Abstract: A water recirculator in a dishwasher supplies water to spray arms for washing dishes and also purifies contaminated water after washing the dishes. The water recirculator includes a sump for holding water, a water supply pump connected to the sump, a guide passage for guiding a portion of the water pumped by the water supply pump to a spray arm in a washing chamber, a pre-filtering unit for purifying a rest of the water pumped by the water pumped by the water supply pump by means of precipitating contaminants included in the water therein, and a main filtering unit for purifying the rest of the water passed through the pre-filtering unit.

Abstract: A method for controlling dehydration of a washing machine, in which one reference degree of eccentricity in the direction, in which the vibration of a tub is large, is set to be lower than the other reference degree of eccentricity in the direction, in which the vibration of the tub is small, or one reference degree of eccentricity in the direction to the installation of a drying device is set to be lower than the other reference degree of eccentricity in the reverse direction, thereby preventing the washing machine from being excessively vibrated and allowing the washing machine to easily perform a dehydrating operation.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a drying unit for washing machines that is capable of fully drying the wet laundry using hot wind. A condensing duct and a drying duct are connected to a tub to circulate air in the tub. Between the drying duct and the condensing duct is disposed a drying fan. To the condensing duct is attached air cooling device for condensing air in the condensing duct by means of cool air. In the drying duct is mounted a drying heater for heating air in the drying duct to change the air into hot wind. During the drying operation of the washing machine, the air passing through the condensing duct is condensed by air, which is an unlimited resource. Consequently, consumption of energy and resources is minimized during the drying operation of the washing machine.

Abstract: Washing machine including a duct having opposite ends connected to a tub of the washing machine such that air in the tub passes through the duct, and is supplied to the tub again, a fan in the duct for drawing air from an inside of the tub, and discharging to the inside of the tub, a water supply device connected to the duct, for supplying cooling water to the inside of the duct to condense moisture in the air passing through the inside of the duct, a heater in the duct, for heating the air passing through the duct, and a cooling water circulating device for supplying cooling water held at a bottom of the tub after passed through the duct to an inside of the duct, again.

Abstract: The present invention provides a washer, damper thereof, and control method thereof, by which noise is reduced by adjusting a damping force of the damper in a manner of turning on/off power of the damper according to an oscillation frequency of a vibrating body such as a washer. The control method reduces noise by supplying power to a damper in an excessive vibration state of a vibrating body such as a washer or by cutting off the power supplied to the damper in a normal vibration state of the vibrating body.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a washing machine with drying function. The washing machine with drying function comprises a heater duct having a heater and a blowing fan mounted therein. The heater duct communicates with a condensing duct. A connection duct communicates with the heater duct and a tub for guiding air having passed through the heater duct into the tub. According to the present invention, flow and heat loss of hot wind is minimized, and thus, the drying performance of the washing machine with drying function is improved.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a washing machine with drying function. A heater is mounted in a tub for heating wash water or air in the tub. A circulating channel is connected to the tub for guiding air heated by the heater to the outside of the tub and then supplying the air into a drum such that the laundry in the drum is dried. Consequently, the structure of the washing machine with drying function is simplified, the manufacturing costs of the washing machine with drying function are reduced, and noise generated from the washing machine with drying function is minimized.

Abstract: A washing water circulating device in a washing machine includes a first tube connected to the tub, a water circulating pump connected to the first tube that pumps water from the tub, a second tube connected to the water circulating pump that supplies the pumped water to the tub, a bypass tube provided between the first tube and the second tube, and a control valve provided to the second tube, that guides the pumped water to one of the second tube and the bypass tube.

Abstract: A method for controlling the dehydrating operation of a drum type washing machine includes a pre-acceleration step for accelerating a drum to a predetermined control starting speed, and a main accelerating step for accelerating the drum from the control starting speed to a target speed along a linear locus having a preset acceleration slope. A deviation of the center of gravity of the laundry and a pre-spinning time period are reduced in the aforementioned control method.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for precisely sensing an amount of laundry of a washing machine without influence of static friction. The method includes the steps of (a) operating a motor, and then carrying out regenerative braking of the motor, (b) re-operating the motor after the step (a), and then carrying out rheostatic braking of the motor, and (c) determining the amount of laundry by means of the principle of the conservation of energy in the regenerative braking of the motor in the step (a) and the principle of the conservation of energy in the rheostatic braking of the motor in the step (b).

