Patent Application
20240271348
The disclosure relates to a clothes dryer and, more specifically, to a clothes dryer providing optimized drying by automatically determining the characteristics of clothes which are laundries, e.g., weight and material properties, and accordingly categorizing the laundries, and a method for controlling the same.
A clothes dryer is a device for drying an object by supplying hot air into the drum containing various laundries, including clothes, towels, and blankets of various materials while rotating the drum. Typically, the clothes dryer is operated to dry laundries based on each drying time and temperature determined by the user's option selection (e.g., basic course, shirt course, jeans course, or small load course) made before starting the drying cycle. Hence, the user is required to figure out the characteristics of the laundries and select an appropriate option whenever drying on the clothes dryer.
Depending on the characteristics of a laundry, such as total weight or material, the drying temperature or time appropriate for the laundry may significantly differ. If the drying process is performed for a drying time that is not suitable for the laundry, the drying cycle may be finished without the laundry being completely dried, or power loss may occur due to excessive drying cycle progress. If the drying process is performed at a temperature that is not suitable for the laundry, damage to the material/shape change due to excessive heat or incomplete drying may occur. If the user has to select an option that provides an appropriate drying time and temperature by identifying the characteristics of each laundry whenever performing drying, it may be burdensome or tricky to the user.
An aspect of the disclosure provides a clothes dryer that grasps the characteristics of a laundry put in the drum and appropriately classifies the laundry into one of a plurality of predetermined categories based on the grasped characteristics, automatically at an initial stage after a drying cycle starts, and a method for controlling the same.
Another aspect of the disclosure provides a clothes dryer that appropriately classifies a laundry into one of a plurality of categories depending on the characteristics at an initial stage after a drying cycle starts and then performs the remaining drying cycle according to a temperature and time appropriate for the classified category, and a method for controlling the same.
According to an aspect of the disclosure, a clothes dryer may include a drum in which laundry is receivable, a humidity detector to detect a dryness level of the laundry in the drum, and a controller configured to: obtain the dryness level of the laundry in the drum detected by the humidity detector while a first initial drying cycle to dry the laundry in the drum is performed, determine a weight category of the laundry in the drum from a plurality of weight categories of laundry based on the obtained dryness level, obtain control information based on the determined weight category, and control, according to the obtained control information, a main drying cycle to dry the laundry in the drum after the first initial drying cycle is performed.
The humidity detector may include a pair of touch electrode sensors in the drum, and the pair of touch electrode sensors may output a pulse signal indicating a moisture content of the laundry in the drum when contacted by the laundry in the drum.
The humidity detector may include an electrode sensor configured to output a pulse signal indicating a moisture content of the laundry in the drum, and the controller may be further configured to: count a number of times that the pulse signal is greater than or equal to a predetermined reference during each time unit of a plurality of time units that the first initial drying cycle is performed, determine an average of the counted number of times for the plurality of time units, determine whether the average is less than a first threshold, and determine the weight category of the laundry in the drum based on the determination of whether the average is less than the first threshold.
The humidity detector may include an electrode sensor configured to output a pulse signal indicating a moisture content of the laundry in the drum, and the controller may be further configured to: after the weight category is determined, obtain the pulse signal while a second initial drying cycle to dry the laundry in the drum is performed, determine a material category of the laundry in the drum from a plurality of material categories of laundry based on the obtained pulse signal, obtain the control information based on the determined weight category and the determined material category, and control, according to the obtained control information based on the determined weight category and the determined material category, the main drying cycle to dry the laundry in the drum after the second initial drying cycle is performed.
The controller may be further configured to: count a first number of times that the pulse signal is greater than or equal to a predetermined reference during each first time unit of a plurality of first time units that the first initial drying cycle is performed, determine a first average of the counted first number of times for the plurality of first time units, count a second number of times that the pulse signal is greater than or equal to the predetermined reference during each second time unit of a plurality of second time units that the second initial drying cycle is performed, determine a second average of the counted first number of times and the counted second number of times for the plurality of first time units and the plurality of second time units, and determine the material category of the laundry in the drum from the plurality of material categories of laundry based on whether a difference between the first average and the second average is greater than or equal to a second threshold.
According to another aspect of the disclosure, the clothes dryer may further include: an input to receive a selection from a user of a target dryness level from among a plurality of dryness levels. The controller may be further configured to: count a number of times that the pulse signal is greater than or equal to a predetermined reference during each time unit of a plurality of time units that the second initial drying cycle is performed, determine, while while the second initial drying cycle is performed, whether the counted number of times, being less than or equal to a value corresponding to the target dryness level, occurs consecutively more than or equal to a predetermined number of times, the value corresponding to the target dryness level being determined from among a plurality of predetermined values respectively corresponding to the plurality of dryness levels, and when the counted number of times, being less than or equal to the value corresponding to the target dryness level, occurs consecutively more than or equal to a predetermined number of time, terminate the second initial drying cycle and determine the material category of the laundry in the drum from the plurality of material categories of laundry.
