touch pad, etc.) for receiving various settings regarding the operation of the washing machine from the user; and a display unit (e.g., LCD, LED display, etc.) for displaying the operating status of the washing machine.

[0061] The door 20 for opening and closing the insertion hole 12h is rotatably coupled to the housing 10. The door 20 may include a door frame 21 having an opening portion near its center and rotatably coupled to the front panel 12; and a window 22 installed in the central portion of the opening of the door frame 21.

[0062] An outer tub 31 for holding water may be provided in the housing 10. An inlet hole for receiving laundry is formed on a front surface of the outer tub 31 and communicates with the introduction hole 12h of the housing 10 through a gasket 60.

[0063] The gasket 60 is used to prevent water contained in the outer tub 31 from leaking. The front end of the gasket 60 is coupled to the front surface of the housing 10 (or the front panel 12), and the rear end of the gasket 60 is coupled to the inlet opening of the outer tub 31. The portion between the front and rear ends extends in a tubular shape. The gasket 60 can be formed from a flexible or elastic material. It can be made of rubber or a synthetic resin.

[0064] The gasket 60 may include: a shell connector 61 connected to the periphery of the introduction hole 12h of the shell 10; an outer barrel connector 62 connected to the periphery of the inlet hole of the outer barrel 31; and a tubular extension portion 63 extending from the shell connector 61 to the outer barrel connector 62.

[0065] The extending portion 63 may include a flat portion 64 uniformly extending from the housing coupler 61 toward the tub coupler 62 , and a foldable portion 65 formed between the flat portion 64 and the tub coupler 62 .

[0066] When the outer tub 31 moves in the eccentric direction, the foldable portion 65 is folded or unfolded. The foldable portion 65 may be formed on a portion of the circumference of the cushion 60 or on the entire circumference of the cushion 60.

[0067] At least one nozzle 83a or nozzle 83b may be installed in the liner 60. The at least one nozzle 83a or nozzle 83b is preferably installed in the flat portion 64. According to one embodiment, the at least one nozzle 83a or nozzle 83b may be formed integrally with the flat portion 64, but aspects of the present invention are not limited thereto, and a nozzle connection structure (not shown) may be formed in the flat portion 64 so that a nozzle inlet pipe (not shown, a pipe through which water pumped by the circulation pump 36 is introduced) formed separately from the liner 60 is introduced / fixed into the nozzle connection structure. In either case, it is preferred that the outlet of the at least one nozzle 83a or nozzle 83b for injecting water into the drum 40 is located in an inner area surrounded by the liner 60, and a circulating water guide pipe 18 is connected to the inlet pipe located outside the liner 60.

[0068] The periphery of the entrance hole of the front panel 12 is rolled outward, and the housing coupler 61 is fitted into the recessed portion formed by the periphery of the rolled portion. An annular groove around which the wire is wound is formed in the housing coupler 61, and the wire is wound around the groove, and then the two ends of the wire are joined, so that the housing coupler 61 is firmly fixed to the periphery of the entrance hole of the front panel 12.

[0069] The drum 40 containing laundry therein is rotatably disposed in the outer tub 31. A plurality of through-holes 47 communicating with the outer tub 31 may be formed in the drum 40. In addition, a lifter 45 for lifting laundry when the drum 40 rotates may be provided on the inner circumferential surface of the drum 40.

[0070] The drum 40 is arranged so that the loading hole through which laundry is loaded is located on the front surface, and the drum 40 rotates about a substantially horizontal rotation centerline C. In this case, "horizontal" does not refer to its mathematical definition. That is, even if the rotation centerline C is tilted at a predetermined angle relative to the horizontal state, if the rotation centerline C is more in a horizontal state than in a vertical state, the rotation centerline C can be considered to be approximately horizontal.

[0071] The outer tub 31 may be supported by a shock absorber 16 installed at the bottom of the housing 10. Vibration of the outer tub 31 caused by the rotation of the drum 40 may be annulated by the shock absorber 16.

[0072] A water supply hose (not shown) for guiding water supplied from an external water source (eg, a faucet) to the outer tub 31 and a water supply valve 94 for regulating the water supply hose may be provided.

[0073] A dispenser 35 may be provided for supplying additives such as detergent and fabric softener to the drum 40. Additives may be individually accommodated in the dispenser 35 according to their types. The dispenser 35 may include a detergent container (not shown) for accommodating detergent and a softener container (not shown) for accommodating fabric softener.

[0074] At least one water supply pipe 34 may be provided to selectively guide water supplied through the water supply valve 94 to each container of the dispenser 35. The at least one water supply pipe 34 may include a primary water supply pipe for supplying water to the detergent container and a secondary water supply pipe for supplying water to the fabric softener container, and in this case, the water supply valve 94 may include a primary water supply valve for regulating the primary water supply pipe and a secondary water supply valve 2 for regulating the secondary water supply pipe.

[0075] Meanwhile, the pad 60 may include a direct water nozzle 57 for injecting water into the drum 40 and a direct water supply pipe 39 for guiding water supplied through the water supply valve 94 to the direct water nozzle 57. The water supply valve 94 may include a tertiary water supply valve for regulating the direct water supply pipe 39.

[0076] The water discharged from the dispenser 35 is supplied to the outer tub 31 through the water supply bellows 37. A water supply hole (not shown) connected to the water supply bellows 37 may be formed in the outer tub 31. A drain hole for draining water may be formed in the outer tub 31, and the drain bellows 17 may be connected to the drain hole. A circulation pump 36 may be provided for pumping the water discharged from the drain bellows 17 to the circulating water conduit 18.

[0077] Circulation pump 36 may include an impeller (not shown) for pumping water, a pump housing (not shown) for housing the impeller, and a circulation pump motor 92 for rotating the impeller. The pump housing may include an inlet (not shown) through which water is introduced from drain bellows 17, and a circulating water outlet (not shown) for discharging the water pumped by the impeller into circulating water conduit 18. The inlet opening of circulating water conduit 18 is connected to the circulating water outlet, and the outlet opening of the circulating water conduit is connected to at least one nozzle 83a or nozzle 83b, described later.

[0078] If the user inputs settings (e.g., a washing course, a washing time, a rinsing time, a dehydration time, a dehydration speed, etc.) through an input unit provided on the control panel 14, the controller or processor 91 controls the washing machine to operate according to the input settings. For example, an algorithm for the water supply valve 94, the washing motor 93, the circulation pump motor 92, the drain valve 96, etc. according to each course selectable through the input unit may be stored in a memory (not shown), and the processor 91 may perform control so that the washing machine operates according to the algorithm corresponding to the settings input through the input unit.

[0079] A drain pump 33 may be provided for pumping water discharged from the pump 31 to the drain pipe 19. The drain pump 33 pumps water introduced through the drain bellows 17 to the drain pipe 19. The drain pump 33 may include an impeller (not shown) for pumping water; a pump housing (not shown) for housing the impeller; and a drain pump motor 98 for rotating the impeller. The drain pump motor 98 may be configured substantially the same as the circulation pump motor 92. The pump housing may include an inlet (not shown) into which water is introduced through the discharge bellows 17; and a discharge outlet (not shown) for discharging the water pumped by the impeller to the drain pipe 19.

[0080] Under the control of the processor 91, according to a preset algorithm, the circulation pump 38 (for example, when washing clothes) or the drain pump 33 (for example, when draining water) may be operated.

[0081] Meanwhile, the circulation pump motor 92 is a variable speed motor with controllable speed. The circulation pump motor 92 may be a brushless DC motor (BLDC), but the embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto. A driver for controlling the speed of the circulation pump motor 92 may be further provided, and the driver may be an inverter driver. The inverter driver inputs a target frequency to the motor by converting AC power into DC power.

[0082] The circulation pump motor 92 may be controlled by a processor 91. The processor 91 may include a proportional integral (PI) controller, a proportional integral derivative (PID) controller, etc. The controller may receive an output value (e.g., output current) of the circulation pump motor 92 and control an output value of a driver so that the speed (or number of rotations) of the circulation pump motor 92 follows a target speed (or number of rotations) preset based on the output value received by the circulation pump motor 92.

[0083] At the same time, the processor 91 can not only control the circulation pump motor 92, but also control the drain pump motor 98, and can further control the overall operation of the washing machine, and although not explicitly mentioned, it should be understood that each component described below is controlled by the processor 91.

[0084] At least one nozzle 83a and nozzle 83b may be provided for spraying circulating water pumped by the circulation pump 36 into the drum 40. In the embodiment, the nozzles 83a and nozzle 83b provided on the left and right sides of the pad 60 below the center C of the drum 40 spray water upward, but the embodiments of the present invention are not necessarily limited thereto. That is, the number of nozzles and their positions may vary, but in any case, the washing machine according to the embodiment of the present invention preferably includes at least one nozzle 83a or nozzle 83b that sprays water further upward as the pressure of the supplied water increases (i.e., as the discharge pressure, discharge flow rate, rotation speed, or number of rotations of the circulation pump 36 increases).

[0085] The outlet hole of each nozzle 83a or nozzle 83b may open upward in the direction of the inside of the drum 40. Therefore, when water of a predetermined pressure or more is supplied, the water sprayed through each nozzle 83a or nozzle 83b may be in a direction inclined toward the inside of the drum 40 so that the sprayed water reaches an area deep inside the drum 40.

[0086] At the same time, when the pressure of water supplied to at least one nozzle 83a or nozzle 83b is insufficient, the water sprayed through the outlet hole of at least one nozzle 83a or nozzle 83b cannot be sprayed upward enough and easily falls due to gravity, thereby ultimately failing to reach an area deep inside the drum 40.

[0087] exist Figure 4, the form of the injection water having a sufficient pressure supplied by the circulation pump 36 is represented by "a", and the form of the injection water having a pressure lower than the sufficient pressure is represented by "b". That is, as the rotation speed of the circulation pump 36 changes, the form of the water flow injected through the at least one nozzle 83a or the nozzle 83b can change between a (high-speed rotation) and b (low-speed rotation).

[0088] Figure 5 A front view of the drum is schematically shown, showing the spray range of each nozzle. Figure 6 A side view of the drum is shown schematically, showing the spray range of each nozzle.

[0089] Reference Figure 5 , when viewed from the front side of the drum, quadrants Q1, Q2, Q3, and Q4 are defined by dividing the drum 40 into four. The first nozzle 83a is provided in the third quadrant Q3, and the second nozzle 83b is provided in the fourth quadrant Q4. Figure 5 , the lower limit b of the water flow ejected through each nozzle 83a and nozzle 83b represents the case where the circulation pump motor 92 rotates at 2600 rpm, and the upper limit a of the water flow ejected through each nozzle 83a and nozzle 83b represents the case where the circulation pump motor 92 rotates at 3000 rpm.

