Washing machine having detergent supply device and method of controlling the same
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Solution Overview
Problem
Washing machines with detergent supply devices often use excessive detergent and operate at inappropriate settings for laundry with low contamination levels, leading to waste and potential damage to clothes.
Innovation Solution
Implement a refresh washing mode that uses a small amount of detergent, reduces motor operating rate, increases water supply, and omits or reduces dehydration speeds and times, regardless of laundry weight, to effectively remove odors and mold without over-processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If detergent supply device automatically puts detergent according to laundry weight, then washing effectiveness is improved, but excessive detergent is used for lightly contaminated laundry causing waste
Solution Approach 1:
The washing machine dynamically adjusts the washing course based on detected laundry conditions. When laundry is lightly contaminated or has low organic content, the system automatically selects refresh washing course instead of standard washing course, thereby reducing detergent supply amount while maintaining adequate washing effectiveness for the specific condition.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes multiple parameters simultaneously for refresh washing: reduces detergent supply amount, extends washing time, adjusts motor operating rate, and modifies water supply parameters. These coordinated parameter changes enable effective odor and mold removal with minimal detergent.
2Reliability
If washing and rinsing operations are performed at target rpm and motor on-off time set according to laundry weight, then washing performance is improved, but laundry is damaged and lifespan is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts motor operating characteristics based on the selected washing course. For refresh washing, the motor operates at lower rpm with extended duration, providing gentle agitation that effectively removes odors and mold without causing mechanical damage to fabric fibers that would result from high-speed standard washing cycles.
Solution Approach 2:
The refresh washing course uses periodic motor operation with lower intensity but longer duration, alternating between motor on and off periods at reduced rpm. This periodic gentle agitation pattern effectively removes contaminants while minimizing cumulative mechanical stress on laundry.
3Reliability
If standard washing course is used for lightly contaminated laundry, then contamination removal is ensured, but excessive water and time are consumed
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the washing parameters specifically for refresh washing: extends washing time to allow thorough penetration of minimal detergent, adjusts water supply to provide adequate volume without excessive amounts, and modifies motor operation to maintain gentle but continuous agitation. These parameter adjustments enable effective cleaning of lightly contaminated laundry in optimized time.
Data Source
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AI summary
A washing machine (1) that performs refresh washing in which smell or mold that permeates laundry can be removed, and a method of controlling the washing machine. When clothes that are kept for a long time without being worn or laundries that are hardly contaminated due to a short wearing time are washed, a refresh washing course in which various smell or mold that permeates laundry can be removed using a very small amount of detergent, is performed. Thus, overuse of detergent caused by an excessive use of detergent can be prevented, and since the necessity for rinsing is low due to the use of the very small amount of detergent, an intermediate dehydration operation may be omitted, or an intermediate dehydration revolutions per minute (rpm) may be reduced so that washing and rinsing operations do not need to be excessively performed and thus damage of laundry is reduced. The method comprising:putting a smaller amount of detergent than an amount of detergent for a standard washing course by operating the detergent supply device (70); supplying a larger amount of water than an amount of water supplied for the standard washing course by operating the water supply device (50); andperforming a refresh washing course by operating the motor (40) at a lower operating rate than an operating rate for the standard washing course.