Clothes processing apparatus and control method thereof

Abstract

This application relates to a method for controlling a clothing treatment device, which includes an air supply step of supplying heated air to a drum by a heat exchanger, and a first motion execution step performed during the air supply step, wherein the first motion execution step alternates between a first acceleration mode in which the drum is rotated in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction at a rotation speed that induces a centrifugal force of 1 G or more, and a first deceleration mode in which the drum is rotated in the same direction as the rotation direction set in the first acceleration mode at a rotation speed that induces a centrifugal force of less than 1 G.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a clothing treatment apparatus and a control method thereof.

Background Art

[0002] A clothing treatment apparatus is an apparatus capable of washing, drying, or both washing and drying clothing (objects to be washed or dried), and is a concept including washing machines, dryers, and combined washer-dryers.

[0003] A clothing treatment apparatus (dryer) capable of drying clothing supplies heated air (hot air) to the clothing, and is classified into an exhaust drying system and a circulation drying system depending on how the air that has exchanged heat with the clothing is treated.

[0004] The circulation drying system is a method in which the air discharged from the storage space where the clothing is stored is dehumidified and heated in order, and then re-supplied to the storage space. The exhaust drying system supplies heated air to the storage space, but the air discharged from the storage space is exhausted to the outside of the clothing treatment apparatus.

[0005] The drying time required for the clothing to reach a predetermined target dryness is determined by how effective the heat exchange between the air supplied to the drum and the clothing is. Therefore, in any clothing treatment apparatus having a drying system, control for enhancing the efficiency of heat exchange between the air supplied into the drum and the clothing is a very important design consideration in a clothing treatment apparatus whose purpose is to dry clothing.

[0006] Conventionally, there is a clothing treatment apparatus provided with a control method for increasing the area where clothing comes into contact with air by controlling the rotation speed of a drum while air is supplied to the drum (Korean Patent No. 10-1594368). However, this clothing treatment apparatus has a disadvantage in that it cannot individually control the motion of the drum in the preheating section, the constant-rate drying section, and the falling-rate drying section that constitute the drying process. That is, in the conventional control method, during drying, if the rotation speed of the drum is not maintained at a rotation speed that induces a centrifugal force of 1G or more, the air supplied to the drum cannot be prevented from being discharged to the tab through the drum through-holes formed in the circumferential surface of the drum, and there is a disadvantage in that it is difficult to lower the rotation speed of the drum to a rotation speed that induces a centrifugal force of less than 1G while air is being supplied to the drum.

[0007] Also, the conventional control method may damage the clothing in the preheating section and the falling-rate drying section. The preheating section is a section where there is almost no change in dryness (almost no change in moisture content), and the temperature of the clothing gradually increases (the temperature of the clothing gradually increases until it reaches the temperature at which moisture is discharged from the clothing). The constant-rate drying section is a section where the dryness of the clothing suddenly increases (the moisture content suddenly decreases), and the temperature of the clothing is maintained almost constant. The falling-rate drying section is a section where there is almost no change in the dryness of the clothing, and the temperature of the clothing suddenly increases. If the frictional force between the clothing and the drum becomes large in the preheating section and the falling-rate drying section (if a large centrifugal force is continuously applied to the clothing), there is a disadvantage in that there is a high possibility that the clothing will have lint or be damaged.

[0008] Conventionally, there is a control method for a clothing treatment apparatus that controls and manages the clothing treatment apparatus by distinguishing the preheating section, the constant-rate drying section, and the falling-rate drying section (Korean Patent Application No. 10-2006-0023715). However, this control method does not disclose how to control the rotation speed and rotation direction of the drum for each section to be advantageous for shortening the drying time and improving the drying performance.

[0009] Conventionally, there is a clothing treatment apparatus equipped with a control method for adjusting the rotation speed of a drum according to the degree of dryness. This control method has been applied to a clothing treatment apparatus equipped with an exhaust drying system. The exhaust drying system means a method of heating the air outside the drum and supplying it to the drum, and discarding the air that has exchanged heat with the clothing outside the drum.

[0010] The temperature of the air discharged from the drum gradually increases in the initial stage (preheating section) of the drying process, the temperature of the air discharged from the drum is maintained almost constant in the middle stage (evaporation section) of the drying process, and the temperature of the air discharged from the drum tends to increase again in the final stage (overheating section) of the drying process. Therefore, a conventional clothing treatment apparatus to which an exhaust drying system is applied can determine the progress point (degree of dryness of clothing) of the drying process by measuring the temperature of the air discharged from the drum.

[0011] However, such a control method has a drawback that it is difficult to accurately determine which section of the sections constituting the drying process the clothing treatment apparatus is executing. This is because the temperature of the air discharged from the drum varies depending on how much heat exchange has occurred between the air and the clothing.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0012]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0013] This application aims to solve the problem of providing a clothing treatment apparatus and a control method for the clothing treatment apparatus that can minimize clothing damage and shorten the drying time by controlling either the rotation speed or the rotation direction of the drum for each section of the drying process divided into a preheating section, a constant-rate drying section, and a falling-rate drying section.

[0014] In addition, this application aims to solve the problem of providing a clothing treatment apparatus and a control method for the clothing treatment apparatus that minimize wrinkles on clothing while minimizing the frictional force between the clothing and the drum at the initial stage of drying.

[0015] In addition, this application aims to solve the problem of providing a clothing treatment apparatus and a control method for the clothing treatment apparatus that minimize damage to clothing due to frictional force at the end stage of drying.

[0016] In addition, this application aims to solve the problem of providing a clothing treatment apparatus and a control method for the clothing treatment apparatus that enable easy detection of the degree of dryness of clothing.

[0017] In addition, this application aims to solve the problem of providing a clothing treatment apparatus and a control method for the clothing treatment apparatus that enable easy change of the rotation speed and rotation direction of the drum.

[0018] The technical problems obtained from the present invention are not limited to the above-described technical problems. Other technical problems not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the technical field to which the present invention pertains from the following description.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0019] Further advantages, objects, and features of various embodiments of the present invention are described in the present disclosure and the accompanying drawings. Such aspects can also be understood by those skilled in the art based on the present disclosure.

[0020] A control method for a clothing treatment apparatus including a drum that provides a space for accommodating clothing, an exhaust duct that discharges air inside the drum, a supply duct that supplies air to the drum, and a heat exchange unit that heats the air supplied to the drum, the present application provides a control method for a clothing treatment apparatus including an air supply step of supplying heated air to the drum via the heat exchange unit and a first motion execution step performed during the progress of the air supply step.

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

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

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

[0024] The first motion execution stage proceeds until the dryness of the clothing reaches a predetermined first reference dryness.

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

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

[0027] This control method includes a second motion execution stage in which a second acceleration mode in which the drum is rotated at a rotational speed that induces a centrifugal force of 1 G or more in either the clockwise or counterclockwise direction, and a second deceleration mode in which the drum is rotated at a rotational speed that induces a centrifugal force of less than 1 G in the same direction as the rotational direction set in the second acceleration mode are alternately performed. The second motion execution stage is performed in part or all of the falling rate period.

