Clothing treatment apparatus and control method thereof

Abstract

To provide a clothing treatment apparatus capable of minimizing damage to clothing and reducing a drying time and a control method of the clothing treatment apparatus.SOLUTION: A method for controlling a clothing treatment apparatus includes: an air supplying step of supplying heated air to a drum through a heat exchange part; and a first motion executing step executed while the air supplying step is in progress. The first motion executing step alternately executes: a first acceleration mode of rotating the drum at an rpm inducing a centrifugal force of 1G or greater along one of a clockwise direction and a counterclockwise direction; and a first deceleration mode of rotating the drum at an rpm inducing a centrifugal force of smaller than 1G in the same direction as a rotational direction set in the first acceleration mode.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a laundry treatment device and a method for controlling the laundry treatment device. [Background technology]

[0002] A clothes treating device is a device that can wash, dry, or both wash and dry clothes (items to be washed or dried), and is a concept that includes washing machines, dryers, and washing machines with a dryer function.

[0003] Clothes processing devices (dryer) that can dry clothes supply heated air (hot air) to the clothes, but they are classified into exhaust drying systems and circulation drying systems depending on how they process the air that has exchanged heat with the clothes.

[0004] A circulating drying system dehumidifies and heats the air discharged from the storage space where clothes are stored, and then resupplies it to the storage space, while an exhaust drying system supplies heated air to the storage space, but exhausts the air discharged from the storage space to the outside of the clothes processing device.

[0005] Since the drying time it takes for clothes to reach a predetermined target dryness is determined by how effective the heat exchange between the air supplied to the drum and the clothes is, in any clothes treating device with a drying system, control to increase the efficiency of heat exchange between the air supplied to the drum and the clothes is a very important design consideration in clothes treating devices whose purpose is to dry clothes.

[0006] A conventional clothing treatment device (Korean Patent No. 10-1594368) has a control method for increasing the area of clothing exposed to air by controlling the drum's rotation speed while air is being supplied to the drum. However, this clothing treatment device has a drawback in that it cannot individually control the drum motion during the preheating section, constant rate drying section, and decreasing rate drying section of the drying process. That is, the conventional control method has a drawback in that, unless the drum rotation speed during drying is maintained at a speed that induces a centrifugal force of 1G or more, it cannot prevent the air supplied to the drum from being discharged into the tub through the drum through-holes formed on the circumferential surface of the drum. Also, it is difficult to reduce the drum rotation speed to a speed that induces a centrifugal force of less than 1G while air is being supplied to the drum.

[0007] Furthermore, conventional control methods can cause damage to clothes in the preheating and falling-rate drying sections. The preheating section is a section where there is almost no change in dryness (almost no change in moisture content) and the temperature of the clothes gradually increases (a section where the temperature of the clothes gradually increases until the moisture is released from the clothes). The constant-rate drying section is a section where the dryness of the clothes suddenly increases (the moisture content suddenly decreases) and the temperature of the clothes remains almost constant. The falling-rate drying section is a section where there is almost no change in the dryness of the clothes and the temperature of the clothes suddenly increases. A disadvantage of these methods is that the friction between the clothes and the drum increases in the preheating and falling-rate drying sections (when a large centrifugal force is continuously applied to the clothes), which increases the likelihood of pilling or damage to the clothes.

[0008] In addition, there is a conventional method for controlling a clothing treatment device (Korean Patent Application No. 10-2006-0023715) that divides the device into a preheating section, a constant rate drying section, and a decreasing rate drying section to control and manage the device, but this control method does not disclose how to control the rotation speed and direction of the drum for each section to shorten the drying time and improve drying performance.

[0009] In addition, there is a conventional clothing treatment device that has a control method for adjusting the rotation speed of the drum depending on the dryness level. This control method is applied to a clothing treatment device with an exhaust-type drying system, which means that the air outside the drum is heated and supplied to the drum, but the air that has exchanged heat with the clothes is discharged outside the drum.

[0010] The temperature of the air discharged from the drum gradually increases during the early stage of the drying process (preheating section), remains almost constant during the middle stage of the drying process (evaporation section), and tends to increase again during the final stage of the drying process (overheating section). Therefore, conventional clothing processing devices using exhaust-type drying systems can determine the progress of the drying process (the degree of dryness of the clothes) by measuring the temperature of the air discharged from the drum.

[0011] However, this control method has the disadvantage that it is difficult to accurately determine which section of the drying process the laundry treatment device is currently performing, because the temperature of the air discharged from the drum varies depending on the degree of heat exchange between the air and the clothes. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0012] [Patent Document 1] Korean Patent No. 10-1594368 [Patent Document 2] Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2006-0023715 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0013] The object of this application is to provide a clothing treatment device and a method for controlling the clothing treatment device that can minimize damage to clothing and shorten drying time by controlling the drum rotation speed and rotation direction for each section of the drying process, which is divided into a preheating section, a constant rate drying section, and a decreasing rate drying section.

[0014] Another object of the present invention is to provide a clothes treatment device and a method for controlling the clothes treatment device that minimizes wrinkles on the clothes while minimizing friction between the clothes and the drum in the early stages of drying.

[0015] Another object of the present application is to provide a clothes treating device and a method for controlling the clothes treating device that minimize damage to clothes caused by frictional force at the end of the drying process.

[0016] Another object of the present application is to provide a clothes treatment device and a control method for the clothes treatment device that can easily sense the dryness of clothes.

[0017] Another object of the present application is to provide a clothing treatment device and a method for controlling the clothing treatment device that allow easy change of the rotation speed and rotation direction of the drum.

[0018] The technical problems that can be solved by the present invention are not limited to those described above, and other technical problems that have not been mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains from the following description. [Means for solving the problem]

[0019] Further advantages, objects, and features of various embodiments of the present invention are set forth in the disclosure and accompanying drawings, and such aspects can be understood by those skilled in the art based on the disclosure of this specification.

[0020] This application provides a method for controlling a clothing treatment device that includes a drum that provides a space for storing clothing, an exhaust duct that discharges air from within the drum, a supply duct that supplies air to the drum, and a heat exchanger that heats the air supplied to the drum, and the method includes an air supply step that supplies heated air to the drum via the heat exchanger, and a first motion execution step that is performed while the air supply step is in progress.

[0021] In the first motion execution stage, a first acceleration mode is alternately performed, in which the drum is rotated in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction at a rotation speed that induces a centrifugal force of 1G or more, and a first deceleration mode is alternately performed, in which the drum is rotated in the same direction as the rotation direction set in the first acceleration mode at a rotation speed that induces a centrifugal force of less than 1G.

[0022] The alternating execution of the first acceleration mode and the first deceleration mode is repeated at least twice.

[0023] The air supply step is divided into a preheating period, a constant rate period, and a falling rate period, and the first motion execution step is performed in a part or all of the preheating period.

[0024] The first motion execution step continues until the dryness of the clothes reaches a predetermined first reference dryness.

[0025] The exhaust duct is connected to the supply duct to form an air circulation flow path, and the heat exchange unit includes a refrigerant pipe that forms a flow path through which the refrigerant circulates, a heat absorption unit that transfers heat from the air that flows into the exhaust duct to the refrigerant, a heat generation unit that transfers heat from the refrigerant to the air that has passed through the heat absorption unit, and a compressor that circulates the refrigerant along the refrigerant pipe, and the first reference dryness is determined by whether the temperature of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor reaches a predetermined first refrigerant temperature.

[0026] When the temperature of the air discharged from the drum reaches a predetermined reference air temperature, it is determined that the dryness of the clothes has reached the first reference dryness.

[0027] This control method includes a second motion execution step that alternates between a second acceleration mode in which the drum is rotated in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction at a rotation speed that induces a centrifugal force of 1 G or more, and a second deceleration mode in which the drum is rotated in the same direction as the rotation direction set in the second acceleration mode at a rotation speed that induces a centrifugal force of less than 1 G, and the second motion execution step is performed in some or all of the falling rate drying section.

[0028] The second motion execution step may be terminated when the dryness of the clothes reaches a second reference dryness that is set lower than the target dryness set in the air supply step.

[0029] The exhaust duct is connected to the supply duct to form an air circulation flow path, and the heat exchange unit includes a refrigerant pipe that forms a flow path through which the refrigerant circulates, a heat absorption unit that transfers heat from the air that flows into the exhaust duct to the refrigerant, a heat generation unit that transfers heat from the refrigerant to the air that has passed through the heat absorption unit, and a compressor that circulates the refrigerant along the refrigerant pipe, and the second reference dryness is determined by whether the temperature of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor reaches a predetermined second refrigerant temperature.

[0030] The ratio of the execution time between the first acceleration mode and the first deceleration mode may be different from the ratio of the execution time between the second acceleration mode and the second deceleration mode.

[0031] The execution time set in the first acceleration mode is set to be longer than the execution time set in the first deceleration mode.

[0032] The ratio of the execution time of the first acceleration mode to the execution time of the first deceleration mode is set to 3:1 to 10:1.

[0033] The execution time set in the second acceleration mode is set to be the same as or longer than the execution time set in the second deceleration mode.

[0034] The ratio of the execution time of the second acceleration mode to the execution time of the second deceleration mode is set to 1:1 to 3:1.

[0035] The control method further includes a stirring motion execution step of alternately rotating the drum clockwise and counterclockwise at a rotation speed that induces a centrifugal force of less than 1 G, and the stirring mode execution step is performed in a constant rate drying section.

[0036] The control method further includes a distributed motion execution step, occurring before the initiation of the first motion execution step, alternating clockwise and counterclockwise rotation of the drum at a rotational speed that induces a centrifugal force of less than 1 G.

[0037] The rotation speed of the drum set in the dispersion motion execution step is set lower than the rotation speed of the drum set in the agitation mode execution step.

[0038] The control method further includes, after completion of the second motion execution step, a sensing motion execution step in which the drum is rotated at a rotation speed lower than the rotation speed set in the dispersion motion execution step, and a sensing step in which the dryness of the clothes is measured using an electrode positioned below a horizontal line passing through the center of rotation of the drum so as to be in contact with the clothes, and the air supply step may be terminated if the dryness of the clothes measured in the sensing step is equal to or higher than the target dryness set in the air supply step.

[0039] a supply port formed by a number of through-holes passing through the fixed panel and surrounding the rotor; an air inlet formed by a number of through-holes passing through the rear surface of the drum and forming a ring around the center of rotation of the drum; a flow path forming portion having one end fixed to the fixed panel and surrounding the supply port, and the other end in contact with the drum and surrounding the air inlet; and a supply duct fixed to the fixed panel and leading air discharged from the panel exhaust port to the supply port. This application provides a method for controlling a clothing treatment device, the method including an air supply step for supplying heated air to the drum through the heat exchanger, and a motion execution step performed during the air supply step.

[0040] In the motion execution stage, an acceleration mode in which the drum rotates in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction at a rotation speed that induces a centrifugal force of 1G or more, and a deceleration mode in which the drum rotates in the same direction as the rotation direction set in the first acceleration mode at a rotation speed that induces a centrifugal force of less than 1G, are alternately performed.

