Clothes treatment apparatus

Abstract

The present application provides a method for controlling a drum washing course of a clothes treatment apparatus that comprises: a cabinet having an opening at the front; a water supply part which is connected to a water source provided outside the cabinet; a tub which is provided inside the cabinet and which is supplied with water from the water supply part and stores the water; a drum which is rotatably provided inside the tub, communicates with the tub, has a clothes inlet at a position corresponding to the opening, and provides an accommodation space for accommodating clothes; and a drive unit which provides power for rotating the drum. The method includes: a water supply step for supplying water to a height lower than the lower end of the clothes inlet; and an additional washing step for repeatedly rotating and stopping the drum.

Description

Garment processing equipment

[0001] This application relates to a clothing treatment device.

[0002] A garment treatment device is a device that can wash, dry, or both wash and dry garments (laundry items or drying items), and includes washing machines, dryers, and combined washing machines and dryers.

[0003] When detergents, fabric softeners, and other contaminants used in washing machines aren't fully discharged, they accumulate in the drum and tub, causing contamination. This contaminant adheres to the object being treated, reducing washing performance. Therefore, a strong stream of water can be used to remove these accumulated contaminants from the drum and tub.

[0004] Conventional washing machines perform a sterilization or wash cycle for internal cleaning, but conventional sterilization or wash cycles use a large amount of water, making it difficult to increase the rotation speed of the drum, which consumes a lot of time and energy.

[0005] In addition, since foam generation is not suppressed by using a general detergent, it is difficult to rotate the drum at high speed due to the load applied to the driving part by the foam, making it difficult to reduce the time.

[0006] Therefore, suppressing foam generation is related to reducing the time and energy required for the sterilization or washing cycle of a clothing treatment device, and reducing time and energy is an important task in cleaning the inside of a washing machine.

[0007] The present application aims to solve the problem of cleaning a drum and tub with a small amount of water by performing a full cleaning course using a dedicated cleaning agent.

[0008] The present application aims to solve the problem of shortening the time of the full-scale cleaning course by rotating the drum at high speed while performing the full-scale cleaning course by injecting a dedicated cleaning agent.

[0009] The present application aims to solve the problem of maximizing the efficiency of a special detergent by heating water while performing a full cleaning course by adding a special detergent.

[0010]

[0011] A method for controlling a clothing treatment device according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a cabinet having an opening at the front, a water supply unit connected to a water source provided outside the cabinet, a tub provided inside the cabinet and configured to receive and store water from the water supply unit, a drum rotatably provided inside the tub, communicating with the tub, and having a clothing inlet provided at a position corresponding to the opening to provide a receiving space for accommodating clothing, and a driving unit providing power to rotate the drum. The method may include a water supply step of supplying water to a height lower than the lower end of the clothing inlet, and an additional washing step of repeating rotation and stop of the drum.

[0012] In the additional washing step of the control method of the clothing treatment device according to one embodiment of the present invention, the time for which the drum stops may be shorter than the time for which it rotates.

[0013] In the additional washing step of the control method of the clothing treatment device according to one embodiment of the present invention, the time for which the drum is stopped may be less than half the time for which it rotates.

[0014] In the additional washing step of the control method of the clothing treatment device according to one embodiment of the present invention, the rotation direction can be changed when the drum accelerates after stopping.

[0015] The additional washing step of the control method of the clothing treatment device according to one embodiment of the present invention may be a speed at which the drum rotates at a first speed and then stops repeatedly, and the first speed may be a speed at which the water supplied in the water supply step moves to a position higher than the rotational axis of the drum.

[0016] The first speed of the control method of the clothing treatment device according to one embodiment of the present invention may be a speed that causes the water supplied in the water supply step to move toward the front of the drum.

[0017] The first speed of the control method of the clothing treatment device according to one embodiment of the present invention may be a speed at which the water supplied in the water supply step moves to the upper surface of the drum.

[0018] A method for controlling a clothing treatment device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a permeation washing step that is performed after the water supply step is completed and rotates the drum at a first speed that is a speed at which water supplied in the water supply step moves to a position higher than the rotational axis of the drum, and an additional water supply step that supplies water after the permeation washing step is completed, wherein the additional water supply step supplies water to a height at which the water level is higher than the lower end of the clothing inlet, and the additional washing step is performed after the additional water supply step is completed by rotating at a second speed at which water remaining in the tub forms a water stream over the entire drum and then stopping repeatedly.

[0019] The permeation washing step of the control method of the clothing treatment device according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a cross step for changing the rotation direction of the drum.

[0020] A method for controlling a clothing treatment device according to one embodiment of the present invention further includes a heating unit provided between the bottom surface of the tub and the bottom surface of the drum to heat water stored in the tub, and may include a heating step for heating water supplied in the water supply step to a predetermined temperature.

[0021] The water supply step of the control method of the clothing treatment device according to one embodiment of the present invention can supply water so that the heating unit is submerged.

[0022] The permeation washing step of the control method of the clothing treatment device according to one embodiment of the present invention can be performed after the heating step is completed.

[0023] The heating step of the control method of the clothing treatment device according to one embodiment of the present invention can heat the water supplied in the water supply step to 40 degrees Celsius or higher.

