Clothing processing equipment

Abstract

To provide a garment processing device that can prevent damage to or shrinkage of garments during the drying process. [Solution] The present invention relates to a garment processing apparatus that provides a variety of optimized combinations of drum motions to prevent damage to garments or shrinkage of garments in each of the preheating, constant-rate drying, reduction-rate drying, and cooling sections.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a clothing treatment apparatus. More specifically, it relates to a clothing treatment apparatus capable of drying clothes.

Background Art

[0002] A clothing treatment apparatus is a device capable of washing, drying, or both washing and drying clothes (washing objects or drying objects), and includes the concepts of washing machines, dryers, and washing machines with combined drying functions.

[0003] Recently, a clothing treatment apparatus that intensively dries clothes using a heat pump has emerged. Such a conventional clothing treatment apparatus supplies hot air generated from a heat pump to the clothes received inside the drum, and at the same time, by rotating the drum and uniformly exposing the clothes to the hot air, the clothes can be dried.

[0004] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the structure of a conventional clothing treatment apparatus performing a drying process.

[0005] Referring to Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2019-0121656, a conventional dryer is provided to fix the driving unit 3 to the bottom surface of the cabinet 1.

[0006] Specifically, this dryer includes a cabinet 1 and a drum 2, and includes a circulation flow path 5 for circulating the air inside the drum 2 to the outside, and a heat pump 6 received in the circulation flow path 5 for condensing and reheating the air. The water condensed by the heat pump 6 is stored in a water storage tank 9 using a pump 8. On the other hand, even if vibration occurs in the driving unit 3 or a temporary external force is transmitted through the driving unit 3, deformation or inclination of the bottom surface 12 of the cabinet 1 can be blocked.

[0007] Therefore, a conventional dryer fixes the driving unit 3 to the bottom surface 12 of the cabinet 1 or a base fixed to the bottom surface of the cabinet 1 at the lower part of the drum 2. Since the driving unit 3 is not arranged along the rotation axis of the drum 2, another configuration is used to rotate the drum 2.

[0008] Specifically, the drive unit 3 includes a motor unit 34 fixed to the bottom of the cabinet 1, a rotating shaft 37 that rotates on the motor unit 34, a pulley 35 that rotates on the rotating shaft 37, and a belt 36 that connects the outer surface of the drum 2 and the outer surface of the pulley 35.

[0009] As a result, when the motor unit 34 rotates the rotating shaft 37, the pulley 35 rotates the belt 36, and the belt 36 rotates the drum 2. At this time, since the diameter of the pulley 35 is much smaller than the diameter of the drum 2, the dryer can omit a reduction gear. However, because the diameter of the pulley 35 is much smaller than the diameter of the drum 2, if the motor unit 34 rotates too fast, a slip phenomenon occurs where the belt 36 slips off the drum 2 or the pulley 35. Therefore, this dryer has the problem of limiting the rotational acceleration of the motor unit 34 to below a predetermined level, and there is a fundamental limitation that the motor unit 34 must be gradually accelerated or decelerated to prevent the belt 36 from slipping when rotating the drum 2.

[0010] Therefore, conventional dryers cannot quickly switch the rotation direction of drum 2, and thus cannot control the rotation of drum 2 or change its rotation direction.

[0011] Therefore, in conventional garment processing devices, where the drum is rotated by a belt and pulley, it is difficult to vary the drum speed during the drying process. To prevent the clothes from being over-dried and damaged by the hot air, a system is employed that controls the drive of the heat pump according to the degree of dryness of the clothes.

[0012] For example, referring to Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2006-0023715, conventional garment processing devices divide the drying process into a preheating section, a constant-rate drying section, a reduction-rate drying section, and a cooling section, depending on the state of the heat pump and the degree of dryness of the garments, and protect the garments by controlling the temperature or airflow of the hot air supplied to the drum in each section.

[0013] Figure 2 shows the rotation speed of the drum when drying clothes in a conventional garment drying device.

[0014] Conventional garment processing devices, when the drying process consists of a preheating section, a constant-rate drying section, and a decreasing-rate drying section, only perform a tumbling motion in which the garment is exposed to the supplied hot air as it rises and falls.

[0015] Tumbling motion is a motion in which the drum is rotated so that the clothes rise above the central region of the drum and fall to the bottom of the drum from a region below the highest point of the drum. For this reason, tumbling motion is the most efficient drying motion because the drum is rotated in a predetermined direction at a speed of 1G or less, and as the clothes fall, the largest surface area is repeatedly exposed to hot air as they adhere to and separate from the inner wall of the drum.

[0016] However, when only tumbling motion is applied during the drying process, problems arise such as clothing damage including abrasion and pilling, as well as clothing shrinkage including changes in fiber diameter and fiber spacing.

[0017] Figure 3 shows the problems that occur when tumbling motion is performed in conventional garment processing equipment.

[0018] Referring to Figure 3(a), as the tumbling motion progresses, the clothing received inside the drum 2 is positioned in one of the following areas: Area 1 I, where it is attached to the inner wall of the drum 2 and rotates; Area 2 II, where the surfaces of the clothing rub against each other but do not come into contact with the inner wall of the drum 2; and Area 3 III, where it is separated from the inner wall of the drum 2 and falls out of the drum 2.

[0019] Referring to Figure 3(b), the clothing located in the third region III of the drum is positioned completely separated from the inner wall of drum 2 and exposed to the hot air, as in state 1. After this, the clothing comes into contact with the inner wall of drum 2, as in state 2.

[0020] However, due to its own weight and the accelerating force of falling, the clothing collides with the inner wall of drum 200 and is pressed against the inner wall of drum 200, as in state 3.

[0021] Therefore, the clothing placed in the third region III, after being separated from the inner wall of drum 200, collides again, generating a drop impact. As a result, the fibers of the clothing may be temporarily compressed, causing shrinkage or deformation.

[0022] Referring to Figure 3(c), the clothing located in the second region ii of the drum is separated from the inner wall of drum 2, but is in contact with other clothing, or other parts of the same clothing are in contact with each other. In this case, when drum 2 rotates at the second velocity L1, clothing that is relatively close to the inner wall of drum 2 and clothing that is relatively far from the inner wall of drum 2 may rub against each other due to the difference in inertial force. Therefore, clothing located in the second region ii is subject to friction or abrasion against each other.

[0023] Referring to Figure 3(d), clothing located in the first region i of the drum may be attached to the inner wall of drum 2 below the center O of drum 2. When drum 2 rotates at the second velocity L1, clothing located in the first region i cannot move exactly simultaneously with the inner wall of drum 2 due to inertial force, so the clothing in the first region i and the inner wall of drum 2 rub against each other.

[0024] Tumbling motion causes friction between garments, or between areas of a single garment, and between the garment and the drum 200. As a result, the garment is damaged or abraded, and pilling occurs.

[0025] Furthermore, tumbling motion applies a drop impact to clothing. As a result, clothing may deform or be damaged by the impact, the internal space of the clothing may contract, and the clothing itself may shrink.

[0026] As a result, although the conventional clothing treatment device dries clothes using a tumbling motion, which is the most advantageous motion in drying clothes, it performs the tumbling motion throughout the entire drying process without considering the state of the clothes, and there is a fundamental limitation that the clothes may be damaged or shrunk.

[0027] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the structure of a conventional clothing treatment device capable of arbitrarily changing the rotational speed and direction of a drum. Referring to Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2020-0065932, recently, in a clothing treatment device that intensively performs a drying process, a driving unit 3 is coupled to a drum 2, and a clothing treatment device capable of changing the rotational direction and speed of the drum has emerged.

[0028] However, this clothing treatment device also has no specific hint on how to change and apply the rotational motion of the drum according to the state of the clothes during the drying process, and there is a problem that damage or shrinkage of the clothes cannot be prevented.

[0029] In addition, the conventional clothing treatment device has no specific embodiment on how to fix the driving unit 3 to the cabinet and rotate the drum 2, and there is a limitation that it cannot be implemented in an actual product. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION

[0030] The clothing treatment device according to the present invention aims to solve the problem of providing a clothing treatment device capable of preventing damage or shrinkage of clothes during the drying process.

[0031] The clothing treatment device according to the present invention aims to solve the problem of providing a clothing treatment device capable of preventing damage caused by abrasion of clothes and generation of lint of clothes during the drying process.

[0032] The clothing treatment device according to the present invention aims to solve the problem of providing a clothing treatment device capable of preventing shrinkage of clothes during the drying process.

[0033] The present invention aims to provide a garment processing apparatus that can prevent specific garments or parts from being over-dried during the drying process.

[0034] The present invention aims to provide a garment processing apparatus that includes a separate fabric protection course that can focus on preventing deformation and damage to garments or preventing shrinkage.

[0035] The present invention aims to provide a garment processing device that can prevent garments from being damaged by hot air. [Means for solving the problem]

[0036] To solve the aforementioned problems, the present invention provides a garment processing apparatus that varies the rotation speed and direction of the drum during the drying process.

[0037] The garment processing apparatus according to the present invention applies different drum rotation motions in the preheating section, constant-rate drying section, reduction-rate drying section, and cooling section.

[0038] Furthermore, the garment processing apparatus according to the present invention provides various optimized combinations of drum motions in each of the preheating, constant-rate drying, reduction-rate drying, and cooling sections to prevent damage to the garments or shrinkage of the garments.

[0039] The garment processing apparatus according to the present invention varies the rotation speed of the drum in order to prevent shrinkage and wear of garments during the preheating section. During this preheating section, the drum speed is repeatedly varied between 1G and 1G or less, which allows the garments that have shrunk due to water to expand. This increases the surface area of ​​the garments exposed to hot air during the subsequent constant-rate drying section and decreasing-rate drying section, thereby facilitating the earlier completion of the drying process.

[0040] The garment processing apparatus according to the present invention can further include a section in which the garment is continuously dried by rotating it at a constant rate of 1G or less in a constant rate drying section, and the rotation speed of the drum is varied to ensure that the garment is dried uniformly.

[0041] Furthermore, the garment processing apparatus according to the present invention can include a section in which the garment is rotated at a constant speed of 1G or less for continuous drying, and then further accelerated to 1G or more to prevent wear on the dried surface of the garment.

[0042] The garment processing apparatus according to the present invention may include a section in which the drum is rotated at a further reduced speed than the constant-rate drying section, in order to mitigate the impact of the drop in the reduced-rate drying section and prevent shrinkage of the garments.

[0043] The garment processing apparatus according to the present invention rotates the drum so that the garment does not rise higher than the center of rotation of the drum during the reduced-rate drying section, thereby maintaining the space from which moisture has evaporated from inside the garment.

[0044] Furthermore, the garment processing apparatus according to the present invention can include a section at the end of the reduced-rate drying section in which the rotation speed of the drum is accelerated to 1G or more to prevent lint and other debris from forming on the surface of the garments.

[0045] The garment processing apparatus according to the present invention can maintain the internal temperature of the drum below a limit temperature throughout the entire drying process. This limit temperature is 60 degrees Celsius or lower, which ensures sterilization and prevents damage to the garments.

[0046] For this purpose, the garment processing apparatus according to the present invention can be controlled to gradually reduce the drive rpm of the compressor each time the drying process progresses.

[0047] The garment processing apparatus according to the present invention can accelerate the compressor's drive rpm to its maximum in the preheating section, and then gradually reduce the rpm as it progresses to the constant-rate drying section and the decreasing-rate drying section. This allows the internal temperature of the drum to be raised in the preheating section and then maintained without further increase in the constant-rate drying section and the decreasing-rate drying section. [Effects of the Invention]

[0048] The garment processing apparatus according to the present invention has the effect of preventing damage to garments or shrinkage of garments during the drying process.

[0049] The garment processing apparatus according to the present invention has the effect of preventing damage to garments due to abrasion and the generation of lint during the drying process.

[0050] The garment processing apparatus according to the present invention has the effect of preventing garment shrinkage during the drying process.

[0051] This invention has the effect of preventing specific clothing items or parts from being over-dried during the drying process.

[0052] The present invention has the effect of providing a separate fabric protection course that can focus on preventing deformation and damage to clothing or preventing shrinkage.

[0053] This invention has the effect of preventing clothing from being damaged by hot air. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0054] [Figure 1] This diagram shows the structure of a conventional garment processing device.

[0055] [Figure 2] This diagram shows the drying process method of a conventional garment processing device.

[0056] [Figure 3] This diagram shows the problems with conventional garment processing equipment.

[0057] [Figure 4] This figure shows another structure of a conventional garment processing device.

[0058] [Figure 5] This figure shows the external appearance of the garment processing apparatus of the present invention.

[0059] [Figure 6] This is a simplified diagram showing the inside of the garment processing apparatus of the present invention.

[0060] [Figure 7] This is an exploded perspective view showing the internal components of the garment processing device separated from each other.

[0061] [Figure 8] This figure shows the external appearance of a gearbox according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0062] [Figure 9] This is a cross-sectional view showing the drive unit in detail with magnification.

[0063] [Figure 10] This figure shows a base and back panel according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0064] [Figure 11] This figure shows a coupling structure between the back plate, the reduction gear, and the motor section according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0065] [Figure 12] This diagram shows, from the rear, the coupling structure between the gearbox and the stator according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0066] [Figure 13] This figure shows the coupling of a gearbox and a motor section according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0067] [Figure 14]This diagram illustrates how clothing can be damaged or shrunk during the drying process.

[0068] [Figure 15] This diagram shows the change in clothing volume due to a change in the diameter of fiber L.

[0069] [Figure 16] This figure shows an example in which the clothing processing apparatus of the present invention performs a drying process.

[0070] [Figure 17] This diagram shows the internal state of the heat exchange section 900 and the drum 200 when the air supply stage S1 is performed.

[0071] [Figure 18] This figure shows that the rotation step of the garment processing apparatus of the present invention includes a tumbling motion.

[0072] [Figure 19] This diagram shows the state of clothing during tumbling motion.

[0073] [Figure 20] This diagram shows that the rotational phase includes a tensile motion.

[0074] [Figure 21] This diagram shows the state of clothing when the clothing processing device of the present invention performs a pulling motion.

[0075] [Figure 22] This diagram shows that the rotation phase includes a return motion.

[0076] [Figure 23] This diagram shows the state of the clothing when the rotation phase performs a reversal motion.

[0077] [Figure 24] This diagram shows that the rotation phase includes a drying motion.

[0078] [Figure 25] This diagram shows the state of the clothing during the drying motion in the rotation stage.

[0079] [Figure 26] This diagram shows that the rotation phase includes a swinging motion.

[0080] [Figure 27] This diagram shows the state of the clothing when the rotation phase is performing a swinging motion.

[0081] [Figure 28] This diagram shows that the rotation phase includes a rolling motion.

[0082] [Figure 29] This diagram shows the state of the clothing during the rolling motion in the rotation phase.

[0083] [Figure 30] This diagram shows that the rotation phase includes a stopping motion.

[0084] [Figure 31] This figure shows the rotation stage S2 applicable during the preheating section in the air supply stage S1.

[0085] [Figure 32] This figure shows the rotation step S2 applicable in the constant-rate drying section A2 during the air supply step S1.

[0086] [Figure 33] This figure shows the rotation stage S2 applicable in the reduction rate drying section during the air supply stage S1.

[0087] [Figure 34] This figure shows the rotation stage S2 applicable during the cooling section in the air supply stage S1. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0088] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings, so that they can be easily implemented by a person with ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains.

[0089] However, the present invention can be embodied in various forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. Furthermore, in order to clearly illustrate the present invention in the drawings, parts unrelated to the description have been omitted, and similar parts throughout the specification are denoted by similar reference numerals.

[0090] In this invention, redundant explanations of the same components are omitted.

[0091] Furthermore, when a component is referred to as being "connected" or "linked" to another component in this specification, it should be understood that it may be directly connected to or linked to the other component, but there may also be other components in between. On the other hand, when a component is referred to as being "directly connected" or "directly linked" to another component, it should be understood that there are no other components in between.

[0092] Furthermore, the terms used herein are used solely to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0093] Furthermore, in this specification, singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0094] Furthermore, in this specification, terms such as "includes" or "has" are used to specify the presence of implemented features, figures, stages, motions, components, parts, or combinations thereof, and should be understood not to preemptively exclude the existence or possibility of adding one or more other features, figures, stages, motions, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0095] Furthermore, in this specification, the term "and / or" includes a combination of the items described or any of the items described. In this specification, "A or B" includes "A", "B", or "A and B".

[0096] Figure 5 shows the external appearance of the garment processing apparatus of the present invention.

[0097] A garment processing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a cabinet 100 that forms the exterior.

[0098] The cabinet 100 includes a front panel 110 that forms the front surface of the garment processing device, an upper panel 150 that forms the top surface, and side panels 140 that form the sides. The side panels 140 include a left panel 141 that forms the left side. The front panel 110 is provided with an opening 111 that communicates with the interior of the cabinet 100 and a door 130 that is rotatably connected to the cabinet 100 and opens and closes the opening 111.

[0099] The front panel 110 is provided with an operation panel 117. The operation panel 117 includes an input unit 118 into which control commands are input from the user, and a display unit 119 that outputs information such as control commands that the user can select. Control commands include drying courses or drying options that perform a series of drying processes. Inside the cabinet 100, there is a control panel that controls the internal configuration to execute the control commands input via the input unit 118. The control panel is connected to the internal configuration of the garment processing device and controls that configuration to execute the input commands.

[0100] The input unit 118 includes a power supply request unit that requests power supply to the garment processing device, a course input unit that allows the user to select a course from among several courses, and an execution request unit that requests the start of the course selected by the user.

[0101] The display unit 119 includes either a display panel capable of outputting text and graphics, or a speaker capable of outputting audio signals and sound.

[0102] On the other hand, the garment processing apparatus of the present invention includes a water storage tank 120 that stores separately the moisture generated during the process of drying clothes. The water storage tank 120 includes a handle that allows it to be pulled out from one side of the front panel 110. The water storage tank 120 collects the condensed water generated during the drying process. This allows the user to pull out the water storage tank 120 from the cabinet 100 to remove the condensed water, and then reattach it to the cabinet 100. This makes it possible to install the garment processing apparatus of the present invention even in places where installation is difficult, such as near a drain.

[0103] On the other hand, the water storage tank 120 is positioned above the door 130. This allows the user to bend down slightly when pulling out the water storage tank 120 from the front panel 110, thus increasing user convenience.

[0104] Figure 6 is a simplified diagram showing the interior of the garment processing apparatus of the present invention. The garment processing apparatus of the present invention includes a drum 200 that is received inside a cabinet 100 and receives garments, a drive unit that rotates the drum 200, a heat exchange unit 900 that supplies hot air to the drum 200, and a base unit 800 equipped with a circulation channel unit 820. The circulation channel unit 820 communicates with the drum 200. Air discharged from the drum 200 is supplied to the circulation channel unit 820. Air discharged from the circulation channel unit 820 is supplied back to the drum 200.

[0105] The drive unit includes a motor unit 500 that provides power to rotate the drum 200. The drive unit is directly connected to the drum 200 to rotate it. For example, the drive unit is a DD (Direct Drive unit) type. This allows the drive unit to control the direction of rotation of the drum 200 or the rotational speed of the drum 200 by directly rotating the drum 200, without the need for a belt and pulley system.

[0106] The motor unit 500 rotates at a high RPM. For example, it can rotate at a much higher RPM than the RPM at which the clothes inside the drum 200 can rotate while remaining attached to the inner wall of the drum 200.

[0107] However, when clothes inside the drum 200 continuously adhere to the inner wall of the drum 200 and rotate, the parts of the clothes that are attached to the inner wall of the drum are not exposed to the hot air, which leads to a problem in that drying efficiency decreases.

[0108] Because the clothes inside the drum 200 do not adhere to the inner wall of the drum 200 but instead roll around and are agitated, when the rotor 520 is rotated at a low RPM, a problem arises in that the output and torque generated by the drive unit cannot be fully utilized.

[0109] Therefore, the drive unit of the garment processing apparatus of the present invention further includes a reduction gear 600 that can increase torque while utilizing the maximum output of the motor unit 500 by reducing the RPM.

[0110] The drive unit is also connected to the drum 200 and includes a drum rotation shaft 6341 that rotates the drum 200.

[0111] The drum 200 is cylindrical and receives clothing. Unlike drums used for washing, the drum 200 used only for drying does not need to have water introduced inside, and the condensed liquid water inside the drum 200 does not need to be discharged to the outside of the drum 200. Therefore, the through holes provided along the circumferential surface of the drum 200 may be omitted. In other words, the drum 200 used only for drying is different from the drum 200 used for washing.

[0112] The drum 200 is a single cylindrical shape, but it is formed by joining a drum body 210 including the circumferential surface and a drum back surface 220 that forms the rear surface.

