Patent Description:
Generally, a laundry treatment apparatus may refer to an apparatus for washing laundry, an apparatus for drying wet or washed laundry, and/or an apparatus for performing washing and drying of laundry. Here, the laundry treatment apparatus may perform only a washing or drying function of laundry, or may perform both washing and drying functions of laundry.

For example, a drum-type drying machine for drying wet or washed laundry, a cabinet-type drying machine for hanging laundry and drying hung laundry, and a refresher for refreshing laundry by supplying air to laundry, etc. have been developed.

The refresher or the drying machine from among the laundry treatment apparatuses includes a heat source supply unit to supply hot air to laundry.

The heat source supply unit has been implemented as various kinds of heat source supply units, for example, a gas-type heater for heating air by burning gas using heat sources, an electric heater for heating air using electric resistance, a heat pump for heating air using a heat pump unit in which refrigerant circulates a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, and an evaporator, etc. In recent times, an enhanced heat pump having excellent energy efficiency has been actively developed.

Meanwhile, a laundry drying machine provided with a heat pump includes a drum, a drive motor, a compressor, a condenser, etc. in a cabinet. The drum includes a cylindrical space to accommodate and dry laundry. A space occupied by the drum from among the entire space inside the cabinet is much larger than other constituent components.

The compressor, the condenser, the expansion valve, and the evaporator constituting a heat-pump cycle are arranged in the remaining spaces except for the space occupied by the drum. Here, the remaining spaces except for the space occupied by the drum may be the left and right side spaces of the cabinet.

For example, the evaporator and the condenser may be disposed at front and rear sides in one side space of the cabinet. The compressor having a relatively large volume and size may be disposed in the other side edge space of the cabinet.

The above-mentioned laundry treatment apparatus using a heat pump may be constructed in a manner that moisture of humid air passing through the evaporator is condensed on the surface of the evaporator according to operation of the heat pump, condensate water condensed on the surface of the evaporator is collected by weight of the condensate water, and the collected condensate water is separately drained outside.

Recently, an enhanced laundry treatment apparatus having a refresh function, which is implemented by adding a separate steam generator to the above-mentioned laundry treatment apparatus having the heat pump, has been developed and rapidly come into widespread use. Here, the refresh function can dry target laundry using hot water generated by a heat pump and steam generated by a steam generator, and at the same time can perform wrinkle removal, deodorization, static electricity removal, etc. of the target laundry.

Meanwhile, according to a method for controlling the above-mentioned laundry treatment apparatus, a separate process for supplying steam is not yet performed when drying target laundry including bedclothes such as a blanket.

Accordingly, when drying bedclothes, in order to dry bedclothes as well as to obtain the refresh effects such as wrinkle removal, deodorization, static electricity removal, dust removal, sterilization, etc. of the bedclothes, a control process of supplying steam to the bedclothes is required to perform drying. <CIT> discloses a washing drying machine having a heat pump and a drying operation control method thereof. <CIT> discloses a clothes treating apparatus.

Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a method for controlling a laundry treatment apparatus that substantially obviates one or more problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art.

An object of the present invention is to provide a method for controlling a laundry treatment apparatus configured to evenly supply steam to bedclothes when drying the bedclothes such as a blanket, which can dry bedclothes using steam, and at the same time can perform wrinkle removal, deodorization, static electricity removal, dust removal, sterilization, etc. of the bedclothes using steam.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for controlling a laundry treatment apparatus configured to evenly supply steam to bedclothes when drying the bedclothes such as a blanket, which enables an internal temperature of the bedclothes to be maintained at a predetermined temperature for a predetermined time using steam, thereby increasing the sterilization effect of such bedclothes.

The above objects are achieved by the method according to claim <NUM>.

To achieve these objects and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, a laundry treating apparatus may include a tub to store water, a drum provided in the tub to accommodate laundry, a drive unit coupled to the tub to rotate the drum, and a controller to detect vibration of the drum.

The method may further include selecting a drying course prior to the drum driving step, wherein the steam supply step is performed when a course of drying bedclothes is selected.

The air supply step may be performed after lapse of the predetermined time.

The air supply step may include stopping the heat pump and the blower motor for the predetermined time.

The heat pump is stopped prior to the steam supply step, and the blower motor is stopped after the steam supply step is started.

During execution of the steam supply step, the heat pump and the blower motor are stopped. After completion of the steam supply step, the heat pump and the blower fan are started.

During execution of the steam supply step, the blower motor is temporarily operated and is then stopped. After completion of the steam supply step, the blower motor may start operation.

After completion of the steam supply step, the blower motor is operated again, and the blower motor is operated after the blower motor is operated.

