WASHING MACHINE AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING SPIN-DRYING OPERATION THEREOF

BACKGROUND
1. Field

The disclosure relates to a washer and a dehydration cycle control method thereof.

2. Description of Related Art

A washer is a home appliance that washes clothes, towels, bedding, etc. There are two types of washers, drum washers, which wash laundry by rotating the drum to repeatedly raising and lowering the laundry, and electric washers, which wash laundry by the water flow generated by the pulsator when the drum rotates.

The cycles performed by the washer may, regardless of the type of the washer, include a washing cycle in which detergent and water are supplied to a drum containing laundry and the laundry is washed while the rotating drum is rotated, a rinsing cycle in which water is supplied to the drum to rinse the laundry while rotating the drum, and a dehydration cycle in which water supplied to the drum is discharged to the outside and the moisture is removed from the laundry by rotating the drum.

The above information is presented as background information only to assist with an understanding of the disclosure. No determination has been made, and no assertion is made, as to whether any of the above might be applicable as prior art with regard to the disclosure.

SUMMARY

Various embodiments of the disclosure may substantially shorten the time required for a dehydration cycle by providing an appropriate dehydration cycle profile according to the amount of eccentricity of the drum generated during the dehydration cycle.

Various embodiments of the disclosure may decrease the amount of vibration that may be generated due to the high-speed spin of the drum during the dehydration cycle.

Various embodiments of the disclosure may obtain each of the vibration values at different positions of the drum using one vibration sensor, saving the number of vibration sensors, and achieving cost savings and structure simplification.

Aspects of the disclosure are to address at least the above-mentioned problems and/or disadvantages and to provide at least the advantages described below. Accordingly, an aspect of the disclosure is to provide a washer and a dehydration cycle control method thereof.

Additional aspects will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the presented embodiments.

In accordance with an aspect of the disclosure, a washer is provided. The washer includes a drum, a motor configured to provide rotational power to the drum, a balancer positioned at, at least, one of a front of the drum or a rear of the drum and including a plurality of mass bodies, a vibration sensor configured to detect a vibration of the drum, memory storing one or more computer programs, and one or more processors communicatively coupled to the motor, the vibration sensor, and the memory, wherein the one or more computer programs include computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors individually or collectively, cause the electronic device to perform an initial step of a dehydration cycle by driving the motor, control the motor to be driven for a predetermined time at a first speed higher than in a resonance period of the drum and obtain an eccentricity value of the drum using the vibration sensor and, based on the obtained eccentricity value, perform one of i) a first operation of re-performing the initial step of the dehydration cycle after stopping the motor, ii) a second operation of performing a high-speed dehydration cycle by increasing a speed of the motor from the first speed, or iii) a third operation of performing rebalancing by decreasing the speed of the motor to a second speed lower than the first speed.

According to an embodiment, the processor compares the eccentricity value with at least one of a predetermined first reference value or a predetermined second reference value larger than the first reference value. The processor allows the motor to perform the second operation when the eccentricity value is less than the first reference value. The processor allows the motor to perform the first operation when the eccentricity value is the second reference value or more. The processor allows the motor to perform the third operation when the eccentricity value is the first reference value or more, and less than the second reference value.

According to an embodiment, the first reference value may be a value smaller than a compensation eccentricity value of the balancer, and the second reference value may be a value larger than the compensation eccentricity value of the balancer.

According to an embodiment, the second reference value may be a sum of the first reference value and a compensation eccentricity value of the balancer.

According to an embodiment, the first reference value may be an eccentricity value predetermined to be able to perform the high-speed operation even when the rebalancing is omitted during the dehydration cycle.

According to an embodiment, the third operation may include gradually increasing the speed of the motor to a speed higher than the first speed to perform the high-speed dehydration cycle after performing the rebalancing.

According to an embodiment, the second speed may be a value determined within the resonance period range.

According to an embodiment, the vibration sensor may include an inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensor. The processor may obtain a front eccentricity value and a rear eccentricity value of the drum using the vibration of the drum detected by the IMU sensor.

According to an embodiment, the processor may compare the front eccentricity value with at least one of the predetermined first reference value or second reference value, and compare the rear eccentricity value with at least one of the predetermined first reference value or the second reference value. The processor may allow the motor to perform the second operation when both the front eccentricity value and the rear eccentricity value are less than the first reference value. The processor may allow the motor to perform the first operation when at least one of the front eccentricity value or the rear eccentricity value is the second reference value or more. The processor may allow the motor to perform the third operation when one of the front eccentricity value and the rear eccentricity value is the first reference value or more, and both the front eccentricity value and the rear eccentricity value are less than the second reference value.

In accordance with another aspect of the disclosure, a method performed by a dehydration cycle performed by a washer is provided. The method includes a laundry winding operation of increasing a speed of a motor to rotate a drum to bring laundry received in the drum in tight contact with an inner wall of the drum, a resonance period acceleration operation of rotating the drum at a first speed larger than in a resonance period by increasing the speed of the motor, obtaining an eccentricity value using a vibration sensor, and based on the eccentricity value, determining whether to re-perform the laundry winding operation after pausing the motor, perform a high-speed rotation operation by increasing the speed of the motor from the first speed, or perform a rebalancing operation by decreasing the speed of the motor to a second speed lower than the first speed.

According to an embodiment, the determining includes determining to perform the high-speed spin operation when the eccentricity value is less than a first reference value, perform the laundry winding operation when the eccentricity value is equal to or larger than a second reference value larger than the first reference value, or perform the rebalancing operation when the eccentricity value is the first reference value or more and less than the second reference value.

According to an embodiment, the second reference value may be a sum of the first reference value and a compensation eccentricity value of the balancer.

According to an embodiment, the second speed may be a value determined within the resonance period range.

According to an embodiment, the rebalancing operation includes performing the high-speed dehydration cycle by decreasing the speed of the motor to the second speed and then gradually increasing to the first speed or more.

According to various embodiments proposed in the disclosure, the washer is configured to return to the initial operation of the dehydration cycle, perform a rebalancing operation, or perform a high-speed operation immediately while skipping the rebalancing operation, selectively depending on the eccentricity value of the drum obtained after the resonance period of the dehydration cycle, thereby shortening the dehydration cycle time or optimizing the vibration generated during the high-speed operation according to the context.

Further, the washer is configured to compute the vibration/eccentricity value at two or more positions by one vibration sensor, saving manufacturing costs and enhancing the inner structure of the washer.

In accordance with another aspect of the disclosure, one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media storing one or more computer programs including computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a washer individually or collectively, cause the washer to perform operations are provided. The operations include performing an initial step of a dehydration cycle by driving a motor of the washer, controlling the motor to be driven for a predetermined time at a first speed higher than in a resonance period of a drum of the washer and obtain an eccentricity value of the drum using a vibration sensor, and based on the obtained eccentricity value, performing one of i) a first operation of re-performing the initial step of the dehydration cycle after stopping the motor, ii) a second operation of performing a high-speed dehydration cycle by increasing a speed of the motor from the first speed, or iii) a third operation of performing rebalancing by decreasing the speed of the motor to a second speed lower than the first speed.

