US20050034251A1

US20050034251A1 - Water supply apparatus and method of drum-type washing machine

Info

Publication number: US20050034251A1
Application number: US10/756,358
Authority: US
Inventors: Soo Oh; Kyung Woo; Jin Kim; Si Jeon
Original assignee: LG Electronics Inc
Current assignee: LG Electronics Inc
Priority date: 2003-08-13
Filing date: 2004-01-14
Publication date: 2005-02-17
Also published as: KR100540145B1; CN1580373A; KR20050018188A

Abstract

An water supply apparatus and its method of a drum-type washing machine includes a rotation pump for rotating washing water supplied into a tub, and a spray nozzle for spraying washing water supplied from the rotation pump into the drum.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a drum type washing machine, and particularly, to a water supply apparatus and its method of a drum type washing machine.
2. Description of the Background Art
In general, a washing machine is machinery for performing washing, rinsing, and dehydrating, to launder laundry. Washing machines are largely divided into a pulsator-type, an agitator-type and a drum type according to washing methods.
Lately, good washing capability and also easier use become very important factors considered when a customer purchase a washing machine. So, development of a convenient product has been accelerated, especially a drum-type washing machine which can wash laundry without damage is drawing attention of the market. A water supply apparatus of the drum-type washing machine will now be described with reference to FIG. 1.
FIG. 1 is a sectional view schematically illustrating a structure of a drum-type washing machine according to the conventional art.
As shown therein, the conventional drum-type washing machine includes a tub 12 installed inside a cabinet 11; a drum 13 installed inside the tub 12; a plurality of lifts 15 installed at a predetermined region of the inside of the drum; a rotation shaft 14 coupled to the drum to rotate the drum; and a driving motor 16 rotating the washing.
A water supply method of the drum-type washing machine according to the conventional art constructed as above will now be described.
First, a user puts laundry inside the drum 13, and presses a start button for starting washing. When the start button is pressed, the drum-type washing machine supplies washing water to the tub 12. The supplied washing water is heated by a heater (not shown) positioned at a lower portion of the tub until its temperature reaches to a set temperature, and the heated washing water soaks in the laundry through rotation of the drum 13. Herein, since the washing water soaks in the laundry through the rotation of the drum 13, a water level of the washing water should be higher than a height of the lift installed at the lowest region inside the drum 13.
Thereafter, the driving motor 16 rotates the rotation shaft 14, and forwardly and backwardly rotates the drum according to the rotation of the rotation shaft 14. A plurality of lifts 15 installed at a predetermined region in the drum 13 lifts up or down the laundry according to the rotation of the drum. Thus, the drum-type washing machine can wash the laundry in the drum 13.
The water supply method of the drum-type washing machine will now be described in detail. First, the washing water is supplied up to a predetermined upper water level inside the tub 12 according to the amount of laundry, and the supplied washing water soaks in the laundry through rotation of the drum. Then, when a water level of the washing water is lower than the predetermined lower water level since the washing water has soaked in the laundry, washing water is resupplied. Such a process is repeatedly performed whereby the water level of the washing water is higher than the predetermined lower water level. At this time, it is determined that the washing water sufficiently has soaked in the laundry, and so the supply of washing water is terminated, and washing is performed.
As so far described, when washing water is supplied by the water supply method of the drum-type washing machine according to the conventional art, a water level should always be higher than the lifts installed at the lowest region in the drum, and thus a large amount of water is unnecessarily consumed.
In addition, when washing water is supplied by the water supply method of the drum-type washing machine according to the conventional art, a large amount of water which is unnecessary, has to be heated through the heater, and thus a large amount of power is consumed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a water supply apparatus and its method of a drum-type washing machine capable of economizing washing water by rotating washing water which is supplied to a tub, into a drum through a rotation pump.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a water supply apparatus and its method of a drum-type washing machine capable of reducing a amount of consumed power by rotating washing water which is supplied to a tub, into a drum through a rotation pump.
To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, there is provided a water supply apparatus of a drum-type washing machine according to the conventional art including a rotation pump for rotating washing water supplied into a tub of a drum-type washing machine; and a spray nozzle for spraying washing water, which has been supplied from the rotation pump, into a drum,
To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, there is provided a water supply method of a drum-type washing machine according to the present invention including supplying washing water up to a predetermined upper water level inside of a tub of a drum-type washing machine; rotating the supplied washing water through a rotation pump; and terminating the supply of the washing water when a state that a water level of the washing water is higher than the predetermined lower water level is maintained for a predetermined time.
The foregoing and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a unit of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention.
In the drawings:
FIG. 1 is a sectional schematically illustrating a structure of a drum-type washing machine according to the conventional art;
FIG. 2 is a view schematically illustrating a structure of a drum-type washing machine according to the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a schematic view for describing a principle of a water supply apparatus in FIG. 2; and
FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a water supply method of a drum-type washing machine according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Hereinafter, a preferable embodiment of a water supply apparatus and its method of a drum-type washing machine capable of economizing water, and reducing the amount of consumed power by rotating water which is supplied to a tub, into a drum through a rotation pump will now be described in detail with reference to accompanying drawings.
FIG. 2 is a view schematically illustrating a structure of a drum-type washing machine according to the present invention.
As shown therein, a drum-type washing machine according to the present invention includes a tub 25 installed inside a cabinet 20; a drum 26 installed inside the tub; an inflow tube 21 supplying detergent to the tub 25, and through which washing water is flowed into the tub 25; an outflow tube 27 through which the washing water flowed into the tub is flowed out; a rotation pump 28 for rotating washing water flowed out from the outflow tube 27; a rotation tube 24 receiving washing water from the rotation pump 28; and a spray nozzle 23 for spraying washing water supplied from the rotation tube 24 into the drum 26.
A principle of a water supply apparatus of the drum-type washing machine according to the present invention constructed as above will now be described with reference to FIG. 3.
FIG. 3 is a schematic view for describing a principle of the water supply apparatus in FIG. 2.
As shown in FIG. 3, the water supply apparatus of the drum-type washing machine according to the present invention supplies washing water to the tub 25 through the inflow tube 21. Herein, the washing water is supplied as much as a predetermined upper water level (L0) in the tub 25.
The rotation pump 28 supplies the supplied washing water to the rotation tube 24 through the outflow tube 27, and the rotation tube 24 supplies the supplied washing water to the spray nozzle 23. Herein, the spray nozzle 23 is installed at a predetermined region of an upper portion of the inside of the drum 26.
The spray nozzle 23 makes the washing water soak in the laundry by spraying the supplied washing water into the drum 26. When a water level of the washing water becomes lower than the predetermined lower water level (L1) as the laundry is soaked with washing water, the washing water is resupplied to the tub 25 through the inflow tube 21 as much as the predetermined upper water level (L0).
On the other hand, when the water level is higher than the predetermined lower water level (L1), it is checked whether a predetermined time elapses. When the predetermined time elapses, the washing machine terminates the washing water supply. Within the determined time, the rotation pump 28 rotates the washing water. Herein, the predetermined time means time for which a state that the water level is higher than the predetermined lower water level is maintained.
A water supply method of the drum-type washing machine according to the present invention constructed as above will now be described with reference to FIG. 4.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a water supply method of the drum-type washing machine according to the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 4, the method includes supplying washing water into a tub of a drum-type washing machine up to a predetermined upper water level (S41); rotating the supplied washing water through a rotating pump (S42); comparing a water level of the washing water and a predetermined lower upper level (S43); checking whether the predetermined time elapses when the water level of the washing water is higher than the predetermined lower water level (S44); and terminating washing water supply when the predetermined time elapses. Herein, in comparing, the washing water is supplied when the water level of the washing water is lower than the predetermined upper water level. In checking, the washing water is rotated within the predetermined time.
A water supply method of the drum-type washing machine according to the present invention as above will now be described in detail.
First, a user puts laundry into the drum, and presses a start button for starting washing. When the start button is pressed, the drum-type washing machine supplies washing water to the tub 25 through the inflow tube 21 as much as a predetermined upper water level (L0) (S41). Herein, preferably, the predetermined upper water level (L0) is set to be lower than a lowest end portion of the drum.
The rotation pump 28 supplies the supplied washing water to the rotation tube 24 through the outflow tube 27, and the rotation tube 24 supplies the supplied washing water to the spray nozzle 23.
The spray nozzle 23 makes the washing water soak in the laundry in the drum 26 by spraying the supplied washing water (S42). Herein, preferably, the spray nozzle 23 is installed at a predetermined region of an upper portion of the inside of the drum 26.
At this time, every predetermined period, the water level of the washing water supplied to the tub and a predetermined lower water level (L1) are compared (S43). When the water level of the washing water is higher than the predetermined lower water level (L1), it is checked whether the predetermined time elapses (S44). When the water level of the washing water is lower than the predetermined lower water level (L1), the washing machine resupplies the washing water through the inflow-tube 21 as much as the predetermined upper water level (L0). Herein, preferably, the predetermined lower water level is less than the predetermined upper water level.
Thereafter, when the predetermined time elapses, the washing machine determines that the washing water sufficiently soaks in the laundry thereby terminating the supply of the washing water.
On the other hand, within the predetermined time, the washing machine determines that the washing water does not sufficiently soak in the laundry thereby rotating the washing water through the rotation pump 28.
As so far described, the water supply method of the drum-type washing machine rotates washing water, which is supplied to a tub, into a drum through a rotation pump thereby reducing unnecessarily consumed water.
In addition, the water supply method for the drum-type washing machine according to the present invention rotates washing water, which is supplied to the tub, into the drum through the rotation pump, thereby reducing the amount of consumed power.
As the present invention may be embodied in several forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof, it should also be understood that the above-described embodiments are not limited by any of the details of the foregoing description, unless otherwise specified, but rather should be construed broadly within its spirit and scope as defined in the appended claims, and therefore all changes and modifications that fall within the metes and bounds of the claims, or equivalence of such metes and bounds are therefore intended to be embraced by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A water supply apparatus of a drum-type washing machine comprising:

a rotation pump for rotating washing water supplied into a tub of a drum-type washing machine; and

a spray nozzle for spraying washing water supplied from the rotation pump into the drum.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rotation pump comprises:

an outflow tube through which washing water which has been supplied into the tub is flowed out; and

a rotation tube through which the washing water which has been flowed out is supplied to the spray nozzle.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the washing water is supplied as much as a predetermined water level.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the predetermined water level is from the lowest end portion of the tub to the lowest end portion of the drum.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the spray nozzle is installed at a predetermined region of an upper end portion of the inside the drum.

6. A water supply method of a drum-type washing machine comprising:

supplying washing water into a tub of a drum-type washing machine up to a predetermined upper water level;

rotating the supplied washing water through a rotation pump; and

terminating the washing water supply when a state that a water level of the washing water is higher than a predetermined lower water level is maintained for a predetermined time.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the predetermined upper water level is from the lowest end portion of the tub to the lowest end portion of the drum.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the predetermined lower water level is less than the predetermined upper water level.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein said terminating comprises:

comparing a water level of the washing water and the predetermined lower water level;

checking whether the predetermined time elapses when the water level of the washing water is higher than the predetermined lower water level; and

terminating the washing water supply when the predetermined time elapses.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said comparing comprises:

supplying washing water when the water level of the washing water is lower than the predetermined lower water level.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein said checking comprises: =

rotating washing water within the predetermined time.