Washing machine

Abstract

A washing machine that senses whether a door is opened or closed, vibration of a washing tub or weight of the washing tub. The washing machine includes an optical sensor mounted at a predetermined position in the washing machine and a controller to analyze an output value of the optical sensor to determine whether a door is opened or closed, vibration of a washing tub or weight of the washing tub. Whether the door is opened or closed, vibration of the washing tub or weight of the washing tub may be determined using a single infrared sensor in a noncontact manner.

1 . A washing machine comprising:
 a machine body having a washing tub;   a top cover to cover a top of the machine body;   a door connected to the top cover by a hinge so that the door is opened and closed;   an optical sensor comprising a light emission part mounted to the door, a direction in which the light emission part irradiates light varying depending upon movement of the door, and a light receiving part to receive the light irradiated from the light emission part and to output a signal corresponding in a magnitude to an amount of the received light; and   a controller to analyze the signal output from the light receiving part to determine whether the door is opened or closed and to control an operation of the washing machine based upon the determination result.   
     
     
         2 . The washing machine according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the light emission part is mounted to a rear part of the door adjacent to the hinge, and   the light receiving part is mounted in parallel to the light emission part to output a signal corresponding in a magnitude to an amount of light irradiated from the light emission part and reflected from a first reflection plate in the top cover or an interior of the machine body.   
     
     
         3 . The washing machine according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the light emission part is mounted to irradiate light toward a front of the washing machine when the door is opened, and   the first reflection plate is mounted to a rear part of the top cover so that the first reflection plate faces the light emission part when the door is opened.   
     
     
         4 . The washing machine according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the light emission part is mounted to irradiate light toward a front of the washing machine when the door is opened, and   the first reflection plate is configured by interconnecting corresponding sides of two rectangular planes in an L shape, a vertical plane of the first reflection plate reflecting the light irradiated from the light emission part when the door is opened.   
     
     
         5 . The washing machine according to  claim 4 , wherein a horizontal plane of the first reflection plate is configured so as not to extend to a position where the light emission part irradiates light when the door is closed. 
     
     
         6 . A washing machine comprising:
 a machine body having a washing tub;   a top cover to cover a top of the machine body;   a door connected to the top cover by a hinge so that the door is opened and closed;   a structural body moving according to opening and closing of the door;   an optical sensor comprising a light emission part mounted to the structural body, a direction in which the light emission part irradiates light varying depending upon movement of the structural body, and a light receiving part to receive the light irradiated from the light emission part and to output a signal corresponding in a magnitude to an amount of the received light; and   a controller to analyze the signal output from the light receiving part to determine whether the door is opened or closed and to control an operation of the washing machine based upon the determination result.   
     
     
         7 . The washing machine according to  claim 6 , wherein
 the structural body is formed in a shape of ‘ ’ and is mounted to a rear part of the top cover in a state in which a hinge is connected to a bent part of the structural body so that an end of a rear part of the door lifts a door contact part of the structural body when the door is moved,   the light emission part is mounted in a sensor mounting part provided at a lower end of the structural body, and   the light receiving part is mounted in parallel to the light emission part to output a signal corresponding in a magnitude to an amount of light irradiated from the light emission part and reflected from a first reflection plate in the top cover or an interior of the machine body.   
     
     
         8 . The washing machine according to  claim 7 , wherein
 the light emission part is mounted to irradiate light toward a lower side of the washing machine when the door is closed, and   the first reflection plate is configured by interconnecting corresponding sides of two rectangular planes in an L shape, a vertical plane of the first reflection plate reflecting the light irradiated from the light emission part when the door is opened.   
     
     
         9 . The washing machine according to  claim 8 , wherein a horizontal plane of the first reflection plate is configured so as not to extend to a position where the light emission part irradiates light when the door is closed. 
     
     
         10 . A washing machine comprising:
 a machine body having a washing tub;   a top cover to cover a top of the machine body;   a door connected to the top cover by a hinge so that the door is opened and closed;   a structural body moving according to opening and closing of the door;   an optical sensor comprising a light emission part mounted to the structural body, a position at which the light emission part irradiates light varying depending upon movement of the structural body, and a light receiving part to receive the light irradiated from the light emission part and to output a signal corresponding in a magnitude to an amount of the received light; and   a controller to analyze the signal output from the light receiving part to determine whether the door is opened or closed and to control an operation of the washing machine based upon the determination result.   
     
     
         11 . The washing machine according to  claim 10 , wherein
 the structural body comprises a first structural body having a protrusion formed at one lateral side of an upper part thereof and a second structural body, in which the first structural body is received, a portion of an upper part of the second structural body being open so that the protrusion of the first structural body is exposed outward, a portion of a bottom of the second structural body being open, the remaining portion of the bottom of the second structural body being closed,   the light emission part is mounted to a bottom of the first structural body to irradiate light downward, and   the light receiving part is mounted in parallel to the light emission part to output a signal corresponding in a magnitude to an amount of light irradiated from the light emission part and reflected from the closed portion of the second structural body or an interior of the machine body.   
     
