A WASHING MACHINE CONTROL METHOD WHEREIN THE DETERGENT DISSOLUTION AMOUNT IS INCREASED

Abstract

Embodiments provide a control method suitable for a washing machine having a drum and a motor which moves the drum. The control method includes the detergent dissolution step having the steps of taking detergent and water, then detecting the load amount, determining the unbalanced load amount predetermined for the load amount, determining the water level in the washing machine, and rotating the motor at least twice consecutively at low and high speeds if the unbalanced load amount and the water level are below the predetermined value.

Claims

1. A control method which is suitable for a washing machine having a tub wherein a washing process is performed, a drum which is disposed in the tub, a motor which moves the drum, a heater which heats water in the tub and a detergent dispenser wherein a detergent to be used in the washing process is loaded, characterized by a detergent dissolution step having the steps of detecting a load amount, determining an unbalanced load amount predetermined by a manufacturer for the load amount, taking detergent and water, determining a water level in the washing machine, and rotating the motor at least once consecutively at relatively low speed and at relatively high speed if the unbalanced load amount and the water level are below a value predetermined by the manufacturer.

2. The control method as in claim 1, characterized by the detergent dissolution step comprising rotating a drum motor of the washing machine at least once at speeds below 100 rpm and at speeds above 200 rpm.

3. The control method as in claim 2, characterized by the detergent dissolution step comprising rotating the drum motor of the washing machine at least once at 90 rpm and 300 rpm, consecutively.

4. The control method as in claim 1. characterized by the step of measuring a foam level during the detergent dissolution step.

5. The control method as in claim 4, characterized by ending the detergent dissolution step if the foam level measured for a certain period of time is above the level determined by the manufacturer.

6. The control method as in claim 1, characterized by detecting an amount of dirt and increasing a number of repetitions of the detergent dissolution step if the amount of dirt is above a level determined by the manufacturer.

7. The control method as in claim 1, characterized by taking the amount of detergent predetermined by the manufacturer in the step of taking water and detergent according to the amount of unbalanced load determined in the step of determining the amount of unbalanced load.

8. The control method as in claim 7, characterized by taking an average amount of detergent predetermined by the manufacturer if the determined unbalanced load amount is less than the threshold unbalanced load amount, and taking an increased amount of detergent predetermined by the manufacturer compared to the average amount if the determined unbalanced load amount is more than the threshold unbalanced load amount.

9. The control method as in claim 1, characterized by heating the water in the tub by activating the heater, determining a temperature of the water, and activating the detergent dissolution step when the temperature of the water reaches a limit temperature value predetermined by the manufacturer.

10. The control method as in claim 1, characterized by increasing a number of repetitions of the detergent dissolution step if a water inlet temperature is below a value determined by the manufacturer.

11. The control method as in claim 1, characterized by the detergent dissolution step which is applied in a rinsing step.

12. The control method as in claim 1, characterized by a softener taking step wherein the softener is taken from the detergent dispenser and the detergent dissolution step which is applied in the softener taking step.

Description

[0004] The aim of the present invention is the realization of a washing machine control method which enables the dissolution rate of the detergent used in water.

[0005] The control method realized in order to attain the aim of the present invention, explicated in the first claim and the respective claims thereof, comprises the detergent dissolution step having the steps of taking detergent and water, then detecting the load amount, determining the unbalanced load amount predetermined by the manufacturer for the load amount, determining the water level in the washing machine, and rotating the motor at least twice consecutively at low and high speeds if the unbalanced load amount and the water level are below the value predetermined by the manufacturer.

[0006] The detergent dissolution step comprises rotating the washing machine drum motor at least once at 90 rpm and 300 rpm, consecutively.

[0007] In an embodiment of the present invention, if the unbalanced load amount is above the value determined by the manufacturer, the unbalanced load is tried to be eliminated by reducing the motor speed preferably to 40 rpm. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, if the unbalanced load cannot be eliminated by reducing the motor speed, the washing step continues without applying the detergent dissolution step.

[0008] In another embodiment of the present invention, the control method comprises the step of measuring the foam level during the detergent dissolution step. In this embodiment of the present invention, if the foam level measured for a certain period of time is above the level determined by the manufacturer, the detergent dissolution step is ended.

[0009] In another embodiment of the present invention, the control method comprises detecting the amount of dirt and increasing the number of repetitions of the detergent dissolution step if the amount of dirt is above a level determined by the manufacturer. Accordingly, when the amount of dirt detected is high, the number of repetitions of the 300 rpm movement is increased.

[0010] In another embodiment of the present invention, the control method comprises increasing the number of repetitions of the detergent dissolution step if the water inlet temperature is below a value determined by the manufacturer. In this embodiment of the present invention, when the water inlet temperature is low, the decrease in detergent dissolution rate is minimized by increasing the number of repetitions of the 300 rpm movement.

[0011] In another embodiment of the present invention, the detergent dissolution step is also applied in the rinsing step. Thus, the detergent on the laundry is enabled to be dissolved more easily in water, increasing the rinsing performance.