According to another aspect of the disclosure, the clothes dryer may further include: a heater to heat air supplied to the drum; a temperature sensor to measure a temperature of air in the drum; and a driving motor to drive rotation of the drum. The controller may be further configured to: obtain an upper limit temperature, a lower limit temperature, and a driving reference of the driving motor for the first initial drying cycle and the second initial drying cycle; and while the first initial drying cycle and the second initial drying cycle are performed: obtain the temperature measured from the temperature sensor, control the heater to turn off when the obtained temperature is greater than or equal to the upper limit temperature, control the heater to turn on when the obtained temperature is less than or equal to the lower limit temperature, and control the driving motor to drive rotation of the drum according to the driving reference.
According to another aspect of the disclosure, the clothes dryer may further include: a heater to heat air supplied to the drum; and a temperature sensor to measure a temperature of air in the drum, and a driving motor to drive rotation of the drum. The obtained control information based on the determined weight category and the determined material category may include an upper limit temperature and a lower limit temperature respectively corresponding to each combination of a plurality of combinations of the weight category of the plurality of weight categories of laundry and the material category of the plurality of material categories of laundry, and the controller may be further configured to, while the main drying cycle is performed: obtain the temperature of air in the drum from the temperature sensor, compare the obtained temperature with the upper limit temperature and the lower limit temperature for a combination of the plurality of combinations for the determined weight category and the determined material category, control the heater to turn on or turn off according to a result of the compared temperature, and control the driving motor to turn on or turn off based on a drive-on duration or a drive-off duration of the driving motor.
The plurality of material categories of laundry may include: a first category having a first drying speed and a first moisture content, and a second category having a second drying speed lower than the first drying speed and a second moisture content lower than the first moisture content, and when the determined material category for the laundry in the drum is the second category, the upper limit temperature and the lower limit temperature of the obtained control information based on the determined weight category and the determined material category are respectively lower than when the determined material category for the laundry in the drum is the first category.
The heater may further include a first heater and a second heater, and the obtained control information based on the determined weight category and the determined material category may include information about which heater between the first heater and the second heater is to be used during the main drying cycle.
According to another aspect of the disclosure, the clothes dryer may further include: a driving motor to drive rotation of the drum. The obtained control information based on the determined weight category and the determined material category may include, based on the determined weight category of the laundry in the drum, one of repeatedly turning on and turning off the driving motor based on a predetermined time reference, and continuously maintaining the driving motor in an on state.
According to another aspect of the disclosure, the clothes dryer may further include: an input to receive a selection from a user of a target dryness level from among a plurality of dryness levels. The controller may be further configured to, while the main drying cycle is performed: count a number of times that the pulse signal is greater than or equal to a predetermined reference during each time unit of a plurality of time units that the main drying cycle is performed, determine whether the counted number of times, being less than or equal to a predetermined value, occurs more than or equal to a predetermined number of times, when the counted number of times, being greater than or equal to the predetermined value, occurs more than or equal to the predetermined number of times, set an additional drying time based on at least one of a corresponding determination time, the determined weight category and the determined material category, and the target dryness level, and control the main drying cycle to be further performed for the set additional drying time.
According to another aspect of the disclosure, a method for controlling a drying operation of a clothes dryer including a drum in which laundry is receivable, a heater to heat air supplied to the drum, a temperature sensor to measure a temperature of air in the drum, a driving motor to drive rotation of the drum, and a pair of touch electrode sensors disposed in the drum to output a pulse signal indicating a moisture content of the laundry in the drum when contacted by the laundry in the drum, may include: receiving a dry start command; performing a first initial drying cycle, in response to receiving the dry start command; counting a first number of times that the pulse signal is greater than or equal to a predetermined reference during each first time unit of a plurality of first time units that the first initial drying cycle is performed; determining a first average of the counted first number of times for the plurality of first time units; comparing the first average with a first threshold; and determining a weight category of the laundry in the drum from a plurality of weight categories of laundry according to a result of the compared first average.
