Patent attributes
A drum washing machine and a method of controlling the same. The locked state of a door is released for a predetermined period of time without interrupting water supply or water drainage for a user to open the door, during supplying or draining of water, when a washing or dewatering operation of the drum washing machine is initiated or when the washing or dewatering operation of the drum washing machine is resumed after the washing or dewatering operation of the drum washing machine is interrupted. Consequently, additional laundry may be safely and conveniently put into a rotary tub or the laundry or foreign matter may be removed from the rotary tub with improved washing and dewatering efficiency. To this end, the drum washing machine includes a control unit for locking the door when the washing or dewatering operation is initiated, releasing the locked state of the door for a first predetermined period of time after the washing or dewatering operation is performed for a second predetermined period of time, and locking the door again after the first predetermined period of time elapses.
