Clothes treatment apparatus and control method of clothes treatment apparatus

Abstract

The present invention relates to a clothes treatment apparatus for detecting the weight of clothes by rotating a drum less than one rotation in a dryer having a reduction gear which lowers the rpm of a motor and transmits the lowered rpm to the drum.

Description

Clothing processing device and control method of clothing processing device

[0001] The present invention relates to a clothing processing device and a control method thereof.

[0002] Generally, the term "clothing processing device" refers to a device capable of washing, drying, or performing washing or drying of clothing, etc. Here, the clothing processing device may perform only washing or drying functions, or may perform both washing and drying.

[0003] Recently, a garment processing device has emerged that can dry clothes by directly connecting a rotating shaft to a drum that receives the clothes, allowing the drum's rotation direction or RPM to be changed.

[0004] Even though the garment processing device is equipped as a dryer, the motor is positioned at the rear of the drum, allowing the drum to be rotated using the motor's power through a rotating shaft rather than a belt and pulley. (Refer to Korean Published Patent Application No. 10-2020-0066169)

[0005] This garment processing device was effective in allowing the garments to be exposed to the supplied hot air to the maximum extent while minimizing the impact generated when the garments fall, by freely changing the direction and speed of the drum's rotation.

[0006] However, the clothing processing device had a limitation in that it had to detect the applied current or output current of the motor while rotating the drum one or more times when detecting the weight of the clothing.

[0007] Conventional clothing processing devices were equipped to detect the weight of the clothing after the execution unit for performing the drying course was input in order to prevent the drying course from being delayed due to the time taken to detect the weight of the clothing, and there was a limitation in that weight information, such as the estimated execution time required to dry the clothing, was displayed only after the execution unit was input.

[0008] Accordingly, conventional clothing processing devices had a fundamental problem in that they could not inform the user of the time required for the clothing loaded into the drum to be completely dried before the course was executed.

[0009] Recently, a garment processing device has also emerged that can detect the weight of the clothing and display the weight information externally, even when the door to the cabinet is unlocked, before the user inputs the execution unit to perform the course. (Refer to Korean Published Patent Application No. 10-2022-0120366)

[0010] The above clothing processing device has the effect of being able to detect the weight of the clothing while rotating the rotation axis less than one revolution, so that when the power supply is input, the weight information of the clothing can be displayed immediately.

[0011] However, the clothing processing device was equipped with a washing machine in which the motor's rotational shaft was directly connected to the drum, and since the rotational angle of the drum could be sufficiently guaranteed even when the rotational shaft was rotated less than one revolution, the control method could be applied.

[0012] In other words, in the case of a dryer such as Korean Published Patent Application No. 10-2020-006616, even if the drum is directly connected to the rotation shaft and rotated, a reduction gear that reduces and transmits the RPM of the motor's rotation shaft between the drum and the motor is inevitably provided, so there was a limitation that if the rotation shaft is rotated less than one revolution, the drum cannot be rotated to an angle that provides the information necessary to detect clothing.

[0013] The clothing processing device had a fundamental problem in that it could not detect the weight of the clothing through motor current control because noise was included in the current applied or output from the motor due to variables such as gear interference and gear friction of the reduction gear.

[0014] Meanwhile, in the case of the garment processing device, due to the reduction gear structure equipped with a gearbox, an alignment process was performed to match the gear arrangement inside the reduction gear or to return the position of the drive shaft of the motor to a reference position.

[0015] Accordingly, the initial current supplied to the motor was not used to rotate the drum, but rather to align the internal gears of the reduction gear or to position the drive shaft of the motor back to its original position. For example, the primary current supplied to the motor was used to perform the alignment process, and from the secondary current onwards, the drum could be rotated to detect the weight of the clothing. Consequently, the clothing processing device had a problem in which the drum did not rotate immediately or the rotation angle was very small even when current began to be supplied to the motor, making it impossible to detect the weight of the clothing with the initial current.

[0016] In other words, since the clothing processing device requires time until a second or higher current is supplied to the motor, there was a problem in that the clothing weight detection method of Korean Published Patent Application No. 10-2022-0120366, which rotates the rotating shaft less than one revolution through the initial first current supply, could not be applied.

[0017] Furthermore, since conventional clothing processing devices control the motor using a feedback control method when detecting the weight of the clothing, they perform a process of receiving feedback information output from the motor and varying the current applied to the motor frequently so that the drum can actually be rotated according to the commanded speed.

