Garment processing device and method for controlling garment processing device

Abstract

The present invention relates to a garment processing device comprising: a drum rotatably provided inside a cabinet forming the exterior so as to contain objects to be dried; a circulation duct provided to resupply air discharged from the drum to the drum; a humidity sensor for measuring the amount of humidity of the objects to be dried; a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of air circulating inside the drum; a display unit provided in the cabinet to output a screen for providing information to a user; and a control unit for controlling the drum, the humidity sensor, and the temperature sensor. The control unit extracts the expected time for drying the objects to be dried on the basis of new data including the amount of garments detected through the rotation of the drum, the amount of humidity measured through the humidity sensor, and the temperature measured through the temperature sensor. The display unit displays the expected drying time together with the actual drying time during which the drum has been actually driven until the objects to be dried are completely dried.

Description

Clothing processing device and control method of clothing processing device

[0001] The present application relates to a garment processing device and a method for controlling a garment processing device, and more specifically, to a garment processing device and a method for controlling a garment processing device that predicts drying time using existing data and displays the actual drying time and the estimated drying time.

[0002]

[0003] Clothing processing devices are a general term for washing machines that wash objects (items to be washed, such as clothing) and dryers that dry objects (items to be dried, such as clothing).

[0004] It was common for a washing machine to be equipped with a tub for storing water, a washing drum provided inside the tub for storing the object to be processed, and a driving unit (washing driving unit) for rotating the washing drum, and for a dryer to be equipped with a drying drum for storing the object to be processed, a driving unit (drying driving unit) for rotating the drying drum, and a heat exchanger for supplying air to the drying drum to remove moisture from the clothing.

[0005] In addition, the clothing processing device may include a temperature sensor that detects the temperature inside the drum and a humidity sensor that detects the humidity inside the drum.

[0006] Meanwhile, the clothing processing device may further include a control unit capable of controlling the drum, the temperature sensor, and the humidity sensor, and a display unit that outputs a screen for providing information to a user.

[0007] Conventional clothing processing devices determined the expected drying time of clothing fed into a drum using temperature and humidity detected by temperature and humidity sensors.

[0008] In addition, conventional clothing processing devices could determine the expected drying time by considering not only temperature and humidity but also the ambient temperature (Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2005-0119268).

[0009] However, conventional garment processing devices calculate the estimated drying time without considering the volume inside the drum, so there was a problem in that they could not effectively reflect variations in variables during the drying process and thus could not calculate a more precise estimated drying time.

[0010] In addition, conventional clothing processing devices had a problem in that a discrepancy occurred between the expected drying time and the actual drying time, causing inconvenience to the user.

[0011] In addition, conventional garment processing devices did not provide a function to simultaneously display the estimated drying time and the actual drying time, which presented a problem in that users could not prepare subsequent tasks in advance to coincide with the completion of drying.

[0012]

[0013] The present invention is configured to utilize the volume within the drum to extract the expected drying time, thereby solving the problem of extracting the expected drying time more precisely.

[0014] The present invention is configured to extract the estimated drying time by utilizing existing data, and aims to solve the problem of improving the accuracy of the estimated drying time.

[0015] The present invention aims to solve the problem of enabling the extraction of an estimated drying time by reflecting the degree of similarity between existing data and new data, thereby enabling the extraction of an estimated drying time by continuously utilizing existing data.

[0016] The present invention is configured to store new data and actual drying time in a data storage unit, thereby addressing the problem of improving the accuracy of the estimated drying time over time.

[0017] The present invention aims to solve the problem of enabling a user to prepare subsequent tasks in advance in accordance with the time of completion of drying by providing a display unit that displays both the estimated drying time and the actual drying time.

[0018]

[0019] The present invention provides a garment processing device comprising: a drum rotatably provided inside a cabinet forming an exterior and accommodating a material to be dried; a circulation duct provided to recirculate air discharged from the drum back to the drum; a driving unit connected to the drum to rotate the drum; a humidity sensor for measuring the humidity of the material to be dried; a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the air circulating inside the drum; a display unit provided in the cabinet for displaying a screen to provide information to a user; and a control unit for controlling the driving unit, the humidity sensor, and the temperature sensor; wherein the control unit extracts an estimated drying time of the material to be dried based on novel data including the amount of material detected through the current value output to the driving unit, the amount of humidity measured through the humidity sensor, and the temperature measured through the temperature sensor, and the display unit displays the estimated drying time and the actual drying time during which the drum was actually driven until the drying of the material to be dried is completed.

[0020] The above estimated drying time may be displayed on the display unit when the drying of the object to be dried begins.

[0021] In addition, the above estimated drying time and the above actual drying time may be displayed on the display unit when the drying of the object to be dried is completed.

[0022] Meanwhile, the system may further include a data storage unit configured to store existing data, and the control unit may extract the expected drying time by comparing the new data with the existing data.

[0023] In addition, the control unit can extract multiple existing data similar to the new data. The control unit can extract the degree of similarity between the new data and the multiple existing data extracted.

[0024] In addition, the control unit can extract the estimated drying time by varying the ratio reflected according to the degree of similarity.

[0025] The above new data and the above actual drying time can be stored in the data storage unit when the drying of the object to be dried is completed.

[0026] A control method for a garment processing device comprising: a drum rotatably provided for receiving a material to be dried; a driving unit connected to the drum for rotating the drum; a control unit for detecting the volume of the material to be dried through a current value output to the driving unit; a humidity sensor for measuring the humidity of the material to be dried; a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the air circulating inside the drum; a display unit for displaying a screen for providing information to a user; and a data storage unit provided for storing existing data, wherein the control method comprises: a collection step for collecting new data including the volume of the material to be dried, the humidity of the material to be dried, and the temperature of the air; a data extraction step for extracting existing data similar to the new data after the collection step; an estimated time extraction step for extracting an estimated drying time by comparing the new data with the extracted existing data after the data extraction step; and a simultaneous display step for displaying the estimated drying time and the actual drying time during which the drum was actually driven until the drying of the material to be dried is completed on the display unit.