[0090] The first nozzle 83a is used to spray water to an area ranging from the third quadrant Q3 to the second quadrant Q2 according to the rotation speed of the circulation pump motor 92. That is, as the rotation speed of the circulation pump motor 92 increases, water is gradually sprayed further upward through the first nozzle 83a. If the circulation pump motor 92 rotates at the highest speed, the water sprayed from the first nozzle 83a reaches the second quadrant Q2 of the rear surface 41 of the drum 40.

[0091] The second nozzle 83b is used to spray water toward an area within the fourth quadrant Q4 and the first quadrant Q2 according to the rotation speed of the circulation pump motor 92. That is, as the rotation speed of the circulation pump motor 92 increases, water is gradually sprayed further upward through the second nozzle 83b, and if the circulation pump motor 92 rotates at the highest speed, the water flow sprayed from the second nozzle 83b reaches the first quadrant Q2 on the rear surface 41 of the drum 40.

[0092] Reference Figure 6When viewed from the side of the drum, the first, second, and third zones define the three divided areas of the drum 400. As the rotation speed of the circulation pump motor 92 gradually increases, the water jetted from the at least one nozzle 83a or 83b reaches deeper areas within the drum 40. As shown in the example of the accompanying drawings, if the rotation speed of the circulation pump motor 92 is 2200 rpm, the water jetted from the at least one nozzle 83a or 83b reaches the first zone (0-1 / 3L) on the inner circumferential surface 42 of the drum 40. If the rotation speed of the circulation pump motor 92 is 2500 rpm, the water jetted from the at least one nozzle 83a or 83b reaches the second zone (1 / 3L-2 / 3L). If the rotation speed of the circulation pump motor 92 is 2800 rpm, the water jetted from the at least one nozzle 83a or 83b reaches the third zone (2 / 3L-L). If the rotation speed of the circulation pump motor 92 is further increased, the water jetted from the at least one nozzle 83a or 83b can reach the rear surface 41 of the drum 40. If the rotation speed is 300 rpm, the water flow reaches one-third of the height H of the drum 40; if the rotation speed is 3400 rpm, the water flow reaches two-thirds of the height H of the drum 40; if the rotation speed is 3400 rpm, the water flow reaches the maximum available height, and due to the structure of at least one nozzle 83a or nozzle 83b, the water flow cannot go further upward after reaching the maximum achievable height, which ultimately only increases the intensity of the water flow.

[0093] Figure 7 1 is a diagram showing a drum driving action that can be implemented by a washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 7 Describe the drum driving action in detail.

[0094] The drum driving action refers to a combination of the rotation direction and the rotation speed of the drum 40. The falling direction and falling time of the laundry contained in the drum 40 may be changed according to the drum driving action, and thus the movement of the laundry in the drum 40 may be changed. The drum driving action can be achieved by the processor 91 controlling the washing motor 93.

[0095] Since the laundry is lifted by the lifter 45 provided on the inner circumferential surface of the drum 40 as the drum 40 rotates, the impact force applied to the laundry can be changed by controlling the rotation speed and rotation direction of the drum 40. In other words, mechanical forces such as the friction between the laundry, the friction between the laundry and the wash water, and the falling impact on the laundry can be changed. In other words, the degree of pounding or rubbing of the laundry for washing can be changed, and the degree of dispersion or turning upside down of the laundry can be changed.

[0096] At the same time, in order to achieve these various drum driving actions, it is preferred that the wash motor 93 is a direct drive motor. That is, a motor configuration is preferred in which the motor's stator is firmly fixed to the rear of the outer tub 31, and the drive shaft 38, which rotates together with the motor's rotor, directly drives the drum 40. This is because a direct drive motor facilitates control of the motor's rotational direction and torque, allowing the drum driving action to be quickly controlled without delay or backlash.

[0097] However, if the washing machine has a structure in which the torque from the motor is transmitted to the drive shaft via a pulley or the like, a drum driving operation (e.g., a drum driving operation, a spin operation, etc.) that is not affected by the delay time or backlash can be achieved, but this structure is not suitable for achieving various other drum driving operations. The method for driving the wash motor 93 and the drum 40 is obvious to those skilled in the art, and therefore a detailed description thereof is omitted here.

[0098] exist Figure 7 , (a) is a diagram illustrating a kneading action. The kneading action is an action in which the washing motor 93 rotates the drum 40 in one direction (preferably one or more times) and causes the laundry on the inner circumferential surface of the drum 40 to drop from a position at an angle less than 90 degrees in the rotation direction (rotation) of the drum 40. In this case, the laundry drops to the lowest position of the drum 40.

[0099] For example, if the washing motor 93 rotates the drum 40 at approximately 40 rpm, the laundry at the lowest position in the drum 40 is lifted to a predetermined height in the rotation direction of the drum 40 and falls from a predetermined position less than 90 degrees in the rotation direction from the lowest position in the drum 40 to the lowest position in the drum 40, as if the laundry is rolling. When the drum 40 rotates in the clockwise direction, it seems that the laundry keeps rolling in the third quadrant 3Q of the drum 40.

[0100] In the kneading action, the clothes are washed by friction with the wash water, friction between the clothes, and friction with the inner peripheral surface of the drum 40. In this case, the movement causes sufficient inversion of the clothes, thereby providing an effect of gently rubbing the clothes.

[0101] Here, it is preferable to determine the rotational speed (rpm) of the drum 40 relative to the radius of the drum 40. In other words, the greater the RPM of the drum 40, the stronger the centrifugal force acting on the laundry in the drum 40. The difference between centrifugal force and gravity causes the laundry to move differently. Of course, the rotational force of the drum 40, the friction between the drum 40 and the laundry, and the RPM of the drum 40 should also be considered. The rotational speed of the drum 40 during the kneading action is determined so that the sum of the various forces applied to the laundry (e.g., friction and centrifugal force) is 1G weaker than gravity.

[0102] exist Figure 7 , (b) is a diagram illustrating a tumbling action. The tumbling action is a movement in which the washing motor 93 rotates the drum 40 in one direction (preferably, one or more times) and causes the laundry on the inner circumferential surface of the drum 40 to drop from a position approximately 90 to 110 degrees in the rotation direction (rotation) of the drum 40 to the lowest position in the drum 40. The tumbling action is a drum driving motion commonly used in washing and rinsing because mechanical force is generated only when the drum 40 is controlled to rotate in one direction at an appropriate rotation speed.

[0103] Before the motor 140 is driven, the laundry loaded in the drum 40 is located at the lowest position in the drum 40. When the wash motor 93 provides torque to the drum 40, the drum 40 rotates, causing the lifter 45 provided on the inner circumferential surface of the drum 40 to lift the laundry from the lowest position in the drum 40. For example, if the wash motor 93 rotates the drum 40 at approximately 46 rpm, the laundry falls from a position approximately 90 to 110 degrees from the lower position of the drum 40 in the rotation direction.

[0104] During the tumbling action, the rotational speed of the drum 40 may be determined such that the tumbling action generates a centrifugal force that is stronger than the centrifugal force of the kneading action but weaker than gravity.

[0105] The tumbling action occurs such that the laundry is lifted from the lowest position in the drum 40 to a position 90 degrees from the lowest position or to the second quadrant Q2 and falls therefrom as being separated from the inner circumferential surface of the drum 40 .

[0106] Therefore, during the tumbling action, the clothes are washed by the friction between the clothes and the wash water and the impact caused by the clothes falling, and in particular, by a mechanical force stronger than the mechanical force generated in the kneading action. In particular, the tumbling action has the effect of untangling and dispersing the clothes.

[0107] exist Figure 7 , (c) is a diagram illustrating a beating action. The beating action is a movement in which the motor 140 rotates the drum 40 in one direction (preferably, completes one rotation) and causes the laundry on the inner circumferential surface of the drum 40 to fall from the highest position of the drum 40 (preferably, a position approximately 146 to 161 degrees from the lowest position in the drum 40, but not limited thereto, or a position in which the drum 40 has rotated more than 161 degrees but less than 180 degrees (for example, a rotation of 180 degrees)).

[0108] That is, the beating action is an action in which the drum 40 rotates at a speed that prevents the clothes from falling from the inner circumferential surface of the drum 40 due to centrifugal force (i.e., a speed at which the clothes rotate together with the drum 40 when they are adsorbed to the inner circumferential surface of the drum 40 due to centrifugal force), and the drum 40 is suddenly braked to maximize the impact on the clothes.

[0109] For example, if the washing motor 93 rotates the drum 40 at a speed exceeding about 60 rpm, the clothes can be rotated due to centrifugal force without falling (i.e., rotate together with the drum 40 when adsorbed to the inner circumferential surface of the drum 40), and, in this process, if the clothes are lifted to a predetermined height by the rotation of the drum 40, a torque in a direction opposite to the rotation direction of the drum 40 can be controlled to be applied to the washing motor 93.

[0110] In the beating action, compared with other actions, the laundry is lifted from the lowest position to the highest position of the drum 40 by the rotation of the drum 40 and then suddenly drops due to the braking of the drum 40, thereby maximizing the drop impact on the laundry. Therefore, the mechanical force (e.g., impact force) generated by the beating action is generally stronger than the mechanical force generated by the kneading action or the tumbling action.

[0111] The beating action is performed such that when the drum 40 rotates in the clockwise direction, the laundry moves from the lowest position in the drum 40 to a predetermined height (for example, the highest position (180 degrees) of the drum 40) via the third quadrant 3Q and the second quadrant 2Q, and then suddenly separates from the inner circumferential surface of the drum 40 to drop to the lowest position in the drum 40. Therefore, when the amount of laundry is small, the beating action can more effectively provide mechanical force to the laundry.

[0112] At the same time, in order to make the motor 140 brake the drum 40 during the beating and washing action, reverse braking is preferably used. Reverse braking is a motor braking method in which a rotational force is generated in the direction opposite to the current rotation direction of the washing motor 93 to brake the washing motor 93. In order to generate a rotational force in the direction opposite to the current rotation direction of the washing motor 93, the phase of the current supplied to the washing motor 93 can be reversed, thereby performing a sudden braking in this way.

[0113] The beating action is an action in which, when the drum 40 rotates, the clothes are washed by friction between the drum 40 and the clothes, and when the drum 40 is braked, the clothes are washed by falling of the clothes and impact of turning the clothes upside down.

[0114] exist Figure 7, (d) is a diagram showing a shaking washing action. The shaking washing action is an action in which the washing motor 93 rotates the drum 40 in both directions and causes the laundry to fall from a position approximately less than 90 degrees (preferably, a position rotated approximately 30 to 45 degrees along the rotation direction of the drum 40), but is not limited thereto, and may also be a position rotated more than 45 degrees and less than 90 degrees along the rotation direction of the drum 40. For example, if the washing motor 93 rotates the drum 40 in a counterclockwise direction at approximately 40 rpm, the laundry at the lowest position in the drum 40 is lifted to a predetermined height in the counterclockwise direction. In this case, the washing motor 93 stops the rotation of the drum 40 before the laundry reaches a position rotated approximately 90 degrees in the counterclockwise direction, causing the laundry to fall from a position approximately less than 90 degrees in the counterclockwise direction (rotation) to the lowest position in the drum 40.

