Washing machine and rinsing control method of the same

Abstract

Disclosed herein are a washing machine and a rinsing control method of the same that is capable of increasing spin-drying RPM before the final rinsing, such that the spin-drying RPM before the final rinsing is higher by a specific percentage than a predetermined RPM, to strongly squeeze out residual detergent, contained in laundry, from the laundry, and adding soaked rinsing time, during the final rinsing, to completely dissolve residual detergent contained in laundry, thereby improving the rinsing efficiency. The washing machine includes a rotary drum to receive laundry and a motor to rotate the rotary drum. The rinsing control method includes determining whether a current operation is a rinsing operation, and, when the current operation is the rinsing operation, controlling intermediate spin-drying RPM and rinsing time to remove residual detergent from the laundry.

1 . A rinsing control method of a washing machine including a rotary drum to receive laundry and detergent and a motor to rotate the rotary drum, the rinsing control method comprising:
 determining whether a current spin-drying process is an intermediate spin-drying during rinsing; and   when the current spin-drying process is the intermediate spin-drying, operating the motor at the number of rotations greater than a predetermined spin-drying revolutions per minute (RPM) to perform high-speed spin-drying through high-speed rotation of the rotary drum.   
   
   
       2 . The rinsing control method according to  claim 1 , wherein the intermediate spin-drying during rinsing is spin-drying before a final rinsing. 
   
   
       3 . The rinsing control method according to  claim 1 , wherein the number of rotations of the motor is greater by at least 10% than the predetermined spin-drying RPM. 
   
   
       4 . The rinsing control method according to  claim 3 , wherein the number of rotations of the motor is greater by 10% to 20% than the predetermined spin-drying RPM. 
   
   
       5 . The rinsing control method according to  claim 2 , wherein performing the high-speed spin-drying includes
 rotating the motor at a high speed to squeeze out residual detergent, contained in the laundry, from the laundry during the intermediate spin-drying before the final rinsing.   
   
   
       6 . A rinsing control method of a washing machine including a rotary drum to receive laundry and detergent and a motor to rotate the rotary drum, the rinsing control method comprising:
 determining whether a current rinsing process is a final rinsing; and   when the current rinsing process is the final rinsing, controlling rinsing time to remove residual detergent from the laundry.   
   
   
       7 . The rinsing control method according to  claim 6 , wherein controlling the rinsing time includes
 adding soaked rinsing time to a predetermined rinsing time to increase the rinsing time.   
   
   
       8 . The rinsing control method according to  claim 7 , wherein rinsing and soaking processes are repeated at regular intervals, during the soaked rinsing time, to dissolve the residual detergent in the laundry. 
   
   
       9 . The rinsing control method according to  claim 7 , wherein the soaked rinsing time is at least 5 minutes. 
   
   
       10 . The rinsing control method according to  claim 9 , wherein the soaked rinsing time is 5 to 10 minutes. 
   
   
       11 . The rinsing control method according to  claim 7 , wherein the soaked rinsing time is variable depending upon the amount of laundry. 
   
   
       12 . A rinsing control method of a washing machine including a rotary drum to receive laundry and detergent and a motor to rotate the rotary drum, the rinsing control method comprising:
 determining whether a current operation is a rinsing operation; and   when the current operation is the rinsing operation, controlling intermediate spin-drying revolutions per minute (RPM) and rinsing time to remove residual detergent from the laundry.   
   
   
       13 . The rinsing control method according to  claim 12 , wherein controlling the intermediate spin-drying RPM includes
 operating the motor at a number of rotations greater than a predetermined spin-drying RPM, during a spin-drying process before a final rinsing, to perform high-speed spin-drying through high-speed rotation of the rotary drum.   
   
   
       14 . The rinsing control method according to  claim 12 , wherein controlling the rinsing time includes
 adding soaked rinsing time to a predetermined rinsing time, during a final rinsing, to increase the rinsing time.   
   
   
       15 . A washing machine comprising:
 a rotary drum to receive laundry and detergent;   a motor to rotate the rotary drum; and   a control unit to control a spin-drying process, during rinsing to remove residual detergent from the laundry, by operating the motor at a number of rotations greater than a predetermined spin-drying revolutions per minute (RPM) to perform high-speed spin-drying through high-speed rotation of the rotary drum.   
   
   
       16 . The washing machine according to  claim 15 , wherein the control unit controls the motor to perform the high-speed spin-drying during an intermediate spin-drying process before a final rinsing. 
   
   
       17 . The washing machine according to  claim 15 , wherein the motor is operated at the number of rotations greater by at least 10% than the predetermined spin-drying RPM. 
   
   
       18 . The washing machine according to  claim 17 , wherein the motor is operated at the number of rotations greater by 10% to 20% than the predetermined spin-drying RPM. 
   
   
       19 . A washing machine comprising:
 a rotary drum to receive laundry and detergent;   a motor to rotate the rotary drum; and   a control unit to determine whether a current rinsing process is a final rinsing, and, when the current rinsing process is the final rinsing, control rinsing time to remove residual detergent from the laundry.   
   
   
       20 . The washing machine according to  claim 19 , wherein the control unit adds soaked rinsing time, during which rinsing and soaking processes are repeated, to a predetermined rinsing time, to increase the rinsing time when the current rinsing process in the final rinsing process.