KR100767672B1 - laundry device - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a laundry apparatus, and more particularly, to a laundry apparatus having a new structure for washing laundry through the provision of steam, and a mounting structure of the water level sensing unit which is applied to the washing apparatus to accurately detect the water level for steam generation. It is about.

To this end, the present invention and the main body forming the appearance; An outer tub provided in the main body and having a storage unit in which a predetermined amount of washing water is stored; A drum rotatably installed in the outer tub, the drum having a plurality of through holes formed on a circumferential surface thereof; A heating heater mounted in the storage unit; A washing water supply pipe guiding the washing water to be supplied into the outtub; A water level detector coupled to the storage unit by penetrating the bottom of the storage unit and configured to include at least three electrodes to sense the water level in the storage unit; And a control unit for controlling the water supply of the washing water, controlling the heat generation of the heating heater, and controlling the driving of the drum based on different water levels detected by the water level detecting unit. to provide.

Steam, water level detector, common electrode, low level electrode, high level electrode

Description

Laundry device

1 is a side cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of a typical drum washing machine

Figure 2 is a front sectional view showing the internal structure of a typical drum washing machine

Figure 3 is a side cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the laundry apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention

Figure 4 is a front sectional view showing the internal structure of the laundry machine according to an embodiment of the present invention

5 is a schematic flowchart illustrating a control process of a laundry machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols for main parts of the drawings

110. Body 111.Inlet

112. Limb 120. Outtub

121. Storage 130. Drum

131.Through Hole 140.Door

150. Heater heater 160. Drain pipe

161. Drain valve 170. Washing water supply line

171. Supply valve 172. Detergent reservoir

180. Water level detection unit 181. Coupling unit

182. Electrode portion 182a. Common electrode

182b. Low level electrode 182c. High level electrode

182d, 182e, 182f. Terminal 183. Jack Section

184. Sealing member 185. Connecting jack

The present invention relates to a laundry machine, and more particularly, to a laundry machine of a new structure to improve washing performance through the provision of steam and to be able to sterilize laundry.

Generally, a washing machine is classified into a pulsator washing machine in which a drum is set in a vertical direction, and a drum washing machine in which the drum is laid in a horizontal direction.

Here, since the drum washing machine is laid down in the horizontal direction as described above, the drum washing machine performs washing by dropping the laundry introduced into the drum.

1 and 2 schematically show a conventional structure of the aforementioned drum washing machine.

That is, the drum washing machine includes a main body 10, an out tub 20 mounted in the main body 10, a drum 30 rotatably mounted in the out tub 20, and a flow of wash water. It comprises a washing water supply pipe (50) for guiding the drive means for driving the drum (30).

Here, the front of the main body 10 is formed with an inlet (11) into which the laundry is introduced, the door 40 for opening and closing the inlet is mounted on the peripheral portion of the inlet (11).

In addition, the outer tub 20 is provided with dampers 21 at both bottoms of the outer circumferential surface thereof and is mounted in a state of being supported in the main body 10.

At this time, the inner bottom of the tub 20 is provided with a washing water heater 80 is configured to enable the temperature control of the washing water used for washing.

In addition, the drum 30 is rotatably mounted in the outer tub 20, and a plurality of through holes 31 are formed on the circumferential surface of the drum 30 for inflow / outflow of wash water.

In addition, the wash water supply pipe 50 serves as a pipe line through which the wash water flows, and serves to guide the wash water provided from the water pipe through the water supply valve 51 to the inside of the outer tub 20.

At this time, the detergent storage unit 52 for storing the detergent required for washing is provided on the pipe line of the wash water supply pipe 50, so that the detergent may be contained while the wash water is supplied into the outer tub 20. do.

The detergent storage unit 52 is provided on the upper space in the main body 10, it is configured to enable the introduction of detergent.

In addition, the end of the wash water supply pipe 50 is connected to the upper end of the front side of the outer tub 20 so that the washing water is filled from the bottom inside the outer tub 20 and the drum 30 by a natural fall. It is composed.

In addition, the driving means includes a drive motor 71 for driving the drum 30, and a belt 72 connected to transfer the driving force of the drive motor 71 to the drum 30.

However, the conventional drum washing machine as described above simply performs washing and drying of laundry, but cannot provide other functions.