[0115] After the rotation of the drum 40 stops, the washing motor 93 rotates the drum 40 in a clockwise direction at approximately 40 rpm, thereby lifting the laundry to a predetermined height along the rotation direction (i.e., clockwise) of the drum 40. Then, before the laundry reaches a position approximately 90 degrees in the clockwise direction, the washing motor 93 is controlled to stop rotating the drum 40, so that the laundry falls or rolls from a position approximately less than 90 degrees to the lowest position in the drum 40.

[0116] That is, the swinging motion is a motion that repeats the forward rotation and stop of the drum 40 and the backward rotation and stop of the drum 40, and the laundry appears to repeat a motion in which the laundry is lifted from the lowest position to the second quadrant 2Q of the drum 40 via the third quadrant 3Q and gently drops therefrom, and then the laundry is lifted to the first quadrant 1Q via the fourth quadrant 4Q of the drum 40 and gently drops therefrom. That is, the shaking motion is presented so that the laundry makes a motion that looks like a laid-down character 8 on the third quadrant 3Q and the fourth quadrant Q4 of the drum 40.

[0117] In this case, rheostatic braking is sufficient to brake the washing motor 93. Rheostatic braking can minimize the load on the washing motor 93 and the mechanical wear of the washing motor, and control the impact applied to the clothes.

[0118] Resistance braking is a braking method that utilizes the generator-like function of washing motor 93 due to its rotational inertia when the current to the motor is cut off. When the current to the motor is cut off, the direction of the current flowing through the coils of washing motor 93 is opposite to the direction of the current before the power was cut off. As a result, a force (Fleming's right-hand rule) acts in a direction opposing the rotation of washing motor 93, thereby braking washing motor 93. Unlike reverse braking, resistance braking does not abruptly brake washing motor 93, but rather smoothly changes the rotation direction of drum 40.

[0119] exist Figure 7 , (e) is a diagram showing a scrubbing action. The scrubbing action is an action in which the washing motor 93 rotates the drum 40 in both directions and causes the clothes to fall from the drum 40 at an angle exceeding about 90 degrees in the direction of rotation.

[0120] For example, if the washing motor 93 rotates the drum 40 in the forward direction at a speed of about 60 rpm or higher, the laundry is lifted in the forward direction from the lowest position of the drum 40 to a predetermined height. In this case, when the laundry reaches a position corresponding to a set angle of about 90 degrees or more in the forward direction (preferably an angle of 139 to 150 degrees, but not limited thereto, and may be an angle of 150 degrees or more), the washing motor 93 applies reverse torque to the drum 40, thereby temporarily stopping the rotation of the drum 40. The laundry adsorbed to the inner circumferential surface of the drum 40 then suddenly falls off.

[0121] Then, the washing motor 93 rotates the drum 40 in the backward direction at a speed of approximately 60 RPM or higher, thereby lifting the falling laundry in the backward direction to a predetermined height of 90 degrees or higher. When the laundry reaches a position corresponding to a set angle of 90 degrees or higher in the backward direction (for example, an angle of 139 to 150 degrees), the washing motor 93 again applies reverse torque to the drum 40, thereby temporarily stopping the rotation of the drum 40. In this case, the laundry adsorbed to the inner circumferential surface of the drum 40 falls from a position of 90 degrees or higher in the backward direction.

[0122] The scrubbing action can wash the clothes by causing them to drop suddenly from a predetermined height. In this case, preferably, the washing motor 93 is braked in reverse phase to brake the drum 40.

[0123] Since the rotation direction of the drum 40 is suddenly changed, the clothes are not separated from the inner peripheral surface of the drum 40 to a large extent, and therefore, the scrubbing action can have a strong friction effect of washing.

[0124] For example, the scrubbing action is a repeated action in which the clothes move to the second quadrant via the third quadrant, drop suddenly from there, move to the first quadrant via the fourth quadrant, and drop suddenly from there. Thus, the scrubbing action presents the clothes moving up and down repeatedly.

[0125] exist Figure 7 , (f) is a diagram illustrating a filtering action. The filtering action is an action in which the washing motor 93 rotates the drum 40 while preventing the laundry from being separated from the inner circumferential surface of the drum 40, and wash water is sprayed into the interior of the drum 40 through at least one nozzle 83a or nozzle 83b.

[0126] Since the wash water is sprayed into the interior of the drum 40 while the clothes are dispersed and rotated in close contact with the inner circumferential surface of the drum 40, the wash water penetrates into the clothes due to centrifugal force and is then discharged to the outer tub 31 through the through holes 47 of the drum 40.

[0127] Since the filtering action allows the wash water to penetrate into the clothes while expanding the surface area of ​​the clothes, the clothes are soaked evenly.

[0128] exist Figure 7 , (g) is a diagram illustrating a squeezing action. The squeezing action is an action in which the washing motor 93 repeatedly rotates the drum 40 so that the laundry does not fall from the inner peripheral surface of the drum 40 and reduces the rotation speed of the drum 40 so that the laundry is separated from the inner peripheral surface of the drum 40 when the wash water is sprayed into the drum 40 through at least one nozzle 83a or nozzle 83b.

[0129] That is, the difference between the squeezing action and the filtering action is that in the filtering action, the clothes are rotated at a speed at which the clothes are not separated from the inner circumferential surface of the drum 40, while in the squeezing action, the drum 40 repeats the acceleration and deceleration of the drum so that the clothes are repeatedly adsorbed to the inner circumferential surface and separated therefrom.

[0130] Figure 8 This is a chart used to compare washing performance and vibration levels between various drum drive actions. Figure 8 In the figure, the horizontal axis represents washing performance, and the pollutants contained in the laundry can be more easily separated toward the left side of the horizontal axis. The vertical axis represents the vibration degree and noise level, and the vibration degree increases toward the upper direction of the vertical axis, while the time required to wash the same laundry decreases toward the upper direction of the vertical axis.

[0131] Patting and scrubbing are suitable washing processes for heavily soiled clothing and when washing time needs to be reduced. Furthermore, these actions result in high vibration and noise levels. Therefore, they are not preferred for washing sensitive clothing or when minimizing noise and vibration.

[0132] The kneading action is characterized by excellent washing performance, low vibration, minimal damage to clothing, and low motor load. Therefore, the kneading action is suitable for every wash cycle and is particularly well-suited to dissolving detergent and soaking clothing during the initial wash phase. However, compared to the tumbling action, the kneading action produces lower vibration levels but takes longer to wash clothing to a specific level.

[0133] The washing performance of the tumbling action is lower than that of the scrubbing action, but the vibration level is between that of the scrubbing action and that of the kneading action. The tumbling action is applicable to every washing process and is particularly applicable to the step of spreading the clothes.

[0134] The washing performance of the squeezing action is similar to that of the tumbling action, but the degree of vibration is higher than that of the tumbling action. In the squeezing action, wash water penetrates into the laundry and is discharged to the outside of the drum 40 as the laundry is repeatedly adsorbed to and separated from the inner circumferential surface of the drum 40. Therefore, the squeezing action is suitable for the rinsing step or the step of supplying wash water to the laundry.

[0135] The washing performance of the filtering action is lower than that of the squeezing action, while the noise level is similar to that of the kneading action. In the filtering action, wash water penetrates the clothes and is discharged into the outer tub 31 while the clothes are adsorbed to the inner circumferential surface of the drum 40. Therefore, the filtering action is suitable for the step of soaking the clothes or the step of supplying wash water to the clothes in the initial washing stage.

[0136] The shaking action is the action with the lowest vibration level and the lowest washing performance. Therefore, the shaking action is suitable for low-noise or low-vibration washing processes and for gentle care (steps) that are meant to wash sensitive clothes.

[0137] Figure 9 1 is a diagram for explaining the ejection action in each roller driving action of the present invention in comparison with the conventional action. Figure 9In the figure, (a) is a graph showing the rotational speed of the drum 40 or the washing motor 93 in each drum driving action, (b) is a graph showing the rotational speed of the circulation pump motor in each drum driving action in an existing washing machine with a constant speed pump, (c) is a graph showing the rotational speed of the circulation pump motor 92 in each drum driving action in a washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention, and (e) shows the spraying form (hereinafter referred to as "spraying action") through at least one nozzle 83a or nozzle 83b in each drum driving action in the washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0138] refer to Figure 9 Because existing washing machines cannot change the speed of the circulation pump motor, they have no choice but to keep the circulation pump motor rotating at a constant speed even when the drum drive action changes. Consequently, existing washing machines cannot effectively respond to the movement of laundry caused by the type of drum drive action using the water flow ejected through the nozzles, and face difficulties managing power consumption, washing performance, and soaking of laundry. The present invention aims to address these issues by appropriately controlling the rotation speed of the circulation pump motor 92 according to the drum drive action and taking the laundry load into consideration in the process.

[0139] In particular, in the case of a drum driving action in which the laundry is lifted while being adsorbed to the inner circumferential surface 42 of the drum 40, and when reaching a predetermined height, is separated from the inner circumferential surface 42 due to the braking of the drum, thereby falling from the inner circumferential surface (hereinafter referred to as a "drop-triggered action by braking," for example, a shaking wash action, a patting wash action, or a scrubbing wash action), the rotational speed of the circulation pump motor 92 can be controlled to vary within a predetermined speed range. That is, the circulation pump motor 92 can be controlled to repeatedly perform an operation of accelerating to the upper limit of the speed range and decelerating to the lower limit of the speed range.

[0140] The range in which the rotation speed of the circulation pump motor 92 changes while the drop triggering action by braking is performed may be set according to the laundry load.

[0141] In the region where the circulation pump motor 92 is controlled to rotate at a constant speed in the kneading action, the tumbling action, and the filtering action, the rotation speed of the circulation pump motor 92 may be set according to the laundry load.

[0142] At the same time, refer to Figure 9(c) The RPM of the circulation pump motor 92 can be controlled differently in the kneading, shaking, patting, scrubbing, and filtering actions. In the figure, the RPM of the circulation pump motor 92 in response to a large laundry load is indicated by a solid line, and the RPM of the circulation pump motor 92 in response to a small laundry load is indicated by a dotted line. In the tumbling action, the RPM of the circulation pump motor 92 can be controlled in the same manner regardless of the laundry load.

[0143] exist Figure 9 In each drum driving action shown, the operation of the washing motor 93 and the operation of the circulating pump motor 92 are related to each other. Figure 10 A method for controlling the wash motor 92 and the circulation pump motor 92 is described. Figure 9 , A1 to A6 show steps of controlling the washing motor 93 , and B1 to B6 show steps of controlling the circulation pump motor 92 .

[0144] While the washing machine is operating, if a preset drum driving action is started, the processor 91 controls the washing motor 93 and the circulation pump motor 92 according to a method set for each drum driving action.