[0028] The second motion execution stage may end when the dryness of the clothing reaches a second reference dryness set smaller than the target dryness set in the air supply process.

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

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

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

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

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

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

[0035] Furthermore, the control method includes a stirring motion execution stage in which the drum rotates alternately clockwise and counterclockwise at a rotational speed that induces a centrifugal force of less than 1G, and the stirring mode execution stage is performed in the constant rate drying section.

[0036] Furthermore, the control method is performed before the start of the first motion execution stage, and includes a distributed motion execution stage in which the drum rotates alternately in the clockwise and counterclockwise directions at a rotational speed that induces a centrifugal force of less than 1G.

[0037] The rotational speed of the drum set in the distributed motion execution stage is set lower than the rotational speed of the drum set in the agitation mode execution stage.

[0038] Furthermore, the control method includes a sensing motion execution stage in which the drum is rotated at a rotational speed lower than the rotational speed set in the distributed motion execution stage after the completion of the second motion execution stage, and a sensing stage in which the dryness of the clothing is measured by an electrode provided so as to contact the clothing located below the horizontal line passing through the rotation center of the drum. When the dryness of the clothing measured in the sensing stage is equal to or greater than the target dryness set in the air supply process, the air supply stage may be terminated.

[0039] In a clothing treatment apparatus including a drum that provides a space for accommodating clothing, a fixed panel located at a distance from the rear surface of the drum, a stator fixed to the fixed panel to form a rotating magnetic field, and a rotor that rotates by the rotating magnetic field and generates power required for the rotation of the drum, a panel exhaust port passing through the fixed panel, an exhaust duct that guides the air discharged from the drum to the panel exhaust port, a heat exchange unit that dehumidifies and heats the air moving along the exhaust duct, a supply port formed by surrounding the rotor with a large number of through holes passing through the fixed panel, an air inlet formed by a ring surrounding the rotation center of the drum with a large number of through holes passing through the rear surface of the drum, a flow path forming unit having one end fixed to the fixed panel to surround the supply port and the other end in contact with the drum to surround the air inlet, and a supply duct fixed to the fixed panel to guide the air discharged from the panel exhaust port to the supply port, this application provides a control method for a clothing treatment apparatus including an air supply stage of supplying heated air to the drum through the heat exchange unit and a motion execution stage performed during the air supply stage.

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

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

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

[0043] The radius of the ring formed by the air inlet is set to be 1 / 2 or more of the radius of the rear surface of the drum.

[0044] A drum that provides a space for accommodating clothing, a fixed panel located at a distance from the rear surface of the drum, a housing fixed to the fixed panel, a stator fixed to the housing to form a rotating magnetic field, a rotor that rotates by the rotating magnetic field to generate the power required for the rotation of the drum, a link gear fixed within the housing, a first shaft having one end fixed to the rotor and the other end located within the housing, a driving gear fixed to the first shaft and located within the housing, a second shaft that penetrates the fixed panel, has one end fixed to the rear surface of the drum, and the other end located within the housing and forms a concentric axis with the first shaft, a base located within the housing and having the other end of the second shaft fixed thereto, a first body rotatably fixed to the base, a first gear provided on the circumferential surface of the first body and coupled to the driving gear, a second body fixed to the first body and having a diameter smaller than the diameter of the first body, and a driven gear provided on the circumferential surface of the second body and coupled to the link gear, a panel exhaust port that penetrates the fixed panel, an exhaust duct that guides the air discharged from the drum to the panel exhaust port, a heat exchange unit that dehumidifies and heats the air moving along the exhaust duct, a supply port formed by a plurality of through holes that penetrate the fixed panel and surround the rotor, an air inlet formed by a plurality of through holes that penetrate the rear surface of the drum and surround the rotation center of the drum, a flow path forming unit having one end fixed to the fixed panel and surrounding the supply port and the other end in contact with the drum and surrounding the air inlet, and a supply duct fixed to the fixed panel and guiding the air discharged from the panel exhaust port to the supply port. In the clothing treatment apparatus including these components, this application provides a control method for the clothing treatment apparatus, including an air supply step of supplying the air heated by the heat exchange unit to the drum, and a motion execution step performed during the progress of the air supply step.

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

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

[0047] The additional scope of the applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description. It should be understood that various changes and revisions within the spirit and scope of the present invention are clearly understandable to those skilled in the art, and thus the detailed description and specific examples such as the preferred embodiments of the present invention are merely illustrative.

Effects of the Invention

[0048] Therefore, the embodiments of the present invention provide various effects and / or features as follows.

[0049] According to this application, by controlling either the rotation speed or the rotation direction of the drum for each section of the drying process divided into a preheating period, a constant rate period, and a falling rate period, it is possible to minimize damage to clothing and shorten the drying time, and a clothing treatment apparatus and a control method for the clothing treatment apparatus can be provided.

[0050] Also, according to this application, it is possible to provide a clothing treatment apparatus and a control method for the clothing treatment apparatus that minimize wrinkling of clothing while minimizing the frictional force between the clothing and the drum at the initial stage of drying.

[0051] Also, according to this application, it is possible to provide a clothing treatment apparatus and a control method for the clothing treatment apparatus that minimize damage to clothing caused by frictional force at the final stage of drying.

[0052] Also, according to this application, it is possible to provide a clothing treatment apparatus and a control method for the clothing treatment apparatus that can easily sense the degree of dryness of clothing.

[0053] Also, according to this application, it is possible to provide a clothing treatment apparatus and a control method for the clothing treatment apparatus that can easily change the rotation speed and rotation direction of the drum.

[0054] Note that the effects obtained by the present disclosure are not limited to the above effects. Other effects not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the technical field to which the present disclosure pertains from the following description.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0055]

Figure 1

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Figure 10

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Figure 16

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0056] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The control method of the elements or devices described below is only for explaining the embodiments of the present disclosure and does not limit the scope of the present disclosure. As much as possible, the same reference numbers are used in all the drawings to refer to the same or similar components.

[0057] FIG. 1 shows an example of a clothing treatment apparatus 100. The clothing treatment apparatus 100 includes a cabinet 1, a drum 2 rotatably provided in the cabinet to provide a space for storing clothing (objects to be washed or dried), a supply unit 3 that supplies high-temperature drying air (air at a temperature higher than room temperature, air with a higher dryness than the dryness of indoor air) to the drum 2 to remove moisture from the clothing, and a drive unit (D) that rotates the drum.

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

[0059] The front panel 11 is provided with a control panel 115. The control panel 115 is provided with an input unit 116 into which a user's control command is input and a display unit 117 that outputs information such as control commands that can be selected by the user. The input unit 116 includes a power supply request unit that requests power supply to the clothing treatment apparatus, a course input unit that can select a course desired by the user from a number of courses, and an execution request unit that requests the start of the course selected by the user.