[0024] A method for controlling a clothing treatment device according to one embodiment of the present invention further includes a drainage unit provided to discharge water stored inside the tub to the outside, the method comprising: a drainage step for discharging water supplied in the water supply step and the additional water supply step to the outside; a rinsing water supply step that is performed after the drainage step is completed and supplies water to a height higher than the clothing inlet; a permeation rinsing step for rotating the drum at a third speed so that the water supplied in the rinsing water supply step forms a water stream that moves throughout the drum; and a rinsing drainage step for discharging water supplied in the rinsing water supply step to the outside.

[0025] The third speed of the control method of the clothing treatment device according to one embodiment of the present invention may be the same as the second speed.

[0026]

[0027] The present application can provide a clothing treatment device and a method for controlling the clothing treatment device that cleans a drum and a tub with a small amount of water by performing a full cleaning course by adding a dedicated detergent.

[0028] The present application can provide a clothing treatment device and a method for controlling the clothing treatment device that shortens the time of the full-body washing course by rotating the drum at high speed while performing the full-body washing course by injecting a dedicated detergent.

[0029] The present application can provide a clothing treatment device and a method for controlling the clothing treatment device that heats water to maximize the efficiency of the dedicated detergent by performing a full-washing course by adding a dedicated detergent.

[0030] Figures 1 and 2 illustrate examples of a clothing treatment device.

[0031] Figure 3 illustrates the antifoaming agent ratio of the exclusive cleaning agent of the clothing treatment device of the present invention.

[0032] Figure 4 illustrates a flow chart of the overall washing course of the clothing treatment device of the present invention.

[0033] Figure 5 illustrates the water level supplied in the washing course of the clothing treatment device of the present invention.

[0034] Figure 6 illustrates the water level supplied in the full washing course when the drum of the garment treatment device of the present invention is installed at an angle.

[0035] Fig. 7 illustrates the formation of a water stream in the space between the tub and the drum in the full-body washing course of the clothing treatment device of the present invention. Fig. 7(a) illustrates a case where a special detergent is used, and Fig. 7(b) illustrates a case where a general detergent is used.

[0036] FIG. 8 illustrates that a water stream is formed in the space between the tub and the drum in the full washing course of the clothing treatment device of the present invention. FIG. 8(a) illustrates that the water stream does not reach the upper nozzle, and FIG. 8(b) illustrates that the water stream reaches the upper nozzle.

[0037] Figure 9 shows the RPM of the drum at each stage in the full washing course of the clothing treatment device of the present invention.

[0038] Hereinafter, embodiments of a garment treatment device and a control method will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. The configuration of the device and the control method described below are only intended to explain embodiments of the garment treatment device and are not intended to limit the scope of the rights of the present application. Reference numerals used identically throughout the specification represent identical components.

[0039] As illustrated in FIG. 1, a garment treatment device (100) may be provided to include a cabinet (1) having an opening (11), a tub (2) provided inside the cabinet (1) to store water, and a drum (3) rotatably provided inside the tub to accommodate a treatment object (hereinafter referred to as 'garments').

[0040] The above opening (11) may be provided on the front surface of the cabinet (1) and may be provided to be closed by a door (12) rotatably coupled to the cabinet (1).

[0041] The above cabinet (1) may be equipped with a control panel (13). FIG. 1 illustrates an example in which the control panel (13) is equipped to be positioned above the opening (11) on the front surface of the cabinet (1).

[0042] The above control panel (13) may be equipped with an input unit (131) and a display unit (132). The input unit (131) is a means for receiving a control command from a user, and the display unit (132) may be equipped with a means for displaying control commands selectable by the user and execution information of the control command selected by the user.

[0043] As illustrated in Fig. 2, the tub (2) may be provided as a tub body (21) that is provided inside the cabinet (1) and provides a space for storing water. The tub body (21) may be provided as a cylinder with an empty interior, and a tub inlet (22) may be provided on one side of the cylinder.

[0044] The above tub body (21) can be fixed inside the cabinet (1) through a support member. FIG. 2 illustrates an example in which the support member is provided with a spring (24) that connects the upper circumference of the tub body (21) to the cabinet (1) and a damper (25) that connects the lower circumference of the tub body (21) to the cabinet (1).

[0045] In addition, the above tub (2) may be equipped with a spray nozzle (211) that is connected to an external water source and is configured to spray water into the inside of the drum (3) (see Fig. 7). The above spray nozzles may be equipped in multiple numbers, and may be equipped in the upper, lower, left, and right directions symmetrically with respect to the center.

[0046] The above tub inlet (22) may be provided to be connected to the opening (11) via a gasket (23). In order to prevent water stored inside the tub body (21) from leaking into the cabinet (1), the gasket (23) may be provided as a tube connecting the opening (11) and the tub inlet (22). In addition, in order to minimize the vibration of the tub body (21) from being transmitted to the cabinet (1), the gasket (23) may be provided with an elastic material such as rubber.

[0047] The above drum (3) may be provided to include a drum body (31) provided inside the tub body (21) to provide a space for storing clothes.

[0048] The drum body (31) may be provided as a cylinder with an empty interior, and a clothing inlet (32) may be provided on one side of the cylinder (the side facing the direction in which the tub inlet is located). It is preferable that the material of the drum body (31) be a conductor.

[0049] A communication hole (33) that connects the inside of the drum body (31) with the inside of the tub body (21) may be provided on the circumference of the drum body (31), and a lifter that raises clothes inside the drum body (31) when the drum body (31) rotates may be provided on the circumference of the drum body (31).