According to another aspect of the disclosure, the clothes dryer may further include: performing a second initial drying cycle after performing the first initial drying cycle; counting a second number of times that the pulse signal is greater than or equal to the predetermined reference during each second time unit of a plurality of second time units that the second initial drying cycle is performed; determining a second average of the counted second number of times for the plurality of second time units; comparing a difference between the first average and the second average with a second threshold; and determining a material category of the laundry in the drum from a plurality of material categories of laundry according to a result of the compared difference.
According to another aspect of the disclosure, the clothes dryer may further include: receiving a selection from a user of a target dryness level from among a plurality of dryness levels; performing a main drying cycle; counting a third number of times that the pulse signal is greater than or equal to a predetermined reference during each third time unit of a plurality of third time units that the main drying cycle is performed; determining whether the counted third number of times, being less than or equal to a predetermined value, occurs greater than or equal to a predetermined number of times during the plurality of third time units; based on the determining that the counted third number of times, being less than or equal to the predetermined value, occurs greater than or equal to the predetermined number of times, setting an additional drying time based on at least one of a corresponding determination time, the determined weight category and the determined material category, and the target dryness level; and performing the main drying cycle for the determined additional drying time and, after the main drying cycle for the determined additional drying time is completed, turning off the heater and performing a cooling cycle.
According to various embodiments of the disclosure, the clothes dryer may provide drying at an appropriate temperature and time matching the characteristics of each laundry even without the user's intervention, enhancing user convenience. According to various embodiments of the disclosure, the clothes dryer may figure out the characteristics of the laundry put in the drum automatically from an initial stage after a drying cycle starts and provide drying optimized for the laundry based on the characteristics, minimizing damage to the clothes and enhancing the drying quality without power waste.
Effects of the present invention are not limited to the foregoing, and other unmentioned effects would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art from the following description. In other words, unintended effects in practicing embodiments of the disclosure may also be derived by one of ordinary skill in the art from the embodiments of the disclosure.
Embodiments of the present invention are now described with reference to the accompanying drawings in such a detailed manner as to be easily practiced by one of ordinary skill in the art. However, the disclosure may be implemented in other various forms and is not limited to the embodiments set forth herein. The same or similar reference denotations may be used to refer to the same or similar elements throughout the specification and the drawings. Further, for clarity and brevity, no description is made of well-known functions and configurations in the drawings and relevant descriptions.
Referring to
According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the housing 110 may have a substantially hexahedral shape, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. According to various embodiments of the disclosure, the housing 110 may include a base plate 111, a front cover 112, a top cover 113, and a side/rear cover 114. According to various embodiments of the disclosure, the front cover 112 may include an opening 115 formed in the center. A door 116 may be rotatably installed on the front cover 112 in a position corresponding to the opening 115. According to various embodiments of the disclosure, the opening 115 may be opened or closed by opening and closing the door 116.
According to various embodiments of the disclosure, an input 117 for receiving control inputs from the user and a display 118 for displaying a screen for guiding the user's input or various pieces of information regarding the operation of the dryer 100 may be disposed at the upper end of the front cover 112 of the housing 110. According to an embodiment of the disclosure, as shown in
According to various embodiments of the disclosure, the drum 120 may have a cylindrical shape with open front and rear surfaces and horizontally disposed. According to various embodiments of the disclosure, the front surface and rear surface of the drum 120 may be rotatably supported by a front panel 121 and a rear panel 122, respectively, fixed to the housing 110. According to various embodiments of the disclosure, an open part 123 may be formed at a position corresponding to the above-described opening 115 of the housing 110, in the center of the front panel 121. According to various embodiments of the disclosure, the opening 115 of the housing 110 and the open part 123 on the front panel 121 may be opened and closed together by opening and closing the above-described door 116. According to various embodiments of the disclosure, when the opening 115 and the open part 123 are opened, the laundry may be put into the inside of the drum 120. According to various embodiments of the disclosure, on the rear panel 122 supporting the rear surface of the drum 120, a hot air inlet 124 through which hot dry air flows into the drum 120 may be formed.
According to various embodiments of the disclosure, the drum 120 may include a plurality of lifters 125 protruding on the inner circumferential surface as shown in
According to various embodiments of the disclosure, the drum 120 may include a humidity detector 126 for detecting the dryness level of the laundry received therein. According to an embodiment of the disclosure, e.g., as illustrated in
According to various embodiments of the disclosure, the drum 120 may include a temperature sensor 127 for detecting the air temperature inside the drum 120. According to an embodiment of the disclosure, e.g., as illustrated in
According to various embodiments of the disclosure, the drum driver 130 may include a driving motor 131 disposed under the drum 120 inside the housing 110 and a driving pulley 132 connected to the driving motor 131 and receiving power from the driving motor 131 to rotate.