[0145] Specifically, the processor 91 starts driving the washing motor 93 (A1) and accelerates the washing motor 93 (A2). A sensor for sensing the rotation angle of the drum 40 may be provided, and if the rotation angle of the drum 40 sensed by the sensor reaches a predetermined value θ (hereinafter referred to as "operation angle") (A3), the processor 91 may control to decelerate the washing motor 93 (A4).

[0146] In the kneading action, the tumbling action, and the filtering action, the drum 40 may continuously rotate once or multiple times, and in this case, the action angle θ is 360 degrees or more.

[0147] On the other hand, in the drop-triggered actions that are triggered by braking, such as the shaking, patting, and scrubbing actions, the action angle θ can be set to an appropriate value within the range of 180 degrees according to the characteristics of each corresponding drum driving action. For example, the action angle θ can be 30 to 45 degrees in the shaking, 146 to 161 degrees in the patting, and 139 to 150 degrees in the scrubbing.

[0148] When the drum 40 slows down and stops, the drum driving action is completed once, and then the drum driving action is performed again (A5). Steps A2 to A5 are repeated until the number of times the drum driving action is performed reaches a preset number, and when the number of times the drum driving action is performed reaches the preset number, the operation of the washing motor 93 is stopped (A6).

[0149] At the same time, when the drive of the washing motor 93 is started in step A1, the processor 91 applies the start signal SG1 to the circulation pump motor 92, and starts the drive of the circulation pump motor 92 in response to the start signal SG1 (B1). Then, based on the action information (i.e., information about the drum drive action currently being performed), the processor 91 accelerates the circulation pump motor 92 according to the settings set for each drum drive action (B2).

[0150] Meanwhile, in step S3 , when the rotation angle of the drum 40 reaches the operation angle θ, the processor 91 applies an angle control completion signal SG2 to the circulation pump motor 92 .

[0151] In the case of a drop trigger action by braking (implementation), in response to the angle control completion signal SG2, after the speed reaches the upper limit value Pr (V, H) set for each roller drive action, the speed stops accelerating (or the circulation pump motor 92 is braked), and then the speed is decelerated (B4, B5) according to the settings set for each roller drive action.

[0152] Then, when the drive of the washing motor 92 is restarted in step A5, the processor 91 applies a restart signal SG3 to the circulation pump motor 92. In response to the restart signal SG3, the circulation pump motor 92 stops decelerating the rotation speed when the rotation speed reaches the lower limit value Pr(V, L) set for each drum driving action (B5), and repeats steps B2 to B5.

[0153] Meanwhile, in the case of the kneading action, the tumbling action, or the filtering action, when the angle control completion signal SG2 is applied to the circulation pump motor 92, the circulation pump motor 92 rotates while maintaining the rotation speed set for each corresponding drum driving action. Therefore, in the above-mentioned actions, the circulation pump motor 92 is decelerated (B4) in response to the angle control completion signal SG2.

[0154] Meanwhile, in any drum driving action, when the washing motor 93 stops in step A6, the processor 91 applies the stop signal SG4 to the circulation pump motor 92, and the circulation pump motor 92 stops in response to the stop signal SG4.

[0155] like Figure 11 As shown, the washing machine can be configured to implement a water supply / clothes soaking cycle, a washing cycle, a dehydration cycle, a rinsing cycle, and a dehydration cycle in sequence. The water supply / clothes soaking cycle is a cycle for soaking clothes by supplying water with detergent.

[0156] The washing cycle is a cycle for removing contaminants from laundry by rotating the drum 40 according to a predetermined algorithm, and a kneading action or a tumbling action may be performed during the washing cycle.

[0157] The dehydration cycle is a cycle for removing moisture from laundry by high-speed rotation of the drum 40. While the drum 40 is rotating, the drain pump 33 may operate.

[0158] The rinse cycle is a cycle for removing detergent from clothes. During the rinse cycle, water is supplied and a rubbing action or a tumbling action may be performed. After the rinse cycle, a spin cycle may be performed again.

[0159] Hereinafter, a method for controlling the washing motor 93 and the circulation pump motor 92 in each drum driving action will be described in more detail.

[0160] Figure 12 Graph showing the speed of the washing motor in a kneading action and a tumbling action (a), and graph showing the speed of the circulation pump motor in a kneading action and a tumbling action (b). Figure 16 is a graph comparing when the laundry load falls within the first laundry load range I and when the laundry load falls within the second laundry load range II.

[0161] The washing machine may perform a first step of rotating the drum 40 in one direction so that the laundry on the inner circumferential surface of the drum 40 is lifted to a position corresponding to a rotation angle of the drum 40 of approximately less than 90 degrees and falls therefrom, and a second step of rotating the drum 40 in one direction so that the laundry on the inner circumferential surface of the drum 40 is lifted to a position higher than a position corresponding to a rotation angle of the drum 40 of less than 130 degrees and then falls therefrom. The second step may be performed after the first step, but the aspects of the present invention are not limited thereto, and the second step may be performed before the first step.

[0162] The number of revolutions of the circulation pump 36 during the first step can be controlled to a preset first revolution value, and the number of revolutions of the circulation pump 36 during the second step can be controlled to a second revolution value higher than the first revolution value. Here, the first revolution value and the second revolution value are values ​​during which the circulation pump 36 rotates at a constant speed.

[0163] The driving action of the drum in the first step (i.e., the drum driving action) may correspond to a kneading action. The drum driving action in the second step may be a kneading action or a tumbling action, and preferably may be a tumbling action. Hereinafter, an example of performing the kneading action in the first step and the tumbling action in the second step is described.

[0164] Reference Figures 12 to 16 , using the water contained in the outer tub 31 to perform a kneading action and a tumbling action, so that water can be sprayed through at least one nozzle 83a or nozzle 83b. Figure 12In the kneading action, the drum 40 is accelerated to a rotation speed Dr (R) and rotates while maintaining the rotation speed Dr (R) for a predetermined time. The rotation speed Dr (R) is preferably 37 rpm to 40 rpm, but is not necessarily limited thereto.

[0165] During the kneading action, the rotation speed of the circulation pump motor 92 is controlled to a preset rotation speed Pr(R). Figure 12 t(SG1) indicates the generation of the start signal SG1 (see Figure 10 ) moment, t(SG2) indicates the generation of the angle control completion signal SG2 (see Figure 10 ) moment, t(SG4) is the moment when the stop signal SG4 (see Figure 10 ) moment. In the following, the same indication is used in other examples.

[0166] The rotation speed Pr(R) can be set according to the laundry load. Before performing the drum driving action, the processor 91 can rotate the washing motor 93 and sense the laundry load while rotating the washing motor 93. The laundry load can be determined based on the principle that the rotational inertia of the drum 40 changes according to the laundry load contained in the drum 40. For example, the laundry load can be calculated by measuring the time taken to reach a preset target speed, by measuring the acceleration slope of the washing motor 93, by measuring the time taken to stop the washing motor 93 during braking of the washing motor 93, by measuring the deceleration gradient, or by measuring the back electromotive force. The scheme of the present invention is not limited to this, and various methods of calculating the laundry load are already well known in the field related to washing machines, so these well-known methods can be applied. In the following, although not described, it is assumed that the step of sensing the laundry load is performed before performing each drum driving action.

[0167] The processor 91 can set the rotation speed Pr(R) according to the laundry load range that the sensed laundry load falls into. For example, the laundry load can be divided into the first to ninth categories. Figure 16 ) and Heavy Duty (or Second Laundry Load Range II; see Figure 16 ), if the sensed laundry load corresponds to the first to fourth categories, it can be classified as a light load, and if the sensed laundry load corresponds to the fifth to ninth categories, it can be classified as a heavy load. However, aspects of the present invention are not limited thereto, and the laundry load range can be divided for each category.

[0168] In this embodiment, when the laundry load is heavy, the rotation speed (rotation) is set to be higher than when the laundry load is light. For example, if the laundry load is light, the rotation speed Pr (R) can be set to 2800 rpm, and if the laundry load is heavy, the rotation speed Pr (R) can be set to 3100 rpm. In particular, when the laundry load is light, most of the laundry moves in the front of the drum 40, so the water jetted from at least one nozzle 83a or nozzle 83b does not need to reach the rear surface 41 of the drum (the rotation speed is less than 2800 rpm; see Figure 6 ).

[0169] On the contrary, when the laundry load is heavy, the laundry is loaded to the center of the drum 40, so the water jetted from at least one nozzle 83a or nozzle 83b needs to reach a height higher than the center of the drum 40. Therefore, it is preferable that the water jet reaches the first quadrant Q1 (see FIG. Figure 5 ) and the second quadrant Q2 (see Figure 5 ), for this purpose, the rotation speed of the circulation pump motor 92 is set to 3000 rpm or higher, preferably 3100 rpm.

[0170] During the tumbling operation, the washing motor 93 and the circulating pump motor 92 are controlled in a manner similar to that of the kneading operation. However, for the same laundry load, the rotational speed Dr(R) of the washing motor 93 during the tumbling operation is set higher than that during the kneading operation, and the rotational speed Pr(T) of the circulating pump motor 92 during the tumbling operation is also set higher than that during the kneading operation. The rotational speed Dr(T) of the washing motor 93 is preferably 46 rpm, but is not necessarily limited to this.

[0171] At the same time, in the tumbling action, it is important to apply a stronger mechanical force to the clothes than in the rubbing action, so regardless of the laundry load, the water flow ejected by at least one nozzle 83a or nozzle 83b needs to have sufficient pressure. Therefore, in the tumbling action, the circulation pump motor 92 can rotate at a constant speed of a predetermined value between 3400 rpm and 3600 rpm without considering the laundry load. However, the solution of the present invention is not limited to this, and when the laundry load is heavy, the rotational speed Pr(T) can be set to a higher rotational speed than when the laundry load is light. For example, when the laundry load is light, the rotational speed Pr(T) can be set to 3400 rpm, and when the laundry load is heavy, the rotational speed Pr(T) can be set to 3600 rpm.

[0172] The step of controlling the circulation pump 36 while performing the above-mentioned kneading action and tumbling action is suitable for Figure 11 The wash cycle and / or rinse cycle in the series of cycles shown.

[0173] Figure 13It is a diagram for explaining how the washing motor and the circulation pump motor according to an embodiment of the present invention operate in the shaking washing action, the scrubbing washing action and the patting washing action.

[0174] Reference Figure 13 and Figure 16 , in the drop triggering action by braking (realization), the processor 91 performs control so that the rotation speed of the circulation pump motor 92 changes while the drum 40 rotates.

[0175] The drop triggering action by braking (implementation) is performed by the outer tub 31 containing water, so that water is ejected through the nozzle 83a or the nozzle 83b. In the drop triggering action by braking (implementation), the processor 91 can accelerate the washing motor 93 so that the clothes on the inner circumferential surface 42 of the drum 40 are lifted while being adsorbed to the drum 40. After accelerating the washing motor 93 so that the drum 40 rotates at a speed at which the clothes are lifted and do not fall from the inner circumferential surface of the drum 40, the processor 91 brakes the washing motor 93 so that the clothes fall from the inner circumferential surface 42. That is, in the drop triggering action by braking (implementation), the washing motor 93, which has been accelerated to the preset rotation speed Dr (V), is decelerated to a stop.