[0060] The drum 2 is a hollow cylindrical shape. In FIG. 1, as an example, the drum 2 is shown as being composed of a cylindrical drum body 21 with an open front and rear, a front cover 22 that forms the front surface of the drum body 21, and a rear cover 23 that forms the rear surface of the drum body 21. The front cover 22 is provided with a drum inlet 221 that communicates the inside and outside of the drum body 21.

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

[0062] When the clothing treatment apparatus 100 is an apparatus only for drying clothing, the drum 2 may not be provided with a drum through-hole that penetrates the drum body 21 to communicate the inside and the outside of the drum.

[0063] The drum 2 is rotatably fixed to either the body first support portion 12 or the body second support portion 15. In FIG. 1, as an example, the rear cover 23 is rotatably fixed to the body second support portion 15 via a drive unit (D), and the front cover 22 is rotatably connected to the body first support portion 12.

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

[0065] The support panel 121 includes a support panel through-hole 122, a drum connection body 123 connecting the support panel through-hole 122 and the drum inlet 221, and a panel connection body 126 connecting the support panel through-hole 122 and the inlet 111. The support panel through-hole 122 is a means for penetrating the support panel 121 to communicate the inlet 111 and the drum inlet 221.

[0066] The drum connection body 123 is composed of a pipe fixed to the rear surface of the support panel 121 (the surface facing the drum insertion port among the spaces provided by the support panel). One end of the drum connection body 123 surrounds the support panel through-hole 122, and the free end of the drum connection body 123 supports the front cover 22. That is, the free end of the drum connection body 123 is provided to be inserted into the drum insertion port 221 or to contact the free end of the front cover 22 forming the drum insertion port 221.

[0067] Figure 1 shows, as an example, the case where the free end of the drum connection body 123 contacts the free end of the front cover 22. In this case, the drum connection body 123 is provided with a link-shaped damper 124 (connection damper). The connection damper 124 is a means for minimizing the risk that the drum insertion port 221 is separated from the drum connection body 123 (the risk that the air in the drum leaks into the cabinet) when the drum 2 rotates or vibrates.

[0068] The connection damper 124 is made of a compressible material (a material whose volume can increase or decrease by an external force). In this case, the connection damper 124 maintains a compressed state between the free end of the drum connection body 123 and the edge of the drum insertion port 221 (the free end of the front cover) (the compressed state is maintained by a rear support portion described later). When the drum 2 vibrates between the support panel 121 and the fixed panel 151, it is for minimizing the separation of the drum insertion port 221 from the drum connection body 123. As an example of the connection damper 124, there is felt produced by compressing fibers.

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

[0070] The body second support portion 15 is composed of a fixed panel 151 that is fixed to the cabinet 1 so as to be located at a position separated from the rear cover 23. In FIG. 1, as an example, a case is shown in which the fixed panel 151 is fixed to the base panel 17 to form the rear surface of the clothing treatment apparatus 100 (the rear surface of the cabinet).

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

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

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

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

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

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

[0077] The heat exchange unit 34 consists of various devices that sequentially dehumidify and heat the air flowing into the exhaust duct 31. In FIG. 1, as an example, the case where the heat exchange unit 34 consists of a heat pump and a fan 349 is shown.

[0078] That is, the heat exchange unit 34 in FIG. 1 includes a first heat exchanger (heat absorption part) 341 that removes moisture from the air flowing into the exhaust duct 31, a second heat exchanger (heat generation part) 343 provided in the exhaust duct 31 that heats the air that has passed through the heat absorption part 341, and a fan 359 through which the air discharged from the drum 2 moves to the supply duct 32 after passing through the heat absorption part and the heat generation part in sequence. In FIG. 1, as an example, the case where the fan 349 is located between the heat generation part 343 and the second duct 312 is shown.

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

[0080] The heat absorption part 341 is a means for cooling the air (evaporating the refrigerant) by transferring the heat of the air flowing into the exhaust duct 31 to the refrigerant, and the heat generating part 343 is a means for heating the air (condensing the refrigerant) by transferring the heat of the refrigerant passing through the compressor 345 to the air.

[0081] As shown in FIG. 2, the supply duct 32 is a means for fixing to the fixed panel 151 and guiding the air discharged from the second exhaust port 157 to the supply port 158.

[0082] When the supply port 158 is composed of a large number of through holes arranged in a link shape, the supply duct 32 includes a duct body 321 that is fixed to the fixed panel 151 and forms a flow path connecting the second exhaust port 157 and the supply port 158, and a rotor housing part 322 that penetrates the duct body 321. The supply duct 32 including the duct body 321 and the rotor housing part 322 forms a substantially link-shaped flow path, and the drive part (D) fixed to the drive part mounting groove 153 is exposed to the outside of the supply duct 32 by the rotor housing part 322.

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

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

[0085] The radius of the link formed by the air inlet 233 (inner diameter or outer diameter of the link) is set to be 1 / 2 or more of the radius of the rear cover 23. Thereby, the air moving into the drum through the air inlet 233 can move along the cylindrical surface of the drum.

[0086] As described above, when the air inlet 233 is provided and the supply unit 3 is controlled to supply air when the drum rotates at a rotational speed that induces a centrifugal force of 1 G or more (when the clothing rotates in a state of being in close contact with the cylindrical surface of the drum), the clothing treatment apparatus can shorten the drying time.

[0087] Unlike the illustration, the supply unit 3 includes an exhaust duct connecting the first exhaust port 128 and the second exhaust port 157, a supply duct for supplying outside air (air inside the cabinet or air outside the cabinet) to the drum 2, and a heat exchange unit for heating the air flowing into the supply duct.

[0088] In order to sense the degree of dryness of the clothing located inside the drum 2, the clothing treatment apparatus 100 is further provided with a sensing unit 13. The sensing unit 13 can measure the degree of dryness by the electrical resistance measured when the clothing comes into contact, measure the degree of dryness by measuring the temperature of the air discharged from the drum 2, or measure the degree of dryness by measuring the temperature of the refrigerant circulating along the refrigerant pipe 348.

[0089] FIG. 2 shows, as an example, a case where the sensing unit 13 is provided to measure the electrical resistance of the clothing. The sensing unit 13 shown in FIG. 2 is composed of a first electrode 131 and a second electrode 133 fixed to the support panel 121. The first electrode 131 and the second electrode 133 are fixed to the support panel 121 and maintain a state of being separated from each other. The first electrode 131 and the second electrode 133 are fixed in the space provided by the support panel 121, in the lower space of the horizontal line passing through the center of the inlet 111. In this case, the two electrodes 131, 133 can easily come into contact with the clothing when the clothing is located below the horizontal line passing through the rotation center of the drum 2 (when the clothing is located at the lowest point of the drum).

[0090] When the dryness of the clothing increases, the amount of moisture remaining in the clothing decreases, so the size of the current sensed by the sensing unit 13 becomes smaller as the dryness increases. Therefore, the control unit (not shown) can estimate the dryness of the clothing by monitoring the size of the current flowing through the sensing unit.