According to various embodiments of the disclosure, the drum driver 130 may include a belt 133 to rotate the drum 120 while being rotated by the rotation of the driving pulley 132. According to various embodiments of the disclosure, the belt 133 may be installed to surround the outer circumferential surface of the driving pulley 132 and the outer surface of the drum 120 and, as the driving pulley 132 is rotated as the driving motor 131 is driven, the drum 120 may be rotated.
According to various embodiments of the disclosure, the drum 120 may be rotated clockwise and/or counterclockwise as the driving motor 131 is driven.
According to various embodiments of the disclosure, the hot air flow path 140 may include a heater 141 disposed under the drum 120 to heat ambient air inside the housing 110 and a hot air duct 142 for guiding hot air toward the hot air inlet 124 to allow the air heated by the heater 141 to be introduced into the drum 120. According to an embodiment of the disclosure, as shown in
According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the heater Hbig and heater Hsmall of the heater 141 may have a power capacity ratio of, e.g., 7:3. For example, when the total power capacity is 5.3 kW, the heater Hbig may have a capacity of 70% of the total power capacity, i.e., about 3.7 kW while the heater Hsmall may have a capacity of remaining 30%, i.e., about 1.6 kW, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. According to another embodiment of the disclosure, the heater 141 may have only one heater, or may have a plurality of heaters having the same output capacity. According to another embodiment of the disclosure, the heater 141 may include heaters having output capacity in various output ratios, but the disclosure is not limited to heaters having capacity in a specific ratio. According to various embodiments of the disclosure, the hot air duct 142 may connect the heater 141 and the above-described hot air inlet 124 on the rear panel 122 supporting the rear surface of the drum 120. According to various embodiments of the disclosure, air heated by the heater 141 may be introduced into the inside of the drum 120 through the hot air duct 142 and the hot air inlet 124.
According to various embodiments of the disclosure, the exhaust flow path 150 may include an exhaust port 151 formed on a lower side of the front panel 121 of the drum 120, a blower fan 152 which leads the air from the inside of the drum 120 to circulate to the outside and is disposed in a lower area of the drum 120, and a blower fan case 153 for receiving the blower fan 152. According to an embodiment of the disclosure, as shown in
According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the input 117 may receive various inputs/commands from the user. According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the input 117 may receive a selection for the drying mode from the user. According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the input 117 may receive a selection for the optimized drying mode or the manual mode from the user. According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the input 117 may obtain selection information regarding a desired target drying level from the user. According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the input 117 may receive, from the user, a selection for one desired level among five levels of a plurality of predetermined target dryness levels, e.g., Damp Dry, Less Dry, Normal Dry, More Dry, and Very Dry (only an example, but the disclosure is not limited thereto). For example, the five levels described above, Damp Dry, Less Dry, Normal Dry, More Dry, and Very Dry, may sequentially indicate a higher dryness level. According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the input 117 may receive a command to start and/or stop the drying operation from the user.
According to an embodiment of the disclosure, as described above with reference to
According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the pulse measurer 210 may continuously receive an electric pulse signal output from the humidity detector 126. According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the pulse measurer 210 may compare an electric pulse signal received from the humidity detector 126 with a predetermined threshold and count the number (number of occurrences) of electric pulse signals larger than or equal to the corresponding threshold. According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the pulse measurer 210 may count the number of electrical pulse signals equal to or larger than the above-described predetermined threshold for each predetermined unit time (e.g., 1 minute).
According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the temperature sensor 127 may detect the temperature of the air inside the drum 120. According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the temperature sensor 127 may be disposed at a lower position on the rear side of the drum 120 as described above with reference to
According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the driving motor 131 may rotate clockwise and/or counterclockwise according to the control signal from the controller 220 to be described below. According to an embodiment of the disclosure, as described above in connection with
According to an embodiment of the disclosure, as described above with reference to
According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the controller 220 may receive various inputs or commands from the user received on the input 117 from the above-described input 117. According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the controller 220 may receive, from the input 117, target dryness level selection information by the user, e.g., information about the drying level selected by the user from among five levels of Damp Dry, Less Dry, Normal Dry, More Dry, and Very Dry. According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the controller 220 may receive a drying operation start and/or stop command from the user through the input 117.
According to an embodiment of the disclosure, when a drying start command is received through the input 117, the controller 220 may start an initial drying cycle for selecting an optimized drying mode. According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the controller 220 may obtain, e.g., information to be used during the initial drying cycle, e.g., operation control information about the driving motor 131 and/or the heater 141, various time information and threshold information for the initial drying cycle, etc., from the storage 230. According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the controller 220 may perform a procedure for selecting the optimized drying mode by controlling the operation of the driving motor 131 and/or the heater 141 based on the operation control information obtained from the storage 230.