[0027] The above data extraction step can extract multiple pieces of the above existing data similar to the above new data.

[0028] The above data extraction step can be performed by comparing the amount, humidity, and temperature included in the new data with the amount, humidity, and temperature included in the existing data, respectively.

[0029] The above-mentioned estimated time extraction step may include a similarity extraction step for extracting the degree of similarity between the new data and the plurality of existing data; and a reflection step for extracting the estimated drying time by varying the ratio reflected according to the degree of similarity.

[0030] The above-mentioned estimated time extraction step may include an estimated time display step that displays the estimated drying time on the display unit after the above-mentioned reflection step.

[0031] It may include a storage step of storing the new data and the actual drying time in the data storage unit when the drying of the above-mentioned object to be dried is completed.

[0032] The above storage step may add the new data and the actual drying time to the existing data and store them in the data storage unit.

[0033]

[0034] The present invention is configured to utilize the volume within the drum to extract the expected drying time, thereby having the effect of extracting the expected drying time more precisely.

[0035] The present invention is configured to extract the estimated drying time by utilizing existing data, thereby having the effect of improving the accuracy of the estimated drying time.

[0036] The present invention is configured to extract the estimated drying time by reflecting the degree of similarity between existing data and new data, thereby having the effect of measuring the estimated drying time by continuously utilizing existing data.

[0037] The present invention is configured to store new data and actual drying time in a data storage unit, thereby having the effect of improving the accuracy of the estimated drying time over time.

[0038] The present invention is configured to display both the estimated drying time and the actual drying time on a display unit, thereby enabling the user to prepare subsequent tasks in advance in accordance with the time of drying completion.

[0039]

[0040] FIGS. 1, FIGS. 2, and FIGS. 3 illustrate an example of a clothing processing device.

[0041] Figure 4 illustrates an example of a circulation path and a heat exchange section.

[0042] Figure 5 shows a block diagram of a clothing processing device.

[0043] Figure 6 illustrates a conceptual diagram for extracting the expected drying time.

[0044] Figure 7 is a flowchart illustrating an example using new data and existing data.

[0045] Figure 8 illustrates an example of new data.

[0046] Figure 9 illustrates an example of existing data.

[0047] Figure 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example using existing data similar to new data.

[0048] Figure 11 illustrates an example of a method for extracting the expected drying time.

[0049] FIGS. 12 to 14 illustrate an example in which the expected drying time is displayed on the display unit.

[0050] FIGS. 15 to 17 illustrate an example in which the expected drying time and the actual drying time are displayed together on the display unit.

[0051] FIG. 18 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a method for using new data and existing data.

[0052]

[0053] The configuration of the device or control method described below is intended only to explain embodiments of the present invention and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention; reference numbers used identically throughout the specification indicate identical components.

[0054] The singular expression includes the plural expression unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In this specification, terms such as "comprising," "having," or "having" are intended to indicate the existence of the features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification; therefore, unless otherwise specifically defined, they do not preclude the existence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0055] Additionally, terms including ordinal numbers, such as "first," "second," etc., used in this specification may be used to describe various components, but said components are not limited by said terms, and said terms are used solely for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another. Accordingly, the first component may be named the second component, and similarly, the second component may be named the first component.

[0056] The term “and / or” includes a combination of multiple related listed items or any of the multiple related listed items. For example, “A or B” may include “A”, “B”, or both “A and B”.

[0057] Hereinafter, a clothing processing device according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0058] FIGS. 1, FIGS. 2, and FIGS. 3 illustrate an example of a clothing processing device.

[0059] As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the clothing processing device (100) may be provided with a cabinet (1), a drum (2) rotatably provided inside the cabinet and providing a space for storing a processing target (clothing, etc.), a circulation path (3, circulation duct) provided inside the cabinet (1) and supplying high-temperature dry air (air at a temperature higher than the indoor air temperature, air with a dryness higher than the indoor air dryness) to the drum (2) to remove moisture from the clothing, and a heat exchanger (4).

[0060] The above circulation path (3) is a path that discharges air inside the drum (2) to the outside of the drum and then supplies it back to the drum, and the heat exchanger (4) may be equipped with a device (such as a heat pump) that sequentially performs dehumidification and heating of the air introduced into the circulation path.

[0061] As illustrated in FIG. 1, the cabinet (1) may be configured to include a front panel (11) located on the front surface of the clothing processing device and a base (15) forming the bottom surface of the clothing processing device. The front panel (11) may be equipped with an input unit (112) for receiving control commands from a user and a display unit (113) for outputting information such as control commands selectable by the user. The display unit (113) may be provided in the cabinet (1) and may display a screen for providing information to the user.

[0062] As shown in FIG. 2, the front panel (11) is provided with a cabinet input opening (111) communicating with the drum (2), and the cabinet input opening (111) may be provided to be opened and closed by a door (19).

[0063] As illustrated in FIG. 3, the drum (2) may be provided to include a cylindrical drum body (21) with an open front and rear surface, a front cover (22, front surface of the drum) forming the front surface of the drum body (21), and a rear cover (23, rear surface of the drum) forming the rear surface of the drum body (21).

[0064] As shown in FIG. 2, the front cover (22) may be provided with a mounting hole (221) that communicates the inside of the drum body (21) with the outside, and the rear cover (23) may be provided with a drum supply port (231) that introduces outside air into the drum body (21).

