Laundry machine and method for controlling the same

Abstract

The present invention relates to a laundry machine ( 100 ) including a cabinet ( 10 ), a tub ( 30 ) mounted in the cabinet ( 10 ), a drum ( 50 ) rotatably mounted in the tub ( 30 ), a driving unit ( 70 ) for rotating the drum ( 50 ), and a control unit ( 60 ) for controlling scheduled operation of the driving unit ( 70 ) according to a real time, thereby permitting to display a real time and control the laundry machine ( 100 ) by using the real time and the midnight time saving electricity.

1 . A laundry machine comprising:
 a case;   a tub mounted in the case;   a drum rotatably mounted in the tub;   a driving unit for rotating the drum; and   a control unit for controlling scheduled operation of the driving unit according to a real time.   
     
     
         2 . The laundry machine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the control unit has a saving electricity mode for performing a washing course in a preset saving electricity supply time period according to setting of the scheduled operation. 
     
     
         3 . The laundry machine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the control unit includes a real time timer for producing the real time. 
     
     
         4 . The laundry machine as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the control unit has a supplementary power unit for driving the real time timer. 
     
     
         5 . The laundry machine as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the control unit has a data base having a saving electricity time period of each region stored therein for performing the washing course according to the saving electricity time period stored in the data base. 
     
     
         6 . The laundry machine as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising an operation unit for inputting the real time period and the saving electricity time period and a display unit for displaying the real time. 
     
     
         7 . The laundry machine as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the operation unit includes a saving electricity scheduled operation button for setting the saving electricity scheduled operation in which saving electricity time period is used. 
     
     
         8 . The laundry machine as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the display unit includes a saving electricity scheduled operation display unit for displaying a saving electricity mode scheduled operation in which the saving electricity time period is used. 
     
     
         9 . The laundry machine as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the saving electricity time period is a midnight time period. 
     
     
         10 . The laundry machine as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the control unit has a midnight mode for performing the scheduled operation in the midnight time period in which the saving electricity is supplied. 
     
     
         11 . The laundry machine as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the control unit omits a spinning course from washing courses having the spinning course if the midnight mode scheduled operation is set. 
     
     
         12 . The laundry machine as claimed in  claim 9 , further comprising an operation unit for inputting the real time period and the saving electricity time period and a display unit for displaying the real time. 
     
     
         13 . The laundry machine as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the control unit includes a midnight mode scheduled operation button for setting the midnight mode scheduled operation in which the midnight time period is used. 
     
     
         14 . The laundry machine as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the display unit includes a midnight mode scheduled operation display unit for displaying the midnight mode scheduled operation in which the midnight time period is used. 
     
     
         15 . The laundry machine as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the display unit includes a spinning display unit for displaying omission of the spinning course in the midnight mode scheduled operation. 
     
     
         16 . The laundry machine as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the control unit has a barrel washing mode for performing barrel washing in the midnight time period in which the saving electricity is supplied. 
     
     
         17 . The laundry machine as claimed in  claim 16 , further comprising an operation unit for inputting the real time period and the saving electricity time period and a display unit for displaying the real time. 
     
     
         18 . The laundry machine as claimed in  claim 17 , wherein the operation unit includes a barrel washing scheduled operation button for setting barrel washing mode scheduled operation which uses the midnight time period. 
     
     
         19 . The laundry machine as claimed in  claim 17 , wherein the display unit includes a barrel washing mode scheduled operation display unit for displaying the barrel washing mode scheduled operation in which the barrel washing is performed in the midnight time period. 
     
     
         20 . A method for controlling a laundry machine comprising the steps of:
 setting a real time in which a real time is set upon application of power;   setting a saving electricity time period in which a saving electricity time period is set according to the real time set thus; and   performing scheduled operation in which washing scheduled operation is performed, which is set in the saving electricity time period set thus.   
     
     
         21 . The method as claimed in  claim 20 , wherein the step of performing scheduled operation includes a washing step in which washing operation is performed in the saving electricity time period. 
     