According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the pulse measurer 210 may count the number of electrical pulse signals from the humidity detector 126 of a predetermined threshold or more for each unit time (e.g., 1 minute) as described above while the initial drying cycle is performed. According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the controller 220 may continuously obtain the pulse signal count for each unit time from the pulse measurer 210 over a predetermined time (e.g., the first initial drying cycle time) while the initial drying cycle is performed, and may classify or determine the weight category of the laundry inside the drum 120 based thereon. According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the controller 220 may classify the laundry into each weight category of, e.g., a small load and a normal load, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. According to another embodiment of the disclosure, the controller 220 may classify the laundry into a more subdivided weight category, but the disclosure is not limited to a specific case.
According to an embodiment of the disclosure, after classifying the weight category of the laundry in the drum 120, the controller 220 may continuously obtain the pulse signal count for each unit time from the pulse measurer 210 for another predetermined time (e.g., the second initial drying cycle time), and may classify the material category of the laundry in the drum 120 based thereon. According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the controller 220 may classify the laundry into one of a plurality of material categories, e.g., a delicate fiber category (or a material category having a fast drying speed and low moisture content), a synthetic fiber category (or a material category having a normal drying speed and moisture content), and a cotton fiber category (or a material category having a slow drying speed and high moisture content), but the disclosure is not limited thereto. According to another embodiment of the disclosure, the controller 220 may classify the laundry into one of a larger or smaller number of material categories.
According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the controller 220 may determine an optimized drying mode for the laundry according to the classified weight category and material category. According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the controller 220 may retrieve and obtain, from the storage 230, various control information such as information for the subsequent drying cycle to be performed according to the determined drying mode, e.g., operation control information about the driving motor 131 and/or the heater 141 for each drying mode and drying time determination information for each drying mode. According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the controller 220 may generate an operation control command of each component of the clothes dryer 100, e.g., the driving motor 131 and the heater 141, based on the information retrieved and obtained from the storage 230, and may control to perform the drying cycle optimized for the laundry.
According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the storage 230 may store various types of information necessary to control the operation of the clothes dryer 100. According to an embodiment of the disclosure, as described above, the storage 230 may store various pieces of control information, such as control information (e.g., operation control information about the driving motor 131 and/or the heater 141 during the initial drying cycle and various time information and threshold information for the initial drying cycle) to be used while the initial drying cycle is performed after a dry start command is input from the user and control information (e.g., operation control information about the driving motor 131 and/or the heater 141 for each drying mode during the drying cycle after determining the drying mode) to be used while the drying cycle is performed according to the drying mode after each drying mode is determined.
According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the display 118 may display information regarding the operation state of the clothes dryer 100. According to an embodiment of the disclosure, while the clothes dryer 100 performs the initial drying cycle for selecting the optimized drying mode under the control of the controller 220, the display 118 may display the progress state of the initial drying cycle, e.g., the fact that the initial drying cycle proceeds, weight category information determined when the weight category is determined, and expected remaining time information about the initial drying cycle. According to an embodiment of the disclosure, while the clothes dryer 100 performs the main drying cycle according to selection of the optimized drying mode under the control of the controller 220, the display 118 may display the progress state of the main drying cycle, e.g., the corresponding drying mode, the elapsed drying time, and the expected remaining time information about the drying cycle.
First, in step 402, the controller 220 may determine whether a drying level selection command (e.g., one user target dryness level selected from five levels of Damp Dry, Less Dry, Normal Dry, More Dry, and Very Dry) and a drying start command are obtained from the input 117. When it is determined that the drying level selection and drying start command are received in step 402, the procedure may proceed to step 404. In step 404, the controller 220 may retrieve and obtain, from the storage 230, initial control information to be used during the execution of the initial drying cycle in order to prepare for the execution of the initial drying cycle for category classification for each characteristic of the laundry (and determination of the optimized drying mode). According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the initial control information retrieved and obtained from the storage 230 may include, e.g., allowable temperature range information (e.g., upper limit temperature and lower limit temperature) for the heater 141, information about the heater used of the heaters Hbig and Hsmall of the heater 141, driving duration information for the driving motor 131, and/or various time information and threshold information.