[0113] The front of the drum body 210 is provided with an opening 211 through which clothes are loaded and unloaded. A drive unit for rotating the drum is connected to the rear of the drum back 220. The drum body 210 and the drum back 220 may be joined by fastening members such as bolts, but are not limited to this; they can be joined in various ways as long as they are connected in a way that allows them to rotate together.

[0114] The drum body 210 is equipped with a lift 213 that lifts the clothes inside to the top so that the clothes received inside are mixed as the drum rotates. When the drum 200 rotates, the clothes received inside repeatedly rise and fall due to the lift 213. The clothes received inside the drum 200 repeatedly rise and fall, coming into uniform contact with the hot air. This has the effect of increasing drying efficiency and shortening drying time.

[0115] Reinforcing beads 212 are formed on the circumferential surface of the drum body 210. The reinforcing beads 212 are recessed or protrude from the inside / outside along the circumferential surface of the drum 200. Multiple reinforcing beads are provided, spaced apart from one another. These reinforcing beads form a predetermined pattern and are provided on the inside / outside of the circumferential surface.

[0116] The reinforced bead 212 increases the rigidity of the drum body 210. Therefore, even if a large amount of clothing is placed on the drum body 210 or a rapid rotational force is transmitted by the drive unit, the drum body 210 is prevented from twisting. In addition, when the reinforced bead 212 is provided, the gap between the clothing and the inner surface of the drum body 210 is increased compared to when the circumferential surface of the drum body 210 is a flat surface, so that the hot air supplied to the drum 200 flows more effectively between the clothing and the drum 200. The reinforced bead increases the durability of the drum and has the effect of increasing the drying efficiency of the clothing processing device.

[0117] Typically, in a DD-type washing machine, the drive unit is coupled to and fixed to a tab that receives the drum 200, and the drum 200 is coupled to the drive unit and supported by the tab. However, since the garment processing apparatus of the present invention is equipped to perform the drying process intensively, the tab that is fixed to the cabinet 100 to receive the drum 200 is omitted.

[0118] As a result, the garment processing apparatus of the present invention further includes a support section 400 for fixing or supporting the drum 200 or drive unit inside the cabinet 100.

[0119] The support section 400 includes a front panel 410 positioned in front of the drum 200 and a rear panel 420 positioned behind the drum 200. The front panel 410 and the rear panel 420 are plate-shaped and are positioned opposite each other in front of and behind the drum 200. The distance between the front panel 410 and the rear panel 420 is set to be equal to or longer than the length of the drum 200. The front panel 410 and the rear panel 420 are fixedly supported to the bottom surface or base 800 of the cabinet 100.

[0120] The front panel 410 is positioned between the front panel forming the front surface of the cabinet and the drum 200. The front panel 410 is also provided with an input communication hole 412 that communicates with the input opening 211. Because the front panel 410 is provided with an input communication hole 412, the front surface of the drum 200 is supported, while clothes can be inserted into and removed from the drum 200.

[0121] The front panel 410 includes a duct connecting portion 416 located below the input communication hole 412. The duct connecting portion 416 forms the lower surface of the front panel 410.

[0122] The front panel 410 includes a duct connection hole 417 that penetrates the duct connection section 416. The duct connection hole 417 is hollow and guides the air discharged through the drum's inlet 211 to the underside of the drum 200. It also guides the air discharged through the drum 211 to the circulation channel section 820 located at the bottom of the drum 200.

[0123] The duct connection hole 417 is provided with a filter section (not shown) that filters out lint or large foreign particles generated from clothing. The filter section filters the air discharged from the drum 200, preventing foreign matter from accumulating inside the clothing processing device, and thus preventing foreign matter from accumulating and obstructing air circulation.

[0124] Since the input opening 211 is located at the front, it is preferable that the drive unit be provided on the rear plate 420 rather than the front plate 410. The drive unit is attached to and supported by the rear plate 420. This allows the drive unit to rotate the drum 200 while its position is stably fixed by the rear plate 420.

[0125] At least one of the front panel 410 and the rear panel 420 rotatably supports the drum 200. At least one of the front panel 410 and the rear panel 420 rotatably receives the front end or rear end of the drum 200.

[0126] For example, the front of the drum 200 is rotatably supported by the front plate 410, and the rear of the drum 200 is separated from the rear plate 420, but is connected to the motor unit 500 attached to the rear plate 420 and is indirectly supported by the rear plate 420. This minimizes the area in which the drum 200 comes into contact with or rubs against the support unit 400, thereby preventing the generation of unwanted noise and vibration.

[0127] Of course, the drum 200 may be rotatably supported on both the front panel 410 and the rear panel 420.

[0128] One or more support wheels 415 are provided at the bottom of the front panel 410 to support the front of the drum 200. The support wheels 415 are rotatably mounted on the back of the front panel 410. The support wheels 415 can rotate while remaining in contact with the bottom of the drum 200.

[0129] When the drum 200 is rotated by the drive unit, the drum 200 is supported by the drum rotation shaft 6341 connected to the rear. When clothing is placed inside the drum 200, the load applied to the drum rotation shaft 6341 by the clothing increases. Therefore, the drum rotation shaft 6341 may bend due to the load.

[0130] When the support wheel 415 supports the front lower part of the drum 200, the load on the drum rotation shaft 6341 can be reduced. This prevents the drum rotation shaft 6341 from bending and prevents noise from being generated due to vibration.

[0131] The support wheels 415 are positioned symmetrically with respect to the rotation center of the drum 200 and support the load of the drum 200. Preferably, the support wheels 415 are provided on the lower left and right sides of the drum 200 to support the drum 200. However, the arrangement is not limited to this, and a larger number of support wheels 415 may be provided depending on the operating environment of the drum 200.

[0132] The circulation channel section 820 provided in the base 800 forms a channel that circulates the air inside the drum 200 and reintroduces it into the drum 200.

[0133] The circulation channel section 820 includes an inlet duct 821 into which air discharged from the drum 200 flows, an outlet duct 823 that supplies air to the drum 200, and a movable duct 822 that connects the inlet duct 821 and the outlet duct 823.

[0134] When air is discharged from the front of the drum 200, the moving duct 822 is located on the front side of the circulation passage section 820. The discharge duct 823 is located on the rear side of the circulation passage section 820.

[0135] The discharge duct 823 further includes a blower 8231 that discharges air to the outside of the circulation channel 820. The blower 8231 is located on the rear side of the discharge duct 823. The air discharged through the blower 8231 moves to the drum 200.

[0136] A duct cover section 830 is attached to the upper side of the circulation channel section 820, shielding a portion of the open upper surface of the circulation channel section 820. The duct cover section 830 prevents air from flowing out of the circulation channel section 820. In other words, the duct cover section 830 forms one side of the air circulation channel.

[0137] Furthermore, the heat exchange section 900 provided in the base 800 includes a first heat exchanger 910 provided inside the circulation channel section 820 for cooling air, and a second heat exchanger 920 provided inside the circulation channel section 820 for heating the air cooled by the first heat exchanger 910.

[0138] The first heat exchanger 910 dehumidifies the air discharged from the drum 200, and the second heat exchanger 920 heats the dehumidified air. The heated air is then supplied back to the drum 200 to dry the clothes received in the drum 200.

[0139] The first heat exchanger 910 and the second heat exchanger 920 are provided as heat exchangers through which the refrigerant flows. When provided as heat exchangers through which the refrigerant flows, the first heat exchanger 910 is provided as an evaporator and the second heat exchanger 920 is provided as a condenser. The refrigerant moving along the first heat exchanger 910 and the second heat exchanger 920 exchanges heat with the air discharged from the drum 200.

[0140] The heat exchange section 900 is provided in the circulation channel section 820 and includes a circulation channel fan 950 that generates airflow inside the circulation channel section 820. The heat exchange section 900 further includes a circulation channel fan motor 951 that rotates the circulation channel fan 950. The circulation channel fan 950 rotates when rotational power is supplied by the circulation channel fan motor 951. When the circulation channel fan 950 is operating, the air that has been dehumidified in the first heat exchanger 910 and heated in the second heat exchanger 920 moves to the rear of the drum 200.

[0141] The circulating channel fan 950 is installed in one of the inlet duct 821, the moving duct 822, or the discharge duct 823. Since the circulating channel fan 950 is installed to rotate, noise may be generated when the circulating channel fan 950 is operating. Therefore, it is preferable that the circulating channel fan 950 be positioned behind the circulating channel section 820.

[0142] The circulating channel fan 950 may be provided in the blower unit 8231. Alternatively, the circulating channel fan motor 951 may be located behind the blower unit 8231. When the circulating channel fan 950 is rotated by the circulating channel fan motor 951, the air inside the circulating channel unit 820 is discharged to the outside of the circulating channel unit 820 via the blower unit 8231.

[0143] Since it is preferable that the input port 211 of the drum 200 be positioned at a relatively high position in order for the user to easily pull out the clothes located inside the drum 200, it is preferable that the circulation channel section 820 and the heat exchange section 900 be positioned at the bottom of the drum 200.

[0144] A rear panel 420 is provided behind the drum 200, which guides the air discharged from the circulation channel section 820 into the drum 200. The rear panel 420 is provided at a distance from the drum rear panel 220. The circulation channel section 820 is supplied with air from inside the drum 200 via the front panel 410, and the air is supplied to the drum 200 via the rear panel 420. The air discharged from the circulation channel section 820 is guided to the drum 200 via the rear panel 420.

[0145] The base 800 further includes a connector 850 that guides the air discharged from the circulation channel 820 to the back panel 420. The connector 850 guides the discharged air so that it spreads uniformly across the entire back panel 420.

[0146] The connector 850 is provided on the blower unit 8231. That is, the connector 850 guides the air discharged from the blower unit 8231 to the back plate 420. The hot air supplied to the back plate 420 flows into the interior of the drum 200 via the drum back 220.

[0147] The drum 200 of the garment processing apparatus of the present invention does not rotate indirectly by being coupled to a belt or the like, but rotates by being directly connected to a drive unit located at the rear of the drum 200. Therefore, unlike conventional dryer drums which are cylindrical with open front and rear, the rear of the drum of the garment processing apparatus of the present invention is shielded and directly connected to the drive unit.

[0148] As described above, the drum 200 includes a cylindrical drum body 210 for receiving clothing and a drum back 220 which is attached to the rear of the drum body 210 and forms the back of the drum.

[0149] The drum back surface 220 is provided to shield the rear of the drum body 210 and provides a coupling surface that is directly connected to the drive unit. That is, the drum back surface 220 is connected to the drive unit and supplied with rotational power, which rotates the entire drum 200. As a result, the front of the drum body 210 forms an opening 211 into which clothes are inserted, and the rear is shielded by the drum back surface 220.

[0150] The back of the drum 220 is provided with a bushing 300 that connects the drive unit to the back of the drum 220. The bushing 300 is provided on the back of the drum 220 and forms the rotation center of the drum 200. The bushing 300 may be provided integrally with the back of the drum 220, and may be made of a material that is more rigid and durable than the back of the drum 220 in order to be firmly coupled to the rotating shaft that transmits power. The bushing 300 is seated and coupled to the back of the drum 220 so as to be coaxial with the rotation center of the back of the drum 220.

[0151] The drum back surface 220 includes a peripheral edge 221 that is coupled to the outer circumferential surface of the drum body 210, and a mounting plate 222 provided inside the peripheral edge 221 and coupled to the drive unit. The bushing portion 300 is seated and coupled to the mounting plate 222. The rotating shaft that rotates the drum is coupled to the mounting plate 222 via the bushing portion 300, which has the effect of providing an even more robust coupling. In addition, deformation of the drum back surface 220 can be prevented.

[0152] The drum back surface 220 includes a suction hole 224 that penetrates between the peripheral edge 221 and the mounting plate 222, and connects the front and rear of the drum back surface 220. Hot air supplied via the circulation channel 820 flows into the interior of the drum body 210 through the suction hole 224. The suction hole 224 is provided as a plurality of holes penetrating the drum back surface 220, or as a mesh-like net.

[0153] A drive unit for rotating the drum 200 is positioned behind the rear panel 420. The drive unit includes a motor unit 500 that generates rotational power and a reduction gear 600 that reduces the rotational force of the motor unit 500 and transmits it to the drum 200.

[0154] The motor unit 500 is positioned behind the rear panel 420. The motor unit 500 is coupled to the rear of the rear panel 420 by a reduction gear 600.

[0155] The gearbox 600 is fixed to the back of the back plate 420, and the motor unit 500 is coupled to the back of the gearbox 600. That is, the back plate 420 provides a support surface on which the gearbox 600 or the motor unit 500 is supported. However, the motor unit 500 may also be coupled to the back plate 420.

[0156] Figure 7 is an exploded perspective view showing the internal components of the garment processing apparatus separated from each other.

[0157] A garment processing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a drum 200 for receiving garments, a front plate 410 for supporting the front surface of the drum, a back plate 420 located at the rear of the drum, a base 800 provided at the bottom of the drum which provides a space for the air inside the drum to circulate or for moisture contained in the air to condense, motor units 510, 520, 540 located at the rear of the drum which provide rotational power to the drum, a reduction gear 600 which reduces the rotation of the motor units and transmits it to the drum, and a back cover 430 coupled to the back plate 420 which prevents the motor units from being exposed to the outside.

[0158] The base 800 includes a circulation channel 820 that communicates with the drum 200 and allows air to flow in from the drum or discharge air into the drum.

[0159] The front panel 410 includes a front panel 411 that forms the front surface, and an input communication hole 412 that penetrates the front panel 411 and communicates with the drum 200. The front panel 410 is provided on the back of the front panel 411, surrounding the radially outer side of the input communication hole 412, and is provided with a front gasket 413 that receives a portion of the drum body 210.

[0160] The front gasket 413 rotatably supports the drum body 210 and is provided so as to be in contact with the outer or inner surface of the input opening 211. The front gasket 413 can prevent hot air from inside the drum 200 from leaking between the drum body 210 and the front plate 410. The front gasket 413 is made of a plastic resin or an elastic material, and another sealing member is further bonded to the front gasket 413 to prevent clothing or hot air from detaching from the drum body 210 to the front plate 410.

[0161] On the other hand, the front panel 410 includes a duct connection hole 417 that penetrates the inner circumferential surface of the input connection hole 412. The front panel 410 also includes a duct connecting portion 416 that extends below the duct connection hole 417 and forms a flow path that connects the drum body 210 and the circulation flow path portion 820.

[0162] The duct connection section 416 is connected to the drum body 210 via the duct communication hole 417. Air discharged from the drum body 210 flows into the duct connection section 416 via the duct communication hole 417 and is guided to the circulation channel section 820. Since the air discharged from the drum body 210 is guided to the circulation channel section 820 by the duct connection section 416, this has the effect of preventing air from leaking out of the inside of the drum.

[0163] The duct connection section 416 is provided with a filter member (not shown) that filters out foreign matter or lint from the air discharged from the drum 200 and prevents foreign matter from flowing into the circulation channel section 820.

[0164] The front panel 410 is rotatably mounted on the back of the front panel 411 and is equipped with a support wheel 415 that supports the lower part of the drum 200. The support wheel 415 supports the front of the drum 200, which has the effect of preventing the rotating shaft connected to the drum from bending.

[0165] The front panel 410 is provided with a water tank support hole 414 that penetrates the front panel 411 and allows a water tank 120 (see Figure 1), into which condensed water generated during the drying process is stored, to be pulled out or supported. When the water tank support hole 414 is located on the upper side, the user does not have to bend down when pulling out the water tank, thus increasing user convenience.

[0166] The drum 200 for receiving clothes includes a drum body 210 with an opening 211 at the front through which clothes enter and exit, and a drum back surface 220 that forms the rear surface.

[0167] The drum back surface 220 includes a peripheral edge 221 connected to the drum body 210, a suction hole 224 formed on the inside of the peripheral edge 221 so as to penetrate the drum back surface 220, and a mounting plate 222 provided at the rotation center of the drum back surface 220 and connected to the rotation axis. Air flows into the rear of the drum through the suction hole 224.

[0168] The drum back surface 220 further includes reinforcing ribs 225 that extend from the peripheral edge 221 toward the center of rotation. The reinforcing ribs 225 extend to avoid the suction holes 224. The reinforcing ribs 225 have the effect of preventing the rigidity of the drum back surface 220 from being reduced by the suction holes 224. The reinforcing ribs 225 extend radially from the outer circumferential surface of the mounting plate 222 toward the inner circumferential surface of the peripheral edge 221.

[0169] Furthermore, the drum back surface 220 further includes circumferential ribs 227 that extend circumferentially from the drum back surface 220 to connect the reinforcing ribs 225 to each other. Suction holes 224 are positioned between the reinforcing ribs 225, the circumferential ribs 227, and the peripheral edge 221. The reinforcing ribs 225 and the circumferential ribs 227 have the effect of preventing the drum back surface 220 from deforming even when rotational force is transmitted from the motor unit 500.

[0170] The inlet duct 821 is connected to a duct communication hole 417 in the front panel 410 and is configured to communicate with a flow path provided inside the front panel 410. The movable duct 822 extends from the end of the inlet duct 821 toward the rear of the drum 200, and the discharge duct 823 is provided at the end of the movable duct 822 and is configured to guide air into the drum 200.

[0171] The blower unit 8231 is located downstream of the discharge duct 823, and the blower unit 8231 provides a space for a circulating flow fan. When the circulating flow fan is activated, the air that has flowed into the inlet duct 821 is discharged to the top of the blower unit 8231.

[0172] On the other hand, the base 800 is provided with a heat exchange section 900 for cooling and heating the air circulating inside the drum 200. The heat exchange section 900 includes a compressor 930 that is connected to the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger and supplies compressed refrigerant. The compressor 930 is provided so as not to directly exchange heat with the circulating air, and may be located outside the circulation channel section 820.

[0173] Furthermore, the heat exchange section is supported behind the blower section 8231 and includes a circulating channel fan motor 951 that rotates the circulating channel fan. The circulating channel fan motor 951 is coupled to the rear of the blower section 8231.

[0174] On the other hand, a garment processing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention further includes a connector 850 connected to the circulation channel section 820, which guides the hot air discharged from the circulation channel section 820 to the rear of the drum 200 or to the back plate 420.

[0175] The connector 850 is positioned above the exhaust duct 823 and is configured to guide the hot air heated by passing through the second heat exchanger 920 upward from the exhaust duct 823. The connector 850 is also connected to an opening provided above the blower unit 8231.

[0176] The connector 850 is configured to form a flow path inside. The connector 850 is configured to uniformly guide the airflow generated by the circulating flow path fan to the back plate 420. That is, the connector 850 is configured such that the area of ​​the flow path increases as it moves away from the blower unit 8231.

[0177] The rear panel 420 is coupled to or supported by the base 800 and is located behind the drum 200. The rear panel 420 includes a rear panel 421 facing the front panel 410, and a duct section 423 formed by recession from the rear panel 421, forming an airflow channel and guiding the air discharged from the circulation channel section 820 to the drum.

[0178] The rear panel 420 includes a mounting portion 425 to which the drive unit is coupled or supported. The mounting portion 425 is provided so as to penetrate the rear panel 421 and is positioned on the inner circumferential surface of the duct portion 423. The mounting portion 425 is provided radially inward from the inner circumferential surface of the duct portion 423.

[0179] Here, the drive unit refers to the combination of the reduction gear 600 and the motor unit 500, as described above. Alternatively, the drive unit may refer to the motor unit 500 alone. In other words, the configuration that generates power and transmits rotational power to the drum is referred to as the drive unit.

[0180] The drive unit is attached to the mounting portion 425. The mounting portion 425 supports the load of the drive unit. The drive unit is connected to the drum 200 while being supported by the mounting portion 425.

[0181] The duct section 423 is provided to receive a portion of the drum back surface 220. Together with the drum back surface 220, the duct section 423 forms a passage through which air moves.

[0182] The drive unit is mounted on the mounting portion 425 to prevent interference with the duct portion 423. That is, the drive unit is positioned radially inward from the inner circumferential surface of the duct portion 423. Although the drive unit is mounted on the mounting portion 425, its rear is exposed to the outside and cooled by the outside air.

[0183] The drive unit includes a motor unit 500 that provides power to rotate the drum 200. The motor unit 500 includes a stator 510 that generates a rotating magnetic field and a rotor 520 that is rotated by the stator 510.

[0184] The rotor 520 is provided as an outer rotor type that receives the stator 510 and rotates along the periphery of the stator 510. In this case, a drive shaft may be coupled to the rotor 520 and directly connected to the drum 200 by passing through the stator 510 and the mounting portion 425. In this case, the rotor 520 directly transmits the power to rotate the drum 200.

