CLOTHING DRYER AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THE SAME

Abstract

A clothing dryer is provided. The clothing dryer includes a water tray provided to store residual water including condensate generated by drying of laundry, a drain pump provided to pump the residual water in the water tray to an outside, a sensor provided to detect a residual water amount of the condensate stored in the water tray, memory storing one or more computer programs, and one or more processors communicatively coupled to the memory, wherein the one or more computer programs include computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors individually or collectively, cause the clothing dryer to control a drain processing speed of the drain pump, and control the drain pump so that the drain processing speed is slower when the residual water amount of the condensate is smaller than a first threshold level than when the residual water amount of the condensate is larger than or equal to the first threshold level, based on residual water data provided by the sensor, wherein the drain processing speed is determined by at least one of a rotational speed of the drain pump or a driving time of the drain pump.

Description

BACKGROUND

1. Field

The disclosure relates to a clothing dryer. More particularly, the disclosure relates to a device and method for reducing the noise generated from the clothing dryer.

2. Description of Related Art

A clothing dryer is a home appliance that serves to dry wet laundry with hot and dry air.

Clothing dryers may be classified into gas dryers and electric dryers depending on the power source and may be divided into vented dryers and condenser dryers depending on how to treat the moisture sucked (e.g., absorbed) from laundry.

The vented dryer vents the humid air flowing in from the drum to the outside through an extended exhaust duct, and the condenser dryer dries the humid air coming from the drum through a heat exchanger and sends the dry air back to the drum.

Condensate may be generated while moisture from humid air is removed from the dehumidifier of the clothing dryer. The generated condensate may be collected in the base of the clothing dryer and, if a predetermined amount is reached, the condensate may be removed from the base through a drain pump.

During the removal of water from the base by the drain pump, noise may be generated according to certain conditions, thereby deteriorating the user experience.

A clothing dryer is a home appliance capable of drying laundry, such as wet clothes. The clothing dryer may dry wet laundry using, e.g., hot and dry air. The clothing dryer may generate condensate as a by-product from drying the laundry.

The clothing dryer comes with a scheme for treating condensate. For example, the clothing dryer may include a water tray capable of storing condensate. Condensate stored in the water tray may be discharged to an external drainage facility, such as a sewer, through a drain pipe. Condensate stored in the water tray may be transferred to a detachable storage container. In this case, the storage container may be removed from the clothing dryer, the condensate contained in the storage container may be discarded, and the storage container may be put back into the clothing dryer.

The clothing dryer may operate a drain pump to directly discharge condensate stored in the water tray to an external drainage facility such as a sewer or to transfer the condensate to a detachable storage container. The operation of the drain pump may generate noise. The clothing dryer may rotate the drum, containing the laundry and/or the fan, to dry the laundry. In the clothing dryer, the rotation of the drum and/or the fan may generate significant noise.

The above information is presented as background information only to assist with an understanding of the disclosure. No determination has been made, and no assertion is made, as to whether any of the above might be applicable as prior art with regard to the disclosure.

SUMMARY

Aspects of the disclosure are to address at least the above-mentioned problems and/or disadvantages and to provide at least the advantages described below. Accordingly, an aspect of the disclosure is to provide a device and method capable of adaptively controlling a motor for discharging condensate in each situation capable of generating noise when drying laundry in a clothing dryer.

Additional aspects will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the presented embodiments.

In accordance with an aspect of the disclosure, a clothing dryer is provided. The clothing dryer includes a water tray provided to store residual water including condensate generated by drying of laundry, a drain pump provided to pump the residual water in the water tray to an outside, a sensor provided to detect a residual water amount of the condensate stored in the water tray, memory storing one or more computer programs, and a controller provided one or more processors communicatively coupled to the memory, wherein the one or more computer programs include computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors individually or collectively, cause the clothing dryer to control a drain processing speed of the drain pump, and control the drain pump so that the drain processing speed is slower when the residual water amount of the condensate is smaller than a first threshold level than when the residual water amount of the condensate is greater than or equal to the first threshold level, based on residual water data provided by the sensor. The drain processing speed may be determined by at least one of a rotational speed of the drain pump or a driving time of the drain pump.

In accordance with another aspect of the disclosure, a method for controlling a drying operation in a clothing dryer is provided. The method includes obtaining remaining water data of a water tray storing condensate generated due to drying of laundry, and controlling the drain pump so that the drain processing speed is slower when the residual water amount of the condensate is smaller than a first threshold level than when the residual water amount of the condensate is larger than or equal to the first threshold level, based on residual water data. The drain processing speed may be determined by at least one of a rotational speed of the drain pump or a driving time of the drain pump.

The clothing dryer according to an embodiment of the disclosure may provide user convenience by reducing noise generated by a drain pump.

Other aspects, advantages, and salient features of the disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, which, taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, discloses various embodiments of the disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other aspects, features, and advantages of certain embodiments of the disclosure will be more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view illustrating an example clothing dryer according to one or more embodiments;

FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view illustrating an example clothing dryer according to one or more embodiments;

FIG. 3 is a view illustrating an example configuration of a clothing dryer according to one or more embodiments;

FIG. 4 is a view illustrating an example base of a clothing dryer according to one or more embodiments;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an example base according to one or more embodiments;

FIG. 6 is a view illustrating an example drain pipe coupling structure when condensate is drained using a second water container according to one or more embodiments;

FIG. 7 is a view illustrating an example drain pipe coupling structure when condensate is drained out of a main body through a drain pipe according to one or more embodiments;

FIGS. 8A and 8B are cross-sectional views illustrating an example first water container according to one or more embodiments;

FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating an example clothing dryer according to one or more embodiments;

FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example operation of controlling a drain pump by a clothing dryer according to one or more embodiments;

FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating an example operation of controlling a drain pump by a clothing dryer according to one or more embodiments;

FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating an example operation of controlling a drain pump by a clothing dryer according to one or more embodiments;

FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example operation of controlling a drain pump by a clothing dryer according to one or more embodiments;

FIG. 14 is a flowchart illustrating an example operation of controlling a drain pump by a clothing dryer according to one or more embodiments; and

FIG. 15 is a flowchart illustrating an example operation of controlling a drain pump by a clothing dryer according to one or more embodiments.

Throughout the drawings it should be noted that like reference numbers are used to depict the same or similar elements, features, and structures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following description with reference to the accompanying drawings is provided to assist in a comprehensive understanding of various embodiments of the disclosure as defined by the claims and their equivalents. It includes various specific details to assist in that understanding but these are to be regarded as merely exemplary. Accordingly, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that various changes and modifications of the various embodiments described herein can be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the disclosure. In addition, descriptions of well-known functions and configurations may be omitted for clarity and conciseness.

The terms and words used in the following description and claims are not limited to the bibliographical meanings, but, are merely used by the inventor to enable a clear and consistent understanding of the disclosure. Accordingly, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the following description of various embodiments of the disclosure is provided for illustration purpose only and not for the purpose of limiting the disclosure as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

It is to be understood that the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to “a component surface” includes reference to one or more of such surfaces.

It should be appreciated that the blocks in each flowchart and combinations of the flowcharts may be performed by one or more computer programs which include instructions. The entirety of the one or more computer programs may be stored in a single memory device or the one or more computer programs may be divided with different portions stored in different multiple memory devices.

Any of the functions or operations described herein can be processed by one processor or a combination of processors. The one processor or the combination of processors is circuitry performing processing and includes circuitry like an application processor (AP, e.g. a central processing unit (CPU)), a communication processor (CP, e.g., a modem), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a neural processing unit (NPU) (e.g., an artificial intelligence (AI) chip), a Wi-Fi chip, a Bluetooth® chip, a global positioning system (GPS) chip, a near field communication (NFC) chip, connectivity chips, a sensor controller, a touch controller, a finger-print sensor controller, a display driver integrated circuit (IC), an audio CODEC chip, a universal serial bus (USB) controller, a camera controller, an image processing IC, a microprocessor unit (MPU), a system on chip (SoC), an IC, or the like.

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view illustrating an example clothing dryer 1 according to one or more embodiments.

FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view illustrating an example clothing dryer 1 according to one or more embodiments.

FIG. 3 is a view illustrating an example configuration of a clothing dryer 1 according to one or more embodiments. In other words, FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken in one direction of FIG. 1 or 2.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, a clothing dryer 1 may include a main body 10, a drum 20, a driver 30, a dehumidifier 80, second water container 50 and first water container 100. The main body 10 may include a frame 12, a top cover 11 covering an upper portion of the frame 12, and a front panel 13 disposed on a front side (e.g., surface) of the frame 12.

According to an embodiment, the main body 10 may include a first water container 100 and a second water container 50. The first water container 100 may be a water tray for collecting condensate. The second water container 50 may be a removable water container to remove condensate water from the main body 10. The first water container 100 and/or the second water container 50 may be provided inside the housing of the main body 10. The first water container 100 may be positioned, e.g., at a lower portion of the main body 10. The second water container 50 may be positioned, e.g., at an upper portion (e.g., section) of the main body 10. Hereinafter, the first water container 100 may be referred to as a ‘water tray.’

According to an embodiment, the first water container 100 may accommodate condensate generated from drying the laundry. Condensate stored in the first water container 100 may be drained into the second water container 50. The condensate may be disposed of by removing the second water container 50 from the main body 10. The condensate of the first water container 100 may be directly drained to the outside (e.g., a sewer) of the main body 10. This is described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7.

