US 11,299,837 B2Granted

Washing machine and method for controlling washing machine

AssigneeSamsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

InventorsHyun Gu Cho, Young Chul Jo, Koang Hun Ryu

Life of this patent

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Abstract

Disclosed herein are a washing machine and a method for controlling a washing machine. The washing machine may include: a body; a tub provided inside of the body to store water; a detergent supply unit disposed adjacent to the tub to supply detergent to the tub during an operating mode for washing laundry and to receive water during a cleaning mode; and a controller configured to allow a cleaning of the detergent supply unit to be performed by controlling a flow of water of the detergent supply unit and the tub during the cleaning mode of the detergent supply unit. The present disclosure may be possible to keep the washing machine clean by automatically cleaning a detergent supply unit. In addition, it may be possible to improve the quality and the reliability of the product by automatically cleaning a detergent supply unit by using an input.

Claims6

Dependent claims

A method for controlling a washing machine having a body, a tub, a drum, and a detergent supply unit, and having an operating mode for washing laundry and a cleaning mode, comprising:

detecting, by a detergent container detector, whether a detergent container of the detergent supply unit is separated from a housing of the detergent supply unit or not separated from the housing of the detergent supply unit;
controlling, by a controller, a flow of water to the detergent supply unit to clean at least the housing based on the washing machine being in the cleaning mode and the detergent container detector detecting the detergent container is separated from the housing;
and
controlling, by the controller, the flow of water so that the detergent contained in the detergent container is supplied to the tub for washing laundry based on the washing machine being in the operating mode for washing laundry and the detergent container detector detecting the detergent container is not separated from the housing.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/733,899Filed 3 Jan 2020 · continuation
Priority: KR 10-2014-005255230 Apr 2014
Published: US 2020/0141039 A17 May 2020
Granted: 12 Apr 2022
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification12 codes

D06F 33/43
Control of washing machines characterised by the purpose or target of the control: control of cleaning or disinfection of washing machine parts,…
D06F 37/04
Rotary receptacles, e.g. drums: adapted for rotation or oscillation about a horizontal or inclined axis
D06F 39/02
Details of washing machines not specific to a single type of machines covered by groups D06F9/00 - D06F27/00: devices for adding soap or other…
D06F 39/085
Liquid discharge or recirculation arrangements: arrangements or adaptations of pumps

Family

PCT/KR2014/006920Parent of this continuation · filed 29 Jul 2014
US 2020/0141039 A1Pre-grant publication · published 7 May 2020
Application15/307,193Parent of this continuation
US 10,526,738 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2017/0159221 A1Published application
US 11,299,837 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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