[0185] The rotor 520 is connected to the drive shaft via a washer portion 540. The washer portion 540 functions to connect the drive shaft and the rotor 520. The washer portion 540 increases the contact area between the rotor 520 and the drive shaft, which has the effect of transmitting the rotation of the rotor 520 more effectively.

[0186] The gearbox 600 is installed to connect the motor unit 500 and the drum 200. The gearbox 600 converts the power from the motor unit 500 to rotate the drum 200. The gearbox 600 is positioned between the motor unit 500 and the drum 200, and the power from the motor unit 500 is transmitted to it, converted, and transmitted to the drum 200. The gearbox 600 converts the rotor's RPM to a smaller RPM, but increases the torque value before transmitting it to the drum 200.

[0187] Specifically, the reduction gear 600 is coupled to the rotor 520 and to the drive shaft which rotates with the rotor 520. The reduction gear 600 includes a gear coupling that meshes with the drive shaft and rotates, converting the rpm of the drive shaft but increasing its torque. The gear coupling is coupled to the drum 200 and to the drum rotation shaft which rotates the drum. Therefore, when the drive shaft 530 rotates, the drum rotation shaft rotates at a slower rpm than the drive shaft but can rotate with greater torque.

[0188] The performance of this reduction gear 600 depends on whether the drive shaft and the drum rotation shaft can maintain coaxial alignment. In other words, if the drive shaft and the drum rotation shaft become misaligned, the components constituting the gear coupling inside the reduction gear 600 may loosen or even completely disconnect from either the drive shaft or the drum rotation shaft. As a result, the power from the drive shaft may not be accurately transmitted to the drum rotation shaft, or the drive shaft may spin freely.

[0189] Furthermore, if the drive shaft and the drum rotation shaft are misaligned even temporarily, the gears inside the reduction gear 600 will shift and collide with each other, generating unwanted vibrations and noise.

[0190] Furthermore, if the angle of misalignment between the drive shaft and the drum rotation shaft becomes excessively large, even temporarily, the reduction gear 600 may completely disengage from its correct position or be damaged.

[0191] To prevent this, it is preferable that the garment processing apparatus equipped with a gearbox fixes the gearbox 600 and the motor unit 500 to a support that maintains its original state without deforming even when an external force is applied.

[0192] For example, in the case of a washing machine, the drum-receiving tub is first fixed to the cabinet, and then the motor and reduction gear are secondarily fixed to a rigid bearing housing made by injection molding that is housed inside the tub. As a result, even if considerable vibration occurs in the tub, the reduction gear and drive unit will tilt or vibrate together with the bearing housing and fixed steel plate. Consequently, the reduction gear and drive unit themselves maintain a constant coupled state, and the drive shaft and rotation shaft can be kept coaxial.

[0193] However, since the garment processing apparatus of the present invention is equipped as a dryer, the configuration of tabs fixed inside the cabinet is omitted. Also, the back panel of the cabinet is made of a relatively thin plate, and even if the stator 510 is fixed, the back panel will easily vibrate or flex due to the repulsive force when the rotor 520 rotates. If the back panel vibrates or flexes even temporarily, a problem arises in which the rotation centers of the reduction gear 600 and the motor unit 500, which are arranged in conjunction with the drum 200, become misaligned.

[0194] Furthermore, because the rear panel is made of thin steel plate, it is difficult to support both the reducer 600 and the motor unit 500. For example, if the reducer 600 and the motor unit 500 are coupled side by side to the rear panel, a rotational moment is generated due to the overall length and weight of the reducer 600 and the motor unit 500, causing the reducer 600 to sag downwards. As a result, the ram rotation shaft coupled to the drum becomes misaligned with the reducer 600, and it becomes impossible to maintain coaxiality with the drive shaft.

[0195] On the other hand, it is conceivable that the stator 510 is coupled to the back plate 420 and the motor unit 500 is supported by it. If a large amount of clothing is placed inside the drum 200, or if eccentricity occurs, the drum rotation axis will shift along with the arrangement of the clothing each time the drum 200 rotates. In this case, since the stator 510 is separated from the drum 200 and fixed to the back plate 420, the drum rotation axis vibrates with a different amplitude or tilts at a different angle than the stator 510. Therefore, coaxiality between the drum rotation axis and the drive axis cannot be maintained.

[0196] From another perspective, the drum 200 is supported by the front plate 410 and the rear plate 420, and its position is fixed at a predetermined level. Therefore, the position of the drum rotation axis coupled to the drum 200 is also fixed at a predetermined level. Thus, even if vibration occurs in the drum 200, this vibration is dampened by either the front plate 410 or the rear plate 420.

[0197] However, if vibrations generated from the drum 200 are transmitted to the motor unit 500, even if the reduction gear 600 and the motor unit 500 are fixed to the back plate 420, the vibration amplitude of the motor unit 500 and the back plate 420 may be greater than the vibration amplitude of the drum rotation shaft. In this case, the problem arises that the drive shaft and the drum rotation shaft cannot maintain coaxial alignment.

[0198] To solve this problem, the garment processing apparatus of the present invention couples and fixes the motor unit 500 to the reduction gear 600. In other words, the reduction gear 600 itself acts as a reference point for the entire drive unit. That is, the reduction gear 600 plays a reference role for the vibration and tilt angle of the entire drive unit.

[0199] Since the motor unit 500 is not fixed to any other component of the garment processing device, but only to the reduction gear 600, when vibration or external force is transmitted to the drive unit, the motor unit 500 will always tilt or vibrate together with the reduction gear 600 when the reduction gear 600 tilts or vibrates.

[0200] As a result, the reduction gear 600 and the motor unit 500 form a single vibration system, and the reduction gear 600 and the motor unit 500 can maintain a fixed state without relative motion relative to each other.

[0201] Of the motor section 500, the stator 510 is directly coupled to and fixed to the reduction gear 600. As a result, the position of the drive shaft 530 relative to the reduction gear 600 does not change. The center of the drive shaft 530 and the center of the reduction gear 600 are aligned with each other, and the drive shaft 530 rotates while maintaining coaxiality with the center of the reduction gear 600.

[0202] The first axis M1 refers to a hypothetical line extending in the front-rear direction along the rotation center of the drum 200. That is, the first axis M1 is provided alongside the X axis.

[0203] The second axis M2 and the third axis M3 represent imaginary lines extending from the front to the rear upper side of the garment processing device. That is, the second axis M2 and the third axis M3 are arranged in the XZ plane or perpendicular to the Y axis.

[0204] The first shaft M1 and the second shaft M2 intersect each other at the reduction gear 600. Also, the first shaft M1 and the third shaft M3 intersect at the mounting portion 425.

[0205] The reduction gear 600 and motor unit 500 are designed to be positioned along the first axis M1, which is parallel to the ground, when there is no load on the drum 200 or when the motor unit 500 is not in motion.

[0206] However, if vibration occurs in the drum 200 or the motor section 500, the vibration is transmitted to the reduction gear 600, causing the reduction gear 600 to tilt, which temporarily results in the reduction gear 600 being tilted along the second shaft M2.

[0207] At this time, the motor unit 500 is coupled to the reduction gear 600, and therefore vibrates or tilts together with the reduction gear 600. Thus, the motor unit 500 is positioned alongside the reduction gear 600 on the second shaft M2. Consequently, the drive shaft and the drum rotation shaft are also positioned side by side along the second shaft M2.

[0208] As a result, even if the reduction gear 600 is tilted, the motor unit 500 moves together with the reduction gear 600, and the drive shaft and the drum rotation shaft can maintain coaxial alignment.

[0209] The reduction gear 600 is coupled and fixed to the back plate 420. In this case, the reduction gear 600 tilts or vibrates while coupled to the back plate 420, so the back plate 420 acts as the center of the vibrating system, including the reduction gear 600, the motor unit 500, and the drum 200. In this case as well, the motor unit 500 is not directly coupled to the back plate 420, but is coupled and fixed only to the reduction gear 600.

[0210] When the reduction gear 600, motor unit 500, and drum 200 are arranged in line along the first axis M1, vibrations of the drum 200 and motor unit 500 may cause the reduction gear 600 to tilt in line with the third axis M3. The third axis M3 passes over the reduction gear 600, which is coupled to the back plate 420. At this time, since the reduction gear 600 and the motor unit 500 are coupled, the motor unit 500 also tilts in line with the third axis M3, similar to the reduction gear 600.

[0211] As a result, the motor unit 500 and the drum 200 are coupled to the reduction gear 600, and the motor unit 500 and the drum 200 tilt side by side with respect to the reduction gear 600 or vibrate simultaneously.

[0212] The aforementioned meanings of coaxial and coincident do not mean physically perfect coaxial and coincident, but rather are concepts that allow for a range of errors that can be mechanically recognized or a level that a person skilled in the art would consider to be coaxial or coincident. For example, a range in which the drive shaft 530 and the drum rotation shaft 6341 are offset by 5 degrees or less may be defined as a state of coaxial or coincident. However, such angular values ​​are merely examples, and the allowable error in the design can be changed.

[0213] The drive shaft 530 rotates relative to the reduction gear 600, but is fixed to prevent tilting, and the stator 510 is also fixed to the reduction gear 600, so the distance between the stator 510 and the rotor 520 is always maintained. As a result, collisions between the stator 510 and the rotor 520 can be prevented, and noise and vibration caused by the rotor 520 rotating around the stator 510 and its center of rotation changing can be fundamentally eliminated.

[0214] The drum rotation shaft 6341 is positioned to extend from inside the reduction gear 600 toward the drum 200, vibrates and tilts together with the reduction gear 600. That is, the drum rotation shaft 6341 is only positioned to rotate with the reduction gear 600, and its installation position may be fixed. As a result, the drum rotation shaft 6341 and the drive shaft 530 are always aligned and form a coaxial arrangement. In other words, the centers of the drum rotation shaft 6341 and the drive shaft 530 remain aligned.

[0215] On the other hand, a sealing portion 450 is provided between the drum back 220 and the back plate 420. The sealing portion 450 seals the space between the drum back 220 and the back plate 420 so that the air that flows into the duct portion 423 of the back plate 420 does not flow out to the outside but instead flows into the suction hole 224.

[0216] The sealing portion 450 is positioned on the outer and inner surfaces of the duct portion 423, respectively. A first sealing portion 451 is provided on the radially outer side of the duct portion 423, and a second sealing portion 452 is provided on the radially inner side. The first sealing portion 451 prevents hot air from flowing out radially outward between the drum back surface 220 and the duct portion 423, and the second sealing portion 452 prevents hot air from flowing radially inward between the drum back surface 220 and the duct portion 423.

[0217] In other words, the sealing portions 450 are positioned on the radially outer and inner sides of the suction hole 224, respectively. The first seal 451 is provided on the radially outer side of the suction hole 224, and the second seal 452 is provided on the radially inner side of the suction hole 224.

[0218] The sealing portion 450 preferably contacts both the drum back surface 220 and the back plate 420 in order to prevent the outflow of hot air. Since the drum 200 rotates during the operation of the garment processing device, the sealing portion 450 is subjected to continuous friction by the drum back surface 220. Therefore, it is preferable that the sealing portion 450 be made of a material that can seal the space between the drum back surface 220 and the duct portion 423 without its performance degrading under the frictional force and frictional heat generated by rotation.

[0219] On the other hand, the motor unit 500 or the reduction gear 600 is connected to the rear of the back plate 420, but since the back plate 420 is made of thin sheet metal, it may bend or deform due to the load transmitted to the reduction gear 600 by the reduction gear 600 and the drum 200. In other words, it is necessary to ensure the rigidity of the back plate 420 in order to accommodate the reduction gear 600, the motor unit 500, etc.

[0220] For this purpose, the back panel 420 further includes a bracket 700 to reinforce the rigidity of the connection. The bracket 700 is further connected to the back panel 420, and the reducer 600 and motor section 500 are connected to the back panel 420 by the bracket 700.

[0221] The reduction gear 600 is connected to the bracket 700 and the back plate 420 simultaneously. The reduction gear 600, the back plate 420, and the bracket 700 are connected simultaneously by fastening members. The back plate 420 is connected to the bracket 700 to ensure rigidity. The reduction gear 600, the motor unit 500, etc. are connected to the rigid back plate 420.

[0222] The reduction gear 600 is first coupled to the bracket 700, and the bracket 700 is then fastened to the back plate 420. In other words, the reduction gear is not directly coupled to the back plate 420, but can also be fixed to the back plate 420 via the bracket 700.

[0223] On the other hand, when the motor unit 500 or the reduction gear 600 is coupled to the rear of the back plate 420, the motor unit 500 and the reduction gear 600 are exposed to the outside. Therefore, it is necessary to prevent the motor unit 500 from being coupled to the rear of the back plate 420 and discharged. Also, the duct unit 423 is heated by hot air. Therefore, it becomes necessary to insulate the rear surface of the duct unit 423.

[0224] The rear cover 430 is connected to the rear of the rear plate 420 and prevents the duct section 423 and the motor section 500 or reduction gear 600 from being exposed to the outside. The rear cover 430 is positioned at a distance from the duct section 423 and the drive section.

[0225] The rear cover 430 has the effect of preventing the motor unit 500 from being damaged by external interference and preventing heat loss through the duct unit 423, which would reduce drying efficiency.

[0226] Figure 8 shows the external appearance of a gearbox according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0227] *The gearbox 600 includes gearbox housings 610 and 620 that form the exterior. The gearbox housing includes a first housing 610 facing the drum and a second housing 620 facing the motor section.

[0228] The reduction gear 600 includes a gearbox. The gearbox is configured to receive power from the motor, convert the motor's RPM to a lower RPM, increase the torque value, and transmit it to the drum. The gearbox is mostly housed inside the second housing 620, with the first housing 610 shielding the inside of the reduction gear 600. This allows for a reduction in the overall thickness of the reduction gear 600. The detailed configuration of the gearbox will be described later.

[0229] The first housing 610 includes a first housing shielding body 611 that shields the second housing 620, and a first housing bearing portion 612 that extends away from the first housing shielding body 611 toward the second housing 620. The first housing bearing portion 612 receives the drum rotation shaft 6341 and rotatably supports the drum rotation shaft 6341.

[0230] The first housing 610 includes a stator coupling portion 613 that supports the motor section. The stator coupling portion 613 extends away from the peripheral surface of the first housing separator 611 towards the first housing bearing portion 612.

[0231] The stator coupling portion 613 includes a stator fastening hole 615 to which the motor portion is fastened. The stator fastening hole 615 is recessed from the stator coupling portion 613. Another fastening member is inserted into the stator fastening hole 615. The stator coupling portion 613 and the motor portion are connected using the fastening member.

[0232] The first housing 610 further includes a coupling guide 614 that guides the coupling of the motor section. The coupling guide 614 extends away from the peripheral surface of the first housing separator 611 toward the first housing bearing section 612. The coupling guide 614 extends from the first housing separator 611 so as to be coupled to the stator coupling section 613. The coupling guide 614 guides the position of the stator 510 when coupling the stator 510 to the stator coupling section 613. This improves ease of assembly.

[0233] Referring to Figure 8, the second housing 620 receives a gear coupling inside. Generally, a gearbox coupled to a reduction gear 600 includes a sun gear, planetary gears that orbit the sun gear, and a ring gear that receives the planetary gears and guides them to rotate. The second housing 620 includes a second housing coupling 621 coupled to the first housing 610, a second housing separator 622 extending away from the second housing coupling 621 toward the first housing 610 and forming a space in which the gearbox is received, and a second housing bearing portion extending away from the inner surface of the second housing separator 622 toward the first housing 610 and supporting the drive shaft 530.

[0234] The centers of the first housing 610 and the second housing 620 are designed to be coaxially positioned. It is advantageous for power transmission if the drive shaft 540 and the drum rotation shaft 6341 are located coaxially. Therefore, it is preferable that the first housing bearing portion 612, which rotatably supports the drum rotation shaft 6341, and the second housing bearing portion, which rotatably supports the drive shaft 540, are coupled to form a coaxial structure.

[0235] The drive shaft 530 is inserted into the second housing 620 and rotatably supported within the second housing 620. A washer portion 540 that rotatably supports the rotor 520 is coupled to the drive shaft 530. The washer portion 540 includes a receptor 542 in which a shaft support hole 543 is formed at the center, into which the drive shaft 530 is received, and a washer coupling 541 that extends radially from the outer circumferential surface of the receptor and forms a surface to which the rotor is coupled. The shaft support hole 543 is provided in the shape of a groove corresponding to a projection formed on the outer circumferential surface of the drive shaft 530 so that the projection is coupled to it.

[0236] The washer portion 540 includes one or more washer coupling projections 5411 that protrude away from the washer coupling 541 towards the gearbox. The washer portion 540 also includes one or more washer coupling holes 5412 that penetrate the washer coupling 541.

[0237] The washer coupling projection 5411 is coupled to a receiving groove formed in the rotor. The washer coupling hole 5412 is used to connect the rotor and the washer portion 540 by inserting a fastening member that penetrates the rotor.

[0238] The washer coupling protrusions 5411 and washer coupling holes 5412 are provided in multiple locations, alternately positioned along the circumferential direction from the surface of the washer coupling body 541.

[0239] Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view showing the drive unit in detail with magnification.

[0240] The drive unit includes a motor unit 500 that generates rotational power and a reduction gear that reduces the rotational speed of the motor unit 500 and transmits it to the drum. The reduction gear 600 includes a drum rotating shaft 6341 that rotates the drum.

[0241] The motor unit 500 includes a stator 510 that generates a rotating magnetic field when an external power supply is provided, and a rotor 520 that surrounds the outer surface of the stator 510. Permanent magnets are arranged on the inner surface of the rotor 520.

[0242] The rotational magnetic field generated from the stator 510 causes the permanent magnets located on the inner surface of the rotor 520 to move in a predetermined direction, and the permanent magnets become fixed to the inner surface of the rotor 520. Therefore, the rotor 520 rotates due to the rotational magnetic field of the stator 510.

[0243] A drive shaft 530, which rotates with the rotor 520 and transmits the rotational power of the rotor 520, is connected to the rotor 540 at its center of rotation. The drive shaft 530 rotates with the rotor 540. The drive shaft 530 is connected to the rotor 540 via a washer portion 540.

[0244] While the drive shaft 530 is directly connected to the rotor 520, connecting it via the washer portion 540 results in a more robust connection with the rotor 520, allowing for more effective transmission of the rotor's rotational force. Furthermore, this prevents concentrated load on the drive shaft 530, thereby increasing its durability.

[0245] The drive shaft 530 is directly connected to the drum, but since the drive shaft 530 rotates at the same speed as the rotor 520, reduction is necessary. Therefore, the drive shaft 530 is connected to a reduction gear, and the reduction gear is connected to the drum. In other words, the reduction gear reduces the rotation of the drive shaft 530 to rotate the drum.

[0246] The reducer 600 includes a first housing 610 that forms the exterior, a second housing 620, and a gearbox 630 that reduces the power of the drive shaft 530. The second housing 620 provides space for receiving the gearbox 630, and the first housing 610 shields the receiving space provided by the second housing 620.

[0247] The second housing 620 consists of a second housing connector 621 that is coupled to the first housing 610, a second housing separator 622 that extends rearward from the inner circumferential surface of the second housing connector 621 to form a receiving space and receive the gearbox 630, and a second housing bearing portion 623 that extends rearward from the second housing separator 622 to receive the drive shaft 530.

[0248] The gearbox 630 includes a ring gear 633 provided along the inner circumferential surface of the second housing separator 622. One or more planetary gears 632 are provided on the inner circumferential surface of the ring gear 633 and gear-coupled with the ring gear 633, and a sun gear 631 is provided inside the ring gear 633 and gear-coupled with the planetary gears 632, rotating together with the drive shaft 530.

[0249] The sun gear 631 is configured to rotate in conjunction with the drive shaft 530. The sun gear 631 is provided as a separate component from the drive shaft 530, but is not limited to this configuration; the sun gear 631 may also be formed integrally with the drive shaft 530.

[0250] The sun gear 631, planetary gear 632, and ring gear 633 may be provided as helical gears. When each gear is provided as a helical gear, noise is reduced and the efficiency of power transmission is increased. However, the sun gear 631, planetary gear 632, and ring gear 633 may also be provided as spur gears.

[0251] As an example of the operation of the gearbox 630, as the rotor rotates, the drive shaft 530 and the sun gear 631 connected to the drive shaft 530 rotate, and the planetary gears 632, which are gear-coupled on the outer surface of the sun gear 631, rotate as they are gear-coupled between the ring gear 633 and the sun gear 631.

[0252] The planetary gear 632 includes a planetary gear shaft 6323 that is inserted into the center of rotation. The planetary gear shaft 6323 rotatably supports the planetary gear 632.