The drum driving step may include a first motion in which the drum rotates at a first revolutions per minute (RPM) value where the target object to be dried is tumbled in a lower region of a horizontal line passing through a center of rotation of the drum, a third motion in which the drum rotates at a third RPM value where the target object to be dried remains in close contact with a circumferential surface of the drum, and a second motion in which the drum rotates at a second RPM value that is higher than the first RPM value of the first motion and is lower than the third RPM value of the third motion.

The drum driving step may include sequentially performing the first motion, the second motion, the third motion, the second motion, and the first motion.

The second motion may include rotating the drum at a revolutions per minute (RPM) value where a target object located in a lower region of the horizontal line passing through the center of rotation of the drum drops from an upper region of the horizontal line to the lower region of the horizontal line.

In accordance with one another aspect of the present invention, a method for controlling a laundry treatment apparatus which includes a drum in which a target object to be dried is put, a drum motor to drive the drum, an air duct to guide air into the drum, a heat pump provided in the air duct to dehumidify and heat the air, a blower fan to move the air of the air duct, and a blower motor to drive the blower fan, the method may include a course selection step for selecting a course of drying bedclothes, a drum driving step in which the drum is accelerated and decelerated in the bedclothes drying course so that the drum is repeatedly driven in forward and backward directions, a steam supply step for supplying steam for a predetermined time during execution of the drum driving step, and an air supply step in which the air circulates in the drum, after completion of the steam supply step.

The steam supply step may include stopping the heat pump and the blower motor for the predetermined time.

The heat pump may be stopped prior to the steam supply step, and the blower motor may be stopped after the steam supply step is started.

During execution of the steam supply step, the heat pump and the blower motor may be stopped. After completion of the steam supply step, the heat pump and the blower fan may be started.

During execution of the steam supply step, the blower motor is temporarily operated and is then stopped, and after completion of the steam supply step, the blower motor starts operation.

After completion of the steam supply step, the blower motor is operated again.

The blower motor is operated after the blower motor is operated.

The second motion may include rotating the drum at a revolutions per minute (RPM) value where a target object located in a lower region of the horizontal line passing through the center of rotation of the drum drops from an upper region of the horizontal line to the lower region of the horizontal line.

Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or similar parts. A singular expression may include a plural expression unless otherwise stated in the context. In the following description, a detailed description of related known configurations or functions incorporated herein will be omitted to avoid obscuring the subject matter.

In the following description of the present disclosure, names of constituent components to be defined are determined in consideration of their functions. Accordingly, it should be understood that the following description should not be construed as limiting technical components of the present disclosure. In addition, names of the constituent elements defined in the present disclosure can also be called other names by those skilled in the art.

A laundry treatment apparatus and a method for controlling the same according to embodiments of the present disclosure will hereinafter be described with reference to the attached drawings.

<FIG> is a schematic diagram illustrating a laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. <FIG> is a cross-sectional view illustrating an internal structure of the laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. <FIG> is a block diagram illustrating a laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

The laundry treatment apparatus <NUM> shown in <FIG> exemplarily illustrates a drum-type drying machine. The laundry treatment apparatus <NUM> may include a cabinet <NUM>, a drum <NUM>, a drum driver <NUM>, a blower <NUM>, a heat pump <NUM>, and a steam generator <NUM>. Air from the drum <NUM> may flow into the heat pump <NUM> through an air duct <NUM>.

In this case, the cabinet <NUM> forming external appearance of the product may include a door <NUM> through which laundry is put in and taken out, and a base <NUM> in which internal constituent elements of the laundry treatment apparatus <NUM> are installed.

On the other hand, one end of a front upper part of the cabinet <NUM> may be provided with a manipulation unit <NUM> and a display unit <NUM> to control the laundry treatment apparatus <NUM>. The other end of the front upper part of the cabinet <NUM> may be provided with a condensate tank <NUM> configured to temporarily store condensate water generated by the heat pump <NUM>.

Here, the display unit <NUM> may be configured to display various drying courses based on types of target clothes, and the manipulation unit <NUM> may be configured to select a drying course displayed on the display unit <NUM>. Thus, a controller <NUM> may enable the drying course selected by the manipulation unit <NUM> to be displayed on the display unit <NUM>, and may control the respective constituent components of the laundry treatment apparatus <NUM> to perform the drying course.

On the other hand, the above-mentioned drying source may include a bedclothes drying course for drying bedclothes. The bedclothes drying course may include a bedclothes normal-drying course in which no steam is used, and a bedclothes steam-drying course in which steam is used.

In this case, during the bedclothes normal-drying course, wrinkle removal, deodorization, static electricity removal, etc. of bedclothes can be performed without using steam. During the bedclothes steam-drying course, steam is supplied to the laundry treatment apparatus, such that it is expected that the sterilization effect of bedclothes as well as wrinkle removal, deodorization, and static electricity removal of bedclothes can be acquired.