[0050] The above drum body (31) can be rotatably fixed to the tub body (21) through the driving unit (4).

[0051] The above driving unit (4) may be provided to include a stator (41) that is fixed to the rear surface of the tub body (21) and forms a rotating field when current is supplied, a rotor (42) positioned outside the tub body (21) to rotate by the rotating field, and a rotation shaft (43) that penetrates the rear surface of the tub body (21) and connects the rotor (42) and the rear surface of the drum body (31).

[0052] In addition, a sensing unit (not shown) for detecting the current applied to the driving unit (4) may be included. The sensing unit can detect the current applied to the driving unit to determine the amount of clothing, the amount of foam, etc., inside the drum (3). Since the current value applied to the driving unit differs depending on the amount of clothing or foam present inside the drum, the state inside the drum can be determined based on the current value.

[0053] However, the above detection unit is not limited to detecting current, and may also detect vibration to determine the state inside the drum.

[0054] The above tub body (21) is supplied with water through the water supply unit (5), and the water stored in the tub body (21) can be discharged to the outside of the tub body (21) through the drain unit (6).

[0055] The above water supply unit (5) may be provided to include a water supply pipe (52) connecting a water source (51) to the tub body (21), and a water supply valve (53) controlling the opening and closing of the water supply pipe (52).

[0056] The above drainage unit (6) may be provided to include a pump (61), a first drainage pipe (62) connecting the tub body (21) to the pump (61), and a second drainage pipe (63) guiding water discharged from the pump (61) to the outside of the cabinet (1).

[0057] The above-mentioned clothing treatment device (100) may further be provided with a supply unit (7) for supplying detergent to the tub body (21). The supply unit (7) may be provided to include a drawer that is provided to be withdrawn from the front surface of the cabinet (1), and a storage space provided in the drawer for storing detergent.

[0058] FIG. 2 illustrates an example in which the storage space is provided to connect the water supply pipe (52) and the tub body (21). In this case, the water supply pipe (52) may be provided as a first water supply pipe (521) that guides water supplied from the water source (51) to the storage space, and a second water supply pipe (522) that guides detergent and water discharged from the storage space to the tub body (21).

[0059] In addition, the garment treatment device of the present invention may be provided with a heating unit (8) provided on the bottom surface of the tub to heat the water stored in the tub. The heating unit may be any means capable of supplying heat to the water.

[0060] The above heating unit (8) may be provided on the bottom surface of the tub (2) and spaced apart from the drum (3) so as not to interfere with it. This is to prevent damage to the heating unit due to rotation of the drum.

[0061] Figure 3 shows the content ratio of the antifoaming agent in the dedicated detergent according to the washing cycle of the full-body washing course of the clothing treatment device of the present invention, which will be described later.

[0062] Figure 4 illustrates a flow chart of the overall washing course of the clothing treatment device of the present invention.

[0063] The clothing treatment device of the present invention can perform a full washing course to remove contamination remaining in the tub (2) and the drum (3).

[0064] The above-mentioned cleaning course is performed by injecting a special cleaning agent. The special cleaning agent may be a cleaning agent that prevents foaming. For example, it may be a glycol ether-based cleaning agent.

[0065] The above-described special detergent can penetrate between the contamination and the surface of the washing machine and act to separate the contamination. Generally, detergents use antifoaming agents to suppress foaming. The antifoaming agent used in the above-described special detergent is a silicone-structured antifoaming agent, and the content may vary depending on the composition and purpose of use of the detergent. For the permeation washing cycle to be described later to function normally, it may be contained in a range of 25 to 80 ppm. The proportion of the antifoaming agent in the permeation washing cycle is as shown in Fig. 3(a). However, it is not limited thereto and may vary depending on the amount of water supplied and the rotation speed, etc.

[0066] If the content is lower than 25 to 80 ppm, the foam that is not suppressed during the permeation washing cycle may act as a load, preventing the drum from reaching the desired RPM. If the content is higher than 25 to 80 ppm, the antifoaming agent may remain in the tub or drum after the washing cycle ends, affecting the next clothes washing cycle, and foam may not be generated during the cycle.

[0067] Additionally, the antifoaming agent in the dedicated cleaning agent must be contained at 10-30 ppm for the cleaning process in the additional cleaning step described below to function properly. The antifoaming agent ratio in the additional cleaning process is as shown in Fig. 3(b). However, this is not limited thereto and may vary depending on factors such as the amount of water supplied and the rotation speed.

[0068] By using the above content of the antifoaming agent, foam can be suppressed as much as possible during the on time of the driving unit and foam can be quickly removed during the off time. Therefore, a lower content of the antifoaming agent than that of the antifoaming agent in the permeation washing step can be used.

[0069] By using the above-mentioned dedicated detergent, the generation of foam acting as a load is prevented, and thus, high-speed rotation of the drum (3) is possible compared to using a conventional detergent.

[0070] In addition, the above-mentioned dedicated detergent may be a detergent that does not increase foam production even when heated.

[0071] By using a dedicated detergent, the chemical power is increased, making it easy to remove accumulated contamination, and by using a dedicated detergent, the generation of foam acting as a load is prevented, allowing the drum (3) to rotate at high speed, thereby increasing the mechanical power.

[0072] Due to the increase in chemical and mechanical power, contamination can be effectively removed in a short period of time.