[0091] When the dryness of the clothing is low, the temperature of the air discharged from the drum 2 becomes low, and the higher the dryness, the higher the temperature of the air discharged from the drum. Therefore, the sensing unit 13 is provided to sense the temperature of the air discharged from the drum. As shown in FIG. 1, the sensing unit 13 includes a temperature sensor 135 (air temperature sensing sensor) provided in the exhaust duct 31.

[0092] Since the temperature of the refrigerant circulating in the refrigerant pipe also changes depending on the dryness of the clothing, the sensing unit 13 includes a temperature sensor that measures the temperature of the refrigerant moving along the refrigerant pipe (such as the temperature of the refrigerant moving from the heat absorption part to the compressor or the temperature of the refrigerant moving from the compressor to the heat generating part). FIG. 1 shows an example where the sensing unit 13 includes a temperature sensor 137 (refrigerant temperature sensing sensor) that senses the temperature of the refrigerant moving from the compressor 345 to the heat generating part 343.

[0093] The sensing unit 13 includes at least two or more of the two electrodes 131 and 133 that measure the electrical resistance of the clothing, the temperature sensor 135 that measures the temperature of the air discharged from the drum, and the temperature sensor 137 that measures the temperature of the refrigerant.

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

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

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

[0097] The stator 51 includes a core 511 fixed to the drive unit bracket 4 or the power transmission unit 6, a core through hole 512 penetrating the core, an electromagnet 513 arranged at equal intervals on the cylindrical surface of the core 511, and a coil.

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

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

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

[0101] It is desirable that the second shaft 65 forms a concentric axis with the first shaft 63. When the second shaft 65 and the first shaft 63 form a concentric axis, vibrations generated in the power transmission unit 6 during the rotation of the drum 2 can be minimized.

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

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

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

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

[0106] When the first shaft support portion 611 is composed of a pipe protruding from the first housing 61a toward the second housing 61b (a pipe protruding from the first housing toward the center of the housing), there is an effect of minimizing the volume of the housing 61 (an effect capable of minimizing the volume of the drive unit and the volume of the clothing treatment apparatus).

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[0116] The second shaft 65 is inserted into the fixed panel through-hole 155 to connect the base 671 and the rear cover 23 of the drum. In order to prevent damage to the rear cover 23 due to the rotation of the second shaft 65, a shaft bracket 651 to which one end of the second shaft 65 is fixed is provided on the rear cover 23.

[0117] As shown in FIG. 2, in order to minimize the increase in the volume of the drum due to the shaft bracket 651, a shaft bracket mounting groove 231 to which the shaft bracket 651 is fixed is provided on the rear cover 23. The shaft bracket mounting groove 231 is composed of a groove curved in a direction away from the fixed panel 151 by the rear cover 23. The shaft bracket mounting groove 231 is provided at the same position as the drive unit mounting groove 153, and it is desirable that the diameter of the shaft bracket mounting groove 231 is larger than the diameter of the drive unit mounting groove 153. This is to minimize the possibility that the rear cover 23 collides with the drive unit mounting groove 153 when the drum 2 rotates.

[0118] The driven gear 677 is composed of a number of gears separated by the same angle. FIG. 3 shows, as an example, a case where the driven gear 677 and the connecting shaft 675 are composed of three gears and shafts separated by 120° each.

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

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

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

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

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

[0124] Hereinafter, the operation process of the drive unit (D) having the above-described structure will be described. As shown in FIG. 6, when the rotor 52 rotates clockwise, the first shaft 63 and the driving gear 631 also rotate clockwise.

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

[0126] When the stator 51 is fixed to the housing 1, it is advantageous for maintaining the concentricity of the first shaft 63 and the second shaft 65 and the distance between the stator and the rotor. Assume the case where the stator 51 is fixed to the fixed panel 151 which is not the housing 61. In this case, the vibration of the drum and the vibration of the fixed panel 151 are transmitted to the second shaft 65, and the vibration of the fixed panel 151 is transmitted to the first shaft 63. When the vibration amplitudes of the drum 2 and the fixed panel 151 are different, it becomes difficult to maintain the distance between the first shaft and the second shaft, the concentricity, and the distance between the coil 513 of the stator and the permanent magnet 525 of the rotor at a desired level. However, when the stator 51 is fixed to the housing 61, since the vibrations transmitted to the first shaft and the second shaft from the outside are the same, the problems as described above can be solved.

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

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

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

[0130] Since air moves to the side with lower flow path resistance, in the case of the clothing treatment apparatus 100 not provided with the flow path guide 324, the amount of air flowing into the duct body 321 through the second exhaust port 157 tends to be different between the amount moving along the clockwise direction in the duct body 321 and the amount moving along the counterclockwise direction in the duct body 321. For example, if the amount of air moving along the clockwise direction in the duct body 321 is larger than the amount of air moving along the counterclockwise direction in the duct body 321, a large amount of air is supplied to the through-hole 158a located on the left side of the reference line (L), but a small amount of air is supplied to the through-hole 158b located on the right side of the reference line (L).

[0131] The imbalance in the above-described air supply amount causes an imbalance in the amount of air supplied to the clothing in the drum 2. That is, the amount of air supplied varies depending on the position of the clothing, which may cause problems such as an increase in the drying time, some clothing being in an over-dried state, and some clothing being in an undried state.

[0132] By maintaining the amount of air moving along the clockwise direction in the duct body 321 and the amount of air moving along the counterclockwise direction in the duct body to be similar or equal, the above problems can be solved.

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

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

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

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

[0137] The protruding wall 323 is preferably provided at a position where the number of through holes 158a located on the left side of the reference line (L) is the same as the number of through holes 158b located on the right side of the reference line. When the reference line (L) is provided so as to divide the number of through holes, the protruding wall 323 is configured to be located on the reference line (L).

[0138] Since the clothing treatment apparatus 100 having the above-described structure has a structure in which the duct body 321 surrounds the motor 5 (since the motor is located in the rotor housing portion), the motor 5 may overheat.

[0139] For effective cooling of the motor 5 (for cooling of the stator), the clothing treatment apparatus 100 is further provided with a cooling flow path 35. As shown in FIG. 8, the cooling flow path 35 includes a duct cover 355 fixed to the duct body 321 and closing the rotor housing portion 322, a supply flow path 351 provided in the duct body 321 and supplying outside air to the rotor housing portion 322, and an exhaust flow path 353 provided in the duct body 321 and guiding the air in the rotor housing portion 322 to the outside of the rotor housing portion 322.

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

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

[0142] In order to make it easier for the air flowing into the supply flow path 351 to be discharged through the exhaust flow path 353 (for effective cooling of the motor), the rotor 52 is further provided with vanes 523. The vane 523 is a board protruding from the rotor body 52a toward the duct cover 355.

[0143] The vane 523 consists of one board or multiple boards. In any case, it is desirable that the vane 523 be provided parallel to the diameter direction of the rotor body 52a. This is because when the vane 523 consists of boards parallel to the diameter direction of the rotor body, it can perform the function of an impeller that forcibly moves air.