Abstract: Disclosed is a motor supporting apparatus of a clothing drier comprising: first and second motor hubs respectively protruding at both sides of a motor; a supporting rib formed at a case for supporting the first motor hub; and a supporting member assembled at a lateral surface of the case by a sliding method for supporting the second motor hub. The apparatus simplifies assembly processes, enhances a mass production characteristic, and simplifies a service performance by improving a motor supporting structure and thereby enabling assembly/disassembly of a motor without disassembling a drum.

Abstract: An water supply apparatus and its method of a drum-type washing machine includes a rotation pump for rotating washing water supplied into a tub, and a spray nozzle for spraying washing water supplied from the rotation pump into the drum.

Abstract: A steam generator for a washing machine comprises: a hermetic container provided with a water supply port for supplying water and a steam exhaustion port for exhausting steam; a heater arranged in the hermetic container for heating water supplied into the hermetic container; and a drain unit for draining residual water inside of the hermetic container outwardly. According to this, residual water inside of the steam generator is outwardly exhausted thus to maintain cleanness of the steam generator. Also, the drain unit using a siphon principle is installed thus to naturally exhaust residual water inside of the steam generator without an additional valve device, thereby reducing a fabrication cost.

Abstract: A washing machine includes a tub disposed inside a cabinet, for storing water; a drum rotatably disposed inside the tub, for washing laundry; and a steam generating apparatus disposed at the cabinet, for generating steam supplied to the inside of the drum, by using high-frequency induction heating. Accordingly, by generating steam using high-frequency induction heating, a structure of the steam generating apparatus can be simplified, and performance of generating steam can be improved.

Abstract: A hinge apparatus of a drum for a clothing drier includes a front hinge portion formed between a front of a case and a front of a drum, for rotatably supporting the front of the drum; and a rear hinge portion installed between a rear of the case and a rear of the drum, and for supporting the rear of the drum so as to swing in vertical and horizontal directions, so that the drum can be smoothly rotated without being eccentric even in case that the center of rotation of the front of the drum is different from that of the rear of the drum, and also noise and vibration generated when the drum is rotated can be minimized.

Abstract: A washing machine includes: a steam generator for generating steam; a circulation pump for pumping circulation water discharged from a tub and re-supplying it into a drum; a spray nozzle for spraying steam generated from the steam generator and the circulation water pumped from the circulation pump into the drum; and a back-current preventing branch unit connected to the steam generator by a steam supply line, connected to the circulation pump by a circulation line, and connected to the spray nozzle. With this structure, circulation water circulated by the circulation unit and steam generated from the steam generator are sprayed to the laundry through one spray nozzle, so that a system can be simplified and a fabrication cost can be reduced.

Abstract: A clothes amount sensing method in a washing machine which is capable of reducing clothes amount sensing errors caused by frictional forces, thereby achieving an enhancement in accuracy and reliability. The method includes an acceleration step for accelerating, to a predetermined RPM, a motor adapted to rotate the wash tub, a constant-speed step for maintaining the motor at the predetermined RPM when an RPM of the motor reaches the predetermined RPM in accordance with the acceleration step, a deceleration step for turning off the motor to decelerate the motor, following the constant-speed step, and a clothes amount determination step for determining the amount of the clothes by use of equations of motion respectively established in the acceleration, constant-speed, and deceleration steps.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for controlling a drum-type washing machine including the steps of (a) switching on a water supply valve and switching on a circulation pump and a heater, (b) switching off the water supply valve after the switching-on of the water supply valve, and (c) switching off the circulation pump and the heater after the switching-off of the water supply valve. The method allows laundry to be effectively cleaned using a small quantity of the wash water and minimizes a power consumption rate required to operate the heater through several repetitions of the steps (a) to (c).

Abstract: A spin-dry control method in a washing machine includes sensing a first clothes amount contained in a washing tub, sensing an unbalance of the clothes and a second clothes, after execution of the sensing the first clothes amount, determining a final clothes amount, based on the first clothes amount and the second clothes amount, and executing a main spin-dry process, based on the final clothes amount.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a damper for use in a drum type washing machine, which can support a tub of the washing machine and absorb vibration of the tub. The damper comprises a cylinder, a piston partially inserted inside the cylinder, and a fixed damping member and movement prevention means, which are installed around an inserted portion of the piston inside the cylinder so that they are spaced apart from each other, and adapted to allow the piston to be stably supported inside the cylinder even in case that a tub of the washing machine vibrates in a non-axial direction of the cylinder and piston, thereby restricting a relative angular rotation of the cylinder and piston and preventing rubbing and collision caused between a lower end of the cylinder and the piston.