In this regard,
Referring back to
According to an embodiment of the disclosure, during the initial drying cycle, the controller 220 may control each heater Hbig or Hsmall of the heater 141 to be turned on/off according to initial control information, i.e., allowable temperature range information. According to an embodiment of the disclosure, e.g., the controller 220 may continuously receive temperature information detected from the temperature sensor 127 during the initial drying cycle, and may control on/off of each heater Hbig or Hsmall of the heater 141 according to comparison between the temperature information received from the temperature sensor 127 and the allowable temperature range information for the heater 141. According to an embodiment of the disclosure, e.g., when the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 127 reaches the upper limit temperature of the allowable temperature range, the controller 220 may turn off the whole or part of the heater 141.
According to an embodiment of the disclosure, e.g., when the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 127 reaches the lower limit temperature of the allowable temperature range, the controller 220 may turn on whole or part of the heater 141. According to an embodiment of the disclosure, during the initial drying cycle, the controller 220 may continuously obtain, from the pulse measurer 210, the number of pulses from the humidity detector 126, which is larger than or equal to a predetermined threshold, counted for each unit time (e.g., 1 minute).
According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the initial drying cycle may include a first step (e.g., the first initial drying cycle) of classifying a weight category (e.g., a small load or a normal load) of a laundry and a second step (e.g., the second initial drying cycle) of classifying a material category (e.g., a delicate fiber, a synthetic fiber, or a cotton fiber category). In step 408, the weight category classification of the laundry may be performed under the control of the controller 220.
Referring to
When the average number of pulses equal to or larger than the threshold is less than the first reference value as a result of the comparison in step 604, the procedure proceeds to step 606, and the controller 220 may classify the laundry into the small load category. When the average number of pulses equal to or larger than the threshold is equal to or larger than the first reference value as a result of the comparison in step 604, the procedure may proceed to step 608, and the controller 220 may classify the laundry into the normal load category.
Returning to
Referring to
When it is determined that the termination condition of the initial drying cycle is achieved in step 702, the process procedure to step 704, classifying the category of the laundry into the material category having a high drying speed, e.g., the delicate fiber category. In step 702, when it is determined that the termination condition of the initial drying cycle is not yet met, the procedure may proceed to step 706. In step 706, the controller 220 may determine whether the total elapsed time after the initial drying cycle starts elapses a second predetermined time T2 (e.g., 10 minutes). In step 706, when it is determined that the total elapsed time after the initial drying cycle starts does not yet elapse the second predetermined time T2, the procedure may return to step 702 to determine again whether the condition for terminating the initial drying cycle is met. In step 706, when it is determined that the total elapsed time elapses the second predetermined time T2, the procedure may proceed to step 708.
In step 708, the controller 220 may calculate an average number of pulses larger than or equal to the threshold for each unit time obtained from the pulse measurer 210 until the second predetermined time T2 elapses after the initial drying cycle starts. Then, in step 710, the controller may compare the difference between the average number of pulses equal to or larger than the threshold for each unit time obtained from the pulse measurer 210 over the first predetermined time T1 (e.g., five minutes) after the initial drying cycle starts, calculated in step 602 of
When the calculated difference exceeds the second reference value as a result of the comparison in step 710, the procedure may proceed to step 704, classifying the material category of the laundry into a material category having a high drying speed, e.g., a delicate fiber category. When it is determined in step 710 that the calculated difference does not exceed the second reference value, the procedure may proceed to step 712 to continue the procedure for classifying the material category of the laundry.
In step 712, the controller 220 may determine whether the termination condition of the initial drying cycle is once again achieved, as in step 702. When it is determined that the termination condition of the initial drying cycle is achieved in step 712, the process proceeds to step 714, classifying the material category of the laundry into a material category having a medium drying speed, e.g., a synthetic fiber category. In step 712, when it is determined that the termination condition of the initial drying cycle is not yet met, the procedure may proceed to step 716. In step 716, the controller 220 may determine whether the total elapsed time after the initial drying cycle starts elapses a third predetermined time T3 (e.g., 15 minutes). In step 716, when it is determined that the total elapsed time after the initial drying cycle starts does not yet elapse the third predetermined time T3, the procedure may return to step 712 to determine again whether the condition for terminating the initial drying cycle is met. In step 716, when it is determined that the total elapsed time elapses the third predetermined time T3, the procedure may proceed to step 718.
In step 718, the controller 220 may calculate an average number of pulses larger than or equal to the threshold for each unit time obtained from the pulse measurer 210 until the third predetermined time (e.g., 15 minutes) elapses after the initial drying cycle starts. Then, in step 720, the controller may compare the difference between the average number of pulses equal to or larger than the threshold for each unit time obtained from the pulse measurer 210 over the first predetermined time (e.g., five minutes) after the initial drying cycle starts, calculated in step 602 of
When the calculated difference exceeds the third reference value as a result of the comparison in step 720, the procedure may proceed to step 714, classifying the material category of the laundry into a material category having a medium drying speed, e.g., a synthetic fiber category. When it is determined in step 720 that the calculated difference does not exceed the third reference value, the procedure may proceed to step 722, classifying the material category of the laundry into a material category having a slow drying speed, e.g., a cotton fiber category.
