Control method of a laundry machine

Abstract

A laundry machine and a control method thereof are provided in which laundering ability may be improved while also improving efficiency and noise/vibration. The laundry machine employs a plurality of drum motions by varying drum rotational speed, drum rotational direction, and drum starting and stopping point, to provide different motion of laundry items in the drum.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of operating a laundry machine including a tub to store water therein and a drum provided in the tub to store laundry therein, the method comprising:
 implementing a first motion that comprises rotating the drum in a clockwise direction and a counter-clockwise direction alternately; and   implementing a second motion that comprises:
 rotating the drum in one of a clockwise direction or a counterclockwise direction at a first RPM that generates centrifugal force equal to or greater than 1 G; 
 rotating the drum at a second RPM that is lower than the first RPM without a change in rotation direction, the second RPM generating centrifugal force equal to or greater than 1 G; and 
 repeating rotating the drum at the first RPM and rotating the drum at the second RPM. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of clam  1 , wherein the second motion makes the laundry in the drum remain to be drawn toward an inner surface of the drum by centrifugal force. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second motion further comprises spraying water into the drum. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein spraying water into the drum sprays water supplied by a supply path connected to a water source. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein spraying water into the drum sprays water discharged from the tub by a pump that discharges the water in the tub and a circulation path that supplies the water discharged from the pump to the tub. 
     
     
         6 . The method of clam  1 , wherein the first motion comprises:
 rotating the drum in one of a clockwise direction or a counterclockwise direction at an RPM that generates centrifugal force less than 1 G; and   rotating the drum in the other one of a clockwise direction or a counterclockwise direction at an RPM that generates centrifugal force less than 1 G.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the first motion makes the laundry in the drum drop by the weight of the laundry before the drum rotates 90 degrees. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the first motion makes laundry in the drum move only within a lower half of the drum. 
     
     
         9 . The method of clam  1 , wherein the first motion comprises:
 rotating the drum in a clockwise direction at an RPM that generates centrifugal force less than 1 G;   stop the rotation of the drum when the drum rotates 90 degrees in the clockwise direction;   rotating the drum in a counterclockwise direction at an RPM that generates centrifugal force less than 1 G; and   stop the rotation of the drum when the drum rotates 90 degrees in the counterclockwise direction.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the first motion makes laundry in the drum move only within a lower half of the drum. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the laundry in the drum separates from an inner surface of the drum when the drum stops. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the implementation of the first motion and the implementation of the second motion performed consecutively. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the implementation of the second motion and the implementation of the first motion performed consecutively. 
     
     
         14 . A method of operating a laundry machine including a tub to store water therein and a drum provided in the tub to store laundry therein, the method comprising:
 implementing a first motion that comprises rotating the drum in a clockwise direction and a counter-clockwise direction alternately; and   implementing a second motion that comprises:
 accelerating a rotation of the drum in one of a clockwise direction or a counterclockwise direction to draw laundry toward an inner surface of the drum; 
 decelerating the rotation of the drum without a change in rotation direction not to allow the laundry to fall from the inner surface of the drum; and 
 repeating the accelerating the rotation of the drum and the decelerating the rotation of the drum. 
   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the rotation speed in accelerating and decelerating the rotation of the drum is an RPM that generates centrifugal force equal to or greater than 1 G. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the second motion further comprises spraying water into the drum. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein spraying water into the drum sprays water supplied by a supply path connected to a water source. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein spraying water into the drum sprays water discharged from the tub by a pump that discharges the water in the tub and a circulation path that supplies the water discharged from the pump to the tub. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the first motion makes laundry in the drum move only within a lower half of the drum.