In addition, the drum washing machine not only unnecessarily consumed a large amount of washing water even when washing a small amount of laundry and washing the laundry with a low contamination level, but the process also takes about the same time as a general washing process. Therefore, there is a problem that the consumption of electricity is unnecessarily large.

In recent years, the development of a laundry machine of a new structure that can proceed to the most effective washing with the smallest amount of washing water is required.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems of the prior art, an object of the present invention is to provide a laundry structure of a new structure for washing the laundry through the provision of steam and water level for steam generation applied thereto It is to provide a mounting structure of the water level detection unit so that it can be accurately detected.

An aspect of the present invention for achieving the above object is provided in the main body, the main body forming the appearance, the outer space formed in the bottom space is a storage unit for storing a predetermined amount of wash water, rotatably installed in the outer tub, The drum is provided with a drum having a plurality of through holes, mounted in the storage unit, a heating heater for heating the washing water to adjust the temperature of the washing water or generating steam, and supplying the washing water for washing or steam generation into the outer tub. A water level sensor configured to include a water supply pipe guiding the washing water, a water penetrating the bottom surface of the storage unit, coupled to the storage unit, and including at least three electrodes to sense the water level in the storage unit, and the water level sensing unit Control the water supply of the wash water for washing and steam generation based on different sensed levels And, to control the temperature and steam generated in the wash water and controls the heating of the heating heater, the washing apparatus is provided, characterized by configured by a control unit for controlling the driving of the drum.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 3 to 5 showing preferred embodiments of the above-described embodiment of the present invention.

First, the washing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention as shown in Figures 3 and 4 attached largely the main body 110, the outer tub 120, the drum 130, the heating heater 150, washing water It is configured to include a water supply pipe 170, a water level detector 180 and a control unit (not shown).

The main body 110 forms the appearance of the laundry apparatus.

An inlet 111 is formed on the front surface of the main body 110, and the door 140 that opens and closes the inlet 111 is mounted on the main body 110.

In addition, the outtub 120 is provided in a state of being supported in the main body 110.

In the bottom space of the outer tub 120, a storage unit 121 for storing a predetermined amount of washing water is formed.

At this time, the storage unit 121 is formed to protrude downward from the center portion of the peripheral surface of the outer tub 120.

In addition, the reservoir 121 is connected to the drain pipe 160 for draining the wash water. The drain pipe 160 is provided with a drain valve 161 for opening and closing the pipe.

In addition, the drum 130 is rotatably installed in the outer tub 120, and the open side of the drum 130 is positioned toward the inlet 111 of the main body 110.

Between the inlet 111 and the drum 130 is mounted a rim 112 to block the space in which the laundry is injected from the space in the main body 110.

In addition, a plurality of through holes 131 are formed on the circumferential surface of the drum 130. Washing water and steam are introduced into the drum 130 through the through holes.

The heating heater 150 is installed along the inside of the storage unit 121 of the outer tub 120 and heats the wash water supplied to the corresponding portion.

In addition, the inside of the main body 110 is preferably provided with a temperature sensing unit 200 for sensing the temperature of the inside of the outer tub (120).

In this case, the temperature sensing unit 200 is most preferably provided in the storage unit 121 formed in the outer tub 120.

The temperature sensing unit 200 is composed of a conventional temperature sensor (thermistor) or a thermostat (thermostat), the power provided to the heating heater 150 may be cut off when the heating heater 150 is excessively heated. To operate.

In addition, the wash water supply pipe 170 is a pipeline through which the wash water flows, and guides the wash water supplied from the water pipe through the water supply valve 171 to the inside of the outer tub 120.

At this time, the detergent storage unit 172 for storing the detergent for washing is provided on the pipeline of the wash water supply pipe 170, so that the detergent can be contained while the wash water is supplied into the outtub 120. .

The detergent storage unit 172 is provided on the upper space in the main body 110, is configured to enable the introduction of detergent.

Particularly, in the embodiment of the present invention, the washing water discharge side of the washing water supply pipe 170 is a portion in which the heating heater 150 is provided, that is, the storage part 121 is formed on the bottom circumferential surface of the outer tub 120. It suggests connecting to a site adjacent to the site.

This is because when the water supply of the wash water is made in the same structure as before, the wash water being supplied is absorbed into the laundry before being stored in the storage unit 121 of the outer tub 120.