     
         22 . The method as claimed in  claim 20 , wherein the saving electricity time period is a midnight time period, and the step of performing scheduled operation includes a washing step in which washing operation is performed excluding a spinning course in the saving electricity time period. 
     
     
         23 . The method as claimed in  claim 20 , wherein the saving electricity time period is a midnight time period, and the step of performing scheduled operation includes a barrel washing step in which barrel washing operation is performed in the saving electricity time period. 
     
     
         24 . The method as claimed in  claim 20 , wherein the step of setting a saving electricity time period includes the steps of;
 setting a region at which the laundry machine is used, and   producing a time for setting the saving electricity time period of the region at which the laundry machine is used.   
     
     
         25 . The method as claimed in  claim 24 , wherein the saving electricity time period is produced from a data base having the saving electricity time period of the region at which the laundry machine is used. 
     
     
         26 . A method for controlling a laundry machine comprising:
 a scheduled operation determining step for determining whether scheduled operation is set or not;   a saving electricity scheduled operation determining step for determining whether the scheduled operation set in the scheduled operation determining step is the saving electricity scheduled operation or not, if the scheduled operation is set in the scheduled operation determining step;   a saving electricity time period waiting step for waiting until the saving electricity time period comes, if it is determined that the saving electricity scheduled operation determining step is the saving electricity scheduled operation; and   a scheduled operation performing step for performing the scheduled operation set thus, if the saving electricity time period comes in the saving electricity time period waiting step.   
     
     
         27 . The method as claimed in  claim 26 , wherein the scheduled operation and the saving electricity scheduled operation is set by a real time. 
     
     
         28 . The method as claimed in  claim 26 , wherein the saving electricity time period is set according to a region at which the laundry machine is used. 
     
     
         29 . The method as claimed in  claim 26 , further comprising a washing step for performing a preset washing step, if it is determined that the scheduled operation is not set in the scheduled operation determining step. 
     
     
         30 . The method as claimed in  claim 26 , further comprising:
 a waiting step for waiting until a preset scheduled operation time comes; and   a scheduled operation performing step for performing the preset scheduled operation if the scheduled operation time comes in the waiting step,   if it is determined that the scheduled operation is not the saving electricity scheduled operation in the saving electricity scheduled operation determining step.   
     
     
         31 . The method as claimed in  claim 26 , further comprising:
 a midnight mode determining step for determining whether the scheduled operation set thus is a midnight mode or not if the saving electricity time period comes after the saving electricity waiting step; and   a scheduled operation performing step for performing the scheduled operation excluding a spinning course from washing courses,   if the scheduled operation set thus is determined to be the midnight mode in the midnight mode determining step.   
     
     
         32 . The method as claimed in  claim 31 , further comprising:
 a washing step for performing washing courses according to the scheduled operation set thus, if it is determined that the scheduled operation set thus is not the midnight mode in the midnight mode determining step, and   a tumbling step for performing tumbling at fixed intervals repeatedly after the washing step for preventing the laundry from crumpling.   
     
     
         33 . The method as claimed in  claim 26 , wherein the scheduled operation determining step includes the step of determining whether the scheduled operation is a barrel washing scheduled operation of not. 
     
     
         34 . The method as claimed in  claim 33 , wherein, if it is determined that the scheduled operation is a barrel washing scheduled operation in the scheduled operation determining step, the scheduled operation determining step includes a washing water supply step for supplying washing water and detergent for barrel washing. 
     
     
         35 . The method as claimed in  claim 26 , wherein, if it is determined that the scheduled operation is not a barrel washing scheduled operation in the scheduled operation determining step, the washing water and the detergent is supplied and a barrel washing course is performed. 
     
     
         36 . The method as claimed in  claim 33 , further comprising:
 a waiting step for waiting until a scheduled operation time set thus comes, if it is determined that the scheduled operation is not the saving electricity scheduled operation in the saving electricity scheduled operation determining step; and   a step for supplying washing water and detergent and performing a barrel washing course directly if the scheduled operation time period comes in the waiting step.