Other aspects, advantages, and salient features of the disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art, from the following detailed description, which, taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, discloses various embodiments of the disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other aspects, features, and advantages of certain embodiments of the disclosure will be more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a view illustrating the exterior of a washer according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view illustrating a washer according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a balancer and a drum according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram schematically illustrating a configuration of a washer in terms of functions and controls according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a procedure flowchart illustrating a dehydration cycle process in a washer according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 6 is a flowchart briefly illustrating a process of determining an operation mode in operation 550 of FIG. 5 according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 7A is a flowchart schematically illustrating a process of performing subsequent operations according to the determination in operation 640 of FIG. 6 according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 7B is a graph illustrating a process of a dehydration cycle according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 8A is a flowchart schematically illustrating a process of performing subsequent operations according to the determination in operation 650 of FIG. 6 according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 8B is a graph illustrating a process of a dehydration cycle according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 9 is a graph illustrating a process of a dehydration cycle in which a rebalancing operation is omitted according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 10 is a view illustrating a process of obtaining a vibration value of each of the front and rear of a drum using one vibration sensor according to an embodiment of the disclosure; and

FIG. 11 is a flowchart briefly illustrating a process of determining an operation mode in operation 550 of FIG. 5 when a front eccentricity value and a rear eccentricity value of a drum are obtained, according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

The same reference numerals are used to represent the same elements throughout the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following description with reference to the accompanying drawings is provided to assist in a comprehensive understanding of various embodiments of the disclosure as defined by the claims and their equivalents. It includes various specific details to assist in that understanding but these are to be regarded as merely exemplary. Accordingly, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that various changes and modifications of the various embodiments described herein can be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the disclosure. In addition, descriptions of well-known functions and constructions may be omitted for clarity and conciseness.

The terms and words used in the following description and claims are not limited to the bibliographical meanings, but, are merely used by the inventor to enable a clear and consistent understanding of the disclosure. Accordingly, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the following description of various embodiments of the disclosure is provided for illustration purpose only and not for the purpose of limiting the disclosure as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

It is to be understood that the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to “a component surface” includes reference to one or more of such surfaces.

As used herein, each of such phrases as “A or B,” “at least one of A and B,” “at least one of A or B,” “A, B, or C,” “at least one of A, B, and C,” and “at least one of A, B, or C,” may include all possible combinations of the items enumerated together in a corresponding one of the phrases. As used herein, the term ‘and/or’ should be understood as encompassing any and all possible combinations by one or more of the enumerated items. As used herein, such terms as “1st” and “2nd,” or “first” and “second” may be used to simply distinguish a corresponding component from another, and does not limit the components in other aspect (e.g., importance or order).

When a (e.g., first) component is mentioned as “coupled to,” “connected to,” “supported by,” or “contacting” another (e.g., second) component with or without the terms “functionally” or “communicatively,” the component may be directly or indirectly coupled to, connected to, supported by, or contact the other component.

It will be further understood that the terms “comprise” and/or “have,” as used herein, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. Throughout the specification, when one component is positioned “on” another component, the first component may be positioned directly on the second component, or other component(s) may be positioned between the first and second component.

As used herein, the terms “configured to” may be interchangeably used with the terms “suitable for,” “having the capacity to,” “designed to,” “adapted to,” “made to,” or “capable of” depending on circumstances. The term “configured to” does not essentially mean “specifically designed in hardware to.” Rather, the term “configured to” may mean that a device can perform an operation together with another device or parts. For example, a ‘device configured (or set) to perform A, B, and C’ may be a dedicated device to perform the corresponding operation or may mean a general-purpose device capable of various operations including the corresponding operation.

The terms “upper side,” “lower side,” and “front and rear directions” used in the disclosure are defined with respect to the drawings, and the shape and position of each component are not limited by these terms.

In the disclosure, the above-described description has been made mainly of specific embodiments, but the disclosure is not limited to such specific embodiments, but should rather be appreciated as covering all various modifications, equivalents, and/or substitutes of various embodiments. With regard to the description of the drawings, similar reference numerals may be used to refer to similar or related elements.

The washer according to various embodiments of the disclosure may be an example of a clothing treatment device. The washer according to various embodiments may include a top-loading washer in which an opening for inserting or withdrawing laundry faces upward, or a front-loading washer in which an opening for inserting or withdrawing laundry faces forward. The top-loading washer may wash laundry using a water flow generated by a rotating body such as a pulsator. The front-loading washer may wash laundry by repeatedly raising and dropping the laundry by rotating the drum. The front-loading washer may include a lifter for raising laundry. The washer according to various embodiments may include a washer having various loading and washing schemes other than the top-loading and front-loading washers described above. In the disclosure, a case of a front-loading washer is mainly described, but the disclosure is not limited thereto.

Hereinafter, the washer is described in detail with reference to the drawings.

It should be appreciated that the blocks in each flowchart and combinations of the flowcharts may be performed by one or more computer programs which include instructions. The entirety of the one or more computer programs may be stored in a single memory device or the one or more computer programs may be divided with different portions stored in different multiple memory devices.

Any of the functions or operations described herein can be processed by one processor or a combination of processors. The one processor or the combination of processors is circuitry performing processing and includes circuitry like an application processor (AP, e.g. a central processing unit (CPU)), a communication processor (CP, e.g., a modem), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a neural processing unit (NPU) (e.g., an artificial intelligence (AI) chip), a Wi-Fi chip, a Bluetooth® chip, a global positioning system (GPS) chip, a near field communication (NFC) chip, connectivity chips, a sensor controller, a touch controller, a finger-print sensor controller, a display driver integrated circuit (IC), an audio CODEC chip, a universal serial bus (USB) controller, a camera controller, an image processing IC, a microprocessor unit (MPU), a system on chip (SoC), an IC, or the like.

FIG. 1 is a view illustrating the exterior of a washer according to an embodiment of the disclosure. FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view illustrating a washer according to an embodiment of the disclosure. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a balancer and a drum according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

In an example, the washer 1 may include a housing 10 for receiving various components therein. The housing 10 may have an overall hexahedral shape. The housing 10 may include an opening formed in one surface thereof. Two or more of the surfaces of the housing 10 may be integrally formed. Each surface of the housing 10 may be separately manufactured and assembled. For example, the housing 10 may be press-molded with an iron plate material or injection-molded with a resin material.

In an example, a door 20 for opening and closing the corresponding opening may be provided in a portion corresponding to the opening of the housing 10. The door 20 may be rotatably coupled to a hinge fixed to one surface of the housing 10. For example, at least a portion of the door 20 may be provided to be transparent or translucent so as to be visible inside. The user may open and close the door 20 to put the laundry into the drum 40 positioned inside the housing 10 or withdraw the laundry from the drum 40. For example, the door 20 may be locked by a locking device (not shown) so as not to be opened while the washer 1 is running. In an example, the door 20 may include a door frame 21 and a glass member 22. For example, the glass member 22 may be formed of a transparent tempered glass material to see through the inside of the housing 10, but the disclosure is not limited thereto.

In an example, the washer 1 may include a tub 30 fixedly disposed inside the housing 10. The tub 30 may have a substantially cylindrical shape with one side open. A tub opening 31 may be provided in the front surface of the tub 30 at a position corresponding to the opening of the housing 10. The tub 30 may store washing water. A drain port 32 for draining washing water may be provided under the tub 30. For example, the drain port 32 may be connected to the drain device 80.

In an example, the washer 1 may include a damper 12. The damper 12 may be provided to connect the housing 10 and the tub 30. One side of the damper 12 may be fixed to the inner surface of the housing 10 and the other side of the damper 12 may be fixed to the tub 30. The damper 12 may be provided to attenuate vibration by absorbing vibration energy transferred to the tub 30 and/or the housing 10 when the drum 40 rotates.

In an example, the washer 1 may include a drum 40 provided inside the tub 30. The drum 40 may have a substantially cylindrical shape with one side open. A front plate 43 and a rear plate 44 may be disposed on the front surface and the rear surface, respectively, of the drum 40. The front plate 43 may be provided with a drum opening at a position corresponding to the opening of the housing 10 and the tub opening 31 of the tub 30. The drum 40 may receive laundry. The drum 40 may receive rotational power from the driving device 60 and rotate inside the tub 30. The drum 40 may perform washing, rinsing, and/or spinning while rotating inside the tub 30.