[0012] By means of the present invention, the washing performance is enabled to be increased by increasing the dissolution rate of the detergent used in the washing machine in the water. By means of said control method, at the end of the heating step, the water heated by the heater at the bottom of the washing machine is enabled to be delivered to the laundry in a shorter time and the detergent usage efficiency is improved. Thus, the duration of the washing machine washing program is shortened and energy consumption is reduced.

[0013] By means of the control method of the present invention, the energy performance of washing machines which do not comprise a jet pump or a flowmeter is enabled to be same as washing machines which comprises said components.

[0014] The control method is suitable for a washing machine having a tub wherein the washing process is performed, a drum which is disposed in the tub, a motor which moves the drum, a heater which heats the water in the tub and a detergent dispenser wherein the detergent to be used in the washing process is loaded, and comprises the detergent dissolution step having the steps of taking detergent and water, then detecting the load amount, determining the unbalanced load amount predetermined by the manufacturer for the load amount, determining the water level in the washing machine, and rotating the motor at least once consecutively at low speed and high speed if the unbalanced load amount and the water level are below the value predetermined by the manufacturer.

[0015] The detergent dissolution step comprises rotating the washing machine drum motor at least once at speeds below 100 rpm and at speeds above 200 rpm. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the detergent dissolution step comprises rotating the washing machine drum motor at least once at 90 rpm and 300 rpm, consecutively.

[0016] In an embodiment of the present invention, if the unbalanced load amount is above the value determined by the manufacturer, the unbalanced load is tried to be eliminated by reducing the motor speed preferably to 40 rpm. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, if the unbalanced load cannot be eliminated by reducing the motor speed, the washing step continues without applying the detergent dissolution step.

[0017] In another embodiment of the present invention, the control method comprises the step of measuring the foam level during the detergent dissolution step. In this embodiment of the present invention, if the foam level measured for a certain period of time is above the level determined by the manufacturer, the detergent dissolution step is ended.

[0018] In another embodiment of the present invention, the control method comprises detecting the amount of dirt and increasing the number of repetitions of the detergent dissolution step if the amount of dirt is above a level determined by the manufacturer. Accordingly, when the amount of dirt detected is high, the number of repetitions of the 300 rpm movement is increased.

[0019] In another embodiment of the present invention, the control method comprises taking the amount of detergent predetermined by the manufacturer in the step of taking water and detergent according to the amount of unbalanced load determined in the step of determining the amount of unbalanced load. According to the detected unbalanced load amount, the amount of detergent to be taken into the drum to be used in the washing process is predetermined by the manufacturer. In a preferred version of this embodiment, the control method comprises taking an average amount of detergent predetermined by the manufacturer if the determined unbalanced load amount is less than the threshold unbalanced load amount, and taking an increased amount of detergent predetermined by the manufacturer compared to the average amount if the determined unbalanced load amount is more than the threshold unbalanced load amount. The amount of detergent predetermined by the manufacturer is preferably transferred to the tub by means of a dosing member such as a valve, flowmeter, etc. provided on the detergent dispenser, and the detergent dissolution step is activated. Thus, in cases the unbalanced load is high, the decrease in cleaning performance due to the decrease in the number of repetitions of the detergent dissolution step is prevented.

[0020] In another embodiment of the present invention, the control method comprises the steps of heating the water in the tub by activating the heater, determining the temperature of the water, and activating the detergent dissolution step when the temperature of the water reaches a limit temperature value predetermined by the manufacturer. The detergent dissolution step is started after the water taken into the tub reaches the limit temperature value. The limit temperature value is preferably approximately 40 degrees Celsius. Thus, the heated water is enabled to penetrate the laundry more effectively and the detergent is enabled to be dissolved at a higher rate, thus increasing the cleaning performance.

[0021] In another embodiment of the present invention, the control method comprises increasing the number of repetitions of the detergent dissolution step if the water inlet temperature is below a value determined by the manufacturer. In this embodiment of the present invention, when the water inlet temperature is low, the decrease in detergent dissolution rate is minimized by increasing the number of repetitions of the 300 rpm movement.

[0022] In another embodiment of the present invention, the detergent dissolution step is also applied in the rinsing step. Thus, the detergent on the laundry is enabled to be dissolved more easily in water, increasing the rinsing performance.

[0023] In another embodiment of the present invention, the control method comprises a softener taking step wherein the softener is taken from the detergent dispenser and the detergent dissolution step which is applied in the softener taking step. The detergent dissolution step is also applied after the softener taking step. Thus, the softener is more easily dissolved in water and the softening performance is increased.

[0024] By means of the present invention, the washing performance is enabled to be increased by increasing the dissolution rate of the detergent used in the washing machine in the water. By means of said control method, at the end of the heating step, the water heated by the heater at the bottom of the washing machine is enabled to be delivered to the laundry in a shorter time and the detergent usage efficiency is improved. Thus, the duration of the washing machine washing program is shortened and energy consumption is reduced.