[0253] The reduction gear further includes a first carrier 6342 and a second carrier 6343 that support the planetary gear shaft 6323. The planetary gear shaft 6323 is supported at the front by the second carrier 6343 and at the rear by the first carrier 6342.

[0254] The drum rotation shaft 6341 extends away from the rotation center of the second carrier 6343 in a direction away from the motor section. The drum rotation shaft 6341 is provided as a separate component from the second carrier 6343 and is coupled to rotate together with it. On the other hand, the drum rotation shaft 6341 extends from the second carrier 6343 and is formed integrally with the second carrier 6343.

[0255] The drum rotation shaft 6341 is connected to the drum and rotates the drum. As mentioned above, the drum rotation shaft 6341 may be connected to the drum via a connecting body such as a bushing, or it may be connected directly to the drum without any other connecting body.

[0256] The drum rotating shaft 6341 is supported by the first housing 610. The first housing 610 includes a first housing shield 611 that shields the receiving space of the second housing 620, and a first housing bearing portion 612 that extends away from the first housing shield 611 toward the second housing 620 and receives the drum rotating shaft 6341. The inner circumferential surface of the first housing bearing portion 612 is provided with press-fitted first bearings 660 and second bearings 670 to rotatably support the drum rotating shaft 6341.

[0257] The first housing 610 and the second housing 620 are connected to each other via a reduction gear fastening member 681. The reduction gear fastening member 681 also penetrates both the first housing 610 and the second housing 620 simultaneously, connecting the two members. Furthermore, the reduction gear fastening member 681 penetrates both the first housing 610 and the second housing 620 and the back plate 420 simultaneously, connecting the first housing 610 and the second housing 620, and fixing the reduction gear 600 to the back plate 420.

[0258] The back plate 420 is made from a thin sheet of steel. Therefore, it is difficult to ensure sufficient rigidity to support the reduction gear 600, the motor unit 500 connected to the reduction gear 600, and the drum 200 connected to the reduction gear 600. For this reason, when the reduction gear 600 is connected to the back plate 420, a bracket 700 is used to ensure the rigidity of the back plate 420. The bracket 700 is made from a material with higher rigidity than the back plate 420 and is connected to the front or rear surface of the back plate 420.

[0259] The bracket 700 is connected to the front of the back plate 420 to ensure the rigidity to which the reduction gear 600 is connected, and the reduction gear 600 is connected to the back plate 420 and the bracket 700 simultaneously. Fastening members such as bolts are used to connect the back plate 420, the bracket 700 and the reduction gear.

[0260] Furthermore, the same gearbox fastening member 681 used to connect the first housing 610 and the second housing 620 can be used to fix the gearbox 600 to the back plate 420. That is, the gearbox fastening member 681 penetrates and connects the second housing 620, the first housing, the back plate 420, and the bracket 700 all at once. When connected in this way, the back plate 420 is supported at the front by the bracket 700 and at the rear by the first housing 610, so rigidity can be ensured even when the gearbox 600 is connected. However, this is not the only way; first, the first housing 610 and the second housing 620 can be connected using the gearbox fastening member 681, and then the gearbox 600 can be connected to the back plate 420 using another fastening member.

[0261] Furthermore, a stator coupling portion 613 is formed on the radially outer side of the first housing 610 to which the motor portion 500 is coupled. The stator coupling portion 613 includes a coupling groove that is recessed and formed in correspondence with the stator coupling portion 613.

[0262] The stator 510 may be directly coupled to the back plate 420, or it may be coupled to the stator coupling portion 613. The stator 510 includes fixing ribs 512 provided on its inner circumferential surface to support the stator. The fixing ribs 512 are coupled to the stator coupling portion 613. The fixing ribs 512 and the stator coupling portion 613 are coupled to each other by stator coupling fins 617.

[0263] The motor unit 500 is coupled to the reduction gear 600 while remaining separated from the back plate 420, so that the motor unit 500 and the reduction gear 600 form a single vibrating body. Therefore, even if vibration is applied from the outside, it is easy for the drive shaft 530 coupled to the rotor 520 and the drum rotation shaft 6341 connected to the reduction gear 600 to maintain coaxiality.

[0264] The drum rotation shaft 6341 is at risk of losing its axial direction due to vibrations of the drum 200. However, since the motor unit 500 is coupled to the first housing 610 that supports the drum rotation shaft 6341, even if the axial direction of the drum rotation shaft 6341 is shifted, the axial direction of the drive shaft 530 is similarly shifted by the first housing 610. In other words, the motor unit 500 moves together with the reduction gear 600, and the drum rotation shaft 6341 and the drive shaft 530 can maintain coaxiality even when external forces are applied.

[0265] The aforementioned coupling structure increases the efficiency and reliability of power transmission from the motor unit 500 to the drum 200, and prevents wear of the gearbox 630, a decrease in power transmission efficiency, and a decrease in durability and reliability caused by misalignment between the drum rotation shaft 6341 and the drive shaft 530.

[0266] Figure 10 shows a base and back plate according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0267] Referring to Figure 10, the back plate 420 is located at the rear of the drum. The back plate 420 guides the hot air discharged from the circulation channel section 820 to the drum. That is, the back plate 420 is located at the rear of the drum and forms a channel so that the hot air is supplied uniformly throughout the drum.

[0268] The back panel 420 includes a back panel 421 facing the back of the drum and a duct portion 423 recessed rearward from the back panel 421 to form a flow path. The duct portion 423 is provided by being pressurized rearward from the back panel 421. The duct portion 423 receives a part of the back of the drum.

[0269] The duct portion 423 includes an inflow portion 4233 located behind the circulation flow path portion and a flow portion 4231 located behind the drum. The flow portion 4231 receives a part of the drum. The flow portion 4231 receives a part of the drum and forms a flow path provided behind the drum.

[0270] The flow portion 4231 is provided in an annular shape so as to face the suction holes formed on the back of the drum. The flow portion 4231 is recessed from the back panel 421. That is, the front of the flow portion 4231 is open and forms a flow path together with the back of the drum. [[ID=B]]

[0271] When the front of the flow portion 4231 is open, the hot air that has moved to the flow portion 4231 can move directly to the drum without passing through another component. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the heat loss that occurs when the hot air passes through another component. That is, there is an effect of reducing the heat loss of the hot air and increasing the drying efficiency.

[0272] The back panel 420 includes a mounting portion 425 provided inside the radial direction of the flow portion 4231. The mounting portion 425 provides a space to which the speed reducer 600 or the motor unit 500 is coupled. That is, the back panel 420 includes the mounting portion 425 provided inside and the flow portion 4231 provided in an annular shape outside the radial direction of the mounting portion 425.

[0273] Specifically, the flow portion 4231 includes a flow outer peripheral portion 4231a surrounding the internal space through which the hot air flows from the outside. The flow portion 4231 also includes a flow inner peripheral portion 4231b surrounding the internal space through which the hot air flows from the inside. That is, the flow outer peripheral portion 4231a forms the outer peripheral edge of the flow portion 4231, and the flow inner peripheral portion 4231b forms the inner peripheral edge of the flow portion 4231.

[0274] Further, the flow portion 4231 includes a flow recessed surface 4232 that forms the rear surface of the flow path through which the hot air moves. The flow recessed surface 4232 is provided so as to connect the flow outer peripheral portion 4231a and the flow inner peripheral portion 4231b. That is, a space through which the hot air discharged from the circulation flow path portion 820 flows is formed by the flow inner peripheral portion 4231b, the flow outer peripheral portion 4231a, and the flow recessed surface 4232.

[0275] Also, the flow recessed surface 4232 prevents the hot air from leaking backward and guides the hot air toward the drum. That is, the flow recessed surface 4232 means the recessed surface of the flow portion 4231.

[0276] The inflow portion 4233 faces the circulation flow path portion 820. The inflow portion faces the blower portion 8231. The inflow portion 4233 is recessed rearward from the rear panel 421 in order to prevent interference with the blower portion 8231. The upper side of the inflow portion 4233 is connected to the flow portion 4231.

[0277] The clothing treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a connector (850) connected to the blower portion 8231. The connector 850 guides the hot air discharged from the blower portion 8231 to the flow portion 4231. A flow path is formed inside the connector 850, and the hot air discharged from the blower portion 4231 is guided to the flow portion 4231. That is, the connector 850 forms a flow path connecting the blower portion 8231 and the flow portion 4231. The cross-sectional area of the flow path provided inside the connector 850 increases as it moves away from the blower portion 8231.

[0278] The connector 850 faces the inflow portion 4233. The inflow portion 4233 is recessed rearward in order to prevent interference with the connector 850. Further, the upper end of the connector 850 is provided so as to partition the flow portion 4231 and the inflow portion 4233. That is, the hot air discharged from the connector 850 flows into the flow portion 4231, but is prevented from flowing into the inflow portion 4233.

[0279] The connector 850 is provided to uniformly supply hot air to the fluid section 4231. The connector 850 is provided such that its width increases as it moves away from the air blower 8231. The upper end of the connector 850 is located along the circumferential extension of the fluid outer periphery 4231a.

[0280] Therefore, the hot air discharged from the connector 850 does not move to the inlet 4233 but is supplied evenly to the fluid section 4231. The connector 850 prevents the hot air from concentrating on one side of the fluid section 4231, allowing for a uniform supply of hot air inside the drum. This has the effect of increasing the drying efficiency of clothes.

[0281] The connector 850 is configured such that its width increases towards the upstream side, and the velocity of the hot air moving along the connector 850 decreases in accordance with the flow direction. In other words, the connector 850 functions as a diffuser that regulates the velocity of the hot air. By reducing the velocity of the hot air, the connector 850 can prevent the hot air from being concentrated and supplied only to a specific part of the drum.

[0282] Due to the shape of the connector 850 mentioned above, the inlet section 4233, which is positioned opposite the connector 850 and positioned to prevent interference with the connector 850, is also positioned so that its width increases as it moves away from the blower section 8231. Due to the shape of the inlet section 4233, the overall shape of the duct section 423, when viewed from the front, resembles the number "9".

[0283] Since the drum rotates during the drying process, it is positioned at a predetermined distance from the fluidized section 4231. Hot air may escape through this separation space.

[0284] Therefore, the garment processing apparatus further includes a sealing portion 450 that prevents hot air from leaking from the separation space between the drum and the fluidized portion 4231. The sealing portion 450 is located along the periphery of the fluidized portion 4231.

[0285] The sealing portion 450 includes a first seal 451 provided along the outer periphery of the fluidized portion 4231. The first seal 451 is provided between the drum and the outer periphery of the fluidized portion 4231. In addition, the first seal 451 contacts both the drum back surface 220 and the back plate 420 to more effectively prevent leakage.

[0286] On the other hand, the first seal 451 is in contact with the front surface of the connector 850. The first seal 451 is also in contact with the upper end of the connector 850. The connector 850, together with the fluid section 4231, forms a flow path through which hot air flows. Therefore, the first seal 451 is in contact with the connector 850, preventing hot air from leaking between the drum and the connector 850.

[0287] The sealing portion 450 includes a second seal 452 provided along the inner periphery of the fluidized portion 4231. The second seal 452 is provided between the drum and the inner periphery of the fluidized portion 4231. The second seal 452 also contacts either the drum back surface 220 or the back plate 420. The second seal 452 prevents hot air moving along the fluidized portion 4231 from leaking towards the mounting portion 425.

[0288] Since the drum 200 rotates during the operation of the garment processing device, the sealing portion 450 is subjected to continuous friction by the drum back surface 220. Therefore, it is preferable that the sealing portion 450 be made of a material that does not degrade in performance with respect to the frictional force and frictional heat generated in accordance with the rotation, and that can seal the space between the drum back surface 220 and the fluid portion 4231.

[0289] Figure 11 shows a coupling structure between the back plate, the reduction gear, and the motor section according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0290] Referring to Figure 11, the reduction gear 600 is supported by the back plate 420, and the motor unit 500 is coupled to the reduction gear 600. In other words, the back plate 420 supports both the reduction gear 600 and the motor unit 500.

[0291] Behind the rear panel 420 are a motor unit 500 that provides rotational power and a reduction gear 600 that reduces the power from the motor unit and transmits it to the drum.

[0292] The speed reducer 600 is provided on the back plate 420 so as to be located inside the duct portion 423. The speed reducer 600 is located inside the radius direction of the fluid portion 4231 so that interference with the fluid portion 4231 can be prevented.

[0293] The gear device inside the speed reducer 600 may be damaged by the hot air of the hot air moving along the fluid portion 4231. Therefore, the fluid portion 4231 and the speed reducer 600 are provided so as to be separated by a predetermined distance.

[0294] The speed reducer 600 is coupled through the back plate 420. Therefore, the speed reducer 600 is connected to the drum located in front of the back plate 420.

[0295] The stator 510 is coupled to the speed reducer 600. The stator 510 is coupled to the speed reducer 600 and provided so as to be separated from the back plate 420. At this time, the speed reducer 600 is located between the drum and the motor unit, and supports the drum and the motor unit separated from the back plate 420. That is, the speed reducer 600 becomes the center for supporting the drum and the motor unit.

[0296] On the other hand, the stator 510 includes a main body 511 provided in a ring shape, a fixed rib 512 extending from the inner peripheral surface of the main body 511 and coupled to the stator coupling portion 613 of the speed reducer, a tooth 514 extending from the outer peripheral surface along the periphery of the main body 511 and wound around the coil, and a pole shoe 515 provided at the free end of the tooth 514 to prevent the coil from detaching.

[0297] The rotor 520 includes a rotor body 521 provided in a cylindrical hollow shape. In addition, the rotor 520 includes an installation body 522 that sinks forward from the back surface of the rotor body 521. Permanent magnets are arranged along the inner peripheral surface of the rotor body 521 of the rotor 520.

[0298] The rotor 520 is coupled to the drive shaft 530, and transmits the rotational power of the rotor 520 to the outside through the drive shaft 530. The drive shaft 530 is connected to the rotor 520 through the washer portion 540.

[0299] Furthermore, the motor section 500 includes a washer section 540 that supports the drive shaft 530. The washer section 540 includes a washer coupling 541 that is coupled to the rotor. The washer coupling 541 is disc-shaped.

[0300] The washer portion 540 includes a receptor 542 that is received by the rotor. The receptor 542 protrudes rearward from the washer assembly 541. The washer portion 540 includes a shaft support hole 543 that penetrates through the center of the receptor 542. The drive shaft 530 is inserted into the shaft support hole 543 and supported by the washer portion 540.

[0301] Furthermore, the washer portion 540 includes a washer coupling hole 5412 that penetrates the washer coupling body 541. The mounting body 522 also includes a rotor coupling hole 526 located at a position corresponding to the washer coupling hole 5412. In other words, the washer portion 540 and the rotor 520 are coupled to each other by a coupling member that penetrates both the washer coupling hole 5412 and the rotor coupling hole 526 simultaneously. That is, the washer portion 540 and the rotor 520 are coupled so that they rotate together.

[0302] Furthermore, the washer portion 540 includes a washer coupling projection 5411 that protrudes rearward from the washer coupling body 541. The mounting body 522 also includes a washer projection receiving hole 525 that corresponds to the washer coupling projection 5411. The washer coupling projection 5411 is inserted into the washer projection receiving hole 525 to support the coupling between the washer portion 540 and the rotor 520.

[0303] Furthermore, the rotor 520 includes a rotor mounting hole 524 that penetrates through the center of the mounting body 522. The rotor mounting hole 524 receives a receptor 542. As a result, the washer portion 540 rotates together with the drive shaft 530 by the rotor 520, firmly supporting the connection between the drive shaft 530 and the rotor 520. Thus, the overall durability and reliability of the motor portion 500 can be ensured.

[0304] Figure 12 is a rear view of the coupling structure between the gearbox and stator according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0305] The stator 510 is fixed to the reduction gear 600 and includes a ring-shaped body 511, a fixing rib 512 extending from the inner circumferential surface of the body 511 and coupled to the stator fastening hole 615 of the reduction gear, teeth 514 extending from the outer circumferential surface along the periphery of the body 511 and around which the coil is wound, poles 515 provided at the free end of the teeth 514 to prevent the coil from coming off, and a terminal (not shown) for controlling the supply of current to the coil.

[0306] The stator 510 penetrates the main body 511 and includes a receiving space 513 located inside the main body 511. Multiple fixing ribs 512 are provided from inside the main body 511 at predetermined angles relative to the receiving space 513. Inside the fixing ribs 512 are fixing rib holes 5121 into which fixing members are provided, and the fixing rib holes 5121 and the stator fastening holes 615 of the reduction gear are connected using fixing members such as fins.

[0307] When the stator 510 is directly coupled to the reduction gear 600, a portion of the reduction gear 600 is received by the stator 510. In particular, when the reduction gear 600 is received by the stator 510, the overall thickness of the drive unit, including both the reduction gear and the motor section, is reduced, further expanding the volume of the drum.

[0308] For this reason, the gearbox 600 is provided with a diameter smaller than that of the main body 511. That is, the first housing 610 and the second housing 620 have maximum diameters smaller than the diameter of the main body 511. As a result, at least a portion of the gearbox 600 is received and positioned within the main body 511. However, the stator coupling portion 613 extends from the gearbox housing so as to overlap the fixing rib 512. As a result, the stator coupling portion 613 is coupled to the fixing rib 512, and a portion of the first housing and the second housing 620 are located inside the main body 511.

[0309] Figure 13 shows the coupling of a reduction gear and a motor section according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0310] The stator 510 is coupled to the reduction gear 600. It is coupled to a stator coupling portion 613 that protrudes outward from the housing of the reduction gear 600, and at least a portion of the reduction gear is received inside the main body 511. This ensures that the center of the main body 511 and the centers of the drive shaft 530 and the reduction gear 600 are always coaxial.

[0311] On the other hand, the rotor 520 is positioned to receive the stator 510 at a predetermined distance from the poles 515. Since the rotor 520 is fixed to the reduction gear 600, whose drive shaft 530 is received by the main body 511, the distance G1 between the rotor 520 and the stator 510 can always be maintained.

[0312] Therefore, collisions between the rotor 520 and the stator 510, and temporary twisting and rotation of the stator 510 are prevented, thereby blocking the generation of noise and unwanted vibrations.

[0313] On the other hand, a virtual first diameter line K1 passing through the center of the reduction gear 600 and the center of the drive shaft 530, a virtual second diameter line K2 passing through the center of the main body 511, and a virtual third diameter line K3 passing through the center of the rotor 520 are all positioned at the rotation center of the reduction gear 600.

[0314] As a result, the reduction gear 600 itself becomes the rotation center of the drive shaft 530, and since the stator 510 is directly fixed to the reduction gear 600, twisting of the drive shaft 530 relative to the reduction gear 600 can be prevented. Consequently, the reliability of the reduction gear 600 can be guaranteed.

[0315] Figure 14 shows how clothing can be damaged or shrink during the drying process.

[0316] Referring to Figure 14(a), the fibers L that form the garment have a predetermined thickness. For example, when the fibers L are in a dry state, the diameter of the fibers L is the first diameter D1.

[0317] Since fiber L is a material whose volume can be expanded or compressed, it contains air voids C inside.

[0318] When clothing undergoes a washing process and is immersed in water W, the fibers L themselves can absorb water, but water can also fill the inside of the voids C.

[0319] Referring to Figure 14(b), even when clothing is removed from water w, the void C may still contain water. In particular, since the fibers L themselves act as capillaries, even when the fibers L are placed in the air, the void C may still be filled with water W.

[0320] On the other hand, when clothing is pulled out of a state of being immersed in water W, some of it shrinks due to the surface tension of the water. Therefore, when fibers L are pulled out after being immersed in water W, the diameter of the fibers becomes smaller than the first diameter D1, becoming the second diameter D2.

[0321] Referring to Figure 14(c), when the drying process is carried out with the diameter of the fiber L reduced, the water contained inside the void C evaporates, and an empty space is formed inside the void C.

[0322] The fiber L generates contraction and restoring forces to fill the rapidly regenerated void C. As a result, the fiber L contracts inward.

[0323] Referring to Figure 14(d), when an external force F is applied to the fiber L by the rotation of the drum, while a void C has been regenerated inside the fiber L, the void C is removed. In other words, the void C is removed when a contractile force that attempts to fill the void C is applied to the fiber L, or when a drop impact F is applied to the fiber L.

[0324] Referring to Figure 14(e), when the void C is removed, the fiber L shrinks accordingly, and the diameter of the fiber L becomes a third diameter D3, which is smaller than the second diameter D2.

[0325] As a result, during the process of drying clothes using the garment processing apparatus of the present invention, the diameter of the garment fibers L is reduced from a first diameter D1 to a third diameter D3.