[0041] The air supply step is divided into a preheating period, a constant rate drying period, and a falling rate drying period, and the motion execution step is performed in either the preheating period or the falling rate drying period.

[0042] The air inlet is provided at a position where air can be discharged onto the clothes that are in close contact with the circumferential surface of the drum.

[0043] The radius of the ring formed by the air inlet is set to be at least half the radius of the rear surface of the drum.

[0044] a drum providing a space for storing clothes; a fixed panel located at a distance from the rear surface of the drum; a housing fixed to the fixed panel; a stator fixed to the housing and forming a rotating magnetic field; a rotor that rotates due to the rotating magnetic field to generate power required to rotate the drum; a link gear fixed within the housing; a first shaft having one end fixed to the rotor and the other end located within the housing; a drive gear fixed to the first shaft and located within the housing; a second shaft that passes through the fixed panel and has one end fixed to the rear surface of the drum and the other end located within the housing, forming an axis concentric with the first shaft; a base located within the housing and to which the other end of the second shaft is fixed; a first body rotatably fixed to the base; a first gear provided on the circumferential surface of the first body and coupled to the drive gear; a second body fixed to the first body and having a diameter smaller than that of the first body; a driven gear having a second gear provided on the circumferential surface of the drum and connected to a link gear; a panel exhaust port penetrating the fixed panel; an exhaust duct that directs air discharged from the drum to the panel exhaust port; a heat exchanger that dehumidifies and heats air moving along the exhaust duct; a supply port formed by a number of through-holes penetrating the fixed panel and surrounding the rotor; an air inlet formed by a number of through-holes penetrating the rear surface of the drum and forming a ring around the center of rotation of the drum, a flow path forming part having one end fixed to the fixed panel and surrounding the supply port, and the other end in contact with the drum and surrounding the air inlet; and a supply duct fixed to the fixed panel and directing air discharged from the panel exhaust port to the supply port. This application provides a method for controlling a clothing treatment device including an air supply step that supplies heated air to the drum through the heat exchanger, and a motion execution step that is performed during the air supply step.

[0045] In the motion execution stage, an acceleration mode in which the drum rotates in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction at a rotation speed that induces a centrifugal force of 1G or more, and a deceleration mode in which the drum rotates in the same direction as the rotation direction set in the first acceleration mode at a rotation speed that induces a centrifugal force of less than 1G, are alternately performed.

[0046] The air supply step is divided into a preheating period, a constant rate drying period, and a falling rate drying period, and the motion execution step is performed in either the preheating period or the falling rate drying period.

[0047] Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, as preferred embodiments of the present invention, are illustrative only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art. [Effects of the Invention]

[0048] Accordingly, embodiments of the present invention provide various advantages and / or features, such as:

[0049] According to this application, a clothing treatment device and a method for controlling the clothing treatment device can be provided that can minimize damage to clothing and shorten drying time by controlling the drum rotation speed and rotation direction for each section of the drying process, which is divided into a preheating section, a constant rate drying section, and a decreasing rate drying section.

[0050] In addition, this application provides a clothing treatment device and a method for controlling the clothing treatment device that minimizes wrinkles on the clothing by minimizing the friction between the clothing and the drum in the early stages of drying.

[0051] Furthermore, this application provides a clothing treatment device and a method for controlling the clothing treatment device that minimize damage to clothing caused by frictional forces at the end of the drying process.

[0052] Furthermore, this application provides a clothing treatment device and a method for controlling the clothing treatment device that can easily sense the degree of dryness of clothing.

[0053] Furthermore, this application provides a clothing treatment device and a method for controlling the clothing treatment device that allow easy change of the rotation speed and rotation direction of the drum.

[0054] It should be noted that the effects obtained by the present disclosure are not limited to the above effects, and other effects not mentioned above will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains from the following description. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0055] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a clothing processing device. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a clothing processing device. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a driving unit. [Figure 4] 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating an embodiment of a power transmission unit. [Figure 5] 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating an embodiment of a power transmission unit. [Figure 6] 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating an embodiment of a power transmission unit. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a supply unit. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a cooling channel. [Figure 9] 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating an embodiment of a power transmission unit. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a control method for a clothing processing device. [Figure 11] 1A shows an example of an acceleration mode, and FIG. 1B shows an example of a deceleration mode. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the movement of clothing in the first motion execution stage. [Figure 13] FIG. 10(a) shows an example of the distributed mode, and FIG. 10(b) shows an example of the sensing mode. [Figure 14] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing an example of agitation mode, in which FIG. 10A shows clockwise rotation of the drum, and FIG. 10B shows counterclockwise rotation of the drum. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the drum motion and effect for each section of the drying process. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the clothing processing device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0056]

[0023] Preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The control methods of elements or devices described below are merely illustrative of embodiments of the present disclosure and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or similar parts.

[0057] FIG. 1 shows an example of a clothing processing device 100, which includes a cabinet 1, a drum 2 that is rotatably mounted within the cabinet and provides a space for storing clothing (items to be washed or dried), a supply unit 3 that supplies high-temperature dry air (air at a temperature higher than room temperature, air with a drier degree than the dryness of indoor air) to the drum 2 to remove moisture from the clothing, and a drive unit (D) that rotates the drum.

[0058] The cabinet 1 includes a front panel 11 that forms the front surface of the laundry treatment device and a base panel 17 that forms the bottom surface of the laundry treatment device. The front panel 11 is provided with an input port 111 that communicates with the drum 2, and the input port 111 is closed by a door 113.

[0059] The front panel 11 is provided with a control panel 115, which includes an input unit 116 for inputting user control commands and a display unit 117 for displaying information such as user-selectable control commands. The input unit 116 includes a power supply request unit for requesting power supply to the laundry processing device, a course input unit for allowing the user to select a desired course from a number of courses, and an execution request unit for requesting the start of the course selected by the user.

[0060] The drum 2 is hollow and cylindrical. Figure 1 shows, as an example, a case in which the drum 2 is made up of a cylindrical drum body 21 with open front and rear faces, a front cover 22 that forms the front face of the drum body 21, and a rear cover 23 that forms the rear face of the drum body 21. The front cover 22 is provided with a drum insertion opening 221 that connects the inside and outside of the drum body 21.

[0061] The drum body 21 further includes a lifter 26. The lifter 26 is provided by a board extending from the front cover 22 toward the rear cover 23 and protruding from the drum body 21 toward the center of rotation of the drum 2 (from the cylindrical surface of the drum toward the center of rotation of the drum).

[0062] When the laundry processing device 100 is a device for drying laundry only, the drum 2 does not need to have a drum through-hole that penetrates the drum body 21 to communicate the inside of the drum with the outside of the drum.

[0063] The drum 2 is rotatably fixed to either the first body support part 12 or the second body support part 15, but Figure 1 shows as an example a case where the rear cover 23 is rotatably fixed to the second body support part 15 via a drive part (D) and the front cover 22 is rotatably connected to the first body support part 12.

[0064] The body first support part 12 is fixed to the cabinet 1 and is composed of a support panel 121 located between the front panel 11 and the front cover 22. Figure 1 shows, as an example, a case where the support panel 121 is fixed to the base panel 17 and located between the front panel 11 and the front cover 22. In this case, the rear surface of the front panel 11 (the surface facing the support panel) is fixed to the support panel 121, and the lower end is fixed to the base panel 17.

[0065] The support panel 121 includes a support panel through-hole 122, a drum connecting body 123 that connects the support panel through-hole 122 and the drum inlet 221, and a panel connecting body 126 that connects the support panel through-hole 122 and the inlet 111. The support panel through-hole 122 is a means that penetrates the support panel 121 and connects the inlet 111 and the drum inlet 221.

[0066] The drum connecting body 123 is a pipe fixed to the rear surface of the support panel 121 (the surface facing the drum inlet in the space provided by the support panel). One end of the drum connecting body 123 surrounds the support panel through-hole 122, and the free end of the drum connecting body 123 supports the front cover 22. That is, the free end of the drum connecting body 123 is inserted into the drum inlet 221 or is provided to contact the free end of the front cover 22 that forms the drum inlet 221.

[0067] 1 shows an example in which the free end of the drum connecting body 123 contacts the free end of the front cover 22. In this case, a link-shaped damper 124 (connecting damper) is provided on the drum connecting body 123. The connecting damper 124 is a means for minimizing the risk of the drum inlet 221 being separated from the drum connecting body 123 (risk of air inside the drum leaking into the cabinet) when the drum 2 rotates or vibrates.

[0068] The connecting damper 124 is made of a compressible material (a material whose volume can be increased or decreased by an external force). In this case, the connecting damper 124 maintains a compressed state between the free end of the drum connecting body 123 and the edge of the drum inlet 221 (the free end of the front cover) (the compressed state is maintained by a rear support part, which will be described later). When the drum 2 vibrates between the support panel 121 and the fixed panel 151, this is intended to minimize separation of the drum inlet 221 from the drum connecting body 123. One example of the connecting damper 124 is felt, which is made by compressing fibers.

[0069] The panel connecting body 126 is a pipe fixed to the front surface of the support panel 121 (the surface facing the front panel in the space provided by the support panel). One end of the panel connecting body 126 surrounds the support panel through-hole 122, and the other end of the panel connecting body 126 is connected to the input port 111. Therefore, clothes supplied to the input port 111 move to the drum body 21 via the panel connecting body 126, the support panel through-hole 122, the drum connecting body 123, and the drum input port 221.

[0070] The second body support part 15 is composed of a fixed panel 151 fixed to the cabinet 1 so as to be located at a distance from the rear cover 23. In FIG. 1, as an example, the fixed panel 151 is fixed to the base panel 17 to form the rear surface of the laundry treatment device 100 (the rear surface of the cabinet).

[0071] As shown in Figure 2, the fixed panel 151 is provided with a drive unit mounting groove 153 that provides a space for mounting the drive unit (D). The drive unit mounting groove 153 is a groove that curves concavely in the fixed panel 151 toward the rear cover 23 of the drum. The fixed panel 151 is provided with a fixed panel through-hole 155 through which the rotation shaft of the drum 2 passes, and the fixed panel through-hole 155 is located within the drive unit mounting groove 153.

[0072] As described above, when the drum 2 is composed of the drum body 21, the front cover 22 fixed to the drum body, and the rear cover 23 fixed to the drum body, the drum has higher strength compared to a structure in which the open front and rear surfaces of the drum body 21 are rotatably connected to the support panel 121 and the fixed panel 151, respectively. When the drum has higher strength, deformation of the drum body 21 during rotation of the drum can be minimized, thereby minimizing the problem of clothes getting caught in the space between the drum body and the support panel or the space between the drum body and the fixed panel when the drum body 21 is deformed (the load on the drive unit can be minimized).

[0073] The support panel 121 is provided with a drum exhaust port (first exhaust port) 128, and the fixed panel 151 is provided with a panel exhaust port (second exhaust port) 157 and a supply port 158. The first exhaust port 128 is a hole that penetrates the panel connecting body 126.

[0074] The supply port 158 is arranged so that a large number of through holes penetrating the fixed panel 151 surround the drive unit mounting groove 153 (the large number of through holes form a link surrounding the drive unit mounting groove).