In an example, the drum 40 may include a lifter 41 and/or a plurality of through holes 42. For example, the lifter 41 may lift the laundry while the drum 40 rotates so that the laundry repeatedly rises and falls, thereby evenly washing laundry on several surfaces thereof. For example, the through hole 42 may be a passage formed so that the washing water received in the tub 30 flows into the drum 40 or the washing water inside the drum 40 is discharged to the outside. In an example, the lifter 41 or the through hole 42 may be omitted.

In an example, the washer 1 may include a control panel 50 that supports interaction between the user and the washer 1. In an example, the control panel 50 may be disposed at an upper end of the front surface of the housing 10 as illustrated in FIG. 1, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. In an example, the control panel 50 may include an input unit 51 and a display unit 52.

For example, the input unit 51 may include any type of user input means for obtaining a user input for controlling the washer 1. The user may input power on/off, washing setting information (e.g., operation start/stop, course selection, time selection, etc.) of the washer 1 through the input unit 51. For example, the input unit 51 may be a tact switch, a push switch, a slide switch, a toggle switch, a micro switch, or a touch switch, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the input unit 51 may be in the form of a jog shuttle that the user may grip and rotate. In an example, the input unit 51 may include an infrared sensor. The user may remotely input the setting information through the remote control, and the input setting information may be received by the input unit 51 as an infrared signal. In an example, the input unit 51 may include a microphone. Setting information by the user's voice may be obtained through a microphone.

The display unit 52 may display various washing setting information and/or operation state information about the washer 1 input from the user. The display unit 52 may include various types of display panels such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light emitting diodes (LED), an organic light emitting diode (OLED), a quantum dot LED (QLED), and a micro LED. For example, the display unit 52 may be implemented as a touch screen with a touch pad provided on the front surface thereof, but the disclosure is not limited to a specific type of display means. In an example, the display unit 52 may include any type of audio display means including a speaker, and may display each of the above-described information as an auditory signal through the audio display means. In an example, the display unit 52 may operate to audibly provide the user with information for guiding the user's input and/or information related to the ongoing process.

In an example, the washer 1 may include a driving device 60 for rotating the drum 40. The driving device 60 may include a motor 61 and a driving shaft 62 for transferring the driving force generated by the motor 61 to the drum 40. The motor 61 may include a fixed stator 611 and a rotor 612 that rotates by electromagnetically interacting with the stator 611 to convert an electric force into a mechanical rotational force. The rotational force generated by the motor 61 may be transferred to the drum 40 through the driving shaft 62. The driving shaft 62 may be press-fitted into the rotor 612 of the motor 61 to rotate together with the rotor 612. For example, the driving shaft 62 may partially penetrate the rear wall of the tub 30 to connect the drum 40 and the motor 61. The driving device 60 may rotate the drum 40 forward or backward to perform washing, rinsing, and/or spinning operations.

In an example, the washer 1 may include a water supply device 70 for supplying washing water to the drum 40 and/or the tub 30. The water supply device 70 may include at least one water supply pipe 71 and at least one water supply valve 72. The at least one water supply pipe 71 may be provided to supply washing water into the tub 30 using an external water supply source. One of the at least one water supply pipe 71 may be connected to a detergent supply device 13 provided in the housing 10. Here, the detergent supply device 13 may be divided into a plurality of spaces, and each space may be provided with a detergent, a rinsing agent, or the like. The washing water passing through the detergent supply device 13 may be supplied to the tub 30 together with the detergent (or rinsing agent) through the detergent supply pipe 131. Another one of the at least one water supply pipe 71 may be directly connected to the tub 30. For example, the washing water supplied through the water supply pipe 71 directly connected to the tub 30 may be directly supplied to the tub 30 without going through an intermediate component such as the detergent supply device 13.

In an example, the washer 1 may include a drain device 80 for draining the washing water received in the drum 40 and/or the tub 30. The drain device 80 may include a drain valve 81, a first drain pipe 82, a second drain pipe 83, or a pump chamber 84. For example, the drain device 80 may be disposed under the tub 30 to discharge the washing water discharged from the tub 30 to the outside of the washer 1.

In an example, the drain valve 81 may be provided to open and close the drain port 32. When the drain valve 81 is opened, the washing water received in the tub 30 may flow through the drain port 32 to the drain device 80.

In an example, the first drain pipe 82 and the second drain pipe 83 may form a flow path that guides washing water to be discharged to the outside. For convenience of description, the upper stream of the pump chamber 84 is referred to as the first drain pipe 82 and the lower stream is referred to as the second drain pipe 83. The first drain pipe 82 and the second drain pipe 83 may be integrally formed. For example, the first drain pipe 82 may have one end connected to the drain port 32 and the other end connected to the pump chamber 84. The washing water may move into the pump chamber 84 along the first drain pipe 82. For example, the second drain pipe 83 may have one end connected to the pump chamber 84 and the other end connected to the outside of the washer 1. Accordingly, the washing water passing through the pump chamber 84 may be discharged to the outside of the washer 1 along the second drain pipe 83.

In an example, the pump chamber 84 may be provided under the tub 30 to store washing water drained from the tub 30. For example, inside the pump chamber 84 a drain pump 841 for discharging the stored washing water to the outside may be provided. The washing water pumped by the drain pump 841 may be guided to the outside of the housing 10 through the second drain pipe 83.

According to an embodiment, the washer 1 may include a balancer 150. For example, the balancer 150 may include a balancer housing 151 forming an annular channel 151a and a plurality of mass bodies 153 disposed on the annular channel 151a to perform a balancing function of the drum 40 while moving along the annular channel 151a. For example, the plurality of mass bodies 153 may have a ball shape (a spherical shape). The plurality of mass bodies 153 of the drum 40 may move in a direction opposite to the direction of the eccentricity generated in the drum 40 by the laundry when the drum 40 rotates, compensating for the eccentricity generated by the laundry.

According to an embodiment, the balancer 150 may be mounted on at least one of the front plate 43 or the rear plate 44 of the drum 40. Since the balancers 150 mounted on the front plate 43 and the rear plate 44 are entirely the same, the following description focuses primarily on the balancer 150 mounted on the front plate 43 of the drum 40.

According to an embodiment, the balancer 150 may be configured to be received in an annular recess 48 formed as the front plate 43 of the drum 40 is open forward. For example, the balancer housing 151 may be received in the annular recess 48 of the drum 40.

In an example, the balancer housing 151 may be formed of a plastic material such as polypropylene or acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) resin by injection molding. In an example, the balancer housing 151 may be manufactured through a method of coupling in a thermal fusion method.

According to an embodiment, the washer 1 may include a vibration sensor 106. The vibration sensor 106 may be disposed on an outer circumferential surface of the drum 40 to sense vibration of the drum 40. For example, the vibration sensor 106 may be disposed in a front direction and/or rear direction of the drum 40. Here, the front direction of the drum 40 may refer to a direction toward the front plate 43, and the rear direction of the drum 40 may refer to a direction toward the rear plate 44. The vibration sensor 106 may detect vibration while the drum 40 rotates, and the controller 120 may calculate the eccentricity value of the drum 40 based on the vibration value measured by the vibration sensor 106.