[0018] Furthermore, since feedback time is required to change the current applied to the motor to rotate the drum at a speed corresponding to the actual commanded speed, there was a fundamental limitation in that the weight of the clothing could not be accurately detected when the current supply time applied to the motor was very short, such as when the drum rotated less than one revolution.

[0019] In other words, conventional clothing processing devices can accurately detect the weight of the clothing only after the motor continuously receives current until it rotates the drum at a commanded speed, so there was a problem in that it was difficult to perform rapid weight detection of the clothing with only the instantaneous current applied when the actual power supply is input.

[0020] The present invention provides a garment processing device capable of rapidly detecting the weight of a garment by controlling the motor using an open-loop control method rather than feedback control.

[0021] The present invention aims to solve the problem of providing a garment processing device capable of detecting the weight of a garment through the rotational speed of a drum by always applying a constant sensing current when detecting the weight of the garment.

[0022] The present invention aims to solve the problem of providing a garment processing device capable of detecting the weight of the garment by directly rotating the drum with the current supplied to the motor, even if a reduction gear is provided between the motor and the drum.

[0023] To solve the above-mentioned problem, the present invention provides a clothing processing device that eliminates the motor alignment process during the process of detecting the weight of clothing.

[0024] Specifically, the present invention may be configured to detect the weight of the clothing immediately after power is applied to the motor upon input of the power supply, and to rotate the drum immediately when power is applied to the motor.

[0025] In addition, the system can be configured so that current is supplied to the motor only once after the power input, from the time the drum rotates until it stops.

[0026] As a result, the number of current supply cycles and the number of drum rotation cycles can match in the present invention.

[0027] The present invention can be configured so that when the weight of clothing is detected due to the reduction ratio of the reduction gear, the drive shaft of the motor rotates at least one revolution even if the drum rotates less than one revolution.

[0028] Meanwhile, the clothing processing device of the present invention may rotate the drum up to about 90 degrees when detecting the weight of the clothing. Thus, information can be obtained to detect the weight of the clothing even if the drum rotates less than the drive shaft due to the reduction ratio of the reduction gear.

[0029] The clothing processing device of the present invention can supply current to the motor in multiple stages to ensure that the drum rotates mechanically up to 90 degrees even when accommodating clothing that is a wet cloth.

[0030] The clothing processing device of the present invention can detect the weight of the clothing by detecting the speed of the drum when the drum rotates. Accordingly, the clothing processing device of the present invention can detect the weight of the clothing through an open loop method when the drum rotates.

[0031] The clothing processing device of the present invention can detect the weight of the clothing before stopping the drum during rotation.

[0032] As a result, the clothing processing device of the present invention can display weight information while the drum rotates up to 90 degrees and stops.

[0033] The present invention has the effect of rapidly detecting the weight of clothing by controlling the motor using an open-loop control method rather than feedback control.

[0034] The present invention has the effect of detecting the weight of clothing through the rotational speed of the drum by always applying a constant sensing current when detecting the weight of clothing.

[0035] The present invention has the effect of detecting the weight of clothing by directly rotating the drum with the current supplied to the motor, even if a reduction gear is provided between the motor and the drum.

[0036] FIG. 1 illustrates the exterior of the clothing processing device of the present invention.

[0037] FIG. 2 briefly illustrates the interior of the clothing processing device of the present invention.

[0038] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the internal components constituting the above-mentioned clothing processing device separated from each other.

[0039] FIG. 4 illustrates the external appearance of a reduction gear according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0040] Figure 5 illustrates the internal structure of the reduction gear.

[0041] FIG. 6 illustrates a structure for controlling the driving unit when the clothing processing device of the present invention performs a course for processing the clothing.

[0042] FIG. 7 illustrates the characteristics of the reduction gear of the clothing processing device of the present invention.

[0043] FIG. 8 illustrates a control method used by the clothing processing device of the present invention in the process of detecting the weight of clothing.

[0044] FIG. 9 illustrates an embodiment in which the clothing processing device of the present invention detects the weight of the clothing in an open-loop manner.

[0045] FIG. 10 illustrates the process of repeatedly detecting the weight of clothing using feedback control and open-loop control methods.

[0046] FIG. 11 illustrates a control method for detecting the weight of the clothing processing device of the present invention.

[0047] FIG. 12 illustrates an embodiment in which the control method of the clothing processing device of the present invention is implemented on a control panel.

[0048] FIG. 13 illustrates the state in which the clothing processing device of the present invention performs weight detection.