[0075] 1, the supply unit 3 includes an exhaust duct 31 connecting the first exhaust port 128 and the second exhaust port 157, a supply duct 32 that guides the air discharged through the second exhaust port 157 to the supply port 158, and a heat exchanger 34 that is provided in the exhaust duct to sequentially dehumidify and heat the air. The first exhaust port 128 is provided with a filter 129 that filters the air moving from the drum 2 to the exhaust duct 31.

[0076] The exhaust duct 31 includes a first duct 311 connected to the first exhaust port 128, a second duct 312 connected to the second exhaust port 157, and a third duct 313 connecting the first duct 311 and the second duct 312. The third duct 313 is fixed to the base panel 17.

[0077] The heat exchanger 34 is made up of various devices that sequentially dehumidify and heat the air that flows into the exhaust duct 31. FIG. 1 shows an example in which the heat exchanger 34 is made up of a heat pump and a fan 349.

[0078] 1 includes a first heat exchanger (heat absorption part) 341 that removes moisture from the air that has flowed into the exhaust duct 31, a second heat exchanger (heat generation part) 343 that is provided in the exhaust duct 31 and heats the air that has passed through the heat absorption part 341, and a fan 359 that moves the air discharged from the drum 2 through the heat absorption part and the heat generation part in that order and then to the supply duct 32. In FIG. 1, as an example, the case where the fan 349 is located between the heat generation part 343 and the second duct 312 is shown.

[0079] The heat absorbing part 341 and the heat generating part 343 are arranged in order along the direction of air movement and are connected to each other via a refrigerant pipe 348 that forms a refrigerant circulation path. The refrigerant moves along the refrigerant pipe 348 by a compressor 345 located outside the exhaust duct 31, and the refrigerant pipe 348 is provided with a pressure regulator 347 that adjusts the pressure of the refrigerant moving from the heat generating part 343 to the heat absorbing part 341.

[0080] The heat absorption unit 341 is a means for cooling the air (evaporating the refrigerant) by transferring the heat of the air that has flowed into the exhaust duct 31 to the refrigerant, and the heat generation unit 343 is a means for heating the air (condensing the refrigerant) by transferring the heat possessed by the refrigerant that has passed through the compressor 345 to the air.

[0081] As shown in FIG. 2, the supply duct 32 is fixed to the fixed panel 151 and serves to guide the air discharged through the second exhaust port 157 to the supply port 158 .

[0082] When the supply port 158 is made up of a number of through holes arranged in a link shape, the supply duct 32 includes a duct body 321 fixed to the fixing panel 151 to form a flow path connecting the second exhaust port 157 and the supply port 158, and a rotor receiving portion 322 passing through the duct body 321. The supply duct 32 including the duct body 321 and the rotor receiving portion 322 forms a substantially link-shaped flow path, and the drive unit (D) fixed to the drive unit mounting groove 153 is exposed to the outside of the supply duct 32 through the rotor receiving portion 322.

[0083] An air inlet 233 penetrating the rear cover 23 is provided in the drum 2 so that air supplied into the cabinet 1 through the supply port 158 can be supplied to the drum 2, and a flow path forming portion 159 is provided in the fixed panel 151 to guide the air discharged from the supply port 158 to the air inlet 233.

[0084] The air inlet 233 is arranged such that a number of holes passing through the rear cover 23 form a link surrounding the rotation center of the drum 2. The flow path forming part 159 is a pipe whose one end (the end fixed to the fixed panel) surrounds the supply port 158 and whose other end (the end in contact with the drum) surrounds the air inlet 233. In order to minimize the transmission of vibrations generated during rotation of the drum 2 to the fixed panel 151, the flow path forming part 159 is made of a highly elastic material (such as rubber).

[0085] The radius of the link formed by the air inlet 233 (the inner or outer diameter of the link) is set to at least half the radius of the rear cover 23. This allows the air moving into the drum through the air inlet 233 to move along the cylindrical surface of the drum.

[0086] As described above, when the air inlet 233 is provided and the supply section 3 is controlled to supply air when the drum rotates at a rotation speed that induces a centrifugal force of 1 G or more (when the clothes rotate in close contact with the cylindrical surface of the drum), the clothes processing device can shorten the drying time.

[0087] Unlike the illustration, the supply section 3 includes an exhaust duct connecting the first exhaust port 128 and the second exhaust port 157, a supply duct that supplies outside air (air inside the cabinet or air outside the cabinet) to the drum 2, and a heat exchange section that heats the air that flows into the supply duct.

[0088] The clothing treatment device 100 further includes a sensor 13 for sensing the dryness of the clothing placed in the drum 2. The sensor 13 can measure the dryness by measuring the electrical resistance when the clothing comes into contact with the sensor 13, by measuring the temperature of the air discharged from the drum 2, or by measuring the temperature of the refrigerant circulating along the refrigerant pipe 348.

[0089] 2 shows an example in which the sensing unit 13 is configured to measure the electrical resistance of the clothes. The sensing unit 13 shown in FIG. 2 comprises a first electrode 131 and a second electrode 133 fixed to the support panel 121. The first electrode 131 and the second electrode 133 are fixed to the support panel 121 and maintained spaced apart from each other. The first electrode 131 and the second electrode 133 are fixed in the space provided by the support panel 121 below a horizontal line passing through the center of the input opening 111. In this case, the two electrodes 131 and 133 can easily come into contact with the clothes when they are located below a horizontal line passing through the center of rotation of the drum 2 (when the clothes are located at the lowest point of the drum).

[0090] As the dryness of the clothes increases, the amount of moisture remaining in the clothes decreases, and the higher the dryness, the smaller the current magnitude detected by the sensor 13. Therefore, the control unit (not shown) can estimate the dryness of the clothes by monitoring the current magnitude flowing through the sensor.

[0091] When the dryness of the clothes is low, the temperature of the air discharged from the drum 2 becomes low, and as the dryness increases, the temperature of the air discharged from the drum becomes high. Therefore, the sensor 13 is provided to sense the temperature of the air discharged from the drum. As shown in Figure 1, the sensor 13 is made up of a temperature sensor 135 (air temperature sensor) provided in the exhaust duct 31.

[0092] Since the temperature of the refrigerant circulating through the refrigerant pipe changes depending on the dryness of the clothes, the sensing unit 13 is made up of a temperature sensor that measures the temperature of the refrigerant moving along the refrigerant pipe (such as the temperature of the refrigerant moving from the heat absorbing unit to the compressor, or the temperature of the refrigerant moving from the compressor to the heat generating unit). Figure 1 shows an example in which the sensing unit 13 is made up of a temperature sensor 137 (refrigerant temperature sensor) that senses the temperature of the refrigerant moving from the compressor 345 to the heat generating unit 343.

[0093] The sensing unit 13 includes at least two of two electrodes 131 and 133 for measuring the electrical resistance of the clothes, a temperature sensor 135 for measuring the temperature of the air discharged from the drum, and a temperature sensor 137 for measuring the temperature of the refrigerant.

[0094] The driving unit (D) includes a motor 5 positioned in the driving unit mounting groove 153 and a power transmission unit 6 fixed to the fixed panel 151 for transmitting the power generated by the motor to the drum 2.

[0095] In order to minimize deformation of the fixing panel 151 due to the weight of the driving unit (D) and external forces generated during operation of the driving unit (D), the driving unit mounting groove 153 is provided with a driving unit bracket 4 that provides a space to fix either the motor 5 or the power transmission unit 6. That is, the power transmission unit 6 is fixed to the driving unit bracket 4, and the motor 5 is fixed to either the power transmission unit 6 or the driving unit bracket 4. The driving unit bracket 4 is made of a link-shaped metal (metal with greater strength than the fixing panel) fixed to the driving unit mounting groove 153.

[0096] As shown in FIG. 3, the motor 5 includes a stator 51 that forms a rotating field, and a rotor 52 that rotates due to the rotating field.

[0097] The stator 51 includes a core 511 fixed to the drive unit bracket 4 or the power transmission unit 6, a core through-hole 512 that penetrates the core, and electromagnets 513 and coils that are arranged at equal intervals on the cylindrical surface of the core 511.

[0098] The rotor 52 includes a disk-shaped rotor body 52a, a pipe-shaped rotor cylindrical surface 52b fixed to the rotor body, and a number of permanent magnets 525 fixed to the rotor cylindrical surface 52b. The permanent magnets 525 are fixed to the rotor cylindrical surface 52b so that their north and south poles are alternately exposed.

[0099] The power transmission unit 6 is hollow and cylindrical, and includes a housing 61 fixed to the fixed panel 151, a link gear 62 fixed within the housing, a first shaft 63 (input shaft) having one end fixed to the rotor body 52a and the other end located within the housing 61, a main gear 631 fixed to the first shaft 63 and located within the housing 61, a driven gear 677 connecting the main gear 631 and the link gear 62, a cage 67 which rotates within the housing 61 by the driven gear, and a second shaft 65 (output shaft) having one end fixed to the rear cover 23 and the other end fixed to the cage 67.

[0100] In order to minimize the risk of deformation of the rotor body 52 a due to the first shaft 63 , the first shaft 63 is fixed to the rotor body 52 a via a fixing plate 524 .

[0101] It is preferable that the second shaft 65 is concentric with the first shaft 63. When the second shaft 65 and the first shaft 63 are concentric, vibrations generated in the power transmission unit 6 when the drum 2 rotates can be minimized.

[0102] The housing 61 is preferably fixed to the fixed panel 151 via the drive unit bracket 4 and positioned in the core through hole 512. By positioning the housing 61 in the core through hole 512, the volume of the drive unit (D) can be minimized.

[0103] The housing 61 includes a cylindrical first housing 61a with an open surface facing the fixed panel 151, and a cylindrical second housing 61b with an open surface facing the first housing, which is connected to the first housing 61a and closes the open surface of the first housing.

[0104] The first housing 61a is provided with a first shaft support portion 611 and a first shaft through-hole 612 that penetrates the first shaft support portion 611. The first shaft 63 penetrates the first housing 61a by being inserted into the first shaft through-hole 612, and the first shaft support portion 611 is provided with a first shaft bearing 613 that rotatably fixes the first shaft 63 to the first housing 61a.

[0105] As shown in FIG. 4, the first shaft support portion 611 is made of a pipe that protrudes from the first housing 61a toward the rotor body 52a, or from the first housing 61a toward the second housing 61b.

[0106] If the first shaft support portion 611 consists of a pipe protruding from the first housing 61a toward the second housing 61b (a pipe protruding from the first housing toward the center of the housing), it has the effect of minimizing the volume of the housing 61 (the effect of minimizing the volume of the drive unit and the volume of the clothing processing device).

[0107] The second housing 61b is provided with a second shaft support portion 616 and a second shaft through-hole 617 that penetrates the second shaft support portion 616. The second shaft 65 penetrates the second housing 61b through the second shaft through-hole 617, and the second shaft support portion 616 is provided with a second shaft bearing 618 that rotatably fixes the second shaft 65 to the second housing 61b.