According to an embodiment, the washer 1 may measure the eccentricity value in the front direction of the drum 40 and the eccentricity value in the rear direction of the drum 40, respectively, using one vibration sensor 106. For example, the vibration sensor 106 may be an inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensor (or an inertial measurement device). The IMU sensor may be configured to measure the acceleration corresponding to linear motion and the angular velocity corresponding to rotational motion for each of the x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis. The washer 1 may measure vibration values and/or eccentricity values at a plurality of positions on the drum 40 using one IMU sensor. For example, in the washer 1, when the IMU sensor is disposed on the front side of the drum 40, the vibration value and/or the eccentricity value in the rear of the drum 40 as well as in the front of the drum 40 may be measured/obtained. For example, when the IMU sensor is disposed on the rear side of the drum 40, the washer 1 may measure/obtain a vibration value and/or an eccentricity value not only in the rear of the drum 40 but also in the front of the drum 40. For example, when the IMU is disposed at the central side of the drum 40, the washer 1 may measure vibration values and/or eccentricity values, respectively, in the front and rear of the drum 40. A specific description of a method for measuring vibration values and/or eccentricity values at a plurality of different positions using one IMU sensor is given below.

FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram schematically illustrating a configuration of a washer in terms of functions and controls according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

The washer 1 may include an input unit 51 as described above with reference to FIG. 1. As described above, the input unit 51 may include any type of user input means for obtaining setting information from the user for controlling the operation of the washer 1. Various user inputs obtained through the input unit 51 may be transferred to the controller 120 to be described below. In an example, various user inputs obtained through the input unit 51 may be transmitted to the outside through the communication unit 90 to be described below, but the disclosure is not limited thereto.

In an example, the washer 1 may include a communication unit 90 that supports signal transmission/reception to/from the outside. In an example, the communication unit 90 may receive and/or transmit a wired/wireless signal to/from an external wired/wireless communication system, an external server, and/or other devices according to a predetermined wired/wireless communication protocol. In an example, the communication unit 90 may include one or more modules to connect the washer 1 to one or more networks. In an example, the communication unit 90 may include at least one of a mobile communication module, a wired/wireless Internet module, a short-range communication module, and/or a location information module.

In an example, the mobile communication module may transmit/receive wireless signals with at least one of an external bracket structure, an external UE, or an external server through the mobile communication network according to any communication protocol among various communication protocols for mobile communication. The wireless signals may include various types of data signals. In an example, the wireless signals may include voice call signals, video call signals, and text/multimedia message signals, but the disclosure is not limited thereto.

For example, the wired/wireless Internet module may support wireless LAN (WLAN), wireless-fidelity (Wi-Fi), Wi-Fi direct, digital living network alliance (DLNA), wireless broadband (WiBro), world interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX), high speed downlink packet access (HSDPA), high speed uplink packet access (HSUPA), long term evolution (LTE), or long term evolution-advanced (LTE-A), but is not limited thereto. In an example, the wired/wireless Internet module of the communication unit 90 may transmit/receive data according to at least one wired/wireless Internet technology among Internet technologies not listed above.

The short-range communication module may be intended for, e.g., short-range communication and may support short-range communication using at least one of Bluetooth, radio frequency identification (RFID), infrared data association (IrDA), ultra-wideband (UWB), ZigBee, near-field communication (NFC), Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, or wireless universal serial bus (USB) technology. For example, the short-range communication module may support wireless communication between the washer 1 and a wireless communication system, between the washer 1 and another device, or between the washer 1 and a network in which the other device is positioned through a short-range wireless communication network.

The location information module may be a global positioning system (GPS) module or a Wi-Fi module as a module for obtaining the location of the washer 1. When the washer 1 utilizes the GPS module, the washer 1 may receive information about the location of the washer 1 using the signal transmitted from the GPS satellite. When the washer 1 utilizes the Wi-Fi module, the washer 1 may receive information about the location of the washer 1 based on information about a wireless access point (AP) that transmits and receives a wireless signal to and from the Wi-Fi module.

In an example, the communication unit 90 may receive the configuration data signal input by the user on the mobile terminal of the user in the form of a wireless signal according to a predetermined wireless communication protocol. In an example, the communication unit 90 may receive information and/or a command for controlling the operation of the washer 1 from an external server in the form of a signal according to a predetermined wired/wireless communication protocol. The communication unit 90 may transfer various received signals to the controller 120 to be described below. In an example, the communication unit 90 may transmit various data generated or obtained on the washer 1 in the form of a wired/wireless signal according to a predetermined wired/wireless communication protocol, for example, to a mobile terminal of the user or an external server.

According to an embodiment, the washer 1 may include a sensor unit 100 for detecting an operating state and/or an internal environment of the washer 1. In an example, the sensor unit 100 may include a water level sensor 101, a current sensor 102, a door sensor 103, a speed sensor 104, and/or a temperature sensor 105, but this is illustrative and the disclosure is not limited thereto.

In an example, the water level sensor 101 is a sensor provided to detect the water level in the tub 30. In an example, the water level sensor 101 may be provided to identify a spinning progress or the like when performing the spinning process. The water level sensor 101 may transfer an electrical signal related to the water level in the tub 30 to the controller 120.

The current sensor 102 may be provided to detect the current flowing through the motor 61 of the driving device 60. The electrical signal related to the current value of the motor 61 generated by the current sensor 102 may be transferred to the controller 120.

The door sensor 103 may be provided to determine whether the door 20 is closed before the controller 120 performs the washing operation. An electrical signal regarding whether to open or close the door 20 generated by the door sensor 103 may be transferred to the controller 120.

The speed sensor 104 may be provided to detect the rotational speed, the rotational angle, or the rotational direction of the motor 61 or the drum 40. In an example, the speed sensor 104 may use a scheme of detecting an on/off signal of the hall sensor adjacent to the position of the rotor while the motor 61 is running. In an example, the speed sensor 104 may use a scheme of measuring the magnitude of the current applied to the motor 61 while the drum 40 rotates. An electrical signal regarding the rotational speed, the rotational angle, or the rotational direction of the drum 40 generated by the speed sensor 104 may be transferred to the controller 120.

The temperature sensor 105 may be provided to detect the ambient environment temperature of the washer 1 or the temperature of the internal components, or to detect the temperature of the washing water in the tub 30. For example, the temperature sensor 105 may be implemented as a thermistor, which is a type of resistor using the property that the resistance of a material changes according to the temperature. The electrical signal related to the temperature generated by the temperature sensor 105 may be transferred to the controller 120.

The vibration sensor 106 may be provided to detect the amount of vibration of the drum 40 while the drum 40 rotates. For example, the vibration sensor 106 may be an IMU sensor. The vibration sensor 106 may detect the amount of vibration of the drum 40 during the spinning operation. The vibration-related signal obtained by the vibration sensor 106 may be used to estimate or measure the balance state of the laundry inside the drum 40.

According to an embodiment, the washer 1 may include the controller 120 for controlling the overall operation of the washer 1. The controller 120 may include memory 122 for storing or recording a program and/or data for controlling each component of the washer 1, and a processor 121 for generating a control signal for controlling each component of the washer 1 according to the program and/or data stored in the memory 122 and information obtained from each of the other components.

According to an example, the memory 122 may store various data that may be used to control the operation of each component of the washer 1. For example, the memory 122 may store a plurality of application programs used in the washer 1, data for controlling the operation of the washer 1, and instructions. At least some of the application programs stored in the memory 122 may be downloaded from an external server through wireless communication. At least some of the application programs stored in the memory 122 may be stored in the memory 122 from the time of shipment for the basic functions of the washer 1. In an example, the memory 122 may store various data serving as a reference that may be used to proceed with the spinning cycle to be described below.