[0326] Figure 15 shows the change in clothing volume due to a change in the diameter of fiber L.

[0327] Referring to Figure 15(a), the length of a portion of the garment into which the fibers L are combined is the first length T1, and the thickness of a portion of the garment is the first diameter D1.

[0328] Referring to Figure 15(b), when the internal void C is removed and the fibers l shrink, the length of a portion of the garment shortens to a second length T2 which is shorter than the first length, and the thickness of a portion of the garment also thins to a third diameter D2 which is smaller than the first diameter D1.

[0329] As a result, the garment as a whole may shrink in both length and thickness during the drying process compared to its state before drying.

[0330] Furthermore, as clothing dries and approaches a dry cloth state, even slight friction can cause pilling and other damage to the surface of the clothing.

[0331] Furthermore, if the clothes are not dried properly and remain in a state similar to a poultice, and are heavier than their original weight, the friction between the clothes or against the drum increases, causing the surface of the clothes to wear down.

[0332] To prevent this, the garment processing apparatus of the present invention performs the drying process in a way that prevents not only shrinkage of the garments but also wear and tear.

[0333] Figure 16 shows an example in which the garment processing apparatus of the present invention performs a drying process.

[0334] Figure 16(a) shows the control steps that make up the drying process.

[0335] The control panel of the garment processing apparatus of the present invention provides any drying course and options for performing a drying process to remove moisture from the garments received in the drum 200.

[0336] The control panel receives a selection command via the input unit 118, in which one of any drying courses and options is selected, and an execution command, in which the selected course and option is executed.

[0337] Each drying course and option consists of a drive unit and an algorithm that operates the heat exchange unit 900 to rotate the drum 200, supplying hot air to the inside of the drum 200 to perform the drying process.

[0338] For example, any drying course and option commonly includes an air supply step S1 that supplies air to the drum 200, a rotation step S2 that rotates the drum 200 during the air supply step S1 to expose the clothes to air, and a temperature control step S3 that controls the temperature inside the drum 200 or the temperature of the refrigerant.

[0339] The air supply stage S1, the rotation stage S2, and the temperature control stage S3 may be performed simultaneously during the drying process.

[0340] The air supply stage S1 includes driving the heat exchange unit 900 and the circulation channel fan 950 to supply hot air to the drum 200. Alternatively, the air supply stage S1 may also include driving only the circulation channel fan 950 and not the heat exchange unit 900 to supply relatively cool air to the inside of the drum 200.

[0341] Meanwhile, the rotation stage S2 and the temperature control stage S3 are performed to protect the clothing.

[0342] Specifically, the rotation stage S2 and the temperature control stage S3 are performed to execute any drying course and option for the drying process. In addition, the rotation stage S2 and the temperature control stage S3 are performed to protect the garments, such as preventing damage to the garments and preventing shrinkage.

[0343] For example, if any drying course and option includes functions to prevent damage to clothing and prevent shrinkage of clothing, a rotation stage s2 and a temperature control stage S3 are performed for clothing protection.

[0344] Additionally, if there is a fabric protection course for protecting clothing, when the fabric protection course is performed, the rotation stage s2 and temperature control stage S3 for protecting clothing are performed.

[0345] The following describes the air supply stage S1, rotation stage S2, and temperature control stage S3 performed to protect the clothing.

[0346] The air supply stage S1, the rotation stage S2, and the temperature control stage S3 may be performed when any drying course and options are being performed, or when a fabric protection course is being performed, if one is available.

[0347] Figure 16(b) shows the control method for the air supply stage S1.

[0348] Furthermore, the air supply stage S1 also includes the stopping of the circulation channel fan 950 and the operation of the pump 861 when the first heat exchanger 910 is washed with water collected in the water collection section 860. As a result, the air supply stage S1 also includes a section in which air is temporarily not supplied to the drum 200.

[0349] On the other hand, since the drive unit is directly connected to the drum 200, the rotation speed and direction of the drum 200 are changed during the rotation stage S2. That is, when the air supply stage S1 is performed, the control panel drives the motor unit 500 to rotate the drum 200 via the reduction gear 600. The motor unit 500 changes the rotation speed and direction of the drum 200 according to the algorithm set for the desired drying course and option.

[0350] Generally, the air supply stage S1 is divided into a preheating period A1, a constant rate drying period A2, a falling rate drying period A3, and a cooling period A4, depending on one of the following: the state of the heat exchange unit 900, the operating time of the heat exchange unit 900, the temperature of the air discharged into the circulation channel 820, the degree of dryness of the clothes, and the operating time of the motor unit 500.

[0351] Figure 16(c) shows the control method for rotation stage S2.

[0352] Rotation stage S2 includes a high-speed section H in which the drum 200 is rotated at a first speed in which the clothes adhere to the inner wall of the drum 200 and rotate, and a constant-speed section L in which the drum 200 is rotated at a second speed lower than the first speed in which the clothes are separated from the inner wall of the drum 200 and agitated each time the drum 200 rotates.

[0353] The first speed corresponds to a speed at which the drum 200 rotates to generate a centrifugal force of 1G or more on the clothing, or a speed at or above that speed, and the second speed corresponds to a speed at which the drum 200 rotates to generate a centrifugal force of 1G or less on the clothing.

[0354] The rotational stage S2 is performed in all of the following sections: preheating section A1, constant rate drying section A2, decay rate drying section A3, and cooling section A4.

[0355] Furthermore, the rotation stage S2 may be interrupted for a predetermined time in at least one of the preheating section A1, constant-rate drying section A2, decay-rate drying section A3, and cooling section A4, but the air supply stage S1 does not have to be interrupted for the entirety of any one of the preheating section A1, constant-rate drying section A2, decay-rate drying section A3, or cooling section A4.

[0356] In the rotation stage S2, various combinations of high-speed section H and low-speed section L can be arranged in the preheating section A1, constant-rate drying section A2, reduction-rate drying section A3, and cooling section A4 to prevent damage to the clothes, prevent shrinkage of the clothes, and dry the clothes.

[0357] As a result, the rotation stage S2 allows the clothes to adhere to the drum 200 in the high-speed section H, preventing friction and wear of the clothes, and also allows the clothes to be dried in the low-speed section L. Furthermore, when the rotation speed is lower than the second speed, the mechanical force applied to the clothes is reduced, which can prevent shrinkage of the clothes.

[0358] Furthermore, the rotation stage S2 can also be divided into a prevention section S21, a protection section S22, a separation section S23, and an exposure section S24, based on the function of protecting the fabric.

[0359] Prevention step S21 includes a high-speed section H in which the drum is rotated at a first speed H1 or higher, which is the speed at which the clothes adhere to the inner wall of the drum and rotate. In other words, the prevention step prevents friction between clothes and between clothes and the drum 200 by causing the clothes to adhere to the drum 200 and rotate.

[0360] Furthermore, prevention step S21 further includes a low-speed section L in which the machine rotates at a speed lower than the first speed H1. Thus, prevention step S21 may have a periodic arrangement of high-speed section H and low-speed section L. This allows prevention step S21 to agitate the clothes in the low-speed section L, preventing specific areas of the clothes from being over-dried in the high-speed section H and guiding the clothes to dry evenly.

[0361] In other words, the prevention stage S21 includes a low-speed section L for the clothing, which not only protects the clothing but also dries it.

[0362] In prevention stage S21, one of the following motions is performed: the pulling motion or the drying motion, which will be described later.

[0363] The prevention step S21 is performed in at least one of the preheating section A1, the constant-rate drying section A2, and the rate-reducing drying section A3. Since the preheating section A1, the constant-rate drying section A2, and the rate-reducing drying section A3 all require not only drying of the clothes but also protection of the clothes, the prevention step S21 is performed at least once in each of the preheating section A1, the constant-rate drying section A2, and the rate-reducing drying section A3.

[0364] The preheating section A1 ends when the refrigerant temperature reaches a predetermined temperature TC from the starting temperature, the constant rate drying section A2 ends when the degree of dryness reaches a set value c or when the duration of the constant rate drying section A2 has elapsed to a reference time, and the rate of drying section A3 ends when the degree of dryness reaches a completion value e.

[0365] On the other hand, in the prevention stage S21 performed in the preheating section A1, the ratio of the high-speed section H to the low-speed section L is set to be longer than in the prevention stage S22 performed in the constant-rate drying section A2 or the reduction-rate drying section A3. This is because in the preheating section A1, the clothes are in a damp state and are relatively greatly contracted, so it is necessary to include more high-speed sections H to allow the clothes to expand to their maximum extent.

[0366] Furthermore, in the prevention stage S22, which is performed in the constant-rate drying section A2 or the decreasing-rate drying section A3, the proportion of the low-speed section L is higher than in the preheating section A1, further increasing the efficiency of drying clothes.

[0367] Meanwhile, in rotation stage S2, the drum 200 is rotated faster than the speed limit but lower than the first speed H1, performing an exposure stage S24 in which the clothing is exposed to the air.

[0368] Exposure stage S24 appears to be a stage aimed at drying the clothing, unrelated to protecting it. For example, exposure stage S24 is the stage in which tumbling motion, return motion, etc., are performed.

[0369] On the other hand, in constant-rate drying section A2 or reduced-rate drying section A3, the prevention step S21 is performed after the end of the exposure step S24. As the drying of the clothes progresses in the exposure step S24 and they approach a dry cloth state, the surface of the clothes becomes more susceptible to fuzzing and damage from friction. Therefore, by performing the prevention step S21 after the exposure step S24, friction between clothes and between clothes and the drum can be minimized.

[0370] The protection stage S22 is a stage that includes a low-speed section L in which the drum is rotated at a second speed L1 or less. Specifically, the protection stage S22 includes a limiting section in which the drum is rotated at a limiting speed L3 that prevents the clothing from rising above the height of the center O of the drum.

[0371] In other words, protection stage S22 corresponds to reducing the impact of drops on the clothing and further preventing friction between the drum and the clothing.

[0372] The protection step S22 minimizes the impact of the garment's drop, thereby preserving the air gaps C within the fibers of the garment and preventing shrinkage. In addition to preventing shrinkage, the protection step S22 also agitates the garment inside the drum 200 to dry it.

[0373] Protection stage S22 corresponds to the rolling motion taking place.

[0374] Furthermore, the protection step S22 is performed in the reduced-rate drying section A3, where drying has progressed considerably, in order to preserve the voids C in the garment.

[0375] On the other hand, the rotation stage S2 further includes a separation stage S23 in which the drum is rotated at a first speed H1 or a second speed L1, and then the speed is increased and then decreased and rotated again, repeating this periodically.

[0376] In separation step S23, the damp cloth and dry cloth are separated using the difference in inertial force of the clothing according to the degree of dryness. Therefore, when separation step S23 is performed in constant-rate drying section A2, the damp cloth is separated from the dry cloth and dried intensively, preventing the dry cloth from becoming over-dried.

[0377] The separation stage S23 corresponds to the performance of the swinging motion.

[0378] In the reduced-rate drying section A3, the clothes have already dried considerably, making it crucial to ensure uniform drying. Therefore, the separation stage S23 is performed before entering the reduced-rate drying section A3, separating the clothes according to their degree of dryness and significantly reducing the duration of the reduced-rate drying section A3.

[0379] In the reduced-rate drying section A3, the protection stage S22 is performed, followed by the prevention stage S21. This is because, in the protection stage S22, as the degree of dryness of the clothes increases, it becomes necessary to prevent friction between the clothes and the drum. In the prevention stage S21, clothes are agitated and dried in the low-speed section L, and drying is also performed in the high-speed section H to the extent that the clothes are not adhering to the inner wall of the drum 200.

[0380] In the reduction drying section A3, prevention step S21 is performed when the degree of dryness reaches a predetermined value d.

[0381] As a result, the clothing processing apparatus of the present invention appropriately selects or combines the prevention stage S21, the protection stage S22, and the separation stage S23 for each section of the air supply stage S1 to prevent wear and tear on clothing, prevent shrinkage of clothing, and ensure uniform drying of clothing.

[0382] For example, in the preheating section A1, a tensioning motion is performed to prevent shrinkage of the poultice; in the constant-rate drying section A2, a tumbling motion is used to dry the clothes, a hanging motion is used to prevent wear and tear on the clothes, and a shaking motion (described later) is used to dry the clothes evenly; and in the reduced-rate drying section A3, a rolling motion (described later) is used to prevent shrinkage of the clothes while drying them, and a hanging motion is used to prevent lint from forming on the clothes.

[0383] Depending on the course and option type, the rotation phase S2 performs, in each section of the air supply phase S1, by appropriately selecting from the following motions: pulling motion, drying motion, tumbling motion, return motion, rolling motion, and the stopping motion described later.

[0384] Furthermore, when the garment processing apparatus of the present invention performs a rotation step S2 in the air supply section S1, any of the motions described above can be applied.

[0385] Alternatively, the garment processing apparatus of the present invention may selectively perform only a predetermined motion from among the drum motions within a predetermined interval.

[0386] For example, when a predetermined drying course and options are performed, the garment processing apparatus of the present invention may, when performing the rotation stage S2, select and perform some of the following: a tension motion in the preheating section A1, a tumbling motion, a drying motion, or a shaking motion in the constant-rate drying section A2, a rolling motion or a drying motion in the reduced-rate drying section A3, and a stop motion in the cooling section A4. That is, when performing the rotation stage S2, the garment processing apparatus of the present invention may perform a tension motion in the preheating section A1 and a tumbling motion in the other sections.

[0387] Figure 16(d) shows the control method for temperature control stage S3.

[0388] Temperature control stage S3 is a stage in which the drive of the compressor 930 is controlled to control the temperature inside the drum 200 or the temperature of the hot air supplied to the drum 200. In temperature control stage S3, the control method of the compressor 930 may differ in each of the preheating section A1, constant rate drying section A2, decay rate drying section A3, and cooling section A4.

[0389] Temperature control stage S3 is the stage in which the temperature inside the drum 200 is controlled so as not to exceed the limit temperature T_limit at which clothing is damaged. To this end, temperature control stage S3 includes an eleventh stage S31 in which the compressor 930 is rotated at a heating RPM (rpm_h), a second stage S32 in which the compressor 930 is rotated at a constant rate RPM (rpm_cr) lower than the heating RPM, and a third stage S33 in which the compressor 930 is rotated at a reduction rate RPM (rpm-fr) lower than the constant rate RPM (see Figure 17).

[0390] In other words, the temperature control stage S3 can regulate the temperature of the refrigerant by sequentially reducing the drive RPM of the compressor 930 during the execution of the air supply stage S1, thereby controlling the temperature inside the drum 200 so as not to exceed the limit temperature T_limit. This prevents the clothes from being overheated and damaged by the hot air.

[0391] Figure 17 shows the internal state of the heat exchange section 900 and the drum 200 when the air supply stage S1 is performed.

[0392] The preheating section A1 is defined based on the operating time and operating conditions of the compressor 930. Specifically, when the drying process begins, the compressor 930 starts operating to compress the refrigerant and discharge it to the second heat exchanger 920. At this time, the section in which the temperature of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 930 reaches a predetermined temperature TC from the starting temperature T0 is set as the preheating section A1.

[0393] The predetermined temperature TC corresponds to the maximum temperature of the refrigerant discharged by the compressor 930 during the drying process. For example, it corresponds to 90 degrees Celsius.

[0394] Alternatively, the predetermined temperature TC corresponds to the temperature at which the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 930 heats the second heat exchanger 920 to its maximum temperature.

[0395] Alternatively, the preheating section A1 is set as the section until the operating Hz of the compressor 930 reaches either the heating Hz or the maximum Hz.

[0396] Alternatively, the period from when the compressor 930 starts until the initial time is reached is set as the preheating section A1.

[0397] On the other hand, the preheating section A1 may be set to the temperature at which the air flowing through the circulation channel 930 reaches the heating temperature. The heating temperature is the temperature at which more moisture is dried from the clothes than can be dried naturally, and corresponds to 40 degrees Celsius. That is, the section at which the heat exchange unit 900 operates and the air discharged into the circulation channel 930 reaches the heating temperature is defined as the preheating section A1.

[0398] As a result, preheating section A1 is the initial section of the drying process, in which the compressor 930 starts operating and the second heat exchanger 920 is heated to a predetermined temperature, thereby heating and preparing the air inside the drum 200 or flowing through the circulation channel 930 to a temperature sufficient to dry the moisture from the clothes.

[0399] In the preheating section A1, the compressor 930 and the circulation fan 950 operate, causing continuously heated air to flow into the drum 200. As a result, the temperature inside the drum 200 gradually increases, and moisture evaporates from the clothes.

[0400] Furthermore, during the preheating section A1, the rotation stage S2 proceeds, causing the clothes to rotate in the drum 200, which uniformly exposes the surface of the clothes to air. As a result, drying of the clothes also progresses during the preheating section A1.

[0401] After the preheating section A1, the constant-rate drying section A2 begins.

[0402] The preheating section A1 and the constant-rate drying section A2 can be distinguished based on the degree of dryness of the clothes.

[0403] Specifically, the garment processing apparatus of the present invention includes a drying sensor capable of measuring the degree of dryness of garments. The drying sensor is provided so as to be in contact with the garments inside the drum 200. The drying sensor may be mounted on the front plate 410 or positioned on the lower part of the inner circumferential surface of the front gasket 413.

[0404] The dryness sensor is configured as an electrode sensor that contacts clothing to measure its resistance and other properties, and calculates the degree of dryness of the clothing.

[0405] Of course, the dryness sensor can take any form as long as it can measure the dryness of the clothes.

[0406] When the dryness of the clothes reaches a reference value a, the preheating section A1 ends and the constant-rate drying section A2 begins. For example, reference value a corresponds to 20%.

[0407] Constant-rate drying section A2 is the section where hot air flows sufficiently into the drum 200, and moisture is thoroughly dried from the clothes.

[0408] In the constant-rate drying section A2, a large amount of moisture evaporates continuously from the clothes, absorbing heat of vaporization from the hot air. Therefore, in the constant-rate drying section A2, the internal temperature of the drum 200 increases to a smaller range than in the preheating section A1, or is maintained at a predetermined level.

[0409] In the constant-rate drying section A2, the internal temperature of the drum 200 or the temperature discharged into the circulation channel section 930 is maintained at the drying temperature level, and the drying temperature corresponds to a predetermined temperature TC, which is the end temperature of the preheating section A1.

[0410] In other words, even if hot air at a temperature higher than a predetermined temperature TC is supplied to the inside of the drum 200 in the constant-rate drying section A2, the internal temperature of the drum 200 remains below the predetermined temperature TC.

[0411] *The rotation stage S2 is also performed in the constant-rate drying section A2, and the position of the clothes placed on the drum 200 is continuously varied so that the clothes are uniformly exposed to the hot air. As a result, more moisture is vaporized from the clothes 200 than when the drum 200 is stopped.

[0412] The constant-rate drying section A2 is followed by the decreasing-rate drying section A3.

[0413] During the constant-rate drying section A2, the amount of moisture evaporating from the clothes gradually decreases. This reduces the amount of moisture in the clothes that vaporizes, making it impossible to sufficiently lower the temperature of the hot air flowing into the drum 200. As a result, the temperature inside the drum 200 rises above the drying temperature due to the supplied hot air. Therefore, the reduced-rate drying section A3 is set to begin from the point when the temperature inside the drum 200 rises above the drying temperature.

[0414] The depletion drying section A3 is defined as entering the section when the dryness of the clothing reaches a set value c during the process of constant-rate drying section A2. It appears that the depletion drying section A3 is entered when the dryness calculated by the clothing coming into contact with the drying sensor, which is provided as an electrode sensor, reaches the set value c.

[0415] The setting value c is set to 50% or higher, for example, to 80%. This is because when the dryness of the clothes exceeds 50%, the amount of moisture released from the clothes decreases, which reduces the heat of vaporization and prevents the temperature of the hot air from dropping too low.

[0416] In the reduced-rate drying section A3, the rotation stage S2 is also performed, guiding any clothes that are not yet fully dried inside the drum 200 to be exposed to the hot air. As a result, the parts of the clothes that have already dried are hidden by the inner wall of the drum 200 or other clothes due to the rotation of the drum 200, preventing over-drying.

[0417] Furthermore, any parts of the clothing that have not yet been dried are exposed to the inside of the drum 200 by the rotation of the drum 200, thus preventing them from remaining undried.

[0418] Cooling section A4 takes place after the reduced-rate drying section A3. Cooling section A4 is the section where the clothes have finished drying, but the inside of the drum 200 has not yet cooled down, and there is a possibility of injury to the user.

[0419] The system is set to enter cooling section A4 when the degree of dryness of the clothes reaches the completion value e during the progress of the reduction drying section A3. For example, the completion value e corresponds to 90% or more.