[0073] That is, by using the above-mentioned dedicated detergent, the cleaning power of the full cleaning course can be increased while reducing the time.

[0074] The above-mentioned cleaning course can be started by performing a detergent injection step in which the user injects the dedicated detergent into the drum (3). When the above detergent injection step is performed, the above-mentioned tub cleaning course includes a water supply step (S100) for supplying water to a lower height than the lower end of the clothing inlet (32), a heating step (S200) for heating the water supplied in the water supply step to a predetermined temperature, which is performed while the water supply step is in progress or after the water supply step is completed, a permeation cleaning step (S300) for generating a water stream by rotating the drum at a first speed, which is performed after the heating step (S200) is completed, an additional water supply step (S400) for supplying water to a higher height than the lower end of the clothing inlet, an additional washing step (S500) for rotating the drum at a second speed so that the water supplied in the additional water supply step forms a water stream that moves to the entire drum, a draining step for discharging water stored in the tub to the outside, which is performed after the draining step is completed and supplies water to a higher height than the lower end of the clothing inlet. It may be composed of a rinsing water supply step (S600), a permeation rinsing step (S700) of rotating the drum at a third speed so that the water supplied in the rinsing water supply step forms a water stream that moves throughout the drum, a rinsing drain step (S700) of discharging water remaining in the tub to the outside after the permeation rinsing step is completed, and a final dehydration step (S800) of opening the drain valve while rotating the drum at a high speed to discharge water remaining in the tub to the outside after the rinsing drain step is completed.

[0075] Meanwhile, the water supply step may include a detergent supply step in which the first water supply pipe and the second water supply pipe are opened simultaneously to supply detergent to the tub body, and the detergent may be the dedicated detergent.

[0076] That is, the dedicated detergent may be supplied in the detergent input step in which the user directly supplies the detergent, or may be supplied in the detergent supply step in which the supply unit supplies the detergent to the tub body in the water supply step.

[0077] Figure 5 shows the amount of water supplied at each stage.

[0078] Referring to Fig. 5, the water supply step (S100) can supply water to a height lower than the lower end (H2) of the clothing inlet (32). Since the drum (3) rotates at high speed without generating bubbles due to the use of the special detergent, the amount of load applied to the driving unit (4) can be relatively smaller than that applied when rotating at high speed using a general detergent.

[0079] Therefore, effective washing can be achieved even with a small amount of water, the total time can be shortened by shortening the water supply time due to the small amount of water supplied, and damage to the driving unit (4) can be prevented.

[0080] The height of the water supplied in the above water supply step (S100) may be higher than the height (H1) at which the heating unit (8) is submerged. If the heating unit is not submerged, the heating unit may be exposed to the air during heating and may be damaged. In addition, if water is supplied at a level higher than the height (H2) of the bottom of the clothing inlet (32), the driving unit (4) may be overloaded in the subsequent permeation washing step (S300). Therefore, by supplying water to a height lower than the height (H2) of the bottom of the clothing inlet, damage to the heating unit and overload of the driving unit can be prevented.

[0081] The heating step (S300) may be performed during the above water supply step (S200) or after the above water supply step is completed.

[0082] The heating step (S300) can increase the chemical power of the washing water by heating the washing water mixed with the special detergent. Since the chemical power of the washing water increases as the temperature rises, and high cleaning power can be expected at temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius, the heating step (S200) can increase the chemical power by heating the washing water to above 40 degrees Celsius.

[0083] In addition, in the heating step (S200), water may come into contact with the high temperature heating part (8) to generate steam, and the generated steam may spread inside the tub (2) and the drum (3), thereby swell the contaminants deposited in the tub and the drum, making it easy to remove the contaminants.

[0084] Meanwhile, in one embodiment of the heating step (S200), the operation of the heating unit (8) may be performed for 6 minutes or longer or until the temperature of the water stored inside the tub (2) reaches 58 degrees Celsius.

[0085] Since the temperature at which the activity of the above-mentioned special detergent increases is 58 degrees Celsius, the heating step (S200) can be terminated when the water temperature reaches 58 degrees Celsius.

[0086] In addition, considering the typical performance of the heating unit (8) used in the washing machine, if the heating unit (8) is operated for about 6 minutes, the temperature of the washing water can reach 58 degrees Celsius, where the activity of the dedicated detergent is the highest. Accordingly, the operating time of the heating unit (8) can be 6 minutes, but it can be terminated if the water temperature reaches 58 degrees Celsius before 6 minutes. In other words, the operation of the heating unit can be terminated after 6 minutes or when the washing water reaches 58 degrees Celsius.

[0087] When the heating step (S200) is completed, the permeation washing step (S300) may be performed. In the permeation washing step, water circulates and the water level drops, so if the heating part is exposed, damage may occur. Therefore, the permeation washing step may be performed after the heating step is completed. That is, the water level supplied in the water supply step (S100) may be higher than the level at which the heating part (8) is submerged (H1) and lower than the height (H2) of the bottom of the clothing insertion port (32).

[0088] In the above-mentioned permeation washing step (S300), a physical force is applied to the water stored in the tub (2) by the rotation of the drum (3), and the water stored in the tub (2) can move by the physical force.

[0089] The first speed of the above-mentioned permeation washing step (S300) may be a speed that can apply a physical force to move the water supplied in the water supply step (S100) to a position higher than the rotation axis (43) of the drum (3), apply a physical force to move the water located at the rear of the drum to the front of the drum, or apply a physical force to move the water stored in the tub (2) to the upper surface of the drum.