[0144] In order for the heat generated in the stator 51 to be more effectively discharged to the rotor housing portion 322, the rotor 52 further includes a rotor through-hole 521 penetrating the rotor body 52a. The rotor through-holes 521 are arranged such that a number of holes form a link surrounding the first axis 63.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[0154] The power transmission part in Fig. 9(a) consists of a cylinder in which the second body 677c protrudes from the first body 677a toward the second housing 61b. On the contrary, the power transmission part in Fig. 9(b) consists of a cylinder in which the second body 677c protrudes from the first body toward the first housing 61a. Therefore, since the driven gear 677 in Fig. 9(b) can form a space into which the free end of the first shaft support part 611 is inserted between the second gears 677d, the volume of the power transmission part 6 in Fig. 9(b) is smaller than the volume of the power transmission part in Fig. 9(a).

[0155] Furthermore, in the case of Fig. 9(b), if any one of a number of bearings 613a, 613b constituting the first shaft bearing 613 is provided in the first shaft through-hole 612 so as to be located in the space formed by the second gear 677d, the volume of the power transmission part 6 can be further reduced.

[0156] On the other hand, in order to minimize the volume of the drive part (D), at least a part of the region of the first housing 61a of the power transmission part 6 provided in Figs. 9(a) and 9(b) is inserted into the core through-hole 512.

[0157] As shown in Fig. 1, in the clothing treatment apparatus 100 having the above-described structure, the rear cover 23 of the drum maintains a state of being coupled to the fixed panel 15 via the drive part (D), while the front cover 22 of the drum maintains a state of being in contact with the drum connection body 123 of the support panel via the connection damper 124. Therefore, when the drum 2 moves rearward (in the X-axis direction) of the clothing treatment apparatus due to vibration, the front cover 22 may be separated from the drum connection body 123.

[0158] When the front cover 22 is separated from the drum connection body 123, the drum inlet 221 is separated from the support panel through-hole 122 (the air supplied to the drum leaks to the outside of the drum), thereby causing problems such as energy waste, an increase in drying time, and a decrease in drying efficiency.

[0159] Also, when the front cover 22 is separated from the drum connection body 123, clothing is pinched in the space between the front cover and the drum connection body, thereby generating a large load on the motor.

[0160] To solve this problem, the laundry treatment apparatus 100 further includes either a front support portion 7, 8 that supports the front cover 22 or a rear support portion 9 that supports the rear cover 23. FIG. 1 shows, as an example, the laundry treatment apparatus 100 including both the front support portions 7, 8 and the rear support portion 9.

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

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

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

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

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

[0166] Also, in order to minimize the transmission of the vibration of the drum to the cabinet through the rollers 71 and 73, each of the rollers 71 and 73 is provided so as to contact the cylindrical surface of the front cover when vibration exceeding a predetermined reference displacement occurs in the drum (each roller maintains a state separated from the front cover).

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

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

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

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

[0171] As described above, the connecting damper 124 is fixed to a damper mounting groove 123a formed in a link shape at the free end of the drum connecting body 123, and is maintained in a state of being pressed in the direction of the support panel 121 by the front cover 22. Thereby, it is possible to minimize the separation between the drum connecting body 123 and the edge of the drum insertion port 221.

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

[0173] Unlike the illustration, the front first support portion 7 supports the cylindrical surface of the drum body 21 instead of the cylindrical surface of the front cover 22. In this case, each of the rollers 71 and 73 supports a region located below the horizontal line (H) of the cylindrical surface of the drum body 21. That each roller 71, 73 supports the cylindrical surface of the drum body (or the cylindrical surface of the front cover) means all cases where each roller 71, 73 is in contact with the cylindrical surface of the drum body and cases where they are spaced apart so as to be in contact with the drum body when vibrations exceeding the reference displacement occur in the drum.

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

[0175] That the second damper 85 and the front roller 87 support the cylindrical surface of the drum body (or the cylindrical surface of the front cover) means all cases where the second damper 85 or the front roller 87 is in contact with the cylindrical surface of the drum body and cases where they are spaced apart so as to be in contact with the drum body when vibrations exceeding the reference displacement occur in the drum.

[0176] As shown in FIG. 10, as the distance between the first roller 71 and the second roller 73 becomes narrower (as the first roller and the second roller are arranged closer to the lowest point of the front cover), the possibility that the cylindrical surface of the front cover 22 deviates from the space formed by the first roller 71, the second roller 73, and the front second support portion 8 increases.

[0177] In order to prevent the load acting on the shafts 711, 731 of the respective rollers from suddenly increasing while stably supporting the cylindrical surface of the front cover 22 (for improving the durability of the roller shafts), it is desirable that the angle (A3) formed by the straight line connecting the rotation centers 711, 731 of the respective rollers and the perpendicular line (V) with respect to the rotation center (C) of the drum be set to less than 60°. This is because when the angle (A3) of the straight line connecting the rotation centers 711, 731 of the rollers and the rotation center (C) of the drum with respect to the perpendicular line (V) exceeds 60°, the external force input to the shafts 711, 731 of the rollers suddenly increases.

[0178] For example, the angle (A3) of the roller shaft with respect to the perpendicular line is set to 50° - 52°, and the angle (A4) formed by the straight line connecting the shafts 711, 731 of the respective rollers and the rotation center (C) of the drum with respect to the horizontal line connecting the shafts of the two rollers is set to 40° - 38°.

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

[0180] On one hand, it is desirable that the distance (G1) between the uppermost ends of the first roller and the second rollers 71, 73 and the lowermost end of the cylindrical surface of the front cover 22 is longer than the distance (G2) between the front second support portion 8 and the uppermost end of the cylindrical surface of the front cover 22. That is, it is desirable that the distance (G3) between the roller cylindrical surface and the front cover cylindrical surface is set shorter than the distance (G2) between the front second support portion 8 and the uppermost end of the cylindrical surface of the front cover.

[0181] During the vibration of the drum, by causing the two rollers 71, 73 to limit the vibration of the drum prior to the front second support portion 8, it is possible to minimize the vibration of the rotation center of the drum along the width direction (Y-axis direction) of the support body 121. When the drum rotates with clothes loaded, the vibration generated in the drum is often larger in the direction (-Z-axis direction) where the lower end of the support body is located and in the direction (Y-axis direction) of the width of the support body than in the direction (+Z-axis direction) where the upper end of the support body is located. Therefore, when the front first support portion 7 and the front second support portion 8 are provided as described above, the vibration generated at the initial stage of the rotation of the drum can be effectively reduced.

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

[0183] In FIGS. 13(a) and 13(b), the rear support portion 9 is fixed to the exhaust duct 31, but the rear support portion 9 may be fixed to the base panel 17, may be fixed to the fixed panel 12, or may be fixed to both the base panel and the fixed panel. Hereinafter, for the sake of convenience, the case where the rear support portion 9 is fixed to the exhaust duct 31 will be described as a reference.

