Washing machine and control method thereof
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional washing machines face difficulties in accurately detecting and preventing abnormal vibrations during the dehydration process when washing waterproof clothes, leading to potential machine breakdowns due to incomplete water discharge and imbalance issues.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a washing machine with a water-level sensor and a control apparatus that monitors water level changes caused by a circulation pump or drum rotation to determine the presence of waterproof laundry, allowing for precise control of the dehydration process, including low-speed or high-speed dehydration courses and user notifications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a dehydration process is performed by rotating the drum at high speed, then water is discharged efficiently from the drum, but abnormal vibrations and noise occur when waterproof laundry is present due to water remaining in the drum
Solution Approach 1:
The water-level sensor detects the presence of water in the drum before the dehydration process starts. The control apparatus uses this detection result to determine whether to proceed with normal high-speed dehydration or switch to a low-speed dehydration course, preventing abnormal vibrations before they occur.
Solution Approach 2:
The water-level sensor continuously monitors water presence in the drum during the dehydration process. Based on this feedback, the control apparatus adjusts the dehydration speed in real-time, switching between high-speed and low-speed modes to maintain machine stability while ensuring effective water removal.
2Loss of time
If the drum rotates at high speed during dehydration, then dehydration time is reduced, but great abnormal vibrations may cause machine breakdown when waterproof laundry is washed
Solution Approach 1:
The dehydration speed is made dynamic rather than fixed. The control apparatus adjusts the drum rotation speed based on real-time water-level sensor detection, switching between high-speed mode (for normal laundry) and low-speed mode (for waterproof laundry), optimizing both time efficiency and machine safety.
3Measurement precision
If a water-level sensor and control apparatus are added to detect and control dehydration processes, then accurate detection of abnormal water remaining is achieved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
A water-level sensor is introduced as an intermediary detection device between the drum and the control apparatus. This sensor simply detects water presence and transmits this information to the control apparatus, which then makes dehydration speed decisions, separating the detection function from the control function and simplifying the overall system architecture.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution enables accurate detection of abnormal water remaining and prevents machine imbalance and vibrations, ensuring efficient and safe dehydration of waterproof laundry without causing machine breakdowns, while also reducing the overall dehydration time and improving user convenience.
Implementation Method 1
a water-level sensor configured to detect a water level of water collected between the tub and the drum
Implementation Method 2
a circulation pump configured to circulate water collected in the inside of the tub and to supply the water to the inside of the drum
Implementation Method 3
rotating the drum to blow water contained in laundry by a centrifugal force
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure is to deal with a case in which waterproof clothes, etc. are included in laundry. A washing machine 1 having a dehydration function may include a drum 20 rotatably accommodated in a tub 10, a water-level sensor 60 configured to detect a water level of water IW collected between the tub 10 and the drum 20, a circulation pump 80 configured to supply water to the inside of the drum 20 and to circulate water collected in the inside of the tub 10, and a control apparatus 70 configured to perform a dehydration process. The control apparatus 70 may include a dehydration course decider 74 configured to decide a dehydration course based on a change in water level of water IW collected between the tub 10 and the drum 20 by driving of the circulation pump 80.