As described above with reference to
Returning to
According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the temperature inside the drum 120 may be controlled for each category to which the laundry belongs. For example, when the laundry in the drum 120 belongs to the delicate fiber category, the laundry may be damaged by heat, and thus the temperature inside the drum 120 may be limited to a relatively low temperature range. For example, when the laundry in the drum 120 belongs to the cotton fiber category, the laundry is less likely to be damaged by heat and needs to increase in drying speed, so that the temperature inside the drum 120 may be set to a relatively high temperature range. For example, when the laundry in the drum 120 belongs to the synthetic fiber category, the temperature inside the drum 120 may be limited to a relatively medium temperature range. Further, according to an embodiment of the disclosure, when the laundry belongs to a small load delicate fiber category, only one heater Hbig or Hsmall of the heaters of the heater 141 may be used to prevent a sharp rise in temperature or damage to the fiber due to high heat. According to an embodiment of the disclosure, when the laundry belongs to the normal load category, the risk of a sudden rise in temperature is reduced, and thus both the heater Hbig having a high output capacity and the heater Hsmall having a low output capacity may be used. According to an embodiment of the disclosure, when the laundry belongs to the small load category but belongs to the synthetic fiber category or the cotton fiber category, there is the low risk of thermal damage, so both the heater Hbig having the high output capacity and the heater Hsmall having the low output capacity may be used.
Meanwhile, in the case of the laundry in which the weight category is classified as the small load category, a part of the laundry may be fixedly positioned in the intermediate space of the lifter without crossing the lifter during the drying cycle, and in the case of such a laundry, the surface in contact with the air may be dried, but the surface in contact with the drum surface or the folded surface may be less dried until the end of the drying cycle despite long-term drying. Accordingly, according to an embodiment of the disclosure, during the drying cycle for the laundry in the small load category, the position and placement of the laundry during drying may be changed, and accordingly, the drum 120 may be controlled to be rotated and stopped repeatedly so that drying on several surfaces may be evenly performed. According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the drying cycle control information for the laundry in the small load category may include a predetermined drive-on duration and a predetermined drive-off duration as driving duration information for the driving motor 131, and the drum 120 may be repeatedly rotated and stopped according to the driving control of the driving motor 131 based on the driving time information. In this regard, the disclosure mainly describes that a constant speed motor is used for rotational driving of the drum 120, and stop and rotation of the constant speed motor and drum are repeated to enhance the drying efficiency of the laundry in the above-described small load category, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. According to another embodiment of the disclosure, an inverter motor may be adopted for the rotational driving of the drum, and as the rotational direction and speed of the inverter motor may be changed, the rotation direction and speed of the motor and the drum may be changed to enhance the drying efficiency of the laundry in the small load category.
Referring to
In column 530 of
In column 540 of
In column 550 of
In column 560 of
In column 570 of
Each of the control information that may be used for the initial drying cycle and/or the main drying cycle displayed in each column of
Referring back to
In step 416, the controller 220 may determine whether the preliminary termination condition of the drying cycle is achieved. According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the condition for preliminary termination of the drying cycle may be included, e.g., in the control information retrieved and obtained in step 412. According to an embodiment of the disclosure, it may be defined that the number of pulses less than a predetermined number is obtained consecutively two times (or more times) from, e.g., the pulse measurer 210, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. Referring to columns 520 to 570 of
If it is determined in step 416 that the preliminary termination condition of the drying cycle is not met, the procedure may return to step 414 and continue the drying cycle. When it is determined that the preliminary termination condition of the drying cycle is met in step 416, the procedure may proceed to step 418 to determine an additional dry time and continue the drying cycle accordingly. According to an embodiment of the disclosure, as described above, the controller 220 may determine the additional drying time according to a predetermined criterion considering the target dryness level selected by the user and the category to which the laundry belongs. According to an embodiment of the disclosure, when the target dryness level selected by the user is a relatively low drying level, e.g., Damp Dry or Less Dry, in step 418, the controller 220 may determine that there is no additional drying time regardless of the category of the laundry, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. According to an embodiment of the disclosure, when the target dryness level selected by the user is Normal Dry, More Dry, or Very Dry which is a relatively high drying level, it may be determined to sequentially have a slightly longer additional drying time according to a predetermined criterion, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the controller 220 may determine the additional drying time according to a predetermined criterion considering the target dryness level selected by the user and the category to which the laundry belongs, and the time when it is determined that the preliminary termination condition of the drying cycle is met in step 416 (i.e., the elapsed time from the start of the drying cycle to the corresponding determination time). According to various embodiments of the disclosure, various methods for determining an additional drying time appropriate for each context may be considered, but the disclosure is not limited to a specific type.