That is, since the wash water to be supplied is absorbed into the laundry, it is difficult to supply the correct amount of the wash water to the storage unit 121, and the level of washing water stored in the storage unit 121 is not accurate. This is to ensure that the wash water being supplied is provided directly into the storage 121 without passing through the laundry.

In addition, the water level detector 180 is coupled through the storage unit 121 and configured to detect the water level in the storage unit.

In this case, the water level detecting unit 180 is configured to maintain a state coupled to the storage unit 121 by penetrating the central portion of the bottom of the storage unit 121, and avoids a portion to which the drain pipe 160 is connected. Is preferably mounted. Of course, the water level detecting unit 180 may be located in the drain pipe (160).

The water level detecting unit 180 as described above includes a coupling unit 181, an electrode unit 182, and a jack unit 183.

The coupling part 181 penetrates the storage part 121 and is mounted to the storage part 121.

In this case, a sealing member 184 is provided on the circumferential surface of the coupling part 181 to block a gap formed at the coupling part between the corresponding part and the storage part 121.

The sealing member 184 may be formed as a conventional O-ring as shown, or may be a rubber film formed in multiple stages so that the coupling portion is inserted, although not shown.

In addition, the electrode unit 182 includes at least three electrodes 182a, 182b, and 182c, and controls a voltage value that varies depending on whether the electrodes 182a, 182b, and 182c are energized. The level of the wash water is checked.

Here, each electrode 182a, 182b, and 182c of the electrode unit 182 includes one common electrode 182a, one low level electrode 182b, and one high level electrode 182c. do. Terminals 182d, 182e, and 182f exposed to an external environment (that is, an internal space of a storage unit) are provided at ends of the electrodes 182a, 182b, and 182c, respectively. Portions of the electrodes 182a, 182b, and 182c except for the exposed terminals 182d, 182e, and 182f are configured to be surrounded by an insulating and waterproof film.

In this case, the terminal 182d of the common electrode 182a is configured to be positioned at an upper portion relative to the height of the heating heater 150, and the terminal 182e of the low water level electrode 182b is the common electrode. It is configured to be located at approximately the same height as the terminal 182d of 182a.

The terminal 182d of the common electrode 182a and the terminal 182e of the low level electrode 182b have a height set to approximately the minimum level of the wash water required for steam generation, and at the same time, the heating heater 150 is It is desirable to have a height that is submerged in the wash water.

In addition, the terminal 182f of the high water level confirming electrode 182c has a higher portion than the terminal 182d of the common electrode 182a and the terminal 182e of the low water level confirming electrode 182b. It is configured to be located at a height set to the maximum level of wash water required.

The structure formed by the electrodes 182a, 182b, and 182c of the electrode unit 182 as described above prevents the heating heater 150 from being exposed to the outside air and at the same time passes through the storage unit 121 of the outtub 120. It is a structure for preventing the water level of the wash water to be supplied exceeds the predetermined level.

In addition, the jack part 183 is a portion to which the connection jack 185 is coupled to provide a sensing value provided from each electrode 182a, 182b, 182c of the electrode part 182 to the controller.

The controller (not shown) performs selective operation control of the water supply valve 171 based on the sensing value detected by the water level sensor 180, and generates a heating heater based on the detected water level. The heat generation control of 150 is performed, and the drum 130 is driven.

In this case, the controller recognizes the current level by continuously checking that the common electrode 182a and the other electrodes 182b and 182c of the electrodes 182a, 182b, and 182c of the water level detector 180 are energized with each other. And, it is configured to perform the operation control of the water supply valve 171 and the heating heater 150 in accordance with this water level.

The method of recognizing the water level may be variously made.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the controller receives the sensing value (eg, the voltage value) sensed by the water level sensor 180 and compares it with a preset reference value to suggest that the washing water level is recognized. In this case, the sensing value is converted into digital data for comparison with the reference value.

When the converted value of the sensing value is higher than the reference value, the terminals 182d, 182e, and 182f of the electrodes 182a, 182b, and 182c are exposed to the outside, and the converted value of the sensing value is set to the reference value. When the temperature is lower than that, the terminals 182d, 182e, and 182f of the electrodes 182a, 182b, and 182c are immersed in the wash water.