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

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

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

[0187] The first sheet surface 931 may maintain contact with the joint portion 97, or may contact the joint portion 97 only when a displacement of the drum exceeds a predetermined reference rearward displacement.

[0188] Similarly, the second sheet surface 933 may maintain contact with the joint portion 97, or may contact the joint portion 97 only when a displacement of the drum exceeds a predetermined reference downward displacement.

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

[0190] The rear support portion 9 in FIG. 13(b) includes a rear support frame 91 fixed to the exhaust duct 31 and a rear roller 95 rotatably fixed to the rear support frame 91 and contacting the rear cover 23. The rear roller 95 is rotatably fixed to the free end of the rear support frame 91 via a roller shaft 951.

[0191] The rear cover 23 is further provided with a roller accommodation groove 235 that provides a space into which a part of the rear roller 95 is inserted. The roller accommodation groove 235 is formed by a groove in which the surface of the rear cover 23 is curved toward the front cover 22. The roller accommodation groove 235 forms a circle surrounding the center of the rear cover 23 (the rotation center of the drum).

[0192] The rear roller 95 may maintain a state of contacting the rear cover 23, or may contact the rear cover 23 only when a displacement of the drum exceeding a predetermined reference rear displacement occurs.

[0193] The above-described front support portions 7 and 8 and rear support portion 9 can minimize movement of the drum inlet 221 in the directions in which it separates from the drum connection body 123 (-X-axis direction, +Z-axis direction, -Z-axis direction). Accordingly, the clothing treatment apparatus 100 can minimize leakage of the air supplied to the drum and minimize the problem that clothing is pinched between the drum and the support panel 121.

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

[0195] Although the above-described clothing treatment apparatus 100 has been described based on the case of including a circulation drying system, this clothing treatment apparatus 100 can also be applied to an exhaust drying system. The circulation drying system refers to a drying method in which the air discharged from the drum 2 is dehumidified and heated in sequence, and then high-temperature dry air is re-supplied to the drum. The exhaust drying system refers to a drying method in which outside air is heated and supplied to the drum 2, and the air discharged from the drum 2 after the heat exchange is exhausted to the outside of the cabinet 1.

[0196] When the clothing treatment apparatus 100 is composed of an exhaust drying system, the supply unit 3 includes an exhaust duct connecting the first exhaust port 128 and the second exhaust port 157, a supply duct for supplying outside air (air inside the cabinet or air outside the cabinet) to the drum 2, and a heat exchange unit for heating the air flowing into the supply duct.

[0197] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a control method for a clothing treatment apparatus. When power is supplied to the control panel 115 of the above-described clothing treatment apparatus 100, it is determined whether a control command for requesting execution of a drying course is input via the input unit 116 (S10).

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

[0199] This control method performs a sensing step (S12, first sensing step) during the progress of the air supply step (S11). The sensing step (S12) is a step of determining the degree of drying of the clothing from the data measured by the sensing unit 4.

[0200] The sensing step (S12) measures the degree of drying of the clothing at predetermined intervals (S13), or measures the degree of drying of the clothing in real time during the progress of the air supply step (S11).

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

[0202] As shown in FIG. 11(a), the first acceleration mode (S31) is a mode for rotating the drum at a first rotational speed. The first rotational speed is set to a rotational speed that induces a centrifugal force of 1G or more on the clothing or a rotational speed for rotating the clothing in a state of being in close contact with the circumferential surface of the drum. In the first acceleration mode (S31), it is desirable to set the drum 2 to rotate only in one of the clockwise and counterclockwise directions. Thereby, the load on the drive unit (D) can be minimized. In the figure, an example of the first acceleration mode in which the drum 2 rotates clockwise is shown.

[0203] As shown in FIG. 12(a), during the progress of the first acceleration mode (S31), not only is the clothing spread on the circumferential surface of the drum 2, but the clothing also maintains a state of being in close contact with the circumferential surface of the drum (the clothing maintains a state of being in close contact with the drum body). That is, in the first acceleration mode (S31), the clothing does not fall within the drum and rotates together with the drum. Therefore, when the first acceleration mode (S31) is performed at the initial stage of the drying process, the friction between the clothing and the drum generated when the clothing slips or falls within the drum is minimized, and thereby the damage to the clothing due to the frictional force at the initial stage of drying can be minimized.

[0204] Also, as shown in FIG. 12(b), since the drum 2 is provided with a lifter 26 protruding toward the rotation center of the drum, when the drum rotates in the first acceleration mode (S31), the clothing is pressed toward the circumferential surface (drum body) of the drum in a state of being applied to the lifter 26. Therefore, the control method can also remove wrinkles in the clothing in the first motion execution stage (S30).

[0205] The air inlet 233 formed on the rear surface of the drum is formed in a link shape surrounding the second axis (65) around which a number of through holes form the rotation center of the drum. Since the air supplied to the drum through the air inlet 233 moves from the rear surface to the front surface of the drum along the circumferential surface of the drum, the first acceleration mode (S31) can maximize the contact between the clothing and the air.

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

[0207] In the first deceleration mode (S33), the clothing rises above the horizontal line (H) passing through the rotation center of the drum 2 due to the lifter 26, centrifugal force, friction, etc., and then falls to the lowest point of the drum 2. That is, during the progress of the first deceleration mode (S33), the clothing moves upward from the lowest point (P1) of the rotation locus of the drum and downward from a position between the point (P2) separated by 90° from the lowest point and the point (P3) separated by 180°.

[0208] The first acceleration mode (S31) performed at the initial stage of drying (the initial stage of the air supply stage) minimizes the problem of the clothing being damaged by friction. However, if the first acceleration mode (S31) is continuously performed without interruption, there may be a disadvantage that only a specific area of the clothing (one side of the clothing facing the center of the drum) exchanges heat with the air supplied by the supply unit 3. The first deceleration mode (S33) is a means to solve such a problem. That is, by alternately performing the first acceleration mode (S31) and the first deceleration mode (S33), the area of the clothing facing the rotation center of the drum can be changed, and the problem of only a partial area of the clothing being dried can be prevented.

[0209] When the first acceleration mode (S31) and the first deceleration mode (S33) are alternately performed, a force as shown in FIG. 12(c) acts on the clothing. That is, when the first acceleration mode (S31) and the first deceleration mode (S33) are repeated, centrifugal forces in opposite directions can be alternately supplied to the clothing, which is easy to prevent the clothing from shrinking.

[0210] In order to embody the effect of minimizing damage to the clothing due to friction, the effect of maximizing the surface (contact surface) where the clothing contacts the air, and the effect of removing wrinkles from the clothing, it is desirable that the execution time of the first acceleration mode (S31) be set longer than the execution time of the first deceleration mode (S33). This is because when the execution time of the first deceleration mode becomes longer than the execution time of the first acceleration mode, the time and frequency of the frictional force acting on the clothing increase.