[0176] The speed Dr(V) can be set differently for each drum drive action. The maximum laundry lift height increases in the order of shaking, scrubbing, and beating. Therefore, the centrifugal force should increase in this order. Therefore, the speed Dr(V) can be set to increase in this order.

[0177] However, the maximum clothes lifting height in the drop triggering action (achieved) by braking is also determined by the rotation angle (or action angle θ) of the brake drum 40. Therefore, even when the same rotation speed Dr (V) is set for all shaking, scrubbing and patting actions, if a different action angle θ is set for each action, the maximum clothes lifting height (or the height at which the clothes start to fall) may be different. In either case, it is preferred that the action angle θ is set to increase in the order of shaking, scrubbing and patting. Within the range that satisfies the above premise, the action angle θ can be set to, for example, 30 to 45 degrees for shaking, 139 to 150 degrees for scrubbing, and 146 to 161 degrees for patting.

[0178] Meanwhile, during the drop triggering action by braking, the processor 91 may increase the rotation speed of the circulation motor 92 when the laundry is lifted (or when the washing motor 93 is accelerated).

[0179] During the drop triggering action by braking, the processor 91 may decelerate the rotation speed of the circulation pump motor 92 when the laundry drops (or when the washing motor 93 is braked and thus decelerated).

[0180] That is, the processor 91 may control the circulation pump motor 92 so that the circulation pump motor 92 is accelerated in response to acceleration of the washing motor 93 and is decelerated in response to braking of the washing motor 93 .

[0181] The speed of the circulating pump motor 92 can be varied within the speed range set for each drum driving action. Figure 13 In FIG, the upper limit value of the rotation speed range is represented as the maximum rotation speed Pr(V,H), and the lower limit value thereof is represented as the minimum rotation speed Pr(V,L).

[0182] Hereinafter, the maximum rotation speed of the circulation pump motor 92 is taken as the upper limit of the preset rotation speed range. The maximum rotation speed of the circulation pump motor 92 does not refer to the maximum speed at which the circulation pump 92 can rotate.

[0183] Before performing the drum driving action, the processor 91 may rotate the washing motor 93 and sense the laundry load while rotating the washing motor 93. The method for sensing the laundry load may be implemented as described above with respect to the rubbing / tumbling action, or may be implemented using any other method.

[0184] The speed range can be set according to the laundry load. That is, the processor 91 can set the maximum speed Pr (V, H) and the minimum speed Pr (V, L) according to the laundry load. In each drum driving action, as the laundry load increases, the speed range can be set higher.

[0185] For example, in the case of the scrubbing action SC, when the sensed laundry load corresponds to a light load (or a first laundry load range I; see Figure 16 ), the rotation speed of the circulation pump motor 92 can be changed between a minimum rotation speed Pr(V,L) of 2800 rpm and a maximum rotation speed Pr(V,H) of 3100 rpm. In addition, when the sensed laundry load corresponds to a heavy load (or a second laundry load range II; see Figure 16 ), the rotational speed of the circulation pump motor 92 can vary between a minimum rotational speed Pr(V,L) of 3400 rpm and a maximum rotational speed Pr(V,H) of 3600 rpm.

[0186] In the case of the beating and washing action ST, when the sensed laundry load corresponds to a light load (or a first laundry load range I; see Figure 16), the rotation speed of the circulation pump motor 92 can be changed between a minimum rotation speed Pr(V,L) of 2200 rpm and a maximum rotation speed Pr(V,H) of 2500 rpm. In addition, when the sensed laundry load corresponds to a heavy load (or a second laundry load range II; see Figure 16 ), the rotational speed of the circulation pump motor 92 can vary between a minimum rotational speed Pr(V,L) of 3400 rpm and a maximum rotational speed Pr(V,H) of 3600 rpm.

[0187] Meanwhile, even in the case of the shaking washing action SW, the range in which the rotation speed of the circulation pump motor 92 varies according to the laundry load may be set in a manner similar to the scrubbing washing action SC or the beating washing action ST.

[0188] In this case, it is preferable to set the rotation speed of the circulation pump motor 92 within a range that does not allow the water jetted from at least one nozzle 83a or nozzle 83b to reach the rear surface 41 of the drum 40 (e.g., 2200 rpm to 2800 rpm; see Figure 6 ).

[0189] However, since the height of the clothes dropped during the shaking action is smaller than that during the scrubbing or patting action, the predetermined speed range of the circulation pump motor 92 can be set regardless of the laundry load. For example, the speed of the circulation pump motor 92 can be varied between a minimum speed Pr(V,L) of 2200 rpm and a maximum speed Pr(V,H) of 2800 rpm both under heavy laundry loads and under light laundry loads.

[0190] In the following, reference will be made to Figure 10 、 Figure 13 and Figure 16 The operation of the washing motor and the circulation pump motor in the shaking washing action, the scrubbing washing action and the beating washing action according to the embodiment of the present invention is described in more detail.

[0191] Reference Figure 10 and Figure 13 , the processor 91 can accelerate the washing motor 93 to a preset maximum speed Dr(V) (A2).

[0192] When the washing motor 93 is driven (A1), the processor 91 may generate a start signal SG1. In response to the start signal SG1, the circulation pump motor 92 may start operating.

[0193] When the circulation pump motor 92 is driven ( B1 ), the processor 91 may accelerate the circulation pump motor 92 based on the motion information ( B2 ).

[0194] The processor 91 may accelerate the circulation pump motor 92 to a maximum speed Pr(V,H). When the circulation pump motor 92 reaches the target RPM (Pr(V,H)), the processor 91 may stop accelerating the circulation pump motor 92, thereby limiting its speed (B3).

[0195] The processor 91 may rotate the washing motor 93 by a preset operation angle θ. The processor 91 may control the washing motor 93 so that the time when the washing motor 93 reaches the maximum rotation speed Dr (V) and the time when the washing motor 93 rotates by the operation angle θ correspond to each other.

[0196] When the washing motor 93 rotates to the operating angle θ (A3), the processor 91 may generate an angle control completion signal SG2. According to the angle control completion signal SG2, the circulation pump motor 92 may be decelerated (B4).

[0197] Reference Figure 13 , the processor 91 can control the washing motor 91 and the circulation pump motor 92 so that the time when the washing motor 93 reaches the maximum speed Dr (V) and the time when the circulation pump motor 92 reaches the maximum speed Pr (V, H) correspond to each other.

[0198] However, a time delay such as the time required for the processor 91 to perform processing or the time required to send a signal may occur between the time t(SG2) when the angle control completion signal SG2 is generated when the washing motor 93 is controlled to the movement angle θ (or the washing motor 93 reaches the maximum rotation speed Dr(V)(A3)) and the time when the circulation pump motor 92 starts to decelerate in response to the generated angle control completion signal SG2. Figure 13 As shown, in order to immediately decelerate the circulation pump motor 92 when the washing motor 93 reaches the maximum speed Dr (V), it is preferred that the processor 91 estimates the angle control completion time (i.e., the time when the washing motor 93 reaches the maximum speed Dr (V)) and generates the angle control completion signal SG2 slightly earlier than the angle control completion time.

[0199] Figure 14 Shown are changes in the number of rotations of the drum (a) and changes in the number of rotations of the pump (b) according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 15 The arrangement of the laundry in the drum in the middle of the filtering action is shown. Figure 15 , (a) shows a case where a small amount of clothes is loaded in the drum, and (b) shows a case where a large amount of clothes is loaded in the drum.

[0200] The method for controlling the washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention includes the step of rotating the drum 40 in one direction to prevent the laundry from falling from the inner circumferential surface of the drum 40. This step corresponds to the above-mentioned filtering action.

[0201] Reference Figure 14 、 Figure 15 and Figure 16 , the processor 91 may perform control so that during the filtering action, when the drum 40 rotates in one direction (preferably, once or multiple times), the rotational speed Pr(F) of the circulation pump motor 92 increases. If the rotational speed of the drum 40 starts to increase during the filtering action, the centrifugal force applied to the clothes also increases, and the clothes closest to the inner circumferential surface of the drum 40 are sequentially adsorbed to the drum. That is, in the process of the rotational speed of the drum 40 in the filtering action increasing to the preset rotational speed Dr(F), sufficient centrifugal force is not provided for the clothes located at the center of the drum 40 in the initial stage, causing the clothes to move. Thereafter, if the rotational speed of the drum 40 increases to be large enough, the positions of most of the clothes in the drum 40 (preferably, all of the clothes) relative to the drum 40 are fixed.

[0202] Specifically, if the amount of laundry in the drum 40 is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value, the laundry is generally gathered around the inlet of the drum 40 in the filtering action (see FIG. Figure 15 In this case, it is preferable to reduce the rotation speed of the circulation pump 36 so that the circulation water sprayed from at least one nozzle 83a or nozzle 83b falls on the front of the drum 40.

[0203] On the contrary, if the amount of laundry in the drum 40 is greater than a predetermined threshold, when the rotation speed of the drum 40 increases, the empty space in the drum 40 surrounded by the laundry extends backward from the entrance of the drum 40, thereby causing Figure 15 The form shown in (b).

[0204] Controlling the rotation speed of the circulation pump 36 to increase the filtering action is conceived from the expansion of the empty space in the drum 40 that occurs during the filtering action. That is, as the empty space expands toward the rear of the drum 40, the spray pressure of at least one nozzle 83a or nozzle 83b is controlled to increase accordingly, thereby allowing the water flow to reach an area deep inside the drum 40.

[0205] During the filtration operation, the processor 91 accelerates the washing motor 93 to a preset rotation speed Dr(F), and when the washing motor 93 reaches the preset rotation speed Dr(F), the processor 91 controls the washing motor 93 to maintain the preset rotation speed Dr(F) for a preset period of time. The rotation speed Dr(F) is determined within a speed range in which the laundry rotates while being adsorbed to the inner circumferential surface of the drum 40, and the rotation speed Dr(F) can be varied according to the laundry load and can be set to approximately between 80 rpm and 108 rpm.

[0206] The processor can adopt the set first acceleration slope Ag1 to accelerate the washing motor 93 to the rotation speed Dr (F). Based on the time period tr1 until the maximum rotation speed Dr (F) is reached, the processor 91 can set the first acceleration slope Ag1. The time period tr1 can be set differently according to the laundry load.

[0207] Alternatively, the processor 91 may perform control so that the rotation speed Dr(F) is maintained until the washing motor 93 rotates by a set angle. In this case, the set angle may be different according to the laundry load.

[0208] In the filtering action, the maximum speed Pr(F) of the circulation pump motor 92 may be set differently according to the laundry load. That is, the processor 91 may set the maximum speed Pr(F) of the circulation pump motor 92 according to the sensed laundry load. The maximum speed Pr(F) of the circulation pump motor 92 may be set so that the maximum speed Pr(F) of the circulation pump motor 92 is responsive to the sensed laundry load (or the first laundry load range I; see FIG. Figure 16 ) corresponding to the laundry load is higher than the maximum rotation speed Pr (Fs) in response to the sensed heavy load (or second laundry load range II; see Figure 16 ) corresponds to the maximum speed Pr(Fm) of the clothing load.