[0065] A lifter (24) may be further provided inside the drum body (21). The lifter (24) is a means for causing the clothing to repeatedly rise and fall inside the drum. The lifter (24) may be provided by a board extending from the front cover (22) toward the rear cover (23) and protruding from the drum body (21) toward the center of rotation of the drum (2) (protruding from the circumferential surface of the drum toward the center of rotation of the drum).

[0066] The front surface of the drum (2) can be rotatably fixed to a front support member (12, first support member), and the rear surface of the drum (2) can be rotatably fixed to a rear support member (13, second support member).

[0067] The above-mentioned front support member (12) may be provided to include a support panel (121) fixed inside the cabinet (1) to close the mounting hole (221), a connecting body (123) provided on the support panel (121) and inserted into the mounting hole (221), and a drum input port (122) that penetrates the support panel (121) and connects the cabinet input port (111) and the mounting hole (221). The connecting body (123) may be provided in a pipe shape that surrounds the drum input port (122) and inserted into the mounting hole (221).

[0068] Accordingly, clothing supplied through the cabinet input port (111) can move into the drum body (21) through the drum input port (122) and the mounting hole (221). The support panel (121) may further be provided with a circumferential surface support member (126) that rotatably supports the circumferential surface of the front cover (22) or the circumferential surface of the drum body (21). The circumferential surface support member may be provided as a roller rotatably fixed to the support panel (121).

[0069] The drum (2) can be rotated through a driving unit (5), and the rear support (13) can be provided to rotatably support the drum shaft (533) of the driving unit.

[0070] The above circulation channel (3) may be provided to include a heat exchange channel (33) that is provided inside the base (15) and provides a space for mounting the heat exchanger (4), an exhaust channel (31) that connects the drum exhaust port (125) and the heat exchange channel (33), and a supply channel (32) that guides air passing through the heat exchange channel (32) to the drum supply port (231).

[0071] The heat exchange channel (33) may be provided along the length direction (length direction of the drum) of the base (15), and the exhaust channel (31) may be provided to penetrate the upper surface of the base and connect to the heat exchange channel (33). In this case, the exhaust channel (31) may be provided along the height direction (height direction of the drum) of the base.

[0072] Accordingly, the air discharged from the heat exchange channel (33) moves to the drum supply port (231) through the supply channel (32), and the air passing through the drum supply port (231) can move into the drum body (21).

[0073] The above heat exchanger (4) includes an absorption section (41, first heat exchanger) and a heating section (42, second heat exchanger) provided inside the exhaust passage (31).

[0074] The first heat exchanger (41) is a means for removing moisture contained in the air by cooling the air introduced into the exhaust passage (31) (a means for dehumidification), and the second heat exchanger (42) is a means for heating the air that has passed through the first heat exchanger (41).

[0075] Additionally, the heat exchanger (4) may include a compressor (45) that circulates a refrigerant to enable heat exchange with the first heat exchanger (41) and the second heat exchanger (42) through the refrigerant.

[0076] The refrigerant passing through the first heat exchanger (41) can be configured to absorb heat from the air, and the refrigerant passing through the second heat exchanger (42) can be configured to release heat to the air. Accordingly, the air passing through the first heat exchanger (41) is cooled (condensation is generated), and the air passing through the second heat exchanger (42) is heated.

[0077] A circulation fan (49) may be provided in the heat exchanger (4) so ​​that air is introduced from the drum (2) into the exhaust passage (31) and then recirculated to the drum (2) through the supply passage (32). The circulation fan (49) may be provided to be located between the second heat exchanger (42) and the supply passage (32).

[0078] As illustrated in FIG. 3, the rear support member (13) may be provided to include a fixed panel (131) to which the driving member (5) is fixed, and a fixed panel through hole (132) provided in the fixed panel through which the drum shaft (533) passes. As illustrated in the drawing, the fixed panel (131) may be provided to form the rear surface (rear panel) of the cabinet.

[0079] The above driving unit (5) may be configured to include a stator (51) fixed to the above fixed panel (131) to form a rotating magnetic field, a rotor (52) that rotates by the rotating magnetic field, and a power transmission unit (53) that transmits the rotational motion of the rotor (52) to the drum (2).

[0080] In order to prevent the above-mentioned drive unit (5) from being exposed to the outside and to minimize heat loss through the above-mentioned circulation path (3), a cover panel (17) can be fixed to the above-mentioned fixed panel (131) to prevent the above-mentioned drive unit (5) and a part of the above-mentioned circulation path (supply path, 32) from being exposed to the outside.

[0081] Figure 4 illustrates an example of a circulation path and a heat exchange section.

[0082] The above circulation channel (3) may be configured to include an exhaust channel (31) fixed to the base (15), a supply channel (32) provided in the fixed panel (131), and a heat exchange channel (33) connecting the exhaust channel and the supply channel and having the heat exchanger (4) provided therein.

[0083] The support panel (121) may be provided with a drum exhaust port (125, see FIG. 2) for discharging air inside the drum body (21) to the outside, and the exhaust passage (31) may be provided as a passage connected to the drum exhaust port (125). The drum exhaust port (125) may be provided to pass through the connecting body (123) and communicate with the drum inlet (122), and the drum exhaust port (125) may be equipped with a filter (not shown) for filtering air.

[0084] The heat exchange channel (33) is a channel that guides air introduced into the exhaust channel (31) toward the direction where the fixed panel (131) is located (rear of the drum, rear of the cabinet), and may be provided to include a channel body (331) fixed to the base (15) to provide a path for air movement (mounting space for the heat exchanger), and a channel cover (332) forming the upper surface of the heat exchange channel.