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

[0212] When the maintenance time of the first acceleration mode (S31) is set to 180 seconds or more, it is effective for minimizing the frictional force supplied to the clothing and removing wrinkles. When the maintenance time of the first deceleration mode (S33) is set to 60 seconds or more, it is effective for stirring the clothing. Also, when the alternating execution of the first acceleration mode (S31) and the first deceleration mode (S33) is repeated two or more times, the above-described effects can be achieved more easily.

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

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

[0215] The drying process (air supply stage) of the clothing has a nearly constant dryness, and is divided into a first section (preheating period) where the temperature of the clothing increases, a second section (constant drying rate period) where the dryness increases rapidly (the moisture content decreases rapidly) and the temperature of the clothing remains nearly unchanged, and a third section (falling drying rate period) where the dryness remains nearly unchanged and the temperature of the clothing increases.

[0216] The above-described first motion execution stage (S30) is performed only during a part of the preheating period or from the start to the end of the preheating period.

[0217] When the first motion execution stage (S30) is performed during a part of the preheating period, the first motion execution stage (S30) starts when the preheating period starts or when a predetermined time has elapsed since the preheating period started, and ends before the end of the preheating period.

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

[0219] Whether the degree of dryness has reached the first reference dryness may be determined by a temperature sensor 135 that measures the temperature of a large number of electrodes 131 and 133 in contact with the clothing or the air flowing into the exhaust duct 31. However, it is more accurate to determine the degree of dryness with a temperature sensor 137 that senses the temperature of the refrigerant. Determining the degree of dryness with the electrodes 131 and 133 reduces accuracy depending on factors such as the frequency of contact between the clothing and the electrodes. Determining the degree of dryness based on the temperature of the air discharged from the drum reduces accuracy depending on the degree of dispersion of the clothing within the drum. In contrast, the temperature of the refrigerant is data that is relatively little affected by the state of dispersion of the clothing within the drum. Therefore, as the step (S35) of determining whether the first reference dryness has been reached, it is preferable to compare the temperature of the refrigerant with a predetermined first refrigerant temperature.

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

[0221] Unlike FIG. 10, the first motion execution stage (S30) may be set to end when the total execution time of the first acceleration mode (S31) and the first deceleration mode (S33) reaches a predetermined reference time. The reference time is changed according to the amount of clothing loaded into the drum. In this case, a cloth amount determination stage is performed before the start of the first motion execution stage to measure the amount of clothing loaded into the drum. The control unit selects any of a number of time data selected through experiments as the reference time.

[0222] On the other hand, the control method according to this embodiment includes a dispersion motion execution stage (S20) in order to minimize the entanglement of clothing during the execution of the first acceleration mode (S31).

[0223] The dispersion motion execution stage (S20) is performed before the start of the supply stage (S11), starts simultaneously with the air supply stage (S11), or is performed before the start of the first motion execution stage (S30). FIG. 10 shows, as an example, the case where the dispersion motion execution stage (S20) is performed after the start of the air supply stage (S11) and before the start of the first motion execution stage (S30).

[0224] As described above, the dispersion motion execution stage (S20) is a process of spreading the clothes evenly in the drum to minimize the risk of the clothes getting entangled during the rotation of the drum. In the dispersion motion execution stage (S20), the drum 2 performs the dispersion motion.

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

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

[0227] When the first motion execution stage ends (S35), the control method performs a stirring motion execution stage (S40) that rotates the drum 2 in a motion different from the first motion.

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

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

[0230] FIG. 14(a) shows the process of rotating the drum 2 clockwise at the third rotation speed, and FIG. 14(b) shows the process of rotating the drum counterclockwise at the third rotation speed. Different from the illustration, the stirring mode may be set to alternately perform counterclockwise rotation and clockwise rotation of the drum.

[0231] In the stirring motion execution stage (S40), the clothing repeats the process of rising to the space above the horizontal line (H) passing through the center of the drum along the clockwise direction, the process of falling or rolling in the space below the horizontal line (H), the process of rising to the space above the horizontal line (H) along the counterclockwise direction, and the process of falling or rolling in the space below the horizontal line (H).

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

[0233] When the stirring motion execution stage (S40) is performed in the constant rate drying section, the space (contact surface) of the clothing in contact with the air is maximized, so that the effect of shortening the drying time can be expected. Also, in the stirring motion execution stage (S40), since the clothing continuously moves in the drum, the risk of migration caused by contact between the clothing can be minimized.

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

[0235] The stirring end dryness is set to the dryness at the time when the constant rate drying section ends (the start time of the falling rate drying section). The stirring end dryness is set to a dryness at which the moisture content becomes 10% or less.

[0236] When the dryness is judged based on the temperature of the refrigerant, the control method judges that the dryness has reached the stirring end dryness when the temperature of the refrigerant measured by the temperature sensor 137 reaches the stirring end refrigerant temperature (set to vary depending on the amount of cloth and the temperature of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor when the moisture content is 10% or less).

[0237] If the dryness of the clothing measured during the progress of the stirring motion execution stage (S40) is equal to or higher than the stirring end dryness (S45), the control method proceeds to the second motion execution stage (S50) that alternately performs the second acceleration mode (S51) and the second deceleration mode (S53).

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

[0239] In the rate-reducing drying section, since the dryness of the clothing is high, the higher the frequency of friction between the clothing and the drum, the greater the risk of clothing abrasion (lint generation). Therefore, when performing the second motion in which the second acceleration mode (S51) and the second deceleration mode (S53) are alternately performed in the rate-reducing drying section, the number of friction times between the clothing and the drum can be minimized, and the risk of clothing damage can be reduced.

[0240] The agitation motion execution stage (S40) can be expected to have the effect of shortening the drying time in terms of maximizing the movement of the clothing. However, if a large impact is applied to the clothing, there is a problem that the clothing shrinks (the volume of the space formed between the fibers decreases). The second motion execution stage (S50) is a means of minimizing the risk of clothing shrinkage by alleviating the impact applied to the clothing.

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

[0242] If the time of the second acceleration mode (S51) becomes too long compared to the second deceleration mode (S53), the risk of clothing damage due to the tensile force acting on the clothing also increases. Therefore, the execution time set for the second acceleration mode (S51) is the same as the execution time set for the second deceleration mode (S53), or it is desirable that it is longer than the execution time set for the second deceleration mode (S53). Preferably, the ratio of the execution time of the second acceleration mode (S51) to the execution time of the second deceleration mode (S53) is set to 5:1 or less (set to 3:1 to 1:1), and the holding time of each of the second acceleration mode (S51) and the second deceleration mode (S53) is set to 60 seconds or more.

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

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

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

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

[0247] In the sensing motion execution stage (S60), the drum 2 rotates in the sensing mode shown in FIG. 13(b). As shown in FIG. 13(b), in the sensing mode, the drum 2 rotates clockwise and counterclockwise alternately, but the rotation speed of the drum set in the sensing mode (sensing rotation speed, fifth rotation speed) is preferably lower than the rotation speed of the drum set in the dispersion mode (fourth rotation speed). When the diameter of the drum is set to 24 to 27 inches, the sensing rotation speed is set to 20 RPM or less.