[0108] The second shaft support portion 616 is made of a pipe that protrudes from the second housing 61b toward the fixed panel through-hole 155 (a pipe that protrudes toward the rear cover of the drum).

[0109] The first shaft bearing 613 includes a first shaft first bearing 613a and a first shaft second bearing 613b arranged along the longitudinal direction of the first shaft 63, and the second shaft bearing 618 includes a second shaft first bearing 618a and a second shaft second bearing 618b arranged along the longitudinal direction of the second shaft 65.

[0110] If the first and second shaft bearings each consist of two or more bearings 613a, 613b, 618a, 618b, it is possible to minimize the misalignment of the first and second shafts 63, 65 when the rotor 52 rotates (it is possible to minimize the vibration generated in the drive unit).

[0111] Since multiple bearings are arranged along the rotation shaft, the volume of the drive unit (D) equipped with multiple bearings is inevitably increased. Therefore, it is not easy to design a clothing treatment device 100 having a cabinet 1 with limited volume so that multiple bearings support the rotation shaft. However, the above-mentioned clothing treatment device 100 minimizes the volume of the drive unit by using a structure in which the housing 61 is located in the core through-hole of the stator and a pipe structure in which the first shaft support part 611 protrudes toward the center of the housing, thereby allowing the number of bearings 613, 618 to be increased.

[0112] In order to minimize the volume of the housing 61, the diameters of the first housing 61a and the second housing 61b are set to be different from each other. That is, the diameter of the first housing 61a is set to be smaller than the diameter of the second housing 61b or larger than the diameter of the second housing 61b.

[0113] The link gear 62 includes a link gear body, a link gear body through-hole extending through the link gear body, and gear teeth provided along the inner cylindrical surface of the link gear body (the cylindrical surface forming the link gear body through-hole).

[0114] The link gear 62 is fixed to the housing with the smaller diameter out of the first housing 61a and the second housing 61b. As shown in the figure, when the diameter of the first housing 61a is set smaller than the diameter of the second housing 61b, the link gear 62 is fixed to the cylindrical surface of the first housing 61a.

[0115] As shown in FIG. 3, the cage 67 includes a base 671 located within the housing 61, a connecting shaft 675 that rotatably fixes a driven gear 677 to the base 671, and a link-shaped base cover 673 fixed to one end of the connecting shaft 675.

[0116] The second shaft 65 is inserted into the fixing panel through-hole 155 to connect the base 671 and the rear cover 23 of the drum. To prevent the rear cover 23 from being damaged by the rotation of the second shaft 65, the rear cover 23 is provided with a shaft bracket 651 to which one end of the second shaft 65 is fixed.

[0117] As shown in Figure 2, in order to minimize an increase in drum volume due to the axle bracket 651, the rear cover 23 is provided with an axle bracket mounting groove 231 to which the axle bracket 651 is fixed. The axle bracket mounting groove 231 is a groove that curves in the direction in which the rear cover 23 moves away from the fixed panel 151. The axle bracket mounting groove 231 is provided in the same position as the driver mounting groove 153, and it is desirable that the diameter of the axle bracket mounting groove 231 be larger than the diameter of the driver mounting groove 153. This is to minimize the risk of the rear cover 23 colliding with the driver mounting groove 153 when the drum 2 rotates.

[0118] The driven gear 677 is made up of multiple gears spaced apart by the same angle, but FIG. 3 shows an example in which the driven gear 677 and the connecting shaft 675 are made up of three gears and shafts spaced apart by 120°.

[0119] Each driven gear 677 includes a first body 677a rotatably fixed to the base 671 via a connecting shaft 675, a first gear 677b provided on the cylindrical surface of the first body 677a and coupled to the driving gear 631, a second body 677c fixed to the first body 677a and having a diameter smaller than that of the first body, and a second gear 677d provided on the cylindrical surface of the second body 677c and coupled to the link gear 62.

[0120] 4, the driving gear 631 fixed to the free end of the first shaft 63 is located in the space formed between the driven gears so as to be connected to each of the first gears 677b. The free end of the first shaft support part 611 is inserted into a base cover through-hole 674 formed in the center of the base cover 673 and penetrates the base cover 673. This structure (the structure of the first shaft support part and the base cover) has the characteristic of minimizing the volume of the housing (minimizing the volume of the driving part).

[0121] In order to seal the fixed panel through-hole 155 (to prevent the air supplied to the drum from leaking outside the cabinet), a sealing portion 41 is further provided on the driver bracket 4 or the fixed panel 151. When the driver bracket 4 is in the form of a link surrounding the fixed panel through-hole 155 and the housing 61 is fixed to the driver bracket 4 so as to be positioned in the core through-hole 512, the sealing portion 41 seals the space formed between the driver bracket 4 and the second housing 61b.

[0122] The drive unit (D) shown in Fig. 5 has the same structure as the drive unit (D) shown in Fig. 4, except that the stator 51 is fixed to the housing 61. That is, in the drive unit (D) of Fig. 4, the stator 51 is fixed to the fixed panel 151 via the drive unit bracket 4, whereas in the drive unit (D) of Fig. 5, the stator 51 is fixed to the fixed panel 151 via the housing 61 of the power transmission unit.

[0123] 3, when the stator 51 is fixed to the housing 61, the core 511 is provided with a core bracket 515, and the housing 61 is provided with a core mounting portion 619. The core 511 is fixed to the housing 61 via a core fastening portion 517 that fixes the core bracket 515 to the core mounting portion 619. The core mounting portion 619 is formed of a protrusion that protrudes in a direction away from the cylindrical surface of the second housing 61b along the diameter direction of the second housing 61b.

[0124] The operation of the driving part (D) having the above-mentioned structure will be described below. As shown in Figure 6, when the rotor 52 rotates clockwise, the first shaft 63 and the main driving gear 631 also rotate clockwise.

[0125] When the driving gear 631 rotates clockwise, the driven gear 677 rotates counterclockwise due to the first gear 677b. When the first gear 677b rotates counterclockwise, the second gear 677d also rotates counterclockwise. Because the link gear 62 is fixed to the fixed panel 15, when the second gear 677d rotates counterclockwise, the base 671 and the second shaft 65 rotate clockwise. Because the drum 2 and the base 671 are connected by the second shaft 65, the drum 2 rotates in the same direction as the rotor 52.

[0126] When the stator 51 is fixed to the housing 1, it is advantageous to maintain the concentricity of the first shaft 63 and the second shaft 65 and the spacing between the stator and the rotor. Assume that the stator 51 is fixed to the fixed panel 151 rather than the housing 61. In this case, vibrations of the drum 2 and the fixed panel 151 are transmitted to the second shaft 65, and vibrations of the fixed panel 151 are transmitted to the first shaft 63. If the vibration amplitude of the drum 2 differs from that of the fixed panel 151, it becomes difficult to maintain the desired spacing and concentricity between the first and second shafts, and the spacing between the stator coil 513 and the rotor permanent magnet 525. However, when the stator 51 is fixed to the housing 61, the vibrations transmitted from the outside to the first and second shafts are the same, thereby solving the above-mentioned problems.

[0127] As shown, the diameter of first gear 677b is set to be longer than the diameter of main driving gear 631, and the diameter of second gear 677d is set to be longer than the diameter of main driving gear 631 but shorter than the diameter of first gear 677b. Although not shown, the diameter of second gear 677d may be set to be the same as the diameter of main driving gear 631.

[0128] When the first gear, the second gear and the main driving gear are provided as described above, the driving part (D) rotates the drum 2 at a rotation speed lower than that of the rotor 52. That is, the driving part (D) also functions as a reducer.

[0129] As described above, a number of through holes 158a, 158b arranged in a linked manner are formed in the rear cover 23 of the drum. As shown in Fig. 7, the clothing treatment device 100 is further provided with a flow path guide 324 that uniformly supplies air discharged from the second exhaust port 157 to the through holes.

[0130] Since air moves in the direction of lower flow resistance, in the case of a clothing treatment device 100 that does not have a flow path guide 324, the amount of air that flows into the duct body 321 through the second exhaust port 157 tends to differ between the amount that moves clockwise and the amount that moves counterclockwise within the duct body 321. For example, if the amount of air moving clockwise within the duct body 321 is greater than the amount of air moving counterclockwise within the duct body 321, a large amount of air is supplied to the through-hole 158a located to the left of the reference line (L), while a small amount of air is supplied to the through-hole 158b located to the right of the reference line (L).

[0131] The above-mentioned imbalance in the amount of air supplied causes an imbalance in the amount of air supplied to the clothes in the drum 2. In other words, the amount of air supplied varies depending on the position of the clothes, which can cause problems such as an increase in drying time, some clothes being over-dried, and some clothes not being dried at all.

[0132] The above problem can be solved by maintaining the amount of air moving through the duct body 321 in the clockwise direction similar or equal to the amount of air moving through the duct body in the counterclockwise direction.

[0133] The flow path guide 324 includes a first inclined surface that guides a portion of the air discharged from the second exhaust port 157 to the left of the reference line (L), and a second inclined surface that guides the remainder of the air discharged from the second exhaust port 157 to the right of the reference line (L). Therefore, a portion of the air that has flowed into the duct body 321 due to the flow path guide 324 moves to the through hole 158a located on the left side of the reference line (L), and the remainder moves to the through hole 158b located on the right side of the reference line (L).

[0134] The reference line (L) is set as a straight line passing through the center of the rotor accommodating portion 322 and the center of the second exhaust port 157. Unlike the illustration, the reference line (L) may be set as a straight line passing through a point in the rotor accommodating portion 322 and a point in the second exhaust port 157.

[0135] Furthermore, the supply duct 32 is provided with a protruding wall 323 that divides the inside of the duct body 321 into two spaces. The protruding wall 323 is a protrusion that protrudes from the duct body 321 toward the fixed panel 151, or from the fixed panel 151 toward the duct body 321. Figure 7 shows the case where the protruding wall 323 protrudes from the duct body 321 toward the fixed panel 151.

[0136] The free end of the protruding wall 323 is formed so as to contact or not contact the fixed panel 151. Figure 7 shows a case where the free end of the protruding wall 323 and the fixed panel 151 do not contact each other.

[0137] It is desirable that the protruding wall 323 be provided at a position where the number of through holes 158a located to the left of the reference line (L) is equal to the number of through holes 158b located to the right of the reference line. When the reference line (L) is provided so as to divide the number of through holes into two, the protruding wall 323 is configured to be located on the reference line (L).

[0138] In the clothing treatment device 100 having the above-described structure, the duct body 321 surrounds the motor 5 (the motor is located inside the rotor housing), so there is a possibility that the motor 5 may overheat.

[0139] For effective cooling of the motor 5 (for cooling the stator), the clothing processing device 100 is further provided with a cooling passage 35. As shown in Fig. 8, the cooling passage 35 includes a duct cover 355 fixed to the duct body 321 to close the rotor accommodating portion 322, a supply passage 351 provided in the duct body 321 to supply outside air to the rotor accommodating portion 322, and an exhaust passage 353 provided in the duct body 321 to guide the air inside the rotor accommodating portion 322 to the outside of the rotor accommodating portion 322.