[0420] In cooling section A4, the compressor 930 does not operate, but the motor unit 500 and the circulation fan 950 are driven. As a result, cool air, which is cooler than the hot air, is supplied to the drum 200, and the cool air comes into uniform contact with the clothes rotating inside the drum 200, cooling the clothes.

[0421] Cooling section A4 ends when the internal temperature of drum 200 reaches the safe temperature. The safe temperature is the temperature at which the user is not exposed to fire, and corresponds to 20 degrees Celsius.

[0422] In cooling section A4, the rotation stage S2 is also performed, exposing all areas of the clothing to the cold air. Therefore, not only is the clothing cooled, but the air inside the drum 200 is also cooled by mixing with the cold air due to the movement of the clothing.

[0423] On the other hand, in cooling section A4, a waiting phase may be performed after the rotation phase S2 is completed, during which a predetermined time is waited. That is, at the end of cooling section A4, the drum 200 is not rotated, and only the circulating airway fan 950 is driven, allowing only cold air to flow into the drum 200, or the circulating airway fan 950 is not driven at all, allowing the clothes to cool naturally.

[0424] On the other hand, the garment processing apparatus of the present invention may also perform a temperature control step S3 while the air supply step S1 and the rotation step S2 are being executed.

[0425] Temperature control stage S3 is a stage in which the temperature inside the drum 200 is prevented from rising above the limit temperature Tmax, where the limit temperature is a temperature that allows for drying and sterilization of clothes but prevents the clothes from being damaged and deformed by high heat.

[0426] For example, the limiting temperature Tmax is set to 60 degrees Celsius or less.

[0427] The temperature control stage S3 is performed throughout the entire air supply stage S1.

[0428] Temperature control stage S3 controls the drive rpm of the compressor 930 and the temperature of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 930 so that either the air discharged from or the air flowing into the drum 200 does not exceed the limit temperature Tmax.

[0429] In temperature control stage S3, the temperature of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 930 is controlled so as not to exceed a limit temperature set to decrease from the maximum temperature Th of the refrigerant to a predetermined temperature over time.

[0430] The refrigerant limit temperature T_limit is set to decrease throughout the entire period, from the preheating section A1 to the cooling section A4. As a result, the refrigerant temperature is lower in each section, and the temperature of drum 200 is controlled so as not to exceed the limit temperature Tmax.

[0431] The refrigerant's limiting temperature, T_limit, varies over time, decreasing as time passes.

[0432] In temperature control stage S3, the compressor 930 is controlled so that the temperature of the discharged refrigerant does not exceed the limit temperature set for each instant.

[0433] In temperature control stage S3, the limit temperature T_limit for the lapse rate drying section is set lower than the limit temperature T_limit for the constant rate drying section, and the limit temperature T_limit for the constant rate drying section is set lower than the limit temperature T_limit for the lapse rate drying section.

[0434] In temperature control stage S3, the compressor 930 controls the RPM and controls the temperature of the refrigerant, thereby controlling the temperature of the drum.

[0435] Specifically, once the preheating section A1 is completed, the first stage S31 is performed. The compressor 930 is accelerated and driven up to the heating RPM (rpm_H), which corresponds to the maximum RPM reached by the compressor 930 during the drying process. As a result, the temperature of the refrigerant rises rapidly in the preheating section A1.

[0436] When the preheating section A1 ends or the constant-rate drying section A2 begins, the second stage S32 is performed. As a result, the compressor 930 is controlled to reduce its operating rpm. In the constant-rate drying section A2, the compressor 930 is controlled to operate at a constant rpm (rpm_CR) lower than the heating rpm.

[0437] This prevents the temperature of drum 200 from rising in the constant-rate drying section A2.

[0438] In the reduced-rate drying section A3, the third stage S33 is performed. The compressor 930 is controlled to drive at a reduced-rate rpm (rpm_FR) lower than the constant rpm.

[0439] From this point onward, in cooling section A4, the compressor 930 stops operating, and the temperature of the drum 200 decreases.

[0440] As a result, the compressor 930 is driven during temperature control stage S3, causing the refrigerant temperature to rise and the drum temperature to rise or be maintained.

[0441] Furthermore, in temperature control stage S3, the rpm of the compressor 930 decreases in each section, and the temperature of the drum 200 does not exceed the limit temperature Tmax.

[0442] Furthermore, in temperature control stage S3, the compressor 930 continues to operate without stopping even when the operating rpm decreases, so the refrigerant is compressed and can heat the air flowing into the drum 200. As a result, the temperature of the drum 200 does not fall below the limit temperature Tmax or below a predetermined temperature, but is maintained.

[0443] As a result, the garment processing apparatus of the present invention can prevent damage to garments not only through the rotation stage S2 but also through the temperature control stage S3.

[0444] Figure 18 shows that the rotational step of the garment processing apparatus of the present invention includes a tumbling motion.

[0445] The rotational stage S2 includes a tumbling motion that rotates the drum 200 in one direction at a second speed L1, which is a speed lower than a first speed H1 that provides an acceleration force of 1G or more.

[0446] For example, if the diameter of drum 200 is 24 inches or 27 inches, the first speed H1 corresponds to 50 RPM or higher, and the second speed L1 corresponds to 50 RPM or lower.

[0447] The first velocity H1 is defined as the speed at which the clothing received by the drum 200 rotates while adhering to the inner wall of the drum. In tumbling motion, when the drum 200 rotates at a second velocity L1 lower than the first velocity H1, the clothing received by the drum 200 rotates while separated from the inner wall of the drum 200. As a result, the clothing received by the drum 200 separates from the inner wall of the drum 200 and falls off, being uniformly exposed to the hot air each time the drum 200 rotates.

[0448] The tumbling motion may involve rotation in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction, provided that the drum 200 rotates at the second speed L1. However, the tumbling motion can reduce the load on the motor unit 500 by maintaining the rotation direction of the drum 200 without changing it, thereby preventing the clothes from twisting or becoming tangled.

[0449] Figure 19 shows the state of clothing during tumbling motion.

[0450] Referring to Figure 19(a), the clothing received inside the drum 200 is positioned at the bottom of the drum 200 by its own weight.

[0451] Referring to Figure 19(b), when a tumbling motion occurs and the drum 200 rotates clockwise, the clothing received inside the drum 200 adheres to the inner wall of the drum 200 and rises upward due to the frictional force with the drum 200 and the centrifugal force generated as the drum 200 rotates at the second velocity L1.

[0452] The clothing adheres to the inner wall of the drum 200 and rises up to the center of rotation (O) of the drum 200 or above the center.

[0453] Referring to Figure 19(c), as the drum 200 rotates at a second velocity L1 that provides a centrifugal force lower than 1G, the clothes move above the center of the drum 200, but are separated from the inner wall of the drum 200 at a position below the highest point of the drum 200 and fall towards the bottom of the drum 200.

[0454] In other words, during the tumbling motion, the clothing received by the drum 200 adheres to the inner wall of the drum 200 and rises above the radius R of the drum 200 at the bottom of the drum 200, but does not rise to the diameter 2R of the drum 200 at the bottom of the drum 200, and is separated from the inner wall of the drum 200.

[0455] In other words, in tumbling motion, the weight of the clothing is greater than the centrifugal force from the drum 200, so it separates from the inner wall of the drum 200 between the center O and the high point of the drum 200 and falls towards the low point of the drum 200.

[0456] Furthermore, when clothing is separated from the inner wall of the drum 200 by the inertial force of rotation with the drum 200, it falls with an imbalance to one side from the lowest point of the drum 200. For example, if the drum 200 rotates clockwise, the clothing falls to the right from the lowest point of the drum 200, and if the drum 200 rotates counterclockwise, the clothing falls to the left from the lowest point of the drum 200.

[0457] As a result, the clothes fall from the upper part of one side, which is higher than the center O of the drum, to the lower part of the other side, which is lower than the center O of the drum, moving as close as possible to the diameter 2R of the drum 200, and the area and time over which the clothes are exposed to the hot air supplied to the drum 200 is further increased.

[0458] Furthermore, the clothing repeatedly adheres to and separates from the inner wall of the drum 200, changing the exposed surface facing the center O of the drum 200, and ensuring that the entire surface of the clothing is uniformly exposed to the hot air.

[0459] As a result, clothes dry most effectively during tumbling motion. However, as mentioned above, if tumbling motion is sustained, shrinkage and wear of the clothes will occur.

[0460] To prevent this, the garment processing apparatus of the present invention provides drum motion in addition to tumbling motion to prevent the aforementioned wear and shrinkage of garments. Furthermore, the garment processing apparatus of the present invention applies varying drum motions or various combinations of drum motions to each section.

[0461] In other words, in the garment processing apparatus of the present invention, the rotation stage S2 varies the rotation speed of the drum 200, the rotation direction of the drum 200, the duration of the drum 200, etc., in each section of the air supply stage S1. That is, the rotation stage S2 of the garment processing apparatus of the present invention performs various motions to minimize friction between the garment and the drum, such as expanding the garment to be contracted and reducing external forces such as mechanical force and frictional force applied to the garment.

[0462] In the garment processing apparatus of the present invention, the motor unit 500 is either directly coupled to the drum 200 or directly fastened to the drum 200 by a reduction gear 600, so the motor unit 500 can freely change the rotation direction and rotation speed of the drum 200.

[0463] Therefore, in the air supply stage S1, the garment processing apparatus of the present invention can prevent shrinkage, wear, and damage to the garment by varying at least one of the following: the rotation speed of the drum 200, the rotation direction of the drum 200, and the duration of the rotation speed of the drum 200, according to the condition of the garment and the internal condition of the drum 200.

[0464] The following describes various motions that the garment processing apparatus of the present invention can perform in rotation stage S2.

[0465] Rotation stage S2 consists of a high-speed section H in which the drum is rotated so that the clothes remain attached to the inner wall of the drum, and a low-speed section L in which the drum is rotated so that the clothes fall off the inner wall of the drum and rotate.

[0466] The high-speed section H is the section in which the drum 200 rotates at a first speed H1 or higher, generating an acceleration force of 1G or more, while the low-speed section L is the section in which the drum 200 rotates at a second speed L1, which is lower than the first speed H1, generating an acceleration force of 1G or less.

[0467] For example, in the garment processing apparatus of the present invention, the second speed L1 is set to a speed of 50 RPM or less, and the first speed H1 is set to a speed greater than 50 RPM.

[0468] Figure 20 shows that the rotational phase includes a tensile motion.

[0469] Rotation phase S2 performs a tension motion in which the drum 200 is rotated at a second speed L1 during the preparation time and then rotated at a first speed H1 during the expansion time, repeating this periodically.

[0470] As a result, during the preparation time, the clothing is separated from the inner wall of the drum 200 and agitated, and during the expansion time, it adheres to the inner wall of the drum 200 and is subjected to an acceleration force of 1G or more.

[0471] The expansion time is set to be longer than the preparation time. Therefore, the clothing is subjected to an acceleration force of 1G or more for a longer period than the time it is agitated.

[0472] During the inflation time, the clothing adheres to the inner wall of the drum 200 due to an acceleration force of 1G or more, and therefore expands along the inner surface of the drum 200. Also, during the preparation time after the inflation time, the clothing separates from the inner wall of the drum 200, so other areas of the clothing adhere to the inner wall of the drum 200 during the next inflation time.

[0473] In a tensioning motion, the garment is pulled during the expansion time, the part being pulled changes during the preparation time, and this process is repeated during the expansion time. As a result, the tensioning motion produces the effect of either expanding the contracted garment or pre-tensioning the garment to prevent further contraction.

[0474] On the other hand, the pulling motion may also involve rotation at a third velocity L2 during a waiting period. In the pulling motion, the rotation at the third velocity L2 during the waiting period occurs while accelerating from the second velocity L1 to the first velocity H1. This causes the drum 200 to rotate at the second velocity L1, decelerate to the third velocity L2, and then accelerate to the first velocity H1. As a result, the accelerating force applied to the clothing in the drum 200 increases, causing the clothing to expand further.

[0475] Furthermore, the rotation at the third speed L2 during the waiting period in the pulling motion may occur after the drum has been decelerated from the first speed H1 to the second speed L1. This allows the drum 200 to rotate at the first speed H1, decelerate to the second speed L1, and then decelerate to the third speed L2. As a result, the time it takes for the rotational speed of the drum 200 to decelerate from the first speed H1 to the third speed L2 is increased, reducing the impact of the drop on the clothing. In addition, the load applied to the motor unit 500 for braking the drum 200 is reduced.

[0476] On the other hand, the waiting time is set to be shorter than the inflation time. As a result, the pulling motion allows for more time for the clothing to be pulled.

[0477] Furthermore, the waiting time is set to be shorter than the preparation time. As a result, the time the clothes are agitated during the pulling motion is minimized, and the friction between the clothes and the drum 200 is minimized.

[0478] On the other hand, the inflation time is set to be equal to or longer than the sum of the preparation time and waiting time. This ensures that the time the garment is pulled during the pulling motion is equal to or longer than the time the garment is agitated.

[0479] As a result, in the tensile motion, high-speed sections H and low-speed sections L are periodically arranged.

[0480] Furthermore, the low-speed section L may be further divided into two speed sections. Thus, in the pulling motion, a total of three or more speed sections are periodically repeated.

[0481] In the tension motion, the drum 200 rotates at a first velocity H1 during the expansion time, then decelerates to a second velocity L1 and rotates during the preparation time, then decelerates again to a third velocity L2 and rotates during the waiting time, and then accelerates again to the first velocity H1 and rotates during the expansion time, repeating this periodically.

[0482] As a result, the tensile motion passes through two acceleration intervals of 1G or more per cycle.

[0483] Figure 21 shows the state of clothing when the clothing processing apparatus of the present invention performs a pulling motion.

[0484] Referring to Figure 21(a), the clothing inside the drum 200 is arranged in an initial length D1 state.

[0485] Referring to Figure 21(b), the drum 200 rotates at a second speed L1 during the preparation time or at a third speed L2 during the waiting time, and the clothes are agitated in the drum 200 without sticking to the inner wall of the drum 200 and rising.

[0486] Referring to Figure 21(c), the drum 200 is accelerated to a first velocity H1 and rotates. Therefore, the drum 200 maintains the first velocity H1 during the expansion time, and the expansion time is set to be longer than the time it takes for the drum to complete one rotation. Thus, the clothing adheres to the inner wall of the drum 200 and rotates, expanding along the inner wall of the drum 200.

[0487] Referring to Figure 21(d), the garment expands by an expansion length (D2) that is longer than the initial length D1. This process is repeated, and the garment is continuously subjected to the expanding force and does not contract, and even if it does contract, it expands again.

[0488] Figure 22 shows that the rotation phase includes a return motion.

[0489] Rotation stage S2 includes a return motion that rotates the drum 200 in both directions at a second speed L1, which is a speed lower than the first speed H1 that provides an acceleration force of 1G or more.

[0490] The return motion involves performing a tumbling motion in one direction for a predetermined time, and then performing a tumbling motion in the other direction for a predetermined time.

[0491] The predetermined time corresponds to the time it takes for the drum to complete one rotation. In this case, the return motion involves the drum 200 rotating clockwise at a second speed L1 once, and then rotating counterclockwise at a second speed L1 once. In this case, the drum 200 agitates the clothes in one direction, then agitates them in the other direction, creating the effect of turning the clothes over.

[0492] As a result, the surface of the clothing exposed to the inside of the drum 200 changes, preventing certain areas of the clothing from over-drying and promoting more even drying.

[0493] The return motion occurs intermittently at specific points in time when the tumbling motion is taking place. Furthermore, when the return motion occurs, the direction of rotation of the tumbling motion is changed.

[0494] As a result, the surface area of ​​the clothing that comes into contact with the drum 200 changes during the tumbling motion, and in subsequent tumbling motions, areas of the clothing that were not dried are dried more intensively.

[0495] On the other hand, the predetermined time corresponds to the time it takes for the drum to rotate N times. For example, the predetermined time is set to a time of 2 minutes or more. In this case, the return motion corresponds to the tumbling motion being performed with a periodic change of direction.

[0496] As a result, when the drum rotates in one direction and only a specific area of ​​the garment is in contact with the inner wall of the drum 200 or exposed to the inside of the drum 200, the drum rotates in the other direction and the garment is turned over or agitated so that the other area of ​​the garment is in contact with the inner wall of the drum 200 or exposed to the inside of the drum 200.

[0497] As a result, the clothes inside the drum 200 are evenly exposed to the hot air.

[0498] Of course, the return motion also includes the drum 200 rotating in one direction at a first speed H1 for a predetermined time, and then rotating in the other direction at the first speed H1 for a predetermined time. In this case, the area of ​​clothing attached to the inner wall of the drum 200 is changed, concentrating the area to which hot air is supplied to the clothing.

[0499] Furthermore, the return motion includes the drum 200 rotating in one direction at a first speed H1 for a predetermined time, and then rotating in the other direction at a second speed L1 for a predetermined time.

[0500] Figure 23 shows the state of the clothing when the rotation phase performs a reversal motion.

[0501] Referring to Figure 23(a), the drum 200 rotates clockwise. When the drum 200 rotates at the second speed L1, the clothing rises to a height higher than the center o of the drum, like a tumbling motion, and then falls to the bottom.

[0502] Referring to Figure 23(b), the drum 200 slows down from rotating clockwise, momentarily stops, or begins rotating counterclockwise. The clothing received by the drum 200 is distributed below the central o region of the drum.

[0503] Referring to Figure 23(c), the drum 200 accelerates and rotates counterclockwise. When the drum 200 rotates at a second velocity L1, the effect of tumbling motion occurring in the opposite direction is derived. The clothes rise to a region higher than the center O of the drum and then fall to the bottom. At this time, since the direction of rotation is opposite to that of clockwise rotation, other regions of the clothes adhere to the inner wall of the drum 200 as they rise, unlike when rotating clockwise. As a result, the clothes are agitated inside the drum 200 with at least a portion of them turned over.

[0504] As a result, when the drum 200 rotates clockwise, other areas are exposed to more hot air, allowing the clothes to dry more evenly.

[0505] The return motion periodically repeats the motions shown in Figures 21(A) to (C). Alternatively, contrary to the illustration, the drum 200 may rotate at a first velocity H1 during the return motion.

[0506] Figure 24 shows that the rotation phase includes a drying motion.

[0507] Rotation stage S2 includes a drying motion in which a high-speed section H in which the clothes rotate while adhering to the inner wall of the drum and a low-speed section L in which the clothes fall from the inner wall of the drum and rotate are performed periodically.

[0508] The drying motion is a motion in which the drum 200 rotates at a first speed H1 for a period of time, and then rotates at a second speed L1, which is lower than the first speed H1, for a period of time, repeating this periodically. In other words, in the drying motion, the drum 200 rotates periodically in a high-speed section H and a low-speed section L.

[0509] The drying motion involves rotating the drum 200 to generate an acceleration force of 1G or more during the first hour, rotating the drum 200 to generate an acceleration force of less than 1G during the second hour, and then repeating the motion of rotating the drum 200 to generate an acceleration force of 1G or more during the first hour.

[0510] The drying motion involves the drum 200 rotating at a first speed H1 during the first hour, and then repeating the tumbling motion during the second hour.

[0511] When the drying motion is performed, the clothes adhere to the drum 200 and rotate for the first hour, separate from the drum 200 and agitated or dropped for the second hour, and then adhere to the drum and rotate again for the first hour.

[0512] This ensures that the garments remain attached to the inner wall of the drum 200 for a longer period than the tumbling motion, minimizing friction against the inner wall of the drum 200. Additionally, when the garments rotate while attached to the inner wall of the drum 200, they are fixed to the drum 200, preventing friction or abrasion between the garments.

[0513] To prevent damage to clothing, set the drying motion so that the first hour is longer than the second hour, or at least equal to the second hour.

[0514] In other words, the drying motion ensures sufficient time for the clothes to adhere to the inner wall of the drum 200 and rotate, preventing unnecessary friction of the clothes.

[0515] As a result, in the drying motion, the duration of the high-speed section H may be set to be equal to or longer than the duration of the low-speed section L, and the total duration of the high-speed section H may be set to be longer than the total duration.

[0516] The drying motion involves rotating the drum 200 at a first speed H1 during the first hour, concentrating the hot air supply to areas of the clothing 200 that are not in contact with the inner wall of the drum 200. Then, during the second hour, the drum 200 is rotated at a second speed L1, separating and agitating the clothing 200 from the drum, thereby changing the area to which the hot air is concentrated during the next first hour, so that other areas of the clothing 200 do not come into contact with the inner wall of the drum 200.

[0517] As a result, the drying motion can prevent certain areas of clothing from becoming over-dried.