[0090] However, in order to move water to the upper surface of the drum (3) in the additional washing step (S400) described later and to prevent excessive load from being applied to the driving unit (4), the speed at which a physical force is applied to move to the upper surface of the drum may be excluded at the first speed in the permeation washing step (S300).

[0091] The above first speed may refer to a maximum speed at which a certain amount of foam generation is suppressed when the above-described dedicated detergent is used. That is, when the drum rotates at a speed higher than the first speed, a large amount of foam may be generated even when the above-described dedicated detergent is used.

[0092] For example, in order to move water stored in the tub (2), the driving unit (4) can be driven in a range of 400 RPM to 600 RPM. The higher the RPM of the driving unit, the wider the movement radius of the water stored in the tub.

[0093] Considering the performance of the typical driving unit (4), if the RPM of the driving unit is lower than 400 RPM, water flow may not be formed smoothly, and the washing range in which the water flow reaches the tub (2) and the drum (3) may be reduced. In addition, the speed of the water flow may decrease, thereby reducing the mechanical power for striking the deposited contaminants.

[0094] Meanwhile, if it is higher than 600 RPM, the driving unit (4) may be damaged.

[0095] In the above-mentioned permeation washing step (S300), the drum (3) can rotate at the first speed to move the washing water mixed with the water and the special detergent located at the rear of the drum to the front of the drum, and the tub (2) and the front part of the drum can be washed by the washing water moved to the front of the drum.

[0096] The above first speed may be equal to or less than the RPM at which the dehydration process is performed when clothes are received in the drum (3) during a normal washing process. The RPM at which the dehydration process is performed may refer to the RPM at which the clothes are attached to the inner surface of the drum and rotate.

[0097] In addition, the washing water can be sprayed into the tub (2) by passing through the communication hole (33) provided in the drum (3) and communicating with the tub (2) due to the rotation of the drum (3), and the washing water sprayed through the communication hole can remove contaminants deposited in the tub (2).

[0098] Meanwhile, during the performance of the above-mentioned penetration washing step (S300), the side surface of the drum can be washed by spraying circulating water into the inside of the drum (3) through the spray nozzle (211) provided in the tub (2).

[0099] In addition, the circulating water can serve to maintain the water level of the water stored in the tub (2) while the permeation washing step (S300) is performed.

[0100] In the above-mentioned permeation washing step (S300), the water level of the water stored in the tub (2) may be lowered while the drum (3) rotates as the water stored in the tub (2) moves.

[0101] Accordingly, the physical force caused by the rotation of the drum (3) may not be able to reach the water stored in the tub (2), and thus the formation of a water flow may not be smooth. To this end, by injecting the circulating water, the water level lowered by the washing water formed by the water flow can be raised again, and as the water level rises, the circulating water forms a water flow by the physical force caused by the rotation of the drum, thereby preventing the washing range of the drum and the tub from being reduced.

[0102] In addition, the number of operations of the above-mentioned permeation washing step (S300) may be two or more, and may include a crossing step in which the rotation direction of the drum is changed so that it crosses in the forward and reverse directions.

[0103] For example, it can initially rotate in a forward direction, then stop, and then rotate in a reverse direction. This allows for a wide range of cleaning, as the direction of the water flow changes depending on the rotational direction. This type of rotation can be repeated two or more times.

[0104] Since the drum cleaning course of the present invention uses a dedicated detergent, it generates less foam and thus generates less load. Therefore, compared to a conventional drum cleaning course that does not use a dedicated detergent but instead uses a general detergent (percarbonic acid series), the drum can be rotated at the first speed in the permeation cleaning step (S300). Therefore, the time for the drum cleaning course can be significantly reduced.

[0105] In contrast, when a general detergent is injected and the drum is rotated at the first speed, bubbles are generated inside the drum (see Fig. 8), which increases the resistance caused by the bubbles, thus increasing the load applied to the driving unit (4), which may cause damage to the driving unit.

[0106] When the above-mentioned permeation washing step (S300) is completed, the above-mentioned additional water supply step (S400) can be performed.

[0107] The above additional water supply step (S400) can supply water to a level that allows water to form a water flow throughout the tub (2) and the drum (3) in the above additional washing step (S500).

[0108] For example, the additional water supply step (S400) can additionally supply water to a height higher than the height (H2) of the bottom of the clothing inlet (32). The water supplied in the additional water supply step is 8 to 15 L, and the water level can be formed to be higher than the height (H2) of the bottom of the clothing inlet and lower than half the height (H3) of the rotation shaft (43) from the bottom surface of the tub (2).

[0109] If the water level is formed higher than the height of H3 in the above-mentioned additional water supply step (S400), there is a possibility that water will flow back in the additional washing step (S500) that is performed later, and if the water level is formed lower than the height of H2, water flow may not be formed throughout the drum (3), so the entire drum may not be washed.

[0110] Meanwhile, the water additionally supplied in the additional water supply step (S400) may not undergo the heating step (S200). This is because the amount of water increases compared to the permeation washing step (S300), requiring more time for heating and increasing energy consumption. However, this is not limited to this, and the heating step for heating the water supplied in the additional water supply step may be performed.

[0111] The above additional washing step (S500) may be performed when the above additional water supply step (S400) is completed or while water is being supplied in the above additional water supply step (S400).