Meanwhile, the condensate tank <NUM> may be formed in a drawer shape to be drawn out of the cabinet <NUM>. A separate knob <NUM> may be disposed at the front side of the condensate tank <NUM>. Therefore, as the condensate water is stored in the condensate tank <NUM>, the condensate tank <NUM> can be withdrawn by a user so that the condensate water can be drained outside.

In addition, the condensate tank <NUM> may further include a supply pipe <NUM> for enabling the condensate water stored in the condensate tank <NUM> to flow into a steam generator <NUM> to be described later.

On the other hand, the drum <NUM> may rotate about a rotary shaft that is disposed in the cabinet either in a horizontal direction or in a diagonal direction inclined at a predetermined angle. The drum <NUM> may be formed in a hollow cylindrical shape, and may form an accommodation space in which laundry or bedclothes to be dried are put by a user so that the laundry and bedclothes can be dried in the accommodation space.

The drum <NUM> may be formed in a cylindrical shape in which a front end and a rear end are opened. The drum <NUM> may include a front support <NUM> through which the drum <NUM> can be rotatably supported at a front part of the drum <NUM>. In addition, the drum <NUM> may include a rear support <NUM> through which the drum <NUM> can be rotatably supported at a rear end.

In addition, a front roller <NUM> for rotatably supporting the drum <NUM> may be provided at a front lower part of the drum <NUM>, and a rear roller <NUM> for rotatably supporting the drum <NUM> may be provided at a rear lower part of the drum <NUM>.

That is, the front support <NUM> may block the front side of the drum <NUM>, and the rear support <NUM> may block the rear side of the drum <NUM>, such that the front support <NUM> and the rear support <NUM> can form a drying space of target laundry to be dried and can respectively support the front end and the rear end of the drum <NUM>.

Meanwhile, an inlet 132b through which target laundry to be dried can be put into the drum <NUM> may be formed at the front support <NUM>, and the inlet 132b may be selectively opened or closed by the door <NUM>.

In addition, an air outlet 132a connected to an air duct <NUM> to be described later may be disposed below the front support <NUM>. The air outlet 132a may be provided with a suction passage <NUM> of the air duct <NUM> to be described layer, so that the suction passage <NUM> can communicate with the air outlet 132a.

The rear support <NUM> may be provided with an air inlet 133a formed of a plurality of through-holes to supply air to the drum <NUM>. The air inlet 133a may be provided with an exhaust passage <NUM> of the air duct <NUM>, such that the exhaust passage <NUM> can communicate with the air inlet 133a.

In order to efficiently dry target laundry to be dried, an inner circumferential surface of the drum <NUM> may be provided with a lifter 131a for tumbling laundry placed in the drum <NUM>.

In addition, the drum driver <NUM> may provide rotational force to the drum <NUM> using the drum motor <NUM>. An output shaft of the drum motor <NUM> and the drum <NUM> may be coupled to each other by a power transmission means such as a belt 141a and a pulley 141b. Rotational force of the drum motor <NUM> may be transmitted to the drum <NUM>, so that the drum <NUM> can rotate.

The air duct <NUM> may be connected to the drum <NUM>, resulting in formation of a closed loop for air circulation. For example, the air duct <NUM> may be formed in a duct shape.

In this case, the suction passage <NUM> for discharging air may be provided below the front support <NUM>, and an exhaust passage <NUM> for supporting air may be formed in the rear support <NUM>.

Meanwhile, the blower <NUM> may be installed in the air duct <NUM> extending from the suction passage <NUM> to an evaporator <NUM> of the heat pump <NUM>, or may be installed in the air duct <NUM> extending from the condenser <NUM> of the heat pump <NUM> to the exhaust passage <NUM>.

In this case, the blower <NUM> may include a blower fan <NUM> driven by a separate blower motor <NUM>, may provide kinetic energy to air so that the air can pass through the drum <NUM>, and may thus enable the air discharged from the drum <NUM> to re-circulate in the drum <NUM>.

The laundry treatment apparatus <NUM> may include a drum motor <NUM> for rotating the drum <NUM> and a separate blower motor <NUM> for driving the blower fan <NUM>.

In this case, the laundry treatment apparatus <NUM> can individually control rotation of the drum <NUM> and operation of the blower fan <NUM> according to individual control of the drum motor <NUM> and the blower fan <NUM>.

In addition, the suction passage <NUM> may be provided with a lint filter <NUM> for filtering out lint in the circulated air. The lint filter <NUM> may collect lint contained in air as the air sucked into the suction passage passes through the drum <NUM>.