[0518] On the other hand, during the drying motion, in order to not only securely fix the clothes to the inner wall of the drum 200 but also to ensure sufficient time for the clothes to be agitated inside the drum 200, the drum rotates at least once in the high-speed section H and at least once in the low-speed section L.

[0519] In other words, the first hour is set to be longer than the time it takes for drum 200 to complete one rotation, and the second hour is set to be longer than the time it takes for drum 200 to complete one rotation. For example, the first hour is set to be 2 minutes or longer, and the second hour is also set to be 2 minutes or longer.

[0520] The drying motion may further include a preparation section between the high-speed section H and the low-speed section L, in which the drum rotates during the third time at a third speed L2 lower than the second speed L1. When the drying motion decelerates the drum 200 from the first speed H1 to the second speed L1, it further decelerates to the third speed L2.

[0521] This prevents further strong external forces from being applied to clothing that has adhered to the inner wall of the drum 200 and received an acceleration force of 1G or more. Furthermore, when the motor unit 500 is decelerated by residual braking or other means, it is decelerated to the third speed L2, and by ensuring a longer deceleration time for the drum 200, the maximum size of the acceleration force and external force applied to the clothing is reduced. Therefore, friction or pilling during the process of separating the clothing from the drum 200 can be prevented.

[0522] On the other hand, the third hour is set to be longer than the time it takes for the drum to complete one rotation, to allow time for the clothes to rise to the top of the drum 200 and be properly distributed before agitation. However, the third hour is set to be shorter than the second hour to prevent unnecessary delays in drying.

[0523] The third speed L2 is also the speed at which the clothing is prevented from rising above the central O region of the drum.

[0524] As a result, the drying motion involves the drum 200 rotating at a first speed H1 during the first time, then decelerating to a third speed L2 which is lower than the second speed L1, then rotating during the third time, and then accelerating to the second speed L1 and rotating again during the third time, and repeating this process.

[0525] During the drying motion, the direction of rotation of the drum is maintained without change. This prevents excessive load on the motor unit 500 or excessive agitation and friction of the clothes.

[0526] On the other hand, the first hour of the drying motion is set to be longer than the expansion time of the pulling motion. Also, the second hour is set to be longer than the preparation time of the pulling motion. This is because the drying motion does not prevent the clothes from expanding, but rather prevents frictional force from being applied to the clothes and induces sufficient exposure of the clothes to hot air.

[0527] In other words, the ratio of high-speed section H in the drying motion is smaller than the ratio of high-speed section H in the stretching motion.

[0528] Furthermore, in the drying motion, the time or period for reaching the next high-speed section H after the previous high-speed section H has elapsed is set to be longer than the time or period for reaching the next high-speed section H after the previous high-speed section H has elapsed in the pulling motion.

[0529] On the other hand, both the pulling motion and the drying motion share the common characteristic of having a high-speed section H and a low-speed section L that occur periodically.

[0530] However, in the pulling motion, the high-speed section H is set to be longer than the low-speed section L, and in the drying motion, the high-speed section H is set to be longer than the high-speed section H of the pulling motion.

[0531] This is because while the pulling motion is focused on expanding the garment, the drying motion is focused on drying and agitating the garment.

[0532] Therefore, the low-speed section L of the drying motion is set to be longer than the high-speed section H of the pulling motion.

[0533] Figure 25 shows the state of the clothing when the rotation phase is performing the drying motion.

[0534] Referring to Figure 25(a), the drum 200 rotates clockwise at a second speed L1 for two hours. During this time, the clothes are agitated by repeatedly rising to a height corresponding to or higher than the central region O of the drum and then falling. The section in which the drum rotates at the second speed L1 for two hours corresponds to a tumbling motion.

[0535] Referring to Figure 25(b), the drum 200 rotates clockwise at a first velocity H1 during the first hour. The clothing adheres to the inner wall of the drum 200 and rotates during the first hour.

[0536] In this case, the drum 200 may be gradually accelerated from the second speed L1 to the first speed H1. For example, the time it takes to change from the low-speed section L to the high-speed section H during the drying motion is set to about 1 minute. This prevents excessive physical force from being applied to the clothes, thus preventing damage to the clothes.

[0537] During this process, areas of the clothing not adhering to the inner wall of the drum 200 are exposed to hot air and dried intensively. Furthermore, because the clothing adheres to the inner wall of the drum 200 and rotates continuously, a fixed effect on the drum 200 is achieved. Therefore, since the clothing and the drum 200 do not move relative to each other, friction between the clothing and the drum 200 is prevented.

[0538] Furthermore, because the entire garment is attached to the inner wall of the drum 200 and rotates, the garments do not rub against each other, nor do parts of the garments rub against each other. As a result, friction between garments is prevented, and lint and other debris from forming on the garments can be prevented.

[0539] Referring to Figure 25(c), the drum 200 is then reduced to a first speed H1 and rotates. At this point, the drum 200 is reduced to a third speed L2 and rotates. As a result, the clothes are not only reliably separated from the inner wall of the drum 200, but are also continuously agitated as the drum 200 rotates. The agitated clothes expose the areas that were in contact with the inner wall of the drum 200 to the inside of the drum 200 and are dried.

[0540] On the other hand, the time it takes to decelerate from the first speed H1 to the third speed L2 is set to approximately one minute.

[0541] The drum 200 is accelerated again to a second speed L1 and rotates again during the second time. The clothes rise above the central region o of the drum 200 and fall, and are repeatedly exposed to and agitated by the hot air. Thus, the clothes are dried more efficiently than when the drum rotates at the first speed H1.

[0542] Referring to Figure 25(d), the drum 200 is also accelerated to a first speed H1 and rotates during the first time.

[0543] The drying motion repeats this process, allowing clothes to be dried by intermittently performing the tumbling motion. Furthermore, the drying motion significantly reduces the time during which clothes are rubbed against the drum or adhere to the inner wall of the drum 200 during the tumbling motion, as the clothes are agitated.

[0544] As a result, the drying motion can achieve both drying and protection of the clothes.

[0545] The drying motion is performed in constant-rate drying section A2. If the drying motion is performed in constant-rate drying section A2 when the degree of dryness of the clothes approaches the target value b at which they enter the decreasing-rate drying section, friction or abrasion of the clothes can be prevented.

[0546] Furthermore, the drying motion is performed in the reduced-rate drying section A3. In the reduced-rate drying section A3, the degree of dryness of the clothes exceeds the target value b, so lint and abrasion easily occur in the clothes. Therefore, the drying motion is performed in the reduced-rate drying section to protect the clothes.

[0547] In this case, it is preferable that the drying motion be performed at the end of the reduced-rate drying section. This is because the drying motion is a motion in which the section in which the clothes are fixed to the inner wall of the drum 200 is set to be long, so if it is performed at the beginning of the reduced-rate drying section, drying of the clothes cannot be guaranteed, and at the end of the reduced-rate drying section, the clothes are in the driest state, so there is a great need to protect them from wear and damage.

[0548] Therefore, the drying motion is performed when the degree of dryness of the clothes reaches a predetermined value d in the reduced-rate drying section, and continues until the end of the reduced-rate drying section.

[0549] Figure 26 shows that the rotation phase includes a swinging motion.

[0550] Rotation stage s2 includes a swinging motion that periodically varies the rotation speed of the drum within two or more ranges.

[0551] The swinging motion involves a first velocity H1 at which the clothing adheres to the inner wall of the drum and rotates, and a second velocity L1 that is slower than the first velocity H1, which rotates the drum periodically.

[0552] The swinging motion provides the garments with differences in acceleration due to the difference in the drum's rotation speed, inducing them to separate from each other according to their weight.

[0553] On the other hand, the swinging motion includes periodically varying the rotational speed of the drum 200 at at least two of the following speeds: a first speed H1 in which the clothing is attached to the inner wall of the drum and rotates, a second speed L1 which is slower than the first speed H1, and a third speed L2 which is slower than the second speed L1.

[0554] For example, the swing motion includes sequentially varying the speed of the drum 200 by setting its speed to the second speed L1, the first speed H1, and the third speed L2.

[0555] Furthermore, the swinging motion includes repeatedly changing the speed of the drum 200, setting it to the second speed L1, the first speed H1, and the third speed L2.

[0556] In other words, the swing motion involves repeatedly rotating the drum 200 at a second velocity L1, accelerating the drum 200 at a first velocity H1, and then decelerating the drum 200 to a third velocity L2.

[0557] During the swinging motion, when the drum 200 accelerates, it accelerates from the third speed L2 to the second speed L1, and then from the second speed L1 to the first speed H1. This prevents the drum 200 from accelerating too quickly, prevents excessive load on the motor unit 500, and prevents the clothes from being pressed against the inner wall of the drum 200.

[0558] Furthermore, when the drum 200 decelerates during the swinging motion, it decelerates all at once from the first velocity H1 to the third velocity L2, maximizing the difference in inertial force on the clothing attached to the inner wall of the drum 200. As a result, a large change in acceleration occurs when the drum 200 decelerates during the swinging motion, causing the clothing to separate from each other due to the difference in inertial force.

[0559] During the swinging motion, the clothing is separated from the drum 200, and the separated clothing is then evenly distributed and attached to the drum 200, where it rotates repeatedly.

[0560] As a result, the swing motion is a motion that repeats the process of accelerating from a low-speed section L to a high-speed section H, and then decelerating from the high-speed section to a low-speed section L. When decelerating from the high-speed section H to the low-speed section L, it is possible to decelerate even further than before acceleration.

[0561] On the other hand, the purpose of the swinging motion is to create a change in acceleration inside the drum 200 and form a difference in inertial force on the clothing, so a shorter period of change in velocity is advantageous.

[0562] However, if the speed is set to change periodically during one rotation of the drum, there will not be enough time for the clothes to separate sufficiently, resulting in an excessive load on the motor unit 500.

[0563] Therefore, the time it takes for the drum's speed to change during the swing motion is set to be longer than the time it takes for the drum to complete one rotation, but shorter than one minute. For example, this period is set to be between 10 and 20 seconds.

[0564] In the swing motion, all speed cycles of the 200 drums are completed within one minute.

[0565] In the swinging motion, the change in rotational force of the drum 200 alters the acceleration force applied to the clothing, creating a difference in the inertial force acting on the clothing. Heavier clothing has a higher inertial force and reacts sensitively to changes in the rotational speed of the drum 200, while lighter clothing has a lower inertial force and reacts less sensitively to changes in the rotational speed of the drum 200. Therefore, heavy and light clothing separate from each other in response to changes in the rotational speed of the drum 200 due to the difference in inertial force.

[0566] As a result, heavy clothing rises and falls inside the drum as it rotates, so it is frequently exposed to hot air, while lighter clothing rises less and experiences less impact from the drop compared to the rotation of the drum 200, resulting in less friction between garments and less friction with the drum, thus preventing fabric damage.

[0567] Therefore, the swinging motion has the advantage of separating the clothes according to the difference in their weight during the drying process.

[0568] On the other hand, if the clothes are not very dry and are close to a damp cloth state or contain moisture, they will be heavier and therefore more sensitive to changes in the rotation speed of the drum 200. Conversely, if the clothes are very dry and are close to a dry cloth state or contain little moisture, they will be lighter and therefore less sensitive to changes in the rotation speed of the drum 200.

[0569] Therefore, the swinging motion also has the effect of separating clothes that are mostly dry from those that are only slightly dry, depending on the degree of dryness.

[0570] Clothes that contain relatively more moisture are sensitive to the rotational changes of the drum 200, so they continuously rise and fall inside the drum 200, and are frequently exposed to the hot air passing through the drum 200. Therefore, clothes that are not dry or that need to be dried more will be dried further during the shaking motion.

[0571] Clothes that contain relatively little moisture react less sensitively to the rotational changes of the drum 200, resulting in a smaller rise within the drum 200 and a smaller area being exposed to hot air. Therefore, clothes that are highly dry or do not require drying will have a lower drying rate during the shaking motion.

[0572] In the swinging motion, even if the rotation speed of drum 200 is varied in multiple sections, the duration of each section remains the same.

[0573] As a result, even if the air supply stage S1 is performed further during the shaking motion until clothes that need more drying are dried, over-drying of clothes that are already sufficiently dried can be prevented.

[0574] On the other hand, the drying motion is performed after the tumbling motion, and the shaking motion is performed after the drying motion. This is to classify the clothes that have been dried by the tumbling motion and the drying motion.

[0575] Furthermore, the shaking motion is performed before the rolling motion. This is because the rolling motion is a motion that dries clothes by agitating them at a low speed, and performing the rolling motion after separating clothes that need more drying from clothes that have already been sufficiently dried maximizes the effectiveness of the rolling motion.

[0576] On the other hand, since the swinging motion includes a high-speed section H, it is preferable to perform it in the constant-rate drying section while the clothes still contain moisture. Of course, it may also be performed in the decreasing-rate drying section to classify clothes that have finished drying from those that still need more drying.

[0577] Figure 27 shows the state of the clothing when the rotation phase is performing a swinging motion.

[0578] Referring to Figure 27(a), a total of three types of clothing are accommodated inside the drum 200.

[0579] Even when exposed to hot air for the same amount of time, all three garments dry to different degrees depending on the material of the garments and their placement inside the drum 200.

[0580] For example, the first garment is in a damp state, not fully dried and containing a lot of moisture. The second garment is in a dry state, fully dried and with almost no moisture. The third garment is in a state where drying is partially completed.

[0581] Referring to Figure 27(b), when the drum rotates at a second speed L1, all the clothing inside the drum 200 rises along with the drum 200 in a tumbling motion, and falls from below the highest point of the drum 200, exposing it to the hot air.

[0582] During this process, the first, second, and third garments are agitated inside the drum 200, forming similar trajectories. Rotation at the second speed L1 takes approximately 10 or 20 seconds.

[0583] Referring to Figure 27(c), the drum 200 is accelerated at a first velocity H1 or an over-velocity. In this case, the first garment is heavy and therefore adheres to the inner wall of the drum 200 and rotates with it. At this time, the third garment is lighter than the first garment and therefore changes less sensitively to the change in the drum 200's velocity than the first garment. Thus, although it is positioned close to the inner wall of the drum 200, its force adhering to the inner wall of the drum 200 is weaker than that of the first garment.

[0584] On the other hand, since the second garment is lighter than the first and third garments, it reacts less sensitively to changes in the speed of drum 200. Therefore, rather than adhering directly to the inner wall of drum 200, it falls in a trajectory similar to that of a rotating object at the second speed L1.

[0585] As a result, changes in the drum's rotation speed cause changes in the trajectories of the first, second, and third garments, leading to their separation.

[0586] Subsequently, the first garment repeatedly rises and falls on drum 200 according to its rotational speed, with the third garment rising to a lesser height than the first, and the second garment rising to a lesser height than the third. Therefore, the third garment is exposed to the hot air more than the second, and the first garment is exposed to the hot air more than the third.

[0587] Additionally, the third garment is rubbed against the drum 200 slightly more than the first garment, and the second garment is rubbed against the drum 200 slightly more than the third garment.

[0588] *Therefore, as with the third garment, even slight friction will cause pilling as the garment is closer to a dry state, but the shaking motion prevents pilling.

[0589] Furthermore, as with the first garment, if the garment is in a damp state, it is less likely to fray even if it is subjected to considerable friction. Therefore, it can withstand significant drop impacts without problems, and in fact, moving with a large drop will expose it to hot air even more.

[0590] Figure 28 shows that the rotational phase includes a rolling motion.

[0591] Rotation phase S2 includes a rolling motion that rotates the drum so that the clothes fall or roll from below the center O of the drum.

[0592] The rolling motion is generally a motion in which the drum 200 is rotated at a speed lower than the second speed L1 at which the tumbling motion takes place.

[0593] As a result, the range and trajectory of the clothing's movement within the drum 200 during the rolling motion 200 are minimized, the mechanical force applied to the clothing is minimized, and damage or wear to the clothing can be prevented.

[0594] Furthermore, the rolling motion 200 allows the clothes to roll repeatedly, ensuring that the entire surface is evenly exposed inside the drum 200, resulting in effective drying.

[0595] On the other hand, the rolling motion 200 is designed to minimize the physical force applied to the clothing, and the rolling motion maintains a constant rotational speed for the drum 200 without changing its rotational direction.

[0596] The rolling motion is primarily performed in the reduction drying section A3 because it minimizes the impact of the drop on the clothing.

[0597] Figure 29 shows the state of the clothing when the rotation phase involves a rolling motion.

[0598] In the rolling motion 200, the clothing rises due to friction with the inner wall of the drum 200 as the drum 200 rotates. However, the clothing does not rise higher than the radius R of the drum from the lowest point of the drum 200, and separates from the inner wall of the drum 200, rolling towards the lowest point of the drum 200.

[0599] In rolling motion 200, the drum rotates at a protective speed L4, which is lower than the second speed L1.

[0600] The protection speed L4 is set to a speed that prevents clothes from moving above the center of the drum.

[0601] As a result, the clothes are moved and rolled continuously from the bottom of the drum 200 to only one side, which reduces the impact of the drop and prevents the clothes from shrinking.

[0602] On the other hand, with the rolling motion 200, the clothes are agitated only in the area below the central region O of the drum 200, so they frequently come into contact with the drying sensor. Therefore, the rolling motion 200 allows for more accurate detection of changes in the dryness of the clothes.

[0603] The rolling motion is set to last longer than the swinging motion. This is because the swinging motion is for sorting clothes, while the rolling motion is for drying clothes.

[0604] Furthermore, it is preferable that the rolling motion is performed after the shaking motion. This is because the shaking motion separates the clothes that need drying from the clothes that have already been dried, allowing them to be exposed to the hot air more evenly during the rolling motion.

[0605] It is appropriate that the swinging motion is performed in constant-rate drying section A2, and the rolling motion is performed in decreasing-rate drying section A3.

[0606] Figure 30 shows that the rotation phase includes a stopping motion.

[0607] Referring to Figure 30(a), the rotation stage S2 includes a stopping motion that intermittently rotates the drum 200.

[0608] The stopping motion is performed by repeatedly rotating and stopping the drum 200, and when the drum 200 rotates, the direction of rotation of the drum 200 changes. In the stopping motion, the drum 200 rotates once in one direction, waits for a period of time, and then rotates in the other direction.

[0609] The stop motion is set so that the time the drum 200 is stopped is longer than the time the drum 200 is rotating. For example, in the stop motion, the time the drum is stopped is set to be more than three times the time the drum is rotating.

[0610] Therefore, energy consumption can be minimized during stopping motion. In addition, during stopping motion, clothing is not continuously pressed down by its own weight, its position is not changed, and wrinkle formation is prevented.

[0611] Referring to Figure 30(b), the drum is in a stopped position during the stopping motion.

[0612] After this, the drum 200 intermittently rotates clockwise or counterclockwise, changing the position of the clothes, agitating them, and turning them over.

[0613] During the stopping motion, the rotation speed of the drum 200 is set to the protection speed L4.

[0614] The following describes the intervals in which various motions during rotation phase S2 can be optimally executed.

[0615] As described above, in the garment processing apparatus of the present invention, the drive unit is directly fastened to the drum 200 and rotates the drum 200, so the rotation direction, rotation time, and rotation speed of the drum 200 can be freely changed.

[0616] Therefore, the rotation step S2 of the garment processing apparatus of the present invention does not rotate the drum 200 at a constant speed in one direction, but rather performs various motions that change the rotation speed and direction of the drum 200 according to the degree of dryness of the clothes and the internal state of the drum 200.

[0617] The garment processing apparatus of the present invention can apply various motions in each section of the air supply phase to protect garments in all drying courses and options. Furthermore, in the protective course for protecting fabrics, various motions can be applied in each section of the air supply phase.

[0618] Specifically, in the garment processing apparatus of the present invention, the rotation stage S2 consists of a high-speed section H in which the drum is rotated so that the garments are attached to the inner wall of the drum 200, and a low-speed section L in which the drum is rotated so that the garments fall from the inner wall of the drum and rotate. During the air supply stage S1, the ratio of the high-speed section H to the low-speed section L is set differently for each specific section, thereby protecting the fabric and preventing shrinkage of the garments while performing the drying process.

[0619] Figure 31 shows the rotation stage S2 that can be applied in the preheating section during the air supply stage S1.

[0620] Preheating section A1 is the section in which the damp clothing is received in drum 200 and the drying process begins. Therefore, the clothing located in preheating section A1 is in a state of shrinkage due to water. That is, the fibers of the clothing are in a state of shrinkage from the first diameter D1 to the second diameter D2.

[0621] If a drying process is carried out during this stage, the garment will dry in a shrunk state, having formed fibers with a second diameter D2, even if the air gaps C are not broken down.

[0622] To prevent this, the rotational stage S2 performs a tensile motion in the preheating section A1. This causes the garment to expand in the preheating section A1, and the fibers of the garment return to near the first diameter D1.