[0112] In the additional washing step (S500), the second speed may be the speed at which the water supplied in the additional water supply step (S400) forms a water flow that moves throughout the drum (3) and the entire tub (2). That is, the second speed may be a speed that ensures that the water moves to the height at which the spray nozzle (211) is located. Thus, washing can be performed up to the insertion portion of the spray nozzle. For example, the second speed may be set to 230 RPM.

[0113] The second speed may be lower than the first speed. This may be because, since water is supplied in the additional washing step (S400) to form a higher water level, a water flow can be formed throughout the drum (3) even at a speed lower than the first speed, and since the amount of water moved in the additional washing step (S400) is greater than the amount of water moved in the permeation washing step (S300), the load applied to the driving unit (4) may be greater.

[0114] The above additional water supply step (S400) uses the above-mentioned special detergent, so foaming is suppressed and a lower load can be applied compared to using a general detergent. Accordingly, the drum (3) can be driven at a relatively high speed compared to using a general detergent.

[0115] Additionally, the additional washing step (S500) may include a foam removal step of stopping the drum (3) and accelerating it to the second speed.

[0116] In the above foam removal step, the rotation direction of the drum can be switched in the process of repeatedly stopping the drum and accelerating it to the second speed.

[0117] The above foam removal step may mean a step of removing foam by stopping the drum while the drum is accelerating in order to reduce the load caused by the foam.

[0118] Accordingly, the shorter the time that the drum (3) stops, the more likely it is that the foam will not be removed and will accumulate and overflow, or the load applied to the driving unit (4) by the foam will increase.

[0119] However, the foam removal step of the present invention using the dedicated detergent containing a component that suppresses foam generation may not cause foam to overflow or increase the amount of load applied to the driving unit (4) by the foam even if the time for which the drum (3) stops is set to be significantly shorter than the time for which the drum accelerates. For example, the actual operating ratio (acceleration time / stop time) may be set to 50% or more, and the stop time of the drum may be 4 to 10 seconds.

[0120] The above additional washing step (S500) may consist only of the above foam removal step.

[0121] After the above additional washing step (S500) is completed, the draining step can be performed.

[0122] The above drainage step can discharge the water remaining in the tub (2) to the outside by operating the pump (61) and opening the first drain pipe (62) and the second drain pipe (63) after the additional washing step (S500) is completed.

[0123] After the above drainage step is completed, the rinsing water supply step (S600) can be performed.

[0124] The above rinsing water supply step (S600) is a step for supplying water to remove contaminants not removed in the additional washing step (S500), and may refer to a step for supplying water to a height (H2) higher than the lower end of the clothing inlet (32) so that a water stream is formed throughout the tub (2) and the drum (3). In other words, the same amount of water may be supplied as that supplied in the additional water supply step (S400).

[0125] The above rinsing water supply step (S600) may be completed and the above permeation rinsing step (S700) may be performed.

[0126] The above-mentioned permeation rinsing step (S700) may mean a step in which rinsing is performed without adding a special detergent or general detergent to the water supplied in the above-mentioned rinsing water supply step (S600).

[0127] The above-mentioned permeation rinsing step (S700) can rotate the drum at a third speed so that the water supplied in the rinsing water supply step (S600) forms a water stream that moves throughout the drum.

[0128] That is, the amount of water supplied in the rinsing water supply step (S600) is the same as the amount of water supplied in the additional water supply step (S400), and the water stream formed in the permeation rinsing step (S700) is the same as the water stream formed in the additional washing step (S500), so the third speed may be the same as the second speed.

[0129] When the above-mentioned permeation rinsing step (S700) is completed, the above-mentioned rinsing draining step can be performed.

[0130] The above rinsing and draining step can operate the pump (61) and open the first drain pipe (62) and the second drain pipe (63) to discharge the water remaining in the tub (2) to the outside.

[0131] Even after the above rinsing and draining step is completed, water may remain inside the tub (2) or the drum (3), and a final dehydration step (S800) may be performed to remove this.

[0132] The final dehydration step can be performed by operating the pump (61) while rotating the drum at the same speed as the first speed and opening the first drain pipe (62) and the second drain pipe (63) to discharge the water remaining in the tub (2) to the outside. The water remaining in the tub or the drum can be completely removed by the centrifugal force generated by the high-speed rotation.

[0133] Meanwhile, the additional washing step (S500) according to one embodiment of the clothing treatment device of the present invention may be performed after the water supply step (S100) and the heating step (S200) are completed. That is, the permeation washing step (S300) may be omitted, and the additional washing step (S500) may be performed instead of the permeation washing step (S300).

[0134] That is, in the washing course according to one embodiment of the clothing treatment device of the present invention, the additional washing step (S500) may be performed after the water supply step (S100) and the heating step (S200) are completed, and after the additional washing step is completed, the additional water supply step (S400) may be performed and then the additional washing step (S500) may be performed again. When the additional washing step is completed, the rinsing water supply step (S600), the permeation rinsing step (S700), and the final dehydration step (S800) may be performed.

[0135] The additional washing step (S500) performed after the above water supply step (S100) and the above heating step (S200) are completed may include the foam removal step in which the drum repeats rotation and stop.