In an example, the processor 121 of the controller 120 may receive various input/setting information power on/off of the washer 1, washer operation setting information (e.g., operation start/stop, course selection, time selection, etc.), or other various control information from the input unit 51 and/or the communication unit 90 described above. For example, the processor 121 may obtain various sensing information about the water level in the tub 30 sensed by the water level sensor 101, information about the current flowing through the motor 61 sensed by the current sensor 102, information indicating whether the door is opened or closed as sensed by the door sensor 103, information about the rotational speed of the motor 61 or the drum 40 sensed by the speed sensor 104, and the like, from the sensor unit 100. For example, the processor 121 may obtain information indicating the amount of vibration of the drum 40 from the vibration sensor 106 to estimate or obtain the eccentricity value of the drum 40. For example, the processor 121 may estimate or obtain a front eccentricity value of the drum 40 and a rear eccentricity value of the drum 40 using one vibration sensor 106.

In an example, the processor 121 of the controller 120 may generate an operation control command for each component of the washer 1, based on various information received from the input unit 51, the communication unit 90, and/or the sensor unit 100. In an example, the processor 121 may control each related component to perform at least one of the washing cycle, the rinsing cycle, the spinning cycle, or the drying cycle. For example, the processor 121 may control the operation of the driving device 60, the water supply device 70, and/or the drain device 80 to control the execution of at least one of the washing operation, the rinsing operation, the spinning operation, or the drying operation. In an example, the processor 121 may rotate the drum 40 by controlling the driving of the motor 61 of the driving device 60. For example, the processor 121 may control the opening and closing of the water supply valve 72 of the water supply device 70 to adjust the washing water supplied to the drum 40 and/or the tub 30. For example, the processor 121 may control the drain valve 81 and/or the drain pump 841 of the drain device 80 to drain the washing water in the drum 40 and/or the tub 30. In an example, the processor 121 may continuously obtain information from the input unit 51, the communication unit 90, and/or the sensor unit 100 while performing at least one of the washing cycle, the rinsing cycle, the spinning cycle, or the drying cycle, and may continuously update and control the operation of each component based on the obtained information.

In an example, the processor 121 of the controller 120 may generate a command for controlling whether and how to display information through the display unit 52, based on various types of information received from the input unit 51, the communication unit 90, and/or the sensor unit 100.

In this drawings, it is disclosed that the controller 120 is a comprehensive component for controlling all the components included in the washer 1, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. In an example, the washer 1 may be configured to include a plurality of controller components that individually control some of the components of the washer 1. In an example, the washer 1 may include a separate controller having a processor and memory for controlling the operation of the driving device 60 the motor 61. In an example, the washer 1 may include a separate controller having a processor and memory for controlling the operation of a user interface according to a user input. The processor 121 of the controller 120 may include a plurality of processors, and the memory 122 may include a plurality of memory devices.

FIG. 5 is a procedure flowchart illustrating a dehydration cycle process of a washer according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

In the flowchart illustrated in FIG. 5, the overall process of dehydration cycle progress that may be performed in the washer 1 described in FIGS. 1 to 4 is illustrated. Hereinafter, it is described with reference to the reference numerals shown in FIGS. 1 to 4.

Referring to FIG. 5, first, in operation 510, the weight of the laundry in the drum 40 may be measured. In an example, under the control of the processor 121, the drum 40 may be rapidly accelerated in the forward and reverse directions, and the load generated in the motor 61 may be measured at the forward and reverse sudden acceleration, and the weight of the laundry in the drum 40 may be estimated or measured therefrom.

According to an example, after the weight of the laundry is detected, in operation 520, an initial spin operation according to the detected weight may be performed. For example, the initial spin operation may include a laundry winding operation. Here, the laundry winding operation may refer to an operation of attaching the laundry to the inner circumferential surface of the drum 40 using the centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the drum 40. The processor 121 may attach the laundry to the inner circumferential surface of the drum 40 by accelerating the drum 40 to a predetermined speed for laundry winding and then rotating it at a constant speed at that speed. Here, for example, the predetermined speed for laundry winding may be a speed smaller than the lowest speed of a resonance period. For example, the predetermined speed may be 90 rpm to 110 rpm, but the disclosure is not limited thereto.

According to an example, in operation 530, a resonance period acceleration operation may be performed. After the laundry winding is terminated in operation 520, the rotation speed of the drum 40 may be increased again under the control of the processor 121. The resonance period refers to a rotation speed period when the drum 40 resonates. The resonance period may be different depending on the structure or specifications of the washer. For example, the resonance period of the drum 40 may differ depending on the weight of the drum 40 and the type of spring and damper supporting the drum 40. For example, the resonance period of the drum 40 may be experimentally obtained according to the type of the washer 1. For example, the resonance period may be from 180 rpm to 300 rpm. Rotation of the drum 40 within the resonance period may cause large vibration. While the resonance period acceleration operation is performed, the rotation of the drum 40 may be continuously accelerated to allow the rotation of the drum 40 to pass through the resonance period under the control of the processor 121. While the rotation of the drum 40 is accelerated while passing through the resonance period, the mass body 53 inside the balancer 150 may move to the opposite side of the eccentricity to compensate for the eccentricity caused by the laundry. For example, the processor 121 may accelerate the drum 40 until the rotation speed of drum 40 reaches about 500 rpm.

According to an example, in operation 540, a constant-speed rotation operation may be performed. After completing the resonance period acceleration operation in operation 530, the processor 121 may proceed to operation 540 to rotate the drum 40 at a constant speed at a first speed for a predetermined period of time. For example, the processor 121 may rotate the drum 40 at a constant speed of around 500 rpm for a predetermined period of time. Spin-drying of the laundry may be performed while the constant-speed rotation operation is performed.

According to an example, in operation 550, after a predetermined point in time passes since the constant speed rotation operation starts, the eccentricity value of the drum 40 may be obtained using the vibration detected by the vibration sensor 106 and the operation mode may be determined accordingly. However, the disclosure is not limited thereto, and the eccentricity value of the drum 40 may be obtained using the vibration detected by the vibration sensor 106 before the predetermined point in time, and the operation mode may be determined accordingly. Here, the predetermined point in time is a time point after sufficient spin-drying is achieved by constant-speed rotation, and may be an experimentally predetermined time point.

In operation 550, the processor 121 may determine whether the subsequent operation flow returns to the initial operation of the dehydration cycle in which the rotation is paused and then the laundry winding is performed again, performs a high-speed rotation operation (e.g., operation 620 of FIG. 6) that further increases the speed of the motor 61, or performs a rebalancing operation (e.g., operation 640 of FIG. 6) that reduces the speed of the motor 61, according to the eccentricity value of the drum 40. When the direction of the subsequent operation flow is determined, in operation 550, a subsequent dehydration cycle determined accordingly may be sequentially performed. Detailed sub operations of operation 550 are described below.

According to an example, operation 550 may be performed during operation 540 rather than being performed sequentially after operation 540. According to an example, the processor 121 may control the motor 61 to be driven for a predetermined time at a first speed higher than in the resonance period to obtain an eccentricity value of the drum 40 using the vibration sensor 106. The eccentricity value of the drum 40 may be obtained at any time point while rotating at the first speed, for example. The processor 121 may determine an operation mode using the obtained eccentricity value.

According to an example, after a subsequent dehydration cycle determined for each operation mode determined in operation 550 is performed, the dehydration cycle may be terminated in operation 560. If, for example, in operation 550, the processor 121 determines that the subsequent operation flow proceeds to the high-speed rotation operation according to the eccentricity value of the drum 40, the processor 121 may rotate the drum 40 at high speed for a predetermined time according to the determination and, in operation 560, stop the rotation of the drum 40 to terminate the dehydration cycle. If, for example, in operation 550, the processor 121 determines that the subsequent operation flow returns to the initial operation of the dehydration cycle according to the eccentricity value of the drum 40, the processor 121 may repeat operations 520 to 550 more than once according to the determination and then, in operation 560, terminate the dehydration cycle.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart briefly illustrating a process of determining an operation mode in operation 550 of FIG. 5 according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 6, the processor 121 may first determine whether the eccentricity value is less than a first reference value in operation 610. The eccentricity value may refer to an eccentricity value of the drum 40 obtained using the vibration sensor 106. The first reference value may be a value smaller than a compensation eccentricity value of the balancer 150. The first reference value may be, for example, an eccentricity value at which the high-speed operation may be performed even when the rebalancing operation is omitted. The first reference value may be determined experimentally, for example. The compensation eccentricity value of the balancer 150 may be proportional to the total weight of a plurality of mass bodies 53.