According to an embodiment, a handle portion 52 of the second water container 50 may be positioned on the front panel 13. In this case, the second water container 50 may be removed and the condensate, accommodated in the second water container 50, may be drained, if necessary. A display window 51 may be positioned on the front side (e.g., surface) of the second water container 50. The display window 51 is provided to be transparent so the amount of condensate inside the second water container 50 may be checked (e.g., monitored or inspected). Further, the front panel 13 may include a control panel 15 on which various buttons for controlling the clothing dryer 1 and/or a display are disposed.

According to an embodiment, a loading opening 16 may be provided on the front side (e.g., surface) of the main body 10. A door 14 may be hinged to open and close the loading opening 16 in front of the loading opening 16. The door 14 may be opened and the laundry may be put (e.g., placed) into the drum 20.

According to an embodiment, the first water container 100 may be positioned on the rear side (e.g., surface) of the main body 10. The first water container 100 may be positioned at a rear edge of the main body 10. The first water container 100 may include a first water container body 61 and a first water container cover 70. Due to the coupling relationship between the first water container body 61 and the first water container cover 70, whether to drain the condensate to the outside of the main body 10 or to the second water container 50 can be determined without the need for removing the first water container cover 70. Further, an inlet duct 41 may be coupled to the rear side (e.g., surface) of the main body 10, and air, from which moisture has been removed from the inside of the inlet duct 41, may flow into the drum 20.

According to an embodiment, the drum 20 accommodating the laundry is rotatably installed inside (e.g., the housing) the main body 10. A plurality of lifters 21 are disposed inside the drum 20 along the circumferential direction of the drum 20. The lifter 21 may raise or drop the laundry so that the laundry is dried.

According to an embodiment, the drum 20 may be driven by the driver 30. The driver 30 may include a driving motor 31 mounted on the base 90. The rotational force of the driving motor 31 may be transferred to the drum 20 by a pulley 32 and a belt 33. The pulley 32 may be rotated by the rotational force of the driving motor 31. The belt 33 may transfer power, corresponding to the rotational force of the pulley 32, to the drum 20.

According to an embodiment, the front side (e.g., surface) of the drum 20 may be opened to put in the laundry or closed by the door 14. A hot air inlet 22 may be formed in the rear side (e.g., surface) of the drum 20. Air heated by the dehumidifier 80 may be introduced into the drum 20 through the hot air inlet 22.

According to an embodiment, a dryness sensor 18 may be provided to detect the amount of moisture contained in the laundry placed (e.g., inserted) in the drum 20. The dryness sensor 18 may be positioned below the loading opening 16. For example, the dryness sensor 18 may generate a pulse value as a sensing signal corresponding to the amount of moisture contained in the laundry.

According to an embodiment, the laundry may be dried by the air introduced into the drum 20. Humid air discharged from the drum 20 may flow into the dehumidifier 80 along the discharge duct 42. The humid air introduced from the drum 20 may be dehumidified by the dehumidifier 80. The air dried while passing through the dehumidifier 80 may flow back into the drum 20 along the inlet duct 41. For example, the air discharged from the drum 20 may be circulated and returned to the drum 20.

The air flow as described above may be caused by, e.g., the blower fan 43, installed below the inlet duct 41.

According to an embodiment, the discharge duct 42 may be disposed in front of the drum 20 to guide discharge of hot and humid air passing through the inside of the drum 20. A filter (not shown) may be installed in the discharge duct 42 to filter foreign substances such as lint.

According to an embodiment, the inlet duct 41 may be disposed behind the drum 20 and may communicate with the inside of the drum 20 through the hot air inlet 22 formed in the drum 20.

According to an embodiment, the blower fan 43 may be disposed inside the inlet duct 41. The blower fan 43 may generate a circulatory airflow passing through the drum 20 by sucking hot and dry air that has passed through the dehumidifier 80 and discharging the air into the inlet duct 41. The blower fan 43 may be driven by the driving motor 31 that drives the drum 20.

FIG. 4 is a view illustrating a base 90 (e.g., the base 90 of FIG. 3) of an example clothing dryer (e.g., the clothing dryer 1 of FIG. 1) according to one or more embodiments.

Referring to FIG. 4, a base 90 may be mounted under the drum 20. A base body 91 may form the exterior of the base 90. The blower fan 43 may be mounted behind the base body 91. A rear body 92 having a first water container 100 to be described below may be mounted behind the base body 91.

According to an embodiment, the dehumidifier 80, the driver 30, the blower fan 43, or the first water container 100 may be mounted on the base 90. The first water container 100 may be a drain part. For example, the dehumidifier 80 and the driver 30 may be mounted on the base body 91 of the base 90. The blower fan 43 and the first water container 100 may be mounted on the rear body 92 of the base 90.

According to an embodiment, a portion of the discharge duct 42 may be formed in a portion of the rear body 92 where the blower fan 43 is mounted. In the rear body 92, a first water container cover 70, for protecting electrical components inside the first water container 100, may be separately coupled to the portion where the first water container 100 is formed.

According to an embodiment, a base cover (not shown) may be coupled to an upper portion of the rear body 92 to cover the dehumidifier 80 and the driver 30.

According to an embodiment, the dehumidifier 80 may include an evaporator 81, a condenser 82, or a compressor 83. Further, although not shown in the drawings, the dehumidifier 80 may further include an expansion valve.

According to an embodiment, the hot and humid air discharged from the drum 20 may be introduced into the dehumidifier 80.

According to an embodiment, the hot and humid air may pass through the evaporator 81 of the dehumidifier 80. A refrigerant, that is expanded by a pressure drop to absorb heat, may pass through the evaporator 81. The refrigerant may absorb heat while evaporating in the evaporator 81. On the other hand, hot and humid air may lose moisture as it cools and changes (e.g., converts) to low-temperature dry air. In other words, the high temperature and humid air discharged from the drum 20 may be changed to low temperature and dry air while passing through the evaporator 81.

According to an embodiment, low-temperature dry air, passing through the evaporator 81, may pass through the condenser 82. The refrigerant compressed and overheated by the compressor 83 may pass through the condenser 82. The overheated refrigerant may dissipate heat while passing through the condenser 82, while the low-temperature dry air may be heated and turned into high-temperature dry air. In other words, the low-temperature dry air discharged from the evaporator 81 may be changed into high-temperature dry air while passing through the condenser 82.

According to an embodiment, the hot and dry air, passing through the condenser 82, may be guided to the inlet duct 41 along the guide duct 84. The hot and dry air guided (e.g., flowed) to the inlet duct 41 may be introduced toward the drum 20 along the inlet duct 41 by the blower fan 43.

According to an embodiment, when the drying process starts, the driving motor 31 may operate. The operation of the driving motor 31 may operate the drum 20 and/or the blower fan 43, and the blower fan 43 may generate an air flow. The air may be changed (e.g., converted) into hot and dry air, while passing through the evaporator 81 and the condenser 82, and introduced into the drum 20. The hot and dry air introduced into the drum 20 may take (e.g., absorb) moisture from the laundry introduced into the drum 20 and dry the laundry. In this case, the hot and dry air may be changed into hot and humid air. The hot and humid air may be introduced back into the dehumidifier 80 along the discharge duct 42 to turn into hot and dry air. The hot and dry air may be introduced back into the drum 20.

According to an embodiment, the condensate may be generated while the hot and humid air discharged from the drum 20 is cooled in the evaporator 81 to discharge moisture. The condensate may be collected in the first water container 100 mounted on the base 90. The collected condensate may move (e.g., disposed) to the second water container 50, and the second water container 50 may be withdrawn (e.g., removed) to drain the condensate, or the collected condensate may be drained from the first water container 100 to the outside of the main body 10. Hereinafter, a state in which the condensate is positioned (e.g., collected) in the first water container 100 may be defined as a first state, and a state in which the condensate is pumped and moved (e.g., disposed) to the second water container 50 may be defined as a second state. Further, a state in which condensate is pumped and drained to the outside of the main body 10 may be defined as a third state. Further, a state in which the condensate inside the second water container 50 is overflowed and moved (e.g., disposed) to the first water container 100 may be defined as a fourth state. The state of the condensate (e.g., whether the condensate is in the second state or the third state) may be changed by changing the coupling position between the drain pipe and the first water container 100. In other words, a drain flow path of condensate drained from the first water container 100 may be selected by a user.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an example base 90 according to one or more embodiments.

According to an embodiment, the first water container 100 may be formed behind the rear body 92. A portion of the rear body 92 may be recessed, and the first water container 100, where a first water container side portion 102 is integrally provided, may be formed in the recessed portion. Alternatively, the first water container 100 may be formed separately from the rear body 92, and the first water container 100 may be mounted on the rear body 92.

According to an embodiment, only the first water container side portion 102 may be integrally formed with the rear body 92. A first water container cap (e.g., the first water container cap 101 of FIG. 6) may be mounted on the first water container 100. A first water container bottom plate (e.g., the first water container bottom plate 105 of FIGS. 8A and 8B) may be mounted on a lower portion (e.g., area) of the first water container 100. The first water container 100 may include a first water container side portion 102 integrally formed with the rear body 92, a first water container cap 101 formed separately from the rear body 92, and a first water container bottom plate 105.