[0085] The supply channel (32) may be provided as a channel on one side of the fixed panel (131) facing the rear cover (23) of the drum body (21). FIG. 4 illustrates an example in which the fixed panel (131) is provided as a groove bent in a direction away from the rear cover (23) and is provided in a shape that surrounds the driving unit (5). The supply channel (32) may be connected to the heat exchange channel (33) through a connecting channel (321).

[0086] The fixed panel (131) may be provided with a rear sealing portion so that air inside the supply channel (32) moves to the drum supply port (231) provided in the rear cover (23).

[0087] FIG. 4 illustrates an example in which the rear sealing part is provided with a rear first sealing part (35) and a rear second sealing part (36), but the rear sealing part may be provided with only the rear first sealing part (35).

[0088] The rear first sealing part (35) is provided to surround the outer edge of the supply channel (32), and the rear second sealing part (36) may be provided to surround the inner edge of the supply channel (32).

[0089] As previously explained, the supply channel (32) may be provided in a shape similar to a ring surrounding the drive unit (5), wherein the inner edge of the supply channel refers to the edge with a short diameter (the edge closer to the drive unit), and the outer edge of the supply channel refers to the edge with a long diameter.

[0090] The above rear first sealing part (35) may be provided with a pipe-shaped fiber that is fixed to the fixed panel (131) at one end and contacts the rear cover (23) at the free end, and the above rear second sealing part (36) may be provided with a pipe-shaped fiber that is fixed to the fixed panel (131) at one end and contacts the rear cover (23) at the free end. Felt may be an example of the fiber.

[0091] Additionally, the clothing processing device (100) may further include a cleaning unit (9) that supplies water to the first heat exchanger (41) to clean the first heat exchanger (41).

[0092] The above washing unit (9) may include a washing chamber (not shown) located above the first heat exchanger (41) and provided in the circulation channel (3), and a chamber water supply unit (92) that supplies water to the washing chamber.

[0093] The chamber water supply unit (92) may be provided to include a pump (921) for discharging water from the collection chamber (94) to the outside, and a chamber connecting pipe (925) for guiding the water discharged from the pump (921) to the washing chamber (91).

[0094] The chamber water supply unit (92) may be configured to connect the washing chamber with a water source located outside the clothing processing device (100), or may be configured to supply condensate stored in the water collection chamber (94) to the washing chamber.

[0095] To remove water stored in the above water collection chamber (94), the clothing processing device (100) may further be provided with a drainage tank (8). The drainage tank (8) may be provided so as to be removable from the cabinet (1) and may be provided to receive water through the pump (921).

[0096] To determine the source of water stored in the above water collection chamber (94), the above clothing processing device (100) may further be provided with a flow path switching section (922). The flow path switching section (922) may be connected to the pump (921) through a pump connecting pipe (923) and connected to the drainage tank (8) through a drainage tank connecting pipe (924).

[0097] A valve (not shown) for controlling the opening and closing of the drainage tank connecting pipe (924) and the chamber connecting pipe (925) may be provided inside the above-mentioned Euro switching section (922). Accordingly, the above-mentioned clothing processing device (100) may supply water from the water collection chamber (94) to the chamber connecting pipe (925) or to the drainage tank (8) by the control section (not shown) controlling the valve.

[0098] The chamber connecting pipe (925) may be provided with a plurality of water supply pipes (925a, 925b, 925c) connecting the flow channel switching section (922) and the washing chamber (91). The outlets of the water supply pipes (925a, 925b, 925c) may be spaced apart along the width direction of the heat exchange channel (33).

[0099] Figure 5 shows a block diagram of a clothing processing device.

[0100] The clothing processing device (100) of the present invention may include a humidity sensor (6) for measuring the humidity of the object to be dried, and a temperature sensor (7) for measuring the temperature of the air circulating inside the drum (2).

[0101] The humidity sensor (6) is provided inside the drum (2) to measure the humidity of the object to be dried. Specifically, the humidity sensor (6) may use an indirect method or a direct method to measure the humidity of the object to be dried.

[0102] In the above indirect method (Relative Humidity Sensor), the humidity inside the drum (2) may increase when drying begins. The humidity sensor (6) can detect the humidity inside the drum (2) for a certain period of time to measure the moisture content of the material to be dried. For example, at the beginning of drying, the humidity inside the drum (2) is high because there is a large amount of moisture evaporating from the material to be dried, but as drying progresses, the humidity decreases, so the humidity inside the drum (2) can be indirectly detected by detecting this.

[0103] In the above direct method (conductance sensor), the humidity sensor (6) is installed on the inner wall of the drum (2) and can come into direct contact with the object to be dried. The humidity sensor (6) can measure the amount of moisture contained in the object to be dried by measuring the electrical resistance generated upon contact with the object to be dried. However, as long as the humidity sensor (6) can measure the amount of moisture contained in the object to be dried, it is acceptable to use a method other than the above indirect method and the above direct method.

[0104] That is, the humidity sensor (6) can measure the moisture content of the object to be dried. The amount of humidity measured by the humidity sensor (6) can be transmitted to the control unit.

[0105] The temperature sensor (7) can measure the temperature of the air circulating through the circulation path (3). Specifically, when drying begins, the temperature sensor (7) can measure the temperature of the air discharged from the drum (2) and introduced into the exhaust path (31).

[0106] Accordingly, the temperature sensor (7) may be placed in the circulation path (3). It is preferable that the temperature sensor (7) be placed in the exhaust path (31) to immediately measure the temperature of the air discharged from the drum (2). However, the location of the temperature sensor (7) may be varied as long as it can measure the temperature of the air containing the material to be dried.