[0209] In this case, the rotation speed of the circulation pump 36 may be set to increase corresponding to the time t1 of the rotation acceleration of the drum 40. That is, the time of accelerating the rotation of the drum 40 is associated with (or synchronized with) the time of increasing the rotation speed of the circulation pump 36.

[0210] During the filtering operation, the processor 91 may control the circulation pump motor 92 to accelerate to a set rotation speed Pr(F), and when reaching the rotation speed Pr(F), maintain the rotation speed Pr(F).

[0211] The processor 91 may accelerate the circulation pump motor 92 to the rotation speed Pr(F) at the set second acceleration slope Ag2 . The second acceleration slope Ag2 may be set to be equal to or less than the first acceleration slope Ag1 .

[0212] Alternatively, the processor 91 may set the second acceleration slope Ag2 based on a time period Tr2 taken to reach the maximum rotation speed Pr(F). The time period Tr2 may differ according to the laundry load.

[0213] When the washing motor 93 stops, the processor 91 may generate a stop signal SG4. In response to the stop signal SG4, the circulation pump motor 92 may stop (A6).

[0214] The method for controlling a washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include sensing the amount of laundry in drum 40 (hereinafter referred to as "laundry load"). There are various known methods for calculating the laundry load. For example, drum 40 may be accelerated while loaded with laundry, and the laundry load may be determined based on the time period it takes for the rotation speed of drum 40 to reach a preset rotation speed. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and any other known method may be used to calculate the laundry load.

[0215] As mentioned above, the control of the circulation pump 36 during the filtration operation is applicable to Figure 11 A water supply / clothes soaking cycle or a rinse cycle in the series of cycles shown.

[0216] Figure 17 1 and 2 are graphs showing changes in the number of (rotations) of a drum (a) and changes in the number of (rotations) of a pump (b) according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 18 It is a diagram for explaining a squeezing action according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 19 is a diagram for explaining a water supply / clothes soaking cycle according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figures 17 to 19 Provide a description.

[0217] In the method for controlling the washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention, the circulation pump 36 is accelerated in response to the acceleration of the washing motor 93 and is decelerated in response to the deceleration of the washing motor 93 during the performance of the squeezing action.

[0218] Specifically, in this method, the acceleration and deceleration of the washing motor 93 are alternately repeated. The washing motor 93 is accelerated so that the laundry in the drum 40 is attracted to the drum 40 due to centrifugal force and rotates together with the drum 40. The washing motor 93 is then decelerated to separate the laundry 40 from the drum 40. During this process, the circulation pump motor 92 is operated to spray water through at least one nozzle 83a or nozzle 93b. At this time, the circulation pump motor 93 is accelerated in response to the acceleration of the washing motor 93 and decelerated in response to the deceleration of the washing motor 93.

[0219] The processor 91 may accelerate the washing motor 93 to the first speed (or the maximum speed Dr(Q, H)) so that the laundry in the drum 40 rotates together with the drum 40, thereby forming an empty space surrounded by the laundry due to centrifugal force.

[0220] The maximum rotation speed DR(Q, H) of the washing motor 93 during the squeezing operation may be equal to or greater than 70 rpm (preferably 80 rpm). The minimum rotation speed DR(Q, L) of the washing motor 93 may be defined as the lower limit of the set rotation speed range. The minimum rotation speed DR(Q, L) may be set to be equal to or greater than 35 rpm and less than 55 rpm (preferably 46 rpm).

[0221] Reference Figure 18 (a), once the drum 40 starts to rotate, the clothes start to rotate together with the drum 40 (see Figure 18 (left image in (a)).

[0222] Reference Figure 18 (b), when the washing motor 93 is accelerated, the processor 91 may accelerate the circulation pump motor 92 within a preset speed range so that water is sprayed through at least one nozzle 83a or nozzle 83b. At the time t=t(SG1) when the washing motor 93 starts accelerating, the processor 91 may start accelerating the circulation pump motor 92.

[0223] If the circulation pump motor 92 is accelerated to rotate at a predetermined speed or higher, water may be sprayed from at least one nozzle 83a or nozzle 83b. In this case, the water sprayed from at least one nozzle 83a or nozzle 83b may be directed toward an area on the inner circumferential surface of the drum 40 close to the front surface of the drum 40 (see FIG. Figure 18 (the leftmost figure in (b)).

[0224] If the drum 40 rotates at a predetermined speed or higher, the laundry in the drum 40 is attracted to the inner circumferential surface 42 of the drum 40 due to centrifugal force. In this case, a cylindrical space (or an empty space at the center of the drum 40) surrounded by the laundry is formed (see FIG. Figure 18 (a) second figure from the left).

[0225] When the clothes are more closely adsorbed to the inner peripheral surface of the drum 40, the cylindrical space surrounded by the clothes can be extended. That is, if the centrifugal force acting on the clothes increases as the rotation speed of the drum 40 increases, the cylindrical space surrounded by the clothes can be extended.

[0226] The processor 91 may accelerate the circulation pump motor 92 in response to the acceleration of the wash motor 93. The processor 91 may accelerate the circulation pump motor 92 to a maximum speed Pr(Q, H). During the squeezing action, the maximum speed Pr(Q, H) of the circulation pump motor 92 may be a speed (2200 rpm to 3600 rpm, preferably 3500 rpm) at which the water jetted from at least one nozzle 83a or nozzle 83b reaches the rear surface of the drum 40.

[0227] When the circulation pump motor 92 is accelerated, the water sprayed from the at least one nozzle 83a or the nozzle 83b may move to be further directed toward the rear surface of the drum 40. If the circulation pump motor 92 is accelerated to a predetermined speed or higher, the water sprayed from the at least one nozzle 83a or the nozzle 83b may be directed toward the rear surface 41 of the drum 40 (see FIG. Figure 18 (b) second figure from the left).

[0228] If the rotation speed of the washing motor 93 reaches the maximum rotation speed Dr(Q, H), the processor 91 may decelerate the washing motor 93. When the rotation speed of the drum 40 decreases, the empty space formed in the drum 40 (ie, the empty space surrounded by the laundry) decreases (see FIG. Figure 18 The washing motor 93 may be decelerated until the second rotation speed (or the lowest rotation speed Dr(Q, L)) is reached.

[0229] In response to the deceleration of the wash motor 93, the processor 91 may decelerate the circulation pump motor 92 within a speed range. Simultaneously with the deceleration of the wash motor 93, the processor 91 may decelerate the wash pump motor 92 to a minimum speed Pr(Q, L). At the start of the deceleration of the wash motor 93, the processor 91 may decelerate the circulation pump motor 92.

[0230] When the circulation pump motor 92 rotates at the minimum rotation speed Pr(Q, L), the water flow sprayed from at least one nozzle 83a or nozzle 83b can reach a position closer to the front surface of the drum 40 than the rear surface 41 of the drum 40. The minimum rotation speed Pr(Q, L) may be 1100 rpm to 1600 rpm, preferably 1300 rpm.

[0231] When the circulation pump motor 92 is decelerated, water sprayed from the at least one nozzle 83a or the nozzle 83b may gradually move to be directed toward the front surface of the drum 40. If the circulation pump motor 92 is decelerated to a predetermined speed or lower, the water sprayed from the nozzle 83a or the nozzle 83b may be directed toward a position on the inner circumferential surface of the drum 40 that is closer to the front surface of the drum 40 than to the rear surface 41 of the drum 40.

[0232] If the washing motor 93 is decelerated to the lowest rotation speed Dr(Q, L), the processor 91 may accelerate the washing motor 93. When the rotation speed of the drum 40 increases, the empty space formed in the drum 40 (ie, the empty space surrounded by the laundry) is extended (see FIG. Figure 18 The washing motor 93 can be accelerated until it reaches the maximum rotation speed Dr(Q, H).

[0233] In response to the acceleration of the wash motor 93, the processor 91 may accelerate the circulation pump motor 92 again to the maximum rotation speed Pr(Q, H).

[0234] In response to the deceleration of the wash motor 93, the processor 91 may decelerate the circulation pump motor 92 within the speed range. When the wash motor 93 decelerates, the processor 91 may decelerate the circulation pump motor 92 to the minimum speed Pr(Q, L). When the deceleration of the wash motor 93 begins, the processor 91 may start to decelerate the circulation pump motor 92.

[0235] The above-mentioned acceleration and deceleration of the washing motor may be repeated a predetermined number of times, and the acceleration and deceleration of the circulation pump motor 92 may also be repeated in response to the acceleration and deceleration of the washing motor. The combination of the above-mentioned squeezing action and the operation of the circulation pump 36 may be implemented during the water supply / clothes soaking cycle. Figure 19 A more detailed description is provided. The water supply / clothes soaking cycle may include a detergent dissolving step and a clothes soaking step. The detergent dissolving step is performed with detergent and water contained in the outer tub 31. In the clothes soaking step, the processor 91 may accelerate the washing motor 93 so that the clothes on the inner circumferential surface of the drum 40 are lifted and do not fall from the inner circumferential surface 42 of the drum 40 due to centrifugal force, and then brake the washing motor 93 so that the clothes fall from the inner circumferential surface 42 of the drum 40. At this time, the drum driving action may be a shaking action, a scrubbing action, or a patting action.

[0236] According to one embodiment, in the detergent dissolving step, when the clothes are lifted from the lowest position in the drum to a height corresponding to a set angle, the processor 91 may brake the washing motor 93, which is set to be less than a rotation angle of 220 degrees of the drum 40.

[0237] According to an embodiment, the processor 91 may accelerate the washing motor 93 to a maximum rotation speed Dr (V) and then brake the washing motor 93. The processor 91 may repeat the operation of accelerating the washing motor 93 to a maximum rotation speed DR (V) and then braking the washing motor 93. The processor 91 may repeat the operation of accelerating the washing motor 93 to a maximum rotation speed Dr (V) and then braking the washing motor 93 by alternately changing the rotation direction of the drum 40.

[0238] In the detergent dissolving step, the processor 91 may control the circulation pump motor 92 so that water is sprayed through at least one nozzle 83a or nozzle 83b. In this case, the processor 91 may accelerate the circulation pump motor 92 in response to the acceleration of the washing motor 93, and decelerate the circulation pump motor 92 in response to the braking (or deceleration) of the washing motor 93.

[0239] The detergent dissolving step can be performed by filling the outer tub 31 with water containing the detergent to a first water level. Before the detergent dissolving step, the water supply valve 94 can be opened by the processor 91 so that water supplied through the water supply hose is supplied to the outer tub 31 together with the detergent contained in the dispenser 35, and then the detergent dissolving step can be performed. At the same time, the first water level can be a water level that allows the wash water to reach the inside of the drum 40.