[0623] On the other hand, clothing in a damp state may become entangled with each other after the dehydration process. In this case, the pulling motion involves repeated first speed H1 and second speed L1, which agitates and pulls the clothing, thus untangling it.

[0624] The tension motion occurs during the preheating section A1. In the preheating section A1, the refrigerant in the compressor has not yet been heated to a predetermined temperature TC, or the compressor's drive RPM has not yet risen to its maximum RPM or predetermined RPM. Therefore, even if the drum speed changes rapidly and periodically due to the tension motion, the energy consumed by the garment processing device does not exceed the limit range.

[0625] In preheating section A1, the air is heated and flows in, so the clothes dry during the pulling motion.

[0626] On the other hand, the pulling motion and the drying motion may be performed simultaneously. Alternatively, the drying motion may be performed after the pulling motion. This further ensures that the garment expands and agitates and repositions a portion of the garment during the pulling motion.

[0627] As a result, since a tension motion or drying motion is performed in the preheating section A1, the high-speed section H and low-speed section L are alternately arranged in the rotation stage S2. The total time of the high-speed section H is set to be longer than the total time of the low-speed section L. Also, the duration of the high-speed section H is set to be longer than the duration of the low-speed section L.

[0628] In a tensile motion, if the low-speed section L is defined as the constant-speed section when rotating at the second speed L1, and the third-speed section L2 when rotating, then the preheating section A1 periodically consists of a high-speed section H, a constant-speed section, and a deceleration section.

[0629] In the pulling motion, the waiting time is set shorter than the preparation time, so the duration of the deceleration section is set shorter than that of the constant speed section.

[0630] Preheating section A1 is a section where the focus is on expanding the clothes rather than agitating them, because the high-speed section H is longer than the low-speed section L.

[0631] Figure 32 shows the rotation step S2 applicable in the constant drying section A2 during the air supply step S1.

[0632] When the temperature of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor reaches a predetermined temperature TC, or when the compressor's drive RPM reaches a predetermined RPM, the preheating section A1 ends and the process proceeds to the constant-rate drying section A2.

[0633] The tensile motion ends when the preheating section A1 ends and the machine enters the constant-rate drying section A2.

[0634] The constant-rate drying section A2 is the section in which the maximum amount of hot air flows into the drum 200, and corresponds to the section in which the drying of clothes is carried out in earnest. Therefore, it is preferable that the clothes inside the drum 200 are exposed to the hot air to the maximum extent.

[0635] Therefore, in constant-rate drying section A2, the tumbling motion takes place first. As a result, after the tensile motion is completed, the tumbling motion takes place, causing the clothes to rise above the center O of the drum in an expanded state, separate from drum 200 below the highest point of drum 0, and fall, being exposed to the hot air for the longest possible time.

[0636] Furthermore, as the clothes repeatedly fall and rise, tangling is undone, and the area where they adhere to the inner wall of the drum 200 changes, ensuring that the entire garment is evenly exposed to the hot air.

[0637] On the other hand, if the tumbling motion is carried out over a predetermined period of time, the clothes received in the drum 200 are classified into those that have been sufficiently dried by the hot air and those that require further drying.

[0638] If only tumbling motion is repeated in this state, the air gap C of the clothes, which have been thoroughly dried, collapses due to the impact of the fall, causing the fibers to shrink to a third diameter D3, and the surface is damaged by friction against the inner wall of the drum 200 and other clothes.

[0639] To prevent this, it is preferable that the rotation stage S2 performs a swinging motion. The swinging motion separates the clothes that have been sufficiently dried from the clothes that need more drying.

[0640] As a result, clothes that require more drying are separated from clothes that have been sufficiently dried and move with the motion of the drum 200 to be intensively exposed to hot air.

[0641] Furthermore, clothes that have been thoroughly dried will not fall along with clothes that still need drying, thus avoiding the impact of falling on both. In addition, the reduced load due to water evaporation means that the drum does not react sensitively to the motion of the drum 200, preventing over-drying and thus preventing friction and abrasion.

[0642] Tumbling motion is a motion in which clothes are dried intensively, while shaking motion corresponds to a motion in which parts of the clothes that need more drying are separated and dried further.

[0643] Therefore, the duration of the swinging motion is shorter than the duration of the tumbling motion. The swinging motion is performed at the end of the constant-rate drying section A2 to separate the clothes that have been sufficiently dried.

[0644] The swinging motion is performed when the clothes reach the target dryness value b. That is, it is performed from the time the clothes reach the target dryness value b in constant-rate drying section A2 until the end of constant-rate drying section A2 and before entering decreasing-rate drying section A3.

[0645] In constant-rate drying section A2, a tumbling motion is performed, followed by a swinging motion. The duration of the swinging motion is set to be shorter than the duration of the tumbling motion.

[0646] This is because the shaking motion is the motion for sorting dried clothes, while the tumbling motion is the motion for drying clothes.

[0647] On the other hand, a drying motion may be performed while a tumbling motion is taking place and a shaking motion is also taking place.

[0648] Therefore, when the drying motion is performed, the high-speed section H is intended to have the effect of performing a tumbling motion, and in the low-speed section L, the clothes adhere to the inner wall of the drum 200 and are fixed to the drum 200, so friction between the clothes and the drum 200 or between the clothes themselves can be prevented.

[0649] In other words, the drying motion is performed when the tumbling motion has taken place and the clothes have dried to a certain extent, in order to prevent damage and friction to the clothes. The drying motion involves taking a break during the tumbling motion to stop agitating the clothes.

[0650] The drying motion is performed when a predetermined time has elapsed in the constant-rate drying section A2. In other words, if the predetermined time elapses while the tumbling motion is in progress, the drying motion is performed.

[0651] The predetermined time is set as the time when the degree of dryness of the clothes corresponds to the standard value a, and is set to the time 20 minutes after entering the constant-rate drying section.

[0652] The drying motion is performed for a predetermined time when the degree of dryness of the clothes in the constant-rate drying section A2 reaches a reference value a that is lower than the target value b.

[0653] The target dryness value b corresponds to 80% or more, while the standard value a corresponds to 70%.

[0654] Furthermore, the drying motion is performed after the tumbling motion is completed, but it may also be performed intermittently during the tumbling motion.

[0655] Additionally, the drying motion is performed after the tumbling motion ends and before the shaking motion begins.

[0656] On the other hand, the drying motion is performed before the shaking motion because it dries the entire garment while protecting it. The duration of the drying motion is set to be shorter than that of the tumbling motion, but longer than that of the shaking motion.

[0657] As a result, in the constant-rate drying section A2, the process always ends with a shaking motion, preceded by a tumbling motion and a drying motion.

[0658] Of course, the shaking motion can be performed before the drying motion. This is because it is more efficient to separate all the clothes by shaking them, and then use the drying motion to concentrate on drying specific areas of the clothes while preventing wear and tear.

[0659] Of course, the duration of the swinging motion may be set to be longer than the duration of the drying motion. This is because, although the swinging motion is a section in which clothes are sorted, it includes both the high-speed section H and the low-speed section L, so there is a possibility that the clothes may be exposed to hot air while sorted.

[0660] Therefore, the shaking motion may be performed for a longer duration than the hanging motion or tumbling motion, in order to sort the clothes and concentrate on drying the clothes that need drying.

[0661] As a result, tumbling motion occurs in the constant-rate drying section A2, so even if drying motion or shaking motion is performed, the low-speed section L is set to be longer than the high-speed section H.

[0662] In other words, unlike the heated drying section A1, the constant-rate drying section A2 has more low-speed sections L arranged and distributed, and is a section where the agitation of the clothes and exposure to hot air are the main focus.

[0663] On the other hand, by positioning the swinging motion in the constant-rate drying section A2, the rotation stage S2 further includes a variable section in which the drum's rotation speed is variable within the constant-rate drying section A2, and this variable section continues until just before entering the falling rate drying section of the clothes.

[0664] If the swinging motion is performed when the dryness reaches the target value b, the variable drying section begins after entering the constant drying section and the dryness reaches the reference value a.

[0665] Furthermore, if the swing motion is controlled by time rather than dryness, the variable section begins after the reference time has elapsed following the entry into the constant-rate drying section.

[0666] The swing motion includes sections where the drum rotates at an excessive speed faster than the section where it rotates at a first velocity H1 or higher. Therefore, the variable section includes both sections where the drum's rotation speed is faster and slower than the high-speed section H. Furthermore, the variable section is periodically arranged with fast sections, high-speed section H, and slow sections.

[0667] On the other hand, if a swinging motion is performed after a tumbling motion, a low-speed section L is placed until the start of the variable section. Since the tumbling motion is performed for a longer period than the swinging motion, the duration of the low-speed section L in the constant-rate drying section A2 is set to be longer than the duration of the variable section.

[0668] Furthermore, if a drying motion is performed between the tumbling motion and the swinging motion, the rotation phase S2 will have a high-speed section H and a low-speed section L that are periodically repeated between the low-speed section L and the variable section.

[0669] Figure 33 shows the rotation stage S2 applicable in the reduction drying section during the air supply stage S1.

[0670] When the constant-rate drying section A2 ends, the decreasing-rate drying section A3 is performed. The decreasing-rate drying section A3 is a section in which, due to a considerable amount of moisture being removed from the clothes in the constant-rate drying section A2, there is insufficient heat of vaporization, causing the temperature inside the drum 200 or the temperature of the air discharged into the circulation channel section 930 to begin to rise.

[0671] In other words, the rate-reducing drying section A3 begins when the temperature inside the drum 200 or the temperature of the air discharged into the circulation channel section 930 reaches the reference temperature TR during the constant-rate drying section A2.

[0672] Furthermore, an increase in the internal temperature of drum 200 indicates that the clothes have been sufficiently dried. Therefore, when the degree of dryness of the clothes enters a set value c that is higher than the target value b, the reduction drying section A3 is started.

[0673] The setting value c corresponds to 80%.

[0674] Reduced drying section A3 is the section where most of the clothes are sufficiently dried, but some clothes or parts of the clothes are not completely dry.

[0675] Therefore, in the reduced-rate drying section A3, if the rotational stage S2 has many high-speed sections H, such as a tumbling motion, a strong impact occurs on the dried clothes, causing the air gaps C to collapse and shrink.

[0676] To prevent this, the rotational phase S2 performs a rolling motion when entering the reduced-rate drying section A3.

[0677] In rolling motion, the range of motion by which the clothing rises and falls within the drum 200 is much smaller than in tumbling motion, thus minimizing the impact of the clothing upon impact.

[0678] Furthermore, in the rolling motion, the clothes move along the direction of the drum's rotation and are continuously dropped and agitated from a position lower than the drum's radius R, so that the surface of the clothes is uniformly exposed to the hot air.

[0679] Therefore, the rolling motion dries the parts of the garment that need more drying, while the parts that have been sufficiently dried are prevented from shrinking due to the minimal impact of the fall.

[0680] The rolling motion takes place during the set time, and continues until the drying motion, which will be described later, is performed.

[0681] If the reduced drying section A3 is performed, the clothes will be dried further, and the parts that need more drying will be greatly reduced. In this situation, even if rolling motion is performed, the dried clothes will experience impact from falling, and the dried clothes will rub against the drum 200 and against each other, causing pilling and abrasion.

[0682] Therefore, further drying motion may be performed in the reduced-rate drying section A3. In the drying motion performed in the reduced-rate drying section A3, the high-speed section H is set to be much longer than the low-speed section L.

[0683] This prevents the clothes 200 from being fixed to the inner wall of the drum 200 and falling from the drum 200, or from being rubbed against the drum 200 and the clothes during the drying motion.

[0684] Furthermore, even during the drying cycle, the parts of the garment exposed inside the drum 200 are continuously dried. Therefore, during the drying cycle, the garment is protected while drying is performed.

[0685] The drying motion is performed when the degree of dryness of the clothes reaches a predetermined value d that is slightly less than the completion value e and higher than the set value c.

[0686] Specifically, the drying motion takes place after the rolling motion. In other words, the drying motion occurs once the rolling motion is complete.

[0687] Furthermore, the duration of the rolling motion is set to be longer than the duration of the drying motion. This is because the rolling motion is more efficient at drying than the drying motion, and the drying motion has the effect of protecting the fabric when the clothes have dried to a predetermined value d or higher.

[0688] In the reduced-rate drying section A3, a rolling motion is performed initially, and a drying motion is performed at the end. As a result, the drum rotation speed is set faster in the later stages of reduced-rate drying section A3 than at the beginning. In other words, in the reduced-rate drying section, the drum rotates so that the clothes adhere to the inner wall of the drum and rotate more than one full turn at the end due to the drying motion.

[0689] Furthermore, the reduction-rate drying section is set so that the drum rotates slower in the initial section than in the final section.

[0690] In addition, during the reduced-rate drying section, the drum rotates in a rolling motion initially to separate or roll the clothes away from the inner wall of the drum.

[0691] On the other hand, constant-rate drying section A2 ends with a swinging motion, and decreasing-rate drying section A3 begins with a rolling motion; therefore, the rolling motion takes place after the swinging motion.

[0692] On the other hand, if we consider the reduced drying section A3 from the perspective of the rotational speed S2, the rolling motion is performed longer than the drying motion, so the duration of the low-speed section L is set to be longer than the duration of the high-speed section H.

[0693] If rolling motion is performed in the reduced-rate drying section A3, the low-speed section L of the rotation stage S2 is set so that the clothes fall from below the center of the drum.

[0694] If rolling motion and drying motion are performed in the reduced-rate drying section A3, then in the rotation stage S2, once the low-speed section L is completed, a high-speed section H is placed until the completion of the reduced-rate drying section A2, or the high-speed section H and the low-speed section L are placed in a periodically repeating manner.

[0695] In the drying motion, the duration of the high-speed section H is set to be equal to or longer than the duration of the low-speed section L, from the start of the high-speed section H to the completion of the reduction-rate drying section A2, based on the speed of the rotation stage S2.

[0696] Since the drying motion is performed when the degree of dryness reaches a predetermined value d, the point at which the high-speed section H starts in rotation stage S2 is set to the point at which the degree of dryness reaches a predetermined value d that is higher than the set value c.

[0697] Figure 34 shows the rotation step S2 applicable during the cooling section in the air supply step S1.

[0698] If the degree of dryness of the clothes reaches a completion value e that is higher than the set value c during the reduced-rate drying section, the system enters cooling section A4. The completion value e is set to 90% or higher of dryness.

[0699] In cooling section A4, the clothes have finished drying, but the temperature inside drum 200 is higher than the outside air, and if the door is opened, the user will be exposed to fire.

[0700] Therefore, in cooling section A4, the heat exchange unit 900 does not operate, and only the circulating fan 950 operates to cool the clothes.

[0701] In cooling section A4, the clothes are almost completely dry, so it is preferable not to rotate the drum 200 at maximum speed. This is because even slight friction between the drum 200 and the clothes in cooling section A4 could damage the clothes.

[0702] However, if only air is introduced into the drum 200 in cooling section A4, the clothing placed at the bottom of the drum 200 will be pressed down by the load, causing wrinkles to form in various places on the clothing.

[0703] Therefore, a stopping motion is performed in the cooling section A4. That is, the stopping motion causes the drum 200 to rotate intermittently, preventing wrinkles from forming in the clothes.

[0704] *As a result, the garment processing apparatus of the present invention can prevent damage and shrinkage of garments and complete the drying of garments by having the rotation stage S2 carried out in the air supply section S1 selectively perform one of a plurality of drum motions over time.

[0705] The present invention can be implemented in various modified forms, and its scope of rights is not limited to the embodiments described above. Therefore, as long as the modified embodiments include the elements of the claims of the present invention, they are deemed to fall within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a garment processing apparatus, comprising a drum for receiving garments, a drive unit for rotating the drum, a circulation channel that provides a space for the air in the drum to circulate or for moisture contained in the air to condense, and a heat exchange unit for heating the air flowing through the circulation channel, An air supply step of supplying the air heated to the drum by the heat exchange unit, The air supply step includes a rotation step in which the drum is rotated during the execution of the air supply step, The air supply stage is divided into a preheating period, a constant rate drying period, and a falling rate drying period. The rotation stage consists of a high-speed section in which the drum is rotated so that the clothing is attached to the inner wall of the drum, and a low-speed section in which the drum is rotated so that the clothing falls from the inner wall of the drum and rotates. A method for controlling a garment processing apparatus, characterized in that the ratio of the high-speed section to the low-speed section is set to be different for each specific section within the preheating section, constant-rate drying section, and reduction-rate drying section of the air supply stage.

2. The preheating interval is set to run from the time the heat exchange unit starts until the temperature of the refrigerant flowing through the heat exchange unit reaches a predetermined temperature from the starting temperature, or from the time the heat exchange unit starts until a reference time has elapsed. The control method for a garment processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the high-speed section and the low-speed section are repeatedly arranged in the preheating section.

3. Control method for a garment processing apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that the total time of the high-speed section in the preheating section is set to be longer than the total time of the low-speed section.

4. The method for controlling a garment processing apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that the duration of the high-speed section in the preheating section is set to be longer than the duration of the low-speed section.

5. The aforementioned low-speed section is A constant-speed section in which the drum rotates such that the clothing falls from between the highest point of the drum and the center of the drum, The constant-speed section includes a deceleration section in which the rotational speed of the drum is slower than the constant-speed section, The control method for a garment processing apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that the preheating section comprises a high-speed section, a constant-speed section, and a deceleration section arranged periodically.

6. The method for controlling a clothing processing apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that the duration of the deceleration section is set to be shorter than that of the constant speed section.

7. The constant-rate drying section is entered when the refrigerant temperature of the heat exchange section reaches a reference value in the preheating section, or when the heat exchange section operates within a reference time. The method for controlling a garment processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the low-speed section is set to be longer than the high-speed section in the constant-rate drying section.

8. The rotation stage further includes a variable section in which the rotational speed of the drum is variable, The method for controlling a garment processing apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that the variable section is located in the constant-rate drying section.

9. The aforementioned reduction-rate drying section is entered when the discharge temperature of the circulation channel rises above the reference temperature or when the dryness of the clothes reaches a set value. The method for controlling a garment processing apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that the variable section is performed until before entering the falling rate drying section.

10. The system further includes a drying sensor for detecting the degree of dryness of the clothing, The method for controlling a garment processing apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that the apparatus enters the variable section when the degree of dryness reaches a target value after entering the constant-rate drying section.

11. The control method for a garment processing apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that the variable section is entered when a reference time has elapsed after entering the constant-rate drying section.

12. The variable section varies the rotational speed of the drum between the high-speed section and the low-speed section. The method for controlling a clothing processing apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that the low-speed section is further divided into a constant-speed section and a deceleration section with a rotational speed lower than that of the constant-speed section.

13. The control method for a clothing processing apparatus according to claim 12, characterized in that the variable section comprises the constant speed section, the high speed section, and the deceleration section arranged periodically.

14. The control method for a garment processing apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that the constant-rate drying section is continuously configured in the low-speed section until it enters the variable-rate section.

15. The method for controlling a clothing processing apparatus according to claim 14, characterized in that the duration of the low-speed section before entering the variable section is set to be longer than the total duration of the variable section.

16. The control method for a garment processing apparatus according to claim 14, characterized in that the high-speed section and the low-speed section are periodically repeated between the low-speed section and the variable section.

17. The aforementioned reduction-rate drying section is entered when the discharge temperature of the circulation channel rises above the reference temperature or when the dryness of the clothes reaches a set value. The method for controlling a garment processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the duration of the low-speed section in the reduction-rate drying section is set to be longer than the duration of the high-speed section.

18. The method for controlling a garment processing apparatus according to claim 17, characterized in that in the reduced-rate drying section, the low-speed section is set so that the rotation speed of the drum is set so that the garment falls from below the height of the center of the drum.

19. The method for controlling a garment processing apparatus according to claim 18, characterized in that the low-speed section is continuously maintained when entering the reduced-rate drying section.

20. The method for controlling a garment processing apparatus according to claim 19, characterized in that the high-speed section is located after the low-speed section in the reduced-rate drying section.

21. The control method for a garment processing apparatus according to claim 20, characterized in that when entering the high-speed section in the reduced-rate drying section, the high-speed section and the low-speed section are periodically arranged until the reduced-rate drying section is completed.

22. The system further includes a drying sensor for detecting the degree of dryness of the clothing, The control method for a garment processing apparatus according to claim 19, characterized in that entry into the high-speed section is set at the point when the degree of dryness reaches a predetermined value higher than the set value.

23. The method for controlling a garment processing apparatus according to claim 22, characterized in that the reduction rate drying section ends when the degree of dryness reaches a completion value higher than the predetermined value.

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