[0107] That is, the temperature sensor (7) can measure the temperature of the air circulating inside the drum (2). The temperature measured by the temperature sensor (7) can be transmitted to the control unit.

[0108] The control unit can control the drum (2), the humidity sensor (6), and the temperature sensor (7). The control unit may be configured to detect the volume of the object to be dried when power is supplied to the clothing processing device (100) or drying begins.

[0109] To detect the amount of the material to be dried, the drum (2) may be rotated less than one revolution. That is, the garment processing device (100) of the present invention may rotate the drum (2) to an angle below which the material to be dried is separated from the inner wall of the drum (2) or its arrangement is variable.

[0110] As a result, the clothing processing device of the present invention can accurately transmit the current value applied to or output to the driving unit (5) to the control unit, and can calculate the amount of the item to be dried more accurately.

[0111] For example, the clothing processing device of the present invention can rotate the drum in a range of 0 to 90 degrees or less when detecting the amount of fabric.

[0112] Meanwhile, as the angle of rotation of the drum (2) is smaller, the time for the control unit (P) to detect the amount of the clothing can be shortened, and the error occurring during the process of detecting the weight of the clothing can be reduced.

[0113] Accordingly, the clothing processing device of the present invention can rotate the drum (2) in a range of 10 degrees to 45 degrees or less when detecting the amount of fabric.

[0114] As a result, the clothing processing device of the present invention can quickly and accurately detect the amount of material.

[0115] In addition, the garment processing device of the present invention may include a separate weight sensor (not shown). At this time, the control unit can detect the weight of the object to be dried measured through the weight sensor.

[0116] However, if the amount of the above-mentioned material to be dried can be detected, the control unit can measure the amount of the above-mentioned material to be dried in various ways.

[0117] The control unit can measure the amount of the material to be dried through the current value output to the driving unit (5). In addition, the control unit can receive the amount of humidity measured through the humidity sensor (6) and the temperature measured through the temperature sensor (7).

[0118] The control unit can extract new data including the amount of the material to be dried, the humidity of the material to be dried, and the temperature of the air. Based on the new data, the control unit can extract the estimated drying time of the material to be dried.

[0119] In addition, the clothing processing device (100) of the present invention may include a data storage unit (8) provided to store existing data.

[0120] The aforementioned existing data may refer to the amount, humidity, and temperature at which the object to be dried was dried in the past. Specifically, the existing data may include past data (amount, humidity, and temperature) measured during a drying process that has already been performed, and the actual drying time, which is the time when the drying was actually performed. That is, the existing data may include past data (amount, humidity, and temperature) and the actual drying time.

[0121] The data storage unit (8) can store the existing data. At this time, the data storage unit (8) can store all of the multiple existing data that were executed in the past.

[0122] The control unit can extract the estimated drying time of the object to be dried by comparing the new data with the existing data. Details are explained in FIGS. 6 and 7.

[0123] Figure 6 illustrates a conceptual diagram for extracting the expected drying time.

[0124] The clothing processing device (100) of the present invention can collect new data (A1) including the amount of fabric detected through the control unit, the amount of humidity measured through the humidity sensor (6), and the temperature measured through the temperature sensor (7).

[0125] The above new data may include the amount of the material to be dried introduced into the drum (2), the amount of humidity of the material to be dried, and the temperature of the air circulating inside the drum (2).

[0126] The clothing processing device (100) of the present invention can measure an accurate estimated drying time by including various measurement values ​​such as volume, humidity, and temperature in the new data.

[0127] The control unit above can extract the expected drying time (A2) by comparing the new data with the existing data already stored in the data storage unit (8).

[0128] That is, the control unit can extract the estimated drying time (A2) by comparing the amount, humidity, and temperature of the new data, etc., with the amount, humidity, and temperature of the existing data, etc. The detailed extraction method is explained in FIG. 7.

[0129] The estimated drying time extracted through the new data and the existing data can be displayed (A3) on the display unit (113). That is, the estimated drying time can be displayed on the display unit (113) when the user supplies power to the clothing processing device (100) and the drying of the object to be dried begins.

[0130] The above display unit (113) can quickly display the estimated drying time, allowing the user to prepare for subsequent work in advance at the time of drying completion.

[0131] Additionally, the above clothing processing device (100) can display the estimated drying time (A3) on the display unit (113) when drying starts, and display the estimated drying time and the actual drying time together (A5) on the display unit (113) when drying ends (A4).

[0132] The above actual drying time refers to the actual time the clothing processing device (100) is operated from the time drying starts until drying ends.

[0133] The above display unit (113) can display the estimated drying time and the actual drying time together when drying is finished, thereby ensuring user reliability. Additionally, the user can empirically determine how long the estimated drying time will take when drying similar contents in the future.

[0134] In addition, the data storage unit (8) can store the new data (amount, humidity, temperature, etc.) and the actual drying time (A6).

[0135] That is, when the new data is stored in the data storage unit (8), the new data can perform the role of the existing data.

[0136] Accordingly, the amount of existing data in the clothing processing device (100) of the present invention can gradually increase as the drying history of various items to be dried accumulates. Accordingly, the deviation between the estimated drying time and the actual drying time can gradually decrease.

[0137] Figure 7 is a flowchart illustrating an example using new data and existing data.

[0138] The clothing processing device (100) of the present invention can collect new data (B2) of the material to be dried that is introduced into the drum (2) when drying starts (B1). However, even before drying starts, the device may be configured to collect the new data when the material to be dried is introduced into the drum (2).

[0139] Specifically, the humidity sensor (6) can measure the amount of humidity of the material to be dried introduced into the drum (2).

[0140] For example, the humidity sensor (6) can measure the amount of moisture (g) contained per 1 kg of the object to be dried. That is, the humidity sensor (6) can measure the amount of humidity (g / kg) of the object to be dried.