[0140] The supply flow path 351 and the exhaust flow path 353 are formed as grooves curved concavely on the upper surface of the duct body 321. When the exhaust flow path 353 is formed as a groove curved on the upper surface of the duct body 321 toward the fixed panel 151, the protruding wall 323 is formed by a part of the duct body 321 protruding from the fixed panel 151 to form the exhaust flow path 353.

[0141] When rotor 52 rotates, outside air flows into rotor accommodating portion 322 through supply flow path 351 , and the air inside rotor accommodating portion 322 is discharged to the outside of rotor accommodating portion 322 through exhaust flow path 353 .

[0142] In order to make it easier for the air that has flowed into the supply passage 351 to be discharged through the exhaust passage 353 (for effective cooling of the motor), vanes 523 are further provided on the rotor 52. The vanes 523 are boards that protrude from the rotor body 52a toward the duct cover 355.

[0143] The vane 523 may consist of one plate or multiple plates. In either case, the vane 523 is preferably provided parallel to the diameter of the rotor body 52a. When the vane 523 consists of plates parallel to the diameter of the rotor body, it can function as an impeller to forcibly move air.

[0144] The rotor 52 further includes rotor through-holes 521 that penetrate the rotor body 52a so that heat generated in the stator 51 can be more effectively dissipated to the rotor accommodating portion 322. The rotor through-holes 521 are arranged such that a number of holes form a link surrounding the first shaft 63.

[0145] The rotor through-hole 521 is formed as a slit whose length in the diameter direction of the rotor body 52a is set longer than its length in the circumferential direction of the rotor body 52a. In this case, the vanes 523 are fixed to the edge of the rotor through-hole 521 that is parallel to the diameter direction of the rotor body 52a.

[0146] In order to easily dissipate heat generated in the stator 51 to the rotor accommodating portion 322, the drive unit mounting groove 153 is further provided with a guide passage 357. The guide passage 357 is a means for guiding the air in the drive unit mounting groove 153 to the exhaust passage 353.

[0147] In order to more effectively cool the motor 5, the supply passage 351, the center of rotation of the rotor 52, and the exhaust passage 353 are arranged on a straight line. Figure 7 shows an example in which the supply passage 351, the center of rotation of the rotor 52, the guide passage 357, and the exhaust passage 353 are arranged on a reference line (L).

[0148] The power transmission unit 6 shown in Figures 4 and 5 has a structure in which the kinetic energy of the rotor 52 moves sequentially from the direction in which the rotor 52 is located to the direction in which the drum 2 is located (a structure in which kinetic energy is transmitted in a forward direction), or a structure in which the kinetic energy of the rotor 52 moves forward, backward, and forward again from the direction in which the rotor 52 is located to the direction in which the drum 2 is located (a structure including a process in which kinetic energy is transmitted in a backward direction).

[0149] FIG. 9(a) shows an example of a power transmission unit having a structure in which the kinetic energy of the rotor is transmitted in the forward direction, and FIG. 9(b) shows an example of a power transmission unit in which the kinetic energy of the rotor is transmitted in the forward direction, reverse direction, and forward direction.

[0150] 9(a) includes a first body 677a rotatably fixed to a base 671, a first gear 677b provided on the cylindrical surface of the first body 677a and coupled to the driving gear 631, a second body 677c protruding from the first body 677a toward the drum 2, and a second gear 677d provided on the cylindrical surface of the second body and coupled to the link gear 62. In this case, the first gear 677b is located between the first housing 61a and the link gear 62, and the second gear 677d is located between the first gear 677b and one surface of the second housing 61b. The drawings show, as an example, a case where the first gear 677b is located in the space provided by the first housing 61a, and the second gear 677d is located in the space provided by the second housing 61b.

[0151] In the power transmission section of Figure 9(a), the kinetic energy of the rotor 52 is transmitted by the first shaft 63 as kinetic energy of the driving gear 631, the kinetic energy of the driving gear 631 is transmitted to the first gear 677b and the second gear 677d, and the kinetic energy of the second gear 677d is transmitted to the base 671 and the second shaft 65. Since this transfer of kinetic energy is sequential from the rotor 52 to the drum 2, Figure 9(a) is defined as a forward power transmission structure.

[0152] 9(b) includes a first body 677a rotatably fixed to the base 671, a first gear 677b provided on the cylindrical surface of the first body 677a and coupled to the driving gear 631, a second body 677c protruding from the first body 677a toward the rotor 52, and a second gear 677d provided on the cylindrical surface of the second body and coupled to the link gear 62. In this case, the first gear 677b is located between the base 671 and the link gear 62, and the second gear 677d is located between the first gear 677b and one surface of the first housing 61a. The drawings show, as an example, a case where the first gear 677b is located in a space provided by the second housing 61b, and the second gear 677d is located in a space provided by the first housing 61a.

[0153] In the power transmission section of FIG. 9(b), the kinetic energy of the rotor 52 is transmitted by the first shaft 63 as kinetic energy to the driving gear 631, and the kinetic energy of the driving gear 631 is transmitted to the first gear 677b (forward transmission of kinetic energy). The kinetic energy of the first gear 677b is transmitted to the second gear 677d, but the second gear 677d is arranged in the direction of the rotor, not the direction of the drum. Therefore, the kinetic energy of the first gear 677b is transmitted in the reverse direction. The kinetic energy of the second gear 677d is then transmitted to the second shaft 65 via the base 671. However, because the base 671 is located between the first gear 677b and the second housing 61b, the kinetic energy of the second gear 677d is transmitted to the second shaft 65 in the forward direction.

[0154] 9(a), the second body 677c is formed as a cylinder protruding from the first body 677a toward the second housing 61b, whereas the power transmission unit of FIG. 9(b) is formed as a cylinder protruding from the first body toward the first housing 61a. Therefore, the driven gear 677 of FIG. 9(b) can form a space between the second gear 677d into which the free end of the first shaft support portion 611 is inserted, so the volume of the power transmission unit 61 of FIG. 9(b) is smaller than the volume of the power transmission unit of FIG. 9(a).

[0155] Furthermore, in the case of Figure 9(b), if any of the multiple bearings 613a, 613b that make up the first shaft bearing 613 is provided in the first shaft through hole 612 so as to be positioned in the space formed by the second gear 677d, the volume of the power transmission unit 6 can be further reduced.

[0156] Meanwhile, in order to minimize the volume of the driving part (D), the power transmission part 6 provided in FIGS. 9(a) and 9(b) has at least a partial area of the first housing 61a inserted into the core through-hole 512.

[0157] As shown in Figure 1, in the clothing treatment device 100 having the above-described structure, the rear cover 23 of the drum remains connected to the fixed panel 15 via the drive unit (D), while the front cover 22 of the drum remains in contact with the drum connecting body 123 of the support panel via the connecting damper 124. Therefore, when the drum 2 moves toward the rear of the clothing treatment device (in the X-axis direction) due to vibration, the front cover 22 may be separated from the drum connecting body 123.

[0158] When the front cover 22 is separated from the drum connecting body 123, the drum inlet 221 is separated from the support panel through-hole 122 (air supplied to the drum leaks out of the drum), which causes problems such as energy waste, increased drying time, and reduced drying efficiency.

[0159] Also, when the front cover 22 is separated from the drum connecting body 123, the clothes are caught in the space between the front cover and the drum connecting body, which causes a large load on the motor.

[0160] To solve this problem, the clothing treatment device 100 further includes either front support parts 7 and 8 that support the front cover 22 or a rear support part 9 that supports the rear cover 23. Figure 1 shows, as an example, a clothing treatment device 100 that includes both the front support parts 7 and 8 and the rear support part 9.

[0161] The front support parts 7 and 8 are arranged to minimize movement of the front cover 22 along the height direction (Z-axis direction) and width direction (Y-axis direction) of the support panel 121, and the rear support part 9 is arranged to minimize movement of the front cover 22 along the direction away from the support panel 121 (X-axis direction and -Z-axis direction).

[0162] As shown in Figure 10, the front support part includes a first front support part 7 that supports the area of the cylindrical surface of the front cover 22 that is located below the horizontal line (H) that passes through the center of rotation of the drum, and a second front support part 8 that supports the area of the cylindrical surface of the front cover 22 that is located above the horizontal line (H).

[0163] The front first support part 7 is provided on either the base panel 17 or the support panel 121 and is a means for setting the range in which the drum insertion opening 221 can move along the width direction (+Y, -Y axis direction) of the support body 121 and the range in which the drum insertion opening 221 can move toward the direction in which the base panel 17 is located (-Z axis direction).

[0164] The front first support portion 7 includes a first roller 71 rotatably fixed to the support panel 121 via a first roller shaft 711 , and a second roller 73 rotatably fixed to the support panel 121 via a second roller shaft 731 .

[0165] In order to minimize the load input to the shafts 711 and 731 of the respective rollers, it is desirable that the first roller 71 and the second roller 73 are installed at positions symmetrical with respect to a vertical line (V) passing through the center of rotation of the drum.

[0166] In addition, in order to minimize the transmission of drum vibration to the cabinet via rollers 71 and 73, each roller 71 and 73 is arranged to come into contact with the cylindrical surface of the front cover when vibrations exceeding a predetermined reference displacement occur in the drum (each roller remains spaced apart from the front cover).

[0167] The front second support part 8 is provided on the support panel 121 and is a means for setting the range within which the drum insertion opening 221 can move in the direction (+Z) away from the base panel 17. As shown in Fig. 11, the front second support part 8 includes a front support frame 81 fixed to the support panel 121 and positioned higher than the front cover 22, and support dampers 83 and 85 fixed to the front support frame 81 and restricting movement of the front cover 22 along the height direction of the support body 121.

[0168] To secure the front support frame 81, the support panel 121 is provided with a support portion mounting groove 125 that is concavely curved in the direction in which the support panel 121 moves away from the front cover 22, and the mounting groove 125 is provided with a slot 125a, and the front support frame 81 is provided with a fastening portion 811 that is inserted into the slot 125a.

[0169] As shown in FIG. 12( a ), the support damper includes a first damper 83 fixed to the front support frame 81 and a second damper 85 fixed to the first damper 83 and capable of supporting the cylindrical surface of the front cover 22 .

[0170] In order for the support dampers 83 and 85 to effectively reduce vibrations of the drum 2, the first damper 83 is made of a material having a larger elastic modulus than the second damper 85. That is, the second damper 85 is made of the same felt as the connecting damper 124, and the first damper 83 is made of rubber or the like.

[0171] As described above, the connecting damper 124 is fixed to the damper mounting groove 123a formed in a link shape at the free end of the drum connecting body 123, and is kept pressed toward the support panel 121 by the front cover 22. This minimizes separation between the drum connecting body 123 and the edge of the drum inlet 221.

[0172] 12(b) shows another embodiment of the front second support part 8. The front second support part 8 according to this embodiment is made up of a front roller 87 that is rotatably fixed to the front support frame 81 via a roller shaft 871 and can support the cylindrical surface of the front cover 22.