In step 420, the controller 220 may determine whether the additional drying time determined in step 418 elapses, and when it is determined that the additional drying time elapses, the controller 220 may proceed to step 422 to perform a cooling process for a predetermined time. According to an embodiment of the disclosure, when the cooling process is performed, the controller 220 may control to continue the rotation of the drum 120 and the blower fan 152 even in a state in which each heater constituting the heater 141 is turned off, thereby discharging heat in the drum 120 to the outside. When it is determined in step 420 that the additional drying time does not elapse, the procedure may return to step 418 and continue the drying cycle.
In the disclosure, it is described that the weight category of the laundry is classified into two categories: small load and normal load, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. According to another embodiment of the disclosure, the weight category of the laundry may be classified into a larger number of categories. In the disclosure, it is described that the material category of the laundry is classified into three categories: delicate fiber, synthetic fiber, and cotton fiber, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. According to another embodiment of the disclosure, the material category of the laundry may be classified into more diverse and a large number of categories.
In the disclosure, an exhaust type clothes dryer has been mainly described, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. The disclosure may also be applied to condensing clothes dryers.
The terms as used herein are provided merely to describe some embodiments thereof, but are not intended to limit the disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. As used herein, each of such phrases as “A or B,” “at least one of A and B,” “at least one of A or B,” “A, B, or C,” “at least one of A, B, and C,” and “at least one of A, B, or C,” may include all possible combinations of the items enumerated together in a corresponding one of the phrases. As used herein, the term ‘and/or’ should be understood as encompassing any and all possible combinations by one or more of the enumerated items. As used herein, the terms “include,” “have,” and “comprise” are used merely to designate the presence of the feature, component, part, or a combination thereof described herein, but use of the term does not exclude the likelihood of presence or adding one or more other features, components, parts, or combinations thereof. As used herein, the terms “first” and “second” may modify various components regardless of importance and/or order and are used to distinguish a component from another without limiting the components.
As used herein, the terms “configured to” may be interchangeably used with the terms “suitable for,” “having the capacity to,” “designed to,” “adapted to,” “made to,” or “capable of” depending on circumstances. The term “configured to” does not essentially mean “specifically designed in hardware to.” Rather, the term “configured to” may mean that a device can perform an operation together with another device or parts. For example, a ‘device configured (or set) to perform A, B, and C’ may be a dedicated device to perform the corresponding operation or may mean a general-purpose device capable of various operations including the corresponding operation.
As used herein, the term “part” or “module” may include a unit implemented in hardware, software, or firmware, and may interchangeably be used with other terms, for example, “logic,” “logic block,” “part,” or “circuitry”. A part or module may be a single integral component, or a minimum unit or part thereof, adapted to perform one or more functions. For example, according to an embodiment, ‘part’ or ‘module’ may be implemented in a form of an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).
According to various embodiments, each component (e.g., a module or a program) of the above-described components may include a single entity or multiple entities. Some of the plurality of entities may be separately disposed in different components. According to various embodiments, one or more of the above-described components may be omitted, or one or more other components may be added. Alternatively or additionally, a plurality of components (e.g., modules or programs) may be integrated into a single component. In such a case, according to various embodiments, the integrated component may still perform one or more functions of each of the plurality of components in the same or similar manner as they are performed by a corresponding one of the plurality of components before the integration. According to various embodiments, operations performed by the module, the program, or another component may be carried out sequentially, in parallel, repeatedly, or heuristically, or one or more of the operations may be executed in a different order or omitted, or one or more other operations may be added.
In the disclosure, the above-described description has been made mainly of specific embodiments, but the disclosure is not limited to such specific embodiments, but should rather be appreciated as covering all various modifications, equivalents, and/or substitutes of various embodiments.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-2021-0192865 | Dec 2021 | KR | national |
This application is a continuation application, under 35 U.S.C. § 111(a), of International Application No. PCT/KR2022/016741, filed on Oct. 28, 2022, which claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 to Korean Patent Application 10-2021-0192865, filed on Dec. 30, 2021, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entireties.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | PCT/KR2022/016741 | Oct 2022 | WO |
| Child | 18646131 | US |