According to an example, when the processor 121 determines that the eccentricity value is less than the first reference value, in operation 620, the processor 121 may determine that the operation to be performed later is the high-speed rotation operation of the drum 40. When the eccentricity value of the drum 40 is low, if a rebalancing operation is performed, the plurality of mass bodies 53 in the balancer 150 may be dispersed, increasing the vibration of the drum. Therefore, when the eccentricity value of the drum 40 is less than the first reference value, the processor 121 may shorten the time required for dehydration cycle by skipping the rebalancing operation and performing the high-speed rotation operation immediately. The processor 121 may accelerate the drum 40 to rotate at high speed while the high-speed rotation operation is performed according to the determination in operation 620. For example, the processor 121 may gradually accelerate the rotation speed of the drum 40 to about 900 rpm to 1000 rpm, while the high-speed rotation operation is performed. The rotation speed of the drum 40 at which the high-speed rotation operation may occur be different for each type of washer 1 and may be determined experimentally.

According to an example, when it is determined in operation 610 that the eccentricity value is not less than the first reference value, in operation 630, it may be determined whether the eccentricity value is less than a second reference value. The second reference value may be a value larger than the compensation eccentricity value of the balancer 150. For example, the second reference value may be, a value obtained by adding the compensation eccentricity value of the balancer 150 to the first reference value, but the disclosure is not limited thereto.

According to an example, when it is determined in operation 630 that the eccentricity value is less than the second reference value, in operation 640, an operation to be performed later may be a rebalancing operation. If the rebalancing operation is performed under the control of the processor 121, the eccentricity of the drum 40 may be reduced and the amount of vibration may be reduced. In the drum 40 whose eccentricity is compensated by the rebalancing operation, vibration may occur only to the degree that does not burden the washer 1 even when the high-speed rotation operation is performed thereafter. A detailed description of the rebalancing operation is given below.

According to an example, when it is determined in operation 630 that the eccentricity value is not less than the second reference value, in operation 650, the processor 121 may determine that the operation to be performed later is an operation of returning to the initial step of the dehydration cycle in which the rotation is paused and then laundry winding is performed again. When the eccentricity value exceeds the second reference value, even if a high-speed operation is performed after performing the rebalancing operation, it is difficult for the washer 1 to withstand the vibration of the drum 40 generated in the high-speed operation, causing damage to the washer 1 or stopping the dehydration cycle. A detailed description of operation 650 is given below.

The flowchart illustrated in FIG. 6, and operations 610 and 630 are not necessarily performed in sequence. For example, operation 630 may be performed before operation 610. The processor 121 may make various changes to the order of determining other operation modes according to the eccentricity value using first reference value and the second reference value. For example, the processor 121 performs the high-speed operation if the eccentricity value is less than the first reference value, the rebalancing operation if the eccentricity value is larger than the first reference value and less than the second reference value, and may return to the initial operation of the dehydration cycle if the eccentricity value is larger than or equal to the second reference value.

Referring to FIG. 7A, the processor 121 may decelerate the rotational speed of the drum 40 to a predetermined speed less than the maximum speed of the resonance period in operation 710, for example, when it is determined in operation 640 that the operation to be performed later is the rebalancing operation. For example, in operation 710, the processor 121 may decelerate the rotation speed of the drum 40 to cause the drum 40 to rotate at a predetermined speed (hereinafter referred to as an initial rebalancing speed) within the resonance period. Here, the predetermined speed may be lower than the first speed (e.g., the first speed of FIG. 5). The initial rebalancing speed may be any value between the lowest speed and the maximum speed of the resonance period. For example, if the minimum speed of the resonance period is 180 rpm and the maximum speed is 300 rpm, the initial rebalancing speed may be 220 rpm.

According to an example, the processor 121 may decelerate the rotational speed of the drum 40 to a predetermined speed within the resonance period in operation 710 and subsequently in operation 720, accelerate the rotational speed of the drum 40 again until the maximum speed of the resonance period is reached. At this time, while the drum 40 is accelerated within the resonance period, the plurality of mass bodies 53 in the balancer 150 may move to positions compensating for the eccentricity caused by the laundry. For example, the plurality of mass bodies 53 in the balancer 150 may be moved to be positioned in a direction opposite to the eccentricity of the drum 40. Therefore, while the drum 40 accelerates within the resonance period, the eccentricity may be reduced to the extent that the subsequent high-speed operation may be performed. For example, the processor 121 may determine that the rebalancing operation has ended, when the rotational speed of the drum 40 reaches the maximum speed of the resonance period. For example, the processor 121 may accelerate the drum 40 from 220 rpm to 300 rpm in the rebalancing operation.

According to an example, the processor 121 may control to complete the above-described rebalancing operation and then, in operation 730, perform the high-speed rotation operation. The processor 121 may accelerate the rotational speed of the drum 40 to enter the high-speed operation after completing the rebalancing operation. For example, in the high-speed operation, the rotation speed of the drum 40 may be 900 rpm.

FIG. 7B is a graph illustrating a process of a dehydration cycle according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

In FIG. 7B, a change in rotation speed over time is shown, and a process of controlling the drum rotation speed in a dehydration cycle according to an example may be understood thereby. Referring to FIG. 7B, for example, when the dehydration cycle is performed according to the determination in operation 640 of FIG. 6, the change in the rotational speed over time may be seen.

Referring to FIG. 7B, the section A-1 of the graph may correspond to operation 520 of FIG. 5. In the A-1 section, a laundry winding operation may be performed to rotate the drum at low speed so that the laundry is attached to the inner circumferential surface of the drum 40. In the A-1 section, for example, the rotation speed of the drum 40 may gradually increase from 0 rpm to reach a specific rotation speed and then, the drum 40 may rotate at a constant speed for a predetermined time. For example, the specific rotational speed may be slower than the minimum speed of the resonance period. For example, the specific rotation speed may be about 100 rpm.

According to an example, the A-2 section of the graph may correspond to operation 530 of FIG. 5. In the A-2 section, the drum 40 may be accelerated while passing through the resonance period. For example, in the A-2 section, the rotational speed of the drum 40 may be gradually accelerated to be higher than the maximum speed of the resonance period. For example, the rotation speed may be increased so that the rotation speed of the drum 40 becomes about 500 rpm. In the A-2 section, the plurality of mass bodies 53 of the balancer 150 may move to the positions for compensating for the eccentricity of the drum 40.

According to an example, the A-3 section of the graph may correspond to operation 540 of FIG. 5. In the A-3 section, the drum 40 may rotate at constant speed for a predetermined time and the laundry may be partially spin-dried.

According to an example, the section A-4 of the graph may correspond to operations 710 and 720 of FIG. 7A. For example, the entry into the A-4 section may be made when it is determined that the operation to be performed later in operation 640 of FIG. 6 is a rebalancing operation. In other words, the section A-4 may be a section in which the rebalancing operation is performed because the eccentricity value is equal to or larger than the first reference value and less than the second reference value. In the A-4 section, after reducing the rotational speed of the drum 40 to a speed within the resonance period, an operation of accelerating again is performed. In the section A-4, the eccentricity of the drum 40 may be compensated as the plurality of mass bodies 53 of the balancer 150 are rearranged.