Accordingly, moisture of target laundry may be evaporated by hot air supplied into the drum <NUM>, and the air having passed through the drum <NUM> may include moisture evaporated from the target laundry and at the same time may be discharged outside from the drum <NUM>.

In this case, high-temperature and humid air discharged from the drum <NUM> may be dehumidified and heated while moving along the air duct <NUM>, so that the resultant air can circulate in the drum <NUM>.

On the other hand, the heat pump <NUM> may include an evaporator <NUM>, a compressor <NUM>, a condenser <NUM>, and an expansion valve <NUM>. The heat pump <NUM> may use refrigerant as an operation fluid. The refrigerant may flow along a refrigerant pipe <NUM>, and the refrigerant pipe <NUM> may form a closed loop for refrigerant circulation.

As the evaporator <NUM>, the compressor <NUM>, the condenser <NUM> and the expansion valve <NUM> are connected to the refrigerant pipe <NUM>, the refrigerant may sequentially pass through the evaporator <NUM>, the compressor <NUM>, the condenser <NUM> and the expansion valve <NUM>.

The evaporator <NUM> may be installed in the air duct <NUM> to communicate with the outlet of the drum <NUM>, and may enable the air discharged from the drum outlet to exchange heat with the refrigerant, so that the evaporator <NUM> can collect heat of the air discharged from the drum <NUM> without discarding the heat to the outside of the drying machine.

The condenser <NUM> may be installed in the air duct <NUM> to communicate with the inlet of the drum, and may enable the air having passed through the evaporator <NUM> to exchange heat with the refrigerant, so that the condenser <NUM> can emit heat of the refrigerant having passed through the evaporator <NUM> to air to be introduced into the drum <NUM>.

Meanwhile, the evaporator <NUM> and the condenser <NUM> may be installed in the air duct <NUM>. The evaporator <NUM> may be connected to the outlet of the drum <NUM>, and the condenser <NUM> may be connected to the inlet of the drum <NUM>.

High-temperature and humidity air discharged from the drum <NUM> has a higher temperature than the refrigerant of the evaporator <NUM>. Accordingly, heat capacity of the high-temperature and humid air is absorbed in the refrigerant of the evaporator <NUM> while passing through the evaporator <NUM>, so that the resultant air is condensed to generate condensate water. Therefore, the high-temperature and humid air may be dehumidified by the evaporator <NUM>, and the condensate water may be collected into a separate condensate tank <NUM>.

In order to collect the condensate water generated by the evaporator <NUM> in the condensate tank <NUM>, a condensate collection plate <NUM> may be provided below the evaporator <NUM>. The condensate collection plate <NUM> and the condensate tank <NUM> may further include a condensate pipe <NUM> and a condensate pump (not shown) so as to allow the condensate water collected into the condensate collection plate <NUM> to flow into the condensate tank <NUM>.

On the other hand, a heat source of the air absorbed by the evaporator <NUM> may move to the condenser <NUM> using the refrigerant as a medium, and the compressor <NUM> may be disposed between the evaporator <NUM> and the condenser <NUM> so as to move the heat source in the direction from the evaporator <NUM> acting as a low heat source to the condenser <NUM> acting as a high heat source.

Each of the evaporator <NUM> and the condenser <NUM> may be a fin & tube type heat exchanger. The fin & tube type heat exchanger may have a structure in which fins formed in flat plate shapes are attached to a hollow tube.

As a refrigerant flows along the inside of the tube and air passes between the fins, so that the refrigerant and the air can exchange heat with each other. In this case, the fins may be used to increase the size of a heat exchange region between the air and the refrigerant.

The compressor <NUM> may generate a high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant by compressing refrigerant evaporated by the evaporator <NUM>, and the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant may flow into the condenser <NUM> along the refrigerant pipe <NUM>. The compressor <NUM> may be an inverter-type compressor <NUM> capable of varying a frequency so as to control the discharge amount of the refrigerant.

The expansion valve <NUM> may be installed at the refrigerant pipe <NUM> extending from the condenser <NUM> to the evaporator <NUM>, and may expand the refrigerant condensed by the condenser <NUM>, such that the low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant can be transferred to the evaporator <NUM>.

The above-mentioned refrigerant can move or flow along the following flow passage. In more detail, the refrigerant in a gaseous state may flow into the compressor <NUM>, may be converted into a state of high temperature and high pressure by compression of the compressor <NUM>, and the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant may flow into the condenser <NUM> in a manner that heat of the refrigerant is emitted to the air, so that the refrigerant can be converted a liquid state from the gaseous state.

Subsequently, the liquid refrigerant may be introduced into the expansion valve <NUM>, and may be converted into a low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant by a throttling operation of the expansion valve <NUM> (or a capillary tube). The low-temperature and low-pressure liquid refrigerant may flow into the evaporator <NUM> so that the evaporator <NUM> can absorb heat from the air to convert the liquid refrigerant into a gaseous refrigerant.