[0141] Generally, materials to be dried placed in an indoor environment contain 80 to 120 g / kg of moisture, materials to be dried placed in a hot and humid environment contain 120 to 250 g / kg of moisture, and materials to be dried that have absorbed a large amount of sweat, etc., can be measured at 250 to 350 g / kg.

[0142] The temperature sensor (7) can measure the temperature of the air circulating inside the drum (2). As shown in FIG. 2, the temperature sensor (7) can be placed in the exhaust passage (31).

[0143] The above control unit can detect the amount of the material to be dried. As mentioned above, the control unit can detect the amount through the rotation of the drum (2).

[0144] As illustrated in FIG. 8, the new data may include the amount of the material to be dried, the amount of humidity of the material to be dried, and the temperature of the air.

[0145] In addition, the control unit can call (B3) existing data stored in the data storage unit (8) after the new data is collected.

[0146] In this case, the above existing data may refer to the amount, humidity, and temperature when the object to be dried was dried in the past.

[0147] As illustrated in FIG. 9, the data storage unit (8) can store multiple existing data. Specifically, the data storage unit (8) can store the amount of material, temperature, humidity value, and actual drying time as existing data whenever a drying process is performed. Accordingly, the amount of accumulated existing data can increase as the drying process is performed repeatedly.

[0148] Therefore, the above control unit can extract a more accurate estimated drying time as the drying process is repeated.

[0149] The control unit above can extract multiple existing data similar to the new data (B4).

[0150] As illustrated in FIG. 10, the control unit can extract existing data similar to the new data from among the existing data stored in the data storage unit (8).

[0151] Specifically, the control unit can compare the amount, temperature, and humidity values ​​of the new data with the amount, temperature, and humidity values ​​of the existing data. The control unit can extract a plurality of similar existing data among the existing data stored in the data storage unit (8) by combining the differences in the amount, temperature, and humidity values.

[0152] The control unit above can extract similar existing data based on the sum of the differences between the quantity, temperature, and humidity values, respectively. For example, it compares the new data shown in FIG. 8 with the similar existing data shown in FIG. 10.

[0153] For S1, the differences in quantity, temperature, and humidity values ​​correspond to 33, 8, and 7, respectively, resulting in a total difference of 48. Similarly, when compared, S2 has a difference of 51, S3 has a difference of 55, and S4 has a difference of 60. Therefore, the control unit can measure the ranking of existing data similar to the new data.

[0154] However, it is not limited to this, and the control unit may also extract similar existing data by reflecting different levels of importance for the quantity, temperature, and humidity values.

[0155] The above control unit can extract the degree of similarity between the new data and the extracted plurality of existing data (B5).

[0156] As shown in Fig. 11, the extracted existing data can be reflected at different ratios depending on the degree of similarity with the new data to extract the expected drying time (B5).

[0157] Specifically, the degree of similarity may refer to the degree of similarity between the extracted existing data and the new data. That is, the degree of similarity can be calculated as a higher ratio the more similar the new data and the extracted existing data are.

[0158] In addition, the control unit can extract the expected drying time (B5) by varying the ratio reflected according to the degree of similarity.

[0159] The above estimated drying time can be extracted as the sum of times calculated by reflecting each of the above degrees of similarity.

[0160] For example, as shown in FIG. 11, S1 has a drying time of 92 minutes and a similarity of 33%, so the time that can be reflected can be 30.4 minutes. Likewise, S2 can be 24.8 minutes, S3 can be 19.3 minutes, and S4 can be 17.5 minutes. Therefore, the estimated drying time can be extracted as the sum of S1 to S4, which is 92 minutes.

[0161] When the above estimated drying time is extracted, the display unit (113) can display the above estimated drying time (B6).

[0162] FIGS. 12 to 14 illustrate an example in which the expected drying time is displayed on the display unit.

[0163] As illustrated in FIG. 12, the display unit (113) may have the function of displaying the estimated drying time and may provide the estimated drying time in minutes. That is, the display unit (113) may intuitively display the estimated drying time extracted through the method to the user.

[0164] Additionally, as shown in FIG. 13, the display unit (113) may display an estimated completion time rather than the estimated drying time.

[0165] The above estimated completion time can be defined as the time obtained by adding the above estimated drying time to the current time. The display unit (113) visually provides the above estimated completion time, thereby allowing the user to easily predict the time of drying completion without additional calculations. In addition, the user can check the displayed drying completion time and prepare for subsequent tasks in advance.

[0166] In addition, the display unit (113) can simultaneously display the current time along with the estimated completion time. That is, the display unit (113) can provide a separate area occupied by the estimated completion time and an area occupied by the current time.

[0167] Accordingly, the user can clearly recognize the estimated completion time and current time of the drying process, and thereby receive information about the estimated total drying time.

[0168] In addition, the display unit (113) may display a phrase indicating that the drying process is currently in progress. The phrase may be set in various forms to intuitively convey the status of the drying process.

[0169] For example, as shown in FIG. 13 above, the display unit (113) can display a guide phrase such as “drying in progress…” to allow the user to recognize that the drying process is currently being performed.

[0170] As illustrated in FIG. 14, the display unit (113) can display the estimated drying time together with the estimated completion time and the current time.

[0171] The display unit (113) shown in Fig. 13 only provides the estimated completion time and the current time, so there was an inconvenience in that the user had to calculate the estimated drying time separately to check it.

[0172] Accordingly, the display unit (113) can also provide the estimated drying time. That is, the display unit (113) can provide an area occupied by the estimated completion time, an area occupied by the current time, and an area occupied by the estimated drying time.

