Washing machine and method for controlling same

Abstract

A washer comprising: a first heater to heat washing water; a second heater to heat air; a fan to guide air; a memory to store one or more programs; and a controller which is electrically connectable to the first heater, the second heater, the blower fan, and the memory. The washer is controlled by the controller to sequentially perform a washing cycle, a first rinsing cycle, a second rinsing cycle, a spin-drying cycle, and a drying cycle, wherein the second rinsing cycle includes an operation of heating the washing water through the first heater and an operation of rotating the drum, and the spin-drying cycle may include heating the air through the second heater in at least a part of a section based on a rotation speed of the drum, and guiding the heated air into the drum by using the blower fan.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A washer, comprising:
 a first heater to heat water;   a second heater to heat air;   a fan to guide air to an inside of a drum;   a memory to store one or more programs; and   a controller electrically connectable with the first heater, the second heater, the fan, and the memory so that while the controller is connected with the first heater, the second heater, the fan, and the memory, one or more instructions of the one or more programs stored in the memory is executed to thereby control the washer by the controller to sequentially perform a washing cycle, a first rinsing cycle, a second rinsing cycle, a spin-drying cycle, and a drying cycle,   wherein the second rinsing cycle includes heating the washing water through the first heater and spinning the drum, and   wherein the spin-drying cycle includes heating the air through the second heater in at least some sections based on a spin speed of the drum and guiding the heated air to the inside of the drum using the blower fan.   
     
     
         2 . The washer of  claim 1 , wherein the controller spins the drum at a first RPM or less in the second rinsing cycle and spins the drum at a second RPM or less in at least some sections of the spin-drying cycle, and
 wherein the first RPM is set to a value smaller than the second RPM.   
     
     
         3 . The washer of  claim 2 , wherein the at least some sections of the spin-drying cycle where the second heater operates is identified as a section during which a spin speed of the drum is the second RPM or less. 
     
     
         4 . The washer of  claim 2 , wherein the first RPM is set in a range of 0 to 200 RPM, and the second RPM is set in a range of 10 to 400 RPM. 
     
     
         5 . The washer of  claim 1 , wherein the controller operates the fan while the spin-drying cycle is performed, and operates the second heater during a section where a spin speed of the drum is the second RPM or less among sections during which the spin-drying cycle is performed. 
     
     
         6 . The washer of  claim 1 , wherein the second rinsing cycle is performed includes a first section during which the first heater is operated and a second section during which the first heater and the second heater are operated, and
 wherein the first section and the second section are identified based on a temperature of the inside of the drum or laundry in the inside of the drum.   
     
     
         7 . The washer of  claim 6 , wherein the controller compares the temperature of the inside of the drum or the laundry in the inside of the drum that is detected at an end of the first section with a target temperature and, when the temperature of the inside of the drum or the laundry in the inside of the drum is lower than the target temperature, operates the second heater during at least a portion of the second section. 
     
     
         8 . The washer of  claim 1 , wherein the spin-drying cycle includes N spin-drying operations (where N is a natural number of 2 or more) and a laundry untangle operation, and
 wherein the controller performs the laundry untangle operation between an N-1th spin-drying operation and an Nth spin-drying operation, and   wherein the laundry untangle operation includes spinning the drum at a second RPM or less and supplying air heated by the second heater to the inside of the drum.   
     
     
         9 . The washer of  claim 1 , wherein the spin-drying cycle includes N spin-drying operations (where N is a natural number of 2 or more), and
 wherein the controller further increases at least one of a maximum RPM or an execution time as an order of the spin-drying operations increases.   
     
     
         10 . The washer of  claim 1 , wherein the second rinsing cycle is performed for a preset time or until a temperature of the inside of the drum or laundry in the inside of the drum reaches a target temperature. 
     
     
         11 . The washer of  claim 1 , wherein the first heater and the second heater are disposed on an inner circumferential surface of a tub to face each other. 
     
     
         12 . The washer of  claim 1 , wherein the first heater is disposed on a lower inner circumferential surface of a tub, and the second heater is disposed on an upper inner circumferential surface of the tub. 
     
     
         13 . The washer of  claim 1 , wherein the second heater is disposed adjacent to the fan. 
     
     
         14 . The washer of  claim 1 , wherein the washing water supplied to an inside of a tub in the second rinsing cycle is smaller in amount than the washing water supplied in the first rinsing cycle. 
     
     
         15 . The washer of  claim 1 , wherein the second rinsing cycle is performed for at least twice as long as the first rinsing cycle, for three times as long as the first rinsing cycle, or performed for up to 10 minutes. 
     
     
         16 . A method for controlling a washer including a first heater to heat washing water, a second heater to heat air, and a blower fan to guide air to an inside of a drum, the method comprising:
 receiving a washing course including a washing cycle, a first rinsing cycle, a second rinsing cycle, a spin-drying cycle, and a drying cycle; and   controlling the washer to sequentially perform the washing cycle, the first rinsing cycle, the second rinsing cycle, the spin-drying cycle, and the drying cycle based on the received washing course,   wherein the second rinsing cycle includes heating the washing water through the first heater and spinning the drum, and   wherein the spin-drying cycle includes heating the air through the second heater in at least some sections based on a spin speed of the drum and supplying the heated air to the inside of the drum using the blower fan.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein spinning the drum at a first RPM or less during the second rinsing cycle and spinning the drum at a second RPM or less during at least some section of the spin-drying cycle, and
 wherein the first RPM is set to a value smaller than the second RPM.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the at least some sections of the spin-drying cycle where the second heater operates is identified as a section during which a spin speed of the drum is the second RPM or less. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein operating the fan while the spin-drying cycle is performed, and operating the second heater during a section where a spin speed of the drum is the second RPM or less among sections during which the spin-drying cycle is performed. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the second rinsing cycle is performed includes a first section during which the first heater is operated and a second section during which the first heater and the second heater are operated, and
 wherein the first section and the second section are identified based on a temperature of the inside of the drum or laundry in the inside of the drum.