[0173] Unlike the illustration, the first front support part 7 supports the cylindrical surface of the drum body 21, not the cylindrical surface of the front cover 22. In this case, each roller 71, 73 supports the area of the cylindrical surface of the drum body 21 that is located below the horizontal line (H). When we say that each roller 71, 73 supports the cylindrical surface of the drum body (or the cylindrical surface of the front cover), we mean both cases where each roller 71, 73 contacts the cylindrical surface of the drum body, and where it is separated so as to contact the drum body when vibrations exceeding the reference displacement occur in the drum.

[0174] Similarly, the front second support part 8 also supports the area located above the horizontal line (H) of the cylindrical surface of the drum body 21. That is, the second damper 85 supports the area located above the horizontal line (H) of the cylindrical surface of the drum body 21, and the front roller 87 is provided to support the area located above the horizontal line (H) of the cylindrical surface of the drum body 21.

[0175] The second damper 85 and the front roller 87 supporting the cylindrical surface of the drum body (or the cylindrical surface of the front cover) means that the second damper 85 and the front roller 87 come into contact with the cylindrical surface of the drum body, and that they are spaced apart so as to come into contact with the drum body when vibrations greater than the reference displacement occur in the drum.

[0176] As shown in Figure 10, the narrower the distance between the first roller 71 and the second roller 73 (the closer the first roller and the second roller are positioned to the lowest point of the front cover), the greater the possibility that the cylindrical surface of the front cover 22 will come out of the space formed by the first roller 71, the second roller 73 and the front second support part 8.

[0177] To stably support the cylindrical surface of the front cover 22 while preventing a sudden increase in the load acting on the shafts 711, 731 of the rollers (to improve the durability of the roller shafts), it is desirable to set the angle (A3) formed by the line connecting the rotation center 711, 731 of each roller to the rotation center C of the drum and the vertical line (V) to be less than 60°. This is because if the angle (A3) of the line connecting the rotation center 711, 731 of the rollers to the vertical line (V) exceeds 60°, the external force input to the shafts 711, 731 of the rollers will increase suddenly.

[0178] For example, the angle (A3) of the roller axis relative to the vertical line is set to 50° to 52°, and the angle (A4) formed by the straight line connecting each roller axis 711, 731 with the drum rotation center (C) relative to the horizontal line connecting the two roller axes is set to 40° to 38°.

[0179] Furthermore, the angle (A1) between the line (L1) connecting the rotation center 711 of the first roller to the center of the front second support part 8 and the line (L2) connecting the rotation center 731 of the second roller to the center of the front second support part 8 is set to 30° to 50°. In this case, the angle (A2) formed by the horizontal line (L3) connecting the rotation centers 711, 731 of the two rollers and the lines (L1, L2) connecting the rotation centers 711, 731 of each roller to the center of the front second support part 8 forms an angle of 65° to 75°.

[0180] Meanwhile, it is desirable that the distance (G1) between the top ends of the first and second rollers 71, 73 and the bottom end of the cylindrical surface of the front cover 22 is longer than the distance (G2) between the second front support part 8 and the top end of the cylindrical surface of the front cover 22. In other words, it is desirable that the distance (G3) between the cylindrical surface of the rollers and the cylindrical surface of the front cover be set shorter than the distance (G2) between the second front support part 8 and the top end of the cylindrical surface of the front cover.

[0181] When the drum vibrates, the two rollers 71 and 73 limit the vibration of the drum ahead of the front second support part 8, thereby minimizing vibration of the center of rotation of the drum along the width direction (Y-axis direction) of the support body 121. When the drum rotates with clothes loaded, vibrations generated in the drum toward the bottom end of the support body (-Z-axis direction) and the width direction of the support body (Y-axis direction) are often greater than vibrations toward the top end of the support body (+Z-axis direction). Therefore, when the front first support part 7 and the front second support part 8 are arranged as described above, vibrations generated at the beginning of the drum rotation can be effectively reduced.

[0182] 13 is a diagram showing an example of the rear support part 9. As described above, the rear support part 9 is a means for setting either the range in which the rear cover 23 can move toward the fixed panel 151 or the range in which the rear cover 23 can move toward the base panel 17.

[0183] 13(a) and 13(b), the rear support part 9 is fixed to the exhaust duct 31, but the rear support part 9 may be fixed to the base panel 17, the fixing panel 12, or the base panel and the fixing panel. For convenience, the following description will be based on the case where the rear support part 9 is fixed to the exhaust duct 31.

[0184] The rear support portion 9 in Figure 13(a) includes a rear support frame 91 fixed to the exhaust duct 31, and a seat portion 93 provided on the rear support frame 91 to limit either the rear displacement in which the rear cover 23 moves toward the fixed panel 151 or the downward displacement in which the rear cover 23 moves toward the base panel 17.

[0185] The seat portion 93 supports the joint surface between the drum body 21 and the rear cover 23. In this case, it is desirable that the seat portion 93 be provided in accordance with the shape of the joint portion 97 between the drum body 21 and the rear cover 23.

[0186] That is, when the joint 97 between the drum body 21 and the rear cover 23 is formed by seaming (an assembly method in which one end of the drum body and the edge of the rear cover are folded together to join the drum body and the rear cover), an L-shaped corner is formed at the joint 97. The seat portion 93 is fixed to the rear support frame 91 and includes a first seat surface 931 extending along the drum height direction (+Z-axis direction), and a second seat surface 933 extending from the rear support frame 91 toward the support panel (-X-axis direction). The first seat surface 931 is located in the space between the rear surface of the joint 97 (the surface facing the fixed panel) and the fixed panel 151 to limit rearward displacement, and the second seat surface 933 is located in the space between the bottom end of the joint 97 and the base panel 17 to limit downward displacement.

[0187] The first seat surface 931 may be kept in contact with the connecting portion 97, or may be brought into contact with the connecting portion 97 only when the drum is displaced rearward by a predetermined reference displacement or more.

[0188] Similarly, the second seat surface 933 may maintain contact with the connecting portion 97, or may contact the connecting portion 97 only when the drum is displaced downward by a predetermined reference displacement or more.

[0189] When the rear cover 23 and the seat portion 93 are provided so as to come into contact with each other, the seat portion 93 is made of felt in order to reduce the frictional force acting on the drum (to reduce the load on the motor).

[0190] 13(b) includes a rear support frame 91 fixed to the exhaust duct 31 and a rear roller 95 rotatably fixed to the rear support frame 91 and in contact with the rear cover 23. The rear roller 95 is rotatably fixed to the free end of the rear support frame 91 via a roller shaft 951.

[0191] The rear cover 23 is further provided with a roller receiving groove 235 that provides a space for inserting a part of the rear roller 95. The roller receiving groove 235 is a groove in which the surface of the rear cover 23 curves toward the front cover 22. The roller receiving groove 235 forms a circle surrounding the center of the rear cover 23 (the rotation center of the drum).

[0192] The rear roller 95 may be kept in contact with the rear cover 23, or may be brought into contact with the rear cover 23 only when the drum is displaced rearward by a predetermined reference displacement or more.

[0193] The above-mentioned front support parts 7 and 8 and rear support part 9 can minimize movement of the drum inlet 221 in the direction (-X axis direction, +Z axis direction, -Z axis direction) in which it separates from the drum connecting body 123. Therefore, the garment treatment device 100 can minimize leakage of air supplied to the drum and minimize the problem of garments being caught between the drum and the support panel 121.

[0194] Minimizing the problem of clothes getting caught between the drum and the support panel means minimizing the load on the drive, which means that the speed and direction of rotation of the drum can be controlled by a motor that produces a small torque.

[0195] Although the above-mentioned clothing treatment device 100 has been described based on the case where it is equipped with a circulation type drying system, this clothing treatment device 100 can also be applied to an exhaust type drying system. A circulation type drying system is a drying method that sequentially dehumidifies and heats the air discharged from the drum 2, and then resupplies the high-temperature, dry air to the drum. An exhaust type drying system is a drying method that heats outside air and supplies it to the drum 2, and after heat exchange is complete, exhausts the air discharged from the drum 2 to the outside of the cabinet 1.

[0196] When the clothing processing device 100 is an exhaust-type drying system, the supply section 3 includes an exhaust duct connecting the first exhaust outlet 128 and the second exhaust outlet 157, a supply duct that supplies outside air (air inside the cabinet or air outside the cabinet) to the drum 2, and a heat exchange section that heats the air that flows into the supply duct.

[0197] 10 is a diagram showing an example of a method for controlling the clothing processing device. When power is supplied to the control panel 115, the clothing processing device 100 determines whether a control command requesting execution of the drying course has been input through the input unit 116 (S10).

[0198] When a control signal requesting selection of a drying course and execution of the selected drying course is input from input unit 116, the control method according to this embodiment performs an air supply step (S11). The air supply step (S11) is a process of operating fan 349 and heat exchanger 34 to supply air (hot, dry air) that is higher than room temperature and lower than room humidity to drum 2 to remove moisture from the clothes.

[0199] In this control method, a sensing step (S12, first sensing step) is performed during the air supply step (S11). The sensing step (S12) is a step for determining the dryness of the clothes from the data measured by the sensing unit 4.

[0200] The sensing step (S12) measures the dryness of the clothes at predetermined intervals (S13) or measures the dryness of the clothes in real time while the air supply step (S11) is in progress.

[0201] This control method performs a first motion execution step (S30) while an air supply step (S11) is in progress. The first motion execution step (S30) is a step of controlling the drum 2 to perform a first motion, which refers to a drum operation pattern in which the drum alternates between an acceleration mode (S31, first acceleration mode) and a deceleration mode (S33, first deceleration mode). The air supply step (S11) and the first motion execution step (S30) may start simultaneously, or one step may start before the other.

[0202] As shown in FIG. 11(a), the first acceleration mode (S31) is a mode in which the drum rotates at a first rotation speed. The first rotation speed is set to a rotation speed that induces a centrifugal force of 1 G or more on the clothes or a rotation speed that rotates the clothes while keeping them in close contact with the circumferential surface of the drum. In the first acceleration mode (S31), it is preferable to set the drum 2 to rotate only in either the clockwise or counterclockwise direction. This minimizes the load on the drive unit (D). The figure shows an example of the first acceleration mode in which the drum 2 rotates clockwise.

[0203] As shown in Figure 12(a), during the first acceleration mode (S31), the clothes are not only spread out on the circumferential surface of the drum 2 but also remain in close contact with the drum surface (the clothes remain in close contact with the drum body). That is, during the first acceleration mode (S31), the clothes do not fall inside the drum but rotate with the drum. Therefore, when the first acceleration mode (S31) is performed early in the drying process, it minimizes friction between the clothes and the drum that occurs when the clothes slide or fall inside the drum, thereby minimizing damage to the clothes due to frictional forces during the early stages of drying.

[0204] 12(b), the drum 2 is provided with a lifter 26 that protrudes toward the center of rotation of the drum, so when the drum rotates in the first acceleration mode (S31), the clothes are pressed toward the circumferential surface of the drum (drum body) while being hung on the lifter 26. Therefore, the control method can also remove wrinkles from the clothes by the first motion execution step (S30).