[0173] However, the display unit (113) is not required to display all of the estimated completion time, the current time, and the estimated drying time. That is, the display unit (113) may selectively display at least one of the estimated completion time and the estimated drying time. This is because the user can easily recognize the end point of the drying process through the estimated completion time or the estimated drying time.

[0174] In addition, the display unit (113) may display a message indicating that the drying process is currently in progress. For example, as shown in FIG. 13, the display unit (113) may display a guide message such as “Drying in progress…” to allow the user to recognize that the drying process is currently being performed.

[0175] FIGS. 15 to 17 illustrate an example in which the expected drying time and the actual drying time are displayed together on the display unit.

[0176] When drying is finished (B7), the display unit (113) can display the estimated drying time and the actual drying time together (B8).

[0177] As illustrated in FIG. 15, the display unit (113) can display the estimated drying time extracted by the control unit and the actual drying time during which the drum (2) is driven until the drying of the object to be dried is completed. By displaying the estimated drying time and the actual drying time together, the display unit (113) can increase the reliability of the estimated drying time and provide intuitive information to the user.

[0178] That is, the display unit (113) can provide an area occupied by the expected drying time and an area occupied by the actual drying time.

[0179] As illustrated in FIG. 16, the display unit (113) can simultaneously display the current time along with the expected drying time and the actual drying time.

[0180] The user can estimate the time elapsed since the drying process began through the current time mentioned above, and thereby predict the time the material to be dried introduced into the drum has been left unattended.

[0181] In addition, the display unit (113) can display a notice indicating that the current drying process is completed. The notice can be set in various forms to intuitively convey that the drying process has ended.

[0182] For example, the above display unit (113) can display a guidance phrase such as “drying complete” so that the user can clearly recognize that the drying process has been completed.

[0183] However, the above display unit (113) necessarily includes the above estimated drying time and the above actual drying time, and the above current time and the above guidance text correspond to additional elements that can be optionally added.

[0184] As illustrated in FIG. 17, the display unit (113) may include an estimated completion time and an actual completion time.

[0185] The above estimated completion time may be defined as the time calculated by adding the above estimated drying time to the time at which the drying process began. The above actual completion time may be defined as the time indicating the point at which the drying process is substantially terminated.

[0186] That is, the display unit (113) can display the estimated completion time and the actual completion time together, thereby increasing the reliability of the estimated drying time and providing intuitive information to the user.

[0187] Additionally, the display unit (113) can simultaneously display the current time along with the expected completion time and the actual completion time. As described in FIG. 13, the user can estimate the time the object to be dried has been left in the drum by inferring the time elapsed since the drying process ended based on the current time.

[0188] In addition, the above-mentioned display unit (113) can display a notice indicating that the current drying process is completed. The detailed description is the same as that described in FIG. 13.

[0189] However, the above display unit (113) necessarily includes the above estimated completion time and the above actual completion time, and the above current time and the above guidance text correspond to additional elements that can be optionally added.

[0190] When drying is finished (B7), the data storage unit (8) can store the new data and the actual drying time (B9).

[0191] That is, when the new data is stored in the data storage unit (8), the new data can perform the role of the existing data.

[0192] Accordingly, the amount of existing data can gradually increase as the drying history of various items to be dried is accumulated in the clothing processing device (100) of the present invention. Accordingly, the deviation between the estimated drying time and the actual drying time can gradually decrease.

[0193] FIG. 18 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a method for using new data and existing data.

[0194] When drying begins (C1), the garment processing device (100) of the present invention may include a collection step (C2) for collecting new data including the amount of the object to be dried, the amount of humidity of the object to be dried, and the temperature of the air; a data extraction step (C3) for extracting existing data similar to the new data; an estimated time extraction step (C4) for extracting an estimated drying time by comparing the new data with the extracted existing data; and a simultaneous display step (C6) for displaying the estimated drying time and the actual drying time that the drum has actually operated until the drying of the object to be dried is completed on the display unit.

[0195] The above collection step (C2) may refer to the procedure (B2) for collecting new data described in FIG. 7.

[0196] That is, the above collection step (C2) may mean a step of collecting new data including the amount of matter, humidity amount, and temperature measured through the control unit, the humidity sensor (6), and the temperature sensor (7).

[0197] The above data extraction step (C3) may be performed after the above collection step (C2). The above data extraction step (C3) may mean a procedure (B3) for calling existing data described in FIG. 7 and a procedure (B4) for extracting multiple existing data similar to new data.

[0198] As illustrated in FIGS. 8 to 10, the data extraction step (C3) can extract multiple existing data similar to the new data by comparing the amount of moss, humidity, and temperature included in the new data with the amount of moss, humidity, and temperature included in the existing data, respectively.

[0199] The above-mentioned estimated time extraction step (C4) may include a similarity extraction step (C41) for extracting the degree of similarity between the new data and the plurality of existing data, and a reflection step (C42) for extracting the estimated drying time by varying the reflection ratio according to the degree of similarity.

[0200] The above-mentioned estimated time extraction step (C4) may refer to a procedure (B5) that varies the reflection ratio of the extracted existing data according to the degree of similarity with the new data described in FIG. 7.

[0201] As illustrated in FIG. 11, the similar extraction step (C41) may mean a step of calculating a reflection ratio based on the degree of similarity by comparing the new data with the extracted existing data.

[0202] The reflection step (C42) above may mean a step of extracting the expected drying time based on the reflection ratio calculated in the similar extraction step (C41) and the drying time of the existing data.

[0203] Additionally, the above-mentioned estimated time extraction step (C4) may further include an estimated time display step (C43) that displays the estimated drying time on the display unit (113) after the above-mentioned reflection step (C42).

