# US 11,078,612 B2 · Washing machine and method of controlling the same

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- Number: US 11,078,612 B2
- Document ID: US11078612B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/700,759
- Filed: 2019-12-02
- Published: 2020-04-02
- Granted: 2021-08-03
- Earliest claimed: 2015-05-11
- Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Seung Eun Chung; Da Eun Kim; In Sik Park; Dong Woo Lee; Jin Young Choi; Jin Han Kim; Hyun Soo Park; Sung Chan Yun; Seok-Mo Chang
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11078612B2

## CPC

- D06F 39/04: Heating arrangements
- D06F 17/04: solely by water jets
- D06F 33/00: Control of operations performed in washing machines or washer-dryers (D06F31/00 takes precedence; details of control systems therefor D06F34/00; control of operations performed in domestic laundry dryers D06F58/32)
- D06F 17/10: Impellers
- D06F 29/00: Combinations of a washing machine with other separate apparatus in a common frame or the like, e.g. with rinsing apparatus
- D06F 34/18: Condition of the laundry, e.g. nature or weight
- D06F 34/22: Condition of the washing liquid, e.g. turbidity
- D06F 35/003: {using electrochemical cells}
- D06F 35/005: {Methods for washing, rinsing or spin-drying}
- D06F 37/04: adapted for rotation or oscillation about a horizontal or inclined axis
- D06F 37/06: Ribs, lifters, or rubbing means forming part of the receptacle
- D06F 37/12: adapted for rotation or oscillation about a vertical axis
- D06F 37/14: Ribs or rubbing means forming part of the receptacle
- D06F 37/20: Mountings, e.g. resilient mountings, for the rotary receptacle, motor, tub or casing; Preventing or damping vibrations
- D06F 39/088: {Liquid supply arrangements}
- D06F 39/14: Doors or covers; Securing means therefor
- D06F 2103/04: Quantity, e.g. weight or variation of weight
- D06F 2103/16: Washing liquid temperature
- D06F 2103/44: Current or voltage
- D06F: LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES

## Abstract

A washing machine which performs a washing operation by heating water, a detergent, or a wash liquid using a dielectric heating method and a method of controlling the washing machine. The washing machine may include a water supply portion which supplies a wash liquid including water and a detergent, a power supply portion which supplies alternating current (AC) power, and an electric field forming portion which forms an electric field between a first electrode portion and a second electrode portion according to the AC power to heat the supplied wash liquid.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method comprising:
supplying a wash liquid comprising water and a detergent to a washing space of a washing machine;
sensing, in the washing space, a state of at least one of the wash liquid and laundry comprising the wash liquid, and providing a sensing result of the sensing; and
forming, in the washing space, an electric field between a first electrode portion in the washing space and a second electrode portion in the washing space, with the laundry comprising the wash liquid being in the washing space, so as to expose the laundry to the electric field when the laundry is between the first electrode portion and the second electrode portion, by supplying alternating current (AC) power at a level corresponding to the sensing result to the second electrode portion.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the sensing comprises sensing, in the washing space, at least one of a weight of the wash liquid, a temperature of the wash liquid, a volume of the wash liquid, a weight of the laundry comprising the wash liquid, a temperature of the laundry comprising the wash liquid, and a volume of the laundry comprising the wash liquid.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the forming comprises performing impedance matching based load impedance of the laundry according to the sensing result.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
spacing the first electrode portion and the second electrode portion to be apart by a distance corresponding to the sensing result.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
heating the wash liquid in the washing space using the electric field.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein
the forming comprises alternately forming electric fields in the washing space according to a frequency of the supplied AC power, and
the heating comprises heating the wash liquid by vibrating ions in the wash liquid according to the alternately formed electric fields.

### Claim 7

A method comprising:
supplying a wash liquid comprising water and a detergent to a washing space of a washing machine;
sensing, in the washing space, at least one of weight of the wash liquid, volume of the wash liquid, weight of laundry comprising the wash liquid, and volume of the laundry comprising the wash liquid, and providing a sensing result of the sensing; and
forming, in the washing space, an electric field between a first electrode portion in the washing space and a second electrode portion in the washing space, with the laundry comprising the wash liquid being in the washing space, so as to expose the laundry to the electric field when the laundry is between the first electrode portion and the second electrode portion, by supplying alternating current (AC) power at a level corresponding to the sensing result to the second electrode portion.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein the sensing senses the weight of the wash liquid.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein the sensing senses the volume of the wash liquid.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein the sensing senses the weight of the laundry comprising the wash liquid.

### Claim 11 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein the sensing senses the volume of the laundry comprising the wash liquid.

### Claim 12 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein the forming comprises performing impedance matching based load impedance of the laundry according to the sensing result.