According to an embodiment, a portion of the rear side 103 of the first water container is open to form an inlet (e.g., the inlet 124 of FIGS. 8A and 8B). The inlet 124 may be a passage through which condensate generated in the base body 91 is introduced into the first water container 100. An outlet (e.g., the outlet 95 of FIGS. 8A and 8B) may be formed at a portion corresponding to the inlet 124 in the base body 91. The outlet 95 may be a passage through which condensate may flow from the base body 91 to the first water container 100.

According to an embodiment, the bottom of the base body 91 may be formed to be inclined (e.g., sloped) so that condensate flows toward the outlet 95 and the inlet 124. In the base 90, an inclination may be formed so that the direction in which the first water container 100 is provided is positioned or situated lower.

According to an embodiment, the water level sensor (e.g., the water level sensor 150 of FIG. 6) may be provided to detect the water level of the first water container 100. The water level sensor 150 may include a floating member (e.g., the floating member 140 of FIGS. 8A and 8B). The drain pump 110 may pump the condensate according to the detected water level of the condensate.

According to an embodiment, a water level sensor 150 and a drain pump 110 may be mounted on the first water container cap 101. A pump housing 112 may be formed in the first water container cap 101. The pump housing 112 may be integrally formed to accommodate and mount the drain pump 110. As the drain pump 110 is accommodated in the pump housing 112, the drain pump 110 may be mounted on the first water container cap 101.

According to an embodiment, the water level sensor 150 may detect the water level and transmit information about the detected water level to a controller (e.g., the controller 210 of FIG. 9).

According to an embodiment, a weight sensor 160 may be provided below the first water container 100. The weight sensor 160 may be attached to the first water container bottom plate 105. The weight sensor 160 may detect the weight of the condensate present in the first water container 100. The weight sensor 160 may transmit information about the detected weight of the condensate to the controller 210.

According to an embodiment, by having the weight sensor 160, the clothing dryer 1 may more accurately detect information about the amount of condensate stored in the first water container 100. The weight sensor 160 may detect the weight of condensate separately from the water level sensor 150. Accordingly, the weight sensor 160 may more accurately detect the amount of condensate regardless of the change in the water level caused by the flow of the condensate due to the operation of the blower fan (e.g., the blower fan 43 of FIG. 4).

According to an embodiment, the drain pump 110 may be electrically connected to the water level sensor 150 and/or the weight sensor 160. The drain pump 110 may be operated in response to the water level detected by the water level sensor 150 and/or the amount of condensate detected by the weight sensor 160.

According to an embodiment, a discharge pipe 114 may be mounted on the first water container cap 101 to discharge condensate pumped by the drain pump 110. The guide pipe 113 may be integrally formed on one side of the pump housing 112 so that the discharge pipe 114 may be easily mounted. The discharge pipe 114 may be, for example, a first drain pipe 85 (e.g., the first drain pipe 85 of FIG. 6) or a third drain pipe 87 (e.g., the third drain pipe 87 of FIG. 7).

According to an embodiment, the drain pump 110 may include an impeller (e.g., the impeller 116 of FIGS. 8A and 8B). The impeller 116 may be rotated by the motor of the drain pump 110 to pump condensate present in the first water container 100.

According to an embodiment, the drain pump 110 may include a motor for rotating the impeller 116. The motor is, e.g., a brushless direct current (DC) motor (hereinafter referred to as a brushless DC (BLDC) motor) or an alternating current (AC) motor. In the disclosure, a case in which the motor is a BLDC motor will be mainly described.

According to an embodiment, the driving of the drain pump 110 may generate different levels of noise according to the amount of condensate stored in the first water container 100.

For example, if the amount of condensate stored in the first water container 100 is sufficiently filled, because the condensate fills (e.g., reaches) near the impeller 116 of the drain pump 110, the noise caused by the operation of the drain pump 110 may be small.

For example, as the condensate stored in the first water container 100 is pumped by the drain pump 110, the condensate and air may be introduced together near the impeller 116 of the drain pump 110. Accordingly, significant noise may be generated as the drain pump 110 is operated. User experience may be declined due to the noise.

In the method for controlling the clothing dryer 1, the operation of the drain pump 110 may be controlled based on the height (e.g., level) of the condensate stored in the first water container 100 or the amount of the condensate. This is described below with reference to FIG. 9.

According to an embodiment, the water level sensor 150 may be mounted on the first water container cap 101 so that an electrode (e.g., the electrode 151 of FIGS. 8A and 8B) protrudes and extends below the first water container cap 101.

According to an embodiment, the first water container bottom plate 105 may form a lower side (e.g., surface) of the first water container 100. In the first water container bottom plate 105, a recessed portion 131 may be formed in a portion corresponding to the inlet 124 to allow condensate to flow into the first water container 100 through the inlet 124.

According to an embodiment, the floating member 140 may be mounted on the first water container bottom plate 105. A floating guide (e.g., the floating guide 132 of FIGS. 8A and 8B) may be formed so that the floating member 140 may ascend or descend according (e.g., correspondingly) to the position of the condensate at a predetermined position. The floating member 140 may be accommodated in the floating guide 132. A flow hole (e.g., the flow hole 133 of FIGS. 8A and 8B) may be formed in the floating guide 132 so that condensate may be introduced and discharged. The floating member 140 may be provided with a floating member (e.g., the floating member 142 of FIGS. 8A and 8B) so that the floating member 140 may be floated by the buoyancy of the condensate. A conductor (e.g., the conductor 141 of FIGS. 8A and 8B) may be coupled to an upper portion of the floating member 142. The conductor 141, together with the floating member 142, may ascend or descend according (e.g., correspondingly) to the water level of the condensate.

According to an embodiment, when the conductor 141 ascends and contacts to electrically connect to the electrode 151 of the water level sensor 150, the controller 210 may operate the drain pump 110 to pump the condensate of the first water container 100 from the first water container 100 to the outside.

According to an embodiment, the condensate pumped by the drain pump 110 may move (e.g., flow or dispose) to the outside or the second water container 50 along the discharge pipe 114. To that end, the electrode 151 of the water level sensor 150 may be formed to extend to a position lower than the water level at which the condensate overflows the first water container 100.

According to an embodiment, the floating member 140 may include a floating member 142 and a conductor 141 mounted on the floating member 142. For example, the entire floating member 140 may be formed of a conductor.

According to an embodiment, the inside of the floating member 140 may be empty or formed of the floating member 142, with the conductor 141 formed to cover only the outer surface thereof. Even in this case, the floating member 140 may be formed in a predetermined shape so as to float in condensate. For example, the conductor 141 may be thinly coated on the outer surface of the floating member 140 so as not to significantly increase the overall weight of the floating member 140.

FIG. 6 is a view illustrating an example coupling structure of a drain pipe (e.g., the first drain pipe 85 and the second drain pipe 86) when condensate is drained using a second water container (e.g., the second water container 50 of FIG. 1), according to one or more embodiment. FIG. 6 may be understood as illustrating a drain pipe coupling structure in a second state in which condensate is drained from the first water container 100 to the second water container 50.

FIG. 7 is a view illustrating an example coupling structure of a drain pipe (e.g., the first drain pipe 85, the second drain pipe 86, and the third drain pipe 87) when condensate is drained out of a main body 10 using a drain pipe, according to one or more embodiment. FIG. 7 may be understood as illustrating a drain pipe coupling structure in a third state in which condensate is drained from the first water container 100 to the outside of the main body 10.

Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, the illustrated first water container 100 may be understood as a state in which the cover is disassembled.

According to an embodiment, the first water container 100 may be formed behind the rear body 92. For example, a portion of the rear body 92 may be recessed, and the first water container 100 may be integrally formed in the recessed portion. However, the disclosure is not limited thereto, and the first water container 100 may be formed separately from the rear body 92 so that the first water container 100 is mounted on the rear body 92.

According to an embodiment, one or more drain pipes (85, 86, and 87) may be coupled to the first water container 100. A drain pipe for moving condensate from the first water container 100 to the second water container 50 may be defined as a first drain pipe 85. A drain pipe for moving condensate from the second water container 50 to the first water container 100 may be defined as a second drain pipe 86. A drain pipe for moving condensate from the first water container 100 to the outside of the main body 10 may be defined as a third drain pipe 87.

According to an embodiment, at least one or more drain holes (62 and 64) may be provided on the upper side (e.g., surface) of the first water container 100. For example, the first drain hole 62 may be coupled to one of the first drain pipe 85 or the third drain pipe 87. For example, the second drain pipe 86 may be coupled to the second drain hole 64. The third drain pipe 87 is not used in the second state and may be additionally coupled to the first drain hole 62 in the third state. Accordingly, the third drain pipe 87 may be additionally provided to the user. Further, if the first drain pipe 85 is not used for drainage purposes in the third state, a boss 63, to which the first drain pipe 85 is coupled, may be provided to be close to (e.g., adjacent or near) the first drain hole 62.

According to an embodiment, electrical components for draining condensate may be positioned inside the drain holes (62 and 64). The electrical components may include a drain pump 110 for pumping and draining condensate and a water level sensor 150 for detecting the water level of the condensate. The condensate pumped by the drain pump 110 may be drained to the outside of the second water container 50 or the main body 10.

According to an embodiment, the first water container cover (not shown) may be coupled to protect electrical components positioned inside the first water container body 61. The first water container cover (not shown) may be coupled to the first water container body 61 so that the at least one drain hole (62 or 64) may be exposed to the outside. The first water container cover may include a recessed portion 71 provided so that at least a portion thereof is recessed, and accordingly, the at least one drain hole (62 or 64) may be exposed to the outside.

