Laundry treating machine

Abstract

A laundry treating machine is provided. The laundry treating machine may include a tub to receive wash water, a drum rotatably provided in the tub, an air supply device to supply air to the tub, a lint filter to filter lint from the air circulated by the air supply device, a filter cleaning device to supply cleaning water to the lint filter to remove the lint from the lint filter, and a cooling water supply device to supply cooling water to an inner surface of the tub such that moisture contained in air is condensed at the inner surface of the tub.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of controlling a laundry treating machine including a tub to receive wash water, a drum rotatably provided in the tub, an air supplier to supply air to the tub, a lint filter to filter lint from the air circulated by the air supplier, a filter cleaner to supply cleaning water to the lint filter so as to remove the lint from the lint filter, a wash water supplier to supply the wash water to the tub, and a cleaning water supplier to supply the cleaning water to the filter cleaner, the laundry machine configured to perform a washing cycle, a rinsing cycle, a spin-drying cycle, and a drying cycle, the method comprising:
 supplying the wash water via the wash water supplier during the washing cycle and the rinsing cycle; and   supplying the cleaning water to the filter cleaner via the cleaning water supplier during the drying cycle,   wherein the supplying of the cleaning water is performed independently of the supplying of the wash water.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the tub is provided with a cooling water supplier to supply cooling water to a condensing surface formed in a portion of an inner surface of the tub such that condensed water is generated on the condensing surface. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 2 , further comprising supplying the cooling water to the condensing surface of the tub by the cooling water supplier during the drying cycle. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein the supplying of the cooling water is performed selectively or independently of the supplying of the wash water. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein the supplying of the cooling water is performed selectively or independently of the supplying of the cleaning water. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 3 , further comprising draining the cooling water and the condensing water after the supplying of the cooling water. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein a supply time and interval of cooling water supplied in the supplying of the cooling water is shorter than a drainage time and interval of the cooling water and the condensing water drained in the draining. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the cooling water supplier includes:
 a cooling water valve to control supply of the cooling water from an external water supply source;   a cooling water line that provides a route along which the cooling water flows, a flow of the cooling water in the cooling water line controlled by the cooling water valve; and   a cooling water nozzle fixed to the tub to spray the cooling water to a rear surface of the tub.   
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the wash water supplier includes:
 a wash water valve to control supply of the wash water from an external water supply source;   a wash water line that provides a route along which the wash water flows, a flow of wash water in the wash water line controlled by the wash water valve; and   a detergent supplier to supply detergent to the tub.   
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 9 , further comprising:
 mixing the wash water from the wash water line and the detergent from the detergent supplier; and   supplying a mixture of the wash water and detergent to the tub.   
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the cleaning water supplier includes:
 a cleaning water valve to control supply of the cleaning water from an external water supply source; and   a cleaning water line that provides a route along which the cleaning water flows to guide the cleaning water to the filter cleaner.   
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the air supplier is located at an upper portion of the tub to collect air on an outer circumference of the tub and to supply the air to a front of the tub. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein the air supplier includes:
 an air collection port formed through the outer circumference of the tub;   a fan located at an upper portion of the air collection port to move air;   a heating duct to heat the air moved by the fan; and   an air discharge port to supply the air heated by the heating duct to the front of the tub.   
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein the lint filter is located inside the air collection port, and the filter cleaner sprays the wash water from the inside of the air collection port to an inside of the tub. 
     
     
         15 . A method of controlling a laundry treating machine including a tub to receive wash water, a drum rotatably provided in the tub, an air supplier to supply air to the tub, a lint filter to filter lint from the air circulated by the air supplier, a filter cleaner to supply cleaning water to the lint filter so as to remove the lint from the lint filter, a wash water supplier to supply the wash water to the tub, a cleaning water supplier to supply the cleaning water to the filter cleaner, a detergent supplier connected to the water supplier to supply detergent to the tub, and a cooling water supplier to supply cooling water to a condensing surface formed in a portion of an inner surface of the tub, the laundry machine configured to perform a washing cycle, a rinsing cycle, a spin-drying cycle, and a drying cycle, the method comprising:
 supplying the detergent via the detergent supplier to a wash water line of the wash water supplier;   mixing the detergent and the wash water to make a mixture in the wash water line;   supplying the mixture via the wash water line during the washing cycle and the rinsing cycle; and   supplying the cleaning water to the filter cleaner via the cleaning water supplier during the drying cycle,   wherein the supplying of the cleaning water is performed independently of the supplying of the mixture.   
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 15 , further comprising supplying the cooling water to the condensing surface of the tub by the cooling water supplier during the drying cycle. 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein the supplying of the cooling water is performed selectively or independently of the supplying of the wash water and the supplying of the cleaning water