[0240] When the water level in the outer tub 31 reaches a second water level higher than the first water level, the clothing soaking step may be performed. After the detergent dissolving step, the processor 91 may open the water supply valve 94 again, thereby supplying water to the interior of the outer tub 31. The detergent in the dispenser has all been used in the water supply of the first water level, and therefore, in the water supply to the second water level, although the water guided through the water supply hose passes through the dispenser, water may be supplied only to the interior of the outer tub 31 without adding detergent. However, the aspects of the present invention are not limited thereto, and an additional flow path may be further provided for guiding the water supplied through the water supply valve 94 without passing through the dispenser 35, and in this case, the water supply to the second water level may be performed through the additional flow path.

[0241] Detergent can be effectively dissolved in the detergent dissolving step, and in the clothing soaking step, clothing can be effectively soaked in the washing water in which the detergent is dissolved within a short time.

[0242] In the clothing soaking step, you can perform the above reference Figure 17 and 18 The squeezing action is described and the operation of the circulation pump 36 is controlled accordingly.

[0243] Meanwhile, during the laundry soaking step, processor 91 may set the maximum speed and / or minimum speed of washing motor 93 according to the laundry load in drum 40. For example, if the maximum speed of washing motor 93 in response to a small laundry load in drum 40 is Dr(Q, H1), and the maximum speed of washing motor 93 in response to a large laundry load in drum 40 is Dr(Q, H2), processor 91 may set Dr(Q, H2) to be higher than Dr(Q, H1). Thus, when the laundry load is large, even the center portion of drum 40 is filled with laundry, and in order to rotate drum 40 with all the laundry attached to the inner circumferential surface of drum 40, a greater centrifugal force is required than when the laundry load is small. Therefore, when the laundry load is large, the maximum speed is set higher than when the laundry load is small, so that the laundry is attached to inner circumferential surface 42 of drum 40.

[0244] Processor 91 may set the speed range of circulation pump motor 92 according to the sensed laundry load. For example, if the maximum speed of circulation pump motor 92 in response to a small laundry load in drum 40 is Pr(Q, H1), and the maximum speed of circulation pump motor 92 in response to a large laundry load in drum 40 is Pr(Q, H2), processor 91 may set Pr(Q, H2) to be higher than Pr(Q, H1).

[0245] As mentioned above Figure 15 As described above, the laundry accumulates from the front end to the rear end of the drum 40. If the maximum rotation speed of the circulation pump motor 92 is increased according to the load of the laundry, the water flow can be allowed to reach the laundry near the rear surface of the drum 40, thereby enhancing the laundry soaking performance. In doing so, the laundry can be further adsorbed to the inner circumferential surface 42 of the drum 40.

[0246] The method of controlling a washing machine using the squeezing action can effectively soak the clothes in water with dissolved detergent in the initial washing stage, thereby reducing the soaking time of the clothes and correspondingly reducing the entire washing time.

[0247] Furthermore, by changing the rotation speed of the circulation pump motor 92, the circulation water is effectively sprayed in response to the movement of the laundry in the squeezing action, thereby effectively soaking the laundry.

[0248] Figure 20 is a diagram for explaining a method for controlling a washing machine according to another embodiment of the present invention. Figure 20 A method for controlling a washing machine according to another embodiment of the present invention may include supplying water with detergent to the interior of the outer tub 31 to a first water level. The processor 91 may control the water supply valve 94 to supply water to the dispenser 35.

[0249] After the water supply step, a detergent dissolving step ( Figure 20 The first speed may be set within a range that does not allow water discharged from the circulation pump 36 to reach the at least one nozzle 83a or the nozzle 83b, or even if water is sprayed through the at least one nozzle 83a or the nozzle 83b, does not allow the sprayed water to reach the inside of the drum 40. The first speed may be set to be equal to or lower than 1500 rpm.

[0250] In the above, "at least one nozzle" is exemplified by two nozzles 83a and 83b, but this is merely an example, and the at least one nozzle may be implemented differently. For example, the at least one nozzle may include two or more lower nozzles and two or more middle nozzles, the two or more lower nozzles spraying water toward a first area on the inner circumferential surface of the drum 40, and the two or more middle nozzles being supplied with water through a flow path shared with the two or more lower nozzles and being arranged higher than the two or more lower nozzles to spray water toward a second area on the inner circumferential surface of the drum 40.

[0251] If the first and second areas are defined with reference to a vertical line passing through the center of the annular gasket 60 installed at the inlet of the outer tub 31 when viewed from the front side of the drum, the following may be provided: a first middle nozzle disposed above the center of the gasket 60 in the first area to spray water downward toward the second area; a first lower nozzle disposed below the center of the gasket 60 in the first area to spray water upward toward the second area; a second middle nozzle disposed above the center of the gasket 60 in the second area to spray water downward toward the first area; and a second lower nozzle disposed below the center of the gasket 60 in the second area to spray water upward toward the first area. In this case, water pumped by the circulation pump 36 may be directed to the first lower nozzle, the first middle nozzle, the second lower nozzle, and the second middle nozzle.

[0252] Furthermore, the upper nozzle may be positioned higher than the first and second intermediate nozzles. The upper nozzle may be a nozzle for spraying circulating water or a direct water nozzle for supplying water that has passed through a water supply valve and has not been mixed with detergent. Alternatively, the upper nozzle may be a nozzle for supplying water that has been mixed with fabric softener after passing through a detergent box filled with fabric softener.

[0253] Circulating water can be supplied to the first and second lower nozzles, as well as the first and second middle nozzles, via a circulating water guide flow path. For example, the guide flow path may include an inlet connected to the circulating water conduit 18, and first and second guide flow paths branching from the inlet. The first lower nozzle and the first middle nozzle may be disposed in the first guide flow path, while the second lower nozzle and the second middle nozzle may be disposed in the second guide flow path.

[0254] In the detergent dissolving step, the rotation speed of the circulation pump 36 may be set so that water is sprayed only through the first lower nozzle and the second lower nozzle, and not through the first middle nozzle and the second middle nozzle.

[0255] In the detergent dissolving step, the circulation pump 36 functions as an agitator that stirs the wash water to uniformly dissolve the detergent. In the detergent dissolving step, the circulation pump 36 rotates at such a low speed that the water sprayed from the nozzle 83a or the nozzle 83b cannot reach the clothes in the drum 40, thereby preventing the water with incompletely dissolved detergent therein from acting on the clothes.

[0256] Since the above-mentioned detergent dissolving step is performed, the detergent can be effectively dissolved in water in the initial washing stage, thereby improving the washing effect in the washing step.

[0257] In addition, the circulation pump motor can rotate even when there is not enough water in the drum during the initial washing stage, thereby dissolving the detergent efficiently.

[0258] The processor 91 may control the washing motor to repeatedly accelerate and brake while the circulation pump 36 rotates at the first speed. In this case, the laundry in the drum 40 is attracted to the inner peripheral surface of the drum 40 in response to the acceleration of the washing motor 93, and falls off the inner peripheral surface in response to the braking of the washing motor 93.

[0259] In the detergent dissolving step, when the laundry is lifted from the lowest position of the drum 40 to a height corresponding to a set angle, the washing motor 91 may be braked, the set angle being set to be smaller than a rotation angle of less than 180 degrees of the drum 40. That is, in the detergent dissolving step, a drop triggering action by braking may be performed.

[0260] Although not shown, after the detergent dissolving step, an additional water supply step of supplying water into the outer tub 31 to increase the water level in the outer tub 31 from the first water level to the second water level is performed.

[0261] When the water level in the outer tub 31 is increased to the second water level through the additional water supply step, a clothes soaking step of repeating acceleration and deceleration of the washing motor 93 is performed, so that the circulation pump 36 is accelerated in response to the acceleration of the washing motor 93 and decelerated in response to the deceleration of the washing motor 93. In the clothes soaking step, the circulating water may be sprayed through the at least one nozzle 83a or the nozzle 83b at a higher water pressure than in the detergent dissolving step.

[0262] According to one embodiment, in the laundry soaking step, the circulating water may be sprayed through the first and second lower nozzles and the first and second middle nozzles.

[0263] After the clothes soaking step, a washing step may be performed (see Figure 20In the washing step, the washing motor 93 may be rotated continuously multiple times. Hereinafter, the process of accelerating the washing motor 93 to a predetermined speed, rotating the washing motor 93 while maintaining the predetermined speed, and braking the washing motor 93 to stop is defined as one rotation cycle. This rotation cycle may correspond to a kneading action or a tumbling action.

[0264] The rotation cycle can be repeated multiple times. In addition, the operation and stopping of the circulation pump 36 can be repeated while the rotation cycle is repeated. The circulation pump 36 can start running every time the rotation cycle starts. When the rotation cycle stops (i.e., the interval between the rotation cycles), the circulation pump 36 can stop running (see Figure 20 (a) and (b)).

[0265] During the repeated operation of circulation pump 36, the rotation speed of circulation pump 36 may increase. Specifically, the multiple operations of circulation pump 36 may include: a first operation in which circulation pump 36 rotates at a first rotation speed; and a second operation in which circulation pump 36 rotates at a second rotation speed higher than the first rotation speed after the first operation. Here, the second operation refers to a situation in which circulation pump 36 rotates at a higher speed than before, and the first operation is an operation performed immediately before the second operation, in which circulation pump 36 rotates at a speed that has not yet been accelerated.

[0266] Meanwhile, a step of additionally supplying water into the outer tub 32 during the washing step may be further performed. Figure 20 The “additional water supply” in (a) indicates a time when water is additionally supplied to the outer tub 31 .

[0267] When the circulation pump 36 is operated after water is additionally supplied to the outer tub 31, the rotation speed of the circulation pump 36 may be set to be higher than the rotation speed in the previous operation. Since the amount of water contained in the outer tub 31 increases due to the additional water supply, the circulation pump 36 is controlled to rotate at a higher speed, thereby increasing the pressure and flow rate of water sprayed through the at least one nozzle 83a or the nozzle 83b.

[0268] According to one embodiment, in the washing step, water may be sprayed through a pair of lower nozzles and a pair of middle nozzles by the rotation of the circulation pump 36 .

[0269] Meanwhile, in the washing step, the washing pump 36 may be controlled such that water pumped by the circulation pump 36 is sprayed through the pair of lower nozzles but is now allowed to reach the pair of middle nozzles.

[0270] Furthermore, in the washing step, when water is sprayed through the pair of middle nozzles and the pair of lower nozzles, water may be sprayed through the direct water nozzles 57 .

[0271] After the washing step, a rinsing step may be performed ( Figure 20 In other words, the washing motor 93 is accelerated to a preset contact holding speed so that the laundry in the drum 40 rotates while being adsorbed to the inner circumferential surface of the drum 40, and the washing motor 93 is controlled to rotate while maintaining the contact holding speed. The speed can be adjusted. In this step, the driving action of the drum 40 may correspond to the above-mentioned filtering action.