[0205] The air inlet 233 formed on the rear surface of the drum has a number of through-holes arranged in a ring shape surrounding the second shaft 65, which forms the center of rotation of the drum. The air supplied to the drum through the air inlet 233 moves along the circumferential surface of the drum from the rear surface to the front surface of the drum, so the first acceleration mode (S31) can maximize contact between the clothes and the air.

[0206] As shown in Figure 11(b), the first deceleration mode (S33) is a mode in which the drum 2 rotates at a second rotation speed that is set lower than the first rotation speed. The second rotation speed is set to a rotation speed that induces a centrifugal force of less than 1 G on the clothes. In the first deceleration mode (S33), the drum 2 rotates only in either the clockwise or counterclockwise direction. Figure 11(b) shows an example of the first deceleration mode in which the drum 2 rotates clockwise.

[0207] In the first deceleration mode (S33), the clothes rise above the horizontal line (H) passing through the center of rotation of the drum 2 due to the lifter 26, centrifugal force, frictional force, etc., and then fall to the lowest point of the drum 2. That is, during the first deceleration mode (S33), the clothes rise from the lowest point (P1) of the drum's rotation trajectory and fall from a position between a point (P2) 90° away from the lowest point and a point (P3) 180° away from the lowest point.

[0208] The first acceleration mode (S31) performed at the beginning of drying (the beginning of the air supply stage) minimizes the problem of damage to clothes due to friction, but if the first acceleration mode (S31) is performed without interruption, there may be a disadvantage that only a specific area of the clothes (the side of the clothes facing the center of the drum) exchanges heat with the air supplied from the supply unit 3. The first deceleration mode (S33) is a means to solve this problem. In other words, by alternately performing the first acceleration mode (S31) and the first deceleration mode (S33), the area of the clothes facing the center of rotation of the drum can be changed, preventing the problem of only a certain area of the clothes being dried.

[0209] Furthermore, when the first acceleration mode (S31) and the first deceleration mode (S33) are alternately performed, a force as shown in Fig. 12(c) acts on the clothes. That is, when the first acceleration mode (S31) and the first deceleration mode (S33) are alternately performed, centrifugal forces in opposite directions are alternately applied to the clothes, which makes it easy to prevent the clothes from shrinking.

[0210] In order to minimize damage to clothes caused by friction, maximize the contact area of the clothes with the air, and remove wrinkles from the clothes, it is preferable to set the execution time of the first acceleration mode (S31) longer than the execution time of the first deceleration mode (S33). This is because if the execution time of the first deceleration mode is longer than the execution time of the first acceleration mode, the duration and frequency of friction acting on the clothes will increase.

[0211] The ratio of the execution time of the first acceleration mode (S31) to the execution time of the first deceleration mode (S33) is set to 3:1 to 10:1, but in order to further enhance the above-mentioned effect, it is desirable to set the ratio of the execution time of the first acceleration mode (S31) to the execution time of the first deceleration mode (S33) to 5:1 or more.

[0212] When the maintenance time of the first acceleration mode (S31) is set to 180 seconds or more, it is effective in minimizing the friction force applied to the clothes and removing wrinkles, and when the maintenance time of the first deceleration mode (S33) is set to 60 seconds or more, it is effective in agitating the clothes. In addition, when the alternating execution of the first acceleration mode (S31) and the first deceleration mode (S33) is repeated two or more times, the above-mentioned effects can be more easily achieved.

[0213] When the drum diameter is set to 24 to 27 inches, the drum rotation speed set in the first acceleration mode (S31) is 65 RPM or more, and the drum rotation speed set in the first deceleration mode (S33) is 50 RPM.

[0214] In order to minimize the load input to the driving unit (D), it is preferable that the rotation direction of the drum set in the first acceleration mode (S31) and the rotation direction of the drum set in the first deceleration mode (S33) are the same.

[0215] The clothing drying process (air supply stage) is divided into the first period (preheating period) in which the dryness level remains almost constant but the temperature of the clothing increases; the second period (constant drying rate period) in which the dryness level increases suddenly (the moisture content decreases suddenly) and the temperature of the clothing remains almost constant; and the third period (falling drying rate period) in which the dryness level remains almost constant but the temperature of the clothing increases.

[0216] The first motion execution step (S30) may be performed only during a part of the preheating period, or may be performed from the beginning to the end of the preheating period.

[0217] If the first motion execution step (S30) is performed during a portion of the preheating section, the first motion execution step (S30) begins when the preheating section starts or when a predetermined time has elapsed since the preheating section started, and ends before the end of the preheating section.

[0218] The end of the first motion execution step (S30) is determined based on whether the dryness of the clothes has reached a predetermined first reference dryness. Whether the dryness of the clothes has reached the first reference dryness is determined based on data measured by the sensor unit 4 (S35). That is, in this embodiment, the control method ends the first motion execution step (S30) when the temperature of the refrigerant circulating through the refrigerant pipe 348 reaches a predetermined first refrigerant temperature.

[0219] Whether the dryness level has reached the first reference dryness level may be determined by a number of electrodes 131, 133 in contact with the clothes or by a temperature sensor 135 that measures the temperature of the air flowing into the exhaust duct 31, but determining the dryness level using a temperature sensor 137 that detects the temperature of the refrigerant is more accurate. Determining the dryness level using electrodes 131, 133 reduces accuracy depending on the frequency of contact between the clothes and the electrodes, while determining the dryness level using the temperature of the air discharged from the drum reduces accuracy depending on the degree to which the clothes are dispersed within the drum. In contrast, the temperature of the refrigerant is data that is relatively little affected by the dispersion of the clothes within the drum. Therefore, in determining whether the first reference dryness level has been reached (S35), it is preferable to compare the temperature of the refrigerant with a predetermined first refrigerant temperature.

[0220] The first refrigerant temperature is set to 90°. Temperature sensor 137 for measuring the temperature of the refrigerant measures the temperature of the refrigerant moving from compressor 345 to heat generating unit 343. Temperature sensor 137 for measuring the temperature of the refrigerant measures the temperature of the refrigerant by measuring the temperature of refrigerant pipe 348, or measures the temperature of the refrigerant directly.

[0221] Unlike Fig. 10, the first motion execution step (S30) may be set to end when the total execution time of the first acceleration mode (S31) and the first deceleration mode (S33) reaches a predetermined reference time. The reference time is changed depending on the amount of laundry placed in the drum. In this case, a laundry amount determination step is performed to measure the amount of laundry placed in the drum before the first motion execution step begins. The control unit selects the reference time from a number of time data selected through experiments.

[0222] Meanwhile, the control method according to this embodiment includes a distributed motion execution step (S20) to minimize entanglement of clothes during execution of the first acceleration mode (S31).

[0223] The distributed motion execution step (S20) may be performed before the start of the supply supply step (S11), simultaneously with the air supply step (S11), or before the start of the first motion execution step (S30). Figure 10 shows an example in which the distributed motion execution step (S20) is performed after the air supply step (S11) starts and before the start of the first motion execution step (S30).

[0224] As described above, the dispersion motion execution step (S20) is a process for spreading the clothes evenly inside the drum to minimize the risk of the clothes getting tangled while the drum is rotating. In the dispersion motion execution step (S20), the drum 2 performs a dispersion motion.

[0225] As shown in Figure 13(a), dispersion motion is a drum operation pattern in which the drum rotates alternately clockwise and counterclockwise at the dispersion speed (fourth speed). The dispersion speed is set to a speed at which the centrifugal force generated on the clothes is less than 1 G. When the drum diameter is set to 24 to 27 inches, the dispersion speed is set to 30 RPM.

[0226] During the dispersion motion, the clothes repeatedly rise and fall within the drum 2. That is, during the dispersion motion, the clothes rise to the horizontal line (H) passing through the center of rotation of the drum due to the lifter 26 provided on the drum body 21, frictional force, or centrifugal force, and then slide or roll down to the lowest point of the drum. As shown in Figure 10, the dispersion motion execution step (S20) ends when a predetermined dispersion time has elapsed (S25).

[0227] When the first motion execution step (S35) is completed, the control method performs a stirring motion execution step (S40) in which the drum 2 is rotated in a motion different from the first motion.

[0228] The stirring motion execution step (S40) operates the drum 2 in a stirring mode. As shown in Figures 14(a) and 14(b), the stirring mode is a mode in which the drum 2 rotates alternately in a clockwise direction and a counterclockwise direction at a third rotation speed (stirring rotation speed) that is lower than the first rotation speed.

[0229] The third rotation speed is set to a rotation speed that induces a centrifugal force that separates the clothes from the drum between a point (P2) 90° away from the lowest point (P1) of the rotation locus and a point (P3) 180° away from the drum rotation direction. That is, the third rotation speed is set to a rotation speed that induces a centrifugal force of less than 1 G, or is set to the same rotation speed as the second rotation speed (the rotation speed set in the first deceleration mode). The third rotation speed is also set to a rotation speed that is smaller than the second rotation speed and larger than the fourth rotation speed (the rotation speed set in the dispersion mode).

[0230] 14(a) shows the process of rotating the drum 2 clockwise at the third rotation speed, and FIG. 14(b) shows the process of rotating the drum counterclockwise at the third rotation speed. Unlike the illustrations, the agitation mode may be set to alternate between counterclockwise and clockwise rotation of the drum.

[0231] In the agitation motion execution step (S40), the clothes repeat the process of rising clockwise to the space above the horizontal line (H) passing through the center of the drum, falling or rolling to the space below the horizontal line (H), rising counterclockwise to the space above the horizontal line (H), and falling or rolling to the space below the horizontal line (H).

[0232] The stirring motion execution step (S40) is preferably performed in the constant rate drying section, and the stirring motion execution step (S40) is performed in a part or all of the constant rate drying section.

[0233] When the agitation motion execution step (S40) is performed in the fixed rate drying section, the space (contact surface) of the clothes that comes into contact with the air is maximized, which is expected to shorten the drying time. Also, since the clothes are continuously moving in the drum during the agitation motion execution step (S40), the risk of dye transfer caused by contact between clothes can be minimized.

[0234] The agitation motion execution step (S40) ends when the dryness of the clothes reaches a predetermined agitation end dryness (third reference dryness) (S45), or when the execution time of the agitation mode reaches a predetermined reference time (agitation motion execution time). Figure 10 shows an example of the former. In the latter case, it is desirable that the execution time of the agitation motion execution step (S40) be longer than the execution time of the first motion execution step (S30).

[0235] The mixing end dryness is set to the dryness at the end of the constant rate drying section (start of the decreasing rate drying section). The mixing end dryness is set to the dryness at which the moisture content becomes 10% or less.

[0236] When the dryness is determined by the temperature of the refrigerant, the control method determines that the dryness at the end of agitation has been reached when the temperature of the refrigerant measured by the temperature sensor 137 reaches the agitation end refrigerant temperature (when the moisture content is 10% or less, the temperature of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor, which is set to vary depending on the amount of fabric).

[0237] If the dryness of the clothes measured during the agitation motion execution step (S40) is equal to or greater than the agitation termination dryness (S45), the control method proceeds to the second motion execution step (S50) which alternates between the second acceleration mode (S51) and the second deceleration mode (S53).