[0049]

[0050] Current information or speed information capable of detecting weight can be obtained.

[0051] The clothing processing device of the present invention can detect the weight of the clothing by detecting the rotational speed of the drum (200) during the process of rotating the drum (200) in one direction by applying a constant current to the driving unit (500).

[0052] Therefore, the control unit (P2) can determine the weight of the clothing before the drum (200) stops rotating and returns to its original state.

[0053] That is, the process of detecting the weight of the clothing can be performed when boot information (G1) is displayed on the display unit (117) after the power unit (115) is input.

[0054] Referring to FIG. 13(b), weight information (I) may already be displayed on the display unit (117) during the process in which the drum (200) stops rotating and returns to its original position.

[0055] That is, in the clothing processing device of the present invention, weight information (I) can be displayed on the display unit (117) after the drum (200) has rotated and before it has completely stopped while the door (130) is unlocked in the cabinet (100).

[0056] For example, the display unit (117) may be configured to display the weight information (I) after the rotation direction of the drum (200) has been changed.

[0057] The present invention may be modified and implemented in various forms, and its scope of rights is not limited to the embodiments described above. Therefore, if a modified embodiment includes the components of the claims of the present invention, it should be considered to fall within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A cabinet having an opening at the front; A door for opening and closing the above-mentioned opening; A locking part that locks the above door to the above cabinet; A drum provided inside the cabinet to accommodate clothing; A motor unit comprising a drive shaft positioned behind the drum and providing power to rotate the drum; A reduction gear coupled to the drive shaft to transmit power to the drum, and rotating the drum at an RPM slower than the RPM of the drive shaft; A control panel including a power supply unit that receives a power command to supply power, and a display unit that displays weight information of the clothing; The motor unit is configured to rotate the drum when the power unit is input, while the lock unit is in an unlocked state of the door, and The above display unit displays weight information of the clothing after the drum starts to rotate, A clothing processing device characterized in that the motor unit is configured to receive a constant current so that the drive shaft rotates when the lock unit is unlocked.

2. In Paragraph 1, The above motor part When the above locking part is in the unlocked state of the door A clothing processing device characterized by being set to receive a first current for a first period and a second current higher than the first current for a second period.

3. In Paragraph 1, The above motor part When the above locking part is in the unlocked state of the door A clothing processing device characterized by the fact that the number of times the above current is supplied and the number of times the above drum is rotated are set to be the same.

4. In Paragraph 1, The above motor part When the above locking part is in the unlocked state of the door A clothing processing device characterized by being configured to rotate the drive shaft by receiving the above current once.

5. In Paragraph 1, The above motor part When the above locking part is in the unlocked state of the door A clothing processing device characterized by the above-described reduction gear rotating the drive shaft so as to rotate the drum by more than 45 degrees.

6. In Paragraph 3, The above motor part When the above locking part is in the unlocked state of the door A clothing processing device characterized by the above-described reduction gear rotating the drive shaft so that it can rotate the drum up to 90 degrees.

7. In Paragraph 1, The above motor part A clothing processing device characterized by the above-mentioned locking part being set to receive the same current every time when the door is unlocked.

8. In Paragraph 7, The above motor part Even if the weight of the clothing contained in the drum changes When the above locking part is in the unlocked state of the door A clothing processing device characterized by being set to receive the same current every time.

9. In Paragraph 8, The above motor part If the weight of the clothing contained in the drum is different When the above locking part is in the unlocked state of the door A clothing processing device characterized by rotating the above-mentioned drive shaft at a different angular velocity.

10. In Paragraph 9, The above motor part If the weight of the above clothing is heavy, compared to when the weight of the above clothing is light When the above locking part is in the unlocked state of the door A clothing processing device characterized by being set to rotate the drum at a slower angular velocity.

11. In Paragraph 7, The above motor part After the above locking part locks the door, A clothing processing device characterized by being set so that the supplied current changes when the weight of the clothing changes.

12. In Paragraph 11, The above motor part If the weight of the above clothing is heavy A clothing processing device characterized by being set to receive a higher current when the weight of the clothing is light.

13. In Paragraph 1, The above display part A clothing processing device characterized by displaying the weight information in advance before the drum stops.

14. In Paragraph 13, The above display part A clothing processing device characterized by displaying the weight information after the rotation direction of the drum is changed.

15. In Paragraph 1, A clothing processing device characterized by the above weight information including at least one of the weight of the clothing and the estimated execution time for processing the clothing.

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