[0204] That is, as illustrated in FIGS. 12 to 15, the estimated drying time can be displayed on the display unit (113) so that the user can check it.

[0205] The above simultaneous display step (C6) can display the above estimated drying time and the above actual drying time together on the display unit (113).

[0206] As described in FIG. 7, the simultaneous display step (C6) can ensure user reliability by displaying the estimated drying time and the actual drying time together. The specific description is the same as that described in FIG. 15 to 17.

[0207] In addition, the clothing processing device (100) of the present invention may include a storage step (C7) for storing the new data and the actual drying time in the data storage unit.

[0208] The storage step (C7) may be performed when the drying of the object to be dried is completed. The storage step (C7) may be performed before the simultaneous display step (C6) or after the simultaneous display step (C6). Additionally, the storage step (C7) may be performed simultaneously with the simultaneous display step (C6).

[0209] The above storage step (C7) can add the new data and the actual drying time to the existing data and store them in the data storage unit (8).

[0210] As described in FIG. 7, the storage step (C7) may mean the step of storing the new data and the actual drying time in the data storage unit (8) (B9).

[0211] Accordingly, the amount of existing data can gradually increase as the drying history of various items to be dried accumulates in the garment processing device (100) of the present invention. Accordingly, since the deviation between the estimated drying time and the actual drying time gradually decreases, the garment processing device (100) of the present invention can extract a more accurate estimated drying time as the frequency of use increases.

[0212] 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 rights of the present invention.

Claims

1. A drum rotatably provided inside a cabinet forming the exterior and accommodating the object to be dried; A circulation duct provided to recirculate air discharged from the drum back to the drum; A driving unit connected to the above drum to rotate the above drum; A humidity sensor for measuring the humidity of the above-mentioned object to be dried; A temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the air circulating inside the drum; A display unit provided in the cabinet above, on which a screen is displayed to provide information to the user; and A control unit that controls the above driving unit, the humidity sensor, and the temperature sensor; is included. The above control unit The expected drying time of the object to be dried is extracted based on new data including the amount of material detected through the current value output to the driving unit, the amount of humidity measured through the humidity sensor, and the temperature measured through the temperature sensor. The above display part A garment processing device characterized by displaying together the above-mentioned expected drying time and the actual drying time during which the drum is actually driven until the drying of the object to be dried is completed.

2. In Paragraph 1, A clothing processing device characterized by the above-mentioned estimated drying time being displayed on the display unit when the drying of the object to be dried begins.

3. In Paragraph 1, A clothing processing device characterized in that the above-mentioned estimated drying time and the above-mentioned actual drying time are displayed on the display unit when the drying of the object to be dried is completed.

4. In Paragraph 1, It further includes a data storage unit equipped to store existing data, and The above control unit A clothing processing device characterized by extracting the predicted drying time by comparing the above new data with the above existing data.

5. In Paragraph 1, It further includes a data storage unit equipped to store existing data, and The above control unit A clothing processing device characterized by extracting multiple existing data similar to the new data mentioned above.

6. In Paragraph 5, The above control unit A clothing processing device characterized by extracting the degree of similarity between the above-mentioned new data and the above-mentioned plurality of existing data.

7. In Paragraph 6, The above control unit A clothing processing device characterized by extracting the estimated drying time by varying the ratio reflected according to the degree of similarity.

8. In any one of paragraphs 4 through 7, A clothing processing device characterized in that the above new data and the above actual drying time are stored in the data storage unit when the drying of the object to be dried is completed.

9. A control method for a clothing processing device comprising: a drum rotatably provided for receiving a material to be dried; a driving unit connected to the drum for rotating the drum; a control unit for detecting the volume of the material to be dried through a current value output to the driving unit; a humidity sensor for measuring the humidity of the material to be dried; a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of air circulating inside the drum; a display unit for outputting a screen for providing information to a user; and a data storage unit provided for storing existing data. A collection step for collecting new data including the amount of the object to be dried, the amount of humidity of the object to be dried, and the temperature of the air; After the above collection step, a data extraction step for extracting the existing data similar to the new data; After the above data extraction step, an estimated time extraction step for extracting an estimated drying time by comparing the new data with the extracted existing data; and A control method for a garment processing device characterized by including: a simultaneous display step of displaying the above-mentioned expected drying time and the actual drying time during which the drum is actually driven until the drying of the object to be dried is completed on the display unit.

10. In Paragraph 9, A control method for a clothing processing device, characterized in that the above data extraction step extracts a plurality of existing data similar to the above new data.

11. In Paragraph 10, The above data extraction step is A control method for a clothing processing device characterized by extracting the amount of fabric, humidity, and temperature included in the new data above by comparing them with the amount of fabric, humidity, and temperature included in the existing data above.

12. In Paragraph 10, The above estimated time extraction step is A similarity extraction step for extracting the degree of similarity between the above new data and the above plurality of existing data; and A control method for a clothing processing device characterized by including a reflection step for extracting the expected drying time by varying the reflection ratio according to the degree of similarity.

13. In Paragraph 9, The above estimated time extraction step is A control method for a clothing processing device, further comprising: an estimated time display step in which the estimated drying time is displayed on the display unit after the above reflection step.

14. In Paragraph 9, A control method for a clothing processing device characterized in that the above simultaneous display step is performed when the drying of the object to be dried is completed.

15. In Paragraph 10, A control method for a clothing processing device, further comprising a storage step of storing the new data and the actual drying time in the data storage unit when the drying of the above-mentioned object to be dried is completed.

16. In Paragraph 15, The above storage step is A control method for a clothing processing device characterized by adding the above new data and the above actual drying time to the above existing data and storing them in the above data storage unit.

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