[0238] The second acceleration mode (S51) and the second deceleration mode (S53) provided in the second motion execution step (S50) may be set to be the same as the first acceleration mode (S31) and the first deceleration mode (S33). That is, the second acceleration mode (S51) provided in the second motion execution step (S50) may be set as shown in Figure 11(a), and the second deceleration mode (S53) may be set as shown in Figure 11(b).

[0239] Since the clothes are highly dry during the falling rate drying section, the more frequently the clothes rub against the drum, the greater the risk of clothes wear (lint generation). Therefore, by performing the second motion, which alternates between the second acceleration mode (S51) and the second deceleration mode (S53) during the falling rate drying section, the number of times the clothes rub against the drum can be minimized, thereby reducing the risk of clothes damage.

[0240] The agitation motion execution step (S40) is expected to have the effect of shortening the drying time by maximizing the movement of the clothes, but if a large impact is applied to the clothes, there is a problem that the clothes may shrink (the volume of the space formed between the fibers decreases). The second motion execution step (S50) is a means of minimizing the risk of clothes shrinking by mitigating the impact applied to the clothes.

[0241] The ratio of the execution time of the second acceleration mode (S51) and the execution time of the second deceleration mode (S53) in the second motion execution step (S50) may be different from the ratio of the execution time of the first acceleration mode (S31) and the execution time of the first deceleration mode (S33).

[0242] If the time in the second acceleration mode (S51) is too long compared to the time in the second deceleration mode (S53), the clothes may be damaged by the tensile force acting on them. Therefore, it is desirable that the execution time set for the second acceleration mode (S51) be the same as or longer than the execution time set for the second deceleration mode (S53). Preferably, the ratio of the execution time of the second acceleration mode (S51) to the execution time of the second deceleration mode (S53) is set to 5:1 or less (set to 3:1 to 1:1), and the maintenance times for each of the second acceleration mode (S51) and the second deceleration mode (S53) are set to 60 seconds or more.

[0243] As shown in Figure 10, the second motion execution step (S50) is performed until the dryness of the clothes reaches a predetermined second reference dryness (S55). The second reference dryness is set to a dryness that is higher than the dryness at the end of mixing but lower than the target dryness (target dryness set in the air supply step) set for the drying course selected by the user (S10).

[0244] The step of determining whether the dryness of the clothes has reached the second standard dryness (S55) is performed by the control unit by monitoring the dryness data sent from the sensing unit 4. That is, the control method determines that the second standard dryness has been reached when the temperature of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 345 reaches a predetermined second refrigerant temperature.

[0245] If it is determined that the dryness of the clothes has reached the second reference dryness (S55), the control method performs a sensing motion execution step (S60) and a sensing step (S65, second sensing step).

[0246] The sensing motion execution step (S60) is a process of adjusting the rotation speed of the drum 2 to move the clothes in the space below the horizontal line (H) passing through the center of rotation of the drum, and the second sensing step (S65) is a process of measuring the dryness of the clothes using the first electrode 131 and the second electrode 133.

[0247] In the detection motion execution step (S60), the drum 2 rotates in the detection mode shown in Figure 13(b). As shown in Figure 13(b), in the detection mode, the drum 2 rotates alternately clockwise and counterclockwise, and it is desirable that the drum rotation speed set in the detection mode (sensing rotation speed, fifth rotation speed) be lower than the drum rotation speed set in the dispersion mode (fourth rotation speed). If the drum diameter is set to 24 to 27 inches, the sensing rotation speed is set to 20 RPM or less.

[0248] During the sensing motion execution step (S60), the movement range of the clothes is limited to the space below the horizontal line (H), and the movement speed is also relatively constant (the movement of the clothes can be maintained relatively uniform). Therefore, the first electrode 131 and the second electrode 133 fixed to the support panel 121 can also measure the dryness of the clothes relatively accurately.

[0249] In addition, the sensing motion execution step (S60) can minimize the area of the clothes that come into contact with the air (minimizing heat exchange between the clothes and the air), thereby minimizing the risk of clothes being damaged due to over-drying.

[0250] Although not shown, if it is determined that the dryness of the clothes measured during the second motion execution step (S60) is equal to or greater than the second reference dryness (S55), this control method can reduce the amount of air supplied to drum 2. This can minimize the problem of light clothes blocking first exhaust port 128 (overheating of the heat exchanger, damage to clothes). The amount of air supplied to drum 2 can be reduced by the control unit lowering the rotation speed of fan 315.

[0251] As shown in FIG. 10, if it is determined that the dryness measured during the sensing motion execution step (S65) has reached the predetermined target dryness (S14), this control method terminates the air supply step (S11), the dryness measurement step (S12), and the rotation of drum 2.

[0252] Unlike the illustration, this control method may terminate the air supply step (S11), the dryness measurement step (S12), and the rotation of drum 2 when both the dryness measured by electrodes 131, 133 and the dryness measured by temperature sensor 137 that measures the temperature of the refrigerant reach the target dryness.

[0253] Figure 15 shows the drum motion and effect for each section. In the dispersion motion execution step (S20), the drum performs a dispersion motion to evenly spread the clothes on the drum. Then, in the first motion execution step (S30), the drum rotates in a first acceleration mode and a first deceleration mode to minimize friction between the clothes and the drum. In the agitation motion execution step (S40), the drum rotates in agitation mode to promote heat exchange between the clothes and the air. In the second motion execution step (S50), the drum rotates in a second acceleration mode and a second deceleration mode to minimize shrinkage and damage to the clothes. After the second motion execution step (S50) is completed, the drum rotates in sensing mode, allowing the sensor 4 to accurately sense the dryness of the clothes.

[0254] The structure of the clothing processing device and the control method of the clothing processing device described above have been explained based on a device for drying clothes, but the structure of the clothing processing device and the control method of the clothing processing device can also be applied to a device for washing clothes. Figure 16 shows an example of a device capable of washing clothes.

[0255] The laundry treatment device 200 of Fig. 16 includes a cabinet 1 having an inlet 111 on a front panel 11, a tub 14 provided in the cabinet to provide a space for storing water, a drum 2 provided in the tub to accommodate laundry, and a driving unit (D) fixed to the tub to rotate the drum. In this case, a drum through-hole is provided in the drum 2 to connect the inside of the drum to the inside of the tub.

[0256] The tub 14 includes a hollow cylindrical tub body 141, water supply portions 145 and 146 that supply water to the tub body, and drain portions 147, 148 and 149 that discharge the water stored in the tub body to the outside of the cabinet.

[0257] The tub body 141 is fixed in the cabinet 1 via a tub support 144. A tub insertion port 142 connected to the insertion port 111 via a cylindrical gasket 143 is provided on the front surface of the tub body 141.

[0258] The water supply unit includes a water supply pipe 145 that connects the water source to the tub body 141, and a water supply valve 146 that controls the opening and closing of the water supply pipe. The drain unit includes a pump 147, a first drain pipe 148 that connects the tub body to the pump, and a second drain pipe 149 that guides water discharged from the pump to the outside of the cabinet 1.

[0259] Although not shown, the clothing treatment device of Fig. 16 further includes a supply section that supplies air to the tub body 141 to remove moisture from the clothing stored in the drum. In this embodiment, the supply section includes an exhaust duct that exhausts the air from the tub body to the outside of the tub body, a heat exchange section attached to the exhaust duct that sequentially dehumidifies and heats the air, and a supply duct that guides the air that has passed through the heat exchange section to the tub body. In the clothing treatment device of Fig. 16, the rear surface of the tub body 141 plays the role of the fixing panel 151 in the embodiment of Figs. 1 and 2.

[0260] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present disclosure can be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit and essential characteristics of the present disclosure. Therefore, the above-described embodiments are illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present disclosure should be determined by reasonable interpretation of the appended claims, and all modifications within the scope of the present disclosure that fall within the equivalent range are embraced within the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a dryer including: a drum providing a space for storing clothes therein; a fixed panel provided at a position spaced apart from a rear surface of the drum; a stator forming a rotating magnetic field; a rotor configured to rotate by the rotating magnetic field and generating power required for rotating the drum; an exhaust duct for guiding air discharged from the drum; a heat exchanger for dehumidifying and heating air moving along the exhaust duct; an air inlet configured such that a number of through-holes penetrating the rear surface of the drum are arranged to form a ring surrounding the rotation center of the drum; and a supply duct provided in the fixed panel for guiding air, an air supply step of supplying heated air to the drum through the heat exchanger; a motion execution step that is executed during the air supply step; The motion execution step includes: an acceleration mode in which the drum is rotated in one of a clockwise direction and a counterclockwise direction at a revolution per minute that induces a centrifugal force of 1 G or more; and a deceleration mode in which the drum is rotated in the same direction as the acceleration mode at a revolutions per minute that induces a centrifugal force of less than 1 G.

2. The air supply step is divided into a preheating section, a constant rate drying section, and a falling rate drying section, The method of claim 1 , wherein the motion executing step is performed in at least one of the preheating section or the falling rate drying section.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the air inlet is positioned so that air can be discharged onto the clothes in intimate contact with the circumferential surface of the drum.

4. a drum providing a space for storing clothes therein; a fixed panel provided at a position spaced apart from the rear surface of the drum; a housing fixed to the fixed panel; a stator fixed to the housing and forming a rotating magnetic field; a rotor configured to rotate by the rotating magnetic field and generating power required to rotate the drum; a ring gear fixed to the inside of the housing; a first shaft having one end fixed to the rotor and the other end located within the housing; a drive gear fixed to the first shaft and therefore located within the housing; a second shaft having one end fixed to a rear cover by penetrating the fixed panel so as to form an axis concentric with the first shaft and the other end located within the housing; a first body rotatably fixed to the base, a first gear provided on a circumferential surface of the first body and engaging with the driving gear, a second body fixed to the first body and having a diameter smaller than that of the first body, and a driven gear having a second gear provided on a circumferential surface of the second body and engaging with the ring gear; an exhaust duct for introducing air discharged from the drum; a heat exchanger for dehumidifying and heating air moving along the exhaust duct; an air inlet configured such that a number of through holes penetrating the rear surface of the drum are arranged to form a ring surrounding the rotation center of the drum; and a supply duct provided in the fixed panel for introducing air, an air supply step of supplying heated air to the drum through the heat exchanger; a motion execution step that is executed during the air supply step; The motion execution step includes: an acceleration mode in which the drum is rotated in one of a clockwise direction and a counterclockwise direction at a revolution per minute that induces a centrifugal force of 1 G or more; and a deceleration mode in which the drum is rotated in the same direction as the acceleration mode at a revolutions per minute that induces a centrifugal force of less than 1 G.

5. The air supply step is divided into a preheating section, a constant rate drying section, and a falling rate drying section, The method of claim 4 , wherein the motion execution step is performed in at least one of the preheating section or the falling rate drying section.

6. 5. The method of claim 1 or 4, wherein the rotational direction of the drum is maintained in one of a clockwise direction and a counterclockwise direction during the first motion execution phase.

7. The method according to claim 1 or 4, wherein the first acceleration mode and the first deceleration mode are performed continuously.

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