As described above, the heat pump <NUM> may sequentially circulate a refrigerant to the compressor <NUM>, the condenser <NUM>, the expansion valve <NUM>, and the evaporator <NUM> in a repeated manner, and may provide a heat source to the air that circulates in the drum <NUM>.

On the other hand, the laundry treatment apparatus <NUM> according to the present disclosure may include a steam generator <NUM> for supplying high-temperature stream to the inside of the drum <NUM>, differently from a process of circulating and supplying heated air by the heat pump <NUM>. As a result, the laundry treatment apparatus <NUM> can perform wrinkle removal, deodorization, static electricity removal, and sterilization of target laundry using the steam generator <NUM>.

In this case, the steam generator <NUM> may include a steam chamber <NUM>, a steam heater (not shown), and a steam nozzle <NUM>. The steam chamber <NUM> may store water needed to generate steam, and may include a space in which water is heated. The steam heater (not shown) may be disposed in the steam chamber <NUM>, and may generate steam by heating water stored in the steam chamber <NUM>. The steam nozzle <NUM> may spray the steam generated by the steam chamber <NUM> into the drum <NUM>.

In this case, the steam chamber <NUM> may include a steam water-supply pipe <NUM> to receive water needed to generate steam. The steam water-supply pipe <NUM> may directly receive water from an external water-supply source (not shown) of the laundry treatment apparatus <NUM>, or may receive condensate water stored in the condensate tank <NUM>. The steam water-supply pipe <NUM> may further include a water-supply valve <NUM> to control water to be supplied to the steam chamber <NUM>.

Operations of the above-mentioned laundry treatment apparatus according to the embodiment of the present disclosure will hereinafter be described with reference to the attached drawings. The following constituent elements of the laundry treatment apparatus should be understood with reference to the foregoing description and the attached drawings.

<FIG> is a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling the laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. <FIG> is a graph illustrating a method for operating the laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Although the method for controlling the laundry treatment apparatus according to the present disclosure is used to dry or treat target laundry such as clothes or bedclothes, the scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method for performing wrinkle removal, deodorization, static electricity removal, dust removal, and sterilization of bedclothes by supplying steam to the bedclothes when drying the bedclothes.

The method for controlling the laundry treatment apparatus may include a course selection step S110 for receiving a control signal needed for course selection from the user, a drying time setting step S120 for setting a drying time needed to set an execution time of a user-selected course, a drum driving step S130 for rotating the drum <NUM> by accelerating or decelerating the drum at a predetermined speed, a steam supply step S140 for supplying steam to the inside of the drum <NUM>, and an air supply step for removing moisture from target laundry by supplying air to the drum <NUM>.

In this case, the course selection step S110 is a step of enabling the user to select a desired course from among a plurality of drying courses displayed through the manipulation unit <NUM> and the display unit <NUM>. In the course selection step S110, the controller <NUM> may set a drying course based on information received through the manipulation unit <NUM>. For convenience of description and better understanding of the present disclosure, it is assumed that a drying course selected by the user who uses the manipulation unit <NUM> is exemplarily set to a bedclothes drying course.

Meanwhile, the drying time setting step S120 may set the time required for the user-selected drying course. The drying time for each drying course may be set by the controller <NUM> according to the amount of target laundry placed in the drum <NUM>. Alternatively, the controller <NUM> may be provided to select the time allocated to the user-selected drying course from among the plurality of drying times of individual drying courses set by a manufacturing company.

The drum driving step S130 may enable target laundry to move in the drum by controlling the number of rotations (e.g., RPM) of the drum <NUM>, or may enable target laundry to be fixed at the circumferential surface of the drum <NUM> by controlling the number of rotations (e.g., RPM) of the drum <NUM>. Thus, in the drum driving step S130, the size of a contact region between the target laundry to be dried and the air can be changed, and at the same time the size of a contact region between target laundry and steam to be supplied into the drum <NUM> can be changed, so that steam can deeply penetrate the target laundry.

In addition, the drum driving step S130 may be intermittently repeated at regular intervals during the steam supply step S140 and the air supply step S150.

Meanwhile, the drum driving step S130 may include a first motion, a second motion, and a third motion that sequentially accelerate and decelerate a rotational speed of the drum <NUM> in the order of a first agitation speed → a second agitation speed → a third agitation speed, such that target laundry placed in the drum <NUM> can be rotatably agitated sequentially.