According to an embodiment, the first water container cover may include at least one holder to fix the drain pipes (85, 86, and 87). At least one drain pipe (85, 86, or 87) may be inserted (e.g., provided) into a space provided by the holder to fix the drain pipe (85, 86, or 87). Although not shown, e.g., the holder may be provided to form a space to accommodate insertion of two (2) drain pipes.

According to an embodiment, the second drain pipe 86 is used in the fourth state of being coupled to the second drain hole 64 to move (e.g., dispose) condensate overflowing the second water container 50 to the first water container 100. The first drain pipe 85 is coupled to the first drain hole 62 to move (e.g., dispose) the condensate collected in the first water container 100 to the second water container 50. The first drain pipe 85 may be inserted into and fixed to the holder 72.

According to an embodiment, in the first state, the condensate may be accommodated in the first water container 100. In the second state, the condensate accommodated in the first water container 100 may move to the second water container 50 through the first drain pipe 85 coupled to the first drain hole 62. The third state may be a state in which the first drain pipe 85 is coupled to the boss 63 and the third drain pipe 87 is coupled to the first drain hole 62 so that condensate is drained out of the main body 10. In the fourth state, the second drain pipe 86 is coupled to the second drain hole 64 so that the condensate overflowing the second water container 50 moves to the first water container 100, and unless the coupling structure of the second drain pipe 86 is changed, the condensate may simultaneously move even in the first state, the second state, or the third state.

According to an embodiment, a pipe sensor (not shown) may be provided on one side of the boss 63. The pipe sensor may detect whether the pipe (e.g., the first drain pipe 85) is coupled to the boss 63. For example, the pipe sensor may detect whether the first drain pipe 85 is inserted into the boss 63.

For example, the pipe sensor may be implemented as a pressure sensor. If the pipe sensor is implemented as a pressure sensor, the pipe sensor may detect the pressure generated from the outside to the inside of the boss 63 as a result of the boss 63 being coupled to the first drain pipe 85. The pipe sensor may transmit an electrical signal generated by coupling the boss 63 and the first drain pipe 85 to a controller (e.g., the controller 210 of FIG. 9). However, the pipe sensor may be implemented in the form of a position sensor as well as the pressure sensor and may be implemented as various types of sensors.

According to an embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 6, if the pipe sensor detects that the first drain pipe 85 is not coupled (e.g., connected) to the boss 63, the clothing dryer 1 may determine to discharge condensate from the first water container 100 to the second water container 50. The clothing dryer 1 may determine the driving speed of the drain pump 110 considering the height (e.g., level) of the second water container 50 where the condensate is to be discharged.

According to an embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 7, if the pipe sensor detects that the first drain pipe 85 is coupled to the boss 63, the clothing dryer 1 may determine to discharge condensate from the first water container 100 to the outside of the clothing dryer 1. The clothing dryer 1 may determine an initial driving speed of the drain pump 110 considering a height of a point where condensate is to be discharged.

FIGS. 8A and 8B are cross-sectional views illustrating an example first water container 100 according to one or more embodiments. FIG. 8A may be understood as a cross-sectional view illustrating the first water container 100 when condensate is not sufficient, and FIG. 8B may be understood as a cross-sectional view illustrating the first water container 100 when condensate is sufficient.

Referring to FIG. 8A, before the condensate is sufficiently collected in the first water container 100, the floating member 140 may also be positioned at a low position according to the water level of the condensate. As such, if the floating member 140 is positioned at a low position, the conductor 141 may be spaced apart from the electrode 151. In this case, the drain pump 110 may not operate.

Referring to FIG. 8B, if a large amount of condensate is collected and the first water container 100 is sufficiently filled, it is necessary to remove the condensate from the first water container 100. In this case, the floating member 140 may ascend according to the water level of the condensate and be positioned at a high position, so that the conductor 141 may be electrically connected by contacting the electrode 151.

According to an embodiment, when the conductor 141 and the electrode 151 are electrically connected, the drain pump 110 is operated by a controller (e.g., the controller 210 of FIG. 9). In this case, the condensate inside the first water container 100 may be pumped by the drain pump 110. The pumped condensate may be discharged to the outside or the second water container 50 along the discharge pipe 114, so that the water level of the condensate in the first water container 100 may be lowered.

According to an embodiment, when the amount of condensate is in an intermediate state between the state of FIG. 8A and the state of FIG. 8B, the drain pump 110 may operate, generating noise. When the drain pump 110 is operated, condensate and air may be together introduced into the impeller 116, thereby generating noise due to rotation of the impeller 116.

According to an embodiment, the clothing dryer 1 may determine the motor rotational speed of the drain pump 110 corresponding to the amount of condensate. As the clothing dryer 1 adjusts the motor rotational speed of the drain pump 110 to decrease, noise generated from the drain pump 110 may be reduced. A control operation for this is described below with reference to FIG. 9.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating an example clothing dryer 200 (e.g., the clothing dryer 1 of FIG. 1) according to one or more embodiments.

Referring to FIG. 9, the clothing dryer 200 may include a controller 210, a driver 300, and a dehumidifier 400.

According to an embodiment, the controller 210 may control the overall operation to be performed by the clothing dryer 200. The controller 210 may control the clothing dryer 1 by communicating with a user terminal or a server (not shown).

According to an embodiment, the controller 210 may receive an electrical signal detected from the sensor 220.

According to an embodiment, the sensor 220 may include a water level sensor (e.g., the water level sensor 150 of FIG. 4) or a weight sensor (e.g., the weight sensor 160 of FIGS. 8A and 8B). The sensor 220 may include a pipe sensor (e.g., the pipe sensor of FIG. 6), a dryness sensor (e.g., the dryness sensor 18 of FIG. 3), or a weight sensor.

According to an embodiment, the water level sensor 150 may detect the water level of condensate stored in a first water container (e.g., the first water container 100 of FIG. 4). The weight sensor 160 may measure (e.g., determine) the weight of the condensate stored in the first water container 100. The dryness sensor 18 may measure (e.g., determine) the amount of moisture contained in the laundry put into the drum (e.g., the drum 20 of FIG. 3). The weight sensor may measure (e.g., determine) the weight of the laundry input to the drum 20. The pipe sensor may be provided on a boss (e.g., the boss 63 of FIG. 6) to detect (e.g., determine) whether the pipe is coupled to the boss.

According to an embodiment, a user input (or an input) 230 may select an operation mode of the clothing dryer 1 by the user's operation. The input 230 may be provided with a display to display the operation state of the clothing dryer 1.

According to an embodiment, the communication circuit (also referred to as a transceiver) 240 may receive an input generated by the user's manipulation in a wireless or wired manner. The transceiver 240 may transmit the operation state of the clothing dryer 1 to an external electronic device (e.g., a user terminal or a server) using Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.

According to an embodiment, storage may be implemented as memory. The memory 250 may include a volatile memory or a non-volatile memory.

According to an embodiment, information according to the operation course of the clothing dryer 1 may be stored in the memory 250.

For example, information for driving the components (e.g., the drain pump 310, the driving motor 321, the dehumidifier 400, or the blower fan 330) connected to the driver 300 according to an operation course such as a “low noise operation course” for the clothing dryer 1 to operate with low noise, a “standard operation course” or a “quick operation course” for quickly drying laundry, may be stored in the memory 250.

For example, the memory 250 may store information about noise generated in response to the operation course of the clothing dryer 1 in the form of a database.

Further, the memory 250 may store information for operating the clothing dryer 1.

According to an embodiment, the memory 250 may store preset data for control information for driving the drain pump 110 in the form of, e.g., a mapping table.

For example, data about the initial driving speed may be stored in the memory 250 corresponding to the position (e.g., the second water container 50 or the outside) where the drain pump 110 is configured to be discharged.

For example, data about the speed or frequency, at which the drain pump 110 is to be driven corresponding to the water level or the amount of condensate stored in the first water container 100, may be stored in the memory 250. The speed or frequency may be, e.g., a major factor for changing the drain processing speed by the drain pump 110. Hereinafter, it is described that the speed or frequency of the drain pump 110 is controlled, but this may be understood as controlling the drain processing speed. The frequency may be defined by the number of times the drain pump 110 operates in a predetermined time period (e.g., a time period in which a drying operation is performed). For example, the frequency may be changed according to a time (or driving) period (e.g., duration) in which the drain pump 110 operates in one operation cycle. For example, the frequency may be changed according to a time period (e.g., a rest period) in which the drain pump 110 does not operate in one operation cycle.

For example, if the water level or the amount of condensate stored in the first water container 100 is less than a first threshold level, data about the first driving speed and the first driving frequency at which the discharge pump (e.g., drain pump 110) is to be driven may be stored in the memory 250.

For example, if the water level or the amount of condensate stored in the first water container 100 is less than a second threshold level, data about the second driving speed and the second driving frequency at which the discharge pump (e.g., drain pump 110) is to be driven may be stored in the memory 250. Here, the second threshold level may be a value smaller than the first threshold level, the second driving speed may be a value smaller than the first driving speed, and the second driving frequency may be a value smaller than the first driving frequency.