[0136] In this case as well, the additional washing step (S500) may be set so that the time for which the drum (3) stops is shorter than the time for which it rotates. For example, the time for which the drum stops may be set to less than half the time for which the drum rotates. Furthermore, the direction of rotation may be changed when the drum accelerates after stopping.

[0137] However, in the additional washing step (S500) performed after the above water supply step (S100) is completed, the drum may not be accelerated at the second speed and then stopped, but may be repeatedly accelerated at the first speed and then stopped.

[0138] This is because the water level supplied in the water supply step (S100) is lower than the height (H2) of the bottom of the clothing inlet (32), so if it is set to accelerate at the second speed and then stop, the washing range becomes narrow. Therefore, in the additional washing step performed after the water supply step is completed, the drum can be set to accelerate at the first speed and then stop.

[0139] Figure 6 is a drawing showing the water level supplied in the water supply step, the additional water supply step, and the rinsing water supply step when the rear of the drum is inclined so that it is lower than the front of the drum.

[0140] Referring to Fig. 6, H5 may refer to a water level (H5) corresponding to H1, at which the heating unit (8) is submerged. In addition, it may refer to a water level (H5) at which at least a portion of the bottom surface of the drum (3) is submerged.

[0141] When the drum (3) is inclined and water is supplied to the height of H5 in the water supply step (S100) and the drum (3) is rotated at the first speed, water located at the rear of the drum can move to the front of the drum, move to the height (H8) at which the rotation axis is located, or move to come into contact with the upper surface of the drum.

[0142] H6 may refer to the bottom of the clothing inlet (32) at a height corresponding to H2. In other words, it may refer to the water level (H6) at which the entire bottom surface of the drum is submerged.

[0143] If water is supplied to a level higher than H6 while the drum (3) is installed at an angle and the drum rotates at the first speed, excessive load may be applied to the driving unit (4), which may cause damage to the driving unit. Therefore, the permeation washing step may be performed in a state where water is supplied to a level equal to or lower than H6.

[0144] H7 may refer to a water level (H7) that is half the height from the bottom surface of the tub to the rotation axis (H8) corresponding to the height of the above H3.

[0145] When the drum (3) is inclined and water is supplied at a level higher than H7 and the drum rotates at the second speed, water may flow backward. Accordingly, the additional washing step can be performed when water is supplied to a level equal to or lower than H7.

[0146] Fig. 7(a) illustrates the space between the tub and the drum when a dedicated detergent is used, and Fig. 7(b) illustrates the space between the tub and the drum when a general detergent is used.

[0147] Referring to Fig. 7(a), when the drum (3) rotates at the first speed to the third speed by using the dedicated cleaning agent, no bubbles are generated in the space between the tub (2) and the drum (3), so that resistance is reduced and the amount of load applied to the driving unit (4) can be reduced.

[0148] On the other hand, referring to Fig. 7(b), when the general detergent is used, the drum rotates at the first speed to the third speed, causing bubbles to be generated in the space between the tub (2) and the drum (3), thus increasing resistance and thus increasing the amount of load applied to the driving unit (4).

[0149] Figure 8 illustrates the circulation of water in the drum in the additional washing step. Figure 8(a) illustrates the water flow in the additional washing step when water is supplied at a level lower than H2 in the additional water supply step, and Figure 8(b) illustrates the water flow in the additional washing step when water is supplied at a level higher than H2 in the additional water supply step.

[0150] Referring to Fig. 8(a), the spray nozzle (211) can be provided at the bottom and top of the tub, and in the additional water supply step (S400), water is supplied to a position lower than H2, and in the additional washing step (S500), the water stream formed by rotating the drum at the second speed cannot reach the spray nozzle (211), so the spray nozzle cannot be washed.

[0151] Referring to Fig. 8(b), in the additional water supply step (S400), water is supplied to a position higher than H2, and in the additional washing step (S500), the water stream formed by rotating the drum at the second speed can reach the spray nozzle (211), so the spray nozzle can be washed.

[0152] Figure 9 shows the RPM of the drum at each stage of the cleaning course.

[0153] In the above-mentioned permeation washing step (S200), the RPM corresponding to the first speed and the RPM in the final dehydration step (S800) are the same, and in the above-mentioned additional washing step (S400), the RPM corresponding to the second speed and the RPM corresponding to the third speed in the above-mentioned permeation rinsing step (S700) may be lower than the RPM in the first speed and the final dehydration step.

[0154] Each of the steps of rotating the above drum may be repeated two or more times.

[0155] The above-mentioned washing course can be classified into the first washing stage, the second washing stage, the rinsing stage, and the final dehydration stage.

[0156] The first washing step may include the water supply step (S100), the heating step (S200), and the permeation washing step (S300). The first washing step may perform heating after supplying a small amount of water, and when a target time or temperature is reached, the permeation washing step (S300) may be performed by spraying high-concentration washing water into the drum (3) and rotating at high RPM. The permeation washing step may be performed twice or more times, and the rotation directions may be different from each other to complement the washing area according to the rotation direction.

[0157] When the above first washing step is completed, the second washing step, in which the additional water supply step (S400), the additional washing step (S500), and the draining step are performed, can be started. After the additional water supply, the rotation direction is changed to 230 rpm without heating, and a water stream is formed over the entire tub (2) and the drum (3) to perform additional washing. Since a dedicated detergent is used, no additional foam is generated, and the stopping time of the driving unit (4) can be minimized to 4 seconds.