In this case, the first motion, the second motion, and the third motion can be distinguished from each other depending on RPMs of the drum <NUM>. The drum <NUM> may rotate at the lowest RPM in the first motion. The drum <NUM> may rotate at the highest RPM in the third motion. In the second motion, the drum <NUM> may rotate at RPM between the RPM of the first motion and the RPM of the third motion.

On the other hand, the first motion may refer to a motion that allows the drum <NUM> to rotate at a first RPM (about <NUM>~<NUM> rpm), such that target laundry tumbles under a horizontal line passing through the center of rotation of the drum <NUM>.

When the first motion is executed, target laundry may move along the inner circumferential surface of the drum in a space located below the horizontal line from among the inner space of the drum <NUM>, so that the target laundry can repeatedly tumble in the drum <NUM> through the first motion.

Accordingly, one surface (i.e., the surface contacting the inner circumferential surface of the drum) of target laundry contacting the inner circumferential surface of the drum <NUM> may be separated from the circumferential surface of the drum <NUM> through the first motion, such that the target laundry can rotate and move in a manner that a relatively larger region of the target laundry can be in contact with the air or steam flowing into the drum <NUM>.

On the other hand, the second motion may refer to a motion in which the drum <NUM> rotates at a second RPM (about <NUM>~<NUM> rpm) between the first RPM allocated to the first motion and the third RPM allocated to the third motion.

In this case, when the second motion is executed, as target laundry rotates at the second RPM, target laundry may move to an upper region of a horizontal line that passes through the center of rotation of the drum <NUM> from among the inner space of the drum <NUM> by centrifugal force, and may then drop to the lower region of the horizontal line passing through the center of rotation of the drum <NUM>, so that target laundry is repeatedly tumbled in the drum during the second motion.

Accordingly, as target laundry drops from the upper region of the drum <NUM> to the lower region in the drum <NUM>, moisture contained in the target laundry colliding with the circumferential surface of the drum <NUM> can be easily separated from the target laundry to increase mobility of the target laundry, such that steam supplied into the drum separately from the air can penetrate the inside of the target laundry.

On the other hand, the third motion may refer to a motion that allows the drum <NUM> to rotate at a third RPM (about <NUM>~<NUM> rpm) that causes centrifugal force of <NUM> or more to the target laundry, so that the target laundry can be in close contact with the circumferential surface of the drum <NUM>.

In the third motion, since target laundry is maintained fixedly at the circumferential surface of the drum <NUM> by centrifugal force, target laundry does not drop even when the drum <NUM> rotates. The third motion provides target laundry with high centrifugal force, so that moisture contained in the target laundry to be dried can be separated from the target laundry.

In the third motion, the centrifugal force generated by rotation of the drum <NUM> may be applied to air or steam staying in target laundry that rotates while being attached to the inner circumferential surface of the drum <NUM>, such that the air or steam to which the centrifugal force is applied can deeply penetrate the inside of the target laundry.

On the other hand, in the first, second, and third motions as described above, drying of target laundry may be repeatedly performed at intervals of a predetermined time. As the first, second, and third motions proceed, dust and the like remaining on target laundry placed in the drum <NUM> can be removed from the target laundry, and the air or steam inside the drum <NUM> can evenly contact and penetrate the target laundry.

In association with the first, second, and third motions, the first to third motions may be combined with each other in ascending numerical order of RPMs of the drum <NUM>, or may be combined with each other in descending numerical order of RPMs of the drum <NUM>, such that load of the drum driver <NUM> can be minimized.

The drum driving step S130 may be repeated until the drying time is completed. That is, the control method of the laundry treatment apparatus according to the present disclosure may be repeatedly performed until the drying time has elapsed from the time where the steam supply step S140 and the air supply step S150 are started.

In addition, the first motion, the second motion, and the third motion can operate separately from operation of the blower fan <NUM>, by the drum motor <NUM> configured to drive the drum <NUM>. That is, when the drum motor <NUM> rotates the drum <NUM> at different RPMs of the first to third motions, the blower motor <NUM> rotates the blower fan <NUM> at a constant speed so that the air can constantly circulate in the drum <NUM>.

On the other hand, the first, second, and third motions can be more effectively applied to a course (i.e., a bedclothes course) of drying bedclothes such as a blanket. Since bedclothes such as a blanket are thick and have a large volume, the bedclothes may hardly move in the drum <NUM> even when the drum <NUM> rotates.

In this case, when air is supplied to the drum <NUM> in a situation where the position of bedclothes remains unchanged, there may arise some problems in which a portion contacting the air from among the bedclothes is dried and the other portion not contacting the air from among the bedclothes is not dried. If the first, second, and third motions are performed in the drum driving step S130 after the bedclothes drying course is selected, the above-mentioned problems can be obviated.