     
         12 . The washing machine according to  claim 11 , wherein
 when the door is closed, an end of a rear part of the door pushes the protrusion of the first structural body so that the light emission part is located above the open portion of the second structural body, and   when the door is opened, the first structural body returns to an original position thereof so that the light emission part is located above the closed portion of the second structural body.   
     
     
         13 . A washing machine comprising:
 a machine body having a washing tub;   a top cover to cover a top of the machine body;   a door connected to the top cover by a hinge so that the door is opened and closed;   an optical sensor comprising a light emission part mounted to a rear part of the top cover and a light receiving part mounted in parallel to the light emission part;   a sensing lever provided between a rear part of the door and the optical sensor so as to move according to opening and closing of the door, the sensing lever having a screening member to screen the optical sensor according to movement of the sensing lever; and   a controller to analyze the signal output from the light receiving part to determine whether the door is opened or closed and to control an operation of the washing machine based upon the determination result.   
     
     
         14 . The washing machine according to  claim 13 , wherein
 the optical sensor is mounted to irradiate light to an inner lower part of the machine body, and   the sensing lever comprises a structural body formed in a shape of ‘ ’ and a screening member mounted to a portion vertically extending downward from a bent part of the structural body, the sensing lever being mounted to a rear part of the top cover so that the screening member screens the optical sensor when the door is opened and so that an end of a rear part of the door lifting a door contact part horizontally extending from the bent part of the sensing lever and thus the screening member does not screen the optical sensor when the door is closed.   
     
     
         15 . The washing machine according to any one of  claim 1 ,  6 ,  10  or  13 , wherein
 the light emission part is mounted to irradiate light to an inner lower part of the machine body when the door is closed, and 
 the light receiving part is mounted in parallel to the light emission part. 
 
     
     
         16 . The washing machine according to  claim 15 , further comprising a second reflection plate mounted to a circumference of the washing tub within a light irradiation region of the optical sensor. 
     
     
         17 . The washing machine according to  claim 15 , wherein the controller determines that the washing tub does not abnormally vibrate if the signal output from the light receiving part during rotation of the washing tub is uniform, and determines that the washing tub abnormally vibrates if the signal output from the light receiving part during rotation of the washing tub fluctuates and controls the operation of the washing machine based on a determination result. 
     
     
         18 . The washing machine according to  claim 15 , wherein the controller stores a pattern of a signal output from the light receiving part during normal rotation of the washing tub without abnormal vibration in a database and compares the signal output from the light receiving part during rotation of the washing tub with the stored pattern to determine whether the washing tub abnormally vibrates or whether vibration of the washing tub is high or low and to control the operation of the washing machine based on a determination result. 
     
     
         19 . The washing machine according to  claim 16 , wherein the controller determines that weight of the washing tub has increased if the signal output from the light receiving part decreases in a state in which the washing tub is stopped, determines that the weight of the washing tub has decreased if the signal output from the light receiving part increases in a state in which the washing tub is stopped, determines a changed amount of the weight of the washing tub based on an changed amount of the output signal, and controls the operation of the washing machine based on a determination result. 
     
     
         20 . A washing machine comprising:
 a machine body having a washing tub;   an optical sensor comprising a light emission part mounted at one side or one corner of the machine body at an inside thereof to irradiate light and a light receiving part mounted in parallel to the light emission part to receive the light irradiated from the light emission part and to output a signal corresponding in a magnitude to an amount of the received light;   a second reflection plate mounted to an outside of the washing tub so that the second reflection plate faces the optical sensor, the second reflection plate having a plurality of colors exhibiting different reflectances of the light irradiated from the light emission part, the colors being vertically arranged in order of reflectance; and   a controller to analyze the signal output from the light receiving part to determine whether the washing tub vibrates and whether weight of the washing tub has increased and to control an operation of the washing machine based upon the determination result.   
     
     
         21 . The washing machine according to  claim 20 , wherein the controller determines that the washing tub does not abnormally vibrate if the signal output from the light receiving part during rotation of the washing tub is uniform and determines that the washing tub abnormally vibrates if the signal output from the light receiving part during rotation of the washing tub fluctuates. 
     
     
         22 . The washing machine according to  claim 21 , wherein the controller determines that weight of the washing tub has varied if the signal output from the light receiving part varies in a state in which the washing tub is stopped and determines a changed amount of the weight of the washing tub using a changed amount of the signal output from the light receiving part. 
     
     
         23 . A washing machine comprising:
 a machine body having a washing tub;   a top cover to cover a top of the machine body;   a door connected to the top cover by a hinge so that the door is opened and closed;   a single optical sensor comprising a light emission part and a light receiving part to receive the light irradiated from the light emission part and to output a signal corresponding in a magnitude to an amount of the received light; and   a controller to analyze the signal output from the light receiving part to determine whether the door is opened or closed, determine whether the washing tub vibrates and determine whether weight of the washing tub has increased and to control an operation of the washing machine based upon the determination result.