Hereinafter, a washing process using the washing apparatus according to the above-described embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the state diagram of FIG. 4 and the flowchart of FIG. 5.

The washing process according to an embodiment of the present invention is presented to include a water supply step, a bubbling step, a rewatering step, and a steam providing step, which will be described in detail according to the order thereof.

First, the control unit for controlling the operation of the laundry device is continuously requested to perform the laundry operation from the user.

When a request for a washing operation is generated in this process, the controller controls the water supply valve 171 to perform a water supply step of supplying the washing water into the outtub 120 (S110).

In this case, the wash water flows through the wash water supply pipe 170 opened by the operation of the water supply valve 171, and then the water is supplied into the outer tub 120 through the bottom space of the main body 110 so that the outer tub 120 is supplied. ) From the storage unit 121. Since the wash water discharge side of the wash water supply pipe 170 is connected to the bottom circumferential surface of the outer tub 120, the wash water supplied does not wet the laundry inside the drum 130.

In addition, the water level of the wash water being supplied is approximately the bottom of the drum 130 is locked so that the level of the washing water existing in the bottom of the drum 130 at the time of rotation of the drum 130 is possible (Fig. Phase “a”).

Checking the water level for the wash water may be performed by the water level detection unit 180, considering that the water level detection unit 180 is used for steam generation, a sensor for detecting a separate water level, or It is preferred to proceed through counting the feed time.

When water is supplied to the wash water up to the water level set by the above-described series of processes, the controller controls the water supply valve 171 to stop the washing water supply.

In addition, when the water supply process is completed by the above-described series of processes, the controller performs a packing step.

The lapping step is a lapping process (S120) which continuously rotates the drum 130 (or rotates in one direction or reverses left and right) to soak the laundry in the wash water.

That is, as the drum 130 is rotated, the laundry in the drum 130 is made to flow by the washing water present at the bottom of the drum 130 while the flow is made.

The above filling step lasts for a set time.

In addition, when the overfilling process is completed, the controller performs a rewatering step.

At this time, the resupply step is a series of processes for supplying the washing water required for steam generation up to a predetermined level.

This is because the washing water required for the actual steam generation is insufficient because the level of the washing water is drastically reduced in the previous step of lapping.

The rewatering step is performed by the control unit checking the water supply level through the control of the water level detection unit 180 (S130), and selectively controlling the water supply valve 171 according to the water supply level.

The checking of the water supply level confirms whether the current level is insufficient compared to the preset maximum level L1 by comparing the sensing value provided from the high level checking electrode 182c among the level detection unit 180 with a preset reference value. It is.

This is achieved by controlling to perform the resupply step when the sensing value is higher than the reference value because the terminals 182d and 182f of the common electrode 182a and the high level check electrode 182c are not energized with each other.

If it is confirmed that the sensing value of the high level check electrode 182c provided from the water level detection unit 180 is higher than the reference value, the controller controls the water supply valve 171 to outtub through the wash water supply pipe 170. The additional water to the wash water 120 (S140).

While the wash water is being supplied, the control unit receives a sensing value of the high water level confirming electrode 182c from the water level detection unit 180, and compares the received sensing value with a reference value to determine a water supply stop time.

At this time, the wash water being supplied is directly provided to the bottom space in the outer tub 120 without passing through the laundry so that the water supply stop timing can be accurately determined.

That is, when the wash water passes through the laundry, the water level checking error caused by the laundry absorbing the wash water can be prevented.

On the other hand, the sensing value provided from the high water level confirming electrode 182c in the process of checking the water supply level of the washing water for steam generation after completion of the above-mentioned re-watering step before the re-supply step is compared with the preset reference value Low cases may occur.

This is the case when there is an excessive amount of wash water that has been watered for the filling step.

Therefore, when the water supply level of the wash water exceeds a preset maximum water level (L1) by controlling the drain valve 161 to drain a small amount of the wash water in the storage unit 121 through the drain pipe 160 (S150) desirable.

That is, when the water level of the wash water supplied into the storage 121 is excessively high, since the power consumption required to evaporate the wash water is large, it is most preferable that the water level of the wash water be appropriately provided.

Then, when the water level of the wash water stored in the storage unit 121 of the outer tub 120 is supplied to a height (“b” in the drawing) set to the maximum water level required for generating steam, further water supply is stopped (S160). do.