According to an example, the section A-5 of the graph may correspond to operation 730 of FIG. 7A. For example, during the A-5 section, the drum 40 rotates at high speed, so that the laundry may be spin-dried in earnest. The rotation speed of the drum 40 in the section A-5 may be about 900 rpm.

According to an example, the section A-6 of the graph may be operation 560 of FIG. 5. In the A-6 section, the rotation of the drum 40 is stopped, and the dehydration cycle is terminated.

Referring to FIG. 8A, the processor 121 may pause the rotation of the drum 40 in operation 810, for example, when it is determined in operation 650 that the operation to be performed later is an operation of returning to the initial step of the dehydration cycle. When the eccentricity value of the drum 40 is larger than or equal to the second reference value, the eccentricity may not be sufficiently compensated by the rebalancing operation. Accordingly, the processor 121 may stop the rotation of the drum 40 without performing a rebalancing operation or a high-speed operation. If the rotation of the drum 40 is stopped, the attachment of the laundry to the inner circumferential surface of the drum 40 by the laundry winding operation may be released.

According to an example, in operation 820, the processor 121 may perform an initial operation of the dehydration cycle, for example, a laundry winding operation, again. Subsequently, in operation 830, the processor 121 may sequentially perform subsequent operations of FIG. 5, for example, operations 530 to 550. In operation 550, the processor 121 may compare the re-obtained eccentricity value with the first reference value and the second reference value to re-determine the next operation to be performed.

When the eccentricity value of the drum 40 is larger than the second reference value, even if a rebalancing operation is performed, significant vibration may occur, deteriorating the performance of the washer 1 or damaging the washer 1. In the disclosure, when the eccentricity value of the drum 40 is large enough to make it difficult to compensate by the balancer 150, the eccentricity generated by the laundry may be rearranged by performing the laundry winding operation again, and as a result, vibration in the high-speed operation may be reduced.

FIG. 8B is a graph illustrating a process of a dehydration cycle according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 8B, e.g., when the dehydration cycle is performed according to the determination in operation 650 of FIG. 6, the change in the rotation speed over time may be seen. The sections B-1, B-2, and B-3 shown in FIG. 8B are substantially the same as the sections A-1, A-2, and A-3 shown in FIG. 7B, and thus, are skipped from description.

According to an example, the section B-4 of the graph may correspond to operation 810 of FIG. 8A. When the eccentricity value of the drum 40 is larger than the second reference value, the rotation of the drum 40 may be stopped. If the drum 40 is stopped, the attachment of the laundry attached to the inner surface of the drum 40 may be released.

According to an example, the section B-5 of the graph may correspond to operation 820 of FIG. 8A. After the rotation of the drum 40 is stopped, the drum 40 may be accelerated again in the B-5 section, so that a laundry winding operation for making a new eccentricity may be performed.

The section B-6 shown in FIG. 8B is for a case where the re-measured eccentricity value of the drum 40 is compared with the first reference value and the second reference value and the processor 121 determines to perform a rebalancing operation, and is substantially the same as the sections A-2 to A-6 of FIG. 7B, and is thus skipped from description.

FIG. 9 is a graph illustrating a process of performing subsequent operations according to the determination in operation 620 of FIG. 6 according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 9, when the dehydration cycle is performed according to the determination in operation 620 of FIG. 6, the change in the rotation speed over time may be seen. FIG. 9 illustrates a graph of a speed change when a high-speed operation is immediately performed with the rebalancing operation skipped. The sections C-1, C-2, and C-3 shown in FIG. 9 are substantially the same as the sections A-1, A-2, and A-3 shown in FIG. 7B, and are skipped from description.

According to an example, when the eccentricity value of the drum 40 is less than or equal to the first reference value, the high-speed operation may be immediately entered with the rebalancing operation skipped, as in the C-4 section. If the eccentricity value of the drum 40 is small, even if the high-speed operation is entered immediately with the rebalancing operation skipped, the vibration is not large during the high-speed rotation of the drum 40, so that the high-speed operation may be performed normally. As described above, if the eccentricity value is less than the first reference value, the time required for the dehydration cycle may be shortened by skipping the rebalancing operation.

According to an example, the section C-5 of the graph may correspond to operation 560 of FIG. 5. In the section C-5, the rotation of the drum 40 is stopped, and the dehydration cycle is terminated.

FIG. 10 is a view illustrating a process of obtaining a vibration value of each of the front and rear of a drum using one vibration sensor according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

According to an example, the washer 1 may be configured to obtain vibration values of the front and rear of the drum 40 using one vibration sensor 106. For example, the washer 1 may be configured to obtain not only the vibration value of the front of the drum 40 but also the vibration value of the rear of the drum 40 using the vibration sensor 106 disposed in front of the drum 40.

According to an example, the vibration sensor 106 may be an IMU sensor. The IMU sensor, also called an inertial measurement device, is a device that measures the acceleration corresponding to the linear motion on each axis and the angular velocity corresponding to the rotational motion.

When the IMU sensor is used as the vibration sensor 106, the following equation may be used to measure not only the vibration value at the point where the IMU sensor is attached but also the vibration value at an arbitrary position away from the IMU sensor.

$\begin{matrix} [\begin{matrix} {\ddot{x}}_{p} \\ {\ddot{y}}_{p} \\ {\ddot{z}}_{p} \end{matrix}] = [\begin{matrix} 1 & 0 & 0 & 0 & Z_{p} - Z_{c} & - (Y_{p} - Y_{c}) \\ 0 & 1 & 0 & - (Z_{p} - Z_{c}) & 0 & X_{p} - X_{c} \\ 0 & 0 & 1 & (Y_{p} - Y_{c}) & - (X_{p} - X_{c}) & 0 \end{matrix}] [\begin{matrix} {\ddot{x}}_{c} \\ {\ddot{y}}_{c} \\ {\ddot{z}}_{c} \\ {\ddot{θ}}_{xc} \\ {\ddot{θ}}_{yc} \\ {\ddot{θ}}_{zc} \end{matrix}] & Equation 1 \end{matrix}$

Equation 1 is an equation for obtaining the acceleration on each axis at an arbitrary position (hereinafter, referred to as point P) (X_p, Y_p, Z_p) on the same coordinate system when the IMU sensor is positioned at (X_c, Y_c, Z_c) (hereinafter, referred to as point C) in the coordinate system. Here, {umlaut over (x)}_c, ÿ_c, {umlaut over (z)}_cmay refer to the linear acceleration on each axis at point C, and {umlaut over (θ)}_xc, {umlaut over (θ)}_yc, {umlaut over (θ)}_zcmay refer to the angular acceleration on each axis at point C. {umlaut over (x)}_c, ÿ_c, {umlaut over (z)}_c, {umlaut over (θ)}_xc, {umlaut over (θ)}_yc, {umlaut over (θ)}_zcmay be the acceleration and angular acceleration detected by the IMU sensor. Here, {umlaut over (x)}_p, ÿ_p, {umlaut over (z)}_pmay refer to the linear acceleration on each axis at point P.

In an example, point C may be the front of the drum 40 where the vibration sensor 106 is positioned, and point P may be the rear position of the drum 40 without the vibration sensor 106. Hereinafter, although an example is described in which the position of the vibration sensor 106 is disposed in front of the drum 40, it should be noted that the vibration values of the front and rear of the drum 40 may be obtained and used by the following description and Equation 1 wherever the vibration sensor 106 is disposed on the drum 40.

When the placement position (hereinafter, a front point) of the vibration sensor 106 corresponding to point C is designated as (0, 0, 0), and the position (hereinafter, a rear point) where the vibration value of the rear of the drum 40 corresponding to point P is to be measured is designated as (−p, 0, 0), the vibration values of the front and rear of the drum 40 may be measured by expanding Equation 1.