For example, data about noise information generated in response to information about the course, where the clothing dryer 1 is to be operated, may be stored in the memory 250. The noise information may include, e.g., noise information generated by a blower fan (e.g., the blower fan 43 of FIG. 3), a drum (e.g., the drum 20 of FIG. 3), and/or a compressor (e.g., the compressor 83 of FIG. 4) while the clothing dryer 1 is driven.

For example, the memory 250 may store data about the driving speed or the driving frequency at which the drain pump 110 is to be operated based on noise information generated corresponding to the information about the course where the clothing dryer 1 is to be operated.

According to an embodiment, the controller 210 may control to drive the components connected to the driver 300. In other words, the controller 210 may control to operate or stop operating the drain pump 310 (e.g., the drain pump 110 of FIG. 4), the driving motor 321 (e.g., the driving motor 31 of FIG. 1), the drum 323 (e.g., the drum 20 of FIG. 3), or the blower fan 330 (e.g., the blower fan 43 of FIG. 3) connected to the driver 300.

According to an embodiment, as the driving motor 321 rotates at a predetermined speed, the drum 323 and/or the blower fan 330 may rotate in a same direction as that of the driving motor 321 at the predetermined speed.

According to an embodiment, the controller 210 may control to operate or stop operating the drain pump 310 to reduce noise generated when the clothing dryer 1 pumps the condensate stored in the first water container 100.

According to an embodiment, the controller 210 may control to drive components connected to the dehumidifier 400 (e.g., the dehumidifier 80 of FIG. 3).

According to an embodiment, the controller 210 may drive and control the compressor 410 (e.g., the compressor 83 of FIG. 4) included in the dehumidifier 400. In other words, the controller 210 may drive or stop the compressor 410. The controller 210 may adjust the driving speed of the compressor 410.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example operation in which a clothing dryer (e.g., the clothing dryer 1 of FIG. 1) controls a drain pump (e.g., the drain pump 110 of FIG. 4), according to one or more embodiments. In the operations to be described with reference to FIG. 10, the same operation may be repeated as necessary, or some operations may be omitted. Further, the order of operations may be changed.

Referring to FIG. 10, the clothing dryer 1 may detect a hose connected to an outlet (e.g., the first drain hole 62 of FIG. 6) for discharging condensate stored in a water tray (e.g., the first water container 100 of FIG. 4, and the ‘water tray’ to be referred to below may be understood as the first water container 100) and may determine which of the second water container (e.g., the second water container 50 of FIG. 1) or the outside of the clothing dryer 1 the condensate is to be discharged. The clothing dryer 1 may determine an initial driving speed at which the drain pump 110 is to be operated from among preset values corresponding to the point to be discharged.

According to an embodiment, in operation 1010, the clothing dryer 1 may determine whether event information occurs. Here, the event information may be understood as a state for setting the speed at which the drain pump 110 is to be initially driven by installing the clothing dryer 1. In other words, when the clothing dryer 1 is installed or the clothing dryer 1 moves to another position, it may be understood that the event information occurs. To that end, the clothing dryer 1 may determine the occurrence of an event in response to detecting that the discharge pipe is connected to the first drain hole 62 provided in the water tray (e.g., first water container 100).

When it is determined that the event information occurs, in operation 1020, the clothing dryer 1 may determine whether the outlet (e.g., the first drain hole 62) of the water tray (e.g., first water container 100) and the second water container 50 positioned above the water tray (e.g., first water container 100) are connected by a discharge pipe (e.g., the first drain pipe 85 of FIG. 7).

For example, the clothing dryer 1 may detect whether the discharge pipe (e.g., the first drain pipe 85 of FIG. 7) is coupled to the boss 63 with a pipe sensor (e.g., the pipe sensor described in FIG. 7) provided in the boss (e.g., the boss 63 of FIG. 7) provided in the water tray (e.g., first water container 100). The pipe sensor may be implemented as, e.g., a pressure sensor or a position sensor.

For example, if the clothing dryer 1 detects that the drain pipe 85 is not coupled to the boss 63, the clothing dryer 1 may determine that condensate is discharged to the second water container 50 connected to the water tray (e.g., first water container 100) and the drain pipe 85. In this case, in operation 1030, the clothing dryer 1 may determine the driving speed at which the drain pump 110 is to be operated based on the height (e.g., level) information about the second water container 50. The clothing dryer 1 may apply, e.g., an initial driving speed for initial driving of the drain pump 110. The clothing dryer 1 may obtain the initial driving speed at which the drain pump 110 is to be operated from the mapping table stored in a storage (e.g., the memory 250 of FIG. 9).

For example, if detection is made that the drain pipe 85 is coupled to the boss 63, the clothing dryer 1 may determine to discharge condensate to the outside connected to the water tray (e.g., first water container 100) through a separate discharge pipe (e.g., the third discharge pipe 87 of FIG. 7). In this case, in operation 1030, the clothing dryer 1 may determine the initial driving speed at which the drain pump 110 is to be operated, based on the height (e.g., level) information about the point at which the condensate is to be discharged. Operation 1040 is described with reference to FIG. 14.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating an example operation in which a clothing dryer (e.g., the clothing dryer 1 of FIG. 1) controls a drain pump (e.g., the drain pump 110 of FIG. 4), according to one or more embodiment.

According to an embodiment, in operation 1110, the clothing dryer 1 may obtain information necessary to control the drain pump 110.

For example, the clothing dryer 1 may obtain information about whether the water tray (e.g., first water container 100) and the second water container 50 are connected through a pipe sensor included in the sensor 220.

For example, the clothing dryer 1 may obtain information about the amount of condensate stored in the first water container 100 or the level of condensate stored in the first water container 100 through a water level sensor (e.g., a water level sensor (e.g., the water level sensor 150 of FIG. 4) or a weight sensor (e.g., the weight sensor 160 of FIGS. 8A and 8B)) included in the sensor 220.

For example, the clothing dryer 1 may obtain height (e.g., level) information according to the position (e.g., the second water container 50 or the outside) at which condensate is discharged from the first water container 100. The clothing dryer 1 may control to drive the initial driving speed of the drain pump 110 according to the height information.

For example, the clothing dryer 1 may obtain information about the weight and moisture content of the laundry to be put (e.g., place) into the drum (e.g., the drum 20 of FIG. 3). The clothing dryer 1 may predict (e.g., determine) the amount of condensate to be stored in the first water container 100, over time, based on the information about the weight of the laundry and the information about the moisture content.

For example, the clothing dryer 1 may obtain information about noise generated based on information about the course where the clothing dryer 1 is to operate. The clothing dryer 1 may obtain noise information based on the flow according to the rotation of the blower fan (e.g., the blower fan 43 of FIG. 3), the driving frequency of the compressor (e.g., the compressor 83 of FIG. 4) included in the dehumidifier 400, or the rotational speed of the driving motor 321 based on the course information. The clothing dryer 1 may obtain information about noise from the memory 250. The clothing dryer 1 may control the maximum driving speed of the drain pump 110 based on the obtained noise information.

According to an embodiment, in operation 1120, the clothing dryer 1 may control driving of the drain pump 110. The clothing dryer 1 may control the speed at which the motor of the drain pump 110 rotates, i.e., rotation revolutions per minute (rpm). The controller 210 may control the motor rotation rpm of the drain pump 110, thereby reducing noise generated by the drain pump 110. The clothing dryer 1 may reduce noise generated by the drain pump 110 by adjusting the driving period of the drain pump 110. For example, the clothing dryer 1 may reduce the frequency of the circulation cycle in which the drain pump 110 is driven for a predetermined time (e.g., period or duration) and then stopped for a predetermined time. In other words, the clothing dryer 1 may reduce noise generated due to the operation of the drain pump 110 by adjusting the ratio between the driving period, which is the driving time of the drain pump 110, and the rest period during which the drain pump 110 is stopped.

According to an embodiment, if a predetermined condition is met, the clothing dryer 1 may stop driving the drain pump 110. For example, if the water level or the amount of condensate stored in the water tray (e.g., first water container 100) is less than a threshold level, the clothing dryer 1 may stop driving the drain pump.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating an example operation in which a clothing dryer (e.g., the clothing dryer 1 of FIG. 1) controls a drain pump (e.g., the drain pump 110 of FIG. 4), according to one or more embodiments.

Referring to FIG. 12, the clothing dryer 1 may control the drain pump 110 based on the information about the water level or the amount of condensate stored in the water tray (e.g., first water container 100).

According to an embodiment, in operation 1210, the clothing dryer 1 may detect the amount (e.g., level) of condensate stored in the water tray (e.g., first water container 100). The clothing dryer 1 may obtain information about the amount of condensate detected by a water level sensor (e.g., the water level sensor 150 of FIG. 6) mounted on the water tray (e.g., first water container 100) or a weight sensor (e.g., the weight sensor 160 of FIGS. 8A and 8B).

According to an embodiment, in operation 1220, the clothing dryer 1 may determine whether the amount of condensate is greater than or equal to a first threshold level. Here, the first threshold level may be, e.g., the minimum amount of condensate by which the drain pump 110 needs to pump the condensate stored in the water tray (e.g., first water container 100).

According to an embodiment, if the amount of condensate is greater than or equal to the first threshold level, the clothing dryer 1 may control the drain pump 110 to be driven in response to the water level detected by the water level sensor 150 or may control the drain pump 110 to be driven in response to the weight of the condensate detected by the weight sensor 160.