Along with this, steam is generated to provide steam into the drum 130 (S170). At this time, the sensing value of the high level check electrode 182c is lower than that of the reference value.

The steam is generated by the heat generated by the exothermic heater 150.

That is, when the heating heater 150 is heated by the control of the controller, the washing water stored in the storage 121 is evaporated to generate hot steam.

In addition, the hot steam generated as described above is introduced into the drum 130 through the through holes 131 of the drum 130 while rising from the bottom space in the outer tub.

As a result, the laundry in the drum 130 is provided with the high temperature steam, and the high temperature steam separates and sterilizes the contaminants.

In particular, considering that the steam is provided to the laundry while rising from the bottom of the drum 130, the laundry is washed and sterilized, for example, by steaming.

In this case, it is more preferable that the steam is uniformly provided to all the laundry in the drum 130 by controlling the drum 130 to rotate.

In addition, during the steam providing step as described above, the control unit receives a sensing value from the low level electrode 182b among the water level detecting unit 180 and compares the sensing value with a reference value to determine the bottom of the outer tub 120. The washing water level in the storage unit 121 that is the water supply level is continuously checked (S180).

This is to prevent the wash water level in the storage unit 121 from falling below a predetermined minimum level (level of water approximately equal to the height of the heating heater) L2 (“c” on the drawing).

At this time, when it is confirmed that the sensing value provided from the low level check electrode 182b is higher than the reference value, the controller stops the heat generation of the heating heater 150 and also controls the water supply valve 171. 121) additionally wash water into the water (S140).

In the case of additional water supply of the wash water, the water supply stop time is determined by comparing the sensing value and the reference value provided from the high level electrode 182c.

In addition, when the steam providing step is completed, further steam generation is stopped, and subsequent washing strokes such as the main washing stroke, the rinsing stroke, and the dehydrating stroke are sequentially performed (S190).

As described above, the washing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention has the effect that it is possible to improve the washing performance of the laundry using the steam by configuring to provide the steam.

In addition, when considering that the steam is a high temperature state has the advantage that the sterilization effect for the laundry provided with the steam can also be obtained.

In particular, the water level detection unit of the washing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is configured to detect the water supply level of the wash water supplied to the storage unit in a state that is mounted through the bottom of the storage unit of the outer tub wash water The detection performance of the water level can be excellent.

Claims (6)

A main body forming an appearance; An outer tub provided in the main body and having a storage unit in which a predetermined amount of washing water is stored; A drum rotatably installed in the outtub, the drum having a plurality of through holes formed on its periphery; A heating heater mounted in the storage unit to heat the wash water to adjust the temperature of the wash water or generate steam; Washing water supply pipe for guiding the washing water for washing or steam generation into the outtub; A water level detector coupled to the storage unit by penetrating the bottom of the storage unit and configured to include at least three electrodes to sense the water level in the storage unit; And, Controls the water supply of the wash water for washing water and the washing water for steam generation, and controls the heat generation of the heating heater for temperature control or steam generation of the wash water based on different water levels detected by the water level detector. And a control unit for controlling the driving of the drum. delete The method of claim 1, The water level detection unit A coupling part mounted to the storage part; An electrode part including one common electrode, one low level electrode, one high level electrode, and a terminal for detecting a level from an end of each electrode; And a jack unit coupled to the connection jack to provide a sensing value provided from each electrode of the electrode unit to the controller. The method of claim 3, wherein The terminal of the common electrode is configured to be positioned in an upper portion of the heating heater, The terminal of the low level checking electrode is configured to be positioned at the same height as the terminal of the common electrode, The terminal of the high level check electrode is laundry device, characterized in that configured to be located at a higher portion than the terminal of the common electrode and the low level check electrode. The method of claim 3, wherein Washing device, characterized in that the peripheral surface of the coupling portion is further provided with a sealing member for blocking the gap formed in the coupling portion between the portion and the storage. The method of claim 1, When the control unit controls the exothermic heater for water washing, the water level of the storage unit is locked to the bottom surface of the drum, and when the control unit of the exothermic heater to generate steam generates the water level of the drum and the exothermic heater. A laundry unit that controls the water supply of the wash water so as to be located in between.

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