Hereinafter, a method of calculating the vibration values by expanding Equation 1 by substituting the coordinate values of a front point and a rear point is described in detail.

If Equation 1 is expanded by substituting the front point and the rear point, the rear vertical vibration of the drum 40 may be calculated as follows.

$\begin{matrix} Z_{p_{v}} = - \frac{1}{ω^{2}} {\ddot{z}}_{c} + p \int {\dot{θ}}_{y c} & Equation 2 \end{matrix}$

Here, Z_p_vis a variable representing the vertical vibration value (the vibration value in the Z-axis direction) of the rear of the drum 40.

If Equation 1 is expanded by substituting the front point and the rear point, the horizontal vibration of the rear of the drum 40 may be calculated as follows.

$\begin{matrix} Y_{p_{v}} = - \frac{1}{ω^{2}} {\ddot{y}}_{c} - p \int {\dot{θ}}_{zc} & Equation 3 \end{matrix}$

Here, Y_p_vis a variable representing the horizontal vibration value (the vibration value in the Y-axis direction) of the rear of the drum 40.

The total vibration value may be calculated by calculating the vertical vibration value and the horizontal vibration value calculated in Equations 2 and 3 as vectors.

$\begin{matrix} Y Z_{p_{v}} = \sqrt{Y_{p_{v}}^{2} + Z_{p v}^{2}} & Equation 4 \end{matrix}$

Here, YZ_p_v, is a variable representing the total vibration value of the rear of the drum 40.

According to an example, the washer 1 may measure the vibration value of the rear of the drum 40 using the vibration sensor 106 (e.g., an IMU sensor) disposed in front of the drum 40 using Equations 1 to 4.

The vibration value of the front of the drum 40 may be calculated using the acceleration value on each axis detected by the vibration sensor 106.

$\begin{matrix} Z_{C_{v}} = - \frac{1}{ω^{2}} {\ddot{Z}}_{c} & Equation 5 \end{matrix}$

$\begin{matrix} Y_{p_{v}} = - \frac{1}{ω^{2}} {\ddot{Y}}_{c} & Equation 6 \end{matrix}$

$\begin{matrix} Y Z_{c_{v}} = \sqrt{Y_{C_{v}}^{2} + Z_{C v}^{2}} & Equation 7 \end{matrix}$

Here, Z_C_vis a variable representing the vertical vibration value (vibration value in the Z-axis direction) of the front of the drum 40, and Y_C_vis a variable representing the horizontal vibration value (vibration value in the Y-axis direction) of the front of the drum 40. Here, YZ_C_vis a variable indicating the total vibration value of the front of the drum 40.

According to an example, the washer 1 may measure the vibration value of the front of the drum 40 using Equations 1 and Equations 5 to 7.

According to an example, the number of vibration sensors 106 disposed to the washer 1 may be reduced by measuring the vibration values at two or more places using one vibration sensor 106 using the above equations. As a result, it is possible to reduce the manufacturing costs of the washer 1. For example, the washer 1 may calculate the vibration value at any position of the drum 40 as well as the front of the drum 40 and the rear of the drum 40 with one vibration sensor 106 using the above equations.

FIG. 11 illustrates an operation flow of determining an operation mode based on eccentricity values when eccentricity values at a plurality of positions, for example, eccentricity values of the front and rear, respectively, on the drum 40 are obtained using one sensor in, for example, the environment of FIG. 10. In FIG. 11, the first reference value and the second reference value may be set according to the same criteria as those of the first reference value and the second reference value in FIG. 6, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. In an example, the first reference value and the second reference value may be determined to differ for each eccentricity value, and the disclosure is not limited to a specific case.

Hereinafter, the first eccentricity value and the second eccentricity value may refer to eccentricity values estimated or obtained at different positions. For example, the first eccentricity value may be an eccentricity value of the front of the drum 40, and the second eccentricity value may be an eccentricity value of the rear of the drum 40.

Referring to FIG. 11, the processor 121 may first determine whether both the first eccentricity value and the second eccentricity value are less than the first reference value in operation 1110. When it is determined that both the first eccentricity value and the second eccentricity value are less than the first reference value, in operation 1120, the processor 121 may determine that an operation to be performed later is a high-speed rotation operation. In this case, even if the washer 1 enters the high-speed rotation operation immediately without a rebalancing operation, the washer 1 would not be burdened. For example, operation 1120 may be the same operation as operation 620 of FIG. 6.

According to an example, when it is determined in operation 1110 that both the first eccentricity value and the second eccentricity value are not less than the first reference value, it may be determined whether at least one of the first eccentricity value or the second eccentricity value is larger than or equal to the second reference value in operation 1130. When either the first eccentricity value or the second eccentricity value is larger than or equal to the second reference value, vibration large enough to damage the washer 1 during a high-speed operation may be generated even when the rebalancing operation is performed. According to an example, when the processor 121 determines that at least one of the first eccentricity value or the second eccentricity value is larger than or equal to the second reference value, in operation 1140, the processor 121 may determine that the operation to be performed later is an operation of returning to the initial step of the dehydration cycle in which the rotation is paused and the laundry winding is performed again. For example, operation 1140 may be the same operation as operation 650 of FIG. 6. For the detailed description of operation 1140, the descriptions of FIGS. 8A and 8B may be referred to.

According to an example, when it is determined in operation 1130 that at least one of the first eccentricity value or the second eccentricity value is not larger than or equal to the second reference value, in operation 1150, the processor 121 may determine that the operation to be performed later is a rebalancing operation. For example, operation 1150 may be the same operation as operation 640 of FIG. 6. For a detailed description of operation 1150, the descriptions of FIGS. 7A and 7B may be referred to.

The flowchart illustrated in FIG. 11, and operations 1110 and 1130 are not necessarily performed in sequence. For example, operation 1130 may be performed before operation 1110. The processor 121 may make various changes to the order of determining other operation modes according to the eccentricity value using first reference value and the second reference value. For example, if both the first eccentricity value and the second eccentricity value are less than the first reference value, the processor 121 may perform a high-speed operation and, if either the first eccentricity value or the second eccentricity value is the second reference value or more, the processor 121 may return to the initial operation of the dehydration cycle, and in other cases, may perform a rebalancing operation.

It will be appreciated that various embodiments of the disclosure according to the claims and description in the specification can be realized in the form of hardware, software or a combination of hardware and software.

Any such software may be stored in non-transitory computer readable storage media. The non-transitory computer readable storage media store one or more computer programs (software modules), the one or more computer programs include computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of an electronic device individually or collectively, cause the electronic device to perform a method of the disclosure.

Any such software may be stored in the form of volatile or non-volatile storage such as, for example, a storage device like read only memory (ROM), whether erasable or rewritable or not, or in the form of memory such as, for example, random access memory (RAM), memory chips, device or integrated circuits or on an optically or magnetically readable medium such as, for example, a compact disk (CD), digital versatile disc (DVD), magnetic disk or magnetic tape or the like. It will be appreciated that the storage devices and storage media are various embodiments of non-transitory machine-readable storage that are suitable for storing a computer program or computer programs comprising instructions that, when executed, implement various embodiments of the disclosure. Accordingly, various embodiments provide a program comprising code for implementing apparatus or a method as claimed in any one of the claims of this specification and a non-transitory machine-readable storage storing such a program.

While the disclosure has been shown and described with reference to various embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

	Number	Date	Country
Parent	PCT/KR2023/010156	Jul 2023	WO
Child	19069878		US

WASHING MACHINE AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING SPIN-DRYING OPERATION THEREOF

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