For example, the clothing dryer 1 may adjust the rotational driving speed of the drain pump 110 based on the amount of condensate or the water level information about the condensate at the time when the condensate and the air are together introduced into the impeller (e.g., the impeller 116 of FIGS. 8A and 8B) of the drain pump 110 to generate noise. As the rotational driving speed of the drain pump 110 is reduced, noise generated by the drain pump 110 may be reduced. In other words, the clothing dryer 1 may reduce the driving speed of the drain pump 110 in response to a decrease in the water level or the amount of condensate stored in the water tray (e.g., first water container 100). Accordingly, noise generated by the drain pump 110 may be reduced. The clothing dryer 1 may reduce noise generated by the drain pump 110 by adjusting the driving period of the drain pump 110. For example, the clothing dryer 1 may reduce the frequency of the circulation cycle in which the drain pump 110 is driven for a predetermined time (e.g., period or duration) and then stopped for a predetermined time.

For example, in operation 1230, the clothing dryer 1 may drive the drain pump 110 at a first driving speed and a first driving frequency.

If the amount of condensate is less than the first threshold level, the clothing dryer 1 may drive the drain pump 110 at a second driving speed and a second driving frequency in operation 1240. Here, the second driving speed may be slower than the first driving speed. The second driving frequency may be a value smaller than the first driving frequency.

According to an embodiment, in operation 1250, the clothing dryer 1 may determine whether the amount of condensate is greater than or equal to a second threshold level. Here, the second threshold level may be a value smaller than the first threshold level.

For example, if the amount of condensate is smaller than the second threshold level, the clothing dryer 1 may drive the drain pump 110 at a third driving speed and a third driving frequency in operation 1260. The third driving frequency may be a value smaller than the second driving frequency.

For example, the clothing dryer 1 may determine the maximum rotational driving speed to be driven by the drain pump 110. The clothing dryer 1 may determine the maximum speed at which the drain pump 110 may be driven based on the noise information generated by the components constituting the clothing dryer 1 for each type of operation course. This is described with reference to FIG. 14.

According to an embodiment, the clothing dryer 1 may determine whether the amount of condensate stored in the water tray (e.g., first water container 100) is smaller than a preset threshold level. Here, the threshold level may be the maximum amount of condensate at which the drain pump 110 no longer needs to pump the condensate stored in the water tray (e.g., first water container 100).

According to an embodiment, the clothing dryer 1 may determine whether the amount of condensate is less than the second threshold level in response to the level detected (e.g., determined) by the water level sensor 150 or may determine whether the amount of condensate is less than the second threshold level by the weight of the condensate measured by the weight sensor 160.

According to an embodiment, if the amount of condensate stored in the water tray (e.g., first water container 100) is less than the threshold level, the clothing dryer 1 may control to stop driving the drain pump 110.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example operation in which a clothing dryer (e.g., the clothing dryer 1 of FIG. 1) controls a drain pump (e.g., the drain pump 110 of FIG. 4), according to one or more embodiments.

Referring to FIG. 13, the clothing dryer 1 may control the drain pump 110 based on the information about the weight of the laundry (e.g., wet laundry) put (e.g., placed) into the drum (e.g., the drum 20 of FIG. 3) and the information about the moisture content. At least some of the control operations, to be described with reference to FIG. 13, may correspond to the control operation of FIG. 12.

According to an embodiment, in operation 1311, the clothing dryer 1 may obtain information about the weight and the dryness of the laundry.

According to an embodiment, the clothing dryer 1 may obtain information about the weight of the laundry. The clothing dryer 1 may measure the weight of the laundry put into the drum 20. The clothing dryer 1 may obtain information about the weight of the laundry from the torque at which a driving motor (e.g., the driving motor 31 of FIG. 3) is to rotate to operate the drum 20 containing the laundry.

According to an embodiment, the clothing dryer 1 may obtain information about the dryness of the laundry, i.e., the moisture content. The clothing dryer 1 may obtain information about the moisture content of the laundry put into the drum 20. The clothing dryer 1 may transmit a pulse value corresponding to the amount of moisture contained in the laundry from a dryness sensor (e.g., the dryness sensor 18 of FIG. 3) positioned below the loading opening (e.g., the loading opening 16 of FIG. 3) to a controller (e.g., the controller 210 of FIG. 9).

According to an embodiment, in operation 1313, the clothing dryer 1 may predict (e.g., estimate or determine) the amount of condensate to be stored in the water tray (e.g., first water container 100) in response to the operation of the clothing dryer 1, based on the information about the weight of the laundry and the information about the moisture content of the laundry.

According to an embodiment, the clothing dryer 1 may predict (e.g., determine) the amount of condensate to be stored in the water tray (e.g., first water container 100) corresponding to the course information for drying the laundry.

According to an embodiment, in operation 1320, the clothing dryer 1 may determine whether the amount of condensate is greater than or equal to a first threshold level. Here, the first threshold level may be, e.g., the minimum amount of condensate by which the drain pump 110 needs to pump the condensate stored in the water tray (e.g., first water container 100). Operation 1320 may correspond to operation 1220 of FIG. 12.

For example, in operation 1330, the clothing dryer 1 may drive the drain pump 110 at a first driving speed and a first driving frequency. Operation 1330 may correspond to operation 1230 of FIG. 12.

If the amount of condensate is less than the first threshold level, the clothing dryer 1 may drive the drain pump 110 at a second driving speed and a second driving frequency in operation 1340. Here, the second driving speed may be slower than the first driving speed. The second driving frequency may be a value smaller than the first driving frequency. Operation 1340 may correspond to operation 1240 of FIG. 12.

According to an embodiment, in operation 1350, the clothing dryer 1 may determine whether the amount of condensate is greater than or equal to a second threshold level. Here, the second threshold level may be a value smaller than the first threshold level. Operation 1350 may correspond to operation 1250 of FIG. 12.

For example, if the amount of condensate is smaller than the second threshold level, the clothing dryer 1 may drive the drain pump 110 at a third driving speed and a third driving frequency in operation 1360. Here, the third driving speed may be slower than the second driving speed. The third driving frequency may be a value smaller than the second driving frequency. Operation 1360 may correspond to operation 1260 of FIG. 12.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart illustrating an example operation in which a clothing dryer (e.g., the clothing dryer 1 of FIG. 1) controls a drain pump (e.g., the drain pump 110 of FIG. 4), according to one or more embodiments.

Referring to FIG. 14, the clothing dryer 1 may control the drain pump 110 based on the noise information corresponding to the information about the selected course in operation in the clothing dryer 1. In other words, the clothing dryer 1 may determine the maximum rotational speed at which the drain pump 110 is to be driven based on the noise information.

According to an embodiment, in operation 1410, the clothing dryer 1 may obtain information about the selected course in operation in the dryer. The course information may include, e.g., a “low noise operation course” or a “standard operation course” for operating with low noise, or a “quick operation course” for quickly drying laundry.

According to an embodiment, in operation 1420, the clothing dryer 1 may obtain noise information based on the course information. The clothing dryer 1 may obtain noise information generated by an operating component corresponding to the type of course information. The clothing dryer 1 may obtain the noise information from a database stored in a storage (e.g., the memory 250 of FIG. 9).

For example, the clothing dryer 1 may obtain information about the flow noise due to the rotational speed of the blower fan (e.g., the blower fan 43 of FIG. 3) according to the course information.

For example, the clothing dryer 1 may obtain information about noise due to a driving speed of a compressor (e.g., the compressor 83 of FIG. 4) according to course information.

For example, the clothing dryer 1 may obtain information about noise caused by collision (e.g., rub, touch, or contact) of the laundry with the drum 20 according to the course information.

According to an embodiment, the clothing dryer 1 may obtain the above-described noise information from the database stored in the memory 250.

According to an embodiment, in operation 1430, the clothing dryer 1 may determine the maximum driving speed of the drain pump based on the obtained noise information.

For example, if the noise generated in the ‘standard operation course’ in which the blower fan 43 is driven at 2,190 rpm and the compressor 83 is driven at 50 Hz is 62 dB, the clothing dryer 1 may set the maximum driving speed of the drain pump 110 allowable in the standard operation course to 2000 rpm. In other words, the clothing dryer 1 may determine the driving speed of the drain pump 110 so that the noise generated by the drain pump 110 does not exceed a predetermined level of the noise (e.g., 62 dB) generated by the blower fan 43 and the compressor 83 in the ‘standard operation course.’

For example, if the noise generated in the ‘quick operation course’ in which the blower fan 43 is driven at 2350 rpm and the compressor 83 is driven at 65 Hz is 64 dB, the clothing dryer 1 may set the maximum driving speed of the drain pump 110 allowable in the quick operation course to 3000 rpm.

For example, the clothing dryer 1 may set the maximum driving speed of the drain pump 110 allowable in the ‘low noise operation course’ to 1700 rpm.

FIG. 15 is a flowchart illustrating an example operation in which a clothing dryer (e.g., the clothing dryer 1 of FIG. 1) controls a drain pump (e.g., the drain pump 110 of FIG. 4), according to one or more embodiments. In other words, FIG. 15 may be understood as an operation sequence diagram for determining the initial driving speed of the drain pump 110.

Referring to FIG. 15, the clothing dryer 1 may control the drain pump 110 based on the height (e.g., level) information about the point at which the condensate is discharged. In other words, the clothing dryer 1 may determine the initial driving speed of the drain pump 110 based on the height information.