[0158] Once the second washing step is completed, the rinsing step can begin, which discharges contaminants out of the driving unit and supplies clean water to wash away any detergent remaining in the driving unit. In the rinsing step, water can be supplied in the rinsing water supply step and sprayed into the drum (3) to perform permeation rinsing, and once the permeation rinsing is completed, the draining step can be performed again.

[0159] Once the above rinsing step is completed, the final dehydration step (S800) can be performed to remove as much water as possible from within the tub (2) and the drum (3). By rotating at high rpm and draining, the remaining water spreads throughout the tub (2) and the drum (3) and is discharged outside the dehydration hole, thereby removing the remaining water.

[0160] The present invention may be implemented in various modified forms, and the scope of the invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. Therefore, if a modified embodiment includes elements of the claims of the present invention, it should be considered to fall within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a clothing treatment device, comprising: a cabinet having an opening at the front; a water supply unit connected to a water source provided outside the cabinet; a tub provided inside the cabinet and provided to receive and store water from the water supply unit; a drum provided to be rotatable inside the tub, communicating with the tub, and having a clothing insertion port provided at a position corresponding to the opening to provide a receiving space for receiving clothing; and a driving unit providing power to rotate the drum. A water supply step for supplying water to a height lower than the bottom of the clothing inlet; A control method for a clothing treatment device, characterized in that it includes an additional washing step in which the drum repeats rotation and stop.

2. In paragraph 1, Including a detergent injection step for supplying detergent to the drum; A method for controlling a clothing treatment device, characterized in that the detergent injection step is performed before the water supply step or during the water supply step.

3. In paragraph 2, The above additional washing step A control method for a clothing treatment device, characterized in that the time for which the drum stops is shorter than the time for which it rotates.

4. In paragraph 3, The above additional washing step A method for controlling a garment treatment device, characterized in that the time for which the drum stops is less than half the time for which it rotates.

5. In paragraph 2, The above additional washing step A control method for a garment treatment device, characterized in that the rotation direction is changed when the drum accelerates after stopping.

6. In paragraph 2, The above additional washing step repeats the process of the drum rotating at the first speed and then stopping. The above first speed is A control method for a clothing treatment device, characterized in that the water supplied in the above water supply step moves at a speed higher than the rotational axis of the drum.

7. In paragraph 2, The above first speed is A control method for a clothing treatment device, characterized in that the water supplied in the above water supply step moves at a speed that causes the water to move toward the front of the drum.

8. In paragraph 2, The above first speed is A control method for a clothing treatment device, characterized in that the water supplied in the above water supply step moves at a speed that is higher than the rotational axis of the drum and lower than the upper surface of the drum.

9. In paragraph 2, A permeation washing step performed after the above water supply step is completed and rotating the drum at a first speed that allows the water supplied in the above water supply step to move to a position higher than the rotational axis of the drum; Including an additional water supply step for supplying water after the above-mentioned permeation washing step is completed; The above additional water supply step is Supply water to a height higher than the bottom of the clothing inlet, The above additional washing step A method for controlling a clothing treatment device, characterized in that after the above-mentioned additional water supply step is completed, the second speed rotation and stopping are repeated so that the water remaining in the tub forms a water stream throughout the drum, and this is performed after the above-mentioned additional water supply step is completed.

10. In paragraph 9, A control method for a clothing treatment device, characterized in that the additional water supply step cuts off the supply of detergent from the supply unit.

11. In paragraph 9, The above permeation washing step A method for controlling a garment treatment device, characterized in that it includes a cross step for changing the rotation direction of the drum.

12. In paragraph 2, A method for controlling a clothing treatment device further comprising a heating unit provided between the bottom surface of the tub and the bottom surface of the drum to heat water stored in the tub, A control method for a clothing treatment device, comprising a heating step for heating the water supplied in the above water supply step to a certain temperature.

13. In paragraph 12, A control method for a clothing treatment device, characterized in that the above water supply step supplies water so that the heating part is submerged.

14. In paragraph 12, A control method for a clothing treatment device, characterized in that the above-mentioned penetration washing step is performed after the above-mentioned heating step is completed.

15. In paragraph 12, A control method for a clothing treatment device, characterized in that the heating step heats the water supplied in the water supply step to 40 degrees Celsius or higher.

16. In paragraph 9, A method for controlling a clothing treatment device further comprising a drainage unit provided to discharge water stored inside the tub to the outside; A drainage step for discharging the water supplied in the above water supply step and the above additional water supply step to the outside; A rinsing water supply step that is performed after the above draining step is completed and supplies water to a height higher than the clothing inlet; A permeation rinsing step for rotating the drum at a third speed so that the water supplied in the rinsing water supply step forms a water stream that moves throughout the drum; A control method for a clothing treatment device, characterized by including a rinsing drainage step for discharging water supplied in the rinsing water supply step to the outside.

17. In paragraph 16, A method for controlling a clothing treatment device, wherein the third speed is the same as the second speed.

18. In paragraph 1, In a control method of a clothing treatment device further including a supply unit for supplying detergent to the above-mentioned tub, The above water supply stage is A control method for a clothing treatment device, characterized in that the supply unit includes a detergent supply step for supplying detergent to the tub.

19. In paragraph 2 or paragraph 18, A method for controlling a clothing treatment device, characterized in that the detergent has a defoaming agent content of 25 ppm or more and 80 ppm or less.

Images