[0248] During the progress of the sensing motion execution stage (S60), not only is the flow range of the clothing restricted to the space below the horizontal line (H), but the moving speed also becomes relatively constant (the movement of the clothing can be maintained relatively uniformly). Therefore, the moisture content of the clothing can also be measured relatively accurately by the first electrode 131 and the second electrode 133 fixed to the support panel 121.

[0249] Also, the sensing motion execution stage (S60) can minimize the risk of clothing damage due to over-drying by minimizing the area of contact between the clothing and the air (by minimizing the heat exchange between the clothing and the air).

[0250] Although not shown in the figure, when it is determined that the moisture content of the clothing measured during the progress of the second motion execution stage (S60) is equal to or higher than the second reference moisture content (S55), this control method can reduce the amount of air supplied to the drum 2. Thereby, the problem of light clothing closing the first exhaust port 128 (overheating of the heat exchange part, damage to the clothing) can be minimized. The amount of air supplied to the drum 2 can be reduced by the control unit decreasing the rotation speed of the fan 315.

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

[0252] Different from the illustration, this control method may end the air supply stage (S11), the moisture content measurement stage (S12), and the rotation of the drum 2 when both the moisture content measured by the electrodes 131 and 133 and the moisture content measured by the temperature sensor 137 that measures the temperature of the refrigerant reach the target moisture content.

[0253] FIG. 15 is a diagram showing the motion and effects of the drum for each section. In the dispersion motion execution stage (S20), the drum performs a dispersion motion to spread the clothes evenly on the drum. Thereafter, in the first motion execution stage (S30), the drum rotates by the first acceleration mode and the first deceleration mode to minimize the friction between the clothes and the drum. In the agitation motion execution stage (S40), the drum rotates in the agitation mode to activate the heat exchange between the clothes and the air. In the second motion execution stage (S50), the drum rotates in the second acceleration mode and the second deceleration mode to minimize the shrinkage and damage of the clothes. After the completion of the second motion execution stage (S50), since the drum rotates in the sensing mode, the sensing unit 4 can accurately sense the dryness of the clothes.

[0254] In the above-described structure of the clothing treatment apparatus and the control method of the clothing treatment apparatus, although the description is based on the apparatus for drying clothes, the structure of the clothing treatment apparatus and the control method of the clothing treatment apparatus can also be applied to the apparatus for washing clothes. FIG. 16 shows an example of an apparatus capable of washing clothes.

[0255] The clothing treatment apparatus 200 in FIG. 16 includes a cabinet 1 provided with an inlet 111 on a front panel 11, a tub 14 provided in the cabinet to provide a space for storing water, a drum 2 provided in the tub for accommodating clothes, and a drive unit (D) fixed to the tub to rotate the drum. In this case, the drum 2 is provided with a drum through hole for communicating the inside of the drum with the inside of the tub.

[0256] The tub 14 includes a hollow cylindrical tub body 141, water supply parts 145 and 146 for supplying water to the tub body, and drainage parts 147, 148, and 149 for discharging the water stored in the tub body to the outside of the cabinet.

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

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

[0259] Although not shown, the clothing treatment apparatus of FIG. 16 further includes a supply section that supplies air to the tub body 141 to remove moisture from the clothing stored in the drum. The supply section in this embodiment includes an exhaust duct that discharges the air in the tub body to the outside of the tub body, a heat exchange section provided in the exhaust duct that sequentially dehumidifies and heats the air, and a supply duct that guides the air that has passed through the heat exchange section to the tub body. In the clothing treatment apparatus of FIG. 16, the rear surface of the tub body 141 serves as the fixed panel 151 in the embodiments of FIGS. 1 and 2.

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

Claims

1. A dryer including a drum providing a space for accommodating clothes therein, a fixed panel provided at a position spaced apart from a rear surface of the drum, a stator forming a rotating magnetic field, a rotor configured to rotate by the rotating magnetic field and generate power necessary for rotation of the drum, an exhaust duct guiding air discharged from the drum, a heat exchange unit dehumidifying and heating air moving along the exhaust duct, an air inlet configured in such a way that a number of through holes penetrating the rear surface of the drum form a ring surrounding a rotation center of the drum, and a supply duct provided on the fixed panel and guiding air, the method for controlling the dryer comprising: an air supply step of supplying air heated to the drum through the heat exchange unit; a motion execution step executed during progress of the air supply step, wherein the motion execution step includes an acceleration mode of rotating the drum at a rotational speed inducing a centrifugal force of 1 G or more along one of a clockwise direction and a counterclockwise direction, and a deceleration mode of rotating the drum at a rotational speed inducing a centrifugal force of less than 1 G in the same direction as a rotational direction set for the acceleration mode, and alternately executing the acceleration mode and the deceleration mode.

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

3. The air inlet is provided at a position where air can be discharged to clothes in close contact with a circumferential surface of the drum. The method according to claim 1.

4. A drum that provides a space for accommodating clothes therein, a fixed panel provided at a position spaced apart from the rear surface of the drum, a housing fixed to the fixed panel, a stator fixed to the housing to form a rotating magnetic field, a rotor configured to rotate by the rotating magnetic field to generate power necessary for the rotation of the drum, a ring gear fixed inside the housing, a first shaft having one end fixed to the rotor and the other end located inside the housing, a driving gear located inside the housing and fixed to the first shaft, a second shaft having one end fixed to the rear cover by passing through the fixed panel so as to form a concentric axis with the first shaft and the other end located inside the housing, a base located inside the housing and having the other end of the second shaft fixed thereto, a first body rotatably fixed to the base, a first gear provided on the circumferential surface of the first body and engaged with the driving gear, a second body fixed to the first body and having a diameter smaller than the diameter of the first body, and a driven gear having a second gear provided on the circumferential surface of the second body and engaged with the ring gear, an exhaust duct for guiding the air discharged from the drum, a heat exchange unit for dehumidifying and heating the air moving along the exhaust duct, an air inlet configured in such a way that a number of through holes passing through the rear surface of the drum form a ring surrounding the rotation center of the drum, and a supply duct provided on the fixed panel for guiding air, a method for controlling a dryer including: An air supply step of supplying the air heated for the drum through the heat exchange unit; A motion execution step executed during the progress of the air supply step, including: The motion execution step includes: An acceleration mode of rotating the drum at a rotation speed inducing a centrifugal force of 1 G or more along one of the clockwise direction and the counterclockwise direction; and A deceleration mode of rotating the drum at a rotation speed inducing a centrifugal force of less than 1 G in the same direction as the rotation direction set for the acceleration mode, and alternately executing the acceleration mode and the deceleration mode.

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

6. The method according to claim 1 or 4, wherein the rotation direction of the drum is maintained in one of the clockwise and counterclockwise directions during the first motion execution phase. **Claim 7** The method according to claim 1 or 4, wherein the first acceleration mode and the first deceleration mode are continuously performed.

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