According to an embodiment, in operation 1510, the clothing dryer 1 may operate the drain pump 110 at a preset first initial driving speed. Here, the first initial driving speed may be the initial driving speed of the preset drain pump 110, and a driving speed set by a position (e.g., the second water container 50 or the outside of the clothing dryer 1), at which condensate is to be discharged from the water tray (e.g., the first water container 100 of FIG. 4), may be determined by the user's manipulation.

For example, if a first drain pipe (e.g., the first drain pipe 85 of FIG. 6) and a first drain hole (e.g., the first drain hole 62 of FIG. 6) are coupled to discharge condensate from the water tray (e.g., first water container 100) to the second water container 50, the clothing dryer 1 may detect that the boss 63 and the first drain pipe 85 are not coupled by a pipe sensor provided in the boss (e.g., the boss 63 of FIG. 6). Accordingly, the clothing dryer 1 may determine, based on the mapping table stored in the storage (e.g., the memory 250 of FIG. 9), the initial driving speed at which the drain pump 110 is to be driven at the level (e.g., height) of a head of fluid (e.g., pump-up head) corresponding to the height at which the second water container 50 is positioned.

For example, if the first drain pipe 85 and the boss 63 are coupled to discharge condensate from the water tray (e.g., first water container 100) to the outside of the clothing dryer 1, and the third drain pipe 87 is coupled to the first drain hole 62, the clothing dryer 1 may detect that the boss 63 and the first drain pipe 85 are coupled. In this case, it is necessary for the clothing dryer 1 to determine the initial driving speed at which the drain pump 110 is to be operated because the height of the discharge position is different when the condensate is discharged from the water tray (e.g., first water container 100).

According to an embodiment, in operation 1520, the clothing dryer 1 may determine whether the amount of condensate stored in the water tray (e.g., first water container 100) decreases by a threshold level or by more than the threshold level. The clothing dryer 1 may determine whether the amount of condensate stored in the water tray (e.g., first water container 100) decreases by the threshold level or by more than the threshold level based on information detected (e.g., measured) by a water level sensor (e.g., the water level sensor 150 of FIG. 4) or a weight sensor (e.g., the weight sensor 160 of FIGS. 8A and 8B). If the amount of condensate stored in the water tray (e.g., first water container 100) does not decrease by at least the threshold level, the clothing dryer 1 may derive a state in which the water is not pumped by the driving speed of the drain pump 110.

For example, if the amount of condensate stored in the water tray (e.g., first water container 100) does not decrease by the threshold level or by more than the threshold level, the clothing dryer 1 may determine that the amount of condensate generated from the dehumidifier (e.g., the dehumidifier 80 of FIG. 4) and collected in the water tray (e.g., first water container 100) is greater than the amount of condensate discharged by the drain pump 110. In this case, the clothing dryer 1 may further increase the driving speed or the driving frequency of the drain pump 110.

If the amount of condensate stored in the water tray (e.g., first water container 100) decreases by the threshold level or by more than the threshold level, the clothing dryer 1 may determine the first initial driving speed of the drain pump 110 being driven as the initial driving speed in operation 1550.

According to an embodiment, the clothing dryer 1 may determine whether the amount of condensate stored in the water tray (e.g., first water container 100) decreases by at least the threshold level. The clothing dryer 1 may determine whether the amount of condensate stored in the water tray (e.g., first water container 100) decreases by the threshold level or by more than the threshold level based on the information detected by the water level sensor 150 or the weight sensor 160 in operation 1540.

If the amount of condensate stored in the water tray (e.g., first water container 100) does not decrease by the threshold level or by more than the threshold level, the clothing dryer 1 may increase the driving speed of the drain pump 110 by a predetermined level in operation 1530. In other words, the clothing dryer 1 may increase the driving speed of the drain pump 110 to the second initial driving speed. Here, the second initial driving speed may be a value larger (e.g., faster) than the first initial driving speed.

If the amount of condensate stored in the water tray (e.g., first water container 100) decreases by at least the threshold level, the clothing dryer 1 may determine the second initial driving speed of the drain pump 110 being driven as the initial driving speed in operation 1550.

A clothing dryer 1 (e.g., the clothing dryer 1 of FIG. 1), according to an embodiment, may comprise a water tray (e.g., first water container 100) provided to store residual water including condensate generated by drying of laundry, a drain pump 110 or 310 provided to pump the residual water in the water tray (e.g., first water container 100) to an outside, a sensor 150, 160, or 220 provided to sense a residual water amount of the condensate stored in the water tray (e.g., first water container 100), and a controller 210 provided to control a drain processing speed of the drain pump 110 or 310. The controller 210 may be configured to control the drain pump 110 or 310 so that the drain processing speed is slower when the residual water amount of the condensate is smaller than a first threshold level than when the residual water amount of the condensate is larger than or equal to the first threshold level, based on residual water data provided by the sensor (150, 160, or 220). The drain processing speed may be determined by at least one of a rotational speed of the drain pump (110 or 310) and a driving time of the drain pump (110 or 310).

In the clothing dryer 1 according to an embodiment, the controller 210 may be configured to control the drain pump (110 or 310) to decrease or increase, in a stepwise manner, the drain processing speed in proportion to the residual water amount if the residual water level may be smaller than the first threshold level.

In the clothing dryer 1 according to an embodiment, the controller 210 may be configured to control the drain pump (110 or 310) to operate at an initial drain processing speed when the residual water amount of the condensate may be greater than or equal to the first threshold level. A rotational speed of the drain pump (110 or 310) for determining the initial drain processing speed may be preset based on a drainage method of the condensate, which may be one of water container drainage or direct drainage.

In the clothing dryer 1 according to an embodiment, the controller 210 may be configured to control the drain pump (110 or 310) to operate at an initial drain processing speed when the residual water amount of the condensate may be greater than or equal to the first threshold level. A rotational speed of the drain pump (110 or 310) for determining the initial drain processing speed may be preset based on a height of a water outlet portion of the condensate discharged from the water tray (e.g., first water container 100). The water outlet portion may correspond to another opening of a drain pipe (85 or 87), one opening of which may be fastened to the water tray (e.g., first water container 100).

In the clothing dryer 1 according to an embodiment, the controller 210 may be configured to control the drain processing speed of the drain pump (110 or 310) based on an operation mode which may be one of a standard course, a quick course, or a low noise course provided for drying the laundry.

In the clothing dryer 1 according to an embodiment, the sensor (150, 160, or 220) may include a water level sensor 150. The residual water data may correspond to a water level of the condensate stored in the water tray (e.g., first water container 100), measured by the water level sensor 150.

In the clothing dryer 1 according to an embodiment, the sensor (150, 160, or 220) may include a weight sensor provided to measure (e.g., determine) a weight of the laundry put into a drum rotatably installed inside a main housing, and a dryness sensor provided to detect a dryness level of the laundry. In the clothing dryer 1 according to an embodiment, the controller 210 may be configured to obtain information about the weight of the laundry measured by the weight sensor 160, obtain information about the dryness level of the laundry detected (e.g., measured or determined) by the dryness sensor, and obtain the residual water data based on the information about the weight of the laundry and the information about the dryness level of the laundry.

In the clothing dryer 1 according to an embodiment, the sensor (150, 160, or 220) may include a condensate weight sensor 160 positioned below the water tray (e.g., first water container 100). The residual water data may include weight information sensed by the condensate weight sensor 160.

In the clothing dryer 1 according to an embodiment, the controller 210 may be configured to obtain the weight information about the condensate based on weight information about the water tray (e.g., first water container 100) before the condensate may be stored and the weight information detected by the condensate weight sensor 160, and determine the residual water data based on the obtained weight information about the condensate.

In the clothing dryer 1 according to an embodiment, the drain processing speed may be determined by a rest time of the drain pump (110 or 310).

A method for controlling a drying operation in a clothing dryer 1, according to an embodiment, may comprise obtaining remaining water data of a water tray (e.g., first water container 100) storing condensate generated due to drying of laundry, and controlling a drain pump (110 or 310) so that the drain processing speed is slower when the residual water amount of the condensate is smaller than a first threshold level than when the residual water amount of the condensate is greater than or equal to the first threshold level, based on residual water data. The drain processing speed may be determined by at least one of a rotational speed of the drain pump (110 or 310) and a driving time of the drain pump (110 or 310).

The method for controlling the clothing dryer 1, according to an embodiment, may further comprise controlling the drain pump (110 or 310) to decrease or increase, in a stepwise manner, the drain processing speed in proportion to the residual water amount if the residual water level may be smaller than the first threshold level.

The method for controlling the clothing dryer 1, according to an embodiment, may further comprise controlling the drain pump (110 or 310) to operate at an initial drain processing speed if the residual water amount of the condensate may be greater than or equal to the first threshold level. A rotational speed of the drain pump (110 or 310) for determining the initial drain processing speed may be preset based on a drainage method of the condensate, which may be one of water container drainage or direct drainage.

The method for controlling the clothing dryer 1, according to an embodiment, may further comprise controlling the drain pump (110 or 310) to operate at an initial drain processing speed if the residual water amount of the condensate may be greater than or equal to the first threshold level. A rotational speed of the drain pump (110 or 310) for determining the initial drain processing speed may be preset based on a height of a water outlet portion of the condensate discharged from the water tray (e.g., first water container 100). The water outlet portion may correspond to another opening of a drain pipe (85 or 87), one opening of which may be fastened to the water tray (e.g., first water container 100).