Meanwhile, after completion of the drum driving step S130, the steam supply step S140 for supplying steam to the inside of the drum <NUM> may be performed. The steam supply step S140 may be used to perform wrinkle removal, deodorization, static electricity removal, and sterilization of target laundry placed in the drum <NUM>.

In this case, the steam supply step S140 may further include a heat-pump stopping step S141 and a blower stopping step S143. That is, in a situation where steam is supplied to the drum <NUM> through the steam generator <NUM>, when power is supplied to the steam heater <NUM> to generate steam and at the same time such power is also supplied to the heat pump <NUM> and the compressor <NUM>, excessive power may be consumed in the process of drying target laundry and supplying steam to the target laundry.

Thus, in accordance with the embodiment of the present disclosure, during execution of the steam supply step S140, the heat pump <NUM> or the blower <NUM> may temporarily stop operation. However, when the sufficient amount of power is supplied to the laundry treatment apparatus <NUM>, the heat pump <NUM> and/or the blower <NUM> can continuously operate even when steam is supplied to the drum <NUM>.

On the other hand, the operation of the heat pump <NUM> and the operation of the blower <NUM> in the steam supply step S140 will be described later with reference to a separate drawing. In the following description, the embodiment of the present disclosure will hereinafter be described with reference to the process of stopping the heat pump <NUM> and the blower <NUM> in the steam supply step S140.

Meanwhile, if the steam supply step S140 is performed as described above, the compressor <NUM> of the heat pump <NUM> stops operation (S141) and at the same time the blower <NUM> also stops operation (S143), and steam is supplied to the inside of the drum <NUM> through the steam generator (S142).

In this case, in the steam supply step S140, when steam is supplied at the same time as the heat pump starts operation, excessive power is consumed so that simultaneous execution of both steam supply and heat pump operation is considered undesirable. Steam supplied to the drum in an activation state of the blower may circulate in the drum along with the air, and the steam may have difficulty in contacting target laundry. Therefore, it is desirable that the blower stop operation in the steam supply step S140.

On the other hand, the operation time of the blower <NUM> may also overlap with an initial steam supply time of the steam supply step S140 for a predetermined time. That is, in the initial stage of the steam supply step S140, steam may be sprayed only to a specific portion where the steam nozzle <NUM> is located, and may thus be unevenly sprayed into the drum <NUM>.

Therefore, in the steam supply step S140, the blower <NUM> may operate for an initial constant time to evenly diffuse the steam sprayed from the steam nozzle <NUM> into the drum <NUM>.

Thereafter, when the compressor <NUM> of the heat pump <NUM> and the blower motor <NUM> of the blower <NUM> are stopped in the steam supply step S140, the controller <NUM> may determine whether a set time for steam supply has elapsed (S144).

In this case, the set time for steam supply may vary depending on the amount of initial laundry to be dried. When the set time has not elapsed, steam is continuously supplied to the drum <NUM>. In contrast, when the set time has elapsed, the steam generator is powered off so that the process of supplying steam to the drum <NUM> is stopped (S140).

Thereafter, after the steam supply operation is stopped, the controller <NUM> may circulate the air in the drum <NUM> by powering on the blower <NUM> (S151), and may heat the air circulating in the drum <NUM> to supply hot air by powering on the heat pump <NUM> (S152), thereby drying target laundry. Here, before power is supplied to the heat pump <NUM>, the blower <NUM> is powered on earlier than the heat pump <NUM>, so that steam remaining in the drum <NUM> may be discharged outside.

Thereafter, the controller <NUM> may determine whether the drying time determined in the drying time setting step S120 has elapsed (S160). In this case, when the drying time has not elapsed, the blower <NUM> and the heat pump <NUM> are continuously operated. In contrast, when the drying time has elapsed, the blower <NUM> and the heat pump <NUM> are stopped and the drying process is completed.

The process of operating the laundry treatment apparatus <NUM> according to another embodiment of the present disclosure will hereinafter be described with reference to the attached drawings.

<FIG> is a graph illustrating a method for operating the laundry treatment apparatus according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

The operations of the laundry treatment apparatus <NUM> shown in <FIG> according to another embodiment may be identical to those of the above-mentioned laundry treatment apparatus according to one embodiment. The steam supply step S140 may be performed after the air supply step S150 has been performed for a predetermined time.

In the following description, the same operations as in the above-mentioned embodiment will herein be omitted for brevity, and only a specific time where the steam supply step S140 is performed after completion of the drum driving step S130 will hereinafter be described.

The control method of the laundry treatment apparatus <NUM> according to another embodiment may operate as follows. In more detail, after the set time (about <NUM>~<NUM> minutes) has elapsed after completion of the drum driving step S130, the steam supply step S140 is then performed.