[0272] In order to spray water through the at least one nozzle during the filtering action, a step of accelerating the circulation pump 36 in response to the acceleration of the washing motor 93 may be performed.

[0273] By adopting the method for controlling the washing machine according to the present embodiment, the intensity of water sprayed through the nozzle 83a or the nozzle 83b may be adjusted in response to a change in the water level of the drum 40, thereby improving washing performance.

[0274] Furthermore, washing can be performed with wash water in which detergent is highly concentrated at a low maintained water level of the drum 40 and then performed at an elevated water level, thereby improving washing performance.

[0275] If the rotation speed of the circulation pump motor 92 is maintained at a high speed, the water level in the drum 40 decreases, and additional water supply is required. In this case, more water may be used to wash the clothes, or it may be difficult to wash the clothes with wash water that is highly concentrated with detergent. According to this embodiment, since the rotation speed of the circulation pump motor 92 is changed according to the water level in the drum 40, a smaller amount of water can be used when washing the clothes, and a highly concentrated washing operation can be performed.

[0276] Furthermore, if the water level in the drum 40 rises due to the additional water supply, the pressure of the water to be sprayed through the nozzles increases, thereby improving the washing performance under the physical influence of the water pressure.

[0277] In addition, the additional water supply volume, the rotation speed of the circulation pump motor, and the interval between water supplies are changed according to the water level of the washing water, thereby enabling efficient washing and shortening the entire washing cycle.

[0278] Figure 21 1 is a diagram for explaining a method for controlling a washing machine according to another embodiment of the present invention. Figure 21 The described embodiment includes an alternative embodiment of the wash step that may be described above.

[0279] The following steps can be performed: while the wash motor rotates continuously in one direction, the acceleration and deceleration of the circulation pump 36 are repeated one or more times. When the wash motor 93 rotates continuously in one direction, the laundry in the drum 32 can be repeatedly lifted to a predetermined height and dropped therefrom. In this case, the circulation pump 36 can operate for one cycle while the wash motor 93 operates for two or more cycles. In one embodiment, the circulation pump 36 is shown to operate for one cycle while the wash motor 93 operates for three cycles, but this is merely an example.

[0280] The water supply to the outer tub 31 can be performed in stages. The processor 91 can control the water supply valve 94 so that the water level in the outer tub 31 rises to a first water level H1 (first water supply). When the water level in the outer tub 31 reaches the first water level H1, the circulation pump 36 can start a first cycle at a first speed Pr(R, H1). The speed Pr(R, H1) can be 1800 rpm to 2200 rpm (preferably 2000 rpm).

[0281] In a configuration equipped with a pair of lower nozzles and a pair of middle nozzles, if the circulation pump motor 92 rotates at a rotational speed Pr(R, H1), water can be similarly ejected only through the pair of lower nozzles, rather than through the pair of middle nozzles. In other words, if the circulation pump motor 92 rotates at a rotational speed Pr(R, H1), the discharge pressure of the circulation pump 36 will not be high enough to allow water to reach the pair of middle nozzles and be ejected therefrom. However, even in this case, water can be ejected through the pair of lower nozzles, so the circulation pump motor 92 will not idle.

[0282] After the first cycle of the circulation pump 36, the processor 91 can control the water supply valve 94 so that the water level in the outer tub 31 rises to the second water level H2 (second water supply). When the water level in the outer tub 31 reaches the second water level H2, the second cycle of the circulation pump 36 rotating at the second speed PR(R, H2) can be performed. The speed Pr(R, H2) can be 2250 rpm to 2750 rpm (preferably 2500 rpm).

[0283] After the second cycle of the circulation pump 36, the processor 91 may control the water supply valve 94 so that the water level in the outer tub 31 reaches the third water level H3 (third water supply). When the water level in the outer tub 31 reaches the third water level H3, the third cycle in which the circulation pump 36 rotates at the third rotation speed Pr(R, H3) may be performed.

[0284] After the third cycle of the circulation pump 36, the processor 91 may control the water supply valve 94 so that the water level in the outer tub 31 reaches the fourth water level H4 (the fourth water supply). When the fourth water supply has been provided, the fourth cycle of the circulation pump 36 may be performed, and in this case, the circulation pump 36 may rotate at the third speed PR (R, H3) as in the third cycle. The rotation speed Pr (R, H3) may be 2520 rpm to 3080 rpm (preferably 2800 rpm).

[0285] At the same time, the processor 91 may control the water supply valve 94 so that water is sprayed through the direct water nozzle 57 at the last water supply in the washing step (the fourth water supply in this embodiment). In this case, water may be supplied to the softener container of the dispenser 35 in which the fabric softener is contained, and thus, water may be supplied to the water injection nozzle 57 together with the fabric softener.

[0286] Water introduced through the water supply valve 94 may pass through the softener container along a predetermined flow path and then be supplied to the direct water spray nozzle 57 together with the fabric softener.

[0287] However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and raw water (water supplied from an external water source) may be sprayed through the direct water nozzle 58 , and during this spraying operation, water that has passed through the softener container of the dispenser 35 may be directly supplied to the outer tub 31 .

[0288] Meanwhile, the direct water nozzle 57 may be disposed higher than a pair of intermediate nozzles. Preferably, the intermediate nozzles are disposed on the left and right sides of the gasket 60, respectively, and the direct water nozzle 57 may be inserted between the intermediate nozzles.

[0289] In addition, a pair of lower nozzles may be respectively provided on the left and right sides of the pad 60. In this case, when water is simultaneously sprayed from the direct water nozzle 57, the pair of middle nozzles and the pair of lower nozzles, the water stream may form a star shape when viewed from the front.

[0290] At the same time, reference Figure 21 , the processor 91 can control the additional water supply on a time basis. That is, the processor 91 can start the first water supply at time t=t(w1), the second water supply at time t=t(w2), the third water supply at time t=t(w3), and the fourth water supply at time t=t(w4).

[0291] In this case, the time interval t(w2)-t(w1) between the first water supply and the second water supply, the time interval t(w3)-t(w2) between the second water supply and the third water supply, and the time interval t(w4)-t(w3) between the third water supply and the fourth water supply may be preset values.

[0292] The processor 91 may set the time interval t(w3)-t(w2) between the second and third water supplies to be greater than the time interval t(w2)-t(w1) between the first and second water supplies. This is because if the water level of the wash water in the drum 40 rises, a longer washing time may be required.

[0293] Similarly, the processor 91 can set the time interval t(w4)-t(w3) between the third water supply and the fourth water supply to be different from the time interval t(w2)-t(w1) between the first water supply and the second water supply or the time interval t(w3)-t(w2) between the second water supply and the third water supply.

[0294] The processor 91 may set an increase in the rotation speed of the circulation pump motor 92 based on the amount of water supplied in each of the first to third water supplies. According to the increase in the rotation speed of the circulation pump motor 92, the processor 91 may accelerate the circulation pump motor 92 at each time of performing the first to third water supplies.

[0295] However, the rotation speed of the circulation pump motor 92 may be set not to exceed the maximum rotation speed set according to the sensed laundry load.The processor 91 may set the maximum rotation speed of the circulation pump motor 92 according to the laundry load sensed in the laundry load sensing step.

[0296] Processor 91 can make circulation pump motor 92 accelerate gradually, until reaching the set maximum speed.After rotation pump motor 92 reaches maximum speed, although the water level in drum 40 changes, processor 91 can still control circulation pump motor 92 to maintain maximum speed.

[0297] Even when the water level in the drum 40 is gradually increased by additional water supply, the processor 91 can maintain the maximum speed of the circulation pump motor 92 without accelerating the circulation pump motor 92 to exceed the maximum speed. According to one embodiment, during the last water supply in the washing step (the fourth water supply in this embodiment), water in which detergent is dissolved can be supplied to the outer tub 31. The dispenser 35 can further include a detergent container in which detergent is contained. The water introduced through the water supply valve 94 can pass through the detergent container along a predetermined flow path and then be supplied to the outer tub 31 together with the detergent.

[0298] The present invention as described above can be implemented as a code on a computer-readable medium that can be written therein and recorded with a program and therefore read by a computer. Computer-readable media include all types of recording devices in which data is stored in a computer-readable manner. Examples of computer-readable recording media can include hard disk drives (HDDs), solid-state disks (SSDs), silicon disk drives (SDDs), read-only memories (ROMs), random access memories (RAMs), compact disc read-only memories (CD-ROMs), magnetic tapes, floppy disks, and optical data storage devices. In addition, computer-readable media can be implemented as carrier waves (e.g., data transmission over the Internet). In addition, a computer can include a processor or a controller.

Claims

1. A washing machine, in, include: The housing has a front surface formed with an insertion hole for inserting clothes; an outer tub disposed inside the shell to contain water, and having an inlet hole formed on a front surface of the outer tub; a drum rotatably disposed in the outer tub; a washing motor for rotating the drum; an annular gasket connecting the insertion hole of the shell and the inlet hole of the outer barrel; a plurality of nozzles installed in the liner to spray water into the drum; a pump, comprising a pump motor, for pumping the water discharged from the outer tub toward the plurality of nozzles; and a flow guide path including an inlet for the water pumped by the pump to flow into, and guiding the water pumped by the pump toward the plurality of nozzles; The plurality of nozzles include: a pair of first nozzles provided below the center of the pad to spray water upward toward a first area located in a front portion of the inner circumferential surface of the drum; and a pair of second nozzles disposed above the center of the pad to spray water downwardly toward a second area on the inner circumferential surface of the drum that is located behind the first area; When the water level in the outer tub reaches a first water level, the pump motor is driven at a first speed so that water is sprayed from the pair of first nozzles but water is not sprayed from the pair of second nozzles. When the water level in the tub rises from the first water level to a second water level, the pump motor is driven at a second rotation speed higher than the first rotation speed so that water is sprayed from the pair of first nozzles and the pair of second nozzles.

2. The washing machine according to claim 1, wherein The guide flow path includes a first guide flow path and a second guide flow path branching from the inlet to both sides. The first and second guide flow paths are connected to the first and second nozzles, respectively.

3. The washing machine according to claim 2, wherein: The inlet, the first nozzle, and the second nozzle are sequentially arranged on the first guide flow path.

4. The washing machine according to claim 1, wherein Also includes: The circulating water conduit connects the inlet and the pump and guides the water pumped by the pump to the guide flow path.

5. The washing machine according to claim 1, wherein The first rotation speed and the second rotation speed are set in proportion to the laundry load inside the drum. The washing machine according to claim 1 , wherein: The pump motor is driven at the first speed or the second speed after a water supply process of supplying detergent and water together into the drum.

7. The washing machine according to claim 1, wherein Also includes: The direct water nozzle sprays the water supplied through the water supply valve into the drum. When the pump motor is driven at the second speed, the water supply valve is opened to spray water through the direct water nozzle.

8. The washing machine according to claim 1, wherein In response to repeated acceleration and deceleration of the washing motor, the pump motor is driven to accelerate and decelerate.

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