The method for controlling the clothing dryer 1, according to an embodiment, may further comprise controlling the drain processing speed of the drain pump (110 or 310) based on an operation mode which is one of a standard course, a quick course, or a low noise course provided for drying the laundry.

In the method for controlling the clothing dryer 1, according to an embodiment, the residual water data may correspond to a water level of the condensate in the water tray (e.g., first water container 100).

In the method of controlling the clothing dryer 1, according to an embodiment, may further comprise obtaining noise information generated by an operating component based on a selected of operation mode.

In the method of controlling the clothing dryer 1, according to an embodiment, the obtaining noise information generated by an operating component comprises at least one of obtaining information about flow noise due to a rotational speed of the blower fan 43, obtaining information about noise due to the driving speed of the compressor 83, or obtaining information about noise caused by collision of the laundry with the drum 20.

The method for controlling the clothing dryer 1, according to an embodiment, may further comprise obtaining information about a weight of the laundry detected by a weight sensor, obtaining information about a dryness level of the laundry detected by a dryness sensor, and obtaining the residual water data based on the information about the weight of the laundry and the information about the dryness level of the laundry.

In the method for controlling the clothing dryer 1, according to an embodiment, the residual water data may include weight information sensed by a condensate weight sensor 160.

The method for controlling the clothing dryer 1, according to an embodiment, may further comprise obtaining the weight information about the condensate based on weight information about the water tray (e.g., first water container 100) before the condensate may be stored and the weight information detected by the condensate weight sensor, and obtaining the residual water data based on the obtained weight information about the condensate.

In the method for controlling the clothing dryer 1, according to an embodiment, the drain processing speed may be determined by a rest time (e.g., rest period or duration of stoppage) of the drain pump (110 or 310).

One or more non transitory computer readable storage media storing one or more computer programs including computer executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a clothing dryer individually or collectively, cause the clothing dryer 1 to perform operations, the operations comprising obtaining remaining water data of a water tray 100 storing condensate generated due to drying of laundry, and controlling a drain pump (110 or 310) so that a drain processing speed is slower when a residual water amount of the condensate is smaller than a first threshold level than when the residual water amount of the condensate is greater than or equal to the first threshold level, based on residual water data, wherein the drain processing speed is determined by at least one of a rotational speed of the drain pump (110 or 310) or a driving time of the drain pump (110 or 310).

In the one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media, according to an embodiment, may further comprise controlling the drain pump (110 or 310) to stepwise decrease or increase the drain processing speed in proportion to the residual water amount when a level of the residual water is smaller than the first threshold level.

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.

Meanwhile, the terms “upper side”, “lower side”, and “front and rear directions” used in the disclosure are defined with respect to the drawings, and the shape and position of each component are not limited by these terms.

It will be appreciated that various embodiments of the disclosure according to the claims and description in the specification can be realized in the form of hardware, software or a combination of hardware and software.

Any such software may be stored in non-transitory computer readable storage media. The non-transitory computer readable storage media store one or more computer programs (software modules), the one or more computer programs include computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of an electronic device individually or collectively, cause the electronic device to perform a method of the disclosure.

Any such software may be stored in the form of volatile or non-volatile storage such as, for example, a storage device like read only memory (ROM), whether erasable or rewritable or not, or in the form of memory such as, for example, random access memory (RAM), memory chips, device or integrated circuits or on an optically or magnetically readable medium such as, for example, a compact disk (CD), digital versatile disc (DVD), magnetic disk or magnetic tape or the like. It will be appreciated that the storage devices and storage media are various embodiments of non-transitory machine-readable storage that are suitable for storing a computer program or computer programs comprising instructions that, when executed, implement various embodiments of the disclosure. Accordingly, various embodiments provide a program comprising code for implementing apparatus or a method as claimed in any one of the claims of this specification and a non-transitory machine-readable storage storing such a program.

While the disclosure has been shown and described with reference to various embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A clothing dryer, comprising: a water tray provided to store residual water including condensate generated by drying of laundry;a drain pump provided to pump the residual water in the water tray to an outside;a sensor provided to detect a residual water amount of the condensate stored in the water tray;memory storing one or more computer programs; andone or more processors communicatively coupled to the memory,wherein the one or more computer programs include computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors individually or collectively, cause the clothing dryer to: control a drain processing speed of the drain pump, andcontrol the drain pump so that the drain processing speed is slower when the residual water amount of the condensate is smaller than a first threshold level than when the residual water amount of the condensate is greater than or equal to the first threshold level, based on residual water data provided by the sensor, andwherein the drain processing speed is determined by at least one of a rotational speed of the drain pump or a driving time of the drain pump.

2. The clothing dryer of claim 1, wherein the one or more computer programs further include computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors individually or collectively, cause the clothing dryer to: control the drain pump to stepwise decrease or increase the drain processing speed in proportion to the residual water amount when a level of the residual water is smaller than the first threshold level.

3. The clothing dryer of claim 1, wherein the one or more computer programs further include computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors individually or collectively, cause the clothing dryer to: control the drain pump to operate at an initial drain processing speed when the residual water amount of the condensate is larger than or equal to the first threshold level, andwherein the rotational speed of the drain pump for determining the initial drain processing speed is preset based on a drainage method of the condensate, which is one of water container drainage or direct drainage.

4. The clothing dryer of claim 1, wherein one or more computer programs further include computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors individually or collectively, cause the clothing dryer to: control the drain pump to operate at an initial drain processing speed when the residual water amount of the condensate is larger than or equal to the first threshold level,wherein the rotational speed of the drain pump for determining the initial drain processing speed is preset based on a height of a water outlet portion of the condensate discharged from the water tray, andwherein the water outlet portion corresponds to another opening of a drain pipe, one opening of which is fastened to the water tray.

5. The clothing dryer of claim 1, wherein one or more computer programs further include computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors individually or collectively, cause the clothing dryer to: control the drain processing speed of the drain pump based on an operation mode which is one of a standard course, a quick course, or a low noise course provided for drying the laundry.

6. The clothing dryer of claim 1, wherein the sensor includes a water level sensor, andwherein the residual water data corresponds to a water level of the condensate stored in the water tray, measured by the water level sensor.

7. The clothing dryer of claim 1, wherein the sensor includes: a weight sensor provided to detect a weight of the laundry put into a drum rotatably installed inside a main housing, anda dryness sensor provided to detect a dryness level of the laundry, andwherein the one or more computer programs further include computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors individually or collectively, cause the clothing dryer to: obtain information about the weight of the laundry detected by the weight sensor,obtain information about the dryness level of the laundry detected by the dryness sensor, andobtain the residual water data based on the information about the weight of the laundry and the information about the dryness level of the laundry.

8. The clothing dryer of claim 1, wherein the sensor includes a condensate weight sensor positioned below the water tray, andwherein the residual water data includes weight information detected by the condensate weight sensor.

9. The clothing dryer of claim 8, wherein one or more computer programs further include computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors individually or collectively, cause the clothing dryer to: obtain the weight information about the condensate based on weight information about the water tray before the condensate is stored and the weight information measured by the condensate weight sensor; anddetermine the residual water data based on the obtained weight information about the condensate.

10. The clothing dryer of claim 1, wherein the drain processing speed is determined by a rest time of the drain pump.

11. A method for controlling a drying operation in a clothing dryer, the method comprising: obtaining remaining water data of a water tray storing condensate generated due to drying of laundry; andcontrolling a drain pump so that a drain processing speed is slower when a residual water amount of the condensate is smaller than a first threshold level than when the residual water amount of the condensate is greater than or equal to the first threshold level, based on residual water data,wherein the drain processing speed is determined by at least one of a rotational speed of the drain pump or a driving time of the drain pump.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising: controlling the drain pump to stepwise decrease or increase the drain processing speed in proportion to the residual water amount when a level of the residual water is smaller than the first threshold level.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising: controlling the drain pump to operate at an initial drain processing speed when the residual water amount of the condensate is greater than or equal to the first threshold level,wherein the rotational speed of the drain pump for determining the initial drain processing speed is preset based on a drainage method of the condensate, which is one of water container drainage or direct drainage.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising: controlling the drain pump to operate at an initial drain processing speed when the residual water amount of the condensate is greater than or equal to the first threshold level,wherein the rotational speed of the drain pump for determining the initial drain processing speed is preset based on a height of a water outlet portion of the condensate discharged from the water tray, andwherein the water outlet portion corresponds to another opening of a drain pipe, one opening of which is fastened to the water tray.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising: controlling the drain processing speed of the drain pump based on an operation mode which is one of a standard course, a quick course, or a low noise course provided for drying the laundry.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the residual water data corresponds to a water level of the condensate in the water tray.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising: obtaining information about a weight of the laundry measured by a weight sensor;obtaining information about a dryness level of the laundry detected by a dryness sensor; andobtaining the residual water data based on the information about the weight of the laundry and the information about the dryness level of the laundry.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the residual water data includes weight information measured by a condensate weight sensor.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising: obtaining the weight information about the condensate based on weight information about the water tray before the condensate is stored and the weight information measured by the condensate weight sensor; andobtaining the residual water data based on the obtained weight information about the condensate.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the drain processing speed is determined by a rest time of the drain pump.