In this case, the controller <NUM> can perform a general drying procedure by supplying power to the heat pump <NUM> and the blower <NUM> during execution of the drum driving step S130. Thereafter, the steam supply step S140 may be performed after lapse of a predetermined time.

In this case, when the steam supply step S140 is performed, the heat pump <NUM> and the blower <NUM> may stop operation in the same manner as in the above-mentioned embodiment, and only steam can be supplied to the drum through the steam generator <NUM>.

In other words, when the drying procedure is performed on target laundry for a set time, moisture or humidity remaining in bedclothes to be dried can be heated and dried by hot air. Therefore, if the steam supply step S140 is performed after lapse of the set time, steam supplied to the inside of the drum <NUM> may be supplied to the inside of the drum <NUM> heated by hot air, so that steam can be evenly diffused into the drum <NUM> and moisture remaining in bedclothes to be dried may be removed, and steam can deeply penetrate the bedclothes through a dried portion of the bedclothes.

A method for operating the laundry treatment apparatus <NUM> according to still another embodiment of the present disclosure will hereinafter be described with reference to the attached drawings.

<FIG> is a graph illustrating a method for operating the laundry treatment apparatus according to still another embodiment of the present disclosure.

In accordance with still another embodiment of the present disclosure, if it is possible for the sufficient amount of power to be supplied to the laundry treatment apparatus so that the laundry treatment apparatus is sufficiently operable with the sufficient amount of power, the steam supply step S140 and the air supply step S150 can be simultaneously performed.

As shown in <FIG>, in accordance with still another embodiment of the present disclosure, when the drum driving step S130 is performed, the air supply step S150 may be performed in the same manner as the drum driving step S130. For an initial set time in which the drum driving step S130 and the air supply step S150 are performed, the steam supply step S140 may be performed.

In this case, steam supplied to the inside of the drum <NUM> is supplied to the inside of the drum <NUM> along with the air, such that steam can be evenly diffused into the drum <NUM> and moisture remaining in bedclothes to be dried is removed, and the resultant steam can deeply penetrate the bedclothes through a dried portion of the bedclothes.

As described above, in association with the method for controlling the laundry treatment apparatus according to the above-mentioned embodiments of the present disclosure, during drying of bedclothes such as a blanket, steam is supplied to the bedclothes, such that not only drying of the bedclothes, but also wrinkle removal, deodorization, static electricity removal, dust removal, and sterilization of the bedclothes can be effectively performed.

In addition, in association with the method for controlling the laundry treatment apparatus according to the above-mentioned embodiments of the present disclosure, during drying of bedclothes such as a blanket, steam is supplied to the bedclothes, such that the internal temperature of the bedclothes can be maintained at a predetermined temperature for a predetermined time, thereby increasing the sterilization effect of such bedclothes.

Although the above-mentioned control method has been disclosed with reference to the laundry treatment apparatus including the circulation-type drying system shown in <FIG> for convenience of description, the scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the control method according to the present disclosure can also be applied to another laundry treatment apparatus including an exhaust-type drying system.

That is, the laundry treatment apparatus including the exhaust-type drying system may include the drum <NUM>, an exhaust duct through which internal air in the drum <NUM> is discharged outside, a supply duct through which external air is supplied to the drum <NUM>, a fan provided in the exhaust duct, and a heat exchange unit (e.g., a heater) provided in the exhaust duct. The control method according to the present disclosure can also be applied to the laundry treatment apparatus including the exhaust-type drying system.

As is apparent from the above description, the method for controlling the laundry treatment apparatus according to the embodiments of the present disclosure can supply steam to bedclothes when drying the bedclothes such as a blanket, such that the laundry treatment apparatus can dry the bedclothes using steam, and at the same time can perform wrinkle removal, deodorization, static electricity removal, dust removal, sterilization, etc. of bedclothes using steam.

Claim 1:
A method for controlling a laundry treatment apparatus which includes a drum (<NUM>) in which a target object to be dried is put, a drum motor (<NUM>) to drive the drum (<NUM>), an air duct (<NUM>) to guide air into the drum (<NUM>), a heat pump (<NUM>) provided in the air duct (<NUM>) to dehumidify and heat the air, a blower fan (<NUM>) to move the air of the air duct (<NUM>), and a blower motor (<NUM>) to drive the blower fan (<NUM>), the method comprising:
a drum driving step (S130) for repeatedly driving the drum by accelerating and decelerating the drum;
a steam supply step (S140) for supplying steam for a predetermined time during execution of the drum driving step; and
an air supply step (S150) for circulating internal air of the drum during execution of the drum driving step,
characterized in that the blower fan (<NUM>) is provided separately from the drum motor (<NUM>), and that the blower motor (<NUM>) is stopped to stop the circulation of the internal air of the drum (<NUM>) during execution of the steam supply step (S140).